"Back straight. Eyes forward. Chin up—but not so high you appear arrogant."
Arcturus's voice echoed through the high-ceilinged drawing room, each word sharp and deliberate. Rigel stood in front of a tall, dustless mirror framed in silver filigree. He wore fine robes of deep emerald trimmed in black, and he hated them—itchy, formal, and stifling. But Arcturus insisted.
"Confidence is a weapon," the old man continued. "One you wear before you even draw your wand. Every movement you make should remind those watching that you are a Black."
Rigel adjusted his stance. Again.
He had learned more about fork placement, wand etiquette, posture, titles, proper speech, and how to greet a foreign ambassador than he'd ever imagined necessary.
At first, he had complained—quietly. Now, he just endured. Arcturus taught with the precision of a duelist: merciless, efficient, effective.
But even amidst the stifling rules and rigid discipline, something else was blooming.
At night, when the manor's corridors quieted and the ancestral portraits dozed, Rigel would slip away to the old study Arcturus seldom used.
It was there—among the tomes bound in dragonhide and shadow—that Rigel found the book.
Tucked behind a worn volume of "Pureblood Lineage: A Historical Compendium," the small, silver-edged book practically hummed with dormant magic. Its black leather cover bore no title. But when he opened it, ink curled across the page like living smoke.
"The Art of Flesh and Will: Metamorphmagus Doctrine."
Rigel's heart thudded. He turned the pages reverently, eyes wide with hunger. The book was ancient—its script handwritten in shifting silver ink, diagrams and runes glowing faintly under moonlight.
The book was more than a manual.
It pulsed with intent, like a slumbering mind waiting to be understood. As Rigel delved deeper into its pages, he discovered that it was not written by a scholar—but by a Metamorphmagus of legend, a sorcerer known only as Eidolon, whose mastery of the craft transcended mere physical change.
"We are not mere copycats,what we change into are truly what we become," Eidolon wrote.
The chapters became stranger the deeper he went.One particular chapter appeared where before there had been none.
"Inheritance Through Flesh: The Blood Echo"
It began:
"There are two types of metamorphmagus.
In some, the gift is born; in others, it is stirred.While those who are born with it find it easier to master they do not remain pure and hence change as their magic changes with age in their early years.
They can alter their shape, size ,appearance etc but ultimately they must maintain a human form.
On the other hand those who awaken it after they are 4 years old have already solidified their magic and even though they can find it hard to master, they have pure and ancient Metamorphmagus magic which means they can transform into any creature they want with proper magic and enough practice.
This magic though rare can lie dormant for generations, passed through blood like a forgotten promise. But in those who awaken it the gift is quite powerful."
After reading the book Rigel was very surprised by the amount of information present in it.
The book whispered what no one had dared say: his ability wasn't just rare—it was primordial.
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Author's notes.
Please give me power stones.