30th of April 1930 – Age 5
Atticus waited in the lobby for his parents as it was quickly approaching time to head to where they were going.
It was a special day for him.
It would be the first Beltane festival he would get to go to.
Sophia had gone a few years back with their cousins, aunt and their mother but Atticus was deemed too young to go.
The Beltane festival is one of the oldest and most adhered to pagan celebrations within the magical community, at least in the British Isles. It lasts from the evening of the thirtieth of April until the next sundown on the first of May.
He had been told witches and wizards from all over the country would congregate to this festival, dancing around fires celebrating the end of winter and the beginning of summer, celebrating the awakening of the earth.
The ritual is one of renewal and rebirth. On Beltane, magic is at its strongest just like Samhain, Yule and so on. Atticus had not been told what the festival consisted off and had been told that he would find out for himself.
"I see you're ready to go" His mother bemusedly stated. Atticus snapped out of his thoughts and blankly looked at her "I have been ready to go for over 20 minutes." he complained
"Ah, your very first Beltane festival, of course you would be so eager" she said with a laughing smile. "I can clearly remember my first festival." She said wistfully with a sigh "It was magical" she said with a mischievous look in her eye.
Atticus only sighed at her antics. "Where is father?" hoping to move the situation along.
"He'll meet us there. Hold onto my hand, I'll apparate us there" she said as she stuck out her arm.
There were numerous celebrations around the country where people would meet.
The celebrations they were attending were held in the countryside somewhere in northern Wales.
Atticus and his mother arrived at the designated arrival point and could already see a large congregation of people in the distance.
They had arrived on a hill that overlooked the forest and in the middle of the forest there was a clearing large enough to suit thousands of people.
There were thousands upon thousands of lanterns, illuminating the site, seemingly hung in the sky, as captivating as fireflies. It gave off an eerie welcoming presence. They walked towards the site.
As they approached the site, Atticus was for the first time clearly able to see what the people were dressed in. Atticus had been taken to one of the clothing shops in Diagon Alley and he was fitted for brightly coloured robes.
The one was wearing was forest green and sky blue. He hadn't complained about the colourful clothing as he was simply far too intrigued in the entire affair.
They were all wearing similar bright clothing. Crowns of flowers adorned the heads of witches even some wizards. There were hundreds of people, speaking, laughing, dancing.
Musicians filled the air with music with carefree abandon, putting people in rapture as they danced to the beats of the songs. There were stalls, selling food and drink.
Atticus closed his eyes and extended his magic outward slightly, hoping to feel what he thought he might be able to feel. He had been right, magic was strong here. He could feel it; it was currently soothing, embracing, warm waiting for something.
His mother had spotted their father, who was talking to a couple who were about middle aged.
"Markus!" His mother exclaimed as she dragged him along towards him. His father had turned and smiled once he realised who it was. He moved towards her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Anne" He smiled softly
He then turned to Atticus and put his hand on his shoulder "Hello son, your very first Beltane festival. What do you think so far?" he asked
Atticus smiled "It's wonderful" he said whilst he looked around taking in the sights. He hadn't been lying either. The magic he was feeling currently was different from what he had felt from the manor but it was not too dissimilar.
It was very…tangible.
Markus simply smiled. "Why don't you go dance. It will be an experience that will stay with you. It is said that dancing between the fires will bring you good fortune. Find a witch to dance with" he said.
Atticus had been reluctant until he had been convinced by his mother.
He made his way to where a number of people had been dancing and he had seen a number of children who were roughly his age. He made his way towards them.
He saw a couple of girls twirling, weaving through the air, in tune with the music, lost to the rhythm of the music. He did not know how long he stood there, watching the girls and the others around them but he had been taking out of his thoughts as his hand had been grabbed and pulled towards someone.
He jerked his head and saw a girl, around his age with black hair and grey eyes that had been responsible. She wore a band of bright violet flowers on her head with her hair braided with pale white flowers scattered in it.
"Hello" Atticus said bemusedly "What is your name?" he said as she continued to grab him and dragged him towards the centre of the place he had been watching.
She looked back and smiled "Calypso" she said softly and returned her gaze to where they were headed to.
They hadn't spoken again after that brief interaction. They joined the others who were dancing around the fires.
Atticus did not know the pattern of the dances they were doing but it had not mattered. Calypso knew and she took charge.
Leading him into kicks, into spins and into twirls. Atticus would deny it forever but he had truly enjoyed it.
All apprehension was lost. He felt giddy, he felt like he was dancing to an unheard beat, beyond the music that was being played, songs that were sung of which the barest whispers were heard but enough to sunk you into enchantment.
Atticus let himself go and he extended his magic outward and what he felt was wonderful.
It was as if he was high and drunk at the same time, without the heaviness that came with it.
The magic that had been warm was now nurturing, a balm to his soul. He did not know how long he was in this state but he was exhilarated.
He had long since lost Calypso and had danced with a number of girls.
After a while, he had come down and he took a seat at the edge of the dancing area.
He felt a hand on his head and he turned his face towards that direction and it was his mother who had come to look for him.
"Have you enjoyed yourself?" she asked teasingly.
Atticus could only laugh "Yes mother, I have never felt like that before" he exclaimed and he began laughing.
She laughed along with him "Yes that is the magic of Beltane. Magic is strong today. Wild magic is high on this day and with the presence of hundreds of magicals with strong positive emotions, it only contributes to the strength of the magic and it affects us all deeply."
Atticus pondered that. He supposed it made sense. After all, magic is centred on intent and with all these people celebrating Beltane and all it entails, it made sense that the magic around him was so positive.
"It makes sense" he smiled at his mother "I could feel the magic when I was dancing, it felt so good. Is it always like this?"
She only smiled gently at him before she nodded "The first Beltane for most people is almost always the best that they have experienced."
She looked up at some of the lanterns that were floating above them before she took on a wistful look and turned towards Atticus and looked him in the eyes with a soft smile "But...the first Beltane with someone special can be truly wondrous. I remember when I went with your father. We went together and we had danced until dawn." She said as she looked past Atticus clearly remembering the occasion.
Atticus smiled. He was happy for her and he dropped down, lying on his back content to watch the lanterns float above him in the sky. She remained seated next to him as she simply watched people dance the night away.
It was strange. Life for Atticus has been so far and above better than at any time in his previous life.
Nights like this, moments like this with his mother had evoked things in Atticus he had thought had long since withered away.
He closed his eyes and let those thoughts drift away, choosing instead to focus on the music, the laughter and feel of the magic instead. It was strange. It was contentment.
-Break-
4th of September 1930 – Age 5
For a little while now Atticus had been picking up emotions from those around him.
He had been picking up emotions when he had been going to Diagon Alley and Verdant Alley with his mother but during the Beltane festival, he had been picking stray emotions from hundreds of meters.
Luckily, much of it had coincided with the positive feel of the magic of the festival and so it had not caused him any damage or discomfort. But there had been some stray whispers that he could not make could definitely heard.
When he had returned and pondered over it, he had realised that he had been picking up stray thoughts along with the emotions.
Atticus was in two minds of this. He was inordinately pleased that he had Legillimency capability but he knew that he could not truly practice it at the Manor and so he had made plans.
His father had taken on a lot of the duties regarding the family business and Wizengamot duties. His great grandfather was still Lord Sayre but he was stepping back more and more.
This had left him very little time in the home during the day. He often left around 10am and returned in the evenings.
His mother aided in the family business but she also had her socialite activities which kept her busy in the afternoons and evenings.
His great grandfather had a similar schedule to his father. Ms Florence was the only one that he had to work around with and he could do it easily.
It was well known that Atticus spent much of his time holed up in his room and didn't like to be interrupted. In this case it would work well for him.
Tweenie was the house elf that he was assigned with and he had a lot of leeway with him. Because Tweenie was bonded to House Sayre, he would be unable to spill his secrets unless it was demanded by the Lord of the house.
All he needed to do was to ensure that Tweenie was capable of lying in case he was asked about his activities. He scheduled his expeditions on the three days a week he knew he had free reign for three or more consecutive hours.
And so eight days after the Beltane festival finished Atticus' excursions into muggle London. Tweenie was his taxi. He was able to pop the pair of them without a problem.
Atticus had asked Tweenie find him a location where he could sit at a height without being easily seen but had enough people for him to practice on.
He had found a decent place on a roof that was two storeys high in Oxford Circus near a high end restaurant was a high traffic hot spot.
He had difficulties at first sensing emotions from this vantage point but soon, after half a dozen trips, he managed to not only sense emotions but began to see images popping into his head when he concentrated and caught eye contact with some of them.
From that point onwards, he began to experiment with his Legillimency and drove forward with his intent to hear more, see more and his magic had responded...too well.
He became overwhelmed and he had to quickly push his magic to block everything out. It had taken him over a month to gain conscious control over his ability but he had still been unable to get control over whom he was legillimising. It was either everyone or no one.
Considering how young he was, he did not think it was wise to mingle on the ground with the muggles. So he decided a different tactic and Tweenie finding a number of homes that were secluded enough but had decent number of people.
He had found a couple of places that had fitted his description and he chosen a detached two storied house that held three families. He had sat on the roof, only a few metres of stone separating him and the muggles and he used his ability to pinpoint reading their minds.
As time went by, he had been able to gain decent level of control over his ability. Once he had established how he could control his range and who he targeted, he returned to the original spot and practiced.
He had suffered from headaches for months on end but as time went by, he became more refined in the way he used his ability.
He knew that he must have been a natural legilimencer because from what he remembered, the ability was used by eye contact initially and the more talented ones were capable without eye contact.
It made his goals much easier now that he knew that he was talented in Legillimency. He intended to take as much knowledge as he could from whatever source to further his goals.
He was gleeful at the prospect. He wasn't totally selfish however. He intended to find a way to store a mass of memories, not unlike pensieves but in form that instantly and safely downloaded the information into minds.
-Break-
10th of November 1930 – Age 6
A year has passed since that dinner and as time went by, the one thing that the family had abundantly understood about Atticus is that he was obsessed with magic. Thankfully they had been supportive and provided him with what he needed within the boundaries set.
His great grandfather Benedict had been the most pleased and interested in his forays in magic and had often spent time with Atticus in the evenings discussing magical theory.
He was now fluent in Latin and French and was okay with German. He had added Russian to his list after his mother made the effort on teaching him. He wasn't fluent but he had been able to understand most of the conversations.
French had become substantially more useful early on as Sophia had decided to attend Beauxbatons instead of Hogwarts.
She had indulged him and told him much of what her classes were like and what the school was like. Beauxbatons was located near the Pyrenees Mountains and Sophia couldn't stop talking about how beautiful the castle and the scenery were.
He couldn't feel envious that he'd likely never set foot in the school as he was going to go to Hogwarts but he couldn't begrudge her.
Sophia had agreed to leave her first year books that she would no longer need to him so he could supplement his learning with it. She continued to do it with the subsequent books.
When his formal magical education began with the tutors, his pace had slowed down. He had still managed to impress his tutors but it had merely been a sign of a prodigious talent rather than anything suspicious.
His tutors had noticed that he was finding it all too easy and increased the rate at which he had been learning and had increased their workload for him.
Atticus was sitting with his family having breakfast. The discussion of this morning had been Grindelwald and his movement.
A few years back, he had been caught but he had escaped and events had been spiralling. It dominated the wizarding world. His family were no less focused on the problem.
They staunchly opposed Grindelwald's ideology and fiercely believed in the statue of secrecy and believed that we should not have any interactions with the muggles.
It was also personal with Grindelwald.
Atticus' father and great grandfather were not combat inclined people but they were well versed in combat magic. Atticus had doubted however that they would be fighting on the frontlines.
Grindelwald however was not simply focused on tearing down the statue of secrecy. He wanted to rule and he was ruthless and unrelenting with his cause. Grindelwald was truly unpopular in the household. The Sayre family hadn't often gotten involved with Dark Lords whether it was supporting or opposing.
They had looked after their own interests and had more often than not gauged whether the said Dark Lords were the threats they were and often they were not.
The Sayre family often were exceptionally capable battlemages and once roused, there weren't many bloodlines that were stronger.
According to the family books anyway which Atticus made sure to not take 100% face value.
Grindelwald was a threat to them. His family from what he could tell, they didn't hate muggles overly much, simply disdain them and wanted nothing to do with them.
Many of the supporters of Grindelwald are Purebloods but it was surprising to find out how much support Grindelwald had with the lower rungs of society. It seemed that they believed that they would get a piece of the pie.
Many of the things that Grindelwald proposes would likely result in the destruction of the comfortable structures that the purebloods have built and it had the majority of the Wizengamot against Grindelwald.
Sadly, being against Grindelwald didn't mean that they were actively battling Grindelwald with everything. They had so far only sent token Aurors and pestered Dumbledore to fight Grindelwald for them.
'If only they knew how bad it was going to get in a decade's time.' He thought grimly.
He knew from his prior knowledge that the Second World War would begin. It would begin in September 1939 at which point he would be a few weeks short being 15 and it would end in September 1945 when he was almost 21.
The knowledge he had on the Second World War was almost irrelevant here considering that the war he'd be fighting would likely have nowhere near the large theatres or as wide as the muggles.
It would not be the kind of hit and run tactics that Death Eaters did Atticus thought and would likely involve capturing or eliminating key positions.
Thinking on fighting large scale war, relative to wizarding wars, had Atticus excited.
He yearned to fight which had surprised him since he was far more inclined to work in the shadows but the thought of fighting against powerful wizards had his heart racing.
He knew it was an odd thing to say knowing the death and destruction that would raze Europe aflame. He wasn't blind to the callous nature of his desire to join the war.
He just knew that if things progress the way he wants to, which he doesn't entirely expect to go his way, the war with Grindelwald will be the only war this century in Europe if he could help it.
As he snapped back to the conversation of Europe and the chaos that was brewing, Atticus decided to ask those around the table
"What do you think will happen with Grindelwald? He has been active for a long time now." Atticus asked, gaining the attention of everyone. "I do not think that the war will get any easier and will get worse." Atticus said grimly.
His grandfather decided to answer him "Yes, it will most likely lead to more violence once he has enough support. There are not many who could stand up to him magically and the one that is within range is Dumbledore. Not only that he is a charismatic man capable of swaying large numbers of people to him"
He sighed "I do not know if Dumbledore would ever join to stop Grindelwald but I can see it spiralling out of control. I believe the current policy if there should be war is that Britain remains untouched while we sent some aurors to fight." He finished grimly.
"What is his ideology grandfather?" Atticus asked curiously. He had only heard snippets
Benedict leaned back "His ideology is centred on the dissolution of the statute of secrecy and domination over the muggles. He believes that coexistence in peace with the muggles is not possible" he paused here
"Many believe the same thing as he does which makes it easy for people to fall under his banner. In truth, many do not disagree that peace with the muggles is not feasible. For centuries prior to the statute being implemented, our kind was hunted down, many children were killed in those times and the situation was becoming unstable and the Salem witch hunts in the Colonies was the last in a long list of violence that muggles had conducted against wizardkind." He said as he considered his next point.
"And so, we hid ourselves from the muggle world and built our world separate from theirs but that has posed problems. As the muggle population had increased, so did the number of mudbloods. The mudbloods are the weakest link as muggle parents are included into the secret and so more and more muggles become aware of the magical world which only increases the risk of discovery." He paused.
"The point of this is that Grindelwald believes that the statute of secrecy is doomed to fail in the way it is kept now and that the muggles pose an existential threat the magical world and that they should be eradicated to the point where they no longer pose a problem to the magical world and rule over the rest."
"The ICW, many of the ministries around the world disagree with his assertions and believe in the protection that the statute provides"
"However" he then looked at Atticus "I personally believe that the problem is that war against the muggles is what would lead to our decline, perhaps even extinction."
He said and then looked away "I have personally seen the violence the muggles were capable of in the Great War. While a trained wizard is a match for a dozen muggles, they have been developing their skill in war for centuries whereas we have never fought on the scale they have for it is unnecessary for our kind with all our magic but also because of the small population we have." He sneered
"The muggles can afford to throw the number of men they repeatedly throw at each other." He finished.
"What is our position grandfather? Is there a plan?" he asked.
Benedict looked at him curiously "Nothing as of yet. We won't be actively battling against him if that is what you are wondering. We are a family of substantial influence so we would use it discretely in all likelihood. Despite the death of my son and daughter in law, I'm well aware that Grindelwald is beyond us. Not only that, killing Grindelwald, if we even could succeed, would not stop his movement, not now. I have not allowed your father to take active action as our House needs him as our head of House. At least until you are of age" He states while peering at me.
"Why did you ask?" Grandfather inquired.
"Well, Grindelwald is a man who is hunted but has a large support base. I wouldn't be surprised if he took this time to further increase his support in every country he can find. He would also want to remove his enemies as quickly as possible so that he has less resistance among the population. Assassinations, accidents and 'natural' deaths would not be something that seems unexpected."
As he spoke apprehensively "I was just wondering if we have things in place to protect our family from these kinds of threats"
Grandfather mulls it over "Yes we have protections in place but ultimately there are not many ways you can pre-empt attacks like that." He paused.
He looked at Atticus intently.
Benedict then continued "We are safe in our manor because of the wards in place and even when we are beyond it, we ensure that we have adequate protections around us. You don't need to worry" He states with a dismissive tone.
Atticus simply nods back 'I just hope he knows what he's doing. Grindelwald isn't Voldemort thankfully but he isn't much better. For the greater good, he would commit terrible acts.' He grimaced.
Atticus had already gone through newspapers that had highlighted the acts of Grindelwald. Leta Lestrange had been in killed something in 1928 by Grindelwald and it had resulted in Newt Scamander transferring into the Auror Department.
Grindelwald in the last few years had been extremely active. He had been seen all over Europe, killing families who opposed him, destabilising entire ministries and so on. He had now gathered a sizable force that fought under his banner, the majority of them being purebloods.
The Eastern European wizards were among the highest number of recruits.
So far, the war had not been full blown, with all of the western and southern European ministries able to hold out but he knew that it was only a matter time before ministries either fall or he manages to convert them to his cause.
-Break-
15th of December 1930 – Age 6
Atticus was sat in his room reading over a magical theory book before a charm went off. He set aside his book and stretched. He was going to meet with his great grandfather Benedict to discuss a few things.
He had come across a few books that referred to bloodline gifts and he wanted to know more about them. His mother had directed him to his great grandfather who told him to come visit his office later in the evening which it was now.
He made his way through the hallway towards the end of the hall, where Benedict's office was. He had not spent too much with his great grandfather but lately he had been more engaging with the family, especially Sophia considering that she was soon set to start at Beauxbatons.
She chose the school over Hogwarts primarily because she enjoyed the stories that grandmother had told her in her youth. In her own way, she was honouring Marie.
Atticus arrived at the door of Benedict's office and knocked.
A muffled 'come in' was heard so he entered the room and sat down in the chair opposite Benedict.
As they sat together in his office, while his great grandfather sat back in his chair with a contemplative look on his face as he looked over the documents that were in front of him, he took stock of his office.
It was a decent sized room, with antique oak desk dominating the room with neatly stacked documents with expensive looking quills adorning the rest of the desk.
On the left side of the room were stacks of thick books that looked like they may be Wizengamot related and on the right side were small set of books that seemed to be the books from the library.
His grandfather noticed his interest though he did not comment on it. He coughed and he snapped to attention waiting for him to speak. He addressed Atticus in a bemused tone "Interested in politics already?"
Atticus shook his head and let out a small smile "No sir, I was just curious at the thickness of the books"
"Call me Benedict or grandfather. Calling me great grandfather or sir is just unnecessary" he smiled a little and redirected his gaze towards the books
"A load of nonsense that bureaucrats have conjured up but it's necessary to know so that they can't take advantage of you which they most likely will if they are presented the opportunity."
He finished and returned his gaze to Atticus with amusement in his eyes "Remind me to schedule a few sessions to familiarise yourself with the books"
Atticus grimaced slightly before resetting his face and tilting his head "I'm too young I think. Maybe after Hogwarts?" he said, hoping to deflect the unwanted lessons.
Benedict laughed "Perhaps you are correct...perhaps after Hogwarts might be better." He mused
Benedict refocused. "You have been asking about bloodline gifts but first answer me this. Have you noticed that magic comes easier for you, since you're able to feel your magic and have been practicing with it?" Benedict asked intently.
Atticus took this in and began to think back on his forays in magic. He had been able to grasp notions of magic nearly immediately.
He had been an intelligent person in his previous life and things came easy to him but it had required a lot of work to grasp it like he currently could with a simple glance of a page.
It previously took several readings and time to soak the information in, comprehension took time to take hold. But now, all of this came at a faster pace and application of it was quick.
Atticus nodded slightly "Yes, I have noticed that magic has been becoming easier now that I understand it better and since I have been practicing it a lot." Atticus tilted his head "Is there a reason for it grandfather?"
Benedict nodded slowly "It is partly because of our bloodline" he stated. Benedict leaned back as he became more comfortable in his seat.
He looked at the crackling fire while he began "The Sayre bloodline is by far the oldest remaining bloodline in the United Kingdom and it is one of the oldest magical lines in the world."
He paused before shifting his gaze towards Atticus "There are less than a dozen of houses that are over three thousand years old and there are only four other families that can compete with us for being the oldest unbroken bloodlines and they are all in the East, either in India or China. It is because of this prestigious bloodline that you owe much of your capabilities in magic in." he smiled briefly before continuing
"Our family, throughout the millennia has improved the strength of the bloodline through tireless work, marrying magically powerful witches, integrating desirable traits and magical affinities and through rituals that have cascaded down the bloodline." Benedict paused for a moment.
"Your strength in magic and your intellect is a product of this. It is one of the Sayre family's predominant traits, and is a trait that, which also runs true more often than traits such as Parseltongue or metamorphmagus, is the instinctual understanding of all branches of magic. The Potters for example are known for natural capabilities in the air while the Blacks have traits that attune them in their capabilities in the darker side of magic, which incidentally also marks them far more prone to mental instability but are more creative and the Bones who have traits that give them instinctual capabilities in warding magic. Most families have traits that run through their lines and those traits aid in enabling their capabilities in certain branches of magic. Traits are not affinities." Benedict stressed.
They are harder to remove from the bloodline whereas affinities are far less certain and more varied but more often than not, they follow along the path of the family traits which are deeply rooted in the family magic and it is a definitive aspect of those families. For our family, our instinctive understanding of magic and intellect has allowed us to develop affinities for the harder, more arcane, obscure branches of magic." Benedict paused.
"For thousands of years, since the time of Ancient Egypt, our family has had affinities to Arithmancy, Runes, Ritualistic Magic, Wards and Blood Magic. It is not the only affinities that run in the family, Battle Magic, Defensive Magic and Transfiguration are also known to run in the family but the affinities I mentioned previously are the affinities that have been within the family for thousands of years. Our family comes from a line of priests who performed rituals to keep Ancient Egypt drought free. From there, our expertise grew as did our understanding of magic. Rituals are required to be precise and are based on intent. All this requires fundamental understanding of numerous disciplines of magic." Benedict took this moment to gaze at him.
"Are you following the conversation?" Benedict asks.
Atticus nods "Yes grandfather, I'm following what you say and what you mean" he replies dutifully.
Benedict smiles and sets his eyes on the crackling fire.
He lets a moment or two pass before he continues "Magic is sentient. It cannot think nor does it have intelligence but it knows intent. It is why much of your studies now and at Hogwarts will reinforce that aspect of magic." Benedict glances at him for a second before returning his eyes to the fire.
"The reason I mention this is related to how families exhibit traits. I am not certain how Metamorphmagus has come about but I do not believe it is distinctly something that has suddenly popped into existence. For us, it was the result of a ritual long lost to the family that brought the trait into the family." Benedict paused.
"We only know of the ritual because it was specifically kept alive via lord to heir until an ancestor wrote it down in the Roman Era in the Family Grimoire. Few know of our trait and the family ensures that there no records that even allude to it. It is a secret that we have killed to keep and something that we keep track of the ones that search for it. It is an ability that would inspire fear and hate."
He shifted his gaze from the fire and turned to face Atticus and looked at him with absolute conviction with the truthfulness in his words. "It must never be shared and the ones that you do share it with, must be under oath, not even your wife is allowed to know without clauses in marriage contracts or magical oaths preventing the secret being spilt."
Atticus looked apprehensive "Why am I being told now then?" Atticus asked in genuine confusion "Aren't I too young?"
Atticus didn't quite understand why having a better understanding of magic was such a dangerous ability. "Also..." he began slowly "Why is better understanding of magic so dangerous?" he tilted his head curiously.
Benedict leaned back in his chair and smiled softly to Atticus "Because you are mature enough to understand. You may only be six years old but you have a mind far older than your years"
At that comment Atticus fought to keep his face from showing his unease 'You have no idea how true that is' he thought with more than a little bit of amusement "Plus, it is not as if you will be leaving the manor for any length of time any time soon" He paused
"You will also be starting Occlumency, which is to protect your mind, soon with one of my most trusted allies who already knows of the secret and is bound by oath."
Benedict smiled wryly "So there is no real concern of it leaking through you."
Benedict turned serious within an instant "But you will be required to give your utmost in training your mind. Not only protect this secret but the many secrets our family holds" Benedict finished. Atticus could only nod and Benedict continued when he received the affirmation
"Better understanding of magic does not do the ability justice. It's comparing transfiguring a needle to transfiguring hundred feet rocks into bronze animated trolls" Benedict said with sharpness in his tone.
His eyes widened. 'What was he missing', he frowned and considered it but it seemed that Benedict was going to answer
"Anyone could have a good understanding of magic, after all, Grindelwald and Dumbledore are some of the best examples of those who have excelled in understanding magic. But not even they are capable of wielding magic like our ancestors. There is a very good reason why we have endured to this day. The trait that we hold is called Hyper-Percipience. It is the ability to decipher and solve problems at a supernatural rate. No language, no runes and no arithmancy, no forms of magic will be difficult for you understand. It would be as easy as breathing." Benedict paused.
He frowned. He could see the use of this ability but he had a niggling thought that it had to be capable of more just being capable of understanding all forms of magic.
"Grandfather, you said it wouldn't be difficult to understand all kinds of magic. It has further meaning than what you have said so far right?" He asked curiously.
Benedict smiled and nodded lightly "Yes. That is correct. The ability is a combination of several obscure branches of magic, Legillimency, which is the ability to look into the other's mind and Clairvoyance, which means being able to See the future or the past or both." He finished.
Atticus' eyes widened which Benedict caught and began to chuckle "Yes, I see that you understand better now. If the ability is strong within you, you will gain Legillimency skills that are beyond even master legilimencers. In addition, you will likely gain some form of Seer ability but it will likely be lesser in strength than the majority of Seers."
"But back to the matter of the ability regarding understanding magic. Like with metamorphs who have different degrees in their ability, there are several grades of Hyper-Percipience. Grade 1 is the lowest capability in the ability. The person with the ability is capable of translating any language, past and present, on an intuitive scale at a subconscious level. You would only need an introduction into the fields and you would be able to grasp the subject and be able to create things that would otherwise decades of study and implementation. It is one of the key reasons why our family is famous for our craftsmanship. Our history is littered with enchanters, wardcrafters and ritualcrafters and so on. Many of the legendary magical items that exist can attribute their existence to our family." Benedict said with a proud glint in his eyes.
Many of our ancestors owe much of their great works to this ability which had made it all much easier and would have been unlikely to have been able to come up with it in the first place." Benedict paused.
"Grade 2 is everything that grade 1 is but with a much wider scope. All branches of magic will come easy to you and you will gain some level of Seeing ability which varies from person to person. Most of our ancestors were experts in half a dozen or more fields of magic and were exceptionally powerful wizards. Many of the legends about our family had come from individuals who had grade 2 hyper-percipience. You will truly see magic at a different level in comparison to everyone. Legends state that the most capable were able to use ambient magic to their whim with simply their intent. The surroundings, the environment around them were theirs to command." Benedict said as he looked at Atticus with a querying look.
"What exactly is ambient magic?" Atticus asked. He had read some of the books that touched on it but so far he hadn't found the right ones that explained it in detail.
"Ambient magic is the magic within the environment." He stated briefly pausing
"It is this ambient magic that refills our magical core faster. What contributes to ambient magic is the leylines. The Earth is crisscrossed with leylines of magic. They carry rivers of magic."
"It is why places such as Hogwarts are so magical. It is centred on five different leylines and the place is so infused with ambient magic and the magic of the children that it has taken on a sort of sentience. It is also why the majority of schools around the world are centred on multiple leylines."
Benedict smiled slightly "It is also why noble houses base their homes on converging leylines. Our own manor is centred on multiple leylines. Only Hogwarts and maybe one or two other houses are centred on stronger leylines than our own." Benedict finished.
"Rounding back on the topic of Magi-percipience, grade 2 allows you to shape ambient magic to your will, effectively allows you channel ambient magic with your own magical core. If you wield expertly, it would allow you to be incredibly difficult to beat."
Benedict paused and looked at Atticus "Grade 2 would put you on the levels of Titans such as Grindelwald and Dumbledore despite being magically weaker."
His eyes widened at that statement and his composed face fell in shock. To be capable of matching them both with this ability?
Atticus returned his gaze to his grandfather "Do you have this capability?" he asked with curiosity.
Benedict grimaced "No, unfortunately neither I, nor my son or your father had this ability. I do not believe Sophia has it either. It has been more than a hundred years since the last person displayed this affinity. It used to pop into our family more often, before William Sayre but since then, it has often skipped multiple generations."
"Grade 1 is most often the grade that is shown. Grade 2 is even rarer than grade 1. Grade 3 is the capability to do everything grade 2 can do and an supernatural grasp of magic." He continued taking a more serious expression "Grade 3 is by far the rarest."
He shook his head "I believe in four thousand or so years, only two individuals had this grade. Grade 3 is the near total command of magic. Wards would mean nothing to you as you would be capable of dismantling them with a mere thought or wave of your wand. You would be able to nullify the magic cast by your opponent without a gesture. The possibilities are limitless."
Atticus had listened with rapt attention. To think that a simple meeting with his grandfather had resulted in all this...he had only but one question on his mind.
He looked steadily at his grandfather "Do I have this trait grandfather?" he asked with hope.
Benedict grimaced "Yes you do but you will not know what grade it is until you are 14" Benedict stated.
Atticus was confused "The reason for this delay in determining the grade that you have is because of your magical maturity. When our ancestors tied this ability to our bloodline, they did it while keeping in mind the strain it would have on the magical core." Benedict finished.
Atticus' eyes widened and he instantly thought the worst but Benedict got ahead of that thought and shook his head "It will not...damage you. But it will have a strain on your magic if it activates prior to your magical maturity. Have you read any books on magical maturity?" Benedict asks.
Atticus shook his head. He hadn't gotten there yet.
"Magical maturity happens in five different stages. The first happens at age seven. This maturity primes the child's magical core while the second maturity happens at age eleven where the magical core is stabilised. The third happens at age fourteen where the growth rate increases at a faster rate and the fourth happens when growth has reached its peak in growth rate which is at age seventeen while the fourth is where the growth rate almost completely stops which happens to happen around age twenty one." Benedict paused as he peered at him.
"The manifestation of the trait occurs at fourteen because it has the least chance of causing damage to the individual. There are records where the ability had manifested prior to age eleven and later than seventeen and it had caused serious damage to the individual. Luckily, it had been as a result of forced manifestation which was why it had caused damage in the first place. Magic requires balance and the ritual that our ancestors had enacted was the requirement of reaching your third maturing." Benedict stated.
Benedict starts again and looks at Atticus with curiosity "That is not to say that you will not display early signs of the ability. You have already shown that you have a greater understanding of magic than you ought to at your age and it shows in your magic. I am not as capable as my son was at determining the strength of magical cores but you already, have a magical core of a Hogwarts student. I personally believe that you will at least be a grade 2 Magi-Percipient."
Atticus inwardly grimaced. He was uncertain whether he agreed with Benedict's assertions after all, he had an adult mind but perhaps he truly did have this ability. It would aid in much of his plans and would cut down a lot of time he would spend learning all kinds of magic.
"I hope you're right grandfather. I'm not so certain that I have this ability but I will trust your judgement" He murmured.
Benedict gaze softened "Even if you do not, which I highly doubt, you are already set to be a powerful wizard. It would only mean that you have to spend a lot more time and effort to even approach what you would be able to do naturally and you would not know what you don't have. It would merely be a bonus" he said.
Atticus simply nodded and sat back. He gazed away and lost himself in thought. He was brought back when his grandfather cleared his throat and had a look of bemusement. "Is there anything else you would like to ask?" Benedict questioned.
Atticus hummed and pondered the question. He looked up "Can you explain more about light, grey and dark magic? I know we are a grey family but I don't know what means." He had inklings but he wasn't certain.
The books he had read didn't have much to cover. He likely would have opportunities to read up on it in older rated books and when he got to be instructed in his family magic when he was nearer the age of majority but he was curious.
Benedict sat back and scrutinised Atticus and eventually responded "It's an interesting thing to ask. Light, Grey and Dark magic are more than just spell casting or arbitrarily chosen affinities. While individuals will lean towards to one or the other, the core of a magical is always neutral. The magical will have an affinity based on their family magic with which lean towards having an affinity towards one of the three. It is a fallacy to assume that someone will be a light wizard or dark wizard unless they specifically work towards darkening or lightening their magic. Light or Dark wizards from birth are rare and often are imbalanced individuals." He paused.
"We won't touch on the subject on family magic too much in this session but I will briefly explain." Benedict paused, setting himself ready and began
"Family magic is a difficult thing to explain. As I've stated, for thousands of years, our family has shaped our magic in a particular way and in return our magic has shaped the family as well. This is the fundamental nature of family magic. Magic through centuries, millennia of shaping, intentional or otherwise began to form itself in an encompassing nature which is family magic. It created a bond through blood and magic between family members and a bond between the head of the house and the members of the family. But more than that, the shaping that had taken place has resulted in manifestation of certain characteristics of the family magic. That is why traits such as hyper-percipience, metamorphmagus, Seeing and so on run in the bloodline because it is so tied up in the family magic." He paused.
"It is the same when it comes to magical affinity. The actions of generations upon generations shape the coming descendants and as such, affinity of light, grey and dark is consistent with the affinity of the family magic. For us, the Sayres, the magic we have used have always been both light and dark and we are rooted deeply in the nature of magic and for that to occur, we have had always needed to be neutral and grey in magic."
He paused and looked at Atticus "For many, on both the dark and light sides, it disturbs them that there are truly grey families in existence because we have the capability to use all aspects of magic and are more often than not capable of resisting the extremes of either side." He paused and scowled
"For centuries now, there has been pushback on the few truly remaining grey families from the light side. The dark are not as bad as the light have been for we have always stood as a barrier between the two sides and with the dark so under pressure...well, they are not so keen on having the grey eliminated." He paused and looked away
"The Peverell family was one of the families that had been eliminated, not only because of their death magic but because they were a powerful grey family that many feared." He paused and sighed
"The destruction of the Peverell family is one the greatest regrets of the Sayre family. We were unable to aid them in their time of need, partly because we had no idea of the dire situation they were in and because they hadn't called on us." He paused, trailing away.
"That is a possibility that could befall us." He snorts "Not that it is likely. We have cultivated relationships with many of the dark and the light so we have secured ourselves and our faction from pressure." He paused and shook his head
"Returning back to magical affinity, the stronger the connection to the family magic, the more likely you will have a magical affinity that runs in line with the family magic." he paused.
He sat back and mused over what he had just heard. It was far more different from what he knew of the HP Universe, making him wonder what else is different. He shook his head.
"What happens if someone is born from two families who have their own traits? And if they are of two different magical affinities?" Atticus asked curiously.
Benedict hummed and pondered the question "More often than not, the child will exhibit the patrilineal traits ahead of the matrilineal traits purely because of family magic. And will also have more than likely the same magical affinity as the family that the child will bear the name of. It is rare that a child will exhibit both gifts at the same time but it can happen, especially if it a marriage between a older pureblood line and a younger one." Benedict stopped for a second as he considered his next words.
"Affinities however are less constraint as traits are. For example your grandmother Marie was borne from the McDowell line which had natural affinity to Battle Transfiguration." Benedict paused as he cast his eyes to Atticus.
"For you, the addition of that affinity to the natural affinity our family has to transfiguration, would likely mean that your capacity of Transfiguration is exceptionally high." Benedict simply stated.
"Traits can be lost, or skipped for generations if marriages happen between too closely related as the metaphorical parchments of each member overlap too much resulting in traits becoming dormant. It is for that reason why our family has married outside of the Isles every generation or two."
It was interesting to hear this explanation. he remember in the books that Harry had an excellent grasp of DADA (though considering the piss poor teaching during his time at Hogwarts and of course the necessity for him to put his efforts in, it was unclear whether it was an affinity or a bloodline gift) so it was making sense.
As he thought it over, he began to think on the people he knew would become or were powerhouses. Potter, Dumbledore, Riddle and Grindelwald were all exceptionally powerful.
The first three were all half bloods and this made me wonder if the reason for their prowess was as much a result of their bloodlines and the rejuvenation of their lines.
"Grandfather, you said that traits can become dormant because of closely related marriages due to overlap. What would that mean for mudbloods? Since they are new in magic, does that mean their parchments would be blank, or less filled? Would that mean half bloods would be able to manifest bloodline gifts that were lost?" he asked contemplatively.
He dare not ask about power since so far only Dumbledore is known to be a powerful wizard who is a half blood and he's uncertain if there are any other half bloods in history that showed as much talent as Dumbledore did.
Benedict leaned back and looked at Atticus for a while with an unreadable expression before he smiles softly "There have been instances were ancient bloodlines mixed with mudbloods have shown greater manifestations of traits long lost. But those occasions are rare. More often than not, mixing with mudbloods have resulted in the loss of traits as their magic overpowers the magic of purebloods."
Benedict continued "Purebloods and mudbloods are different magically speaking. Mudbloods have wilder magic, unrefined magic that they have been bestowed. Their magic has not been shaped for centuries to favour certain branches of magic or to prioritise the manifestation of certain traits. The wilder magic effect on the child can bring havoc on the child's affinities and traits."
As he absorbed this, he couldn't but help ask "What about power? Even if you inherited bloodline gifts, how does it relate to power?"
At this question his grandfather claps and stated "Power is determined by an individual's connection to magic which is enhanced by how magical your line and it also depends on the magical capacity of the said individual. Mudbloods will always have a disadvantage when it comes to connection to magic because of several reasons. The first is that it has to do with the environment in which a magical is raised." Benedict paused briefly.
"A magical raised in a magical environment with other magicals will automatically gain a stronger connection to magic as the child is surrounded by magic. The environmental conditions in which a child raised is as much a factor as the magical bloodline is. The second reason is psychological. Mudbloods until they are eleven live in a dull world without true imagination and belief in the world. Much of our capabilities depend on heavily three things. Can you name them?" his grandfather asks intently as he peers down at him.
"Intent, Imagination, Will Power" he repeat dutifully.
With a smile his grandfather replies "Correct! As the success on spell casting depends on those three aspects, belief for us is a paramount key of magic and our understanding of magic. Accidental magic responds to your emotions in situations as a subconscious part, protecting you from whatever danger, or frustration, that you may have been experiencing." Benedict said stressing his point.
"Belief in your magic, belief in magic is something that the mudbloods do not truly have. Magic for them is a tool, even if they say otherwise. Magic has in some form or another a sort of sentience and the connection to it is improved by the understanding and belief in one's magic. This is why accidental magic by children raised in magical homes happen more often than it does with mudbloods." His grandfather said confidently.
Atticus internally winced at the constant use of mudblood in his great grandfather's explanations. He didn't like that he was using it himself but it would be considered strange that he simply said muggleborn instead of mudblood when he had no real right to. It felt like he was constantly staying the equivalence of the N word.
He amused himself at the thought now that he was a pasty white kid, he had no right to say the word. In any case, the constant use of mudblood wasn't something he should be addressing any time soon.
Perhaps once he was back from Hogwarts he would mention just calling them 'muggleborns' in order to fit in the wider polite society. Regardless the explanation regarding muggleborns and their magic was fascinating.
"That is not to say that there are no talented mudbloods. Just as there are exceptional purebloods, there will be exceptional mudbloods. Often, dedication is the difference between average wizards and exceptional ones rather than raw power." He smiled bemusedly
"Wizards like you, Atticus are rare and rarely manage to get to where you are headed. You have the raw power and the intellect and the dedication to become truly great. In the end, there are some who have been gifted by Lady Magic far more than others"
Atticus smiled and shrugged "I will strive to ensure to not take Lady Magic's gift for granted and will honour her as much as I can" he said with a mocking tilt of the head.
His grandfather chuckled before turning serious. "When you are at Hogwarts, as much as it will be a learning institution, it will also be a place where politics will be rife. There will be tensions amongst the Houses and the current political and social climates make it even worse considering the possibility of war."
"The actions of Grindelwald have brought in renewed hatred towards mudbloods."
Atticus wanted to know where the hatred towards muggleborns had stemmed from.
He had read some of the books and he knew the basics of it but wanted to hear from someone who had spent a lifetime in politics.
"Why is there such hatred towards mudbloods?"
Benedict thoughtfully considered his question "Muggleborns bring in ideas from the muggle world which are not always popular, at the very least initially. There have been numerous introductions from muggleborns and half bloods that were beneficial but it is often viewed with suspicion and derision. The Hogwarts train for example was something introduced by a muggleborn and it had created a huge storm of complaints. Prior to the train, travel towards Hogwarts required brooms and portkeys or through the floo network. Because it was a muggle device, they didn't want to use it on principle." Benedict scoffed.
"For all of the negatives of the muggles, there is one thing that I can concede to them. They are as inventive as they are numerous." Benedict stated.
"But rounding back on the mudblood, they often incite change without ramification nor respect to the traditions of the wizarding world. They see a society that they disagree with and attempt to force through changes rather than try and accommodate and understand the perspective of the society. They attempt to change us to be more similar to muggle society when we are our own distinct society. There is also the matter of their magic being wilder magic. Families are proud their heritage and they have spent centuries shaping their magic. There is significant amount of fear that pureblood families hold that they will lose what made them, them."
Atticus looked thoughtful and looked up "How much is it due to the mudbloods not being taught what we are taught at home? I mean the traditions, etiquette and history? Surely the way to bridge the gap is to have it taught?"
Benedict scoffed "That would be difficult and believe me, attempts had been made through the centuries, it never stuck. Both because of interference and reluctance in the first place" Benedict then looked at Atticus intently "Perhaps that's something you could look into"
Atticus matched his gaze and nodded slowly "I have thought about it a little." Atticus said.
"I'm not certain mudbloods are actually mudbloods" Atticus said slowly. Benedict arched his eyebrow and waved his hand indicated that he should continue.
"Squibs are cast out of society aren't they? Maybe muggleborns are from squibs cast out" Atticus said carefully.
Benedict leaned back and considered it. It was not a novel idea. It was an idea that was ignored and discarded by the majority of purebloods, including him.
He stared at Atticus. "It's a dangerous idea Atticus. There is a reason why research into that has never been done. It also would not explain the presence wild magic within mudbloods."
Benedict then frowned and looked thoughtful "Perhaps...perhaps there could be an explanation. There are many things that pureblood families do to ensure that traits remain within the main branch of the family."
Atticus looked confused for a moment until Benedict cleared it up "For example, making sure that the child is born within the family manor or home. The pregnant woman focusing in particular branches of magic, casting certain spells. Things like that. But the most important thing is the name. Names in magic have power and importance." Benedict paused briefly.
"It is why the middle name of heirs is always the first name of a patriarch associated with the family magic. If you were for example given the last name of your mother, you would likely have developed different affinities and perhaps even not gained the Sayre family trait."
He paused for a moment and looked at Atticus with a frown "Researching into this will likely cause you a lot of problems if you go in this route"
Atticus grimaced. "I know" Atticus then looked with a glint in his eye "If I could research where magic came from in mudbloods, and if it proved that they were descendants of squibs it would mean that wizards and witches are of a different kind of human and that muggles are cousins as opposed to siblings" he finished.
"I believe that idea will allow for greater cohesion within the magical community and it would help stop a lot of tension with the wizarding world." Atticus said. He then shrugged nonchalantly "I will need proof however and that will take time." He finished.
Benedict nodded "Yes you would need proof and it would need to be airtight and above reproach. Many people will not be happy...powerful people. Before you publish anything, if you find evidence, you will bring it to me and your parents so they can assess it. It is an explosive piece that can destabilise the nation and many other nations."
Here Benedict sighed and looked at Atticus "I will not deny you the right to research it, it is your right as a Sayre to do so but I want you to be mindful of the impact you will have if you find proof. Not only on society but also on the family." He finished.
Atticus nodded solemnly.
The conversation then dwindled down to a lighter hearted note.
When Atticus returned to his room, he considered Benedict's last warning. Atticus had no doubt he could protect himself but he would not be able to protect people closest to him all the time and the fuckers would not hesitate to go for the balls and kill family members as retribution for an imagined slight his research might represent.
He lied down on his bed. He would do the research regardless as it would confirm or not whether his gut feeling was correct or not. But he would weigh publishing it carefully.
Perhaps he could publish under an alias...a pen name. He put his hands behind his head. That would keep his and his family out of the cross hairs. He blinked. Perhaps, he could go further.
He had every intention of fighting in the war but perhaps he could fight under an alias. That was a thought worth pursuing he mused.
He could deny Dumbledore the influence that he would gain from defeating Grindelwald while at the same time keep his family safe. His alias would get the plaudits and become famous and he would be able to do many more things freely than he would under Atticus Sayre.
He could confine Atticus Sayre as an academic and businessman whereas the alias...Mycroft? No...too stiff...Crysander? Hmm...Crysander Moriarty? No, too obvious...Crysander Mertens?
Unusual enough name. He'd have to find a way to legitimatise the alias. Perhaps he could find some kind of link between the alias and an extinct pureblood family from somewhere that would make things easier.
He grimaced.
He'd have to get the Goblins on board. Money would do it and he'd ensure that they could never talk about the link between the alias and Atticus. He already had thoughts on how disguise himself.
Grindelwald had transfigured himself and while it was undone by a finite he thought he should be able to come up with something regarding runes.
It would help also shutdown the search for him once he obtained the Elder Wand from Grindelwald as he intended to make a show of destroying it. He had many things to think of to protect his identity.
The more Atticus thought about it, the more he liked it.
After all, it would give him the platform to implement what he wished, recruit who he wished and at the same time, it would give him a layer of protection.
-Break-
Markus POV
Markus twirled his glass of firewhiskey and stared at it absentmindedly.
When he had returned to the Manor, he had not expected his grandfather slumped in his chair nursing a glass of firewhiskey which was undoubtedly not his first.
He grew concerned. He had seen him like this not too long ago with the deaths of his son and daughter in law. And soon enough, he had found out why.
His son had the treasured Sayre trait.
The ability had seemed lost to the annals of time as there had been no one in over hundred and fifty years who had the ability.
The ability was revered in the Sayre family. It was considered a great omen for one to be born and now there was one. And it was likely that he was not a simple grade 1 which would have been extraordinary in the first place but he was at the very least grade 2 and probably a grade 3.
The legends past down the family regarding grade 3 were always considered a myth, glorification of powerful, historical ancestors. Legends that regaled of ancestors destroying an entire mountains with raw magic...splitting the sea for hundreds of miles with a wave of the wand...stopping volcanoes from exploding and so on.
They were stated to be heralds of Lady Magic. That they came about when there was great peril to befall the family and they would come about to save the family line. Markus had doubted that because what befell the Sayres in the early 1600s certainly qualified a crisis to him.
No, Markus thought, it seemed more likely that it could be Lady Magic's answer to a threat that his son would be at the forefront of...if he was a grade 3.
It was similar regarding magical titans. Merlin faced Morgana, Ezkridis faced the Peverell brothers and so on. Benedict had already thought of the possibility of Atticus being one of the titans for this age just as Grindelwald and Dumbledore were. But this...magic favours balance and he wondered what dangers were to come.
He sighed. From what he understood from his grandfather, Atticus had not only hyper-percipience, he was likely most powerful type as well. Benedict had explained that much that they knew of Atticus' gift is more mired in mythology than true knowledge.
There is evidence of his type to be sure, but it had been only considered truly as something feasible. From what Benedict had said, the things that Atticus could be capable of would leave even Merlin in awe.
That thought had left him in fear for his family. Powerful wizards such as Atticus were held in equal reverence and fear and it has the possibility to bear ill tidings for the family.
He put the glass to his lip and he tilted his head back. He savoured the taste on his tongue before simply swallowing.
He looked forward and saw his grandson slightly morose. Benedict sighed "So what is the plan?" he asked curiously.
Markus looked up and met his gaze "The only thing we can do is ensure that none can know. It puts our family into people's crosshairs and we cannot afford it. And Atticus is far too exploitable at his current age." Markus looked grimfaced as he said so.
Markus mirrored his own thoughts. It is something we cannot afford. "Are we able to train him ourselves?" Markus shook his head.
"It's a branch of magic that can only be taught by those who are capable themselves." Markus smiled wryly "Given that Atticus is the only in the world right now, that we know of, it doesn't help."
Markus sighed "The best thing we could do is train him in Occlumency as soon as we can so that it doesn't overwhelm him." Markus stood up and poured himself a glass.
He sat back down with the glass in his hand "I'm not sure what the cost will be on him. Many abilities have a kind of cost though it is rare. Metamorphmagus have balance issues. Seers of Grades 4 to 5 rarely have prophecies that they remember, only the most powerful of their kind could, like Kassandra Trelawney. Grade 1 to 3 didn't have any cost to their ability as far I know. Grade 6 is barely known and is far easier to hide. With him having possible grade 3 of the trait..."
At this point Markus shrugged "Given how powerful Atticus will grow to be, perhaps he will have no cost to him."
At this Benedict stayed silent and mulled it over. He leaned back and thought over where this ability had come from. The most prevalent Sayre family bloodline talents lied in ritualistic and runic branches of magic.
Once in a while, parselmouth would pop up given the number of times the Sayres had married daughters of House Slytherin or subsequent families who had the trait. He frowned and dug deep in his memories.
He recalled a story his own grandfather had told him about Morrigan.
He looked up "What do you know of Morrigan?" he asked Markus.
Markus met his gaze confused "I know the version that our family recites to the younger generations. I also know the muggle version. Why?" he asked curiously.
Benedict shifted his eyes towards the fire "It's just a thought or rather something that my grandfather had once told me. He had stated that the union of Morrigan and Sayre had more than just increased the magical strength and average lifespan." He paused.
"Morrigan is a figure in our history that has never been clearly defined. It's obvious that our ancestors have obfuscated true history and were it not for the fact that it is a family trait to ensure that our history is recorded and passed down the line, no matter the cost or difficulty, I'd say she didn't exist" he smiled dryly.
Markus wordlessly assented to what Benedict stated. Benedict continued "What my grandfather said was that along with the two things she had given their line, she had blessed the line and passed down the possibility of someone being born that had the instinctive understanding of magic she did. That one or more of her descendants would gain the trait.
I do not know what it matters in the context of Atticus but it was just a train of thought I had. Atticus has been supernaturally talented in magic and powerful in magic." He shrugged.
Markus simply stayed silent. He then sighed "I think I will encourage Atticus to continue his studies at the pace he's been going and leave him to his devices when it comes to how much he wishes to learn." He then smiled fondly "I was always going to have to get to it anyway." He chuckled and Benedict joined him in his laughter.