The next morning.
Linus had been called to Lyra's office, she didn't tell him why but it seemed important.
Entering the office of the French knight reveled a rather simply office. No grand old desk or big fireplace. It was rather simple, two couches, some chairs in front of her desk. The room had a very natural light source coming from the windows behind the desk.
"You wanted to speak to me?" Linus said as he entered the room.
Lyra looked up from her papers on the desk. "Yes, come and take a seat." She pointed her hand towards the chairs.
He sat down in one of the chair, holding his hands in his lap.
She wrote some thing on a parchment before looking up again to speak.
"The necklace you worked on yesterday…" she started but stopped, seeming to think of her words. "It was an ancient curse." She said softly.
Linus looked at her thinking she was going to say more. "Alright. Then that's good?"
She chuckled before leaning back in her chair. "I don't think you understand. Ancient curses aren't just removed like that. Very few people in history can achieve such feat."
She leaned down and seemed to pick something up from a drawer in her desk before placing it on her desk. It was picture, the picture had two men on it. the picture was old, even hand drawn but looked very realistic.
She pointed at the man on the left. "This is my Great great grandfather. Amudus D'Aubigne." She said before pointing to the man on the right. "And this is your Great great great Grandfather. Carl Gray"
Linus looked closer at the painted picture of his grandfather from long ago, there were some similarities, like the hair color and eyes.
"Your ancestor here, he was a very smart man. But what made him special was his knowledge about ancient curses." She words hung in the air for a moment. "Your ability to see, feel and even remove curses is very similar to his."
She stood up from her desk and walked over to a painting.
She waved her wand in front of the painting and the painting faded and reveled a safe. Old looking.
She opened it and reached inside. She grabbed what looked like a book.
"This is his notes and other things. But no one could open it." she said before handing it to me.
The book was gray, faded symbols etched into the front and back. It was made of some sort of leather, and felt sturdy even after so many years.
Linus examined it closer. There was a curse on it, something about being true.
"No one could read it because of the curse on it?" Linus said as he looked up from the book.
She nodded. "Many have tried opening it. but failed, as the contents of it can only be read by someone."
Linus unwrapped the leather binding around the book, and opened it. sure enough he could read it.
On the first page it read.
'Only a true Gray will be able to read the contents. That means that you reading this is one of my descendants, maybe in a far far future. Anyways, this book of mine is my notes, finding and even some of my own curses and works. It will probably take a while for you to understand it, but with work and time it can be done. – Carl Gray'
Linus turned a few pages and looked over some of the notes and drawings. Be work was extensive. Detailing almost everything from the unforgivable curses to just prank curses and hexes.
He got drawn in in an instant and forgot he was sitting in Lyra's office still.
Lyra looked at him with a smile, "Seems like you and him had similar interest."
Shacking himself loose from the focus he had, "Yes, it… it's interesting."
Before leaving the office, he had gotten a new task. He was to read the book, learn from in and report what he had learnt in 2 weeks.
Walking out to the courtyard, Fleur stood with her arms crossed. She seemed to be thinking about something.
She looked over as she noticed Linus walking into the courtyard. "Linus, could I try something on you?"
He walked closer to her and nodded. "Sure, try away."
Linus stood still in the middle of the courtyard, and Fleur took stance a couple meter away from him. She aimed her wand, she didn't say anything but waved her wand.
Suddenly a force pushed Linus downward, catching him of guard and his knees buckled. The force stopped and Fleur laughed.
"Sorry about that." She kept giggling.
He stood up and brushed the dirt from his pants, "No problem."
After hours of intense reading. Linus was shocked by the books content, the detail of everything was impressive. And the knowledge was amazing.
It didn't take long to understand things because of how well written it was, the book explained how to tell what kind of curse it was by just feeling how to curse felt. Just like he had done with the necklace.
While reading he hadn't noticed Fleur standing beside him.
she nudged him a little to get his attention. "You really shouldn't sit her all day reading, it's almost ten in the night."
This finally got Linus to look up from his book, the sun had begun setting.
"Oh, I didn't notice." Linus stood up and stretched his legs.
"Let's go eat something, you must be starving." Fleur said as she turned around and started walking towards the entrance to the manor.
Linus pick up his stuff and followed close behind her.
The two sat down at the dinner table, food had been prepared if our training ever dragged got late into the night. They sat down and ate. Having small talk between them.
"Do you know a first year, her name is Maya Blodfang.?" Linus asked as they ate.
Fleur seemed to think for a moment. "I only know who she is, but haven't really talked to her." She continued by asking a question to him. "What do you think about the headmaster igor?"
Linus sighed. "Well he did force me to run up a mountain once."
Fleur looked confused to I told the story about the mountain and the bear. As Linus added more and more to the story, fleur seemed to grow more and more confused and shocked.
"You killed a bear on the mountain and then dragged it into the dinner hall, just to make a point to the headmaster?" Fleur asked.
Linus nodded, "Yeah, something like that." He said with a shrug.
The two sat and talked some more about school. The two school were very different just as Linus had thought. And listening to Fleur talk about it, made him sure he made the right choice.
The days went past in a storm as Linus immersed himself in the book of curses. He learnt fast not only because of his general interest in the topic but his trait helped him understand faster as well.
It was already the end of July. And in the courtyard stood Lyra observing Linus as he had begun to make his own curse on a flower-wase.
The vision was to make every flower that was put into the wase, turn into a mushroom. Its was a really useless curse, but it was also just to get the feeling of how it was done.
The sun was beating down on the courtyard as Linus focused on the wase. He could feel it pouring into the wase. The intent, and emotions were all gathering inside the vase. And formed into a curse.
He felt as the curse slowly took control over the wase and its properties. Formed into something that would do nothing more than annoy someone.
After an hour it was done. Lyra put a rose from the garden into the wase and slowly it turned into a disgusting mushroom.
She looked happy with the results and gave a light smile. "Formed a ancient curse at the age of 12. Very good work Linus."
He looked at the wase, the curse could be seen and felt. But only to him. It looked like red runes, twisting and turning all over the wase. The curses could have different colors depending on the curse. The necklace he had removed and place his own touch to now had calm blue runes. Things that would help or heal would have green color, red for harm or likewise.
That afternoon Lyra stood in front of Fleur and Linus in the courtyard.
"This is the end of out little training period. You have both learnt and showed much improvement." She said as she looked at the both of them. "Fleur, keep training and you will very likely become stronger than most very soon." Then she looked over to Linus. "And Linus, you have done things I didn't think anyone would be able to anymore. Very good work."
The weeks had flown by. But Linus was happy, he had learnt a lot. And became good friends with Fleur.
"I expect you two continue training on what you have done, and improve until next summer." Lyra said.
'So, are we coming here again next summer?' Linus thought.
Fleur turned towards me before saying. "Next summer i expect you match me in a duel." She said with a smirk.
"You didn't beat me this summer, so what do you mean match you?" Linus said mockingly.
Lyra chuckled at this.
Fleur dismissed the claim. "If you ever come to France in the future Linus. You are welcome to come visit my family home." She said with a smile.
Linus nodded. "Thank you, and if you ever find yourself in Sweden, you are most welcome."
The training came to an end. The three said their goodbyes.