4 Brewing for Trolls.

Atlas was a precocious one-year-old boy who had a voracious appetite for learning. His parents were amazed by his ability to absorb new information, so they tried to make learning fun for him. He had just learned how to walk and his parents had trouble keeping him away from things that interested him, which included his mother's wand.

One day, he was sitting with his mother on the sofa as she read him a story until a newspaper arrived. His mother immediately started to jump around, ecstatic, when she read the newspaper title that announced the end of the war and the death of the dark lord. She hugged Atlas tightly, kissed him, and ran around the living room, celebrating the news.

Atlas's father, Edward, wasn't quite sure what the fuss was all about, but he joined in the festivities nonetheless. As his mother's excitement grew, she pulled Edward into the bedroom, leaving Atlas alone on the sofa. Remembering the story of Harry Potter, Atlas knew that the dark lord was not truly dead, but he assumed that his parents would be busy for at least an hour, giving him time to explore the house.

As he wandered around, he found himself drawn to the basement door. It was the first time he had seen it open, and he couldn't resist the temptation to explore. Stepping carefully down the stairs, almost climbing them because of his short height, he entered a room that was unlike anything he had ever seen before. There were potions' ingredients of all shapes and sizes in glass jars, and a large metal pot was in the center of the room. The walls were lined with bookshelves, filled with books on magic and potions.

Although he was not yet fluent in the language of this new world, Atlas recognized the alphabet and was able to decipher some of the book titles. He was fascinated by the collection of books and longed to read them all. After a long search, he found a book titled " Easy Potions Even a Troll Could Brew " that he thought would be suitable for his level. However, it was located on a high shelf, and he had to climb up to reach it.

As he was stretching to grab the book, the basement door suddenly burst open, and his mother ran in, panic etched on her face. She had been so caught up in her celebration that she had forgotten about Atlas and when she realized it she was terrified when she couldn't find him in the living room. When she saw him in the basement, she was both relieved and furious. She hugged him tightly, scolding him for wandering off on his own and not waiting for her.

Following that incident, Amelia watched Atlas like a hawk for the next few months. While Atlas enjoyed the magical entertainment his mother provided, he couldn't help but wish for an earlier education in magic. However, his parents were adamant about not teaching him anything potentially dangerous, regardless of his intelligence.

One day, Edward found a way to give Atlas something remotely useful, harmless, and interesting. He gave him a book about muggle plants and mushrooms and told him about the special meaning this book has for him because what he learned in this book led to him meeting Amelia. Before his father gave him the book, Atlas had to listen to the whole story."

Edward and Amelia's first meeting was a serendipitous encounter that occurred during one of Edward's mushroom-hunting trips in the woods. Edward had always been deeply interested in mushrooms and avidly collected them. As a junior professor at the university, he used them for his biology lectures.

On one particular day, he came across a young woman who was also collecting mushrooms. The young woman naturally was Atlas mother, and Edward was struck by her beauty and her carefree manner. He had noticed that she was about to pick a poisonous mushroom, and quickly intervened, explaining the dangers and pointing out the differences between the poisonous and non-poisonous varieties.

Amelia showed herself grateful for Edward's help, and the two struck up a conversation about their shared love of mushrooms. They ended up spending the rest of the afternoon walking and talking in the woods, enjoying each other's company, and exchanging stories about their lives.

As they had parted ways, Edward was already in love and couldn't stop thinking about Amelia. He had known immediately that he wanted to see her again, so he had asked her out on a date, to which she had agreed without hesitation.

Their first official date had been at a small restaurant on the edge of the forest, where they had shared a pot of coffee and had talked for hours. They had discovered that they had much in common and enjoyed each other's company immensely. Edward knew he had found someone special, and he was determined to marry Amelia.

After a few more months, when Edward proposed, Amelia hesitated for a moment before revealing her identity as a witch. Edward had been shocked but quickly realized that he loved Amelia regardless of her magical abilities. He had accepted her for who she was and proposed again a month later.

Their wedding had been a magical affair, with both witches and non-witches in attendance. Amelia's family and friends came from far and wide, some even from other countries. The ceremony took place in a beautiful garden on the edge of the forest, with a flower-covered arch as the centerpiece.

Edward and Amelia's marriage was a happy one, and they were blessed with a son, Atlas, two years later. Despite their differences in upbringing and magical abilities, they shared a deep love for each other and their family. They continued to go on mushroom hunting trips together and often reminisced about their first meeting in the woods.

Atlas, a little confused how getting to read a book turned out into a lecture about his father's life story, eagerly devoured the contents of the book, not because of the romantic story behind it but because he saw the potential for learning magic. He wanted to learn everything he could about the mushrooms, hoping to find potions and poisons that he could use in his future magical endeavors.

Despite his initial disappointment at not being taught magic directly, Atlas continued to grow and learn, slowly but steadily, as his parents did their best to provide him with a safe and happy childhood.

Even with his parents' efforts to keep him away from dangerous magic, Atlas's eagerness to learn didn't diminish. He was fascinated by potions and magic, and often wished he could learn more. His father tried to keep him occupied with books about plants and mushrooms, but Atlas yearned for something more magical. Something that was guaranteed to be useful. Still, he learned to like his father's stories more and more. He seems to have a story for every book, and almost half of them involve one of his students at university or his mother.

When Atlas was two and a half years old, his mother caught him trying to sneak into the basement at night to read. After that incident, she locked the door to the basement to keep him out. He knew his parents were only trying to keep him safe, but this naturally didn't decrease his disappointment and frustration.

Atlas's life remained relatively stagnant until he finally unlocked the door to the basement with accidental magic when he was almost six. He was overjoyed and immediately stole a few books that caught his eye. The first book he took was "Easy Potions Even a Troll Could Brew," and the second was "How to Start a Garden That won't Eat Your Third Muggle Husband."

Despite his excitement, Atlas struggled to read the books at first. He was barely able to understand the first potion, which was a simple remedy for halitosis. It was barely more complicated than cooking tea with a magical variant of mint. But the oddly specific stirring requirements and timing made it more complicated. The second book surprised him even more. Everything was so different from what his previous parents taught him about farming.

After two days of secretly reading the books, Atlas's mother went to the basement to brew a few potions to sell. She quickly realized that someone had broken into the basement because the door was unlocked and, upon looking at the bookshelf, discovered Atlas's crime. She questioned him, and after realizing that he had used accidental magic, she was both relieved and surprised. She was relieved that he had not been harmed and surprised that he was able to use magic at such a young age. She was so surprised that she almost forgot to punish him for going into the basement without permission. Almost.

After her initial burst of anger, Amelia softened her rules a bit and began to teach Atlas under strict supervision. She taught him about the basics of potion-making and even the foundational knowledge of spell-casting, making sure he understood the potential dangers of each one.

Atlas had been eagerly waiting for the day his mother would finally teach him magic. He had been watching her perform spells for years and was excited to finally learn the movements and incantations himself. When the weekend finally arrived, Amelia set aside some time to teach him the basics of magic.

"Alright, Atlas," Amelia said as she handed him her wand. "First, we're going to practice the wand movements for the Lumos and Nox spells. These spells produce light and darkness, respectively."

She demonstrated the wand movements for both spells, emphasizing the importance of precision and fluidity in the movements.

"The wand movements are crucial for casting spells," Amelia explained. "They help channel your magic in the right direction and give the spell its power. And the incantations are just as important, as they help focus your mind on the desired effect of the spell."

Atlas nodded, taking note of every detail. Atlas eagerly held his mother's wand and followed his mother's instructions. He carefully practiced the wand movements, trying to replicate his mother's fluid motions. After a few attempts, he finally managed to produce a small, glowing light at the tip of the wand.

"Good job, Atlas!" Amelia praised him. "Now, let's try the Nox spell. Remember, the wand movements are reversed."

Atlas followed his mother's instructions once again, carefully practicing the wand movements and the incantation. After a few tries, he was able to extinguish the light he had created.

"The incantations aren't necessary for proficient wizards, but they're important for beginners," Amelia continued. "They help you focus your mind and channel your magic. As you become more skilled, you'll be able to cast spells with less effort and without needing to say the incantation."

Atlas nodded again, absorbing every bit of information. He continued practicing the Lumos and Nox spells until he could perform them with ease, excited to continue his magical education. He was devastated when his mother told him that it was enough for one day and took back her wand.

--

As Atlas turned six, his father thought it would be a good idea for him to attend a muggle school to socialize with kids his age. While his mother was initially hesitant, she eventually agreed, hoping that it would be a good learning experience for him. On the first day of school, Atlas and his parents attended an entrance ceremony where the director delivered an "inspiring" speech about the importance of education.

After the ceremony, Atlas was given some time to play with his classmates to get to know them better. However, Atlas was not excited about playing with six-year-olds who couldn't even read or write. To make matters worse, a young boy named Jason had made it his mission to include Atlas in his circle of friends. Jason's informal and rude language annoyed Atlas to no end.

"Hey, you!" Jason yelled, running up to Atlas. "What's your name?"

"It's Atlas," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That's a weird name," Jason said with a smirk. "You sound like a map or something."

Atlas rolled his eyes. "My parents named me after the Titan who held up the sky. It's a powerful name."

Jason snorted. "Whatever. You wanna play tag with us?"

"Not really," Atlas said, looking away.

"Why not?" Jason asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Because I don't want to," Atlas replied, feeling annoyed.

"Well, you have to!" Jason said, poking Atlas in the chest. "It's the rules!"

"I don't care about your stupid rules," Atlas said, shoving Jason away.

Jason stumbled back but quickly regained his balance. "Fine, be that way. But you're it!" he yelled, tagging Atlas on the shoulder before running off.

Atlas growled in frustration, but his anger was quickly replaced with determination. He would show Jason that he was not to be messed with. As they played, Atlas learned two things: He had no stamina, and Jason was fast as hell. When Atlas was out of breath, Jason came up to him, grinning from ear to ear.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" he said, patting Atlas on the back.

Atlas was still gasping for air. "I hate you," he managed to say between breaths.

Jason laughed. "Nah, you love me. We should do this more often!"

Atlas glared at Jason, but deep down, he knew that he had actually enjoyed himself. Being a kid and doing things only kids would do could be fun if one was willing to earnestly give it a shot.

--

It was a typical Saturday morning at the home of Edward and Amelia. Edward was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping on his coffee, while Amelia was busy preparing breakfast. Atlas was upstairs, doing his homework, which, in his opinion, was the greatest waste of time imaginable, but it was one of the requirements his parents set for him if he wanted to learn magic.

Amelia placed a plate of pancakes in front of Edward and took a seat across from him. "I'm amazed at how fast Atlas is picking up magic," she said, breaking the silence.

Edward looked up from his coffee cup and raised an eyebrow. "Really? You don't think it's too much for him?"

Amelia continued, "I mean, I know we're his parents, but it's clear that Atlas is gifted. He's already grasping spells that most children wouldn't be able to understand until they're a few years older."

Edward nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, I noticed that too. I've been reading up on the curriculum at Hogwarts, and I think he'd be able to keep up with the first-year students without much difficulty. In fact, he might even be ahead of them in some areas."

Amelia smiled and said, "That's what I was thinking too. I don't want to put too much pressure on him, but I think we should definitely encourage his natural talents."

Edward nodded and said, "Of course. We should start thinking about getting him his own wand soon. He's going to need it if he's going to continue practicing magic."

Amelia agreed, "Yes, we should definitely do that. But we need to make sure he's responsible enough to handle it. We don't want him accidentally setting the house on fire."

Edward chuckled, "No, we definitely don't want that. But I have faith in him. He's proven that he's capable of handling a wand."

Amelia smiled, "Yes, he has. I'm excited to see how much he can learn before he goes to Hogwarts."

Edward's expression softened as he thought about his son's talent. "I am just worried that we're putting too much pressure on him. And what if it isolates him even more?"

Amelia leaned forward. "I understand your concern, but Atlas is so eager to learn. I think we should encourage him as much as possible."

Amelia noticed the worry on her husband's face and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Edward, don't worry. Atlas is still just a child. He's not going to be flaunting his abilities around, and even if he does, the other children will still want to be friends with him."

"I know, it's just... I want him to have a normal childhood—to make friends and have fun without feeling like he's different," Edward replied with a sigh.

"I understand, but we can't hold him back either. He's gifted, and it's our job to nurture that gift," Amelia said reassuringly.

Edward nodded, still looking uncertain. "I just hope he doesn't get bullied or ostracized because of it."

"I'll make sure to talk to him about being humble and kind to others. And we can always talk to his teachers and make sure they keep an eye on him," Amelia said, trying to ease her husband's worries.

Edward nodded, acknowledging Amelia's point. "Okay, but we still need to be careful. We don't want to overwhelm him."

Amelia smiled, happy to have her husband's support. "Of course, I'll make sure he doesn't get too carried away."

As they finished breakfast, Amelia couldn't help but think about the bright future that lay ahead for her son.