Chapter #12

Eleanor's P.O.V,

"You want to what?!" I looked at her in shock as Aunt Ariana said the weirdest thing I have ever heard.

"I want to adopt you, no, we want to adopt you." Ariana spoke warmly in a matter-of-fact tone as if it were common sense. It wasn't!

And to think this day was going so well. She had managed get a hug from Al and even enjoyed some casual conversation, as well as almost finished her transfiguration course, then this happened.

She wanted to punch something, preferably someone with a warm smile, bright blue eyes and white-silverish hair that knew about this and didn't tell her.

Eleanor would punch his bright shining teeth if she could reach that tall at this point. How was anyone supposed to get prepared for this? It was as baffling as confusion-inducing.

Ab was looking at them both in slight worry and fear. Good. "I don't understand… talk me through this." I told them.

I couldn't get adopted by his siblings! My goals would become impossible!

Ab smiled at her which she did not return and turned her attention back to Ariana. I am very confused and slightly angry at this turn of events. I had it all planned out but life keeps throwing curve balls in my path.

Ariana finally speaks up, "We have recently been spending a lot of time together, maintaining the garden, guiding the other children and eating together as well. During all this, we, Aberforth and I came to the realization that you are very close to us, something akin to… a younger sister."

Oh. I blinked slightly at that, I felt my heart burst with emotions but due to my earlier moments with Al I had no tears to cry now.

Ab finally speaks up, "Exactly. We, all of us want to adopt you as our younger sister."

Eleanor looked at them both in silence. Her emotions were threatening to escape her control again but she managed to hold them this time. She was sincerely lost on what to do this time. Every conversation, every possible topic she had thought about once at the very least but this wasn't something she would even think up in her strangest dreams.

She had never thought she would get adopted into a family, barring marriage. It was a strange position to be in and while she liked the idea… she had some worries that she had to address.

The first thing she asked was naturally regarding the children of their family, she hesitated to call them Dumbledore anymore as she had been told multiple times that they were changing their family names.

"What about your children. I am physically younger than them. Won't they find it weird to have an aunt younger than them?"

Ariana nodded her head before she told her that they had already explained it to the children and they understood. They took it reasonably well, all things considered.

End Eleanor's P.O.V

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Flashback:

After Albus took the children to his realm:

Leo and Grace were smiling almost giddily. For them, it was a huge surprise, the entire interaction they had with their dad. He was not that emotional or forthcoming in his love or care for them.

They enjoyed this and both of them had realized that this short time away from each other had helped them all out.

Al would always see them as his children. The ones he had found and the kids who buried themselves so deep into his heart that it baffled him at times. But this separation changed the way he would speak to them.

They were his children. That was a fact. But they were also adults in their own right and while he would always guide them and be there as a father, it was time for them to go out on their own.

They were both married and even had a romantic soul bond!

Leo was looking forward to seeing his uncle and aunt again after so long. He hadn't wanted to leave for so long but he knew that it had to be done. Grace was a little worried about meeting her Aunt, she was the only one who could scold her but was also looking forward to meeting them both after such time apart.

Grace knocked on the door, waiting for someone to open it and Leo just stared at her in exasperation. They both could easily enter it but they had grown up with Al and had adopted many of his habits as their own, including knocking on their own house's door before entering when someone is inside.

Aberforth opened the door and he seemed to still slightly at seeing them. He moved and they both found themselves being strangled by him. They both started struggling in a few minutes but he didn't show any signs of leaving them. They heard the sounds of small, elegant laughter which was Ariana giggling at their current state.

"Ab! Let go of them! Do you want to (snort) strangle them?!" Ariana managed to say through her laughter.

Aberforth seemed to huff lightly before saying, "No. It has been so long since I have seen the children, I missed them…"

Grace and Leo stopped struggling at that. Leo buried his head into his shoulders with Grace just smiling at Ariana slightly.

(They were both orphans and they understood the value of what they had, intimately. Love so freely given without any expectations of anything in return. They were raised almost entirely through their childhoods by them.

The sheer adoration all of them held for the two of them still baffled them at times. It was something that curled deep into their chests and made their throats suspiciously dry at times. Both of them did not know what they ever did to deserve it but they were thankful all the same.

The amount of opportunities given, the power they now had, the power to decimate entire continents within moments, the sheer authority they possessed everywhere in the wizarding world.

All of Arceus's followers had sworn oaths to them like they had to their uncle and aunt. They could do anything and were the royalty of the world. This was excluding the sheer respect afforded by being publicly known as Al's children. He was one of the leading authorities on Magic. Only second to his alias…)

Grace eventually broke out and opened her arms for a hug from Ariana.

"Hey Sweetie… missed you both." [Ariana]

Leo smiled widely at that while Grace grinned shyly, "Yeah… missed you as well."

Aberforth let go of Leo and headed straight for the kitchen to pick up their tea, meanwhile Leo hugged Ariana and all three of them headed to the couch.

Aberforth wasn't like Albus in many ways but the strangest of the differences was the fact he could actually cook. (This was according to Albus and made everyone laugh.)

Leo and Grace weren't expecting much from today. This entire conversation was just them talking and catching up with their uncle and aunt. Ariana and Ab had realized this almost immediately and so they were trying to ease them into the news. (But there was no concrete and tried way of informing your niece and nephew about an aunt who was physically younger.)

Al knew that and even from the comforts of Hogwarts, he looked into his realm and laughed. As Ab brought the tea kettle and the cups, Grace immediately snapped her finger and displaced them with the air on the table in front of them.

To them, it was disrespectful to the extreme for their elders to serve them anything. The entire wizarding society could be said to be this way. The elders of any family had a great deal of respect beholden to them. As children, they had been raised and given every comfort of life, if they couldn't even return the respect they owed, what sort of people would they be?

Ab grinned ruefully while Grace began serving the tea to everyone. It was steaming hot and she asked them all to be careful while drinking. Ariana's smile twitched at her words, she felt as if she was being called old indirectly but she let it go for now.

They had much bigger things to deal with right now, especially concerning Eleanor's introduction. Ab began speaking slowly, hoping to transition them slowly to acceptance of her new status but like with all things in life, 'Man plans, and God laughs.'

It wasn't to be. Ariana began speaking with all the subtlety of wearing Arceus's crown. "It is so good that you have returned! I can't wait for you to meet Eleanor! I have told her so much about you both!" Ariana spoke excitedly. She didn't really care much for slowly transitioning them, brute force always worked. Al was the greatest living example of that fact.

Aberforth sighed, sounding both fond and put-off. It was a skill he had perfected from observing Albus's interactions with everyone. He had that way of sighing which made him seemingly age by a multitude of years at a time while sounding so hopelessly fond of them.

Leo just observed their interaction in peace. He, like Al, was addicted to good tea. He had no interest in the current conversation and just resolved himself to listen. He placed his hands around Grace's while giving her a small kiss on the cheek.

Grace was undergoing a large mixture of emotions at the moment. Leo's actions had brought her back from her thoughts but she remembered them finely.

(Who is this Eleanor? Did they repla- adopt her? So soon after we left? I-)

She took a deep breathe before asking, "Who is Eleanor?" It was a simple question but it would set the tone of the entire conversation ahead. Aberforth and Leo slowly and steadily distanced themselves from their respective side person.

It was times like this when Ab was tempted to curse Al out loud. This was his revenge for something. He knew it. Ariana and Grace deal with such a sensitive topic?! Ab, at moments like this believed that Al just wanted to watch the world burn.

Ariana answered, "She is your Aunt." This made both Grace and Leo goggle at her with wide eyes before smiling stiffly. They had been taught many things by Al, and much of it was backed by their 'Grandparents' and 'Great Aunt'. But they had only one actual aunt, Ariana. They weren't aware of the existence of any other.

Leo, proving himself as Al's son said, "Huh. I guess granddad really got around eh?" Grace started laughing uproariously at that while both Ariana and Ab paled at his words, whether it was the fact that they didn't want to imagine him like that or because of the misconception… only they knew.

Ariana sipped her tea before smiling in amusement, "No, she is not related to us by blood. We are adopting her as our sister."

Grace and Leo were confused but like with all the baffling things they had witnessed in their lives, they simply blinked and accepted it. Leo, who had put his cup down to pour some more tea asked, "Surely that's not it? You both seem stiffer than usual."

Aberforth sighed, "Eleanor has the soul of a 40 years old woman and we have grown incredibly fond of her in a short time for multiple reasons."

Ariana took over, "She will be the next Dark 'Lord'." She stated it in her matter of fact tone, the one she used when stating facts and while Leo accepted it calmly, Grace wasn't so easily convinced.

"She will be the next Dark Lady?! Did dad examine her soul properly?! You know how easy it is to get corrupted in this society, especially in her age!" [Grace]

In ancient times, when magic was purer and dark wasn't corrupt, people could easily practice dark magic. But since Wizards had gone into hiding, dark magic had started to become corrupted magic and many would lose their way. It was only natural for Grace to worry about it, especially if the Dark Lady surrounded herself with the modern 'Dark Wizards'.

"You don't have to worry about that. She is completely safe in that area." [Ab]

Leo chose to speak up at this moment to express his concerns, "This behavior is unlike you Uncle Ab and Aunty Ariana. Dad wouldn't allow any of us to approach a Dark Lady who can get corrupted. There is no complete way to guarantee that she won't get corrupted unless her magic is very young or older than 70."

"Yes… she is in one of those categories." [Ab]

"That is impossible! You just said that her soul i-, wait…" Leo paused before he deadpanned slowly. Grace asked, "How old is she again? Physically?"

Ariana coughed while looking away guiltily whereas Ab rubbed his head in embarrassment. "Hahahah… she is about to be 12 in a few days."

Grace looked at them in shock whereas Leo just stared, his facial expression showing how troubled and distressed he was. He chose to speak up, "The Next Dark Lady, whose soul is apparently 40 years old, is a young girl?!"

Leo asked in distress, "How!? Is it even possible for someone to be so much older mentally than their physical age?"

They proceeded to ask such rhetorical questions and Ab and Ariana simply waited for them to let it out of their systems. This part they had, thankfully, expected. It wasn't a huge surprise that they would freak out over the sheer difference between the Physical and Mental age. This was despite knowing of Al's circumstances, at least bits of it…

(Grace and Leo knew they were succeeding at distracting them from the real point. They had no worries regarding her addition as their aunt. They simply wouldn't accept them adopting another child. One could call it possessiveness…

Their father was theirs alone. The reason why so many children never saw Albus as a parental figure was two-fold.

1. He was naturally standoff-ish and kept his distance from most, even those that he cared for. This was something they realized after a few years with him.

2. Them. They were incredibly possessive of him. Aunt Ariana and Uncle Abby may believe that most of his relationships do not work because he is a flirter but the real reason was them. They would always interfere.

They knew… that between them and some woman, any woman, their dad would always choose them. They adored that too much to ever give up on it. Not to forget the fact that he had a passive soul bond that had yet to activate.

As they had a soul bond, they could sense that he had his other half out there somewhere. He deserved the absolute best and nothing less in their eyes. They would ensure it. Besides… that was their mother who had the soul bond, or future mother, they wanted to meet her as well…)

Aberforth asked them about their vacation and what they did in the meantime. It was something he and Ariana were curious about. They hadn't ever gone to any of those places so they were naturally a little curious.

Leo began regaling them with the tales of what they did on their trips to different famous locations. They were all quite well aware of the fact that a war would start in earnest soon.

It would have little effect on Wizards hence their scouting of how the average man lived during this time…

They had considered joining the mundane army to fight for them but reconsidered it at the last moment. It wouldn't serve any purpose other than amusement and they were strictly warned against doing so by their Grand Aunt.

As Grace observed how her family spent a few moments catching up with one another, she smiled warmly while considering their next steps. In hindsight she could see how bad the talk could go but it went pretty well, all things considered.

The only thing left to do was meet their Aunt. Leo could feel her thoughts and he asked, "So… when can we meet her? 'Aunt' Eleanor."

Ariana smiled slyly at that, "You can meet her in a few hours. I came prepared…"

Flashback End

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Eleanor's P.O.V (1st)

I stared judgmentally at Ab. He knows how Ariana can be at times in certain matters and yet he let her lead the conversation!

This was bad! How was I supposed to gain their respect if they meet me in this state?!

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She knew was being optimistic when she didn't pay much attention to them but now she was regretting it badly. It wasn't supposed to be like this. She had a plan and an entire set of moves, including using her gift and a few rituals along with it before she could meet them for an official introduction.

She was worried that if she met them in her young form, they would never look at her as an adult.

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I shook my head in slight worry and exasperation before resolving myself to be as calm as I normally am. There was no point in worrying about it now. It was about to happen whether I liked it or not. I could sense two unknown magical signatures outside the room waiting.

Hmm… a light magic alignment and a- what. Does one of them have a dark alignment…?

I turned my attention back to Ab and Ariana, "So where are they? Didn't they want to meet me?" I wanted to know whether my conjectures were right or not. I would probably have to use my gift today. I had planned to delay using that for a year or so but the earlier the better so I might as well just use it now… after this.

Ariana says, "Oh, Leo and Grace are waiting outside. Should I call them in already? Don't you want some time to prepare?" Huh. Did she expect ME to do makeup or something? No… thank you.

"No. You are really set on adopting me?" I ask somewhat lost.

"Yes. You are part of our family. I do not know how or even why we became so close to one another despite knowing one another for such a short time but it is what it is. I do not wish to lose it." Ariana firmly declares with Aberforth smiling at me warmly while nodding at her words.

Ugh. This entire day! One emotional roller coaster to another, that jerk! I just resigned myself to not being on top of my game for today.

I look them both in the eye before blinking and just say, "Okay."

Ariana squeals in joy and immediately rushes over to hug me. I reciprocate it calmly just mentally done with today. Aberforth kneels, just like Al does I note, and hugs me as well. I smile at them warmly… I suppose I can give family a try…

Ariana asks me whether I want to prepare for their arrival or should she just call them. I tell her that there is nothing to prepare for and that I am also eager to meet them, (Just not today…)

Aberforth sighs but does snap his fingers before sitting down and I sense the 2 magical signatures move towards us. I sit down as well, curious to how this will go.

End Eleanor's P.O.V

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Albus's P.O.V,

The papers on my desk were spread disorderly around on its surface. But there was a pattern to it, one that only I was aware of. And so I never paid any heed to Eleanor's threats of cleaning my desk up. However, I had messed up my entire arrangement in my rage. I was holding one of the marriage contracts and it was more similar to a slavery contract.

It annoyed something deep in me to actually see how detailed it was, how many sub-sections a few of them had that in carelessness would be missed and the woman would be stuck in a sub-servient position for her marital life. It disgusted me.

I was a little relieved that only a few of the contracts had such conditions, the rest were actually pretty fair for both the parties involved.

There would be a small adjustment period of around a few months in which they would get to know one another, but no intimacy would be allowed, if they didn't find each other desirable, they could reject it or directly annul it by saying so.

The arrangement pleased me and I would praise them for it tomorrow. But maybe I should exterminate the rest of them… only a small amount of them had sent such a contract; I would have to read their minds to see what the entire story was…

I smiled as I sensed Eleanor meeting my children. I keep some of my attention on the meeting but mostly focus on reading the contracts Arcturus brought. God, it sounds as if I am choosing between different products… I laugh at that thought in amusement.

Hmm… this one seems to be fine, ugh… why anyone would expect someone to marry her… I don't know. Maybe I should execute him for bringing such a contract? It can be taken as an insult I suppose… I will check his mind tomorrow…

Suddenly, I have a slight feeling of worry and I turn my focus back to Grace and Leo. They both seem to be very stiff. It isn't visible on their expressions but in their movements, especially their back postures and how their body language is literally screaming, 'Surprise'.

I trained them in most of the martial arts they know. To see such change from the norm is only too obvious for me. They have a casual conversation at the end of which Grace hugs Eleanor and surprises everyone including me… she isn't usually that free with people… even Leo looks a little surprised. Eleanor is also looking at Grace with… astonishment(?) on her face… why?

I can only focus on one thing… why are they still in shock? Their reactions are starting to worry me…

I make my way over to them and appear directly in front of the door of the room they are all seated in. I knock it calmly while keeping an eye on them both. Eleanor seems to turn and stares directly at the door before smiling warmly at me. Her magical sensitivity has really increased, especially if she could easily identify me outside the room in Hogwarts, which is filled with magic.

Leo gets up and opens the door for me, probably having sensed me outside. "Hey Dad, where have you been!" It isn't a question; at least he didn't ask it in his usual tone… a distraction then… but for whom? I can indulge him I figure and smile at everyone... my family just seems to keep growing.

"It's nothing sweetheart. Just wanted to have a small gathering with my family? Or am I so old that none of you even want to see me anymore." [Al]

I mock jest with them all which prompts a giggle from Grace and Ariana, while Ab and Leo just smile back at me in mock surprise before Leo says, "Oh my! However did you figure?!"

Eleanor just sighs fondly at my words but I can feel her roll her eyes at their reply. I decide to continue the charade, my children shouldn't be frowning like they were a few moments earlier, if this distracts them, all the better.

"Ah, my wounded Heart! (*Sniff* *Sniff*) How I have been betrayed! By my own family, my brother and son both!" I exclaim theatrically and pull another laugh from them before laughing slightly and making my way over to sit at Grace's side.

Leo doesn't let me though and immediately appears back at his seat that I intended to sit on. I smile at him, amused at that before huffing theatrically and making my way over to where Eleanor is seated.

I begin asking them about their vacation, acting like I know nothing about where they were and what they did outside their rooms… and some other moments. I do not ever want to know where they were having their private time again. It is only my age that prevents me from being so lost…

I smile as they begin to regale me with tales of their events once again and I listen silently, content to hear them speak. I feel Eleanor look at me in slight surprise before silently listening to them as well.

It is cute how they think I actually don't know what they were up to. As if I would ever let my children go to some place that is unknown to them without having multiple contingencies… I have taken my inspiration from many people and being prepared is something I have endeavored to be.

I haven't always been successful at that naturally… I am only human despite being incredibly strong and I had definitely not been prepared for Grace or Leo. I wonder if they ever realized that. The fact that I had no idea what I was doing while raising them… I didn't have a clue what I was doing with Ariana and Aberforth either.

None of them really took much from what moral lessons I tried to impart to them… Ariana would glare at me while Ab would straight up call me a hypocrite but I didn't really understand till I had them both and until they were teenagers. The blatant disregard for others the two of them had in their youths confused me as they both were really kind children most of the time.

I remember asking them clearly about it and they said it so casually that I was rooted to my spot for a while. They asked me why they would care for people I didn't care much for. And they were right; I really didn't care about most other than the children who were innocents… the moment was bittersweet; they had chosen who they wanted to be…

I feel Eleanor grab my hand before she asks me whether I want some tea and I smile as she pours some for me. I thank her before I start sipping and notice both my children stare at us both with complex emotions… I have no idea what these two are thinking anymore. What in the actual hell am I supposed to do regarding them. Maybe I should lock them in the house and prevent them from leaving at all… decisions.

Grace asks me about the event I am hosting which she refers to as a Gala. It isn't one I think. It is times like these that make me worry about my sanity. Why did I tell them about my second identity as Arceus? They Love to lord their knowledge of my identity in every conversation we have in the presence of someone who doesn't know.

Eleanor is a pretty sharp girl… she will figure it out immediately with a few hints… especially if she looks too deep into the preexisting ones… like the book I wrote... (*Shiver*)

I am quite surprised they reacted so… calmly? They accepted it with ease all things considered and it was quite a lukewarm reaction… I can no longer understand the thought process of my own children. God I feel old and sad. Is this what they call a mid-life crisis? I thought I had already gone through mine…

End Albus's P.O.V

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Eleanor waits calmly for Al's children to enter the room. Her conjecture was correct. The two magical signatures belonged to them and she felt it as they entered. Leo, his son's magic was similar to Al's and Aberforth. It radiated around him and surrounded everyone in the room loosely. The entire thing was unconsciously done…

She could feel it because she had used her ability to sense the emotions from another soul and focused it on magic in particular. It was a very handy ability, one she didn't know if even Al had.

She observes them but not too carefully so she misses quite a lot of things in their features for a while. They both stare at her in slight shock and astonishment which she doesn't realize yet. To her it is most likely her physical age…

(It isn't. They both can feel the inactive bond within her soul. It astonishes them because they can sense it is quite similar to Al's. Everyone has one but it is very rare that one meets their equal in their lives. The chance of being born in the same time period itself is so small that they have never bothered.

The only one that they know of who has a soul bond is their grandparents. They have had one and it is the reason they have been together for so long… despite the centuries passing and their old ages, their love for one another has only increased in that duration…)

They both sit and introduce themselves and shake each other's hands. The conversation isn't awkward but it is new. They don't have the bold personality that Ariana does or the sheer self-assuredness of Aberforth to Eleanor. She thinks that maybe they are as nervous as she is about this.

Eleanor is very far from the truth. They are just busy trying to process that what can be to them in the future and that is very weird to them. They had always imagined her taller and much more powerful, with the same feeling that Albus gives, even at his worst. It is weird to meet your (possible mother) and find out that physically she is younger than you.

The only reason they remain silent is that a soul bond has a very small chance of even activating. If they interfere in any way, it might never activate and even if they don't completely (or accurately) know if she is the possessor of the other half of the bond, they don't want to chance it.

Grace hugs her during the conversation for many reasons, one of them being her magic's weird reaction to her, but mainly to examine her magic closely. She would be safer if it is detected as it could be dismissed as a reaction when two dark aligned wizards meet.

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1st P.O.V,

I look closely at Grace who is hugging me and it gives me the opportunity to properly examine her in a way I didn't before. Black Hair to her shoulders with a beautiful smile. She looks adorable and a little like a teenager. They both do and I silently confirm my theory on Wizards aging very slowly other than specific cases.

They are married so that means they are above 19 years physically… I stare into her eyes and immediately freeze. They are Red. The same shade of red my eyes get when I am too emotional… How?! Is she descended from the same person as me? But that can't be it… the blood test didn't display her name...

I sit down, my thoughts in complete disarray as I ponder on what it could mean… but in any case it is too early to make any conclusions…

I feel Albus appear outside the door and I slowly turn to face it and smile warmly. He seems to sense my gaze and return it with (Pride-Fondness-Amusement) in his warm smile. Leo gets up and opens the door; he must have also sensed him somehow. Albus comes in and immediately jokes at his own expense, clearing up the silent and oppressive vibe in the room.

He is thoroughly amused by his own children's replies to him and even indulges them by acting betrayed. I sigh at this but from his increased amusement he knows there isn't any heat behind it.

He heads towards the empty seat where Leo was sitting but when Leo immediately appears there, his smile widens and he heads over to my sofa. He sits there calmly and asks them about their vacation, as they begin to tell him, he radiates (smugness-Content) through his magic and I look at him in slight surprise due to how content he is by just sitting with us all and just listening…

As they continued, his emotions changed rapidly from (Fond) to (Nostalgic-Confusion-Sorrow) and I don't like it. Even if he is remembering some bad times with them, he can't blame himself for them and I hold his hand while asking him if he wants some tea.

He is seated on my right so I hold his attention while I pour him some and he thanks me before he turns his attention back to them. Grace speaks loudly about a gala that we have to attend within a week and I just remain silent. Al seems to get (Annoyed) but still (Fond) before nodding and asking about her preparation regarding it.

She loudly gasps, obviously rehearsed, and such ease… "All of us have to prepare for it!"

Al gives her a blank look before asking why and she says, "We naturally have to go Shopping! Especially for clothes and-" She starts speaking too fast and Al seems to be radiating so much (dread) that I laugh slightly at him at which Grace seems to look at me in an entirely new light, like she has accepted me or something. Why is she so confusing…?

End Eleanor's P.O.V

End Chapter.

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Author Notes: Hello Everyone! This is like the chapter that contains the bulk of the interactions for now. We will be seeing a very important thing occur in the next chapter. Eleanor will use her gift and it will blow your minds, hopefully…

I have placed many hints in the previous chapters that explain many things that happened in this chapter! It is finally starting to come along in a somewhat coherent manner… I could probably cry and it wouldn't be too OOC as I didn't think I would even make it so far…

The characters have finally started to take a life of their own and while the focus will remain on Albus and Eleanor, we will mainly be following them, I will bring in these supporting MCs every once in a while. Most interaction as a matter of fact will be based entirely on them and with them…

Anyways, like and Comment! I am always looking for new ideas and any idea you have, just message me and I will gladly discuss it with you!