#niamh fitzgerald's trial

[animasola86]

Walking in the void

[ SCREENSHOTS MASTERLIST ]

[pcgamer]

Hogwarts Legacy Niamh Fitzgerald's Trial Main Quest Full Walkthrough

[the-magiarcheologist]

The Mysterious Past (or Future?) of Niamh Fitzgerald

Many have noticed the necklace that Niamh Fitzgerald wears which looks very similar to a time-turner except that the central piece is not a hourglass but a stone shaped like a water drop (feel free to remember this detail because I have other posts planned in the future that will bring this up again 👀). So does that mean that Niamh could time-travel? I’d say it’s very likely!

And if you’re not convinced by the necklace, did you know there is a goddess named Niamh in Irish mythology? She was described as having long blond hair and riding a white horse. She appeared one day to the great warrior Oisín and asked him to come with her to Tír na nÓg, the Land Of Eternal Youth where nobody ever ages. Oisín agreed to go with her but after having spent 3 joyful years together in Tír na nÓg, Oisín grew homesick and asked to visit Ireland again. Niamh reluctantly agreed but on the condition that he take her white horse and never touch Irish soil. When he got back to Ireland, Oisín realized that, in the mortal world, 300 years had passed since he left with Niamh as time passes by more slowly in Tír na nÓg. After accidentally touching the ground, Oisín sundenly turned into an old man, aging the 300 years that he had missed, and died soon after.

Does Oisín’s fate remind you of anyone? Of course, it’s what happened to Prof. Hecat when she traveled in time during her time in the department of mysteries. It’s also what happened to Eloise Mintumble who, in 1899, became trapped for 5 days in the year 1402. When she came back to the present, she suddenly aged 500 years and died soon after.

Of couse, in the tale, Niamh does not actually time-travel, instead she took Oisín to the celtic Otherworld. But time manipulation is still a big part of the tale and the fate of the hero and I believe them naming the character Niamh is not a coincidence. Especially when they also give this character a time-turner necklace!

Another thing that I have noticed recently is during Niamh’s trial. At the very beginning of the trial, Niamh tells the MC:

Pay attention. Things are not always what they seem.

And then, at the end of the trial, after we take the resurrection stone, she repeats:

Nothing is what it seems.

And that’s a bit strange to me because this trial, compared to the first two keeper trials by Rackham and Rockwood, is actually very straightforward. We have a very clear mission to avoid Death and a single path to follow. So what exactly in Niamh’s trial is ‘not as it seems’? Of course, this could be related to the lesson we learn during this trial ("light does not exist without shadow nor shadow without light") but what if this was about something else?

Because, if we pay attention, there is definitely something out of place during Niamh’s trial. During the last scene, when we are taken to the graveyard where mourners are mourning Niamh’s death, we see a lot of ‘modern’ elements that I don’t think belong in the late middle ages when Niamh is supposed to have lived (and died). First of all, the mourners. It’s a bit hard to see, but I don’t think they are dressed like people from the middles ages. In fact, they are dressed like other wizards and witches we encounter in 1890. (Also notice the hairstyles.)

And, even more damning, in my opinion, are the carriages we see in the graveyard.

These look very similar to the carriages we see in 1890. I’m no historian but I’ve tried looking into the type of carriages that existed in the middle ages and none of them looked like that. Miniature drawing of horse-drawn carriages from the middle ages looked more like wagons.

So what does that mean? Could this simply be an oversight by the devs? They just re-used assets they had, not caring that they were not historically accurate? I don’t think so because, in an earlier part of the trial, when we cross a village trying to escape Death, we see a lot of wooden carts that look a lot more like what we would expect wooden carriages in the middle ages to look like.

In that earlier part of the trial, we do not encounter any of the ‘modern’ elements we see in the graveyard scene. Even the few villagers we encounter in the beginning of the trial are not dressed at all like the mourners we later see (although their clothes are hard to see because they are very dark).

So if we assume that the anachronistic elements are intentional and not an oversight this could indicate that Niamh Fitzgerald died much later in time than she should have.

Was Niamh Fitzgerald a time-traveller? Perhaps she also worked for the department of mysteries in the nineteenth century, and, like Dinah Hecat and Eloise Mintumble, she travelled in time and got stuck there for many, many years. She lived an entire life in the past, becoming the Headmistress of Hogwarts and part of the mysterious Keepers. And, perhaps, one day, she found a way back to her present, only to age hundreds of years in the matter of an instant and die soon after, being grieved by her loved ones devastated by her sudden death.

Or perhaps I'm getting a bit carried away here! 😅 But I'm still convinced Niamh Fitzgerald has something to do with time-travel! How would you feel if they introduced some time-travel storyline in HL2?

[theladyofshalott1989]

Hogtober, Day 22: Four Keepers’ Trials

💀 Death’s Shadow 💀

"Light does not exist without shadow nor shadow without light. Simply because you can eliminate darkness does not always mean that you should."

- Professor Niamh Fitzgerald

[aesopsharpmybeloved]

The Storeroom Incident

When professor Sharp asks you to assist him with fetching some more volatile ingredients from the storage cupboard in the dungeons, of course you come to his aid. What's the worst that could happen? It's not like the door will lock behind you and trap you inside, right? Right?

Shout out to my amazing consultant, @tea-withjamandbread <3

header made by yours truly

18+ GO AWAY CHILDREN

The Storeroom Incident (6.2k words)

tw: explicit, vaginal sex, orgasm denial/edging, dubious consent (but not really), teacher-student relationship (reader is an adult), age difference, dirty talk, light swearing, porn with little plot

How did you even end up in this situation? Your front was pressed against a door, you were breathing and blushing heavily, your heart was beating out of your chest. Two large hands gripped your hips, fingers digging into the soft flesh as your potions professor’s hot breath scorched the skin of your neck. 

It was a day like any other. You woke up and went to breakfast in the Great Hall, idly chatting with some of your housemates about nothing in particular, other than the upcoming exams and everyone’s nerves. You gently rejected Natty and Poppy’s proposal to enjoy the Saturday in Hogsmeade in favour of preparing for the practical exam from NEWT level potions. Your essay was long since written, proofread about a dozen times and even appraised by professor Sharp, whom you asked for criticism. 

Speaking of professor Sharp, you gave him a little smile and a ‘good morning, sir’ as you entered his classroom sometime later. He was sitting behind his desk as usual, enjoying a cup of tea and some biscuits. You haven’t seen him in the Great hall, so he either ate earlier than you, or he decided to forego the full English breakfast in favour of sleeping in, and later decided that biscuits were a acceptable breakfast substitute. 

Judging by his still quite sleepy eyes, you decided it was the latter.

He murmured something unintelligible in return and waved his wand. Another teacup appeared and the steaming hot earl grey was poured into it. You sat down on the other side of his desk and thanked him, bringing your tea to your lips and blowing on it softly.

“So, miss (L/N),” he drawled in his gruff voice, although there was a certain amount of warmth hidden inside it, “what will you be brewing today?”

Yes, you could have easily used the Room of Requirement for your potion making. You did use it, for potions like Wiggenweld, Maxima, Wideye or Dreamless sleep, however,you preferred to brew the more complicated concoctions in the safety of the classroom, as well as professor Sharp’s company. The man always provided you with useful advice, guiding you towards unlocking your full potential.

“Oh, I think it’s nearly time to finish the Polyjuice potion, sir,” you chirped cheerfully, sipping on your tea and leaning back in the chair before his desk. “I think you may be right,” agreed the professor, “remember, Miss (L/N), the entirety of that potion stays here. I don’t want you running around the castle impersonating your classmates, or, Salazar forbid, your professors.”

You give him your most innocent smile, batting your eyelashes. 

“I would never, sir.” 

That was a lie. One of the best Christmas presents you’ve ever received was the chance to impersonate Headmaster Black in your fifth year. Yes, you did so in order to get a password for his office, where Niamh Fitzgerald’s Keeper trial was waiting for you, but you had to admit to yourself that it was pure, unadulterated fun. Very much unlike the following trial, which still sometimes made you wake up in cold sweat.

Though Sharp probably knew you were lying through your teeth, he decided not to comment on it, giving you an unimpressed sarcastic expression instead before placing another biscuit into his mouth. You copied him, a little smile still present on your face. 

The potions professor, you found, had a bit of sweet tooth. Sometimes when you’d come over, you’d make a stop in the kitchens first and sweet talk some baked goodies out of the house elves there. Well, sweet talk… the little fellows pretty much pushed them into your hands the moment you stepped in! You only ever took enough for the two of you to share. It always improved the grumpy man’s mood slightly.

“Before you go get your cauldron from my office, there is something I could use your help with,” professor Sharp said as he dabbed at his mouth with a napkin, brushing away the few little crumbs that stuck to his lips and beard. His pink tongue appeared and he licked at his lips. You couldn’t help but follow the muscle’s movement with fascination. “Of course, sir, how may I aid you?” you said innocently.

“There are a few ingredients in the storeroom that I’ll need for later. They are a little volatile, which is why I can’t just summon them, and as useful as Hogwarts’ house elves are, I’d still feel more comfortable to fetch them myself. And as I don’t want to have to make two separate trips there, your assistance would be greatly appreciated.”

You finished your tea, the hot drink making your body warm up. Or was your teacher’s dulcet tones? Nevertheless, you smiled at him again: “Certainly, professor Sharp. I am entirely at your disposal.” 

“Good,” he replied curtly and stood up from his chair, “let us be on our way then.”

You made your way down towards the storeroom in comfortable silence, descending further into the dungeons. The air was cool and damp down there, a big contrast to the outside of the castle’s walls, where summer was quickly approaching, bringing the sun and its warmth. Professor Sharp used a key to unlock the door to the storage closet, no doubt enchanted to be nearly or entirely resistant to the unlocking charm. 

You stepped into the room together, the space so tight your shoulder was touching his upper arm as you stood next to each other there. “So,” you began, your voice a little quiet as you found yourself slightly tense to be so close to the former Auror, “what are we looking for, sir?” Professor Sharp cast a non-verbal Lumos and started skimming his eyes over the shelves to the left and the various jars and bottles they held.

Suddenly, the door closed shut with a bang, startling you both. Professor Sharp’s surprise forced him to drop the charm and you were suddenly plunged into total darkness. “A draft of wind?” you chuckled awkwardly, embarrassed at the high pitched yelp that escaped your lips. You could almost hear Sharp roll his eyes: “A draft of wind, Miss (L/N)... In the dungeons where there are no windows… With all due respect, Miss, that seems highly unlikely.” You went red under his remark. He was, of course, right.

With a sigh, the potions master reached for the door, making you blush even further, as his body brushed against yours in the process. He gripped the handle and… nothing. You expected him to open the door and let some of the dim light of the corridor inside the tiny room as well, but you both remained in total darkness. You felt his confused little sound before you heard it, as his strong chest pressed against your own. He gripped the handle again and this time you heard him repeatedly pushing and pulling at the door. 

It didn't budge.

“It sounds like the door’s just… locked,” you say curiously. Professor Sharp is quiet, it feels as if he nearly doesn’t breathe, and it suddenly occurs to you as to why. Uh oh. The door is locked, and the key is inside the lock on the other side. Therefore, judging by your professor’s silent state, this door really cannot be opened with the unlocking charm. The two of you were stuck.

“Lumos,” you say and the tip of your wand flares up with a bright light. Your professor is still standing very close, looking at the door morosely. “Um, sir…” you nearly whisper, “we couldn’t… blast the door out?” The tall teacher turns to look at you, a dark amused expression in his brown eyes. “By all means, Miss (L/N), be my guest. That is if you’d like the two of us to die - the door is reinforced by enchantments, and I’m fairly certain there’s some highly explosive powdered Erumptent’s horn somewhere in here.”

You huffed. Sometimes he was really driving you mad with his snarky comments. “Then what do we do, professor Sharp? Just wait here until someone passes by and unlocks the door for us? It’s Saturday, sir, nobody’s going to come through here until Tuesday when the Fourth years have Alchemy class.” You may have sounded a little desperate… If only one could apparate in Hogwarts! You understood why the no apparition rule was set, but why on Earth couldn’t teachers be excepted from it? Were you really going to spend three entire days stuck with the potions master? What would you eat? Where would you sleep? 

Oh… Oh, no… How would you use the bathroom?

Professor Sharp seemed completely calm where he stood in front of you, if not a little bored. “Why don’t you try and call out, Miss (L/N)? Bang on the door? You never know, maybe someone’s wandering through the corridors, lost or looking for mischief… Or perhaps a friendly ghost will hear and glide for someone to aid us.”

You put the light out on your wand and pushed it into your robes, so that you could use both of your hands pounding on the door. And pound you did. “Hello! Hellooo-?! Can anyone hear me?! We’re stuck in here! Hello?! Anyone?!”

Your shouting and beating on the door caused you to not hear the movement behind you. So when you were suddenly pushed against the cold wood, there was nothing you could do but gasp and yelp in surprise. Professor Sharp’s large, powerful body pressed into your own from behind, his hands on your hips and his lips inches away from your ear. His breath was scorching hot when he spoke: “See, my dear. Nobody will be able to hear you. You poor little thing…” he said darkly then, and you felt something hard push against the curve of your bottom, “Stuck with me out of all people… I am going to ruin you for everyone else.” 

And with that, his mouth attached itself to your neck, making you shudder with both fear, but also a strange surge of arousal. In any case, you weren’t able to do anything about it, as you were perfectly sandwiched between the door and Sharp’s body, your wand absolutely out of your reach when your front was squished against the wood like this. Sharp growled into your ear and bucked his hips against your behind. 

You were helpless… Completely at his mercy. 

He began nibbling down your earlobe, his teeth sinking into a little spot between your ear and your neck, and you suddenly moaned, the sound torn out of you unexpectedly. Your body felt way too heated, and the air around you terribly heavy. “P-professor…” you gasped when he rutted against your bottocks again, his large build making you feel like you were going to be crushed. You cried out softly when a calloused hand slipped under your skirt and trailed between your legs, making you instinctively close them and trapping the curious hand there in the process. You shuddered: “Sir…”

“Such a sweet girl you are, Miss (L/N), so very innocent…” said professor Sharp, his voice a hoarse whisper. Two long fingers pressed against your folds roughly and you suddenly realised just how damp your underwear felt. “Do you even know what your body wants? What is it aching for?” The fingers searched blindly along your soaked drawers, looking for a way to get under them, touching your most intimate areas and making you writhe as well as you could in his iron hold. You were filled with so many sensations, the burning pleasure, the confusion, the slight twinge of fear at professor Sharp’s sudden shift in personality, but also a sense of wild heady want. 

One strong arm curled around your abdomen, keeping you in place between Sharp and the door, while his hips started rhythmically rubbing against your behind, the feeling of his hot hardness making your cheeks burn even more, and when his gruff voice began grunting right into your ear, you could barely stand it anymore. You tried to move again, unsure whether you wanted to move away from him, or further into him. The arm around your stomach gripped you harder immediately, and you were promptly reminded which one of you was stronger.

The long digits of his hand finally found their way into your underwear, and you whimpered when they made contact with your soaked core. This was wrong. He shouldn’t be touching you like this. And you definitely shouldn’t be putty in his hands, moaning for more, your legs quivering. Your back tried to arch in vain when he pressed against your clit with his thumb.

“That’s right…” he said, his voice low and dangerous “yield to your master, my little lamb.” 

Silence. 

And then.

You let out a little breathless chuckle. And then another, And then a few more until you’re laughing fully. 

“A lamb?! Really, Aesop?” you ask through your laughter, leaning your head against his shoulder behind you. He’s slightly shaking with his own giggles: “I’m sorry, dear, that was so bad.” You laugh together, your position getting slightly awkward, as he’s still squeezing you tightly with one of his arms while his free hand’s just sort of resting against your core inside your underwear. You make a move to turn around and he releases his hold immediately. 

“Lumos,” you say once more that day and the soft white light illuminates the small room. You put your wand on one of the empty shelves. “Oh, Merlin’s beard,” you chuckle again, running your hand through your hair, your cheeks still blushed heavily, “As much as I enjoyed this little play of ours, I don’t think I can take it seriously now, not when I’m being called barn animals.” 

“Alright, first of all, it was a barn animal, singular, and second of all, I mean… It’s not the worst barn animal one can be called, lambs are cute.” was Aesop’s facetious answer, as his arms slowly wrapped around your waist, much gentler now. “Meh, true enough,” you relented, letting yourself be pulled into his embrace. 

“Thanks for not calling me a cow, by the way.”

“Oh, come off it, you!”

You kissed his lips slowly, teasingly. “Is there actually a powdered erumpent horn in here? Should I be worried?” you asked then. “There is, but it’s fairly safe without the explosive fluid. Still, best not to take down any shelves while we’re at it” Another long, passionate kiss.

“Speaking of which, do you want to continue, or shall we retire to my chambers?” The potions master offered after a while, and you could feel that his throbbing need had not subsided in the slightest. Neither has yours. “No more barn animals,” you said cheekily then, pointing your finger at him and admiring his features in the soft light of your wand on one of the shelves. His eyes, darker than two bottomless pits, twinkled momentarily as he lifted his hands in surrender: “No more barn animals, promise.”

After another heated kiss, during which his fingers kneaded the flesh of your behind, one of your hands moved to his front to return his previous teasing, easily slipping into his trousers and underwear and finding the hot stiffness there. Your first sexual adventure was still fairly fresh in both of your memories, but you already knew how he liked being touched, you knew what made him groan, what made him throw his head back. He knew the same about you, and he promptly proved such, when his hand disappeared into your drawers again to resume fondling your cunny. 

You played with each other for a little, sharing open mouthed kisses and a single breath. “How would you like me then?” you asked before a whimper was forced out of your mouth by a particularly delicious twist of his fingers. He responded by giving you a wolfish grin, and you suddenly found yourself one pair of drawers poorer, as the sound of ripping fabric tore through the otherwise silent room. “Oi!” you protested, “those were perfectly fine underwear!” “I’ll get you a new pair,” replied Aesop dismissively, shoving the ruined piece of garment into his trousers pocket. His smug little smile was so handsome, yet so infuriating, it made you want to kiss it off his blasted face. So you did.  

The potions master hummed against your lips, his hands coming to squeeze and fondle your now bare backside, massaging the cheeks in his large palms for a little while, before dropping them lower, to the back of your thighs. 

Your feet suddenly leave the ground, and your surprised sound forces your mouths to part, as you scramble to grab onto both of his shoulders, and wrap your legs around his slim hips in an instinctive effort to not fall. He chuckles slowly. His teeth are illuminated by the glow of your wand, making him appear slightly predatory, and forcing a shiver roll down your spine. Once again, you are sandwiched between the door and his body, except this time you’re facing him.

Using the door and his body for leverage, Aesop lets go off one of your legs in order to hurriedly tug his straining trousers and underwear down, finally revealing the throbbing erection he sported since the moment he originally pinned you to the door. Maybe even before that. You feel your lover push your skirt up as much as he can, his engorged tip teasing at your soaked folds. He gives you one more heated look, and his voice is clouded with lust when he speaks: “Alright?” 

Despite being quite fond of the occasional rough play and wild passionate coupling, one thing about Aesop was that he always made sure you wanted it too. And how could you not?

“Alright, love.”

And with that, Aesop gave you one last smile before positioning himself. He let gravity help him, loosening his hold on you just enough to make you sink on his throbbing prick fully. You gasped at the intrusion, your back arching against the door. Even after quite a few fun escapades together, your lover was still a lot to take in, not to mention a force to be reckoned with. He licked hotly into your mouth while your body adjusted to his considerable size. The searing arousal combined with the thrum of anticipation, as well as the blissful feeling of intimity, made you feel lightheaded. The potions master was breathing hard, being enveloped in your tight heat making him tether on the edge of sweet madness.

Aesop pulled out then ever so slightly, before plunging back in immediately, the movement making both of you shudder and groan into your still loosely connected mouths. He set a slow rhythm at first, savouring the delicious friction, your walls stretching around him, squeezing him. Both of his hands moved to your bottom, fingertips digging into the plush flesh as his mouth left yours in order to attach itself to the tender skin of your neck instead. The sensation of his rough, prickly stubble only served to heighten your desire, and a trembled moan poured out your lips.

“Good heavens, lass, the things you do to me…” he slurred between thrusts, voice cracking with pleasure, “making me feel- ah! like a bloody teenager. Making me- hngh… crave to be inside you with a single look.” His current libido was most likely only a bit bigger than that of any other man who was in a fairly new intimate relationship, however, after years of dry spell, Aesop genuinely felt like his yearning suddenly went from below zero to red-hot. You weren’t exactly making it any easier for him - you weren’t a stranger to the act of bringing pleasure to oneself before, however, that first ardent, lust-filled night has awakened what felt like a sexual renaissance within you. It made you long for him as much as he longed for you, and the two of you always connected in a searing inferno of mutual desire and the sweet surrender to it.

Your fingers knotted into his hair, pulling at the locks near his nape perfectly, while simultaneously sinking your teeth into the edge of his jaw, right under his ear. You knew this particular combination of sensations drove him wild. His hips stuttered mid-thrust and his hands squeezed you harder, a low growl reverberating around the tight space. The snapping of his hips increased in speed and his large manhood throbbed within you, his heightening need evident. You moved against each other with increasing desperation, your previous activity having left you feeling the first faint hints of an upcoming climax, which were becoming more and more pronounced under Aesop’s relentless pounding into your willing body.

One of the potions master’s hands dipped down between the tight fit of your bodies and he began rubbing harshly at your lovenub in time with his thrusting. The double stimulation, his hot ragged breath on your even hotter skin, the wonderful ache of your current position, and his groans turned short moans made the knot in your core grow tighter and tighter. You were rushing straight towards that peak, tugging at your lover’s hair and pushing his face closer to your neck, your eyes closed and mouth opened in a consistent stream of wanton sounds. However, before you could reach it and jump straight off to claim your release, all of the wonderful sensations suddenly stopped.

You were left trembling and breathing hard, imprisoned between the door and your beloved, your sex aching and screaming at you. You couldn't move, couldn't buck your hips, couldn't arch your back, couldn't do anything to bring that sweet friction back - Aesop was holding you too tight. Your upcoming climax got fainter and fainter until it became nothing but a blurry vision. You threw your head back against the door, as it was the only thing you could move, ignoring the pain and the banging sound your movement caused, too busy letting out a very unhappy whine. 

“Why?!” your voice was high and desperate, unwanted tears of frustration gathering behind your screwed shut eyelids. So close, you were so close! Why would he stop? You were suddenly angry with him for ripping your orgasm away from you and you took a breath to give him a mouthful, when a pair of hot lips pressed against your own. 

Aesop's hold lessened and you regained some of your freedom to move. He started a slow rhythm once more, and your anger slowly dissipated. The pleasure began coming back, but it felt different. More intense. It felt like it was rippling under your very skin, as if every single nerve ending was connected to your core by an invisible string. Aesop’s hands, his mouth left a scorching heat in their wake, one that spread throughout your flesh a sweetly invaded and imprisoned your mind, taking away from you all of your higher mental functions.

The climax came back into view, even though Aesop was moving considerably slower than before, and the fingers on your clit retreated. With every single second, every deep thrust, your abdomen tightened, body preparing itself for its unravelling, and when both of his hands grabbed your hips again, his own speeding up, you felt about ready to beg. And so you did.

"A-Aesop, p-please… Please don't stop now! Please," you were long past any actual coherent speech, tears were still running out of your eyes and your body ached and tensed for release, feeling like it might burn to a crisp if it's denied again. 

It wouldn't be.

With a dark chuckle that turned into a groan, Aesop continued his deep thrusts, angling you slightly to find that very special spot inside you. He was successful in his endeavour merely a few seconds later, and if you weren’t currently in the midst of releasing a frankly pathetic wanton sound, with your nails clawing at his back, you would’ve surely made a remark that bringing you pleasure was his greatest talent. 

He pulled away slightly to watch where his thick cock kept pistoning in and out of you. “Dear Merlin,” he growled between his harsh breaths, his voice an octave lower, “look at you. Taking me so bloody well.” He leaned back in, releasing shuddering puffs of air against your now perpetually open lips. “You are mine… No one else’s. Say it.” He was close. Aesop quite often doubted himself and his deserving of you, however, when he was close to his peak, he got deliciously possessive. He got selfish. Nobody else was going to have you, nobody else was going to be allowed to do to you the things he did, nobody else was going to make you feel this good. 

“Y-yours,” you whimpered out, your answer the same as it always was. Your head dropped to his shoulder, and your thighs were beginning to quiver around his pumping hips. However, the potions master wouldn’t quite allow you to hide your face from his sight like this. One hand came to grab it and pull it right back with gentleness that contrasted the roughness of his voice. The knot in your stomach was growing heavier with every snap of his hips, it was glowing brighter, becoming red-hot. Your eyes fluttered as you were forced to look at him. His own eyes were bottomless dark pits of molten lava, and you craved to fall into them and burn. You could see his pleasure, his love, his utter devotion, even as his voice came out a strained growl: “Say it again.”

Time stopped. There was nothing but him. No Hogwarts, no blasted ingredient cupboard, nothing but him loving you, and bringing you to your edge. It was over, you felt yourself tipping over and plummeting down. “I am yours, Aesop,” spoke a voice you barely recognised as your own, before a loud cry forced its way out of your throat and two more tears fell from your eyes. 

You felt yourself being ripped out from your body by some unseen force, only to return a fraction of a second later to a gratification so overwhelming, it was nearly too much. The orgasm he denied you earlier came back, and it shook you to your very core. Your head trashed against the door, your legs were shaking violently, and your walls were clenching and unclenching around his prick tightly, the proof of your pleasure squirting out and staining his trousers.

It was like a hurricane rolled through you, and you weren’t exactly aware of the sounds you were releasing, nor the sight you were making. However, Aesop absolutely was. And it forced him to grab your hips harshly and increase the speed of his rutting: “Oh, fuck…f-fuck, sweetheart…” When Aesop Sharp began cursing, he was either extremely mad, or mere seconds away from an earth-shattering orgasm. 

His cock pulsed heavily, getting even stiffer as he repeatedly rammed it into your trembling body, precum leaking out in a constant drizzle by now, before finally - Aesop’s strong hand closed around your silky locks, and he tugged. You moaned at the sensation, still lost in the throes of your own explosive climax. The professor pressed his forehead against yours, his wavering gaze desperately locking onto your own, and his choked out moan falling against your lips. His hips stuttered as he emptied himself within you.

You were vaguely aware of the hotness that spread inside of you as your lover reached his peak, still very much out of it from your own thunderous release. You did take notice, however, that the professor’s body began trembling slightly. His orgasm left him slightly weak, therefore holding you pinned against the door was quite the effort. He used the last of his strength to lift you off the door, turn so that his own back was leaning against it, and slowly sank down onto his bottom with you in his arms.

Aesop let his head rest against the cool wood, his ragged breaths mingling with your own in the tight space, his tired arms having released their vice grip on you and closed around your waist loosely instead. Your brain has been masterfully turned off, unable to comprehend any concept more difficult than 'pleasure', 'gratification', 'love' and 'exhaustion'. You reposed in the storeroom quietly, basking in the heavenly afterglow of your shared ardour. 

You stirred slowly, fatigue making your eyes strangely heavy, while your limbs positively felt like they were made of lead. It was quite curious - not you feeling a little tired after a lovely culmination of your lovemaking, but the fact that this was no ‘little tiredness’. You felt about ready to ignore absolutely everything in favour of just closing your eyes and dozing off. Then again, your release today has been a particularly thunderous one…

��What the devil did you do to me…” you slurred against the heated skin of his neck, fighting to keep yourself awake. Aesop, still coming down from his high as well, took a few moments to answer. “Oh… that. Sorry, I should have warned you beforehand. I did mean to tell you, but then… you know. With the lamb…” Despite your tiredness, a chuckle broke out from your lips, one Aesop soon joined into. “I really am sorry, though… Are you alright?” You thought for a while. While you really could’ve used the heads up, you supposed the result was quite worth it, even if it meant your energy levels had dropped to almost zero. “Hmm…” you sighed, snuggling further into his neck: “I’m great… Though, I might just fall asleep on you.”

Your lover chuckled once more. “As much as I’d like to let you, I’m afraid that you wouldn’t be able to get me back onto my feet afterwards. I’m not twenty anymore, napping on the floor has severe consequences.” It was your turn to laugh. You sluggishly moved your hands to his shoulders and braced against them as you got up, releasing a tiny groan as you found yourself empty, your combined releases running out. Still, you extended a hand towards Aesop and aided in pulling him up and to his feet. 

With a flick of his wand then, you were both squeaky clean of all bodily fluids, the door clicked unlocked and the silencing charm was dropped. He languidly tucked himself back into his pants with a content expression, slightly leaning back against the door. “You owe me a pair of drawers,” you reminded him. 

“I’ll happily buy you a hundred of them, as long as I get to watch you try them on.”

“You utter beast, Aesop!”

You stuck your head out of the door after making yourself a bit more presentable, and, unsurprisingly, found that the corridor was completely empty. It was a Saturday after all, the majority of third years and up were in Hogsmeade, many students were enjoying the sunny day on the banks of the Black Lake, and some were simply in their common rooms or out on the school grounds. First and second years had no business around here, unless they were looking for trouble or very very lost.

You made your way to the nearest floo flames, Aesop’s hand holding your own cautiously, ready to let go immediately in case anyone popped out from behind the corner unexpectedly. However, it seemed the Faculty tower was similarly deserted, and the two of you walked hand in hand all the way to his chambers, sharing quiet banter, your yawns interrupting the conversation every few moments. Sweet Merlin, you really were beat…

The door of Aesop’s chambers closed heavily behind you, locking itself promptly, and you leaned back against it, happy to finally be in the comfort of Aesop’s rooms, with nobody else but the man himself. 

“One would've thought you’d have enough doors against your back for one day,” Aesop teased quietly. You didn’t even bother answering his remark, or opening your eyes for that matter. There was nothing but silence coming from the potions master for a while, but then a very gentle pair of lips brushed against your own. Despite your fatigue, your mouth stretched into a little smile, and you returned the kiss, your arms trailing up to wrap around his shoulders on their own accord.

After a series of little kisses and pecks, you felt Aesop shift, and suddenly one of his hands was placed at the back of your lower thigh, the other curled around your side. You opened your eyes just as your beloved lifted you into his arms, and, with utmost care like you were something incredibly precious, carried you over to his bedroom. You stifled another deep yawn against his throat, prompting Aesop to chuckle softly. “Aren’t I usually the one who wants to rest afterwards?” he quipped again. His face took on an expression of mild worry when his little jab went unanswered once more. 

“Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked once he gently placed you upon his bed, your head and body immediately nestling into the soft, clean sheets. He sat on the bed’s edge beside you, his hand placed on your hip. “Hmm, alright…” you mumbled, looking at him through your lashes, “Please tell me I actually did finish that polyjuice two days ago… I don't think I'd be able to brew even a Wit-sharpening potion right now.” 

This made him grin impishly: “You can’t seriously think I’d leave such a potion unattended after it’s finished stewing, can you?” 

“Oh, and here I thought I made you stop thinking altogether.”

You look at each other fondly for several seconds.

“Really, though, are you-” “Yes, Aesop, I promise I’m alright, just get in here, you beast!” You laughed out loud and pulled at his hand until he was forced to climb into the bed behind you. You immediately nuzzled into his arms, relishing in their warmth and comfort. Aesop hasn’t stopped grinning. “So… I know ‘lamb’ and other barn animals are a no-go, however, you definitely cuddle into and purr against me like a kitten." You groaned lightly, no actual annoyance in your voice.

“Hmm… ’Kitten’ I am pretty alright with,” you said eventually, opening your eyes to look up at him in good humour. “Is that what we’re doing now, by the way? Animals? Because if so, you are absolutely a big bad wolf. Always trying to eat me right up…” 

“Eat you up, you say?” is all Aesop said with a positively wicked grin, before descending down on you, his teeth immediately going for your neck, pinching the skin there and scratching it with his beard. You squealed softly at the feeling, hands going into his hair, unsure whether to pull him closer or push him off. He eventually pulled away himself and settled on the bed once more, pressing himself to you. “I’ll stick to the more human terms of endearment, I think. Nothing wrong with ‘darling’ or ‘sweetheart’,” he said quietly then. You smiled against the material of his shirt: “Hmm… I love it when you call me that, Ace.”

Aesop froze momentarily. Ace. It was Ashley’s, his Auror partner and oldest friend’s nickname for him. Nobody has called him that in more than a decade, by his own wish. The last time he heard it was in that godforsaken harbour.

“Alright, Ace. Lead the way.”

The potions master swallowed audibly. It’s been so long. He blinked his eyes rapidly and suppressed a shaky breath. The strangest thing was - while his heart panged at the memory of his late partner, the nickname that fell from your lips caused it to speed up and flutter.

When you said that one simple short word, it felt like a wave of warmth rolled through him. And while he was reminded of the past, what he felt most of all was… a strange sense of elation. The word rolled from your tongue so naturally, as if it’s always been there, as if you never called him anything else.

And he wanted to hear it again. 

“Aesop? Love, are you alright, have I said something wrong?” The professor realised you had been looking at him with equal parts worry and confusion. “No, no…” he breathed out and his mouth stretched into a little smile. 

“Not good? The nickname? I just thought, you know… Aesop - Ace. Sorry, I guess it’s a little silly.”

“It’s not. You’re not the first person to call me that, but I couldn’t stand the nickname for the past 12 years. You though… You can call me that, if you want to… I'd like you to.” Aesop said quietly, his large hands drawing little circles against your back where he held you. You looked deep into his eyes, before taking his face in your palms. 

“Are you sure, Ace?” 

His breath hitched again, but he couldn't deny the pleasurable shudder that overtook him when he heard the word in your tender voice once more. He closed his arms tighter around your form, pulling you against his chest. You curled up into your lover once more, nosing at his throat and caressing him wherever you were able to reach.

“Will you tell me someday?”

“I will. One day, I’ll tell you everything. I promise.”

Hiya! I hope you enjoyed reading. You can also find this story as well as all of my other stories on AO3. I love feedback <3

[hogwartslegacypics]

Niamh Fitzgerald's Trial

[blue-razzslushie]

My HL AU Rewrite: Ancient Magic [Analysis/Deep Dive] 🔥

I've been real excited to post this onto my page for a hot second. I wanted to wait until I finished getting my references drawn, since I've had art decline and was trying to focus on the MC drawings I did; and all of my ideas so far strung together to become fluid and tie together. I love doing things like this and in the future I will be adding what is written here into my art and lore As in I'm going to start making lil comics and such instead of just drawing my MC over and over. so without further ado, let's get started! !

[PLEASE NOTE: what is here isn't canon nor apart of Hogwarts Legacy or Harry Potter Lore. So if something isn't Accurate, don't attack me for it ^^]

Part 1: A Spiritual Start

So even in the Canon story of Hogwarts Legacy, we never really got a full beginning on how the magic existed in the first place. And to also be fair, I've basically had nothing as well. but I came up with a small idea of its origin, but honestly it most likely to be susceptible to change if I find any more ideas! But I would love to hear if anyone else has a good idea!

As already known, since the beginning of ancient times witches and wizards have been known to be able to act upon and hone magic. However, the soul of a witch and wizard controls how powerful and how controlled the magic is. In special cases, EXTREMELY rare, special cases; the soul of a Witch or Wizard is so strong, so powerful, they can dig further into their magic capabilities then others. Otherwise known as Ancient magic.

This magic is a bit different then the typical spells, They connect directly to the user themself. The magic adapting to the personality, emotions, quirks, and overall mindset of the individual. For example, someone who's creative that has the ancient magic ability could have the power to create structures or make their ideas come to life at the blink of an eye. . . So on so fourth. One thing I might add, These individuals practically have no control over what magic they possess. Only way it may change is if the mind of the user drastically changed over time, or evolves in any way shape or form. Since the magic is imbedded into the vessel of who posseses it, it's almost an instinctual tool.

Part 2: the Tale of 4 "Saints" and a "Sinner"

just as in the canon lore of the Keepers, they all had the ability to see and use Ancient magic. Percival Rackham, Charles Rookwood, Niamh Fitzgerald, and San Bakar all had about the same mindset, they had about the same beliefs, goals, and morals. Therefore, Their Ancient magic was about the same. They had some differences, for example Niamh Fitzgerald had a somewhat more creative personality then the others. Which further on in the game goes into when she made her unique trial in the world of a storybook. But, Nevertheless with their shared ability with ancient magic they concluded they way they used it was the only way to use it, if at all. They all had a small fear, a caution if you will about this ability apparently nobody else had. So they were cautious and very rarely used it, however. . . Remember how I said the magic is instinctually used earlier? That came in hand when they stumbled across a small hamlet enduring a drought, they had the ability to try and help. . . So why shouldn't they? They proceeded to use their magic to fix the drought, unbenouced to them a small girl was looking at them in awe. She could see what they did. . .

That girl, Isadora Morganach, came to Hogwarts late as a fifth year later on in life. And coincidentally shared the ability to see ancient magic. Once this came to the attention of the Keepers, they took her under their wing to teach her about the "Proper way" to use Ancient magic. It worked for awhile, Isadora being persuaded to think the way the keepers do, therefore producing a rather similar type of magic to the older users. This all changed after Isadora's fathers depression got worse, taking a rather big mental toll on Isadora. As previously stated, The mental health and thought process of a user of ancient magic ties into the way the magic is used. After many attempts of trying to convince the Keepers to experiment with their magic to see if they could find a way to help her father, Isadora gave up. . . And began to doubt the keepers as friends, and also in the process began doubting their beliefs, making her own in how the magic should be used.

Now with a poor and fragile mental state Isadora currently had and on top of that beginning to experiment with a uncharted and unpredictable type of magic was. . . Not a very good combination to say the least. So once she managed to make the spell to "take away pain" it wasn't as full proof as originally expected. (And as you know the spell ends up taking away ALL emotions). The lore continues as canon, The keepers fight with isadora on the use of the magic, Isadora makes the repository, experiments on students, gets killed by San Bakar. Then the keepers make the trials and safeguard the magic and yada yada Bullshit. Despite making the trials, for all of their life and hundreds of years after, they never again heard of someone who possessed the power they had. That was until a black haired child with a resting bitch face entered the Map Chamber.

Part 3: The Tragedy of a Star Child

-Star Child // Adjective

"These children are naturally gifted, intuitive, often seem naive, often struggle with over-stimulation, and have a very pure heart."

Now onto my favorite part: Addressing the magic of my MC; Rory! I tried to put as much detail as possible!! And this part has the ART REFERENCES I MADE OH YEAHHH!!!

Rory from a young age always was a bit. . .different then others. Not just with ancient magic, as well as thinking differently and having almost nothing in common with people their age. [I swear to Merlin I'm not trying to make them a "not like other girls" MC just letting y'all know!!]. While others preferred to play tag or play hopscotch on the sidewalk, Rory always preferred to be alone, Reading books or just drawing. They developed their own ancient magic ability at a young age unbenouced to them, since until they met Professor Fig they didn't even know magic really existed. But their magic acts were always small, for example being able to make their candlelight brighter if they were reading in a dark place or at night. It was small things, mainly because they had no experience or knowledge of what they were doing. This went on for years, through the family split up to the Orphanage days, all the way until Professor Fig came into their life, then everything changed.

They learned about magic, got to know a few spells themself and a few offhand things like potions and their ingredients. Then on the way to Hogwarts, The dragon attack, the Portkey container, Gringotts. . . things began to take a different turn. With the new stresses of keeping Goblins, Ashwinders, Poachers and Other creepies away. Rory's magic began to develop, evolve to help them. It became like fire, a destructive yet protective force they could use to help defend themself. The choice of fire also represents Rory's personality, Fire is frequently used to symbolize wisdom, knowledge, and power as well as the emotions of anger. Rory themself is a smart kid, and despite that they always have had severe anger issues and have been prone to flying off the handle at times. When their emotions directly effect their magic, it goes unstable. Harming and burning anything around including themself.

As shown here

When their magic is controlled, they use their wand to create Cyclone fires if you will. Like the fire attack Poacher Executors use in battle. Over the course of the year they've managed to learn to control their anger a bit better and stay calm even when under the stresses of their now daily life. As well as figure out more ways to lie to their friends when they show up to class with clothes scorched.

FightOrFlight shipping my Beloved (I finally figured out a good ship name for Imelda and Rory so YAY)

I personally have little Headcanons for Rory regarding the fire, like when they are Agitated they can "huff out" blue bits of flames or smoke, Like a comical Dragon or something. >^<

But that's all I have on my rewrite so far, PLEASE LEMME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!! :]

[helena-thompson]

Timeline

The following is just a timeline of all events related to Helena and anyone close to her that has an impact on her story.

everything is linked to more in-depth explanations of events/headcanons

anything redacted is just stuff I haven't shared or written yet that I don't want to spoil just yet

all fics I've written with Helena are on here as well so you can get an idea of when they take place throughout her timeline

Before Hogwarts

Spring/Summer 1874 - Helena's mother, Leonora, and real father, Orpheus Gaunt, are in a relationship before Orpheus is killed by his family for consorting with muggles. Leonora finds out she's pregnant soon afterwards. She later meets Henry Thompson, and they end up marrying, and Henry intends on treating the baby as if it were his own.

January 13, 1875 - Helena is born and grows up believing Henry is her father.

1883 - Henry Thompson dies of tuberculosis.

Summer of 1889 - Anne Sallow gets cursed.

Summer of 1890 - Professor Fig shows up with Helena's acceptance letter to Hogwarts.

Fifth Year: Autumn 1890

Helena arrives at Hogwarts, sorted into Slytherin

Helena & Sebastian start competing in Crossed Wands together as a duo

Sebastian shows Helena the Undercroft

Helena shows Sebastian & Ominis the Room of Requirement

Percival Rackham's Trial

In the Shadow of the Estate: Helena & Sebastian discover the first piece of the triptych in Isidora's estate in Feldcroft

Helena & Sebastian start adventuring together

Sebastian & Anne's 16th birthdays

The High Keep: Helena & Natty rescue Highwing, Helena shows the Room of Requirement to Natty & Poppy

In the Shadow of the Bloodline & In the Shadow of the Study: Sebastian convinces Helena & Ominis to find Slytherin's Scriptorium, he casts crucio on her.

The Helm of Urtkot & Charles Rookwood's Trial

Fifth Year: Winter 1890-91

Fire & Vice: Helena & Poppy rescue the dragon from the poachers

Eric Northcott asks out Helena, she agrees to try and get over Sebastian

In the Shadow of Discovery

Helena & Natty find Archie Bickle

Amortentia shenanigans (fic: "Laws of Attraction" → read on AO3)

Winter Holiday - Helena stays at Hogwarts with Sebastian and Ominis

In the Shadow of the Mine: Helena & Sebastian find the second piece of the triptych, they argue and get in a fight

A Basis for Blackmail: Helena saves Natty from Ashwinders

Surprise Meeting: Helena & Poppy talk to the Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest

Helena's 16th Birthday

It's All Gobbledegook

The Headmistress Speaks, The Polyjuice Plot, & Niamh Fitzgerald's Trial

In the Shadow of the Mountain: Helena & Sebastian find the last piece of the triptych, they make up from their argument after the mine & start dating

Helena & Sebastian enjoy a brief period of time bliss dating each other (fic: "Magic" → read on AO3)

Lodgok's Loyalty, San Bakar's Trial, Wand Mastery, & The Final Repository: Rookwood escapes, Helena contains the power of the ancient magic in the repository.

In the Shadow of Revelation: Helena tells Sebastian Rookwood cursed Anne not the goblins, and that there may be a way to cure her since Rookwood is on the run.

Weasley's Watchful Eye

In the Shadow of Time & In the Shadow of Distance: Sebastian and Helena explore the Feldcroft catacombs for a lead on the relic that could save Anne.

In the Shadow of Hope: Sebastian tells Anne about the relic

Save the Golden Snidgets with Poppy & the Centaurs

In the Shadow of the Relic, In the Shadow of Fate, & In the Shadow of Friendship (fic: "Forgiveness" → read on AO3)

Fifth Year: Spring & Summer 1891

Harlow's Last Stand

O.W.L.S.

The House Cup: Slytherin wins.

Summer Holiday - Helena returns to London, Sebastian and Ominis go to Feldcroft in case Anne returns and to take care of their affairs there.

Sixth Year: 1891-92

Helena & Sebastian reunite before returning to Hogwarts (fic: "One Year Later" → read on AO3)

Quidditch is back at Hogwarts - Imelda recruits Sebastian onto the team after noticing he bulked up over the summer and hoping he has some natural talent like Anne did

Sebastian & Anne's 17th birthdays

Helena & Sebastian take their relationship to a new level (fic: "A First Time for Everything" → read on AO3)

DADA class duelling shenanigans (fic: "Duels & Desires" → read on AO3)

Helena's 17th birthday

Rookwood ████████

Helena & Sebastian celebrate May Day (fic: "Angel in a Spring Field" → read on AO3)

Summer after Sixth Year - Helena finds out about her true parentage, Anne gets cured

Seventh Year: 1892-93

Anne is back at Hogwarts & back on the Quidditch team

18th birthdays

Restricted Section shenanigans (fic: "Forbidden Passions" → read on AO3)

Ministry of Magic ████████

NEWTs

graduation

After Hogwarts

1893 - Helena and Sebastian start their freelance cursebreaker business

Marvolo ████████

1896 - Helena accidentally gets pregnant, Sebastian proposes, they get married

House of Gaunt ████████

Helena & Sebastian retire from cursebreaking, they move to Hogsmeade, she opens up a specialty potions shop with Garreth, Sebastian starts looking for another job

1897 - Helena & Sebastian's first child is born

Sebastian starts teaching at Hogwarts

[thatslytherinqueen]

Niamh Fitzgerald Trial 🐍💚💜✨️

[girl4music]

I love this piece of dialogue by Niamh Fitzgerald. One of the four Keepers of the Ancient Magic that our protagonist can see and wield. Given this story has such a strong emphasis on the theme of power corruption, this quote is probably the most important one in the whole game. Hence why it’s repeated twice. While I always say that you should never just do nothing when you or someone else is faced with life threatening situations, I also say that just because you have the capability and capacity to fight evil doesn’t always mean that it’s your responsibility to do so and to take control. Especially when you don’t understand the risks and consequences of doing so. And this is why the Keepers putting the protagonist through the trials required to understand this was a very good idea. Just letting them go willy nilly with Ancient Magic would have been a lapse in judgment that would have likely ended them up exactly the same way as it did Isidora Morganach and Sebastian Sallow.

Well done to the creators of the game for delivering a storyline that makes your character question their actions and choices in facing trials of knowledge.

Ooo what do you think guys? Decisions, decisions.

I might say I’ll open it just to see what happens. I said contain it on my last play through but since I’m going for a darker side this time around I’ll say I’ll open it.

[expecto-kedavra]

Niamh Fitzgerald’s Trial

[animasola86]

Third Trial Details

As cool and unique as this level design was (seriously one of my favorite quests), the lack of eyebrows and freckles is quite disturbing!

[ SCREENSHOTS MASTERLIST ]

[casdeanwin]

Hogwarts Legacy - Niamh Fitzgerald's Trial - Deathly Hallows

[the-magiarcheologist]

Theios Aner, or Ancient Magic in Antiquity

Sometimes I get really curious about the sources the writers for HL used to get inspiration for Hogwarts Legacy and Ancient Magic.

For instance, I was doing some research into magical practice in ancient civilisations to see if we can find traces of some of the very first known wizards for the HP universe and I stumbled upon about a group of people in ancient Greece called ‘theios aner’ (θεῖος ἀνήρ) which is translated to ‘divine men’. The definition for these theios aner given by Wikipedia is:

Person connected to the gods, which grants them the ability to perform miracles and supernatural events.

And, think about it!, if we just replace "the gods" in that sentence with "ancient magic" we get a description that fits our MC and the abilities they get from their strange connection to AM. So I started to wonder: are the theios aner some of the very first known ancient magic wielders?

One of the earliest exemple of one of these ‘divine men’ is Pythagoras of Samos, born 570 BCE. Many miracles have been attributed to him, including:

Being seen in two different cities (Metapontum in Italy and Tauromenium in Sicily) on the same day, conversing with friends

Having tamed a savage bear by the power of his voice alone and converting it to vegetarianism

Stopping an ox from eating beans

A white eagle coming down onto his shoulder so Pythagoras could pet it

Biting a venomous snake to death

The river Caicasus calling to him "Hail, Pythagoras!" as he was passing over it with some friends

Having a thigh made of gold

Predicting that a dead man would be found on a ship entering the harbour

(Some sources for this: 1, 2)

What struck when reading this list of ‘miracles’ is that, if we try to explain each of these by a magical discipline we know from the Wizarding World we get:

Time-travel (being present in two cities at the same time)

Care of Magical Creatures or, generally, an ability to communicate with animals (taming the bear, the ox and the eagle)

Divination (predicting the dead man)

Transfiguration (thigh made of gold and probably also biting a venomous snake to death by using self-transfiguration to change his mouth to something able to kill the snake and be immune to the venom)

(The only one difficult to explain is the one about the river calling ‘Hi!’ to him 😂. Although if we stretch it, it could also be some advanced transfiguration that changes the river into something capable of speech.)

And if we consider these 4 disciplines, we realise that they correspond exactly to the specialised skills of the four Keepers: Niamh Fitzgerald being a time-traveler (I explained here why I think that!), San Bakar teaching Care of Magical Creatures and his trial being about taming a magical creature, Percival Rackham being a seer and Charles Rookwood teaching transfiguration.

Cue the famous meme!

I’ve always found Bakar’s ability and his trial to be very random after the sophisticated dungeons we had to go through for the other Keepers, but if we consider that the writers of HL took inspiration from the the ancient theois aner as the originals wielders of Ancient Magic and that the 4 disciplines highlighted are at the core of the abilities granted to a wizard by Ancient Magic, then suddenly his trial makes sense!

[And, if you would allow me a completely crazy tangent here!, I just realized that the only 3 ‘special abilities’ we know of in the Wizarding world, i.e. Metamorphmagi, true Seers and Parselmouths, just happen to correspond to 3 of the 4 Ancient Magic disciplines! And for the metamorphmagi and parselmouths, it’s not just any type of transfiguration ability or ability to care for animals, it’s specifically self-transfiguration and an ability to talk to animals, which are exactly what Pythagoras was known to be able to do! Is that a coincidence?🤯😵 Could we imagine that over time some of the ‘Ancient Magic abilities’ got passed down into the blood of ‘regular’ wizards to become rare inheritable traits? The exception here being time-travel since we don’t know of anyone having a natural ability to time-travel. But time-travel could be an exception since I don’t think Niamh Fitzgerald herself is able to time-travel, she still uses an old version of a time-turner that she wears around her neck, but maybe she has a special ability that makes her immune to the effects of time-travel (we see these ageing effects with Prof Hecat)? And since in 1899 time-travel becomes heavily restricted, anyone having special time-travel abilities would not even know it! Anyway, food for though! And now back to our regularly scheduled programming!]

And the parallels don’t stop there! I’m basing myself here mostly on the Wikipedia page for Magic in the Greco-Roman world since I haven’t had time to do extensive research on the lives each of the other known theois aner. But the amount of parallels between the game and the Wikipedia article is still interesting if we try to find possible sources of inspiration for the HL writers who may have read the same article.

Empedocles was also considered one of the theios aner and he followed Pythagoras' philosophy. Here’s what the Wikipedia article says about him:

Empedocles (c. 490 – c. 430 BCE) too has ascribed to him marvelous powers associated with later magicians: that is, he is able to heal the sick, rejuvenate the old, influence the weather and summon the dead. […] It is important to note that after Empedocles, the scale of magical gifts in exceptional individuals shrinks in the literature, becoming specialized. Individuals might have the gift of healing, or the gift of prophecy, but are not usually credited with a wide range of supernatural powers as are magoi like Orpheus, Pythagoras and Empedocles.

And does that not remind you of someone? Someone who wanted to heal the sick and after whose death the practice of Ancient Magic was significantly changed to become much more restricted, with very few even knowing what Ancient Magic even is?

I don’t know if I’m the only one but the story of Pythagoras and Empedocles (as it is presented in the wikipedia article at least) reminds me of Isidora and the Keepers. Some ‘dark magic’ practices are attributed to Empedocles (summoning the dead), like the ‘dark magic’ practices of Isidora who siphons emotions out of people, and after their death some aspect of the practice of Ancient Magic is lost, with either Ancient Magic wielders (or theios aner) becoming way less powerful or the Keepers locking Ancient Magic away permanently.

If we accept that the ancient theios aner have indeed been used as inspiration for the Ancient Magic wielders, it could be a sort of ‘history repeating itself’ scenario where at several points of history some theios aner abused their tremendous power to do some things considered unnatural or dangerous (summoning the dead, taking away people’s pain) and when that happened other theios aner (perhaps organised into a secret Society for Ancient Magic?) stepped in and placed regulations and restrictions on the use of Ancient Magic, such as dividing the foundational ‘Ancient Magic Powers’ (i.e. time-travel, divination, transfiguration and a connection to animals) among four different Ancient Magic users and not permitting anyone to wield all four together, or, in the Keepers’ time, hiding Ancient Magic away altogether and not permitting anyone to learn it anymore.

[wvss61]

Hogwarts Legacy Niamh Fitzgerald's Trial Main Quest Full Walkthrough

[visual-walkthrough]

Hogwarts Legacy Mission Niamh Fitzgerald’s Trial