Imperio

And what was Will doing at that moment?

He was holding the welcome gift from his "uncle" Hobert and listening to the man ramble on. Still, he could tell Hobert was far more sincere than Edward.

"I heard you were coming back today, so I went to Diagon Alley. I didn't know what to get you, so I just picked up a Nimbus 2000. Lots of children seem to like them. I wrote to Professor Flitwick, though I hadn't expected you to be in Slytherin. It's just as well, really. Professor McGonagall can be rather too strict..."

Will's eyelid twitched. He'd just picked up a Nimbus 2000?

Will remembered that a Nimbus 2000 cost between seven and nine hundred Galleons, while the deluxe version went for over a thousand. Yet Hobert had bought one on a whim. This uncle of his, who acted a little like the Weasley Brothers, was seriously rich.

Will wasn't particularly fond of Broomsticks, though. He even considered selling it to pad out his little nest egg.

Hobert Howard was much easier to talk to than Edward. Playing the obedient nephew, Will soon coaxed plenty of information out of him.

For instance, he learned that Hobert had been in Gryffindor and had even known Harry's father, James Potter. After graduation, Hobert had returned home and lived under the protection of people high up in England's government.

Hobert wasn't especially afraid of Voldemort, either. He spoke the name freely, had seen far more of the world than many Wizards, and had spent two years traveling after graduation.

Hobert was the sort of "cool uncle" some families had: free-spirited, generous to younger relatives, and full of stories. If Will were still the child Dorothy had locked in a dark room, he would surely have grown close to Uncle Hobert.

As Hobert went on, Will learned that the entire Howard family had only three Wizards, Hobert included. One protected the head of the family, the Duke of Norfolk, while another brewed Potions when needed. Both were Hobert's friends.

His loose-lipped uncle also told Will about a Wizard uprising among senior government officials in 1913. It had been nothing short of England's own witchcraft scandal. From then on, the Muggle government's leaders and the royal family had trusted Wizards less. Later, during Voldemort's reign of terror, some Wizards seeking protection had sworn numerous Unbreakable Vows to Wizards from noble or royal families.

"So, Will, people like us are special even among the nobility. You've nothing to worry about. Come back to the family. With Uncle Hobert around, you could go to the Savoy Hotel with me every day, and your father wouldn't dare say a word." Hobert waggled his eyebrows at Will as he spoke.

The Savoy Hotel was a famous gathering place for London's nobility, and a place for their romantic escapades. Countless affairs had taken place there. Will's face twitched. Was that really something Hobert should be saying to an eleven-year-old?

More than any of that, Will wanted someone to learn from so he could grind experience. He could see that Edward felt no affection for him. Edward merely wanted him to be useful to the Howard family.

Still, if the Howard family provided some of the resources Will needed while growing up, he would gladly do them a few favors in the future. He would not let vague notions of "family ties" bind him.

Hobert chatted with Will until a quarter past seven, when Thomas came to fetch them for a small family dinner. The food was plentiful, with none of the culinary horrors Will might have expected. That made sense: England might be a culinary wasteland, but plenty of nobles favored French cuisine.

There were only five people at dinner: Will, Hobert, Edward, the butler, and one of Hobert's friends, a Wizard named Cree who brewed Potions for the Howard family.

As it happened, Cree was dating one of the old duke's illegitimate daughters, so it really was a family dinner.

Will's conduct at the table pleased Edward. Though he had never studied proper court etiquette with the Howard family's tutors, he followed the rules and even carried himself with a certain charm. Hobert was very pleased as well.

Will's Silver-Gray Eyes lingered on Cree a little longer, however. He found that Hobert's and Cree's magical power was no different from that of ordinary Wizards in Diagon Alley. That came as a relief.

After dinner, Will was sent back to his room to rest, while Edward and Hobert talked about him in the study.

"What do you think of the boy?" Edward could not even bring himself to call Will his son.

"Clever, well-mannered, and Hogwarts says he's doing very well in his studies." Hobert toyed with the flames in the fireplace using his wand, making them shift from one shape to another.

"Compared with you?"

"I was a middling student. Will, though... From what my old professors said, he'd be among the very best." Hobert answered lazily.

"So you recommend bringing him into the family?"

"Hah. What else would I recommend? He's promising. Are you going to give him a few thousand pounds a year until he comes of age? Or throw an eleven-year-old out to fend for himself? Don't forget, his mother is dead."

"He's just a lucky bastard. Give him a couple of bones, put him on a leash, and he'll serve the family. Didn't we tie those two Wizards you brought in to us with Father's illegitimate daughters and money?" Edward had all but called Will and the other two Wizards dogs.

"Edward, I'm warning you. They're my friends. I'm not a cold-blooded bastard who treats his own child like a dog."

Hobert's attitude irritated Edward. "Hobert, be serious. You're the family's only Wizard. I need your judgment. It's time you did something for the family instead of playing the carefree rogue. Bringing two friends here to eat and drink at our expense isn't enough; you need to help us choose talent. This isn't one of your clubs where you chase women. Take it seriously, and stop acting like a playboy."

"Enough. I'm not like you, big brother. I may be a playboy, but I never leave a child behind. The girls and I have our fun, and they know exactly where we stand. More importantly, I don't have any children. It's all brief, consensual fun. Will is your third illegitimate child, though I've never even met the first two." Hobert glared at Edward. "I'm leaving. Two beautiful women are waiting to spend the night with me."

With that, Hobert slammed the door behind him without so much as a friendly glance at Edward.

Edward sighed. Sometimes his brother seemed determined to oppose him at every turn. To think he would speak to him like that over a lowly bastard.

Will appeared in the corner, having heard their entire conversation. He rubbed the old wand in his hand. The Disillusionment Charm had taken quite a toll, but he still had enough magical power for what came next.

He had a habit that dated back to before he had learned magic.

When Dorothy locked Will in the dark room, she gave him nothing to eat. Unable to bear the darkness and hunger, he had begun hiding food whenever he could, just in case.

That habit had got him through a hard time. Even after discovering magic, he had kept it up. For example, he had two accounts at Gringotts.

Will did not trust others easily. He preferred to rely on himself. He could not yet fully trust even the friends he had made at Hogwarts, much less his so-called father.

Especially after hearing Edward compare him to a dog.

He silently calculated how many Galleons he needed and converted the amount into pounds. Then he aimed the tip of his old wand at Edward's back.

"Imperio," he whispered.