>>5583310He taps your temple again.
"Because this. Is going to save you more times than that ever will." He points to your wand.
He then grabs his bandolier "Why do you think I carry all of this around? I have a wand, I know spells that can do things you can't even imagine. So why do I carry this around if I have magic that can do things beyond imagination?"
You stay silent
"Because knowledge is power. This." He taps his temple "Will always beat magic."
He reaches over and grabs a book from the inner pocket of his trench coat and holds it front of you.
It's his old bestiary. The one you used to read when you were younger.
He points to the book. "This. Is just as important as your wand." He hands you the book "Knowledge is power Adrian. Don't ever forget that. Don't lose sight of the real world while learning about its magical side. Both are important. Everything has history. Everything has weaknesses. And Everything has Secrets. If you want to be powerful then start using that head of yours and don't just learn spells or how to cast them better. Learn from the world and start using that knowledge to become stronger. That book is yours now. Take care of it. Let it be the first of the many other books you collect on your path to becoming stronger."
>Fathers Bestiary addedYou look down at the book in your hand and idly flip it open. Pages full of magical moving pictures of beast and monsters fill the pages. Each with a plethora of knowledge written with everything you would want to know.
"I had meant to give that to you earlier, you know."
"Earlier today or earlier like before?"
"Both."
When you hear your father say that something clicks in your head. When you look at him you see a tired man. A man with regrets. A prideful man that has accomplished so much in his life is trying to pull off a mask that he's been wearing for a long time.
He sighs.
"I know your mother and I aren't always there. We wanted to but we had other responsibilities that took up that time that was meant for the both of you. But we always made sure you and your brother had everything you wanted and needed to be successful."
He takes another deep breathe
"But we also know that, that wasn't enough and we regret it."
He puts his hand on your shoulder and looks you in the eye.
"I know what its like to feel like you don't have parents when you do, its just that they aren't around. Your grandparents made me feel the same way. An empty mansion with nothing but useless bits of Opulence to display faux power and prestige from a family fallen out of grace. For three generations. For almost a century The Blackwell name was attached to disasters, degenerates, and disgraces. A name up with the top wizarding families in the world fell down into the mud for nearly 100 years."
Your attention is full. You've never heard anything like this about your family. You had thought your family had always been prosperous and among the most powerful families. Apparently not.
