Chapter 2: Celebration of 11th Birthday
Cesar woke up early the next morning, greeted by the soft morning light streaming into his bedroom. He quickly got dressed and made his way downstairs.
"Good morning, Mom and Dad," he greeted cheerfully.
"Good morning, Cesar. You seem to be in high spirits," Cesar's mother, Maria, replied with a smile, busy directing the house-elves to decorate the living room. After marrying into the Marcel family, Maria also adopted the surname Marcel according to tradition. Cesar's father, Alexander, was no longer with them.
"With such a grand celebration planned for my eleventh birthday, of course I'm happy," Cesar replied, glancing at the Daily Prophet. However, his good mood was primarily due to the Wizard System he discovered the previous night.
Seeing that Cesar was already dressed neatly, Maria, like any caring mother, reminded him, "Apart from celebrating your birthday, this party is also to commemorate your receiving the invitation letter from Hogwarts. Your father and I have invited many important guests, so remember to behave properly."
"Of course," Cesar responded, displaying a well-behaved demeanor. Seeing this, Maria felt reassured and continued with her instructions. In her eyes, her son excelled in everything. He was already as mature as a young adult, and she had no reason to worry.
Noon approached, and the guests invited by the Marcel family started to arrive one by one.
Maria's reminder was not unfounded. This birthday party showcased the great influence of the Marcel family as noble pure-bloods, with each guest holding a distinguished identity.
It's important to note that nobles must have pure blood, but having pure blood doesn't necessarily make one a noble. In the wizarding world today, the top pure-blood families still wield significant power, just as they did in ancient times. Among the guests were five officials from the Ministry of Magic, and they were not insignificant figures. Even the current Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, graced the occasion in person.
"Happy birthday, young man," Fudge greeted as he entered the door, giving Cesar a nod. However, Cesar wasn't particularly interested in exchanging pleasantries with the Minister. He replied casually, "Thank you, Minister Fudge. Is your congratulatory message limited to mere words?"
Fudge was taken aback. He didn't expect the young boy before him to be so straightforward about wanting a gift. Fortunately, he hadn't come empty-handed.
"At such a young age, it wouldn't be inappropriate for me to give you any dangerous magical items. I don't want to be held accountable later on. However, since you'll be attending Hogwarts this year, I carefully considered the best gift for you."
With that, Fudge gestured to Lugo Bagman, the Director of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, who was standing behind him. Bagman grinned and handed a long package to Cesar.
"What's this?" Cesar asked, almost guessing what the gift was.
Bagman replied with a smile, "This is a little something from the Minister and me. It's the latest product from Nimbus Company, the Nimbus 2000 broomstick. We hope you'll like it."
"Wow!" Cesar exclaimed, impressed. This was indeed the most suitable gift. He had always been curious about flying broomsticks. Would it be as thrilling as it seemed?
Maria, who had been concerned about the potential dangers, could no longer prevent him from trying it out now that he had his own broomstick.
Cesar greeted Fudge briefly before excusing himself and moving on. Fudge didn't pay much attention to Cesar's departure, not because he didn't care, but because he didn't consider it significant. He was present at the party primarily because of Alexander's influence.
Alexander smiled warmly as he stood up to engage in a cordial conversation with Fudge. Meanwhile, Cesar welcomed his friends who had arrived.
"Brother Cesar, happy birthday!" a cheerful, childish voice exclaimed.
As the voice reached his ears, Cesar felt a small figure with smooth black hair flying into his arms. He couldn't help but find it endearing. "Thank you, Astoria," he replied, affectionately ruffling her hair.
Astoria looked up at Cesar with her watery eyes, noticing the height difference between them. "Brother Cesar, I heard from my father that you're going to study at Hogwarts this year. Does that mean you won't be coming back?"
Astoria's voice held a hint of sadness, causing Cesar to sigh inwardly. He knew how sensitive children could be. "Don't worry, Astoria. I'll be back during vacations. You'll have to wait until next year when you can join me at Hogwarts too."
"Really?" Astoria's face immediately brightened. "Then I'll go to Slytherin! My dad says Slytherin is the best house!"
Cesar smiled, understanding her enthusiasm. "Of course you can, Astoria. If even the daughter of the ancient and noble Greengrass family can't enter Slytherin, then no one in this world can."
Draco Malfoy, the blond and gray-eyed boy, interjected with a frivolous voice. Cesar didn't even have to turn around to recognize him. The Malfoy family's narcissistic reputation was hard to miss. Cesar couldn't help feeling a tinge of embarrassment at their audacity.
Astoria made a face at Draco upon hearing his words and sought refuge behind Cesar. Draco attempted to maintain a serious demeanor, representing the Malfoy family. "On behalf of the Malfoy family, I extend my greetings. For the sake of the Marcel family's honor, I suggest you refrain from associating with little girls like Astoria in the future."
(Astoria, who would eventually be your wife, shouldn't be treated so disrespectfully. Could it be that the mischievous reputation of the boy in the stories is true?)
Amused by the situation, Cesar responded, "Draco, it's not your place to dictate who I interact with. Or are you feeling restless and looking for more trouble?"
Draco's nervousness became evident as he hastily replied, "I... I warn you not to cause any trouble! My father is here today too!"
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Hope you liked it :).
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