Julian was currently playing fetch with Steve using a joke toy the twins had made. It was a ball that moved away every time you tried to pick it up.
It was genuinely funny to watch. Steve, surprisingly fast for such a small creature, dashed all over the room after the ball, which always stayed just one step ahead of him.
Steve was clever, though. Eventually he managed to pin the ball into a corner. Then he lifted it over his head triumphantly as if he'd just conquered the world.
"Looks like something I'll need to give those two a heads up about," Julian said with a smile, and Helena mirrored it.
"Yes," Helena agreed, sounding entirely serious. "An uncatchable ball that can be caught with a corner is quite flawed."
Steve looked horrified at the conversation.
Julian laughed at the expression. "I promise you can keep the ball, Steve. Relax."
...
He stood and brushed the dust off the back of his robes.
"Come on," Julian said. "I need to talk to McGonagall about something, and maybe you can sweet-talk her into agreeing."
He walked to the workshop door and opened it.
Steve immediately dashed across the room and scrambled up onto Julian's shoulder before Julian could shut the door again. Julian only smirked at the little thief's antics and headed down the corridor toward his Head of House's office.
It was a short walk. The workshop was on the same floor, only a few doors down.
...
Julian knocked and waited.
"You may enter," Professor McGonagall said from inside.
Julian opened the door and stepped in.
The elderly witch smiled warmly when she saw him. "Mr. Iron." She paused, then her expression shifted into apology. "Apologies. Ravenclaw. It is still difficult to keep track, I'm afraid."
Julian chuckled. "Believe me, I'm aware. It's my own name."
Her smile widened slightly. "Indeed. But I imagine that is not the reason you are here?"
...
"No," Julian said. "It isn't. You're aware of the newest spell from the rumors, correct?"
"I'm not one for gossip," McGonagall replied, "but yes, I'm aware of the rumors saying you've learned the shield charm. I take it they're true?"
Julian lifted his wand. "PROTEGO!"
A thin blue barrier appeared at the tip. It wasn't impressive, but it was stable.
He cut the flow of magic and the barrier vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
"Rather weak for a shield charm," McGonagall said, her eyes sharp, "but you clearly have the basics. Well done. Twenty points to Gryffindor for your efforts."
Julian shook his head. He didn't care about the points, and McGonagall noted that fact mentally.
"I take it you're familiar with my craftsmanship as well?" Julian asked.
...
"Indeed," McGonagall said, pride in her tone. "Filius and Rubeus speak nothing but praise for the pieces they've seen. And even though he doesn't speak of it, Severus is clearly fond of the ring you crafted for him."
Julian nodded once. "Yes. Well, I was hoping to get it authorized to sell mass-produced rings with a single-use shield enchantment on them. Much stronger than what I can conjure myself, of course."
He didn't bother dancing around the subject. He simply tore off the bandage and put it in the open, because he didn't have the patience to circle it for an hour.
...
McGonagall frowned, partly for the reason Julian had predicted she might disapprove, but also because something about it didn't add up.
"I do not claim to be a professional in enchantment as Filius is," she said sternly, "but I am aware that all enchantments require the enchanter to be able to perform the spells at the same strength as the enchantment itself."
Julian met her gaze without flinching, and smiled. "If I enchanted things in the normal fashion, you would be correct. However, I do not."
McGonagall's eyes narrowed, intrigued despite herself. "Is that so? How, pray tell, is what you do different?"
...
"You see," Julian said calmly, "unlike normal enchanting methods, my method is only limited by two factors: energy and knowledge. As long as I have enough of both, I can create enchantments far beyond what I can cast through ordinary spellwork."
He held up his hand, showing the ring again. "For example, this ring, Greed. It has properties similar to a boggart, yet I'm unable to transform freely, and I can't detect other people's deepest fears."
He'd shown it off more times than he could count by now, but it made his point.