3 First Steps and Big Decisions

First Steps and Big Decisions

"Nico, come quickly, look! Little Stepy is taking his first steps!" a woman shouted to her husband from the backyard as she watched a nearly one-year-old baby slowly rise from the blanket on the ground. Around him, a small house-elf spun anxiously, worried that the child might hurt himself.

"Haha, it's okay, Misty. Little Stepy won't get hurt; the blanket is enchanted. Don't worry so much," Perenelle said to the house-elf, Misty.

This elf had been a gift from her friend Newt, who rescued her after his children encountered dark wizards trying to smuggle magical animals. Misty had been trapped in one of the cages. Fortunately, the Flamels needed a house-elf, and the Scamanders, unsure of what to do with her, were happy to help. Without a wizard to serve, elves fall into a deep depression, often leading to their death.

"Ugaaaa (This is easy. Who do they think I am? I'm a super-genius baby—though I'm actually more than that—and I can do anything!)," Stephen thought.

Although not entirely happy, he realized that even though he had been an adult when he died, his childlike mentality had taken over. So, while he had the memories of two adults, his mind was now that of a child. He accepted this after two weeks in this new world when he noticed that his memories felt disconnected from his body, more like two long movies he had watched rather than something he had experienced personally.

This time was different from when he was reincarnated as Stephen Strange for the first time. Maybe it was a blessing, as he could now enjoy his childhood. And yes, he still carried his old name—Stephen Flamel. The Flamels had chosen the name Stephen when they adopted him. Although it felt strange to have his former name, at least his last name had changed—something he was grateful for, as he had never liked his previous surname.

"Jojo, little Stephen is growing so fast. Maybe it's time to get him some little friends to play with," Flamel said as he approached with a plate of cookies.

"Uh, Master, uh, let Misty handle it," the timid little elf hesitated as she approached Flamel, reluctant to leave the child, who stood proudly in the same spot for ten minutes.

"Relax, Misty. Stay with little Stephen. I'll take care of this. I've already told you that you can relax a little; don't be so nervous," Flamel said, smiling at the elf while pointing at the baby, who had fallen on his bottom for the third time.

"Gya, Master Stephen, forgive my carelessness. Bad Misty, bad!" The little elf, upon seeing Stephen fall, began to cry as she smacked her own hands.

"No, uga no (Stop! Stop hitting yourself, it didn't hurt me!)," Stephen thought, frustrated.

"It's okay, Misty. Little Stepy doesn't want you to hurt yourself. We've already told you, don't worry," Perenelle reassured her. "Come, have some tea and calm down. We don't want the little one to get angry again like last time," she added, recalling the time Stephen got so upset when his favorite toy broke that he accidentally activated some of Nicolas Flamel's magical tools.

"Yes, jojo, what a great magical awakening for just a one-year-old. I can't imagine what he'll be like when he grows up," Nicolas Flamel said proudly, despite the fact that the ruined tools had been worth a fortune to an average wizard.

"Yes, but I'm a bit worried. Maybe we should put a magical suppressor on him while he's still a child. I don't want him to hurt himself. Can you make one, Nico? Something that doesn't stop his magic but prevents him from using it unintentionally?" Perenelle, concerned for the little one's safety, expressed her worries to Nicolas.

"Alright, it's easy, don't worry, I'll take care of it," Nicolas Flamel said as he gently patted the boy's head. Stephen had just taken two steps and was clutching his pants—just before a cracking sound came from his knee.

--- Two Years Later ---

"Happy birthday, Stepy! Look, your grandmother brought your favorite cake so you can enjoy it with your friends," Perenelle said as she entered the dining room, surrounded by children between the ages of two and four.

In the main seat, sitting like a little prince, with bright sky-blue eyes full of intelligence and silky blond hair, dressed in a small blue suit that matched his eyes, was little Stephen Flamel. Today, he was turning three years old.

The children around him were friends he had made when his grandmother decided to take him to a magical daycare where French wizards sent their young children. Among them were even some future Beauxbatons students who quickly got along with Stephen.

"Stepy, Stepy! Hurry, blow out the candles and make a wish!" exclaimed a little blonde girl who radiated a soft glow of beauty. Even at that young age, everyone could tell that she would grow up to be stunning. However, since she was still small, she wasn't yet enchanting others, which allowed her to make friends easily. She was Fleur Delacour.

"Alright, Flopy, calm down, the cake won't fly away... or maybe it will. That would be a fun way to surprise someone," Stephen said, looking at the cake with a mischievous smile. Some of his friends rolled their eyes, while others looked at him in worry, fearing they might be his next victims.

From the first day he met his classmates, Stephen had proven to be an expert prankster. His specialty was surprising people, whether in a good or bad way. Of course, he always made sure no one got hurt and that everyone laughed afterward, which quickly made him everyone's favorite.

"Stephen, stop thinking nonsense and just blow out the candles already. I want cake," said a chubby four-year-old boy. His name was Samuel Waterson, one of Stephen's first friends.

"Yeah, Step, hurry up, I want to go play. Isn't that right, Ricky?" said a three-year-old girl who, if not for her long hair tied in a bow, could easily be mistaken for a boy. She was even wilder than most boys. Her name was Isabel Lines.

"Um, y-yeah, s-sure," replied a short boy with glasses timidly. Although he seemed shy, he was actually the bravest of the group, being the first to stand up to a classmate who had tried to imitate Stephen and brought fireworks to the daycare. Protecting his friends, he was Richard Walter.

The day went on with the children running everywhere, while occasionally, a small elf dressed as a maid worriedly tried to prevent them from getting hurt, until it was time to say goodbye.

"Bye, Stepy! Come to my house to play later," said little Fleur as she held her father's hand.

"Bye, Step! Bye, Mr. and Mrs. Flamel," Isabel said as her mother scolded her for being covered in cake.

"G-goodbye, Stephen, I had fun. Thanks for inviting me," said little Ricky softly as a house-elf came to pick him up.

"Bye, buddy. The cake was awesome. Next time, I'll bring one from my mom's shop," Samuel said, while his mother wiped the food stains from his clothes.

"Phew, today was exhausting. But I had fun, hehe. Time to measure my magic level. Hopefully, I should already have the same magic as a first-year student," Stephen thought as he removed the bracelet his grandparents had given him when he was a year old to prevent his magic from going out of control.

"Yeah, awesome. Looks like by the time I turn eleven and go to school, I'll have more magic than even many fifth- or sixth-years, hehe," the blond boy smiled as he rolled on his bed.

"Now the question is whether I should go to Beauxbatons or Hogwarts..."

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