Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 7¨C Needs Must.
I open my eyes blearily, unaware of my surroundings and ignorant of where I am or what I am doing? Finally, my eyes are open, but I still can''t see correctly. My eyes are too blurry, so I try to move my hands towards my eyes so that I can rub them awake, but I can''t. I try again, but my hands can''t be moved from my sides. In fact, they seem to be restrained by something that is wrapped around them-
Panicking, I start to shake and wiggle my arms, trying to free them, but I find no reprieve, and the more time I spend trying, the more I realise my situation. I am restrained to a chair and tied to it with ropes obviously cast with an Incarcerous. I try my best to break free with frantic urgency, but I can''t break free no matter what.
Finding n purchase with my restraints, I look up to try and find some other means of escape. But instead of taking in my surroundings, my sight is drawn to the insufferable man standing a distance away from me, facing away from me, seemingly in deep thought, ignoring me like he always does.
"You bastard, what do you think you are doing? Release me this instance, now!" I can''t help but shout when I see him. my anger bursts out with a fury, and I can''t control myself when I see this buffoon galivanting and prancing around with whimsy.
"Hm, oh, you. Just go back to sleep. I can''t deal with you right now." He turns around and says when he notices that I am awake, this bastard is once again ignoring me and telling me to go to- wait, wha-
"Stupefy"
I lower my wand, having cast a Stupefy at the now unconscious form of Digby. D. Digworth, who I had tied to a chair which was coincidentally my only other one, having smashed my other chair when I freed myself.
We are currently in one of my spare rooms, and by that, I mean a room that is fully furnished with Gilderoy Lockhart paraphernalia and portraits. Literally, the walls are fully covered in paintings of me, like some weird collage shrine thing, and you can''t even see the wall at all. I don''t even know what colour it is.
I picked this room because it was the least with objects, and the fact that he hates me, and I thought it would be fitting for him to be surrounded by moving images of myself. I also didn''t want Digby to break out like I did by using his surroundings, so I moved out the few things inside using the levitation spell Wingardium Leviosa.
However, I didn''t have time to marvel at my use of magic, still shaken up by what had just happened to me earlier. The fact that this bastard had just waltzed into my house, that this fucking nobody had come through my front door and tied me to my own chair, it infuriates me, but more than that, it scares me.
This man wasn''t part of the original seven stories. He was not even mentioned in any part of the seven Harry Potter stories, movies or whatever the hell else was made for this franchise. He was on the same level as one of the nameless wizards that shake Harry Potter''s hands in The Leaky Cauldron or one of the countless wizards that roam around the Ministry floor, minor side characters that are so useless that they aren''t even named, inconsequential.
And yet here is someone, one of the nameless wizards that have never been mentioned, that just assaulted and captured me inside my own home. Digby. D. Digworth is a pudgy little man short in stature and broad in width. If you saw him in the street, you would ignore him, and he is ultimately someone who would be beneath your notice, yet he has done this to me. So this begs the question if this snake in the grass could reduce me to this state, then what other wizards are out there that could do even worse to me?
People out there that are worse than Digby, like the Death Eaters, of which he was a part or even wizards from other countries that have yet to be affected by Dumbledore''s lighthearted views. Not to mention Voldemort himself, who is hundreds of times more terrifying than Digby and a thousand times more powerful.
But then I remember, I have to put it all into perspective. I have to remember that Digby. D. Digworth was not just an ordinary wizard. He was not on the same level as those wizards mentioned in passing. I might see Digworth as a standard everyday wizard, but that is just because I have countless memories of where he worked under me, as my lackey, doing any work for me that I did not want to do. So to me, he was just a regular working wizard.
But he wasn''t because that was just his disguise as he tried to acclimate to this world while awaiting the return of his Dark Lord. Instead, Digby was a Death Eater, and not just any Death Eater, but from what he told me while I was tied to the chair, Digby was the Dark Lord''s primary torturer, and he tortured countless people during his duration of that occupation, and he was extremely good at it.
The only reason he did not use his vast expanse of skills when it came to him torturing me was that he had a specific plan to take everything I owned after my death. Meaning that there could be no signs of foul play, which was fortunate for me as I didn''t have to experience that extreme torture, and I was able to free myself from his clutches. However, that was his mistake because now he is the one in the chair, and I will not be so forgiving, especially after what he put me through and what he could have put me through.
I look towards him apathetically, not feeling anything for him, and that is only because I am implementing my Occlumency to repress my immense rage and anger towards him. After all, if I didn''t, I would have already begun wailing on him, and I would have most likely killed him, but I have better plans for him.
Then, turning around, I leave the room and lock it behind me. No need to use magic on it because Digby is tied to a chair in the middle of an empty room with only my face to accompany him. Even if he wakes up, there won''t be much he can do. He can just preoccupy himself with my image. I don''t care, as I have better things to do before dealing with him.
Standing outside the room, I take a deep breath to calm myself and reorder my thoughts and realign my goals, and then I move towards my living room, taking a seat on my white sofa and focusing deep within and entering my mind, determined to finish what I was doing before the fat tub of lard intruded upon my home. I am going to sort out my mind and properly order everything within and hide that which needs to be hidden and bolden that which should be pushed out for people to see.
And this time, I am not going to half-ass it and make my mindscape composed of the work of others. How can I make the literal form of my mind conform to the creation of another person? It is purely idiotic, and I don''t know what I was thinking. To make the manifestation of my mind be the map of some dumb game I played in my last world, I could not possibly trust that. I can only trust what I myself have made, and so I don''t care if it takes me years. I will be making every little part of my mindscape down to the smallest atom with the greatest of care.
Now in my mindscape, currently a black void surrounded by bright orbs of light, each signifying one of my memories, I start to concentrate on my first step to creating the ultimate mindscape. Concentrating immensely, I begin to picture exactly what I would like to make and, focusing solely on that, and that alone, I begin to form my creation.
I look down at my newly formed creation, a brick, just a standard brick, but when I developed it, I was thinking about the appearance of a brick, but I imagined it having an unbreakable property, and I can tell that it had some effect when I look at the brick. So again, I concentrate on making a brick, but this time I do it a different way, and once that is formed, I do it again with another method and so o and so forth until I have run out of all ideas on how to create anymore.
Expecting them all closely, I see no faults with it, but I put it to the side for a moment and concentrate on actually making the base of my mindscape. The brick was just a test to see how I could begin to form things and which method was the best. I come to that conclusion by making quite a few copies of those breaks and then smashing them together at intense speed and seeing which one survives, kind of like a tournament, and in the end, my first method comes out on top, forming something while thinking what you want it to be like.
Using that method, I turned my sights to something bigger than just small bricks, and I concentrated on something so much bigger and so much more detailed. It takes me a while, but I am proud of the results, A green meadow full of hills and valleys, with flowers everywhere and even a big lake as well as a bright blue sky with a few fluffy clouds up there though I haven''t got around to forming the sun yet.
I jump down into the lake and sink right down to the bottom, but I have no problems breathing, and I am not even wet, and that is because this is my mindscape, and it abides by my rules. Other people would have such problems but not me. So now, at the bottom of the lake, I chose a section of the rocky terrain of the seabed and began to burrow into it, forming a cave inside and burrowing deep into the earth. When I am far enough, I create a doorway, and through that doorway, I start to make a Library.
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I make a grand library and fill it with books of fiction from my past life. Then, I just take all my memories to do with watching, binging and reading fiction and entertainment and turn them into books which I place on all of the shelves. There are actually too many that I even have to expand the library further just to fit them. Still, I make sure to not put any Harry Potter related ones in, and I make sure to turn all the technology-related words in the books into the word magic, just in case.
With that done, I create a secret bookshelf at the back, leading to another room where I store my Gilderoy Lockhart memories. The ones that are just general and not really worth anything, I keep them in the form of glass balls like the ones in the department of mysteries, and I store them on various shelves in the room, creating multiple rows. With that done, I make another secret room accessed by pulling one of the shelves on the wall, which removes the back wall.
In that next room, I store Gilderoy''s more secret memories and things he generally doesn''t want people to know, embarrassing stuff really and nothing of any actual consequence. Still, they are things Gilderoy would not want to get out, as they would ruin his image in the public''s view. Of course, I do not include his mastery of obliviation or his obliviating and stealing his stories. After all, this library is supposed to be a decoy for anyone who manages to make it this far inside my mindscape.
But if someone manages to make it this far, someone like Dumbledore, who is probably aware or suspects that Gilderoy Lockhart stole the memories of other wizards for his books, then it would obviously be suspicious that those memories are not included in this. And so, I take it a step further and create another secret room, but this time I do it underneath this one, and you have to physically push a giant marble statue of myself that I put in the middle of the room. But, again, it just felt like this would sell the story more.
This time though, I make sure that the room is pitch black. When I place the memories on the shelves throughout the room, I intersperse them with various memories from the previous rooms, making sure the order is as random as possible. This room is purely for the people that already know about these memories and are looking for them, so basically, Dumbledore, as I know from the books that he is friends with one of the wizards Gilderoy stole a story from, so if he knows and comes looking he will find this and not look any deeper.
I don''t want any of this stuff to be found out, but if someone as powerful as Dumbledore comes to find them, then I don''t know if I would be able to stave him off, and I don''t want someone with that kind of power running around with the knowledge from my past life and the seven books of Harry Potter.
This is my last decoy to stop people from finding my previous life''s memories, and if the memories in this room are located, then it is not the end of the world. I have magic now, which means I can do anything, so I can figure out how to create a new identity and change my appearance. It is not as if they have any sort of ID in the magical world or a magical signature or something. I could easily create a new life for myself if needed, but I will try sticking it out with this one for now. After all, I am in a position of power due to my fame, and it would be a shame to give it all up.
With that done, I spent some more time adding the finishing touches to this underground library and neatening it up, making sure that it was detailed enough because when I did my brick test, I discovered that the more complicated the brick was, the more solid it was. So, therefore, I will spend as much time as possible detailing my mindscape to the utmost degree, every day working on it to perfect it and never stopping. Even when I think it is finished, I will continue to add to it.
This whole process did not happen in an instant. It actually took full days. I spent a lot of time just testing the bricks and finding the best one before starting on my mindscape. It is very tiresome work that really taxes the mind. I didn''t even check on my captive.
I was so tired from my work, and honestly, I didn''t really care about him. I could dimly hear his shouts from where I was working on my mindscape, but I ignored him. I could think about feeding him and his hygiene later. Right now, I have to focus on myself and forging my mind.
The first thing I have to do now is to hide the library and make it even harder to find, which means my first order of business is working on the caves under the lake as well as the lake itself. Starting with the caves, I want to make an absolute maze that makes it nearly impossible to get through to the library. To do that, I just give myself the power of flight and start to zoom all over the underground, burrowing through the rocks and making dozens of different paths and entrances.
It didn''t take as long as I would''ve thought to finish as I made an extensive maze of caves and paths with only one passageway leading to the library, I''m sure there is more that I can do to protect it even more, but this will be sufficient for now, I have to work on other stuff as well.
So now, to work on the outside and improve the appearance, and so I start to alter the terrain, spreading sand along the seafloor and adding corals, reeds, seagrass and a variety of other things to really make it feel like a seabed, and I use these things to cover up the entrances to the maze.
Down with the lake, for now, having at the very least disguised the entrances to the maze somewhat, I turn my gaze towards the sky. I can add more detail later. But, looking up at the clear blue sky and the fluffy white clouds, I can clearly see that there is something undeniably missing: the sun, which is what I am going to create next.
I start by imagining a small glass sphere high up in the sky, which holds a space of around 50 square metres. I make sure to concentrate to the very best of my ability, focusing my all on this creation and imagining the object as the strongest thing to ever exist and thinking of the super dragon balls from Dragon Ball while creating it. My brain begins to ache. Still, I carry on non the less, pushing through to make the most critical thing in my mindscape.
With a mental pop, I let myself go and begin to relax, letting all the tension leave me as I finish making my creation, and when I look up at the sky, I can see an orange crystal ball floating there. Moving closer, I inspect it on the outside and make my best brick and fling it at the ball, only for it to bounce off. Then, concentrating my mind, I create dozens upon dozens of bricks and begin to rapid-fire them at the ball like a machine gun, only for them all to bounce off.
Satisfied, I get rid of the bricks and then teleport inside the crystal ball. Inspecting it from the inside, I can tell it is just as good as on the outside and proceed to the next step of my creation. Concentrating, I form a block of steel inside the crystal ball, and then I concentrate on making an identical steel block right next to it. Getting close to one of them, I put my finger inside it and dug into it, making a groove. Looking towards the other steel block, I can see the same groove in it as well.
Grabbing that steel block, I teleport down to the ground with it, leave it there and then go back up inside the crystal and make another groove on the steel block. Teleporting back down, I see the exact same groove in this steel block, meaning distance is not an issue.
Then I concentrate and begin to form the sun, thinking of the hottest thing in existence as well as Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto. The Captain Commander of the Gotei 13 in Bleach, whose power of flame was so great he could devastate all life, again I feel the same pain, but I just push through it.
Again the strain suddenly releases, and I begin to feel a deep heat on my skin. It is warm and hot but not to the point of being uncomfortable. Looking up, I can see a small sun in the sky, lording above my mindscape. It is a beautiful vibrant yellow that illuminates all of my lands. Quickly looking to the side at the steel block, I can see that it is just the same as it was before, completely unaffected.
Happy with the results, I teleport up into the orange crystal ball at the centre of the sun I just created. Once inside, when I look out, I can see nothing but the scorching flames surrounding the crystal ball. Seeing the unharmed steel block, I vanish it from existence as it had served its purpose. While I did create the crystal ball with the intention for the things outside not to affect the inside, I couldn''t trust that it would work, which is why I tested it with the steel blocks.
Now with my secret space inside the sun itself, I release all of my most precious memories, the memories from my past life, to float around the inside of the orange crystal ball as orbs of white light. There is no reason to disguise them as glass balls like the other ones. after all, nobody is going to think to search the inside of the sun.
Satisfied with my work for the day I leave my mindscape, I have taken care of all the urgent problems and fulfilled all the immediate needs. I can take time later to further refine my mindscape. After all, I have done all I can, and all that''s needed now is time to further improve it.
Well then, I suppose it is time I check up on Digby. D. Digworth. after all, it has been over two days since I left him in that room. Hmm, the last time I thought about him, I felt unquenchable rage bathed in the fury of a thousand waves, but now I just feel very, very justifiably angry at him and vengeful. I guess working on your mindscape and creating things can be very therapeutic. Who knew.
Standing up, I make my way over to the room where he is held captive, and I open the door.
"AGGGGHH, YOU BASTARD! I WILL KILL YO-" I slam the door shut when I catch sight of Digby raving around like a lunatic, foaming at the mouth like he has rabies. With the short glance I got at him before I relieved my eyes from the horrific sight, I saw slobber covering the upper half of his body and then a whole host of other stains covering the different parts of his body. Yellow stains, brown stains, orange stains and even green stains, I could not deal with any of that stuff right now, and I am not entering the room with him like that.
Making a U-turn, I head towards my library to look through the Hogwarts books. I know a variety of cleaning charms and spells, but those were primarily appearance-based. Still, even if those charms worked on him, I would never be able to be in that room without thinking of that sight.
So I am going to the library to learn the vanishing spell, Evanesco. It is a transfiguration spell which transfigures the target into nothingness. That is what I need. So instead of just cleaning that stuff, it needs to be destroyed.
Heading into my library, I begin to pilfer through all the textbooks in search of this essential spell, and it takes me quite a while to skim through all of the transfiguration books, going up incrementally by year in order, but eventually, I get to the fifth year textbooks and discover the spell. I know that this is a transfiguration spell, and Gilderoy was never any good at transfigurations, so I have hardly any knowledge about it, but I am willing to learn it. I will not enter that room again without it.
And once I have learned it and cleaned Digby up, and then I can get to the real reason I kept him around. To start learning more about magic, I will need a guinea pig, and Digby just so happened to turn up, and well, needs must.
Chapter 8- R&D.
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Chapter 8¨C R&D.
Finally, I have done it. I have learnt the vanishing spell, which is the key to me understanding all sorts of more intricate magic because I am not going near that man with a ten-foot pole until he is all cleaned up, and he is going to be my test dummy for the foreseeable future.
I brandish my wand at one of the countless fiction novels that past Gilderoy had filled his library with, and the books that have now come in quite handy as I have been using them for target practice.
Pointing my wand towards the book, I focus intently on the object I want to vanish, to completely disappear and turn into nothingness, and then I begin the wand movement.
First, I bring my wand down and then to the right, and then down and to the left and then down and to the right. Each time the length of my draw gets bigger, the movement is basically a squiggle that gets longer after each turn.
"Evanesco." I intone, making sure to pronounce it ev-an-ES-ko, which is critical. My other attempts where I did not say it correctly either ended up doing nothing or mutating the object into some weird new thing which just looked wrong. There is no bright light as is usual with most spells, not even a sound. The book is just there for one second, and then it is gone. Vanished.
I move with purpose to my next target. I see no reason to delay any longer with everything prepared. So, leaving the library, I move to my- to my dungeon? No, it is not a dungeon, but what else do you call a room where you hold people captive, where you keep prisoners? It is not a prison either, or at least I don''t want to call it that.
I guess I will henceforth refer to it as the guest room where my guest stays. It seems much more elegant and neat that way. If I ever do mention it in passing when I am finally out of this house, then I can pass it off as just a regular guest and not the balding middle-aged fat man I keep locked in the spare room.
Opening the door, I am treated to the sight of Digby. D. Digworth sleeping, which was not what I expected. I totally expected to see him sitting there ranting and raving, cursing me to hell and back and barraging me with threats of all kinds about when he is finally free.
Hell, I even slightly expected him to be sat there weeping, and when he caught sight of me, he would start begging for forgiveness and for me to spare him his life, snotting all over the place and promising to be different from then on, that he would forget about this and never even think of it again.
Yet here, this toad of a man sits, slumbering away, snoring without a care in the world, completely covered in his own filth, bloody disgusting. He has not eaten or drunk anything for the past few days, he has been entirely trapped on that chair at the behest of someone that he had just tried to murder, and Digby has the luxury of sleeping when he should be worrying for his life like I feared for my life, it pisses me off.
Not bothering about his sleeping state, I am more bothered about the litany of stains colouring his entire being, the yellow, the brown, the green and the white, which I am not even going to question, probably just slobber and drool. Whatever all that stuff is, all that matters is that I get rid of it as soon as possible. Otherwise, I don''t think I will be able to stay in this room any longer. Even standing in the doorway, I feel sick.
I raise my wand, which I have been getting more and more familiar with since I woke up, and I point it in the direction of the sleeping oaf in my house. I realise at this moment that this is the furthest I have ever been from my target. When I was practising in the library, I was right next to the desk I was placing the novels on, so I was casting the vanishing spell at point-blank range, which I am not doing now.
Digby. D. Digworth is a couple meters away from me, strapped to a chair in the middle of the room while I am standing in the doorway of that room, I have never cast the spell from this far away, and I don''t know if it will be effective at this range. Of course, this could be easily solved by simply moving closer to the man and then casting the spell, but that would require me to move closer to the man before casting the spell.
To put it simply, the man smells horrible, even from where I am standing, and he looks disgusting as well. If there is one thing that I don''t like, it is getting unbearably dirty or going near awful things. Of course, I am okay with getting my hands dirty. But, still, I do not want to go swimming in a pit of slugs or go near a mountain of dead bodies, and I think that is reasonable.
So why the hell am I going to do something that I don''t want to do for this sack of shit in front of me, the same pug-faced bastard that tried to murder me? When I have to go wading into the filth, then I am going to make sure that I am either doing it for myself or someone I care about, and I don''t have anyone like that at the moment.
So if I end up vanishing this guy from existence, then so be it. As far as I can see, that would be much better than me going near his disgusting body and violating my own virtue.
But I also do need this guy as a test dummy. Otherwise, I am going to have to wait until I come across the next asshole that crosses me, and while I don''t mind doing that, I would still like to have a test dummy now rather than later, which means I have to focus on this spell. So, with my wand still pointing at the grotesque sight in front of me, I begin to focus and visualise what I want to happen when I cast the spell.
I want all of the stains on Digby. D. Digworth to be cleaned. I want them all to vanish. I want all of the filth on his person to be extinguished from existence. I wish for all of the disgustingness in this room to disappear. I want all of the stains, all of the dirt, and all of the filth to evaporate into nothingness. I want it all, all of it, to be gone.
"Evanesco." I didn''t even realise it, but I had closed my eyes when I was trying to visualise what I wanted to happen in reality, so I opened them wide. I immediately turned around, wishing to Merlin that my eyes did not work. I desperately want to go and find a bottle of bleach to wash my eyes even if I damage them in the process, but then I realise that bleach is a muggle product, and I have none at hand right now. I want to cut my eyes out.
"Hm, ah, what- AH, WHY THE HELL AM I- YOU, YOU BASTARD! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" Digby awakes and screams bloody murder when the effects of my spell are made known, or rather the outcome of my magic is what had awoken him from his deep sleep.
I refuse to turn around and look at the man once more. I know that I will have to do so at some point, but I want to delay it as long as possible to spare my eyes from the torture.
"Shut up, you idiot. Just shut up!" I say, not wanting to hear the man''s pathetic screeches as well. I could have dealt with the sight itself, but it was the suddenness and unexpectedness that startled me and gave me some trauma. Plus, it was a pretty horrific sight.
"WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS? JUST WHY- Oh no, no, no, no, no, no. Please don''t do it, I beg you, please don''t." Digby starts to quiver, I can hear it in his voice, and he suddenly changes his tune and starts to beg me for some reason, utterly different from the cursing he was doing a second ago. He is even talking at an average level, though I don''t think that was conscious on his part.
"What the hell are you on about Digworth? Stop talking nonsense, and close your mouth." I say exasperatedly, tired from his mouth flapping and spewing nonsense, though I guess I can understand why he''s doing it. Still, I am trying to come to terms with the sight I had just seen, and he isn''t helping. It was so abrupt and- and- I really don''t know how to describe it. I just never thought I would see such a sight.
"Oh my god, I regret it. I regret everything. I did it to all those women, the pureblooded and even the muggle ones, so that they at least served some purpose, even with some younger ones, but I had never done it to a man, never, and now it is going to be done to me. Is this payback? Are all of those souls cursing me from hell and forcing this fate upon me? No, no, no, please, Merlin, no." Digby begins to hyperventilate and mutter at insane speeds about stupid things, about women and children, both magical and muggle, and doing something to them, and now he is being punished for it. What has he done, and what does he think I am about to do to him?
"What are you going on about, man? Get a hold of yourself. I know you are trapped in that room against your will, but be a man and deal with it. You brought this upon yourself. And what did you do to those people that you think I am about to do to you?" So I honestly went over what he had said, and as I just asked him, I came up with some ideas, one in particular. But surely it can''t be that he mentioned children after all, and you wouldn''t do that to a child, would you?
"I-It''s obvious what you are planning, you, YOU UNDRESSED ME AFTER ALL! YOU, YOU ARE GOING TO SODOMISE ME! YOU TRULY DO NOT DESERVE THE MAGICAL BLOOD THAT RUNS THROUGH YOUR VEINS! TO COMMIT SUCH A DESPICABLE ACT, TO DO SUCH A THING TO ANOTHER MAN, YOU ARE A STAIN ON YOUR WHORE MOTHER''S RECORD! DO NOT THINK YOU CAN DO THIS TO ME. I WILL GET OUT OF HERE AND KILL YOU, LOCKHART. I WIL-" I slam the door shut behind me, shocked and disgusted with what I had just heard.
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My vanishing spell had turned out to be too powerful. I had either put too much magic into the spell, or I had visualised the result too hard or visualised something else. Either way, my magic not only got rid of the man''s stains but also wholly removed all the things on him, including his clothes, leaving him naked on the chair.
Thankfully the rope and the chair did not disappear as well, and he remains strapped to it. So I guess I just visualised all of the filth in the room disappearing, and I did not count my own creations and chair as filth. Surprisingly, I also did not count Digby. D. Digworth as filth.
However, with the new knowledge I have just discovered, I now know that this putrid man was the filthiest thing in the room. I wish I had placed even more power into my spell and extinguished this horrid being from existence. But what''s done is done, and I now have no reservations in how far I am willing to take my experimentations of magic on this creature. I am sure that his future existence will be much more deserved than simply being vanished out of existence. His victims will definitely enjoy him living under my direction more than him merely dying.
I am not a saint, not by any means, but I would not do what this man did. I know I am still just a sixteen-year-old, in mind, not body, and I have not lived enough, but I have the memories of Gilderoy Lockhart, and while I have partitioned them from my mind, they are still a part of me.
Gilderoy had never blackmailed or forced himself upon someone else. He lied, yes, he tricked, he seduced, and he manipulated, but he never forced, which means I did all of those things as well because I am Gilderoy Lockhart.
Alright, never mind all that. It is time to make a checklist. Number one is to figure out a way to clothe the naked bastard in the room behind me. Number two is to start feeding and giving the toad some water so that he can live longer, and I can experiment on him even more, which I will do after number one. I''m sure he can survive a few more days. It might hurt him, but it is a sacrifice I am willing to make.
I don''t really want to take the time to feed him or give him sustenance. Just thinking about it makes me feel disgusting, which is why I will leave thinking about that till after I deal with clothing the man, which is a problem in and of itself. I, again, could do this quite simply by going closer to him and doing the job myself, but I don''t want to, and I certainly don''t want to dress this man with my own hands. So when in doubt, deal with it with magic.
Going to my library, I began searching for a suitable spell to help me in my endeavour. Unfortunately, at this point, it seems like I will never get around to practising the magic in the black book.
Well, I have gone through my entire library, not counting all of those stupid novels that really have no place being in a magical library, and I have yet to find spells that will help me with my number one issue. The one aspect that I need to be a part of this spell is applying it from a distance. I then need to conjure an assortment of clothes which will then move to dress the target, which means this spell needs both transfiguration and charm work.
Right now, the closest spell I have that fits those parameters is the Incarcerous spell which conjured a rope out of thin air which then moves to wrap around the target, similar to what I want, except I need clothes to be invoked, and they need to dress the target, not wrap around them.
Now, I could leave the house and go to a bookstore and possibly find the spell I need. But I really can''t think why there would have been a need for this spell to be created in the past. Maybe if they had a captive like I do, but then again, they probably didn''t care about how they were dressed, what with them being prisoners. So do I risk leaving my abode to search for a book that probably doesn''t exist and chance running into people I am not prepared to meet, like Digby?
I would much rather stay here and try my hand at spell creation and make the spell myself than go out there and risk myself before I am ready. I need to know all of the magic taught in the Hogwarts textbooks and be skilled at them before I can do so. And it isn''t like I am going to be creating a new spell. As far as I can see, all I need to do is create a variation of the Incarcerous spell or, at the very least, use that spell as a base and build up off of it, which shouldn''t be too hard.
I know the Incarcerous spell reasonably well. Gilderoy actually spent a lot of effort with this one and learned all that he could about it, not for its offensive capabilities but because it aided him in his other goals. He knew in-depth about this spell and made many variations of it for a straightforward reason, his sex drive. He figured out a way to cast the Incarcerous spell in a few different ways, precisely how the rope wrapped around the target.
He knew the ball tie position, where a person is bound into a ball position with their knees against their shoulders, and the hogtie, where all four limbs are tied behind the back at the wrists and ankles. Next, the wrists and elbows are strapped to the ankles and knees with the crab tie. The shrimp tie where the ankles are tied together to the neck and the hands are tied behind the back.
For the reverse shrimp tie, the ankles are tied together behind the back and attached to the neck. In the rope harness, it is wrapped in a restrictive fashion in a webbed pattern around the body which doesn''t actually bind and is more for applying pressure on specific points.
And then there is, of course, the crotch rope, the frog tie, the box tie, breast bondage, the captive tie for roleplay, shouldering the rifle, reverse prayer and finally, Gilderoy''s favourite one. Strappado, where a person''s arms are bound behind their back, then by use of some attachment method such as a rope or chain that runs from their wrists to a securing point above, their arms are lifted behind them until the person is forced to bend forward and th-
Too much information, way too much information. I did keep all of Gilderoy''s memories and knowledge after all, and, well, he likes some bondage when it comes to his sexy time. He was a bit of a kinky guy. So now I have all sorts of sordid, dirty information knocking around my head, but it is at least helpful, some of it.
Suffice to say, I am quite possibly the most knowledgable wizard about the Incarcerous spell, except perhaps its creator, who is undoubtedly dead by now, having created this spell centuries ago, so I am the foremost authority, I assume.
So that is the base of the spell taken care of, and Gilderoy was advanced enough with the magic to perform a variety of different complicated bondages. So when I transfigure the clothes, I should be able to easily make them dress the target of the spell. In comparison, all those knots and ties were much more complicated.
So now I just need to work on transfiguring the clothes, and when I do so, I need to make sure that they fit the target correctly or at least they are not too small, which should be pretty easy since I already have the knowledge needed.
If there was one aspect of magic that Gilderoy took seriously and applied his all to, it was magic that involved the appearance and image, of which clothing was a part. So, using my plethora of vain magic, I would be able to turn even a bum into a handsome gentleman, within reason, of course.
I can turn a one into a five and a four into a seven, but only for a while, not all magic is permanent, and I am not a miracle worker. So basically, what I am saying is that I know a variety of these kinds of spells.
So, it shouldn''t take me too long to get this down pat and get to the actual learning, that black book.
Oh my god, I could not have been more wrong, it was easy for me to make this spell, and I was making it more complicated than it needed to be. First, I tried multiple ways, from transfiguring the clothes and then sending them onto my test dummy, which required too much fine control. It is much easier to wrap something than to fit things into their slots. Next, I tried transferring the clothes on the target directly instead of making it and then dressing the mark. Let''s just say this method got a little messy.
But the essence of that method was correct, so I took it a step further and transfigured big clothes over the target. Then I shrunk the clothes onto the dummy with the shrinking charm, the incantation being Reducio. Well, the problem with this is that it was hard to stop the magic at the correct time. It either stayed too big or shrunk and ripped apart. So I tried many more methods, but none worked.
My mistake was trying to actually make a proper spell with none of the training or knowledge about spell creation that is so obviously needed to spell create. As a result, I overestimated myself, and truthfully I was overtaxing myself for no reason.
However, the solution was much more straightforward than I imagined, all that needed to be done was to change the transfiguration from a rope to fabric, and then that was it. Then, just wrap that fabric around the target so tightly that he is basically wearing clothes, though they look like a mummy.
For some reason, I was trying to make a full-fledged spell, and it irked me something fierce to settle for a crappy shortcut. I don''t even know why. Maybe it is because Gilderoy used shortcuts all the time. I guess I might have an aversion to it, but I have to acknowledge that it works, and I can''t waste more time on that piece of shit.
So I figured out my hack and went into the room. Again, I gave the man a vanishing spell, clearly envisioning what I wanted. Otherwise, I might end up vanishing him, if that is even possible. With that done, I just cast my spell variation.
"Vestio." I conjured a long grey cotton cloth that then shot forward and began to wrap itself around Digworth, even covering the chair legs. So I was left with a fat grey lumpy chair with Digby''s head popping out of the top.
With that taken care of, I now had my method to keep him maintained, use an Evanesco to completely vanish everything, including all the filth on him and the cast Vestio to wrap him in new cloth. Now I just need to feed him.
There is also the matter of him needing the toilet, which will inevitably come after he is fed, to which I say let him stew in his own filth. It will all be cleaned up with a vanishing spell. Learning that spell will save me a lot of time. It is handy and will deal with all the hygiene problems I come across in the future.
I came up with a simple position to deal with the food issue. Since he is in a fixed position with only his head free to move, I transfigured a stone table that reaches right up to his head, and then I made two grooves in it, one to place water in and one to put food in.
But, of course, I don''t want to give him anything that he could use, including cutlery and plates. He has enough mobility to bend his neck down to lap up the water and eat the food, it is inhumane, but Digby is inhuman. This is more than he deserves.
Honestly, I have been wasting a lot of my time on this stupid stuff, but now that my test subject is ready and in place to be maintained, I can get started with my experimentation. I can get to actually learning real magic, and I can begin to learn from the black book because that is part of my plan for when I leave this place. After all, Gilderoy was bad at covering up his tracks, and now that this is my life, I will have to take care of loose ends.
Chapter 9- Making Progress.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 9¨C Making Progress.
With everything else taken care of, I can begin my study of magic and a whole bunch of magic on my to-do list. First of all, I must learn everything I can about Occlumency and Legilimency from that black book.
I want to be the foremost authority on the mind because it is quite a scary reality to know that every piece of unique shit out there could invade your mind. But, of course, I am now a unique piece of shit too, and I want that capability.
Plus, I need to be exceptionally proficient at all things to do with the mind so that I can go and clean up all of old Gilderoy''s messes and wipe any trace of foul play in all of his victim''s minds. And I need to do it before Dumbledore eventually goes and visits one of them and discovers the fraudulent behaviour, and starts plotting my downfall.
But that is only some of the magic that I need to learn. If I ever plan on leaving this little hermits lair of mine, then I need to be skilled at all sorts of magic so that I can, at the very least, defend myself from any asshole with a trigger finger out there that will use their wand without the slightest hesitation.
So I will start by going through the Hogwarts textbooks and starting at year one and slowly progressing through the books and up the years until I have finished all of them.
I have memories of going through them as Gilderoy, or at least the versions when he attended Hogwarts, but I can''t trust that. They are all coloured by his perceptions and views, which are obviously very narrow-minded and single-focused.
I need to go through it all again with my much more focused brain and re-learn it all, pick up on things that old Gilderoy might have missed or even gain a new view on them. My more modern mindset may give me more insight.
Either way, I need to learn it all myself since I can''t trust any of the knowledge I gained from Gilderoy since it is also biased towards him. It''s because of his memories of Digby. D. Digworth that I didn''t even consider the man a threat.
I found nothing to be worried about when he kept knocking on my door day after day. After all, I just remembered him as a bumbling fool, as my lackey that listened to my every order, and it was because of that I didn''t see the knife poised to enter my back.
It is why I let him in even when the man threatened me outside my front door because I thought he was my stupid subordinate who could only make threats. I am not going to make the same mistake again. I have Gilderoy''s knowledge, and I can use it, but I am not going to trust it, which is why I have to find everything out for myself, especially magic.
And for that reason, I have made a schedule that I can stick to and progress in everything I need to without burning myself out. So, sticking to this plan, I should learn everything I need to and be out of here as soon as possible.
08:00 - Wake up, go to the bathroom, shower, get dressed, and then have breakfast. Check on Digby, Evanesco and then Vestio.
09:00 - Do some light exercise, nothing too strenuous. Just work out the body.
10:00 - Begin reading through the Hogwarts books, and learn everything possible, even the optional classes, in case there is something to them in this universe.
12:00 - Lunch time, relax and have a break. Check on Digby.
13:00 - Either continue reading or begin practising the spells in the books.
15:00 - Quick break. Check on Digby.
15:30 - Start to read the black book, paying attention to every word. Learning all I can about Occlumency and Legilimency.
17:30 - Dinner time. Check on Digby.
18:00 - Start experimenting and using Legilimency on Digby, aiming to pry his head open and reveal his mind to me.
19:30 - Relax, and take a break.
20:00 - Start exercising, this time more strenuous¡ªsit-ups, pull-ups, press-ups, lifting some weights I transfigured and many other exercises.
21:00 - Check on Digby, go to the bathroom and shower. Go to bed, and train Occlumency. Then, go into the mindscape and start improving it.
00:00 - Go to sleep, getting a total of eight hours for the next day to rinse and repeat.
I have made sure to check on Digby quite a lot throughout the schedule, just to keep making sure that he is secure and not up to anything. I also feed him at these times, well, more like putting the food there for him, and he can decide whether to eat it or not.
He ate it the first time I did it, and I am sure that he is going to continue. But unfortunately, he doesn''t seem to have the brain capacity to realise his situation and that he won''t ever leave, and eating is just going to prolong his miserable existence even further.
I will also use the vanishing charm whenever needed and a vestio to dress him again. I don''t want to end up with that giant mess he was with all the stains and those horrible smells. Also, I am going to be visiting his room multiple times a day, so I at least want it to be hospitable for me.
I also made sure to set aside time for exercise every day, starting with some light work in the morning and then a more strenuous workout later in the day. I realised that I was going to be cooped up in this place for a long time, months, and it is unhealthy to stay in one place.
Still, I am not yet strong enough to risk going out and confronting whoever else Gilderoy pissed off, So I have to keep active inside the house. Still, even so, all this time isolated without company, definitely not going to be conversing with Digby. It is not suitable for the brain, but I have thought about that already.
It is why I dedicated the last three hours of the day before bed, from nine till twelve to building my mindscape. I dedicated it to working on my Occlumency and building up my mindscape. It is really peaceful just to work and let the creative juices flow, creating a world inside my mind, just letting go and not worrying about anything. This will completely refresh my mind and relax it before slipping out of my mind and going to sleep.
I am really thankful for my magical fridge. I don''t know how it works or where Gilderoy got it from because even he does not know, he just got really drunk one day, and all he can remember is walking into a shop and buying some odds and ends, including the fridge.
When he woke up, he discovered how magical it was. When you put an item of food in, it will be forever preserved at the same stage, and when you take it out and eat it when you return to the fridge, it will be restocked. If it weren''t for this fridge, then I would have to wander out.
Of course, I do not stick by this schedule on Sunday because that is a resupply day. So, after my exercise on Sunday, I will shower and check in on Digby. After that, it is time to go shopping using the floo.
When I first used the floo, I was in the high of the moment, just having come to this universe, and I wanted to see Gilderoy''s family for some stupid reason, and I went on my instinct to The Leaky Cauldron. When I came out and stumbled, I quickly took in my surroundings and saw that I was in a very public place, I promptly pulled the hood of my robe on, and I went straight out. Luckily, no one saw me.
Once, I was on Charing Cross Road, I called a taxi and went to Gilderoy''s parent''s house, and when we pulled up, and the taxi driver asked for payment, I instinctively used the Confundus charm on him. Gilderoy seemed to have a lot of experience with the charm and used it heavily. I did the same thing when going back to the Leaky Cauldron and went straight to the floo with my hood on and used my latent memories to go home.
After that, while I was learning about Occlumency, I had to also go out for food and supplies like toilet paper and other such things. I didn''t want to go out with anybody recognising me, so I would go out at night when there was hardly anybody still out and only a few drunks in the Leaky Cauldron.
The first time I went out on this errand, I ventured out into Diagon Alley, following a drunk wizard, and I memorised the password for the brick wall. I only saw a little of the alley since it was dark and there, and there was only a lamp every few meters, but I went to Gringotts.
There was no one around, so I simply talked to a Goblin teller and showed my face. I had previously gathered all the money I could find in Gilderoy''s house lying about the place, and I had the goblin exchange it to muggle money. It was around ¡ê3000. With that done, I went to a twenty-four-seven supermarket near Charing Cross Road that was pretty empty, bought everything I needed, and then snuck back.
I have done this every week, and no one has recognised me. It has been working smoothly, which is why every Sunday at nine, I will go shopping, and I will return two hours later at eleven and then do my work on my mindscape and go to bed at two in the morning. Then I will wake up at ten, miss my morning workout, quickly have breakfast, shower, check on Digby, and start learning from the Hogwarts books.
With everything done and sorted, I have a schedule to stick to. I can just follow it to the point, and I will be a grand wizard in no time.
Easy Peasy.
Well, it was not relatively as easy as I was imagining. Today was my first day sticking to the schedule, and it was going well. First, I learnt the wand lighting charm and even experimented a little, moving the light around the room, changing the colour, making it bigger and smaller, and dimmer and brighter. And then, I also learned the softening charm, which is definitely essential. If I ever take a significant fall, softening the ground underneath me would save my life, so I am taking extra measures with this one.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
But later in the day, when I read through the black book and my other mind art books and then went to practice Legilimency on Digby, it was not working for some reason. I know that for wandless Legilimency, you need eye contact, but when using the wand, you just need to point and cast the spell, and I had figured that I had learnt enough earlier and done enough research that I at least should get some reaction, but nothing happened, the spell did not affect him.
Well, I suppose this just means that I will have to try harder.
I will get this down, if not today, then tomorrow, and if not tomorrow, sometime this week, and if not this week, then sometime this millennium. The point is I will do it. That is not in doubt.
I figured it out, and it is not that I was doing it wrong but the fact that I was casting it on Digby, who was resisting it. He fought the Legilimency, he appears to have some training in Occlumency, and Digworth was able to resist my spell. I don''t know if he is good at Occlumency or if he managed to block me out because I was a newbie. As soon as I cast the spell, it was immediately repelled, I guess I should have been more secretive about what I was doing, but it is okay. In fact, this is better, as with Digby being able to resist it will make my efforts that much harder and, in the end, more fruitful.
Apart from my experiments with Legilimency, everything else was progressing fine. I had furthered my knowledge of magic, having started with the first year of transfiguration, and I can change a toothpick into a needle. I, of course, experimented and managed to make a tiny little trident, but that resulted in the handle getting thinner to make the extra two prongs.
I guess there is some rule there, something along with the lines of conservation of mass like you can''t transfigure things bigger because there is not enough to transfigure or something. I''m sure I will learn about it as my studies become more in-depth.
As for my mindscape, it is coming along very nicely. I have started to add more depth, adding creatures and animals all over the place, including inside the lake. I have also begun to build a town and am making multiple houses. So it is not too dissimilar to building in creative in Minecraft, except I have all those building mods because I can make whatever the hell I want, and if I don''t like it, then I can delete it and start again. It really is relaxing.
But I have not forgotten that there need to be some defences as well, which is why I have made some ferocious animals, and multiple sharks and piranha are wandering around the lake. I have also been experimenting with other defences.
Legilimency became much easier after I figured out what my problem was because after I knew that Digby was using Occlumency, I just searched my books for the answer to my problem. While the regular books commented on trying to subtly break in or brute-forcing it, I could not do either of these things. Digby would see me enter the room and know that I was practising again and employ his Occlumency.
If I brute force it, there is a significant chance that I could break his mind, and he would end up brain-dead, and some brain-dead idiot wouldn''t be helpful for my training. Thankfully where the other books had failed, the black book had come through and provided the answers I needed. The solutions provided in that book were many. Whoever made it was undoubtedly thorough and did a lot of research and experiments.
The method I chose was the safest but also the most tiring. First, I had to cast my Legilimency on Digby and then maintain it, constantly trying to break through into his mind without being too forceful. But it would certainly take some effort for him to resist it, keeping this up for an hour or so, he eventually messed up, a gap in his defences, and I was straight into his mind.
Since then, I have found it more accessible and easier to enter his mind. I don''t even need the method anymore since I can get through now within seconds of my casting the spell, knowing easily where to find cracks, which points to try, and overall just a lot more experienced with the magic as well as knowing how much power to use.
Digby no longer resists my Legilimency probes, and I can freely search his mind. But with this advancement, he seems to have known that he can no longer keep me out and has prioritised hiding specific memories and hiding them from me. So Digby is letting me freely access everything else except, I notice, his memories revolving around his time as a Death Eater. No matter, this will just prove to assist me more in my training, certainly a good whetstone for me to sharpen my blade against.
I have progressed onto second-year Hogwarts books, and it is going brilliantly. For every spell I use, I think out all the things that may be possible with the magic and then try it out one by one. This way, I am not just learning, but I am becoming intricately familiar with the spells and learning their limitations as well as their advantages.
The fire-starting spell, for instance, is usually just used to lamp the fireplace or a campfire. Well, I experimented with it and found a way to use it to set multiple things on fire at once, but it doesn''t really sound that useful. Still, what if I had transfigured gasoline all over the floor and then lit certain parts on fire, starting a big fire and trapping someone within the fire? Even minor spells can be useful.
My mindscape has made significant advancements. I have even started to add people to the town. I have made a bakery, and I have placed a woman inside along with a daughter. I have given them personalities and everything, well, the base of a character. I have made it so that they will learn but only specific things.
They will learn one field they are interested in, and they will choose a hobby, a sport, a weapon to wield, and other stuff like that. So learning, but at a fixed rate and specific thing, all the NPC will know this kind of stuff and live their own lives, loving this world, and if someone ever intrudes and messes around, then they will take up arms and everyone will be fit and know how to use a weapon.
I will make a whole town like this, and it will be magnificent.
I really feel like a god.
Once more, consulting the black book seemed to solve all my problems. I would really like to meet the author that did such in-depth research on the mind and how to fully control it- On second thought, I would maybe skip that meeting. Now that I think about it, the author must have been a scary person indeed. But, so far, every question I have, every problem I encounter, and every bump in the road I come across is solved by the black book. The answers are in there.
I have finally uncovered all of the memories within Digby''s mind. I have completely unfettered access to his mind. But while I have located all those memories he was desperately trying to keep from me, I have discovered that some of the memories appear to have been edited and not by him. Instead, someone else seems to have edited the memories within his mind. A master of Legilimency that has altered and changed the memories to suit their whims, most likely Lord Voldemort, I will once again consult the book on how to uncover the actual memories if that is even possible.
I have progressed onto fourth-year spells, and I am finding everything much easier than I thought it would be, especially since I was in the body of Gilderoy Lockhart. How can someone be so bad at everything? I had thought to myself that it must not be his fault and that his talent wasn''t so good. I was wrong, and it was his fault. There was nothing wrong with his talent because I am making ample use of it now. The guy was just an idiot, plain and simple.
My mindscape was progressing nicely, I had added more detail and even more buildings to it, and I had added a lot more people as well, countless people that were now roaming about the town. After all, I already had a template, and I just had to copy and paste and then alter some details for each one.
I had built many buildings and the corresponding people to go into them, and I had created a library, a hospital, a school, a market place and many more. Ultimately I was going for the fantasy medieval town vibe since if anyone ever does get into my head, then they would probably question the cyberpunk or even modern themes. Best to just go old school. I might even add a few dragons.
Surprisingly the one part of my day I was doing just to maintain my health, I had also progressed in. I was finding the exercises a little too easy after all these weeks, so I transfigured some weights to strap to my arms and legs, not much, just a bit, and I put them on when working out. I also transfigured some heavier weights to use since my old ones weren''t giving me much strain anymore. Doing some Rock Lee type of exercising should surely make my workouts more fulfilling.
Overall I am happy with the progress I am making. Sticking to this schedule was a good idea.
This one took a lot longer than I had expected. After the ease with which I was knocking down all the problems I came across with the help of the black book, I fully expected to be done with my current situation very soon.
The answer to my question was actually in the book as well, but even if I had the answer, it doesn''t mean much unless I could perform it, which is very difficult to do so when going up against the work of one of the premier Legilimens in the world and one of the powerful wizards alive, even if he is a shade in Albania right now, at least I think he is in Albania, I am not too sure.
Even after knowing what to do, I continuously failed. I went over that book repeatedly, roving over it for any tiny bit of information I may have missed, and continually trying to unlock the memory, but it never worked. It took some time, but I eventually figured out that this method was performed on a muggle who had some trauma and repressed their memories.
So, of course, it would not work for me. My target had his memories altered by another wizard, after all. The book did not cover this plight at all, it had similar questions, but they were not the same. This was something I had to find the solution to on my own, so when I snuck out on my weekly Sunday shop, I also bought some physiology books and books on the brain''s anatomy to help my research.
After many nights roving over my books and theorising and experimenting, I finally managed to uncover the memories. Well, I didn''t, Digby did, but I gave him the little nudge that he needed. But, basically, I could not reveal the truth of the memory because I didn''t know what it was. I knew it was there, but I didn''t know what it was, and to unlock it, I needed to have a glimpse underneath the alteration.
But while I did not know what was underneath, Digby''s brain did. So somewhere in his subconscious, the truth was there, and all I had to do was make him realise that. To do so, I inspected the memories closely, and in each one, I found something that was odd, something that should not happen and that Digby would find strange. So I amplified that in his mind and made him pay attention to it, which made the whole thing unravel to show the truth since he pulled at that little thread I revealed to him.
After a lot of attempts and many nights roving through the books I had, I had finally managed to completely recover the memories and reveal what was before hidden from me. They were all memories that were hidden by Voldemort because Digby had accidentally seen things that Tom Riddle did not want him to see, such as him handing over a few different items to his most loyal subjects, the Horcruxes. I did uncover a lot of other memories as well, but there was nothing of fundamental importance, just things like Digby learning of an attack and Tom. Still, the fact remains that I was able to unravel the work of someone as powerful as Tom Riddle Jr. I am making progress.
I have also progressed onto seventh-year spells at this point. I was moving along very nicely and was well experienced with a lot of my magic at this point, my favourite being the disillusionment charm which helped me every Sunday. The charm grants camouflage. When a wizard uses it on themselves, they must twirl their wand around themselves as though they were wrapping themselves in rope. If, however, they are using it on an external target, they must merely tap on the mark with their wand.
This then produces a sensation that a raw egg has been cracked onto the person''s head as the charm travels down them, granting them invisibility. I have learnt that the more experienced you are with the spell, the more transparent you become and the more opaque the effect. For example, I applied the spell to an ordinary book, which turned completely invisible. I will definitely be practising this more in the future.
It won''t be long until I can leave this house with my head held high, no longer cowering in the shadows and fearing for my life. But that doesn''t mean I will stop practising. It just means I am heading out to get some real-world experience and have some fun after being cooped up here for so long.
Look out, world, here I come... Soon.
Chapter 10- Out of the Cocoon.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 10¨C Out of The Cocoon.
"Hello, Digby. D. Digworth, are you wondering why you aren''t gagged, why I am actually talking to you instead of just getting straight down into business and casting spells on you?" I asked, standing in the doorway staring at Digby with him staring back, with a blank, dazed look in his eyes, broken down by so many months of being held in captivity and being my little guinea pig.
"No, not going to answer? Well, you see, my friend, we have reached the end of our long journey together. You have served your purpose, which means this will be the last time we ever see each other. It has been nice knowing you, Digworth." I speak, and as the words leave my mouth, I can see the light spark back up in his eyes, and he tilts his head up to look at me, hope shining bright in his eyes.
"Y-you... You are going to... to let me go? R-Really?" He stutters out, finding it difficult to do so, having not used his vocal cords in a very long time. He gave up screaming and pleading with me after the first couple of months. Finally, when he could no longer resist my Legilimency, he practically gave up on life, not even lifting his head to acknowledge me when I entered the room.
This was made doubly hard when he never even tried to eat the food I had out there for him, and I was not about to feed him with a spoon, so I found a clever solution to this. I trained my use of imperious on him and forced him to eat the food I gave him, except this was just too easy.
Once you know how to cast the spell, that is all there is to it, and you have complete control of them. However, I did not like how easy it was, as well as the fact that every idiot out there could quickly achieve this same result, so I decided to use Legillimency to find a creative solution to this problem.
Using the black book, I learnt a new level of Legilimency, where I went in and not only viewed or changed memories but also had the capability to alter, add and edit everything. For example, I inputted a command into his mind where if I clicked my fingers and said eat, he would start to eat, just some mental programming that actually works. I tried this on him quite a lot and put a lot of commands on him. he can now do a variety of things at the click of a finger and a catchphrase. I may have had a bit too much fun with it.
"Now, what gives you that idea, Digby? That I am just going to let you go? I am afraid not. I mean, I have kept you locked here for multiple months and not even taken very good care of you. I can''t have you out there telling people and ruining my reputation. Plus, if you remember correctly. You were trying to kill me and take all of my worldly possessions. So why should I let you go now?" I say, watching as the hope that had appeared after so long and so very briefly left him ultimately, his head lolling again and flopping back down.
"Now, don''t be so glum, chum. I wasn''t lying. Your time really is up. No more having to suffer and no more having to sit here day after day. With your purpose done and with you no longer having a reason for your continued existence, it is time for your existence to come to an end." Really, with everything done, I see no reason to keep troubling myself with looking after this fool every day.
"F-Fine then... Go ahead and do it. Kill me. JUST FUCKING KILL ME ALREADY! GET IT OVER WITH AND KI-" I click my fingers. "Chicken," I say. "LL ME BAWK BAWK BAWK BAWK!" Digby starts to cluck like a chicken, and very loudly at that. When I did this before, he clucked at a normal level. I guess the fact that he was shouting before the command carried over his voice level.
"Silence." I click my fingers again, and Digby shuts up, staying still and not uttering a single word.
"I am not going to kill you, Digby, at least not yet. You see, I have perfected almost every Legilimency skill except for one Digby. I have mastered all the normal Legilimency skills. But there is one last thing I need to try. I have already used a light version of it on you in which I placed multiple commands into your head. The final spell, however, is complete control, a full subversion of your mind where you will become a literal puppet of mine for me to do with as I please." His head lifted up again, but this time filled with horror, which brought a smile to my face.
"Now, now, no need to worry. I won''t actually be using you for anything. I abhor the thought, I just need you to perfect the technique, and after that, you can die. So don''t worry your-" I am interrupted before I can finish.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
There is a knocking at the front door that both myself and Digby can hear on account of me standing in the doorway and keeping the door open. Our eyes meet, and I already know what he is going to do, so I prepare myself and draw my wand.
"HELP! HELP ME! PLEA-" I point my wand at him and cut him off with a single word.
"Vestio." I cast, watching as a black rag is shot out of the end of my wand and flies at the tied-up man, quickly wrapping itself around his jaw and working its way into his mouth, properly gagging the man. I have been getting quite a lot of practice with this spell and have figured out all sorts of uses for it, from conjuring a line of string so thin it is nearly invisible to creating full curtains for a window.
"Now, you wait there while I go deal with whoever is at my door," I say before turning around and closing the door behind me and stalking over to the front door. I cautiously approach the door and then take a look through the little glass hole I had to transfigure into the door, so I wouldn''t be caught off guard like I was last time.
Standing there and waiting patiently for me to answer is my publisher, Elric Woods, that has been producing all of my books for a number of years now, but that doesn''t mean I will trust him. I trusted Digby for some inane reason, even when he was threatening me, and that was the wrong choice. Nevertheless, it is better to be cautious and paranoid than dead.
Readying myself, I level my wand at the door and prepare a powerful cutting charm that will slice right through the door and bisect my publisher in half if he makes even one wrong move, the word Deffindo right on the edge of my lips and ready to put out.
I unlock the front door, but I leave the chain on, meaning that the door will only open wide enough that I will be able to poke an eye through, and Elric won''t be able to even get more than a slight glance inside. Taking a deep breath, I reach out and grasp the door''s handle before twisting it and pulling the door slightly open, and then I peek my head around to get a view of the man still patiently waiting for me.
He sat there, a skinny man above average height with mousey brown hair and a thin pencil moustache, along with some thin-framed glasses that sat upon his nose. He is dressed in a business suit, but obviously, since this is the magical world, his suit pants are red, his shirt is green, and his coat is blue, along with some white leather dress shoes, but by far the strangest thing is the happiness on his face as he sees me peeking through at him.
"Gilderoy, finally. It is so good to see you. I have truly missed you this past year. Open the door and give me a hug, my good friend!" He says, reaching to pull open the door, but when he pulls, it is stopped by the chain giving a loud clang, making it a bit of an awkward moment.
"It is good to see you too, Elric. I would welcome you in and give you a hug, but I am otherwise occupied, and I am not decent enough for company. Though, I have missed you as well, dear friend." I smile at him with supposed genuine affection, all the while levelling my wand at him through the door, which is on the cusp of separating his legs from his torso.
"Haha, I understand, Gilderoy. You have had a long trip to the mysterious land of Antarctica. of course, you are busy. Not even a minute back and you are already entertaining female company, haha, never change Gilderoy." He laughs, not taking offence or anything and even fabricating a reason for me not opening the door. What a good publisher.
"Ha, you too, Elric. Your sense of fashion is still as good as ever. you will have to give me some tips sometime." I smile back and make with the small talk, plying him with some stupid compliment that I don''t mean.
"Now come on, Gilderoy, you know everything I learnt about fashion and style was from you. So how could I, the student, give you, the master, tips? Haha." He laughs, to which I join, and we both laugh for a few seconds before we quiet down and look at each other with smiles on our faces. We continue for a few seconds like that in awkwardness, though it seems Elric feels none of it and is perfectly content to just stand there in silence.
"Not to be rude or anything, Elric. But I am quite busy, as you have guessed. So, what can I do for you?" I break the silence and get to the point, why is this man knocking on my door out of the blue? I had had a very long time with no contact with anyone apart from Digby, which stopped when he tried to murder me, and I counterattacked him and kept him locked up in my house.
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"Ah, right. Straight to business as usual then, Gilderoy. I can see that hasn''t changed in your time away. Anyway, Digworth informed us a year ago that you had gone away on a trip for a magical new adventure in an unexplored land and that you would be back and have a manuscript in a year''s time. Well, it has been a year, and I have come to get that manuscript. Also, have you seen Digworth? He stopped coming into work months ago, and no one has seen him since." Oh, I actually hadn''t thought about how to explain his disappearance.
"Ah, right, just a moment then, Elric. I will go and fetch the manuscript, trust me, you are going to love this one. I encounter an abominable snowman. just wait right there." I close the door and walk back inside, walking over to my study, in which I have been writing my story for quite a while. It was when I was working my way through Digby''s mind and fully diving into all his memories that I saw the memory where he told Elric about my new book. Why did Digby do that?
Well, I know because I had his mind in the palm of my hand. He planned to explain my disappearance away like that and then murder me and let my corpse decompose in my home for a year before anyone came looking, so the results would be inconclusive. So anyway, this drove me to start working on the story and to do that, I referenced the other works Gilderoy had written, and I had to give it to the man. He is a talented writer.
There were no inconsistencies in any of his books, and he had written each of them perfectly, if a little vain and self-aggrandising. However, going through and reviewing my own memories, I discovered that there were a few stories that overlapped. Still, Gilderoy sorted out the chronology and timeline to sync to his own schedule before he published anything.
He really did it perfectly, except his spellwork was shoddy, and he didn''t correctly obliviate the wizards and wizards whose stories he stole and left traces which Dumbledore will discover. After recovering those memories, he will link them to the exact same stories in the books. This is why I have to go deal with the wizards and witches. It is the very reason why I spent so long developing my Occlumency and Legilimency skills so that I can prevent Dumbledore from finding me out.
Having the manuscript in hand, I walk back to the front door to hand it to Elric Woods. Not only that, but I have thought up the perfect story for my involvement with the disappearance of Digby. D. Digworth. I once more ready my wand in my left hand and pointed it at the door, not letting my guard down so quickly, and when I opened the door, to see Elric still standing there patiently with a smile on his face.
"Here you are, Elric. This one is called Assault On The Abominable Snowman. I met some nice simple muggles over there called the Inuits, that were under constant attack by this creature, and I resolved myself to save them. After all, magical problems need to be solved by magical people." So I say as I hand over the manuscript. Honestly, I think I did a pretty good job on this one, and unlike the others, this is all fictional, so there is no way for anyone to disapprove of them, and, given my reputation, everyone will believe it.
"Ah, yes, thank you. I look forward to reading another masterpiece and then selling the excellent story to the entire wizarding world. But again, about Digworth, do you have any clue where he is?" Elric asks again after taking my manuscript, just assuming that it will be another masterpiece which I know it will be since I wrote it and I put a lot of care into it.
"Digby, ah well, I was gone for a year, so I don''t know where he is now, obviously. But because I was going to be gone for a year, I would not need a personal assistant anymore, so I let him go and told him to come and see me when I got back if he still needed a job, but maybe he has already moved on, who knows." So I say, giving my excellent cover story, which is basically, I don''t know.
"Ah, okay then. I will leave you to get back to whatever it is you are up to, Gilderoy, have fun. But, uh, remember to come to Flourish and Blotts on Friday. We will be having a signing to commence the sale of your new book, and we shall have a lot of copies made by then. So goodbye, Gilderoy, don''t forget, Friday." Elric says as he turns around and walks off. I watch him go until he disappears from my sight, and then I close the door and lock it again.
I stay there for a minute, thinking about the fact that I will be out in the open on Friday, out in public, and there will be no going back. But, oh well, I had planned to come out soon as I have all but prepared. So now I just have to finish the only thing left on my checklist, Digby.
With my goal in mind, I walk back towards my guest room and swing the door open, Digby''s head jolts up, and he stares at me with wide eyes as I slam the door behind me and walk over to him. I grip his head by the hair and drag his head up to look me right in the eyes, and I draw my wand out and point it at him.
"There is no point wasting any more time on you, I will test this final thing on you, and then I will get rid of you and forget about you. No one will ever think about you and your measly existence ever again. I know because I have seen every single memory of yours, every single disgusting thing you have done, and all the acts against all that is pure that you have committed, and I know for a fact no one will look for you, not even your precious dark lord Voldemort." Horror fills his eyes, and he begins to struggle like his life depends on it, which it does. He tries to close his eyes, but that doesn''t matter. It will not stop me.
"Goodbye, Digby. D. Digworth, you will not be remembered. Legilimens: Consipio!"
I had woke up this morning and followed my usual schedule. I went to the bathroom and went through my typical process. I had a shower, had breakfast, did my morning exercise, and then I got changed. Except after all that, I broke out of the mould. Right now, I am standing at my front door with my hand grasping the door handle, and it is ten in the morning.
With all my training done and with Digby no longer being present, I had nothing holding me to this house anymore. Not to mention the fact that I will have to be at a book signing on Friday, so it is better that I get acclimated to the outside world now than be barraged by a whole load of fans on Friday and be overwhelmed.
Making the leap, I turn the handle and open the door before walking through it and closing it behind me. And nothing happens. I wait there for a second, in the light of day, and all is calm. Then, feeling a pep in my step, I spin around and quickly lock my door before walking off down the hallway and down the stairs. And then I walk out the front door of the building and onto the streets of Diagon Alley, or to be more specific, Horizont Alley.
It is nice to finally know where I lived, or I mean, to finally see it with my own eyes. Every time I left my home to do anything, I left through the floo. I went to The Leaky Cauldron, afraid that there would be people waiting outside for Gilderoy Lockhart. Still, it seemed my worries were unfounded as people passed by without paying me any notice, though that is probably because of the charms I have applied to myself to change my appearance and allow me to move unfettered.
While the place is called Diagon Alley as a whole, there are actually several different alleys within, with Diagon Alley actually being just a single alley.
As soon as you enter through the brick wall behind The Leaky Cauldron, you are on Diagon Alley, but just to the side, there is another alleyway which leads to Carkitt Market, which is where there are a whole host of shops that are not regularly used or very popular, coincidentally the Gringotts Money Exchange building is here which the Goblins informed me of the third time I went to exchange money at Gringotts itself.
Then going along Diagon Alley, you eventually get to another alleyway which is Horizont Alley, which is where I live. It is full of shops as well, and I live above one of them. The strange thing about this is that while it is actually an alley that goes off to the side, it seems like a fork in the road because of the weird shape of the alley with Gringotts Bank right in the middle, making the fork, while in actuality Diagon Alley continues on to the right of the bank.
And then, further down Diagon Alley is another alley to the right, which is the infamous Knockturn alley. This is very different from the other alleys as this one has a lot of nooks and crannies, with lots of narrow paths and smaller alleys within, making for a good hive of villainy.
Further on, Diagon Alley continues on before ending at a dead end. All of the alleys end at dead ends. Literally, every side of the entirety of Diagon Alley is a shop, business or building that gives a service, making for a total of one hundred and sixty-three shops, making it the most profitable and popular area in the entirety of Britain.
Even Hogsmead, an entirely magical village and area away from muggles, is not that popular, though that is primarily because of all the Hogwarts students messing about and running around. Here, things are calmer and more civilised with all the children away at Hogwarts. So people have a pleasanter time here. And businesses and districts are used to this as kids have been attending Hogwarts for hundreds of years, meaning that the summer holidays are when they usually see a rise in sales, and they account for that.
Feeling at peace and safety, there is not a hint of danger to my person. I begin to walk down the street, and no one turns to even look at me. These people are more concerned with their own lives than mine. I walk along Horizont Alley, looking out at all the shops and observing them. Most of them just look pretty rustic and antiquated but paying close attention, you can see that the shops are magical.
A sign atop a door that constantly moves, one that changes colours and one that has birds that fly out and around the street before sinking back into the sign. Of course, there are some shops that are not so subtle, such as one that has the glass windows sometimes changing into bluebell fire which then goes on to make various patterns, and one that is just so magical that I could not possibly describe it.
I continue to walk for a while, and then I finally get to the end of Horizant Alley, right next to Gringotts bank and step out onto the actual Diagon Alley. And I immediately had to take a step back to evade a gaggle of twelve-year-old lads that ran past me. Watching them go, I wonder what time of the year it is as it is either Christmas time and they have left home for the holidays, or it is the summer holidays, for that matter. Also, I wonder what year it is since I have been stuck in my apartment for months without leaving.
Looking around, I see a man leaning against a lampost and reading a Daily Prophet newspaper, so I walk towards him and, seeing that he is nearing the end of the newspaper, I take my chance.
"Excuse me, good sir, can I perhaps take a look at that newspaper you are reading? I won''t be more than a second. I just need a look at one of the articles." So I ask the man who tilts his head up and regards me with a lazy attitude, smoking a cigarette that hangs from his mouth.
"Hm, well, sure. I am just about done with it anyway, so you can keep the thing, have fun." He tosses the newspaper towards me, which I hastily catch as the man walks past me and gets on with his life. Holding the newspaper, I quickly flip it around to see the front page, which is an inane article about something dumb, but looking at the date, I realise what time it is.
It is the third of August 1991, meaning it is the summer holidays, and in a few weeks, Harry Potter will be making his cousin fall into a snake enclosure at the zoo. The start of canon and the original story will begin soon, which means I only have a year to take care of all of Gilderoy''s victims. Otherwise, I will be in for a hard time.
Oh well, I guess there is no time for the wicked.
Chapter 11– Book Signing.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 11¨C Book Signing.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Mr Gilderoy Lockhart." As soon as I hear those words, I move the curtain out of the way and walk through the doorway and onto the stage to see a gaggle of witches and wizards absolutely crowding up the inside of Flourish and Blotts, as it is Friday and the day of my book release and my signing event.
Over the past few days, I have acclimatised to the wizarding world quite well, partly because of my memories from old Gilderoy and also because I am so in awe of all the magic in everything that surrounds me. I don''t have time to be scared or closed off from it because I want to learn and devour as much of it as I possibly can.
I have gone out and explored almost all of Diagon Alley in the last few days, visiting various shops that were all just so bizarre and random, such as a shop just for magical lanterns and a shop for random magical odds and ends. There was even a magical playground right near Ollivanders. I guess even magical mothers get tired of their kids. But boy, does that playground look fun. The magical swings and stuff look like bundles of fun.
Bizarrely the oddest shop, or maybe not the oddest, but the shop I least expected was a magical money lender, or better known as magical loan sharks, that had an office called GalloLoans, but I shouldn''t have been surprised. People are inherently greedy, even magical people, so it makes sense that there would be loan sharks in the wizarding world as well. Since Purebloods are hard to have as clients given their financial wealth, then muggle-borns will obviously be the main targets.
Either way, it wasn''t my problem if people were going to be idiots. But, if anything, I have to respect the people in that office a bit, given that they saw an opportunity and an untapped market, in this case being new poor muggle-borns that would need financial support and would prove to be suckers.
Just get them under a contract, and they will be spending the rest of their magical lives working to pay you, living breathing magical cash cows, not a respectable business but a profitable one, and that is really the only thing that matters these days.
Over these past few days, I have been exploring the alley like there was no tomorrow, and I did plan to go explore other places like Hogsmeade and Godric''s Hollow. But there was so much to do and see here in Diagon Alley that I never actually got around to it. Even old Gilderoy didn''t know about ninety percent of these shops since he usually stuck to the popular fancy shops, but each and every shop here has something special about it that is unique to it.
But even with all the excitement and fun I was having, I could not rid myself of the nervousness that was plaguing me. I was anxious about this very day because this was the day I signed various witches'' and wizards'' books and finally revealed myself, the new and improved Gilderoy Lockhart, to the world.
This entire time I have been wandering around and exploring this new world without actually revealing my natural face. Instead, using extensive charm work to disguise my appearance, I have been running around as a completely different face with no one distracting or bugging me.
To be honest, I was making the most of this time before I had to be at the book signing because after I showed my face as Gilderoy Lockhart, there would be no turning back. I will live the rest of my life as Gilderoy Lockhart. It will be who I am. I will have to deal with all the crap Gilderoy left unfinished and all the people he had relationships with, good and bad.
So today, here I am because no matter how you cut it, I am Gilderoy Lockhart. There is no running away from that fact. I have his body, I have his face, I have his memories and everything else that he owned. It all belongs to me. I am all Gilderoy Lockhart was, is, and ever will be, but when I look out at all those faces staring up at me with love and adoration, I stall.
"Uh, Mr Lockhart, are you okay?" The announcer looked at me and asked with concern on his face, which was because I had just pushed the curtain out of the way and walked onto the stage, and the minute everybody looked at me, they started to cheer and shout, and I was taken aback.
"Haha, my apologies. I was just so stunned to see each and every one of you that have shown up here today to show your support for me. I am completely astonished." I start to monologue, feeling the words just roll off the tongue with ease, while I walk over to the podium and place my hands on it.
"Truly, I just had to stop and stare for a moment, just so that I could memorise each and every one of your faces, the faces of my biggest fans. I would surely not be in this position I am in today if it was not for your support, and so for that, I thank you, and I hope to get to meet each and every one of you today." At my words that make mention of them repeatedly, cheers and cries ring out, professing their love and admiration of me, and all I can do is bask in the effervescent glow.
When I came to a stop earlier, barraged by the noises of the crowd when I first walked out onto the stage, it was not because I was nervous or scared. On the contrary, it was because I felt great pleasure and joy when I heard these numerous wizard folk shouting out their love and admiration for me. To see them all showing up in mass to come and meet me for something as little as a signature, no doubt some of them will cue up for hours on end to get it, yet they are willing to do so.
I have never felt such energy before, and I have never witnessed such dedication and determination, and it is all for me. So all of this hubbub just to meet me, to shake my hand, talk to me for a minute top and get my signature before going on their merry ways, am I really so beloved?
"Haha, okay, okay, quieten down. I don''t want you all to strain your voices before I even get the chance to speak to you. Now, who is ready to buy my new book and get it signed by me? I will also sign any of my other books that you have brought with you today." Again at my words, a cheer rings out even though I had just told them all to quieten down. Such is their excitement that they cannot control themselves.
"Now, I know I have been gone for a year, and you all must be wondering where I have been. Well, this new book will tell you all that and more. In it, I record my trip to a land that is so cold that there is hardly any life there, and the danger is so imminent that the life that does inhabit this land is always in jeopardy. Finally, I encounter a mythical, never before seen magical beast that I doubt will ever be seen again, so come forward and buy my new book. Assault On The Abominable Snowman!" Another wave of cheer rings out, and I can''t help the smile that grows on my face.
I turn around to see that a desk with all the tools and equipment I need, as well as several of my books, has appeared on the stage behind me, and I go forth to take a seat at it, having memories of following this procedure numerous times. And when I am sat at the desk, the podium that was on the stage was now gone, and I was left with a clear view of the entirety of Flourish and Blotts and all of my fans queuing up to meet me.
"Okay, reporters to the front, right next to the stage. Everybody else, stay in the cue and wait until we allow you to get your books signed. remember, you can buy your books at the front of the store." One of the staff begins to speak and organise the event, and the reporters quickly come up to the front of the stage and immediately get out and point their cameras at me, and I am barraged by a constant flashing of lights.
I easily manage to ignore the constant glare in my eyes because I have memories of doing these sorts of events before, as well as my body is used to functioning under these conditions. So I have no problem watching as an older woman walks onto the stage clutching a few different books to her chest, and she is also quite the looker.
"Hello, Mr Lockhart, my name is Patricia Evans, and I am a big fan, and I have bought all of your books." She begins to bumble as she drops all of her books onto the table. As Patricia starts to ramble off about various things she loved in my books and asks me questions, I pick up the first book and get to signing them, occasionally humming to her words and pitching in with some answers to her questions.
"And we are all done. Thank you for buying my book Patricia, and I look forward to seeing you around sometime. it was lovely meeting you." I say as I hand Patricia the final books, which she grabs hold of with her left hand before she suddenly reaches and grabs my hand with her right and leans in to get close to me.
"You can see even more of me tonight. I would love to spend even more time with you. You can owl me with a time and place, and I will be there." She seductively whispers into my ear, propositioning me. I was kind of expecting this since Gilderoy had received many of these offers in the past and took some of his fans up on it.
As Patricia backs away without waiting for a response, clutching her books as she goes, I can''t help but look at her delicious posterior. I really think I will love my new life as Gilderoy Lockhart.
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"And we are all done. Thank you for buying my book Eveline, and I look forward to seeing you around sometime. it was lovely meeting you." So I say as I hand Eveline the final books that I ha assigned, though this time I do not get a sultry proposition, or to be more accurate, I quickly wave her on her way before she can send one my way.
Eveline is an old woman, and I don''t roll that way. I had already received numerous offers today, so much so that I was spoilt for choice on who to pick. There were a lot of incredibly beautiful gorgeous women that I met today, and not all of them had invited me to join them on a later date, some having been here purely out of admiration and love of my works, and it wasn''t just women either.
I had met all sorts of people today at this event, men and women, old and young, beautiful and not so beautiful, and there were even some foreigners, and I also suspect that there might have been one or two magical creatures as well. I call them creatures, but they are more like magical variations of humans, having something more to them than ordinary magical folk, and I think at least one showed up today.
It was halfway through the book signing when an angelic blonde woman with sinful curves walked onto the stage, completely eclipsing everything else in the room. I wasn''t surprised when the flashes of the cameras no longer blinded me as they were all now pointed towards her and constantly flashing.
I could only thank my great luck that by this point in the book signing, I was employing my Occlumency to keep up with the continuous strain of talking to people for hours on end, and so I was able to keep my mind and functionality while the rest of the room lost theirs.
The woman seemed to realise the effect she was having on the room due to being on the stage and the point of everybody''s focus. However, a second later, the influence affecting everyone started to fade, dimming but still ever-present in the room, affecting us all but not so much that we would lose our minds.
Though instead of feeling relieved, I doubled down on my Occlumency and fortified my mind even further since I knew there was a threat to it right in front of me. Even if the woman did not look like she was going to attack anytime soon, I could not trust that.
The rest of the interaction was quite pleasant and normal, aside from her stunning looks, with us both conversing and her complimenting my books as I signed them. All in all, an average interaction, but still, I did not let my guard down.
"I do wonder, though, Gilderoy Lockhart. Are you truly the man described in these books? Surely such a perfect being, as mentioned in the book, does not exist." It was after I had finished singing all of her books and handed them back over to her that she leaned in closer to me and whispered into my ear with her seductive French accent.
And out of the blue, I feel the full force of her allure weigh itself down on me, pushing against me from all angles waiting for a crack to open up so that it can rush in and completely overwhelm even more of my mind. Thankfully my Occlumency was in full force and held up against the surprise attack. However, that did not mean it had no effect on me at all.
"Perfect? Haha, on that, I can assure you that I am not perfect. No one is. However, it was lovely meeting a big fan such as yourself today, and I hope to see you again." I speak those words out with a charming smile and a calm face though the inside of my head is an entirely different environment. As soon as I finish speaking, the force surrounding me disappears as if it was never even there, to begin with, and the woman smiles the sweetest smile I have ever seen.
"I have a feeling that we will meet again, Gilderoy. After all, this meeting did not betray expectations. You are exactly the man that was written down in your books. If anything, I am even more infatuated with you now after meeting you. So I will see you soon, Gilderoy Lockhart." She says mysteriously before turning away and walking off, leaving me to watch her go.
And so the woman who had me sign her books affectionately to Polly walked out of the door, leaving me bewildered. I can only thank the lord that I am sitting down behind this desk. Otherwise, I would have given everybody an eyeful of my engorged package.
"Have a lovely day." I wave as another one of my fans goes down the stairs of the stage and departs from Flourish and Blotts, leaving just a few stragglers that joined the queue late but still stayed all this time to meet me. I quickly get to work talking to the last few fans that I have, tired from my long day of work. It is at times like this that I genuinely envy Gilderoy''s outlook.
Because for Gilderoy, something like this was not tiring at all, and that was because the man was incredibly vain and enjoyed the love and adoration his fans poured on him. Now don''t get me wrong, I enjoyed it as well, but my level of vanity was nowhere near the astronomical amounts Gilderoy had. he anticipated events like this where people would continually praise and talk about him.
It is like they say if you do something you love, you will never work a day in your life, and Gilderoy loves attention. It was practically the only thing he lived for. Keeping a sigh from escaping my mouth, I quickly buckle down and get to finishing off the few stragglers so we can all go home. Surprisingly, a lot of the reporters are still there, and they are still shooting away.
"Alright, that is the end of the book signing, Gilderoy. We had a good release day, and we sold a lot of books, not just the new release but even some older ones. Go get some rest, Gilderoy, and I can''t wait until your next book. Goodbye, Gilderoy." My publisher says before leaving the store with all the other people that are going now that the event is over, the reporters are still around, however. They are still packing up their cameras, and the guy in charge of the store is currently taking down the displays that were up for my event.
"Um, sir. Can you please get off the stage so I can take it down, uh, if that is okay with you, Mr Lockhart, sir?" A young member of staff nervously asks me while I still remain at my desk, sitting and relaxing after a tiring day. I gave the employee a nod and slid my chair back so that I could stand up, and then I turned around to walk off the stage the way I came. I notice that the curtain I had first come through has already been taken down, and I begin to walk down off the stage so I can go home and sleep.
"Excuse me, is the book signing still going? We didn''t miss Gilderoy Lockhart, did we? Please say we didn''t" I hear the front door of the store open, and a loud female voice enquires, and I stop to listen before I go entirely down all of the stairs.
"I am sorry, ma''am, but the book signing is now over. If you want to purchase Gilderoy Lockhart''s new book, Assault On The Abominable Snowman, then you can do so, but you will not be able to get an autograph today." So I hear a member of staff tell her, and to be honest, I agree with them because I am pretty wiped out after today.
"Please, I can see him right over there. Can''t you make an exception and let me get an autograph, please? I have seven different children, and I look after them practically all by myself. My husband works long hours at the ministry, and this was the only time I have managed to get away to come here, and I still had to bring two of my children with me." So the woman complains, and she has clearly seen me at the back of the shop. But sheesh, seven kids, that is a lot. I don''t know any people with seven kids except...
I slyly turn my head around so that I can get a glimpse at them to see if my suspicions are correct. And low and behold, I see three heads full of red hair at the front, each at a different height, a mother with her two children, a girl and a boy. I am surprised to run into people from the original story so soon, I basically just stepped out of my home, and already I have run into some original characters. However, I suppose Britain''s wizarding world is quite tight and compact.
I pay close attention to them and what they are saying. These are some pretty essential characters from the book, after all. Cannon will also be starting really soon, so perhaps I can glean some vital information from them and see if this is an evil Dumbledore I am dealing with in this world.
"I am sorry, ma''am, but the book signing is already over. Mr Lockhart has been here a long time, and he is tired, so can you please-" The staff member continues to deny the red-headed woman. I can clearly see that the woman is losing hope, and she begins to back away towards the door, her only reason for being here to meet me, which is clearly being denied.
"It is okay. Send them over here. I have enough time to see another fan of mine and sign a couple more books." I quickly speak, not wanting this opportunity to go to waste, And I turn around and head back towards the desk on the stage, ignoring the sigh of the staff member that was waiting to take down the stage.
At my words, the woman looks towards the staff member, who quickly deflates and backs off and takes her opportunity. The woman soon grabs hold of her kids and rushes over towards me, practically dragging them along. By this point, I had already sat back down at the desk, and a member of staff had hurriedly brought me another quill and ink bottle to sign the books that were coming my way.
The red-headed woman quickly comes up the stage stairs, and lets go of her children''s arms, who now trail behind her as she begins to fiddle around in the bag she has over her arm. The woman starts to pull numerous books out of it as she walks over to me, and when she finally gets to the desk, she puts the books down on the desk and looks toward me.
"Now, let''s see what we have here. Who am I? Marauding with Monsters, Year with the Yeti, Gadding with Ghouls, Break with a Banshee, Gilderoy Lockhart''s Guide to Household Pests, Magical Me, Wandering with Werewolves, Voyages with Vampires, Travels with Trolls and- Oh, would you look at that, The Travel Trilogy which includes the three previous books I just mentioned. This is my entire collection. You must be a very big fan to have all of these. Are you here to buy my new book as well?" I ask the woman as I thumb through all of the books, to which she reacts flusteredly.
"Ah, no, I won''t be buying the new one just yet. I still haven''t finished all of the ones I have got, I am just so busy, and I can''t find the time. But I will most definitely buy a copy when I am up to date on my reading, Mr Lockhart." She says with her face turning massively red, and as I look down at the books and rifle through them, I can see that they all have some wear and tear.
These books look as if they had been read through multiple times and had a lot of use. Either that or they are books that have been through many hands before finding themselves as her possessions. Either way, this proves that the woman is not in the financial position to be wasting money on books for her pleasure since she either got these books second (or third/fourth) hand or she lied to me and has reread these books many times herself.
"Come on, a dedicated fan like you that has bought all my previous books deserves to go home with a brand new signed copy of my book today. In fact, I will give it to you free of charge. Now, what is your name Mrs?" I ask as I pick up a copy of my book Assault on the Abominable Snowman that was on the desk and prepare to autograph and write a message on it.
"Ah, it is Weasely, Molly Weasely, Mr Lockhart. Thank you very much for this, but you don''t need to." She tries to dissuade me from giving her a copy while still being polite. doesn''t she know that misplaced pride will never get you anywhere?
"Nonsense, Molly, you will take this book. Think of it as a gift for my most loyal fan. you will be doing me a favour." Yes, you will be doing me a favour. You will be doing me a favour by revealing all the little secrets you have in that redhead of yours.
Chapter 12– Perfect PR.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 12¨C Perfect PR.
Molly Weasley is not the prettiest woman in the world, but she certainly isn''t the ugliest, though she is a little on the heavier side. She has a head full of bright red hair that pairs well with her pale white skin, but that is as far as I can go with the compliments. Other than that, Molly is a short, slightly wide mother of seven.
However, I am sure she must have been quite the beauty when she was younger, as most magical people are. That is unless they have had a little too much inbreeding, which usually either results in ugliness and deformities or crazy mental issues.
As I hand over the now signed new copy of Assault On The Abominable Snowman over to Molly, I look into her eyes and immediately apply my Leigilimency to read her mind. Except, I do not go full force straight away since I want to test her defences, if she even has any, because I highly doubt that someone who was in Dumbledore''s little phoenix force would have an absolutely defenceless mind, as that would be a significant chink in the chainmail.
This was actually one of my worries when I started to learn about the mind arts because if I tried to invade the mind of someone with sufficiently robust Occlumency and they repelled my attack, then I would be pretty screwed, wouldn''t I? Gilderoy only ever was proficient with the obliviation charm and interviewed his victims extensively to gain their stories before specifically obliviating those memories.
Thankfully it was pretty simple how to gauge someone''s Occlumency level. It was by simply not trying to enter into their mind but by simply skirting along the edges of it and feeling it out, testing its rigidity. It is quite a difficult thing to learn to do correctly, knowing how far to go and when to stop, but I had plenty of practice where there were no consequences if I failed.
The direct eyesight also helps the issue, and as Molly Weasley''s eyes meet mine, I dive straight in and touch upon the edge of her mind, completely ready to feel some form of resistance, yet, there is no such barrier. Not believing such a thing since she would come to be such a crucial person in the upcoming years, I continued to poke at her mind and test her defences, but there were none to be seen.
Finally satisfied that I wasn''t being lured in or tricked, I dived into her mind, and her entire life became an open book to me, and I saw how incredibly boring it was. I really overestimated just how interesting this woman''s life would be just because she would become someone of importance in a few years'' time.
But right now, she is just an ordinary housewife and mother dealing with petty squabbles between her children and cleaning up her own weirdly shaped house, and there really is nothing interesting. Thankfully my expert skill in Legilimency and the mind arts, in general, allows me to act much quicker, meaning while I am doing all this, it has still been a split second outside since myself, and Molly made eye contact.
But while time is slower in here, my window will eventually end, so I quickly get to work to try and find something, anything, that could possibly help me. I start by going back to Molly''s earliest memories and promptly starting to skim through them to see if there is anything of importance I could glean.
She grew up as Molly Prewett, and she had two older brothers that were ironically twins just like she has herself now, and they were named Gideon and Fabian, G and F, just like her sons George and Fred, so definitely some unresolved issues there.
She went to Hogwarts like every other magical child in Britain, and I was right when she grew up a bit. She was pretty good-looking. But she only ever had a relationship with Arthur Weasley and snuck out late at night to be with him, which I skipped right over since I didn''t want to see that.
By this point, Voldemort had started his war, and as soon as she graduated, she married Arthur, moved to The Burrow, and started having a family. Her brothers Gideon and Fabian actually were members of the original Order of the Phoenix, but they were murdered when ambushed by five Death Easters, including Antonin Dolohov, which is where the unresolved issues came from.
She didn''t have much of a relationship with James and Lily Potter or their friend group since she was busy raising her own children, but she was still quite distraught when she heard of their death on that Halloween night. Quickly skipping forward through the years and seven children later, her good looks had faded, and she had become worn, which is what giving birth to seven different children, including twins, will do to you.
Curious as to what her opinion is of me, I focus on that and try to uncover those memories, which I quickly regret. I determinedly ignore the memories of her masturbation sessions with me as the focus, what with her being an overworked housewife that doesn''t often get to enjoy herself with all her kids running around and her husband always working, and a perfect heroic sexy character in her books. Turning away from that, I quickly focused on my objective and investigated her memories involving Dumbledore.
She has respect and admiration for Dumbledore, having been her headmaster and the headmaster of her children, as well as all the amazing feats he had performed in the war against Grindelwald and the recent civil war against Voldemort. However, there is not much of a personal relationship there, she has been to Hogwarts a few times when her twins had gone too far with a prank, but that was about it.
One significant moment between them is when he consoles her regarding her brothers back during the war since they were his followers. He talked to her about it and helped with anything she needed, probably feeling guilt at her brothers'' deaths since they were his followers. This brewed healthy emotions towards him in Molly, but that was about it, and I don''t think this amount of goodwill would be enough for her to follow any manipulations or plans Dumbledore may possibly have.
Harry will be starting in a month or so, and If this is truly an evil/manipulative Dumbledore situation, then surely he would have already tried to talk her into it by this point, plus he would need a better relationship with her to request her to do such a thing. That is, if he isn''t just straight up going to mess with her mind and use magic to make her follow his orders, I haven''t found proof of Dumbledore, but I can''t rule it out either. I haven''t found evidence of him being good after all.
Finding nothing more of interest and having nothing more to do here, I quickly exit Molly''s mind and return to the normal speed in the outside world, where Molly breaks eye contact with me while blushing, hurriedly grabbing the book. I quickly ignore that in favour of looking at the two children that she has brought with her, both of which will be very important in the future, and both in different ways.
"Now, Molly, who are these two little munchkins you have brought with you?" I ask Molly, who quickly looks behind her at her two children, who both look up like deers in headlights, surprised to be mentioned. Molly herself quickly goes to answer, eager to please, and she doesn''t make any mention of me calling her by her first name.
"Ah, these are my two youngest. This is my darling daughter Ginny, and this here is Ronald, who actually starts Hogwarts this year. Ginny will be going next year. Say hello then, dears." Molly places her hands on each of their shoulders and brings them forward in front of her, showcasing them for me. And when their mother tells them to greet me, Ron awkwardly waves and mumbles out a hullo while Ginny stares down at the ground, unprepared for the focus to be on her, and she mutters a quiet hi.
"Haha, Hogwarts already, huh? You will be spending nearly an entire year there, and it is a big place, so here is a book to keep you company and entertained. And here is one for you, Ginny. you might get quite lonely without your brother home, so I hope you can find some enjoyment in this." Saying so, I hand Voyages With Werewolves to Ginny and Travelling With Trolls to Ron, which I suppress a snicker at since the boy will become face-to-face with an actual troll this year.
"Aren''t you going to sign these ones?" Ron rudely blurts out just before I hand the books over, which makes my smile freeze and my hand stills. This little snot stain was getting free shit, and yet he was wanting even more.
"Ron!" Molly whisper shouts at Ron, who looks at her blankly like he doesn''t know what he has done wrong, which he clearly doesn''t, while Ginny continues to be shy. Acting fast, I hurriedly place both books on the desk and flip them both to the first page, after which I quickly scribble my autograph on both and then pass them back over to Ron and Ginny.
"Please, Mr Lockhart, we couldn''t possibly accept these. So please take them back." While Ron and Ginny easily take the offered books, as children find no problem with accepting free things from a practical stranger, their mother quickly tries to return the books, which I obviously refuse since a couple of little books mean nothing to me. But, at the same time, they could give me some sort of positive image in the eyes of these two future vital people.
"Nonsense Molly, what are a few books compared to the enjoyment of children? Now young Ronald, have you done all of your school shopping yet? Have you gotten your wand from Ollivanders?" I question, quick to change the subject away from the books, as Molly would doggedly try to return them, finding it hard to accept a single free book, let alone three.
"Ah, actually, Mr Lockhart, sir, the school shopping doesn''t really start till next week. it allows Madam Malkin to procure all the Acromantula silk and other things she needs for the first year''s robes, along with all the other shops having all the other things the new students will need to be stocked up in bulk, ready to be bought." A Flourish and Blotts employee speaks up, the same one waiting to pack up the stage, and tells me about the school shop.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
"Oh really, well, I don''t remember that-" Again, I am rudely interrupted by Ron, who just can''t seem to keep his mouth closed. It is like the boy has no filter, and he is also kind of dumb.
"I already have my wand. Here, look. It is from Ollivanders, but it first belonged to my brother Chalie before I got it. It is twelve inches, made of ash, and has a core of unicorn hair. Mum says Charlie was a fantastic wizard with this wand and that I will also be one using it." Ron says, pulling out a wand from his back pocket that is relatively light and straight, but there is a conspicuous hair sticking out of the end of the wand, clearly the unicorn hair.
Clearly, this is different from the heritage kind of situation where a wand is being passed down, like Neville, who will be forced to use his father''s wand by his grandmother. This situation is instead due to their financial situation. The Weasleys are much too poor to provide for all seven of their children adequately, but they make do by passing down all the items and clothing, though Ginny obviously gets new things as the only girl.
As I look down at the wand, I am reminded that this stupid thing would break in Harry Potter''s second year when the Chamber of Secrets incident would happen, and a Basilisk would be set loose upon the school. This dumb little wand would be what originally gave Gilderoy brain damage and wiped his memories when it backfired on him. This wand malfunctioning essentially destroyed him.
I know that such a thing isn''t liable to happen since things will be different with me at the wheel, but I have seen many stories where events try to fit into a planned structure and follow a linear path, even if you try to diverge from it. So what if this world is meant to go that way, and Gilderoy died too early, which is why I was brought here, so I could be there to be mindwiped at the correct time?
I can not take that chance. I know it sounds pretty farfetched and absurd, but I have been transmigrated into the body of Gilderoy Lockhart, and I am living in a world of magic. Ridiculous things happen all the time. So the first thing to do is divert from that set path, and I will try to do this first by changing something simple, such as this wand.
It could do nothing, or perhaps it was because the wand was old and wasn''t loyal to Ron that it actually broke. Either way, I want to make a change, but just a small one to see if it will work or if there is some sort of mystical will of the world that will reset things to how they are meant to be.
"A passed down wand, and even more so, made with ash wood and a unicorn hair. A wand chooses the wizard. Hardly ever does a passed-down wand properly fit the new wizard and not only that. Ashwood cleaves to its one true owner and ought not to be passed on or gifted from the original owner, as it would lose power, as well as the Unicorn Hair core, as they are the most faithful of all wands and usually remain firmly attached to their first owner." I speak before Molly can, probably wanting to explain the situation and tell them the cold facts. I read up on wands in my spare time.
"With both the ash wood and the unicorn hair being paired together, and with young Ronald not being the original owner, while this wand is in Ron''s possession, he will most likely not be able to demonstrate his magical skills to his total capacity. I do not mean to impede on you, but I am merely stating the facts. It is our duty as the current generation to make sure the future generations grow up strong, something young Ronald will not be able to do with this here wand." I say, and Molly turns red in the face, as does her son Ron, but while Molly''s is more out of embarrassment and shame, Ron''s is out of jealousy and rage.
"WHAT!? IF CHARLIE''S WAND IS NOT GOING TO WORK FOR ME, THEN WHY AM I GOING TO USE IT! IT- it isn''t fair... why do I have to have everybody''s old stuff... why can''t I have something new of my own?" Ron starts shouting, but he whispers out the last few things meaning only us on the stage can hear it, embarrassed and ashamed of his family''s situation. Molly looks sad as well as angry and is about to scold him, but that is when I cut in since this situation is perfect for me.
"Now, now, young Ronald. I am sure your mother didn''t know about those issues. We can''t all have an in-depth knowledge of wands, after all. Actually, hmm. This gives me an idea. Hey, has Ollivander begun to sell his wands to the first years as well?" I calmed Ronald down and stopped his mother from having an outburst before directing a question toward the same employee who interrupted earlier.
"Ah, uh, Ollivander? Well, it is a tradition for everybody to do all of their school shopping at once, so even though Ollivanders is open and ready to sell, the new 1st years will not buy a wand until they can do all of their shopping at once and get their robes fitted. This goes the same for Muggle-borns as well since a member of Hogwarts staff will go to meet with them to introduce them to the wizarding world. And only after everything is ready to be bought so they can offer to take the Muggleborns to do the shopping or simply give them the address of the Leaky Cauldron. So it is unlikely that a first-year has bought their wand yet." The staff member finishes their ramble, prompting a raised eyebrow from me.
"Uh, I wanted to work in The Department of Magical Education." The employee answers the unasked question, awkwardly scratching the back of their head.
"Right, well, that answers that. Now, you lot! Stop packing your equipment away and follow me. I have a new headline for you! You as well, young Ronald, come along." I addressed the entire room, speaking directly to the reporters that were packing away, whose heads perked up as soon as I mentioned more news. Then, acting quickly, I put an arm around Ron''s shoulders and shuffled him off the stage and towards the exit. His mother only realises what is happening when we are halfway there and hurries after us with her daughter but is blocked off by the gaggle of reporters trailing after us.
"Hey, get off. Where are you taking me?" Only once we are out of the building and walking off down Diagon Alley does Ron come to his senses and try to shake me off of him. of course, his puny child strength is no match for my fully grown adult strength, and so I continue to shuffle him down the street, However, what with me being the famous Gilderoy Lockhart and the gaggle of reporters straggling along behind me we do attract a lot of eyes from the passersby, and Ron struggling would not look good for me, so I lean down to whisper to him.
"Listen well, young Ronald, we are on the way to procure a brand new wand for you. A wand, this is completely and utterly yours. With this, you will have a wand that is perfectly matched to you, and you will perform magic the way you were meant to, so just follow me." I whisper to him, after which he noticeably stops struggling, though he doesn''t seem particularly seem to be happy being pulled along with me, so I let him go, and he walks alongside me.
I can hear Molly trying to break through the crowd behind me, but she just can''t get through the scoop-hungry reporters, and I ignore her calls for me to stop as I have a single goal in mind. And finally, we come to a stop outside of Ollivanders, makers of fine wands since 382 B.C., and I turn around to face the crowd of reporters that are already flashing away and taking photos, and I meet them with my hand on Ron''s shoulder, who looks very out of place.
"Everyone! To celebrate the release of my new book, I have decided that I will pay for every wand purchased for every new Hogwarts student. And here today, right next to me, is the first recipient, Ronald Weasley. So he will be getting his wand today, and I will be footing the bill for it, just like I will be for the rest of the new students this year." So I say to the applause of the surrounding crowd, people having joined it when they noticed the reporters stopping here and watching me.
Instinctively I pose and show my better side towards the camera while shuffling Ron around next to me, so that he is positioned correctly. Then, finally, the cameras start to flash us, getting at least one good photo before Ron groans and shields his eyes. Molly quickly comes up to us, dragging Ginny along with her, but before she can say anything, I quickly push Ron forward into the shop, and Molly follows behind us.
"Mr Lockhart, I appreciate the spirit of what you are trying to do, but I really do not think it is appropriate for you to be buying my son a wand." Molly immediately speaks as soon as the door closes behind her, trying her best to remain polite while not showing her anger. Ginny stays silently by the door while Ron rushes to the counter excitedly, waiting for Ollivander to show, excitedly jumping up and down in anticipation of his new wand.
"Please pay attention, Molly. This is not something that is being done specifically for young Ronald. I will be performing this same action for all new first-year students this year. Now, ah, Mr Ollivander, it is good to see you." I really have no idea why I keep saying young before saying Ron''s name. It just seems to fit, I guess. Anyway, I spot Ollivander finally emerging from between the shelves of wands, looking very confused. I was kind of expecting him to pop up behind me.
"Ah, nine inches, made of cherry, has a dragon heartstring core, slightly bendy. Wands constructed from cherry are usually misinterpreted by Western purchasers for frivolous or merely ornamental reasons, but they make a wand of truly destructive power, regardless of the core. However, a cherry wand with a dragon heartstring core should never be teamed with a wizard without exceptional self-control and strength of mind." Garrick Olivander begins monologuing as he slowly walks over to the counter, completely commanding the room with his mysterious presence.
"I must admit, I was sceptical when you first entered this store and went away with the wand, unsure if this wand was truly meant for you, but alas, the wand chooses the wizard. However, your written adventures do tell the story of a wizard with exceptional self-control and strength of mind, but even then, I found it hard to associate such fantastical tales with the boy that walked into this shop. But here you are, and I dare say that you are perfectly in sync with your wand, a true match. So, Gilderoy Lockhart, I suppose you are the reason for all the hubbub in front of my shop this fine day." He finally reaches the desk and looks toward me, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.
Well, I already knew that stuff about my wand. It was the reason I started my research on wands, after all. I was actually surprised that this was Gilderoy''s wand, I don''t know about self-control, but I suppose at the age of eleven, Gilderoy did have exceptional strength of mind so assured by his own genius and specialness that perhaps this wand did match with him, at least until he went to Hogwarts and found out he wasn''t as unique as he thought. Though looking through his memories, I feel a greater attachment and bond to this wand than Gilderoy ever did.
"Well, Mr Ollivander, I have just made the decision to pay for every new Hogwarts student''s wand. And Ronald Weasley here is the first to get a new wand, so let''s do this thing." So I speak, ready to get this show on the road.
"Each wand costs seven Galleons, and I am afraid that several customers will not like you paying for their wands. Therefore, I cannot accept this arrangement. you will have to find somewhere else." Of course, Ollivander rejects my offer, but I can''t stop now, and I know Ollivander is human, just like the rest of us.
"I will pay ten Galleons for each wand bought for a first year." I know that there are 40 students in Harry''s year, which means that I will be paying four hundred Galleons in total, but that is petty cash for me with the number of books I sell and all the other income I have coming in. So even if there are over a hundred students this year, it will be fine. My Gringotts vault is quite hefty at the moment.
"Deal. Ten Galleons for every wand sold to a first year." Ollivander agrees since profit is the number one motivator, after all.
"Good, just give all the wands away and send me an invoice for the amount sold when Hogwarts finally starts. I will then give you the amount." I reach out my hand towards him to shake on the deal.
"How can I trust you will keep up your side and just not pay me after all the children have gone off to Hogwarts?" He also reaches his hand forward but hesitates to connect it with mine, stopping a few inches away.
"I just told all those reporters out there about this. plus, if I don''t fulfil my end, you can go inform The Daily Prophet and ruin my reputation, so do we have a deal?" Ollivanders hand finally clasps mine, and he gives me a firm nod, after which I turn around to Ron.
"Come here, young Ronald. It is time for you to get a new wand."
Chapter 13– Changes.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it
Chapter 13¨C Changes.
"Brand new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail hair." Ollivander says, handing the spindly wand over to Ron, who excitedly grabs it, and immediately colourful sparks fly out the end of the wand to the boy''s visible amazement.
"A brilliant wand for a future brilliant wizard. Willow is an uncommon wood with healing power, and they are usually owned by capable wizards who doubt their own abilities. Unicorn hair produces the most consistent magic and is the least subject to fluctuations and blockages. They are the most faithful of all wands and remain strongly attached to their first owner, no matter who they are. And while they do not make for the most powerful of wands, the wand wood can compensate for that. However, if seriously mishandled, they are prone to melancholy, meaning the hair may ''die'' and need replacing. So look after your wand, young Weasley." Ollivander informs though Ron doesn''t really listen, more entranced by his new wands.
"Mr Lockhart, we couldn''t possibly-" Molly comes forwards, reaching into her bag, and I can already tell she is looking for the galleons in her purse to pay for this. Damn, this woman is weirdly prideful. But I cut her off before she could finish her words or bring out any money.
"Please, Molly, your child is just one of many whose wands I will be paying for this year. Now come, you and your children should really be getting home. I am sure the rest of your family is waiting for you. now go." I start to shuffle all three Weasleys out the door, Molly and Ginny not knowing what to do except go and Ron not even looking up from his wand, mesmerised by it. I am sure the boy doesn''t even know where he is right now.
When I hear the door close behind them, I take a moment to breathe it all in because I just made a change to the entire timeline. A small insignificant change that probably won''t change much at all, if anything, but a change nonetheless. If this wand does end up breaking in Ron''s second year, then he will have to get yet another wand, which he never had in the cannon.
Not to mention the fact that this wand is more suited to Ron, which means he will be performing his spells better, so maybe he will be getting better grades in his first year and overall become a better student, which would then have an effect on Harry Potter who will be his best friend. A tiny little change like this, yet the ramifications could differ in magnitude. It could be as small as Ron just having a better wand, and that is it, or it could make both Ron and Harry better wizards and much more capable in time for beating Voldemort.
"So, Mr Lockhart. That will be seven Galleons, if you don''t mind. I can''t hang around here all day. I have more wands to make." Ollivanders voice breaks me out of my reverie, and I look towards him and see that he is resting on the top of the counter with his palm out, waiting for me to deposit the correct amount in there.
"Just wait till you have sold all the new first years their wands, and then send me the bill. I will pay it all at once then." I tell him, opening the front door of the shop myself, ready to go home after this long tiring day.
"Okay then, but you better not complain when you see the entire amount after I have provided the wands for all the new students," Ollivander calls as I walk out, but I don''t design to give him a response. The price will not scare me.
With it costing seven galleons a wand, I will be fine. That is chump change for a man of my financial standing. However, if I recall correctly, forty students are going to join Hogwarts this year, which means it would cost me two hundred and eighty galleons. However, I do remember reading something about there actually being around one hundred and forty-three students in each year, which I don''t think is actually correct. But, even if it is, it will be fine. It is just one thousand and one galleons.
Now, time to go home and rest for a while. This day has genuinely wiped me out. Meeting all those people is tiresome, and even the propositions-
Actually, I have another way to relax tonight. Employing my Occlumency, I searched through my memories for the first woman to extend me an offer today. So, instead of going home and being alone, I think I will enjoy some company tonight.
Walking the street of Diagon Alley is an unlikely pair, an odd duo made up of a giant of a man and a scrawny little boy. The giant is actually a half-giant by the name of Hagrid, and the scrawny little boy is the future saviour of the wizarding world, the boy who lived, Harry Potter.
Harry and Hagrid are walking through the street, and while the jolly half-giant walks on, Harry is reading through his Hogwarts list. He has already bought most of his equipment, and now only one thing remains.
"I still need...a wand," Harry confirms, looking up at the grizzly keeper of keys to direct him and give him further guidance, not yet familiar with the wizarding world.
"A wand? Well, you''ll want Ollivanders." Hagrid points to the store that was coincidentally nearby, a shop with two big windows, each displaying a different colour wand on a purple cushion. There, written in golden lettering, was Ollivanders, Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.
"No place better. Run along there, but wait. I just got one more thing I got to do. Won''t be long." Hagrid pushes Harry towards the door before turning around and disappearing into the packed crowds, off to do whatever he has to do, leaving behind a vulnerable young boy in an unfamiliar place.
Harry had no other option, so he tamedly went into the store, quietly opening and closing the door. He looks around, but there are no people around, only shelves of wands in boxes. It is entirely deserted.
"Hello? Hello?" Harry calls out softly to the empty store, practically whispering, repeating himself when he receives no answer the first time. Then, suddenly, a noise came from the back, a series of clunks before a ladder rolled along the shelves and appeared, a man upon it with scraggly grey hair and wide eyes who looked at Harry and smiled.
"I wondered when I''d be seeing you, Mr Potter. It seems only yesterday that your mother and father were in here buying their first wands," The man, who is obviously Ollivander, the owner of the shop, says as he hops off of the ladder and waltzes over to harry, picking a wand off a shelf on his way.
"Ah. Here we are." Ollivander holds out the wand for Harry to take, which he does. Harry holds it but does nothing with it, looking down at the wand and then back up at Ollivander when nothing happens.
"Well, give it a wave." Ollivander prompts when it is clear Harry does not know what he is doing. Harry is hesitant, but he waves the wand anyway. Unfortunately, the motion causes most of the boxes inside the store to come flying out of their spots and crashing down all around the store. Shocked, Harry jumps and hurriedly puts the wand back on the counter and backs away from it.
"Apparently not," Ollivander says, stating the obvious, but the man is not phased in the least. This event probably occurred multiple times in the past. Then, placing the wand to the side, he goes to another shelf, picks up a box, and gets another wand out.
"Perhaps this." Ollivander hands the wand over to Harry, and knowing what to do now, Harry cautiously gives the wand a wave, knowing what might result from it. Harry finishes his wave with the wand pointing at a vase, which shatters, startling Harry.
"No, no, definitely not! No matter..." Ollivander panicked and snatched the wand from Harry''s grasp, not used to having such a mishap happen twice. Placing the wand to the side, he goes to get another wand from a box but suddenly stops and looks thoughtfully at a box on the side.
"I wonder," Ollivander mutters before picking up the box and walking back to the counter, placing the box down with extra special care before taking the wand out. A smooth, light wooded wand with a nice handle. Ollivander hands the wand over to Harry, and no sooner after he touches it, the wand starts to glow effervescently, illuminating Harry and his surroundings, blowing his hair up as well as all the loose sheets of paper in the shop.
"Curious, very curious." Ollivander looked a bit surprised and deep in thought at the result, his eyes drifting off and focusing on seemingly nothing.
"Sorry, but what''s curious?" Harry is brought out of his fugue state when Ollivanders talks and notices Ollivander''s strange reaction.
"I remember every wand I''ve ever sold, Mr Potter. It just so happens that the phoenix, whose tail feather resides in your wand, gave one other feather, just one." Ollivander plucks the wand from Harry''s reluctant hand and examines the wand he had just given to Harry, regarding it with a curious but cautious eye.
"It is curious that you should be destined for this wand when it''s, brother..." Ollivander reaches out his finger inching forward towards Harry, the boy''s eyes crossing, trying to focus on it before it stalls less than an inch away from touching his skin. "...gave you that scar." Ollivander points to the lightning bolt scar on Harry''s forehead, the one he has had for as long as he can remember that never seems to fade.
"And..." Harry gulps, faced with a terrible unknown that has suddenly appeared. "...who owned that wand?" The wand that had forever marked his skin, that etched in the terrible jagged scar that has been displayed on his forehead for all of his life, that got him the nickname he so disliked: Scarhead.
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"Oh, we do not speak his name. The wand chooses the wizard, Mr Potter. It''s not always clear as to why, but I think it is clear that we can expect great things from you. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things...terrible, yes, but great." Ollivander hands Harry back his wand, not saying the name of the man who marked his flesh but giving him the infamous moniker feared throughout the British Isles
Harry wants to ask more, to find out more about this He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, find out how his forehead was marred and how this involves his parents, but before he can, he is interrupted and hears a knock on the shop window.
"Harry! Harry! Happy birthday!" Hagrid excitedly bellows, holding up something in his hands p to the window for Harry to see. In Hagrid''s hand is a beautiful snowy white owl in a cage, which hoots as if calling for Harry as well.
"Wow," Harry says, amazed, astonished at the birthday present that has been gotten for him by the most giant man he has ever seen that he had just met today, let alone the fact that he is actually getting a present on his birthday, his first present ever. Excited, the boy rushes to leave the store, wand in hand, when he stops, remembering something.
"Oh, sorry. How much do I owe you? For the wand?" Harry turns back, remembering that he has to pay for his new wand. He starts to dig around in his pocket for his galleons while walking back to the counter but is surprised to find Ollivander stopping him with his palm raised.
"There is no need Mr Potter. Your wand will be paid for by someone else, same with all other wands purchased for new students this year." So Ollivander informs Harry, the first time he has had to notify a customer, all the others knowing this already after it having been reported in the Daily Prophet.
"Oh, really. Might I ask who that is?" Harry enquires politely, letting the galleons fall back into his pocket and pulling his hand out, interested to know just who is providing all the wands for students this year.
"Gilderoy Lockhart, a magical adventurer and world-renowned author, his books detail many of his adventures. In celebration of his new book release, he has decided to pay for the wands of all new students this year." So Ollivander tells Harry, coincidentally introducing Harry to the first ever famous wizard he has ever heard of. A famous magical adventurer that is doing a tremendous act of kindness.
"Wow, a magical adventurer. Gilderoy Lockhart must be a powerful wizard to have books about his adventures and kind as well to spend so much of his own money on new students." Harry comments, in awe, that such a man exists when before all he had known was people like the Dursleys, Petunia with a neck like a giraffe, Vernon who looked like a purple whale and Dudley, who was a miniature version of Vernon, and they were all terrible.
Sure, he had met Hagrid, but the man was larger than life, and while a terrific person, he could be relatively not so bright sometimes, and with his height added, Harry didn''t really regard him as an average person. he saw him as more than human. But this is a person who is the same as him. He had witnessed a moving picture of the man when he went to get his books for the year though he didn''t pay much attention to it. Gilderoy Lockhart intrigued Harry, who had yet to see much of the magical world.
"Mr Potter, perhaps some advice is in order, especially to a young soul such as yours that is new to this world. Not everything is as it seems, especially when there is magic involved. You can see something, hear something and even feel something, but it might be as illusory as the wind. You cannot always trust your eyes or your ears, for magic is capable of anything imaginable." Ollivander cryptically says, staring off to the side at things unseen. However, Harry does not have much time to ponder on his words.
"Harry! Come along now. We''ve not got all day!" Hagrid shouts through the shop window, reminding harry of the beautiful snowy white owl, which also hoots for him. Excitedly Harry runs out of the shop and toward Hagrid, who smiles, seeing his enthusiasm and moves the cage closer to the ground for Harry to see.
"Happy Birthday, Harry!" This was the first birthday present Harry had ever received, as the Dursleys never celebrated his birthday. He very quickly grew attached to the owl, and he hadn''t even named it yet.
Harry could tell that life in the wizarding world would be much more enjoyable than life at number 4 Privet Drive could ever be.
Closing the door quietly, I quickly walk off down the hallway and out of the apartment building, ready to get home. I had a lovely night last night with this woman who I can''t seem to recall the name of, and I could probably use my Occlumency, but I don''t want to waste my time on a woman I probably won''t meet again.
Of course, I am not an asshole about it, I have been spending every other night with a different female fan, and I have perfected a perfect system. Before I go to meet my partner for the night, I bring with me several pepper-up potions and the purpose of these potions is several.
I had learned to prepare after my first time with the first woman to extend an offer to me, and she was a heavily experienced woman. So I was pretty wiped out falling asleep before her, and then it was a somewhat awkward experience in the morning. It was my actual first time when I wasn''t on an aphrodisiac, and I wasn''t on dragon blood this time.
So I decided to put my new skills to the test and erased this memory from her mind, making her think she had just had a calm night and went to bed. And then, I contacted her again the next day to hook up, but this time I went out and bought several pepper-up potions using a disguise since I didn''t want to affect my reputation and brought them with me.
Some people might look down on me for using such a method, but to them, I say fuck off. Unlike muggle alternatives that have different, sometimes serious side effects, pepper-up potions only have one side effect, which is making steam burst from your ears when you ingest it. So all it does is energise you. with such a magical and practical solution before you, why wouldn''t you use it?
Needless to say, the second time around was a much different experience, much more enjoyable for both my partner and me. First, I took a pepper-up potion before I met her at her place, right outside the door. Then if I needed to take it again in the midst of our activities, I would transition us so that she was on her hands and knees, and then I would take a pepper-up potion again, where she wouldn''t see the steam erupt from my ears.
And then, in the morning, while my partner is thoroughly tired out, I would wake up and take another pepper-up potion. Then, thoroughly energised, I would check out the kitchen and what food there was and perhaps make myself some breakfast and then make some breakfast for my partner and leave them a note that I had some business to attend to. Of course, the food might be cold by the time they wake up, but it is the thought that counts, and it leaves them with a good impression of me.
Of course, I take the opportunity while they are still asleep and exhausted to check out their minds to see if they have any nefarious intentions, I do this when I first meet them as well, but that is just a brief look to see if there is anything dangerous they have planned for me since I want to get straight to business.
Some of them actually have plans to get pregnant and then marry me, but that won''t work since I always use contraceptive spells. Then there are even some of them planning to go to the Daily Prophet and make up stories and lies about me for fame and attention. So I make some slight alterations there to make sure that they don''t, and I also make sure that each of my partners will never tell anyone about their night with me, regarding it as a special secret.
However, over time and the more experience I gain and the more women I meet up with, the fewer pepper-up potions I need. Usually, I just have maybe one during our night together and then one in the morning so that I can get out of there before they wake up and want to actually do other stuff. I don''t need anything like that right now. I am young and have other worries on my mind.
As I make my way home, I begin to think about my next course of action because while it has been fun sleeping around with all these women for a time, I need to start getting some of my objectives done. Hogwarts has just started now, which means that both Dumbledore and Voldemort are directly tied up at the school, and I won''t have to worry about running into them while I take care of business. So it is time for me to start dealing with all the traces old Gilderoy Lockhart left behind.
The published works of Gilderoy Lockhart are a collection of what appeared to be autobiographical books containing the highlights from a life dedicated to the eradication of dark forces and dark evil magical creatures. They were written as though the heroics described in them were accomplished by Lockhart himself and rife with exaggerations and embellishments to make said accounts sound even more impressive than they were initially when he first heard them from the dozen great witches and wizards.
With their feats of bravery, he stole the credit by modifying their memories to make them forget that they themselves had accomplished what Lockhart would go on to proclaim to have done himself. Yet, despite the revisions he made to these tales and the exaggerations he made, they were actually believable.
They accurately described how to confront and handle a myriad of dangerous situations. This is further proved as Gilderoy''s books received best-seller status, and even his former Hogwarts professors thought they might have misjudged him in his school days when word reached Hogwarts of all the feats of bravery he was said to have been credited with after his graduation.
However, old Gilderoy did not do as good a job cleaning up his mess as he thought, as Dumbledore would somehow find out about Gilderoy''s fraud when visiting his friend, one of Gilderoy''s victims. Since I don''t know which victim that actually is, I need to go and see all of them and adequately modify all of their memories and cover all my bases so this won''t hang over me and won''t affect me in the future.
So I had to go to the capital of the Surat Thani Province in Thailand, where I supposedly saved the city of Bandon by banishing a Banshee that was terrorising the locals, while in fact, it was done by a witch with a hairy chin. This is the book Break with a Banshee.
Then I had to travel to the Australian city of Wagga Wagga, where I am known to have defeated a werewolf that was attacking the townspeople. This is the book Wanderings with Werewolves which I quite like. However, I am pretty exasperated when Lockhart states in chapter twelve that his ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic people. The book is mainly about Lockhart saving a village from werewolves. However, the real person who saved the town was some ugly old Armenian warlock to whom I would have to pay a visit.
Next up is a visit to Romania, which is the setting for my book Voyages with Vampires. In the book, Gilderoy ventures into the black, vampire-infested forest of central Romania to hunt vampires attacking humans. Even dealing with one of the vampires in a weird way, that vampire was left eating nothing but lettuce after their confrontation. Again this was done by another wizard, who I had to find and memory cleanse.
Gadding with Ghouls, unsurprisingly, is another story that Lockhart again stole, though he did exaggerate and embellish it heavily as Ghouls aren''t the most frightening creatures. However, the information within is factual and accurate when dealing with Ghouls, or to be more precise, Chameleon Ghouls, as regular ghouls are just XX magical creatures. In contrast, these ones can disguise as household items. Again I have to visit the real wizard behind this event.
Then we have the rest of the books, Travels with Trolls, which involved encountering Trolls in an expedition to and near the Maris Profondus, the Archipelago Ridiculus, and the Maris Cristallus. Then, finally, the year with the Yeti, which come people could argue is the same as my new Abominable Snowman, but I made mine up while this one is true, Holidays with Hags, which involved yet another trip to yet another foreign country.
And all of this without even mentioning Marauding with Monsters or Gilderoy Lockhart''s Guide to Household Pests. Because these two books include a lot of short little stories focusing on different magical pests and creatures, each stolen from a different wizard or witch. This is actually going to take me a long time to find all of these ones, but I cannot risk one of them being the possible leak to Dumbledore, so I have to track them down.
And so, thus, begins a journey to wipe out the last vestiges and mistakes of my previous self and properly start anew.
Chapter 14– Onto Bigger and Better.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 14¨C Onto Bigger and Better.
Strolling down Diagon Alley, I take a moment just to enjoy the atmosphere and take in the surroundings. I look around as multiple kids run around having fun and using magical toys to mess about, their parents either chasing after them or ignoring them entirely and talking to their friends. I look around at the numerous Christmas decorations decorating the alley, or maybe it would be more accurate to say Yule Tide decorations since that is what most of the magical world celebrates, not Christmas.
It has been four months since I made the decision to go and deal with all of the victims, and now it is Christmas, and I have dealt with all of it. Admittedly it took me a lot less time than I thought it would take me at first, but within the magical world, travelling around is relatively easy, and most of my time was spent searching for the wizard''s location. So getting to them was pretty easy.
All I had to do was visit a magical travel agency which acquired the pro keys and provided everything I might need while staying in the country I was going to, including maps, tips and multiple places to stay. They really had a good business.
And then, once I got into the country, there were numerous means of magical travel; I particularly liked magic carpets. Still, I mostly stuck to just using apparition as it was quicker and easier, and I didn''t have to pay for it.
Finding the wizards was quite challenging, but I had all the memories of Gilderoy, who had adequately interviewed them to get their stories and then obliviated them. Using those memories, I gathered a lot of information about them and knew their names, where they lived at the time and even their lineage, which is quite an essential topic in the wizarding world. Thankfully most of them still stayed in the same place, but there were some that had moved on, and so I had to follow their trail and talk to multiple people to track them down.
But I managed to find all of them and just in four months. Once I found them, I properly scanned their memories and looked at all of them and saw for myself how their stories actually unfolded and who was the possible link to Dumbledore discovering my fraudery. There were actually two of the victims that were acquainted with Dumbledore.
I made sure to properly wipe their minds, so much so that they had never even seen my face before except for maybe on a newspaper or on one of my books. I cleaned up Gilderoy''s old mess, and instead of the memories just being obliviated, I filled in the spaces and fabricated some memories so that there would be no suspicious gaps.
I didn''t really do any sightseeing or anything since I wasn''t there for that, and I had a goal in mind, plus I wanted to get my task done as soon as possible. So the first thing I usually did when I got into a new country was to find a local without Occlumency, usually a muggle if there were any nearby. I would go into their mind and copy all their knowledge of the language.
Of course, the copying thing didn''t actually mean I had learnt a language, but it did mean I had the knowledge and information knocking around in my head. The more time I spent in the country interacting and talking to people, the more of that knowledge would assimilate and become my own.
I could explain it as if I took the ability of a blacksmith. I know when to strike the metal and what heat to melt it at, but I have never done it, and therefore my technique and strength would not be sufficient enough to perform at the same level as the original blacksmith.
And now, I am home, back in England, just in time for Christmas, and I even know a few more languages. With all that dealt with, all I have to do now is enjoy my life to the fullest, living it to the max. I no longer have to worry about being found out and my new life being cut to a stop before I can even start living it.
With this, Dumbledore will have no real reason to suspect me, and even if he does, there is no evidence, and I am completely different from the old Lockhart, who would have been caught under Dumbledore''s watchful eye. But I can deal with all that and worry about it next year when I go to teach at Hogwarts if I ever do go there to be a professor since I might just stay away on the whole, maybe even go to a different continent.
Right now, it is time for me to enjoy my life, spend my nights with beautiful women and learn all the magic I can get my hands on. I spent quite a few Galleons in my time abroad, picking up multiple magical books from different countries. Thankfully I made sure to pick up the reading and writing knowledge of those countries as well from some helpful bystanders, though it will take me some time to properly integrate it.
And not only that, but I can even start to flesh out who I am as a person because I don''t want to stay locked in this box called Gilderoy Lockhart. So now is my chance to reinvent myself and become someone awesome, someone better, better than the loser I was in my past life and better than the fraudulent Gilderoy was in this one. I will be someone strong and stubborn, and most of all, I will actually have accomplished the things I am acclaimed for.
And that will start with getting a source of income that doesn''t rely on all of the books Gilderoy stole from people. I need to be self-made, or as much as I can possibly be right now. It is not that I have a problem with how that money was gained since I don''t care about the methods at all, this is a dog-eat-dog world, but I do care that original Gil earned that, not me. Book writing isn''t really my thing anyway; too much effort and work that could be much more fruitful when channelled into other things.
Though I am going to use the capital from those books to make my own money, you have to spend money to make money after all, and I don''t much care about the methods, so I know exactly what I am going to do. So, walking down Diagon Alley with a goal in mind, I ignore all the weird, wonderful things happening in the alley, with kids pulling over-the-top magical pranks and the decorations themselves that are bright, colourful distractions, but none of it dissuades me from my destination.
I dispel my magical disguise just before the entrance, and then I walk through the magic door and into the foyer of Gringotts. I watch as multiple witches and wizards go about their day sorting out their financial needs, more often than not, with a frown on their faces. No doubt their frowns are caused by the little foul-mouthed sharp-clawed beings that stand behind podiums and look down on the wizards that are waiting in line, no doubt some kind of ego boost.
I quickly walk up and join one of the short queues, not wanting to spend all day here. All of my interactions with the goblins that I have had so far have been entirely unpleasant, mainly because, first, they ignore you for however long they want while working behind their podiums, forcing you to call out for them. And even then, the most spiteful ones will ignore you more often than not. Finally, it is only when you are about to leave that they will turn to look at you.
They are condescending with insidious forked tongues and speak down to you and take advantage of you in ten different ways before you even realise one, and most of all, they act like we are the disgusting creatures. These goblins that apparently lost to the wizards in all the little wars they have had are now running the only magical bank in Britain with a monopoly on all the money in the land. So it certainly doesn''t seem like they are the ones who lost.
If I were to ever be put in a leadership position in Britain one day, I would take drastic action. Aside from taking care of the urgent problems such as Death Eaters and Voldemort, I would be putting most of my resources forward to cutting these things down to size and lessening the hold they have on our community. Not only are Goblins untrustworthy, but they are greedy as well, a bad combination, especially when they are practically in control of all the finance in Britain.
Perhaps I would do away with them entirely, maybe make a kind of magical virus that only targets Goblins or something. Do a complete genocide on the species and get rid of them as a whole since I really don''t see what they contribute to this world, except maybe their forging and their goblin silver. But, on the other hand, I suppose I could keep a couple of them around and mess around with their brains and biology to make them loyal and better-looking workers. Anything is possible with magic, after all.
"Yes, what do you need?" A grating voice breaks me from my daydreams and illusions of grandeur, bringing me into the here and now, where I have apparently moved to the front of the line, and a Goblin is looking down on me apathetically and waiting for me to speak my reason for being here.
"Ah, yes. I would like to enquire about all possible business opportunities and investments that Gringotts currently offers since I have recently had a windfall of Galleons. I would also like to know if you have any involvement with business and investments on the muggle side of things and if you have any connections there that you can offer me." I speak my intentions clearly and concisely.
Getting everything out in one go to waste the least time possible since Goblins do not like wasting time when they could be making money. I even mentioned having a lot of Galleons as an enticement to respond positively to my query, even if the Goblin does so, just to try and dupe me out of it.
"Hmph." The Goblin snorts derisively, giving me the inkling that this conversation will not turn out as I hoped. "Gringotts Bank does not offer any other service than providing a safe, secure location to store any and all of your wealth. Though if you are willing to pay the proper amount, we do offer other services though none to do with the business of investment. We can, however, give you a loan to help you start a business. As for your other request, Gringotts Bank has not interacted with the muggles or any of their companies since 1817."
Alright, well, shit. To be honest, I didn''t have much information about Gringotts as a whole other than it was a bank that stored the money of the wizarding world. And that they did expeditions to tombs and other lands with human curse breakers, and that was all the old Gilderoy knew about it as well.
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For some reason, I let the fanfiction and stuff cloud my brain and actually bought into it a bit. I don''t claim to be the best knowledge-wise on the Potter-verse before I came here, but Gringotts being much more than a bank was so prevalent in the fanfiction that I kind of just believed it and took it as fact, something I will not be doing again.
"...1817?" I ask after a moment, surprised that they did actually have some business involvement with the muggle side of things, at least nearly two centuries ago, but for some reason, they stopped it. I am curious why, if there is some reason that magical people can''t do business on the muggle side, maybe the Queen/Monarchy prevents wizards from doing business and taking advantage of people or something like that.
"In 1817, the stupid muggles stopped using gold as a currency and switched to inferior forms of money. They started to use lesser minerals and metals for their coins, and just recently, they have even idiotically begun to use paper, something that has no value at all. Good solid hard gold is the best currency and the only currency we will deal in. We no longer do business with those brain-dead things, and you should also stay away from their idiotic tendencies." The Goblin starts to go on a bit of a tirade, clearly angry about it.
Feeling that the conversation had come to an end, I immediately got out of line and started to move to leave the building, so I could figure out my next move. I thought perhaps there was some danger behind the reason Goblins stopped interacting with the muggle world when they were such greedy and money-grubbing beings. But it was purely because they stopped using gold, and Goblins care more about actual value than a value that has been assigned, so of course, they are not going to deal with paper.
They probably only do the money exchange things because it is legally required by the ministry to let muggle-borns buy and afford things in the magical world, and they probably exchange way more per Galleon than each Galleon is worth in its weight in gold.
Anyway, now that I know I can''t use the goblins or Gringotts as the middleman for doing business in the muggle world, I will have to go and do it myself, manually.
So if it wasn''t already obvious, my plan is to start investing in all the companies and businesses now that are just starting up or haven''t even been created yet, and then I will just watch the money roll in. Wanting to do some research to see which companies exist right now, which have existed for a while and which have not yet been created. Right now, I have my eyes on investing heavily in two particular companies, with a lot more to come in the future.
The first is Five Guys, the gourmet burger restaurant which was actually founded in 1986 by a group of ''five guys'' in Arlington County, Virginia. At this moment in time, Five Guys are still just an American chain with a few stores in a few states. I am going to invest to the point of being a significant shareholder and begin franchising its business model and investing a lot of money to have it become international, way ahead of its time. Mcdonalds, by this point, is already established and profitable, so I will make my own better franchise.
Next is Vodafone. The British mobile telecoms firm just came into being this year following the demerger of Racal Electronics. I remember that Vodafone was quite a giant in my time and was one of the planet''s leading mobile phone companies, expanding to a number of countries worldwide. But I won''t just be investing in these two; I will be investing in many more.
With the use of mind magic on my side, I will find it easy to go out there and use my abilities to influence the minds of a few people and make them agreeable to selling me some of their shares and percentages for a fair price, of course. I only plan to take a small part of each shareholder''s share, enough so that I have quite the amount but not enough that I will actually have any input in the company, and I can just watch the money roll in.
The sorts of companies that I plan to use this method with are Coca-Cola, Sony, H&M, 20th Century Fox Television, Mcdonald''s, McCain, Walmart, Nike, Intel, Starbucks, Microsoft and Apple. These companies will stay around and at the pinnacle of their market for decades to come, and I will be quietly collecting some of the profits as the years go by.
And as the years go by, I will continue to invest in these companies if needed and keep maintaining the same position I have in these companies. Aside from that, I will invest when other famous companies start up, such as Amazon, eBay, Netflix, Google and any other companies that pop up that I know for a fact will do well in the future.
But for me to do this, I need a muggle identity, and luckily for me, I actually technically grew up in the muggle world since Gilderoy lived with his witch mother, his muggle father and his two squib sisters. He went to a muggle primary school, and then after that, he went to Hogwarts, so I have all the documentation and papers for my muggle identity, except it just stops at eleven years old.
Thankfully Britain isn''t that bothered about keeping its records neat and orderly in this decade, so it isn''t hard to just come back and resume the identity. But, of course, I do have to go around and add some new documents, such as a driver''s license, some qualifications and degrees, and all of that shouldn''t be too hard to do with my mind magic at my disposal.
So now is the time to go out and do all those things, sort out my papers and start investing in those companies.
Well, that was easy. I just went out in a magical disguise that was basically just myself with a few differences here, and they''re just so no one from the magical world would recognise me, but so that my features would match what I had as a child, blonde hair, blue eyes and fair skin. So I got myself all the documentation I needed, went and found some people who would have been in my year and altered their memories to include me, as well as the teachers.
I went out and took a severe amount of Galleons out of my vault. I only paid the Goblins for the vault, and they had no clue what was inside, so I took a hefty amount and left with it. I then disguised myself as a muggle-born and went to exchange the Galleons for British Pounds, and I obviously got scammed.
The conversation of Pounds to Galleons is way more than the conversion from Galleons to pounds, the Goblins obviously being crafty bastards and making money hand over fist. I didn''t care because even if the amount was lowered, it was still a significant amount. It also helped that I changed my disguise every time and exchanged my funds in several different transactions, and I wasn''t caught out since I was doing it at the Gringotts money exchange building and not at the actual bank.
Then I went and did my little mind magic trick and opened a bank account and invested in the companies I mentioned earlier, having to search out some of the big wigs in those companies and use my magic on them. Then, of course, there were a few more things that needed to be done and a few complications, but it was all sorted with some help from a few experts.
And now, here I am in my muggle Gilderoy disguise, having a drink at a local muggle bar after a hard day of work. Man, does alcohol have a serious kick, and yet it is so addicting. I am glad I already have Lockhart''s resistance and familiarity with the drink since this is my first time drinking, and I am enjoying it heavily.
I am here to celebrate my first successful day of being a businessman, and everybody knows that being a businessman consists of being a piece of shit that takes advantage and cons people out of their money by any means necessary. And you know what, the perfect thing to go with this drink would be some friendly female company.
I quickly turn around from where I am sitting at the bar and promptly take a glance around the room, scoping the room and looking around for any women that catch my eye. And I quickly zoom in on a pair of girls in the corner of the bar, sitting at a booth quietly enjoying themselves in the corner. Then, noticing that their drinks are empty and they are still sitting there, I pick up my drink and start walking over, planning to pay for their next drink.
Admittedly my eye is only on one of the girls over there, that is a buxom blonde with a curvy waist and a beautiful face. In comparison, her friend is a chubby brunette girl that''s presence is really diminished in the shine of her friend''s radiance. Neither of them seems to notice my approach since they are lost in conversation, and they only look up when I finally reach their booth and start to talk, drink still in hand.
"Hello, how are you two lovely ladies this fine evening?" I open my mouth and say, smiling charmingly at them both, the line having naturally left my mouth, having memories of Gilderoy saying the same thing to countless fetching witches. I make sure to address both of them since the blonde seems to be very good friends with the chubby girl, and she most likely wouldn''t give me the time of day if I completely ignored her friend.
"Ah, we are good, thank you. Is there something that you wanted?" The confident blonde replied after a moment, the brunette noticeably quieting down and becoming timid when she noticed me. Again, I look at the blonde, and again I flash my smile, having used it numerous times in the past to charm many witches.
"Ah, well, you see, I was just sitting at the bar, and I couldn''t help but notice you over here, and so I was wondering if I could buy you both a drink and get to know you better." I say, completely expecting her to accept and for my night to unfold perfectly and wake up the following day with the blonde in my arms, which is why I am completely flabbergasted that the exact opposite happens.
"Oh, sorry, but we are having a girl''s night out tonight, away from our boyfriends. We are actually about to go and meet our other friends now, but thanks for the offer." Saying so, she moves to stand up, grabbing her purse, and her friend quickly follows her lead and gets up as well. Shocked since I have countless memories of that working, I blank out for a second, but when I see the gorgeous blonde walking past me, I quickly do a quick mind scan, not wanting to lose the chance that was before me.
Getting a quick read of her surface thoughts, I am barraged by feelings of anger, annoyance and disgust that are directed at me. Confused as to why she would have these emotions, I quickly delve in deeper into her mind, and she has no protection to stop me being just a muggle.
And I quickly learn that she sees me as some sleaze that is trying to get into her pants on account of my crappy line and wandering eyes. She thinks I am just pretending to be nice to her friend, faking it. She was angry and annoyed because I had just interrupted her time with her friend, and she knew I would continue to hound them if they stayed here, so she lied about having a girl''s night out and went to leave.
I let them go, quickly taking a seat at the now evacuated booth and having a revelation, an epiphany.
I was just a sixteen-year-old loser that had never really talked to a girl and certainly didn''t have any experience flirting or dating. I was completely clueless and was not at all suave, but I thought since I came here and took over Lockhart and took his memories that, I had become a ladies'' man, and the proof was there when I had continuously slept with loads of witches.
Except, now I realise that is entirely untrue. I wasn''t suave. I wasn''t a ladies'' man though I did have confidence, a fool''s confidence. All those witches I slept with and all the ones in Gilderoy''s memory are his fans. They slept with him because of his fame and money, and that was all. Fame and money that was all based on lies and fraud, and they ate it all up like stupid sheep. So I have been fucking sheep.
Well, no more. I am actually going to start going after women with some substance, women with personalities and traits that I like. But to do that, I will have to become more confident and experienced when it comes to women, and I can''t do that in the wizarding world where I am famous.
Starting now, I am going to begin prowling the streets of London and going to various places to start meeting with women and gaining more experience. And I am sure my Legilimency will help me to know what they want, just to aid me in my endeavours.
Starting now, Gilderoy Lockhart is starting his crusade as a womaniser, with a goal to bed all the hottest women in the wizarding world. Whether they are married or not, whether they are batshit crazy and locked up in Azkaban and even if they are dead at the current moment.
I will find a way to live out my fantasies. Otherwise, what is the point of this second chance?
Chapter 15– Making Strides.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 15¨C Making Strides.
"Okay, Ms Lumley. Thank you for your time. I will be in touch shortly if the position is indeed yours. Expect an owl." I say to the gorgeous blond woman dressed in entirely pink robes that has made it very clear that she would be willing to do anything to have this position I am offering, anything. However, despite her looks, the meticulous makeup, the puckering pink lips and the seductive body that promises to fulfil my every fantasy, I will not be offering her the position.
I made the decision to go after women with actual substance and personality, women that wouldn''t just give in to me because of my name and fame or even my wealth. This woman is very eager to spread her legs for me, meaning she should not be so easily trusted, especially for the position I am offering. If she is doing that merely for this position, then she could easily compromise me, plus she is hardly qualified for the job either.
Don''t get me wrong, I still take advantage of the opportunities presented to me and spend the nights with some of these women that are throwing themselves at me, offering sex to me freely, but I don''t spend many thoughts on them. I will probably follow up with Ms Lumley sometime in the future if I am ever feeling bored, but that is it at most. I will just set up a time, show up, do my business, wipe her mind afterwards and leave without thinking about it again.
It is much more of a hassle to have all these women, material women and fanatics, running around preaching that they slept with me, coming up with pregnancy schemes and ways to get my wealth or marry me. It is just simpler to just rid them of those memories and then leave without being troubled by the thought of these women running around out there. I will probably even meet them again in the future and spend the night again with them. They won''t remember the first time, and to be honest, I probably won''t as well.
Of course, that doesn''t mean I forgot about my new goal and aspiration, and these are just little bits of fun and slight distractions. I didn''t just want to coast by on Gilderoys wealth and fame, which is why I have been regularly going out to muggle London and trying to meet women at bars. I rely on nothing but my social skills, which leave much to be desired since I was just an antisocial nerd and Gilderoy skirted by using fame and wealth.
Without the fame, the wealth and even the magic, I was just continually striking out, being constantly rejected. The amalgamation of my nerdy self and Gilderoy''s vain self apparently didn''t make for a likeable personality, which I came to realise as woman after woman refused even to give me a second of their time. And just like any problem I have come across in this new world, I decided to solve my problems using magic. If you have the tools to make your life easier, then why wouldn''t you use them?
I started to make liberal use of my mind magic to lightly touch upon the minds of the women I talked to and get a read on their thoughts and emotions, I didn''t affect them in any way, but I did read them and try to use them to help me woo them. But even if I knew how they were feeling, it didn''t help if I didn''t understand how to overturn that emotion and have a positive effect. So then I went around, and coincidentally I found a playboy that was hooking up with tons of women. I had seen him all over the place when I was on my nights out, and he always went home with a girl.
One evening I followed him into the men''s room and used my wand to lock the door behind me, isolating this suave guy in the bathroom. After that, I used my Legilimency and dived into his mind, copying all his social skills and abilities and putting them into my own mind. But, of course, this didn''t just make me George Clooney straight away, and I wasn''t just suddenly attracting women left or right.
The information and knowledge were now in my mind, they just had to be assimilated, and that would happen by going into a situation where that knowledge would be applicable, and it would reveal itself to me slowly. But it had definitely worked. I had gotten into a long conversation with a girl at the bar, but I obviously ended up doing something wrong as she suddenly got up and left, but I am definitely making progress. Through the combined knowledge of the cool dude and my emotion and thought reading, I am making strides.
"Oh, well, thank you for your time, Mr Lockhart. If you need anything at all, anything, please do not hesitate to owl me." Ms Lemley says, placing her arm suggestively on my arm as I start to shuffle her towards the exit of the room. I easily ignore her actions, having felt one too many fans make passes at me that I can easily ignore the touches.
"I assure you, Ms Lumley, if I have any need of your expertise, I know exactly where to find you. Now, have a lovely day." I finish, ending the conversation as I open the door and gently push her out by placing my palm on the flat of her back. Then, knowing she has done all she can do to get this position, she waves toward me as she moves to the exit of the building. I wave back at her with a polite smile which immediately fades after she leaves, and I look around the waiting room at the rest of the applicants.
This morning, this room was packed with a bunch of women that were eagerly awaiting an interview with me in the hopes of getting the job I was offering, and so far, all of the women that have shown up have been muggle-borns. Which is no surprise, really, since although I placed an ad in the Daily Prophet, which cost a surprising amount, the place where I started the interviews would take place was muggle London.
Well, not stated as such, as that would get me a lot of criticism from the more pure-minded wizards and witches in our community. No, I simply gave the address where the interviews would take place. I did not say that it would be in London or even in any magical community, I merely gave the street name, the building number, the time, and what floor was mine, and that was it.
I had rented a small space in an office building in the middle of London, not that far away from Charing Cross road either on which The Leaky Cauldron is located. Of course, there were many streets with the same name as this all over England, but that was part of the test. I was looking for someone clever, resourceful, with common sense, an understanding of both the magical and muggle worlds and some standing in our community, though I wasn''t holding out hope for the last one.
By giving the location as I had, I confirmed that the people that found this location, at the very least, had an adequate understanding of the muggle world and that they were magical. However, by not giving the exact location and just some vague information, I ensured that the people that came were either very intelligent or just lucky to know the place since I could be on any similarly named street in England. But they had magic at their disposal, and they could easily, within an hour, travel to all such roads in England and scout them out before the time I specified. Furthermore, they had magic, so they didn''t have excuses.
So far, I had interviewed quite a few clever muggle-born witches that were very intelligent, natural Hermione types that just didn''t have good prospects in the wizarding world, what with it being the pureblood club that it was. And then I got the types that were also muggle-borns, but they were kind of dimwitted and a bit slow. They were just lucky to have been born in London, and this was the only street they knew of by this name. They didn''t even stop to contemplate if it was wrong; they just showed up.
Though what all these witches had in common was that they were all smoking hot, since they all much up there, they concentrated on their outward appearance, and they offered me the results of all their hard work, but that is not what I am looking for right now. How did I know exactly what these women are like, what they are thinking, and how they found this place and everything else about them? Of course, with magic, I used my Legilimency to discover everything about them as soon as they took a seat. I would be trusting them with a very important task after all.
The ad I put in the Dailly Prophet was an opportunity for someone to become my secretary slash financial advisor to help me with my work as well as my wealth. No doubt that the last one drew a lot of eyes. It makes sense that I would need to hire such a person, though, since the last one mysteriously disappeared out of the blue. Of course, that did not fully explain what I would be requesting of them, but I would explain that to the person I actually hired.
My ideal person for this position would be a pure-blood witch or at least a half-blood witch, and they would have to have no problem with the muggle world and be very intelligent to fulfil precisely what I need from them. However, I think that is just a pipe dream, and I will never find the ideal candidate, so I will just have to put up with one of the intelligent muggle-borns that showed up. Hopefully, I can mould them into exactly what I require over time.
Oh well, I have just one candidate left, and then I can finish this and go home to review all of the candidates in my mind and pick the best one for my purposes. So I move my eyes away from the door which I just watched Ms Lumley walk through, and I look towards the final applicant so that we can- Oh... Oh wow. I just- It is hard to find the words to describe the vision of beauty that sits before me... just, wow.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Sat there, calmly looking through one of the magazines I left out for people to rifle through. She patiently waits there for her turn, which is weird because I looked through the room before. I never saw her there, and she is definitely a woman that stands out in a crowd. I would be able to find her in seconds if she was in a Where''s Wally book.
She was a light brown-haired woman, and she looked like a patrician beauty with aristocratic bearing. However, there was none of the arrogance one would expect to come with such a bearing and noble features, her eyes were wide and kind, and she had a slight smile as she perused the magazine, a sight to behold. She had the classic great good looks and bearing common for members of noble wizarding houses. She was a tall woman with long legs; her face had a strong jaw, a thin mouth, and heavily lidded eyes with long eyelashes.
Her beauty was further enhanced by the clothes she wore, which drove me to believe that she wasn''t actually a pureblood, even though she definitely looked the part. She wore a black business outfit, a tight white shirt wrapped in a slim black blazer, a knee-length skirt that covered her black pantyhose-clothed legs, with simple black heels.
Paying serious attention to this woman down to the smallest detail, I notice that she has a ring on her finger, but for some reason, that just makes me even more attracted to her, which confuses me greatly. I would offer this woman the position in a heartbeat; her beauty is so great. I don''t even care if she is entirely unqualified. I can just hire two people, one for the actual reason I am hiring, and this woman can just be my secretary and assistant. However, I have an undeniable feeling that this woman is as clever as she is beautiful.
"Hm?" Her striking brown eyes flutter up and catch sight of me standing in the doorway, and I feel an immense contradiction in me. Part of me is drawn deep into those eyes, and I never want to look away from them, but the other half desperately wants to turn away from them in embarrassment at being caught staring at her, a remnant from my past life as an antisocial child. In the end, I am caught between the two, and I stare at her blankly, not responding in any way whatsoever.
"Oh, I''m sorry. Is it my turn to be interviewed?" She says, seemingly believing that I had called for her and she had been too absorbed in the magazine to hear me, giving me a convenient way to carry on without looking like a total idiot.
"Yes, please follow me, and close the door behind you," I speak, leaving the door open and walking back into my office without waiting for her, rounding my desk and taking a seat in my comfy chair. And I take this moment with her out of my eye line to calm down and recollect myself because I cannot afford to get distracted now as the person that takes this job will be very instrumental in my plans in the future, and I can''t afford for those plans to go awry.
"Please, take a seat," I say as she enters the room and gingerly closes the door behind her before she follows my instructions to sit on the slightly uncomfortable chair in front of my desk. I employ the full force of my Occlumeny as she crosses one leg over the other and presses her hands to her knee, the position being very distracting.
"Now, please tell me your name and why you would like the job," I say, asking the very same first question I said to all the previous applicants that sat in that same chair. There is a reason I ask those questions, and it is because it will reveal to me the entirety of who they are. Not the answers they will supply me with using their mouths, but the answers I will take using my Legilimency as the truth will be at the forefront of their mind. So, as she goes to answer my query, I immediately use my Legilimency.
"I am Andr- GET OUT!" I hardly touch upon her mind before I am blasted out, not expecting such resistance. My body is blown back a bit, my chair rolling back on its wheels before I place my feet down firmly to bring it to a halt. I look up at the woman before me, that has rage growing in her eyes, and I can see her reaching for her wand. My mind rushes, trying to find a way to explain what just happened without me having to resort to lethal methods to keep this woman quiet about this and to prevent her from killing me. Surprisingly a simple Gilderoy Lockhart plan comes to fruition, which I implement by starting to clap my hands vigorously.
*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*
"Congratulations, you are the first to pass the first barrier to getting this job. Might I add, your Occlumency is superb, definitely something that will help you get this position." I say with a happy, charming grin on my face as I nod my head and continuously clap my hands. This was the only thing I could think to do that wouldn''t make things worse and might even de-escalate the situation. If anything, I am hoping that my unpredictable move will stun her and keep her from using her wand on me.
"YOU- You, what?" She starts, deflating as she hears what I say, which proves that my plan is working. Thankfully it seems to be working, but it doesn''t take away from the fact that I have seriously messed up. I have just been using my mind magic so much lately, and I haven''t run into any resistance whatsoever. I was using it all the time out in Muggle London. I used it on all the women I slept with to wipe their memories, I used it on all the applicants today, and without thinking, I used it on this woman.
"Oh, confused, are you? Well, let me explain. I have been testing the defences of all the applicants that came in today. Nothing invasive, just lightly checking their defences, and so far, no one at all had any sort of defences, all except you. But, of course, the position I am offering is contingent on you having good defences. I am trusting you with sensitive information after all, and you will have to guard that information." I explain, watching as the anger slowly bleeds from her face, though her expression is now stone cold without a hint of the warmth or kindness that was there before.
"Why didn''t you just simply ask if I or any of the other people had Occlumenccy training? You know, instead of just invading our minds without permission." She says frostily, looking at me with cold eyes though I can only feel grateful that her hands are no longer reaching for her wand, now firmly clenched by her side.
"Well, of course, I could have done that, but I wouldn''t have gotten a true answer from them. Most people lie in interviews to get jobs. I do not doubt that nearly all the people I interviewed today would lie about having Occlumency and then rush out to research it. The position you are looking to fulfil is that crucial and important I can''t depend on the words of people, not without proper proof, so I decided just to test it myself. I am sorry if you are offended, that was not my intention, and I never intended to actually look into your mind. I was just seeing if you had defences." I say, though her face stays blank. However, her hands do stop clenching together.
"You are offering the position of secretary and financial advisor. What could those jobs possibly involve that would force you to test us in such a way?" She asks, using her logic and acting calmly, which I am excited to see since a levelheaded lady like this is just what I require. Not to mention she has Occlumency. But, of course, I wasn''t lying when I said the job would need it, and I was just planning on hiring one of the muggle-borns and teaching them, maybe even getting a training partner out of them.
"That is just what I put in the ad, but the position entails so much more than that. So let''s start over, I will tell you the complete details of the job I am offering, and we can start the interview again. Is that alright with you?" I say calmly, feeling that the situation has now calmed, and I am ready to get it back on track. This woman is by far the best candidate I have seen today, and I don''t know anything about her except she has learnt Occlumency and she has a calm personality, demonstrated by the fact she didn''t immediately blast my head off when I tried to read her mind.
"... Fine." She relents after a moment, and I restrain myself from pumping a fist in victory. She settles back into the position that she was in before, with her legs crossed and her hands over her knees, but this time there is no warmth, only cold in her expression, which is honestly fine. I can''t decide which one I like better, the kind and warm look she has earlier or this cold and frosty look she has put on now. I can''t pick which one I prefer, both being equally attractive.
"Now, please tell me your name and why you would like the job," I say once again, asking the very same first question I said to all the previous applicants that sat in that same chair, but this time I make no effort to use mind magic on the applicant. I genuinely would like the answer now since this woman is the very first to impress me today, and she was ready to murder me earlier when she was reaching for her wand, literally, and that kind of ruthlessness can be used and pointed in the right direction.
"I am Andromeda Tonks, and I am thirty-seven, and as for why I want this job? Well, as soon as I left Hogwarts, I got married and started a family, and now my child is fully grown and starting a life of her own, and my days are now left quite empty. However, I quite enjoyed your books while I was home alone, they filled the time, so when I saw your ad in the Daily Prophet, I decided to try out for this position, though I am now thinking that may have been a mistake." Oh, shit, Andromeda Tonks, as in the mother of Nymphadora Tonks and the sister of Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy, one of the Black sisters. I can''t believe my luck. I want her even more now, in the employment sense, that is, nothing else, honest.
"Please don''t let my earlier actions dissuade you. This is a tremendous opportunity for you, and I am sure you would kick yourself if you missed it. The true details of the job I am offering is very different from what I put in the paper. While there might be hints of secretary and financial advisor work, what you will be doing will be very different. Shall I go on, or do you want to leave? It is up to you." I say because I don''t want to waste my time here if she is going to refuse, and I don''t want to explain what I want her to do since I don''t want that getting around. She is the only one I am offering this information to, since I planned to tell whoever I hired after they were hired.
"Go on, I might as well hear what you have to say, and as long as it''s nothing fishy, then I''ll consider it. I have nothing else to do anyway. Nymphadora is in her final year and will be moving out at the end of the year, and my husband is constantly working and stressed from his job. So I need something to do." Oh, well, the way she says it does not inspire confidence, but I am willing to take that chance. Plus, it seems like there are some problems at home, which is to be expected after around twenty years, but that just means she will focus her all on the job since she is bored at home with no one about.
"Good. I want to hire you to run a business for me, manage my assets and increase my wealth. Right now, I have a ton of Galleons just stored up in a vault in Gringotts, just rotting away, and I want to use it. You can''t take it with you after all. I would be hiring you to use my wealth to make even more. You would be scouring the world and finding and investing in people with worthwhile projects." I also plan to have her manage my interest in the muggle world, but that is for later.
"That is about the gist of it, whaddya say?"
Chapter 16– New Hire.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 16¨C New Hire.
"You want me to manage your money and use it to make a business and increase your wealth even further. Why? You are a very successful writer and author, the best one in the entire magical world. You have more than enough Galleons, and if you keep producing your books as you have been, then you will be even richer, approaching the wealth of some of the most ancient and noble houses." Andromeda Tonks asks, confused about why I would be making this move.
And to be honest, she is right. I am currently the most famous writer in the entire magical world. And since Gilderoy Lockhart had graduated from Hogwarts, he had produced eleven books. Eleven books over a period of nine years, and each book did unbelievably well. Not to mention that Gilderoy had built himself a fanatic fanbase with all the events and appearances he made. So relying on that and producing books at the same pace would definitely earn a lot of money, enough to live comfortably for the rest of my days.
However, I am not Gilderoy Lockhart, and I cannot possibly produce well-written works like him at the same pace. It took me quite a while to get Assault On The Abominable Snowman finished, and I was relying heavily on the skills and intuition of the original Gil to do it. Except concepts and inspiration that would come so easily to Gil took way longer to occur to me, even though I had all of his memories and knowledge. I was not a writer, and I could not rely on the profession for my well-being. Thankfully I have the perfect reason to end my writing career, and no one can deny it.
"You see, Ms Tonks, all of my books are based on my adventures. They are factual right to the last detail, except for my more informative pieces like Magical Pests and Magical Me. I went travelling after graduating from Hogwarts, sowed wild oats, had fun and fulfilled my dreams. I used my youth to have funds and follow my dreams like you are supposed to, but I am now closing in on my thirties, and I am thinking about settling down, finding a wife and starting a family, raising a child." So I say, explaining my reasons and hiding the truth that I will not be able to produce books of decent quality at a rate like old Gilderoy.
I see a strange expression on Andromeda''s face before she quickly covers it up, and then I realise I could have taken a dig at her when I talked about being young and following my dreams. According to what I remember, Andromeda was a very gifted witch, as to be expected of a young daughter of the Black family. Even though all of them were pretty crazy, they were all geniuses and powerful.
She had high prospects, and she could have been anything, but as soon as she graduated, she got married to a muggle-born, disowned by a family, and immediately became a mother. I don''t know how she feels about that, but given the strange expression she made as well as the fact her husband is working all the time and her daughter has mostly been at Hogwarts over the past few years, she might be feeling a little regret since she is stuck at home bored out of her mind with nothing to do.
"Okay, I can understand that. Can you give me a bit more information? I need something more in-depth than you will give me Galleons to make a business and make more Galleons." She asks for more information, which I ponder about giving since I don''t want to reveal too much in case she doesn''t take this job. But given her background, her ability, her knowledge, and her Occlumency, I really want her, and I have a good feeling she will take the job considering her home life.
"Very well. I will be taking part of my great wealth and storing it in an entirely new Gringotts bank, which I will be calling the company bank. I will give you a key to it, and only you and I will have access. All of the money in there is free for you to access and use to the best of your ability to buy up properties and businesses as well as invest in various businesses as well as people." Before I can get any further in-depth, Andromeda interrupts with a question.
"Invest in people?" Andromeda says, confused about what I exactly mean by that. Though I think I cannot be more precise, I will be wanting to invest in people just as much as properties and businesses.
"Yes, people. For example, a talented and hardworking student at Hogwarts, a struggling inventor or even an interesting person who is stuck in a hard place. Sign a contract with them and provide them with the capital that they need, and the student will grow up with a better education and come to work for us. The inventor could make something which we could sell as a product, and the person that was in a tough spot could free themselves using our money and go on to have an important position or be wealthy. They will all have to pay us back in some way or another." I calmly explain people are just as much of a resource as actual resources.
"But, how would I judge all that? How would I know to sign a contract with a person in a tough spot that obviously has a high risk of failing and we lose our money? The other two examples I can understand, but the last one does not make any sense." I suppose she is correct, but she does not see the bigger picture. The person we will be helping, even if they are in a tough spot, has magic. Even if they don''t amount to something, the simple fact they can use magic makes them valuable, and I can just use them to work for me in another position or something due to the stipulations of the magical contracts they will sign.
"Well, that will ultimately be up to you if you should choose to take the position. I will be primarily hands-off and allow you to work with minimal supervision, with only the occasional check-in. You will be the judge if anybody is a worthy investment, I will fully trust your judgement, but of course, I will intercede if I manage to find any good opportunities and investments myself and direct you to them." This way, I will be able to fully relax and enjoy myself as Andromeda toils away to increase my already vast fortune, and naturally, she will be paid well for her troubles.
"Okay, that is fine then. I won''t invest like you want in someone who doesn''t look like they will be able to pay for it eventually, but how will that even work? Investing and buying properties and businesses, I understand, that is easily manageable given proper documents and deeds. But how would you ensure people you invest in actually pay it back? They could just run away with the Galleons we give them. How can we trust them to stick to the terms of the agreement unless you are planning on using an unbreakable vow or something." Ah, what an intelligent and prude woman.
Before she actually takes on this position, she is making sure that it is tenable and that I have a proper plan that will work. Otherwise, she will not join a failing venture. Thankfully I already know what I am planning to do. When I first came up with this idea for a business, I took a trip to the office of the loan sharks on the south side of Diagon Alley, accurately named Galloloans. I realised that my idea was in some ways similar to their shop methods, apart from the business and property side, and so I took a trip to see how they dealt with it.
I went when the shop was nearing closing time, which was coincidentally very late in the night, and I went under cover of disillusionment to keep unseen. When I entered the store, most of the personnel had already left for the day since it was so close to closing time, leaving only one employee handling the counter and the boss in his office. I quickly stunned the employee and lowered him to the ground with a levitation charm before closing up the front of the shop and locking it down, and then going to the boss''s office to stun him as well.
With that done, I looked extensively through both their minds for all the information regarding their work and I was shocked by how blatantly criminal it was and how they were getting away with it. Of course, a shop like this should really be in Knockturn Alley, but then I suppose it would not work as well as it does, the location being just as important as their methods.
Their business works so well since it is based in Diagon Alley. The office is very professional and immaculately clean, and the employees dress up nicely, look charming and act very professionally. And it is all to lure in naive, unsuspecting witches and wizards and trick them into becoming customers. So first, they would use sweet words and dashing smiles and trick them into singing a super intricate contract, and then they would solidify it by making an unbreakable vow to both abide by the agreement they both just signed.
And then they would reveal their trickery to the unsuspecting victim and tell them that they tricked them and explain everything that was just put in the contract, including not telling anyone about the deal or badmouthing the shop. Truthfully a malicious business, draining the customers for all they have until they end up breaking the contract and dying. Thankfully only those truly down on their luck and desperate go to this shop, and also, each employee can only be the witness to one unbreakable vow at a time.
It takes a while for each customer to die and open up a new spot, so they don''t do much work, stay in their office, and spend most of their time chasing up their customers and intimidating them to pay back the loan. It is a sad fact that anybody can start up a business since there really isn''t a magical department to put laws in place or anything.
If you can buy a shop in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, then you can start selling stuff, and people will trust your shop, depending on its location. So anyway, having got what I wanted and a few other methods, I quickly did a clean-up job, wiped their memories and left. I then had quite a few options for my new business, and I could probably use them all.
"Right you are, Ms Tonks. My plan is for us to draw up a contract stating what we are giving and what the customer is expected to do in turn. Once that is properly drawn up and signed, we would make an unbreakable vow stating that we would both abide by the contract that we had just signed, making a fair and stable deal. Of course, we can''t use unbreakable vows for every deal, only the most important ones, ad we can use other methods for the others." I have drawn out a few methods, such as a blood pact and the jink contract that Hermione had made in the fifth year for Dumbledore''s army, the one that would cause boils to appear and the word sneak to be written on whoever betrayed the group.
Stolen story; please report.
"But even then, the way you are explaining this position, I am assuming that it would only be me and you that are involved in the company. One person can only be witness to one unbreakable vow, meaning that we can, at most have two deals made with them. That is awfully little. How do you plan to get around this?" Again asking the hard questions, well, not to worry.
The black book I read that granted me all of my mind''s magical capabilities actually discovered a method for this, a way to mess with the mind so that you can be witness to multiple unbreakable vows. It is all about compartmentalising your mind and each separating each vow, setting it to the side and forgetting about it. Then, even if I do not remember it, I would still be witness, and so the terms between the two vow makers would still be in effect.
"Now, now, Ms Tonks. Did you genuinely think I would be trying to start a business such as this without thinking about all of the details already? I already have a method in mind to make multiple contracts and deals and use a business plan that will make sure my new venture will not suffer any losses. But I cannot tell any of that to you just yet, since you are not yet my employee. I have already stretched as far as I am willing just telling you what I have so far." I say, and in turn, Andromeda falls silent in thought.
I do not disturb the silence. Okay with just letting it be and allowing Andromeda Tonks to think things through. Sure, I could hurry her up and push her into accepting the offer and then use a magical contract to lock her into it, but that would not be good in the long term. I need someone strong, clever and loyal that will stick by me and follow my orders, and I don''t get that being forceful and loyalty can be bread through time and actions.
"Ms Tonks, I will be honest with you. Right now, you are the favoured person for this position, the person with the best qualities, and I want to hire you. But I don''t want someone who hasn''t got the fortitude to follow through, someone that isn''t willing to stick around." Andromeda looks up, pulled from her thoughts by my words. She is truly the one I want, but it is better I let her come to her own decision instead of forcing it. I don''t want a reluctant worker. I want a passionate one.
"I need someone committed, Ms Tonks, someone that is willing to put in the time. Not someone that places their husband above all else and has looked after him as her top priority. I need someone with the will and drive to go out there and achieve greatness. So, you think if that person is you, Andromeda. I will wait one week for a letter from you accepting the post. If you do not reply, then I will-"
"I will do it." She mutters suddenly, and I find myself blinking, not having really registered what she just said.''
"Excuse me, but could you repeat that? I could have sworn you just said you would do it." I ask for confirmation because I in no way expected that.
"I said I would do it. I will take this position and help you run your new business to the best of my ability." I am bewildered by her response, not because of what she is actually saying but because of how quickly she said it. I was expecting her to mull this over for far longer, taking into consideration her overworked husband and her harrowing shapeshifter daughter, as well as all of her time spent being a housewife and nothing more.
"Ms Tonks, take some time t think about this properly. Go home and think about it, maybe discuss it with your husband. I don''t want you to rush into this and realise you don''t want to do it after a week because then I would have to do another search for a replacement for you. Make sure that you ar-"
"I am sure, Mr Lockhart. I do not need to discuss this with my husband or anyone else. I have had my family, and now I want to have a career. It is about time that I start doing things for myself now. So Mr Lockhart, what do we do next?" Andromeda states with firm conviction, and I can see in her eyes that she is resolute and will not back down. I don''t even need my Occlumency to see that. It seems that I just got a new employee, and I am ahead of schedule.
"Very well, welcome aboard Ms, Tonks. Now that we are working together, there is no need to be so formal. Just relax." I say, relaxing myself. That is a weight off my shoulders. Now with this step done, I can move on to phase two, which is buying a shop in Diagon Alley, which I will have to figure out somehow.
"Alright, Gilderoy, you can call me Andromeda then. So, how do we make this official? Is there anything I have to sign?" She smiles, the warmth and kindness that disappeared from earlier making a reappearance, and I find myself wanting just to stay still and bathe in the feeling she exudes, but that would be weird. I don''t want a sexual harassment suit so quickly, even if they don''t exist in the magical world.
"Right, well, I will have a contract drawn up, and we will meet again so that we can both sign it. The location won''t be here since I have only rented this space for the day. I will owl you the time and place. Another thing that I should mention is that I want all of our business to be private. For both our sake and our customer''s sake, discretion is key." I tell her, adding on that last part just to clarify something before we do actually go through with this.
"Naturally. I will make sure all future business dealings and contracts are kept completely private. Only the clients and we will be aware of it." She assures me, and while I do appreciate that, she has missed the actual meaning of my words.
"And by that, Andromeda, I am talking about Occlumency. Unfortunately, there are those out there that are very skilled when it comes to mind magics. I have been unlucky enough to come across a few on my adventures, and it is not pleasant. These people will not hesitate to attack the mind and rip it apart for what they want to know, and if my business becomes as big as I hope for it to be, then we will be their targets." I clarify for her because Occlumency is a very vital thing for my new venture to succeed.
Of course, I didn''t actually meet any actual mind magic users on those trips. Original Gilderoy would have been quickly sussed out if he did and probably wouldn''t be here today. But still, I need to make it look urgent in her eyes and make the possibility of these people coming for our thoughts very real. Because Snape, Voldemort and Dumbledore, as well as their cronies, are lurking around every corner, and I don''t want my business being exposed.
"I know Occlumency, Gilderoy, as you yourself can attest, having experienced it for yourself earlier. Rest assured, I will be able to protect the secrets in my mind." So she says, very sure of herself, which is to be expected after she just repelled me out of her mind. However, she is severely overestimating herself if she thinks that was my best effort because it was not, not by a longshot.
"Andromeda, one of the requirements of this job is Occlumency. You and I will be training in it, and coincidentally Legilimency as well so that we can help each other to better our defences and detect intrusions. This is non-negotiable. If you work for me, then we will be doing this." I state firmly, unwilling to move on it.
Truthfully I cannot trust her defences to be stout enough for me to start trusting her with anything crucial, as it could prove to be detrimental in the long run. What if we somehow, someway, get taken to the ministry and tried under Veritaserum? Occlumency would help us to avoid answering truthfully. Also, I have only ever tested myself out against the mind of Digby. D. Digworth, a prisoner whose mental faculties no doubt deteriorated over the course of his imprisonment.
I used his mind to improve my technique, skills and versatility when it comes to my mind magic, but I do not have much experience, and I have no clue about the raw power I can bring forth to ravage an opponent''s mind. Furthermore, all the victims whose minds I had to alter on my journey were primarily isolationist and alone, so I either waited for them to sleep or knocked them out and then rummaged through their brains. With this arrangement, I could kill two birds with one stone and improve Andromeda''s Occlumency and my own Occlumency and Legilimency.
"Gilderoy, I do not know if I am comfortable with that. I assure you, my Occlumency is perfectly fine. It stood up against you, did it not, and you are a famous magical adventurer." Her face tightens, and while the smile is still there, it is obviously not natural. She has taken offence to me requiring her to practice Occlumency with me, probably thinking I am underestimating her or, even worse, that I want to take advantage of her and look into her mind for nefarious purposes.
"Andromeda, I have been looking into the minds of all the applicants that came today, and not a single one of them had any defences. So I have just been diving straight in, not taking the time to test their defences or anything. So I did the same for you, and that is why you detected me. I could have been very subtle and slowly but surely opened your mind up to me." Again, I see her smile slowly drop, but her face isn''t cold this time. Instead, it looks contemplative. Thankfully she isn''t angry.
"Understand this. I can pick one of the other applicants and teach them Occlumency from scratch if you refuse this position. However, you are the best applicant, and I want you. When was the last time you actually practised or learnt any more on the subject? I am assuming before you got married when you were still part of the Black family and were practising with your family. Or did you possibly practice it when you taught your daughter?" I question, trying to get my point across. There is no doubt she was taught Occlumency together with her sisters, and when she ran away, that stopped. At most, she has an adequate defence but nothing concrete, and I need to improve on it.
"I haven''t practised in years, and I- I haven''t taught my daughter... But, wait, how did you know I was a Black?" She questions, trying to side-skirt the fact that she did not teach her daughter such a crucial skill. Well, I guess she did not get around to practising it that much or learning about it or how vital it is, and she forgot its importance after years of married life.
"The magical world is a small place, and Wizarding Britain is even more compact. I know a lot about the people here, it pays to be prepared, and I did my research about people that could impact my business, like the Malfoys, whose matriarch is your sister. Now, I am sure it is a difficult thing to trust your mind to someone you just met. So how about we put it down in the contract we are going to sign and clearly outline the terms of your employment and how we are going to handle this training. Would that be okay?" I ask, trying to compromise.
"I suppose, but how would we stick to it. I am sorry, but I have just met you, Gilderoy. I- I need something solid that would ensure the terms and magically bind them." She speaks, setting her own conditions so that we can open up our minds to each other and better our mind magic. I understand, after all, that with my status in the world, I am seen as a powerful wizard, and she feels some hesitance to entrust her mind to me.
"Do not worry. I have the perfect way to make sure we do this in a safe and controlled way. And I know exactly how to magically bind us without it being harmful to us." Thankfully my research had picked up on this method which didn''t really seem helpful for anything else, but for this, it is perfect.
"What is it?" She asks, wanting to make sure it is a foolproof method.
"A blood pact..."
Chapter 17– Andromeda.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 17¨C Andromeda.
Walking through my front door, I turn around and lock it with my key, and then I rest my forehead against the door, letting out a breath. Whether that is of relief or something else, I don''t know. I have just had a really, not hard, but it was a day I was not prepared for, and even now, I find it hard to believe that I actually agreed. Of course, nothing is put in the contract yet, nothing is signed, and there is no magical binding, but I still agreed, and if it is as safe as promised and I won''t be in danger or taken advantage of, then I will go through with it.
I let out a sigh and mentally shook myself to forget about all that for now and relax. I have a rather urgent task now, which I should have done a long time ago, something which has just been revealed to me even though I should have realised it myself a long time ago.
"...Nymphadora! I am home. Are you here?" I shout out, trying to find the shapeshifting little monster I gave birth to. But, unfortunately, ever since she turned sixteen, she has been more unruly and rebellious and stopped really listening to me, going out and doing whatever she wanted. As a result, I hardly know where she is half of the time, going out to parties and concerts, sometimes leaving in the middle of the night, and we don''t discover she is missing until we find her bed empty in the morning or catch her sneaking inside in the early morning.
To make matters worse, she has magic which she can easily use to escape the house and then use her Metamorphmagus abilities to change her looks and then she is gone in the wind. The only way to possibly spot her is if you see someone being abnormally clumsy and stumbling around. Sometimes I wish she wasn''t a Metamorphmagus because that way, the Ministry would have to put the trace on her. But since she is one, she uses magic uncontrollably to alter her appearance and hair, so the Ministry removed the trace from her in her first year when they kept getting reports of underage magic.
"Yeah, I am in here, mum!" I hear her all out from the living room, presumably watching the TV. Probably the room I spend the most time in when Ted is at work and Nymphadora is at Hogwarts, watching my soaps and other shows, though it is a hassle as well sometimes. Since the room is the only one in the house with muggle technology in it, it is the only room we cannot use magic in, and when I have to clean it, I have to unplug all of the devices and turn off the electric, so I can use the cleaning charms.
Walking in, I am unsurprised to find my daughter watching cartoons, and she acts affronted when I treat her like a child. The one she is watching now seems to be a cartoon about a bunch of talking babies, and the main character seems to be a bald baby in a blue shirt and diaper called Tommy. Muggles truly do come up with the strangest ideas.
"Dear, I have some news. And I also have something I want to discuss with you as well." I say, wishing to tell her about my new possible job, which is looking more appealing by the second, as well as discuss starting her Occlumency training since I have already left it too late. We need to get started straight away, especially if she wants to become an Auror.
"Yeah, yeah, mum. Just give me two seconds. This episode is just about to end." So she says, but I look up at the clock, and I can clearly see that it is nineteen past five, and I know that shows are on in half an hour increments from o''clock to half past. So it will not take two seconds or even two minutes for this episode to end, and it really irritates me that she just lied when I wanted to speak to her.
"Nymphadora, I have big news for me, as well as big news for you, so pay attention," I say, walking in front of her, getting in the way of the view of the TV as she lies down on the couch. If she was just honest with me, like the young adult she is supposed to be, then I would have gladly waited for the episode to end, but she just tried to dismiss me with a flimsy excuse, and I will not be having it.
"Uggh. I told you not to call me that. Just let me finish this episode, and then you can tell me your news or whatever." Nymphadora makes a noise of frustration and sits up from the sofa before turning to lie on the other end. My daughter just turned her body one hundred and eighty degrees just so that she could keep watching the TV, ignoring me and acting as if I was just an obstacle to her.
Knowing that she would just keep on trying to look past me towards the TV to continue watching it, I decided to step this up a little further. I turn around on the spot and stalk over to the TV and press the power off button before spinning around to look back at my daughter, who looks on speechless.
"MUM! WHAT THE HELL!? I SAID IT WAS FINISHING. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?" She finds her voice after a second of me glaring at her, but instead of giving in as she used to as a child, she instead glares right back and starts to shout and grumble at me, nothing like the cute child she used to be. I open my mouth to give her a what for when I am interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.
"Hey! I am home!" My husband''s voice follows shortly after, stifling my voice and making me sigh. I will wait until he is here to share my news. There is no point explaining it twice. Though I am surprised that he is here, he is unusually early, Ted mainly arrives late at night after a long day of work, but for some reason, he is early today.
I continue to stare at Nymphadora, who stares right back silently as we wait for her father to come into the room, and then out of the corner of my eye, I spot him as he rounds the corner. I spot his blonde hair first, which used to be so thick and wavy but is now sparse and sporadic over his ageing scalp. His plump belly comes into view next, far different from the once broad and muscular chest he had when we were younger. But then I spot his blue eyes, which still hold the same kindness they always have, though now the skin around it is weary and creased, looking very tired.
"Welcome home, Ted. I have some-" I greet him as he peeks his head through the doorway, ready to tell him the news, but Nymphadora quickly gets a word in first.
"Dad! Mum isn''t letting me watch the TV!" She cries as soon as she spots him, immediately trying to get back onto the TV so she can continue relaxing and slacking off.
"Dear, let her watch the TV, please. She is hardly home these days since she started going to Hogwarts, and she is only home for the holidays now. Dora will be going back to Hogwarts soon, so just let her watch the TV." He immediately caves, just like he always does, and he always gives in to her. He just can''t say no to that, and she clearly knows that as she can''t help the smug grin that comes up on her face. It is because of his lax and forgiving attitude that I have been forced to become the strict and demanding, and sometimes I feel really angry with him because of that.
"Now, I will have dinner in my office, Dromeda. Mr Saunders has given me a lot of work to do, so I will be swamped for the remainder of the day. Please try not to disturb me." He says, thinking the conversation over and turning to retire to his office, irking me even more. I am even more irritated by the mention of his job and Mr Saunders, both points of contention in our marriage that I end up avoiding to not have any fights.
"Actually, Ted, before you go, I have some news for everybody," I say, stopping his exit and turning him back around to face me. Nymphadora grumbles in the background about wanting to catch the rest of her show before it finishes quickly, but I easily ignore it, wanting to rip the bandaid off as soon as possible.
"Today, I went out for a job interview and passed it. I will be starting effective immediately, and I will be going in for my first day of work tomorrow." I say, getting it all out at once. Ted appears to be stunned at my words and unable to find the words, stuttering and trying to say something. But in opposition to him, my daughter actually has a good reaction, being very supportive.
"Oh, wow, mum. That''s great. What will you be doing, and who are you working for? Is it at a store? Will we get a discount?" She says excitedly, happy for me to be starting this new chapter in my life. I am getting an actual job for the first time in my life, having pretty much finished my career as a mother. She asks me questions which I laugh at, especially the discount one. Perhaps I will be able to get some form of discount out of this for as many businesses as I am able to acquire for Gilderoy.
"Well, I am happy to see you are taking this so well, Nymphadora. I will be working as a secretary and assistant for Gilderoy Lockhart. He has recently begun to expand his business and requires help to do so." So I say, fully expecting to get a loud ''don''t call me that from her, but surprisingly I don''t.
"THE Gilderoy Lockhart? Are you serious? That is awesome. Can you get me his autograph? Can you help me meet him? Can I come with you-"
"No." Ted''s voice cuts through the happy environment, bringing our daughter''s questions to a startling stop at his abrupt refusal.
"No?" I question, unbelieving of what I just heard but also aware that there is nothing wrong with my ears, and I heard him clearly. I had a feeling something like this would happen, but I really couldn''t believe that it actually happened.
"No. You don''t need to get a job, Andromeda. We are fine as we are. I am making enough money working at the law firm, so you can relax at home. I made a vow to provide for both you and our daughter when we got married, and I will do just that." As he states his point with conviction, his eyes harden uncharacteristically, annoying me even further. I had a feeling this would happen because I have broached this subject before, and for a good reason.
We got married young, and with me being pregnant, I was unable to work, but thankfully I had been taking the entire amount out of my Trust vault every year and saving it up, so we were well off. However, Ted was unable to accept living off of that money, so he went and got a job as an assistant at a law firm, getting paid a pitiful amount for a hard day''s work. Even with the job, we still relied on my money, and there was nothing I could do as I had to look after Nymphadora.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Even when Ted got promoted, he was still paid in paltry amounts, and he had even bigger duties thrust upon him. Finally, as Nymphadora got older, I breached the subject of getting a job and helping out, but when that happened, it was the only time Ted ever got serious and stubborn. And now he works all day for not much, and we still rely on my savings as well.
To make matters worse, Ted has been beset by his boss, who realised his situation, and now Mr Saunders foists off most of his work on Ted and takes the credit for it. I have tried to tell him before, but each time I do, he won''t hear a word of it, refusing to listen to reason and saying Mr Saunders is the one that got him his job and helped him rise through the ranks. I have indeed given up on trying to help him when he tortures himself for no reason whatsoever, he doesn''t even need the job, but that does not mean I am giving up on my prospects.
"I am not doing this for the money, Edward. I am doing this because Nymphadora is a grown woman now, and she will have her own life after she graduates this year. And I don''t want to stay in this house cooking and cleaning until the day I die. And yes, Ted, whether you want it or not, I am going to be doing this job." I call him by his full name, Edward. This time, I am not backing down just so he can feel like the man of the house or whatever it is he feels like. I want to live my life.
"Andromeda... You... I don''t understand why do you need to get a job? You can just relax while I work. That is why I am doing this. I work so hard for you and Dora. I give up so much so that you two can have good lives and enjoy yourself. I sacrifice a lot for my work an-"
"You sacrifice a lot? Ted, you don''t even need to work. I have enough money saved up that we can live comfortably without working so hard. But you work so hard because of your misplaced pride, not for me or for our daughter. How much have you given up? I GAVE UP MY ENTIRE FAMILY AND ALL OF MY FRIENDS TO BE WITH YOU, ALL OF THE CAREER PROSPECTS THAT I HAD! AND YOU WOULD RATHER WORK YOURSELF TO DEATH THAN SPEND TIME WITH ME OR YOUR DAUGHTER!" I finish panting for breath, having let out all the suppressed emotions I have contained for years.
I left everything I knew to be with a kind, generous strapping young man that seemed to be capable of everything. A far cry from the overweight working man who hardly has any time for me anymore and only comes home to sleep, eat, and work some more.
"I am sorry, Ted. But I want to find some meaning and fulfilment outside of this family. Nymphadora is all grown up now, and soon she won''t need me anymore. So I am going to do this job, and if you have a problem with that... then I guess we will have a problem." I finish, adamant about taking this new opportunity. Nymphadora is going to graduate, become an Auror and move out, and I will be left here. Alone. Ted constantly works while I am left alone in this house, cleaning and cooking until I die.
"I..." He sighs. "I will skip dinner tonight." Then, he turns around and begins to leave, making me incredibly disappointed. He could have kept shouting or agreed with me or something, anything to show that he cared, but instead, he was just walking away and avoiding it. "If you want to do it, Dromeda, then do it... I won''t stop you." He stops and says before continuing his exit, but it doesn''t make me feel any better.
I watch as he leaves, and even as it becomes silent after he leaves my sight, I still continue to stare. And I wonder how different my life could have been if I didn''t run away with him. I could have been anything, a Mediwitch, a Cursebreaker, a professor. I could have even worked in the Ministry and made some real change in this world. Sometimes I wonder why I ever married that man when he has lost so much of who he was.
"Mum?" I turn to see my daughter sitting up on the couch, looking at me with wide eyes. Yes, now I remember. It is my little mischievous bundle of joy that makes everything I have ever done worth it. The sight of her hair, a mousy brown instead of her usual vibrant bubblegum pink, alerts me to her emotional state.
"Yes, dear. I am sorry you had to see that." I take a seat on the sofa next to her and look at her kindly as her hair switches between multiple colours. It used to be very helpful when she was little, but now that she is older and has more control over it, I find it hard to know how she sometimes feels.
"You know, I am always going to need you... I don''t know what I would ever do without you, mum. I am never going to not need you. When I hear someone making fun of me, when I have a bad date, when something goes wrong in my life. I am always going to come to you." I pull my darling little girl into a hug, clutching her tightly against me. She can be mischievous, clumsy, lazy and downright a little brat. But she is still the sweetest thing to have ever existed on the surface of this planet.
"So... Can I meet Gilderoy Lockhart then?" She questions, making me laugh.
"Maybe one day, but for right now, we have something more important to do, Nymphadora," I say, pulling away from her but still holding her close and smiling down at her. Enjoying her impish smile and her bright pink hair.
"Mum, I told you not to call me that. Well, I''ll meet him soon then, okay. So, what is it that is so important?" She asks, and even though she makes a fuss at me calling her by her name, it isn''t as much as she usually would make.
"What do you know about Occlumency?"
"There, are you happy with the contents of the contract, Andromeda?" I ask her, wanting to finally get this stressful and mind-numbing task out of the way so we can get to the real stuff. It was the day after I first met Andromeda, and we were meeting up to finalise the contract between us and get it down in formal writing that both of us found agreeable and then magically bind us to it.
I decided to hold the meeting in a private room in the Leaky Cauldron. I hired a room early this morning under a magical disguise and then promptly sent an owl to Andromeda to inform her of the location. I would have rather done this someplace else since the Leaky Cauldron is usually quite packed and populated, but the only other options were in Hogsmeade, and they were the Three Broomsticks and the HogsHead.
Out of the two, the Hogs Head would have been preferable since it is so rundown that no one would be there, and the Three Broomsticks is very busy. Even if the Hogs Head is run by Dumbledore''s brother Aberforth, they did not get along for some reason, so I didn''t have to worry about my presence being reported to him. But the sheer fact that Dumbledore is probably in Hogwarts so close to the two locations in Hogsmeade made me reject them altogether, not comfortable with the idea of being so close to Dumbledore.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Andromeda show up not too long after I sent her the letter. However, I suppose I shouldn''t be, given that everyone is together by the floo network and travel is pretty much instantaneous. When Andromeda came in, she was straight to business, with no more hesitation in her actions or words as she immediately set out on devising the contract with me, assured that she would be working for me in the future. Andromeda must have had a good chat with her family over this, and they must have supported her a lot. She is really enthusiastic about this, but that enthusiasm slowly bled out over the last couple of hours.
I honestly expected us to just set up some conditions and write them out on a piece of parchment, have both of us sign it and then do the magical method I am planning on to have us stick to it. But Andromeda is way more thorough than I was planning on being, and she addressed many issues and problems, constantly revising the contract. So I had to pay close attention to make sure there was nothing too disadvantageous for me or too advantageous for her.
Needless to say, I am very wiped out after all this time, and so is she, but I think we have finally finalised this thing. Of course, there is a lot of wording and preamble in the damned thing, but what it boils down to is pretty simple. She will be loyal to me so long as it pertains to the company and follow my orders regarding it and only it, not allowing that authority to spread any further. In addition, I made sure that she would not reveal or spread any secrets revealed by me to her while she was working for me, a loophole here that may prove helpful in the future.
Realising that working for me and handling such large amounts of wealth could paint a target on her and her family''s back, she petitioned to be able to reveal any secrets and company information under the threat of death or if her family was in harm. I refused, stating that they would have a big target on their back if she included this, as it meant she could spill such secrets if Andromeda or her family was threatened. By making it so that Andromeda can''t be forced to reveal anything, no matter what, she lessens that threat.
Obviously, that is not really true. If anybody wants anything, they will torture them for it even if they can''t reveal anything, but the integrity of the business I a making comes first. I had to do some light nudging with my mind magics to give me this concession, her defence is genuinely not as great as she thought, and I was able to influence her slightly with none the wiser. But, of course, I couldn''t do too much of it because if we got to the end and it was heavily leaning in my favour, then it would be obvious that I used some underhand tactics, and I would lose a talented employee.
There were a whole lot more conditions there as well, but they were pretty dull, but then it came to the mind magic aspect. Here was where Andromeda was the most adamant and critical, not finding it easy to turn her mind to another and wanting to be as safe as possible when practising it with me.
We would practice Occlumency and Legilimency together, but we would stop if the other person demanded it. We would only go as deep into the other person''s mind as they allowed, and anything we learnt about each other would be strictly kept between ourselves, never to be revealed. We would not use this information for our personal gain and to increase our wealth, so there is no blackmail.
I did no such nudging here as she would no doubt realise it when we reread the thing to give it one last check before we signed it. It didn''t matter much, though, since I was just as protected in this arrangement, though I would not be able to do any more nudging to her or mess with her mind after this. Still, I suppose I wouldn''t need to since we would be locked into the contract.
"Yes, this will work just fine. Now, are you finally going to tell me how we are going to magically bind ourselves to this contract?" She asks, putting the contract down and signing it before spinning it around for me to sign. She is looking at me, ignoring the absolute mess and scrunched-up parchments around us that just didn''t work as I dip my own quill.
"We will be binding ourselves to this using a blood pact, otherwise known as blood troth or blood oath. This includes-" I start to say as I sign the contract, but Andromeda cuts me off.
"I know what a blood oath is. I was a daughter of the prominent house of Black. But why would we use such a method? Admittedly, it is secure and binding, but it will start to hurt us if we even think of breaking it." She says as I finish signing the contract and lean back, relaxed.
"That is exactly why this is the most binding and secure method. I don''t plan to break this contract, and if you don''t either, then we will be fine until such a time you no longer want to work for me, and we can break the binding together." So I say, sitting forward and drawing my wand out, ready to start the process. I talked to her for a few moments about the specifics of it, denying the other parts of the process as they were more just for appearance purposes and not crucial.
I slice my palm with a cutting spell from my wand while Andromeda does the same, and then we join our palms together over the contract, clasping our hands together. We speak the incantation and then watch as the combination of our blood leaks out between our connected hands and rises up into the air, where a clear artistic glass vial forms around it, signifying the completion of our blood oath.
I reach out and grab hold of it gently, placing it down atop the contract. With this, I have my first loyal employee.
Chapter 18– Business.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 18¨C Business.
"Good morning, Gilderoy," Andromeda says as she walks into my office early in the morning, ready for another hard day of work. For her, that is, not me since I usually just relax and enjoy myself. I am here quite early as well, before her for once, but that shouldn''t be that surprising since I live in the building. Honestly, I got sick of living in my previous home. Everywhere I looked, I had memories there that were constantly bombarding me, and even though they were entirely under my control, I wouldn''t say I liked it. Plus, I had spent months on end in that place, and I had even kept a prisoner there.
Overall, just a lot of bad memories there. I couldn''t go anywhere near the fireplace without wincing from recalling the amount of torturing curses I received in front of it, so yeah, I moved out. I didn''t sell the place, however, partly afraid that someone somehow would discover my secrets from it (with magic, duh), plus it would be good to have a secret place to hide anything or anyone in the future.
"Good morning to you as well, Andromeda, radiant as ever. How are you this fine day?" I reply from my chair, leaning back on it, so it was on two legs like I was an unruly child back in school again and resting my legs on top of my desk. I must say, this new home of mine is exquisite, the location is good, and I got it relatively cheap as well. I am very pleased with the direction my new life is taking me, and it is only going to get better.
The location of my new business and home is in a prime location and is surrounded by good businesses as well, which will drag in more people to our area. To the left of my store is the Owl Post Office, perfect for when we need to send off letters since we are right next door, and plenty of other people will be sending their messages from there as well, giving us heavy foot traffic.
To the left of that is then the magical playground. Plenty of mothers, children and Hogwarts students are always around there and to the left of that is a building which is not actually a store, but Ollivanders workshop, where he makes wands and does repairs, and then to the left of that is his actual store. In comparison to the left, the right side isn''t as good since it is only one store, and it is the Shrunken Head Bowling Alley. And yes, it is just as weird as it sounds and not an odd zany name for a regular place, but then again, when in the wizarding world, isn''t abnormal actually the norm.
I am guessing that someone, probably a muggle-born, came back to the wizarding world after seeing a muggle bowling alley and thought that it would be a good idea to make one here. But, of course, since we are wizards, we decided that instead of using bowling balls, we would rather use shrunken heads as bowling balls. So, if I were to hedge a bet, the original guy with this business idea was a muggle-born, but he had neither the capital nor the clout to bring it to fruition, so he was backed by someone, most likely a half-blood who introduced the more wacky aspects.
I have yet to have the chance to properly check it out since I have been so busy, but I am definitely planning to one of these days. The place just sounds so interesting. Do you put your two fingers in the eye sockets and then your thumb in the mouth? I have so many questions. Anyway, getting back on topic. Instead of there being another shop to the right of the magical bowling alley, it is instead the entrance to Knockturn alley, something I would have thought would have a negative effect on the stores surrounding it.
But surprisingly, during the scouting of my new store, I discovered that it didn''t have any effect on the stores, people just gave the entrance a wide birth and stayed away from it, but they still used the stores surrounding it. So it seems people think that everything dark inside of Diagon Alley is solely contained to the inside of Knockturn Alley, and adversely everything not inside of it is completely fine. Which I know not to be the case given the fact that Galloloans exists, or at least it used to before I kicked out the owners and took over the building.
Honestly, since some of my businesses would be giving out loans, it is only natural that the Gallolooans would be my rival business and competitor, and we would be fighting over luring people in to take loans. But I decided I would rather not have some kind of heated competition with these guys that would end up with them attacking us or something. So I planned an extremely preemptive strike to get rid of them and take their building which is already so nicely furnished and set up for my needs. If you aren''t cheating, you aren''t trying.
Of course, to take this place, I had to take down all the workers at once and then mess with their minds to get them to see things from my perspective. Which would be infinitely more difficult if I didn''t have my new employee to help me out. You see, in the contract, it was stated that for as long as Andromeda was my employee, she would keep all of my secrets and not tell anyone without my permission. However, a little loophole made it, so it wasn''t just work secrets she had to keep but all my secrets, no matter what they were.
And this agreement would stay alive for as long as the blood vial stayed safe and would only break if the blood vial was destroyed, and it takes a lot of power to do such a thing, a power that Andromeda does not have. But since the blood oath is to stick to the terms of the contract we signed, it can be broken if the contract is destroyed, which is why in a show of trust, I let Andromeda keep the blood vial, and I kept the contract since only destroying the contract would break the agreement.
Thankfully Andromeda did not discover this loophole because when I told her about my plan, she had no problem with it after I told her how Galloloans operate. Instead of straightaway bombarding her with the fact we were going to go and take this place over, whether she wanted to or not, I was subtle about it. First, I mentioned that they would be our competition in the future, and then I talked about their business methods.
Andromeda was naturally disgusted with them, angry that they were taking advantage of these people and trapping them in a never-ending debt that would last till they died. Even then, it might be forced upon the victim''s family. That is actually quite rare, and usually, they would only do it if the next of kin is very rich. Half the time, it''s because they have a rich relative that they focus on the victim in the first place.
Naturally, Andromeda was appalled and wanted to contact the Aurors immediately and get the place shut down, but I stopped her before she could run. I told her that, unfortunately, they were a legitimate business and were not technically doing anything illegal, so the Aurors would be unable to do anything. I lamented at that truth, as well as the fact that they are rivals, and how I wished that we could just go shut them down ourselves.
Andromeda quickly hooked onto the bait I had left out, the glint in her eyes looking slightly unhinged, a slight resemblance to her crazy sister. We talked, we plotted and then we acted. She truly is a Black sister, raised in such a household to mould her into nobility and to become a superior witch. The mean streak and edge that allowed her to give her entire family the middle finger and leave that had been blunted by years of suburbia and comfortable life appeared again. And I was happy to see it since my future business expansions needed someone with that vicious acumen.
Long story short, we scouted the place out further and then attacked on a day when every employee would be in the store, and it was late at night. So we snuck in, stupified the lot quite silently since they were all getting pissed off their faces, and then I used my mind magic to have them sign over the whole business and sent them on their way, finishing all the current contracts they had. And the fantastic thing is, it was Andromeda herself who suggested such a course of action and decided on us taking over their store. I didn''t even have to nudge her for it; no mental influence whatsoever.
My new building and home were very nice and swanky, and it was already heavily furnished by the previous occupants, who graciously let us keep their stuff. When you enter through the front door, you are immediately greeted by a receptionist''s desk, which is unmanned and simply has a bell you ding on it to call for assistance. And then you can wait in the waiting area in front of the reception, made up of a few comfy leather chairs and a desk with the latest magazines like Witch Weekly. One of my only jobs is to keep that desk up to date.
Behind the reception is a partition, on the other side of which is a whole bunch of desks set up for work and interviewing prospective new clients. But, again, Andromeda had her pick of the place; the bullpen was her domain. And then further back is a door to my own private office, pretty much the same as when I took it with its excellent mahogany desk, a lovely comfy sofa and a shelf full of different liquors and other fancy stuff.
The stairs leading to the upper floor are behind a locked door in the bullpen area, to the back of the room, so that it doesn''t cause trouble to the people coming in and out. It is on this floor that I now live, and it is not nearly as decorative as the rest of this place because I got rid of pretty much everything since it belonged to someone else. I don''t want to be sleeping in someone else''s bed, wearing their clothes or using their towels. So I vanished all the crap the owner left behind and bought my own stuff quite quickly, anything can be found within Diagon Alley, and nothing is off limits.
Everything has been going right lately, and working out and, surprisingly, with little to no input from myself, thanks to my brand new employee.
I was very happy with Andromeda, and I still am given her performance so far, and I suspect that I will continue to be pleased in the future. Watching as she closes my office door behind her, I can''t stop my eyes from pouring over each and every contour of her body, made even more delicious by the office worker/secretary outfit she has on, looking very professional. Not to mention those stylish glasses she has on to complete the ensemble, enhancing her all-business look. Apparently, they have a charm on them that eases the stress on the eye from working with so much paperwork.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
This woman is as gorgeous as ever, her age and motherhood only ripening her beauty and charm, and each time I see her, I find it hard to keep myself from making advances towards her. But then I stop myself, I don''t want to ruin my business and lose a vital employee just, plus I still remember her taking out those loan sharks with me with a stern look on her face, her actions swift and merciless. I don''t want to get on her wrong side. Even if I am confident that our contract is one hundred percent airtight, I am sure she could find some way around it to harm me.
"Let''s skip the pleasantries, Gilderoy. I can''t keep wasting time on them every day. You might not have much to do today, but I have a lot of work to complete, and I don''t have time to waste." Andromeda says, getting straight to business and rudely ignoring my friendly greeting. Though I can''t lie, I kind of like this attitude of hers.
"Wow, way to hurt my feelings, Andromeda. I was just trying to be nice and friendly, keeping our employer and employee relationship healthy, Andromeda. Androm- you know what, your name is too big, and I can''t keep saying it all the time? Do you have a nickname or something?" I question because, honestly, her name is nine letters long, and I can''t stop thinking sci-fi thoughts when I hear it. Set course for the Andromeda Galaxy, phasers to thrust or whatever. That is the wrong setting; we are in a fantasy world.
"Haah... yeah, I do. It is Dromeda." Andromeda sighs but relents and answers my question. She has been under my jurisdiction for the last few days, and she has been all business, with no time for fun or games, which is boring for me as well. So I decided to try and break that professional mask of hers, so I began just being very annoying in general and trying to tease her. I don''t really have much to do here after all, and I have to get my kicks somehow.
"Andromeda? How is that your nickname? A nickname is supposed to be something short you call someone, so you can save time and so you can be in the nick of time for something else, hence, a nickname. Whoever gave you this nickname only knocked off a single letter. They must be pretty stupid." Honestly, there are way better options, Drom, Meda, Med, And, and Romeda.
"That would be my husband." She says dryly, her face still a picture of perfect calm. I kind of stuck my foot in my mouth just then, but who cares? We are locked into a contract now, and she won''t be escaping me that easily. So I can act however I want, and she can''t leave. What a nice feeling, such a sense of freedom. Is this why people get married and lock it down?
"Well, he must not be the sharpest tool in the shed then. But he must be doing something right if he managed to bag a stone-cold beauty like you. What was it? Is he strong and muscular? Is he rich? Does he have a big-"
"Let''s get on with our first order of business. The possible investments we can do, and if we should." She interrupts me before I can finish that last one and tries to move on to actual business. I have been flirting and hitting on her lately since she is already locked in and can''t run away, and I need to work on my own skills, and she makes for a pretty good whetstone to build up my own confidence. She mostly ignores my flirting, and I don''t really go too far, and I don''t push into creepy territory, so she hasn''t complained about it yet.
Since her husband was mentioned, I decided to take a few digs at the lucky bastard and try and get Andromeda to break character, which she does. Surprisingly though, it wasn''t so she could rush to defend her husband or anything, but when I was about to talk about genitals that she interrupted me. So I guess talking about genitals in the workplace is taking it too far, man am I glad there are no such laws for workplace harassment in the wizarding world.
"Right, so... What do we have today, Andi." Of course, I am expecting a lot since she always goes above and beyond, the hardworking woman that she is. I don''t know why but Andromeda came into this job full of zeal and put forth all of her effort to get results. I was honestly a little surprised, I was fully expecting to maybe have to do some slight manipulations and deceptions to motivate her, but it was unneeded.
"Andi?" She questions, and I take a moment to look at her confusedly before my own brain catches up with my mouth and I realise what I said. My mouth did the work before my brain did and gave her a nickname, so I don''t have to keep saying Andromeda. So I can call her Andi from now on, and this way, if there is ever a moment I need to express how serious I am with her, I can use her full name. I need that kind of leverage as her lazy boss.
"Yeah, don''t get me wrong, Dromeda is a nice name because it belongs to a beautiful woman like you. But I prefer Andi, short and sweet. Do you like it, or do you have a problem with it? Either way, I am going to use it. It makes my life easier." I say, confirming the nickname. Andi will henceforth be referred to as Andi because I can''t be bothered to keep saying the full name. I can only imagine how annoyed I would be if I had to write her name repeatedly as well.
"It is fine. Now, I went and investigated all the businesses we could invest in, and right now, we are only going to be capable of getting scraps. Large chunks of the various big and profitable businesses are all bought up and owned by the many pure-blood families, with the Malfoys having healthy chunks in most of them. Right now, we are able to buy up the tiny pieces of the business that people like the Malfoys won''t buy since they are so little, plus the current owners of those small shares are selling them for an exorbitant amount." She informs, righting the glasses on her face and taking a seat in front of my desk.
"Alright, yes. But, did you do what I asked you to?" I already expected this sort of situation since the purebloods already have a monopoly on the entire wizarding world, and all that is left is scraps. However, there are no absolutes in this world, so I had to check, and even if they do have a tight grasp on these businesses now, that doesn''t mean they will forever. Right now, I am more focused on the task I gave Andi.
"Right, I took a look at the broom industry like you wanted me to. There are currently several companies, including the Cleansweep Broom Company, the Comet Trading Company, Flyte and Barker and the Nimbus Racing Broom Company. " I nod, gesturing for her to continue on.
"The Cleansweep Broom Company was formed by Bob, Bill and Barnaby Ollerton in 1926 when they made their first model, the Cleansweep One, which was produced in large quantities and was an instant hit. They have stayed strong through the years, and they have just recently created the Cleansweep Ten. Then we have the Comet Trading Company, which was formed by Randolph Keitch and Basil Horton in 1929 when they made the Comet 140, and their latest broom is the Comet 260." She says, informing me of the current competition if I were to enter this market, no doubt trying to dissuade me from it since it was already so saturated. However, I have the gift of knowledge, and I know there is an opening in the broom market. I just need to find it.
"Yes, interesting as that may be, are there any opportunities. We are looking to expand and to make more money. Remember, this doesn''t just benefit me. The more we make a year, the more you earn." I needed some kind of incentive more than just a stable wage every year, so I made it so that aside from her salary, she gets paid five percent of our yearly profit at the end of the year. It should be good motivation for her to try and gain us a lot of Galleons.
"I believe that we can only make the correct decision and investment with the proper information, so shut up and listen and then you can make an informed decision. Now, these were the foremost broom companies along with Universal Broom Ltd until 1967, when the Nimbus Racing Broom Company was founded. It was created by Devlin Whitehorn, and the arrival of the Nimbus 1000 galvanised the racing broom market with its revolutionary design. Ever since then, the market has been dominated by Nimbus, and if we were to get involved, then they would be our main competition, and Devlin Whitehorn is known to be a ruthless businessman with a mean streak." Yes, the Nimbus was the ultimate broom and the first broom Harry Potter ever got, but he soon got a better one, didn''t he.
"Yes, I know. But no matter what industry we enter, we are always going to be picking fights with guys bigger than us. So we might as well go in with full force and ready for a fight. So, what are our options?" With the background information given and our number one competitor outlined, it is now time to decide where we will invest and begin our point of attack to eventually corner the market.
"Right now, we have the option of buying tiny shares in the Cleansweep Broom Company and the Comet Trading Company. However, the Nimbus Racing Broom Company is not selling since the shares are predominantly under Devlin Whitehorn, and the rest are in the hands of people he trusts. I do not recommend buying into these companies, they are not worth the amount that is being asked, and we honestly wouldn''t be earning much with such a tiny portion of the pie." Well, investing in those companies wasn''t my goal in the first place. Why only have a single piece of the pie when you can own it all and then eat it too.
"Is there anything we can buy fully, or at least get a healthy portion of? And what about individuals we can invest in? I told you to search for any competent broom makers that might be looking to strike out on their own and make their own new broom." I am looking for a specific name, not the name of a man but the name of the broom. If I can find that broom, then I can make a successful broom company, but I have to find it this year, or the opportunity will pass me by.
"Well, we do have Universal Brooms Ltd, Ellerby and Spudmore and Flyte and Bark that are looking for investment or complete purchase, but there are problems with both. And several individuals have come forth hoping for sponsorship so they can develop their new broom designs. However, idiots are a dime a dozen, and it would be a hard press to find someone with a viable design." So, hmm, three different broom companies are either looking for investment or are being sold entirely. No doubt they each have their problems, but working with a foundation will be helpful and save me a lot of stress in the long run when I finally find exactly what I am looking for.
"Tell me about these three companies, and what are our options? Also, which do you think is the best opportunity?" I ask, wanting her opinion. To be honest, I want to get to the point where I can trust in her abilities and judgement enough that I can stop paying so much attention here and return to my studies. I may have done all of the Hogwarts curricula, but there are many more esoteric magics out there that are waiting to be learnt, and I can still improve.
"First of all, Universal Brooms Ltd is no longer a functioning business. They used to be popular with their Shooting Star broom, which they released in 1955, but since then, they have had nothing but losses and eventually went out of business in 1978. However, while most of their properties and buildings have been bought out, one factory is still held that hasn''t been bought due to superstition since there is apparently a poltergeist there." She pauses here. A poltergeist, huh? Don''t think I have ever heard of one other than Peeves.
"Then there is Flyte and Bark, and while this company is still in business, it is arguably the most dangerous possible venture and most recent. This company was just established last year by a bunch of pureblood rich guys who have more money than sense, and they created the Twigger 90 broom to rival the Nimbus Broom Company. But they got quite lax with the safety and focused on making it better than the Nimbus. Because of that, the broom is very expensive and also has an unfortunate tendency to warp uncontrollably. They have lost a lot of money on this and are looking for investors. Unfortunately, I think they are trying to sell it off and make it someone else''s problem." Hmm, a broom that can warp, but it is not a controllable factor, and it is too expensive. Not something I can use right now, but maybe in the future, when I have the cash to waste, I can buy in and try to improve upon it.
"Okay, now tell me about Ellerby and Spudmore." The previous two companies had significant issues, such as one being shut down and the other having serious expenditure problems. So I wonder what is wrong with Ellerby and Spudmore.
"Well, I say a company, but that isn''t really accurate. They have no holdings, no products and no properties. It is basically just a single man holding onto the company name."
"...What?"
Chapter 19– A Worthwhile Investment.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 19¨C A Worthwhile Investment.
"Alright, start from the beginning. Tell me everything you can about Ellerby and Spudmore and how it has dwindled to just a single man." Honestly, I thought I had three big companies that I could possibly take over and direct to become the next best broom company. But one is just a single abandoned factory, the next is a company looking for a fall guy because they messed up on their product and the last one is a single man.
"Okay. Ellerby and Spudmore was first founded in 1940 by Ellerby and Able Spudmore when they produced the Tinderblast, though they were not that successful. The broom had some technical issues, so they were never really popular. However, their brooms were relatively cheap and affordable as training brooms for children. They tried to rectify this in 1952 with a new design, the Swiftstick, however, there were still some technical issues, and it was not a success." I nod along as she talks to show I am listening.
"Since then, they have had no more broomsticks produced, and the company has slowly dwindled down, despite their efforts. They tried their best to keep in business, selling off assets and buildings just to keep trying to develop a better broom, but it was for nothing. The more they sold, the more money they sunk into their development with nothing to show for it, and so they sold more of their assets. A vicious cycle that has now dwindled the company down to just a single man, Randolph Spudmore, the son of Able Spudmore." They wasted so much money and had nothing to show for it? I don''t believe that. They already had two eligible brooms as a base, so it shouldn''t have been hard to add some minor modifications to it and sell a new version.
"Hm, his son? What about Able Spudmore? And Ellerby?" This company was formed by two people, after all, so how come there is just a single person left. What happened to Able Spudmore and the original Ellerby? How come Ellerby''s progeny is not part of the company? They might seem like useless questions, but questioning these things could reveal some significant issues that would make acquiring this company a bad idea.
"Ellerby did not want anything more to do with the company after the failure of the Swiftstick. He was just the money man in the situation with able Spudmore being the broom maker, so Able bought out Ellerby, though he kept the name. As for Able Spudmore, he continued to develop and work on brooms, but he was an old man born in 1910. He died just recently, the stress must have been too much for him, and his son Randolph who was working alongside his father has officially taken over." Interesting. Very interesting.
The Swiftstick failed in 1952, and ever since then, Able Spudmore had been sinking all his money into research and development of new brooms, and he apparently had nothing to show for it after all these years. Even without a desirable conclusion, thirty years'' worth of research into brooms is still valuable information, and I would like to get my hands on it. It is worth it, even if this Randolph ends up doing nothing with our investment, since I could use that information and give it to another talented broom maker. Knowing what not to do can be just as helpful as having written instructions.
"Interesting. So, what type of investment is this Randolph looking for? And do you think it is viable?" Depending on the type of investment he is looking for will determine just how interested I am in this guy because it will show just how confident he is in his prospects.
"Randolph Spudmore is looking for a pure cash injection. He wants a loan with no other conditions attached and an agreement to repay the loan plus interest in two years. As for viability, that is a tough call. He has the qualifications, but the history speaks for itself." A pure cash injection? That could mean one of two things. He could just want the loan just for the money with no intention of paying it back and running off with the cash, which wouldn''t even work due to the type of contract we would be using. Though I don''t think this is the case, given his father worked all his life for this broom. So it means he is very confident in paying back the loan in two years, so his broom is probably on the right track.
"I want a meeting with this Randolph Spudmore. Schedule it for tomorrow. Now, about all these other broom makers looking for an investment? I am assuming that you have already done all of the research to make sure they are legit. Tell me about them." Andromeda really is good at her job, being diligent and gathering all the information. Sorting through all the idiots and getting rid of them before bringing the actual good prospects to my attention.
Though I won''t be firmly committing to anything until after meeting with Randolph Spudmore, his situation has intrigued me somewhat, and I want to investigate that before investing elsewhere.
"Gilderoy, are you ready? Spudmor- OH MY GOD!?" I hear Andromeda scream as she enters my office early in the morning, and it is so sudden that I have no time to react or to try and hide what I have been up to.
"WHY ARE YOU DOING IT IN YOUR OFFICE!? YOU LITERALLY LIVE UPSTAIRS!" Andromeda shouts as I quickly stand up and stop my previous actions, hurriedly pulling my pants up and starting to buckle them.
"T-The atmosphere?.. You know? It is just somehow more fun and tantalising in here." I try to explain myself as I try to find my shirt in the mess around my office.
"W-Whatever, just hurry up and put some clothes on. Your meeting is soo-"
"Mr Lockhart, are we stopping?"
"Ah, yes, Ms Lumley. That will be all for today. I will owl you later so that we can continue this." Andromeda watches in shock as my partner, Ms Lumley (I don''t know her first name), rises from her knees, and straightens the glasses on her face. I think it is more shocking for Andi because, unlike the last time I met Ms Lumley, she is not dressed in pink. Instead, she is dressed up very professionally, like a secretary, along with the glasses to seal the deal.
"Oh, but we will continue this? Won''t we, Mr Lockhart?" She stays in character as she asks, and I quickly nod my head even though I literally just told her that. Not because I desperately wanted to see her again or anything. She was just some stress relief. I want to see her again tonight so that I can erase her memories of this, which I won''t be able to do now that Andromeda is here.
"Andi, can you please escort Ms Lumley to the floo. And I will smarten up in the meantime. And what was that about a meeting?" I asked Andromeda as I pulled my shirt on and started to button it up, not rushing at all. At first, I was pretty panicked when Andi suddenly entered the room, and I didn''t know how to react, but now I realise that I can act however I want. We are both under a contract, and she has to keep my secrets according to it. Plus, Andi can''t suddenly up and quit, either. I made sure of that. She can leave. I am not an evil man, but I am a selfish one, and the requirements of her quitting are very stringent and dependent on several things.
Honestly, I think it is better this way rather than me trying to keep up a pure and clean image only to have it inevitably torn away a few months down the line since I would not be able to keep up the act that long. That would take a relationship I worked hard to build and absolutely shatter it. This way, she knows what I am about and won''t have any misgivings down the line. Humans are the greatest when it comes to desensitising to something, so maybe in a few months, incidents like this will just be the norm, and Andromeda won''t blink an eye. I much prefer this to constantly walking on eggshells and watching myself around her, and since she is my only employee, that would be constant.
"It is the meeting you wanted me to set up for today regarding the... Randolph." Andromeda says, not finishing her sentence and instead giving me a name as she eyes Ms Lumley, who is looking at her smugly, probably not wanting to reveal information in front of a random woman.
"Oh right, thank you for the reminder, Andi. I don''t know what I would do without you." She gives me a blank look as she leads Ms Lumley out of the room, closing the door behind her to provide me with some privacy. Well, relations may be frosty and a bit awkward for a while, but things will come around, and she will just get used to this.
After all, we already did some illegal things together when we took over this shop, even if she did it with some righteous mindset to get rid of the loansharks praying on vulnerable people. Technically they were not doing anything illegal, and we were when we got rid of them. That crime has bonded us together, and she will probably think twice when questioning her continued employment here.
I quickly began to use various spells to dress myself appropriately and make myself look my best in preparation for my upcoming meeting, which I completely forgot about. Honestly, I should remember things like this, but I am already finding it a bit hard with all my new responsibilities. It wasn''t that long ago that I was just a hormonal teenager that would spend all my time watching media and escaping into the internet. So one would think that my coming here and gaining all of Gilderoy''s memories would do something for my maturity, and it did, but not as much as you would expect.
Gilderoy was a very immature, selfish man even though he was a successful author, and he was not very responsible, so I, in turn, who used to be just sixteen years old, didn''t have much of an increase in maturity. Which is why I have little kerfuffles like this, and it is why I went out and got someone reliable like Andromeda to work for me as an employee and secretary to keep me on track.
I had just finished cleaning up when I heard a knock at the door, which was undoubtedly Andromeda. She must have learnt a lesson about etiquette after bursting in here and getting an eyeful. I stifle a little chuckle at that.
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"Come in." A second later, the door creaks open slowly, and then Andromeda pops her head in to survey the room. And then, seeing that I am fully clothed and presentable, she enters the room daintily, closing the door gently behind her.
"So... I thought you wanted to settle down and raise a family?" She says after a moment, breaking the silence, which was awkward for her, but I was finding it kind of funny. Yes, I do remember saying something like that when stating my reasons for leaving being an author and starting a business. It wasn''t true, I just needed a viable explanation for leaving that and starting a business, and I couldn''t just say that I was suddenly a shit writer and that it was no longer my passion/only claim to some kind of fame.
"Yes, those are things I want. But I am still a man, and I have needs. I am sure you understand." I do want those things, but very very far in the future. Wizards can live a long time if they are very powerful, and I plan on being a powerful wizard. So yes, a family, somewhere far, far, far down the line. But for now, I want to enjoy my life and sow my oats. And with magic at my disposal, I am going to reach in deep and wrench enjoyment out of the very core of what this world has to offer.
"Just don''t do it down here anymore, okay?" She says, giving me a look that I can''t quite place, but I know that it isn''t anything good, so I quickly nod my head in agreement.
"Haha, I will try not to. But some of the blame is on you as well, you know. Spending all day with a beautiful woman like you, of course, I am going to find it hard like this." I laugh while doing a bit of light flirting and subtly giving her a reason, scratching the back of my head, but I stop when I see her face turn dangerously red. I think it would be better for my health if I just stopped here. Of course, Andromeda might not be able to do anything about my behaviour or quit, but I still don''t want to push her too far.
"So, how long until this meeting? Do you want to go out and get a bite to eat first?" I try to quickly move on from that and focus on the more important thing here. The upcoming meeting, and if I have enough time to grab some breakfast since I was a little caught up all morning and last night.
"Technically, we have an hour. However, Mr Spudmore seems to be the kind that would rather arrive early rather than later, and he is waiting in the reception. We are lucky that your office is at the far back, hidden behind various partitions and that the previous owners isolated the sounds from coming out." Right, he is here, and I won''t have time to get any food. Why can''t people just show up on time, not early, not late, but exactly when they are supposed. Like Dumbledore says, a wizard arrives precisely when he means to. Or is that some other magic, old man?
"Alright... Give it five minutes, and then send him in. You will also be here for the meeting as well, Andi. I will have another chair behind my desk for you to sit at after you escort him in. Pitch in if you think it necessary ." I give her a nod, and she calmly leaves the room, leaving me to my thoughts as I go and sit down behind my desk, straightening out my clothes. I am glad that we took over this building, the loan sharks we took this place from had an emphasis on privacy and keeping things lowkey, which has really worked out for me. I take out my wand and quickly conjure a chair beside me from thin air, which is not even hard, but difficulty scales with the complexity of what you need to conjure and I really need to practice.
Okay, so just get through this meeting. And if this guy actually has something to offer, then take him up on it, but not a loan. If this guy actually has potential, then I will help him start up a broom company and own some of it. Much better in the long run. And when that is done, I can take a backseat and leave things running with Andromeda, and I can focus on my magic again, even try to get some actual experience in the duelling circuits or something. It is all well and good to know how to perform magic, but you also have to understand how to use it as well.
*Knock* *Knock* "Come in." I say once again after quickly checking to make sure my clothes are alright and looking in the mirror across the room to make sure there are no faults, I want to make a strong showing, so this guy will depend on me after all. Andromeda enters once again, though this time, a man is trailing along behind her, who is obviously Randolph Spudmore.
He is a lanky fellow looking like he doesn''t eat more than is strictly necessary, quite pale as if he doesn''t get to see the sun much as well. Aside from that, his hair is long and frizzy, and he has a scruffy beard, so he doesn''t take much care of himself either. Apart from that, though, he is pretty ordinary, with an average face, standard black wizarding robes, nothing fancy and strictly practical. Right now, he is giving me serious reclusive genius vibes, too focused on the work that he doesn''t really take good care of himself and devotes all his time to the craft. That is what I am getting strictly from his appearance, and things look hopeful. Let''s see if he will live up to my expectations.
"Hello, Mr Spudmore. Please, take a seat. I am Gilderoy Lockhart, and welcome to Unlocking The Heart, where we hope to help make your dreams come true." The man walks in with nervous energy as Andromeda closes the door behind him, and he takes a seat in front of my desk with a nod while Andromeda moves to the seat beside me, though it is slightly behind mine. Hierarchy and standing, my Lockhart memories inform, because that is very important in this society, and I have to observe its customers so that I can thrive in it.
Unlocking The Heart is a name I have come up with for my store, and I just added the slogan now since it seemed to roll off the tongue. The sign in front of my store holds those words in lovely calligraphy, with some elegance and what those words are made out of regular changes. It cost a couple of Galleons to have that done so that it changes into ice, then into fire, and numerous other dozens of things like chains. I could have done something like that myself, but I hired someone whose lifelong craft it is, and you can really tell the difference.
I decided on the name itself because of its relevance to my name, but there were other reasons as well. First of all, because we are, in essence, a loan business, and so when I say unlocking the heart, I mean the customers since I am going to open it and take it for all it''s got and all it can give me. It also has a double meaning in that the heart is where dreams reside, and by unlocking it, we are helping the customer''s dreams come to fruition. A lovely double meaning that makes me chuckle, and if I ever get bored of the name someday, then I can easily change it. But right now, I don''t know what I would change it to.
[AN: Hint, Hint. If you think you can come up with a better name, then try to. If I like it, I might use it.]
"So, Mr Spudmore. It is my understanding that you are looking for a loan. Can I ask what you need this loan for? And how much would you ideally like?" I need to divulge all the information I can out of this guy, so I am going to use my go-to method. Occlumecy. However, unlike when I was a bit too straightforward with Andromeda, this time, I am going to employ caution because I can''t afford for this to go wrong. I have started him talking about the subject, and I am going to probe his mind to see if he has any defences, though I doubt it.
"Ah yes, I am wanting this loan so that I can fund my research. I am a broom maker, and I am trying to make a broom, and I also want to make a company and sell them as well, which is what I need the loan for. As for the amount... I need three- Three thousand Galleons." I pause in my probing of his mind and look at his with some shock on my face. Three thousand galleons is a lot to ask for, way too much to set up a business and even do some research and development. I remember in the books that Harry gave the Weasley twins a thousand Galleons, and with that, they set up Weasley''s Wizarding Wheezes and developed a ton of joke and prank items.
Randolph here is asking for three times that amount, which is way too much. According to the memories of the loan sharks'' minds I perused after we knocked them out and the other people that have approached us so far, people usually ask for around a hundred galleons, five hundred at the max. So Randolph is asking for an exorbitant amount, way more than should be needed to set up a business and even develop a product. Magic does most of the work, after all, when it comes to that, which means his loan is going to be used primarily on buying things.
"I am sorry, but that is a lot. You do understand that this loan comes with interest, correct? If I were to actually loan you this amount, and based off of what you have told me, we would be asking for a fifty percent increase after two years. That would be four thousand five hundred Galleons. You would also be asked to put up something valuable and give someone else name as a guarantor. This is the only type of offer we can give you based on the information we have." I tell him, giving him a ridiculous interest fee. I don''t just want this to be a loan. After all, I want to invest and have a big hand in this company he makes if it looks to be profitable.
"Yes, I- I have no other choice. This is the only way now. Please give me this loan. I beg of you." He says, face determined, realising the extent of what he is asking for but going ahead with it anyway. He is a desperate man who has lost all other avenues, and when I showed some opposition, he immediately cracked and buckled, revealing his plight.
"You see, Randolph. I feel even more doubt now. You have no other choice? This is the only way? It does not really inspire confidence, and I kind of don''t want to lend you anything without knowing more about the situation because your desperation makes it seem like you won''t succeed. Please, inform me of your situation, and I will see what I can offer you. We do not just do loans after all, so maybe there is another way I can help you." The man has already cracked, and I take advantage of it to surge into his mind and start scanning, his desperation making it easy. I don''t do a complete dive, though, since that would take way too long, I merely check his thoughts, and I will ask the pertinent questions to bring the crucial ideas to the forefront of his mind.
I find the man''s defences are nonexistent after a bit of perusing, and so instead of doing that, I manipulate him slightly and influence him to want to tell me about his woes and difficulties. Of course, I will still be scanning for something in case there is anything that is so crucial that he withholds it even with my influence, but he immediately starts to spill.
"I- yes, please. I was raised by my father, Able Spudmore, from young to be a broom maker, and I have worked with him since I was able. My father was a brilliant man, a genius, ahead of his time. The brooms that he made and sold were only at the insistence of Ellerby, who threatened to cut his funding, and my father had to, even though he was disgusted selling something that wasn''t to the best of his ability which is why he bought out Ellerby as soon as he could." He immediately starts to pour out words, surprising me with just how much he is doing with only a slight bit of influence from myself. He even seems to have a look of relief as he does so. He has been carrying a bit of a burden, it seems.
"My father, Merlin rest his soul, was a genius, but he did not have a head for business. He refused to put out something he saw as an inferior product, so he kept researching and developing improvements. And he kept selling off the business and other things to fund it, and he died just recently, having not finished the broom he envisioned. The ultimate broom, he had a name for it already picked out." So he spills, not saying anything that I didn''t already know. And I highly doubt his father was a genius, given he didn''t produce anything in all these years. If anything, his father was obsessed with being the best, a single-minded fixation that squandered everything he had until he died.
"A name? And what would that be?" I humour the man since I want to gain access to all that research. Maybe I can use it to help another talented broom maker I find. Thirty years of research by a mediocre man is still thirty years'' worth of information.
"The Firebolt." Ah, yes, the Firebolt. The ultimate broom, the best broom to ever... exist. Wait, isn''t this what I have been looking for?
Chapter 20– Firebolt.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 20¨C Firebolt.
He definitely just said Firebolt, didn''t he? So things can not be working out this perfectly for me, can they? Or is this just some cruel trick of the fates, bringing me someone who coincidentally thought up the same name and is actually a hack. But this is precisely what I was looking for, my first big money-making industry, and from there, I can start to expand, but first, I need a base good money-making business.
With a stable surefire fire industry under my foot, I can start taking risks on things that weren''t mentioned in the story. I might have a lot of money to waste, but that is no reason to squander it willy-nilly, so this is an excellent opportunity for me. But just because the name rings a bell doesn''t mean it is exactly what I am looking for. So I have to make sure.
"I will be honest with you, Randolph. Can I call you that?" He is caught off guard by my sudden turn when I was the one that asked him for that information, and when he goes to answer, I just carry on in true Gilderoy fashion. Right now, the man is nervous, semi-depressed and very close to despair. I am his last hope. So I will beat him down a bit more and make him more susceptible to the help I will offer him, which he will be very grateful for.
"To be frank, Randolph, I am not going to give you a loan today. Unless Merlin himself were to come back to life and tell me to, or some other spectacular feat occurred. Your business is just not tenable, you are a single man, and you do not show much promise, especially after knowing you have had thirty years of work put in and no results to show for it. No other place is going to give you a loan either, and the ones that might are going to bleed you for all your worth with unfair contracts." I hit him with hard facts, the truth that he needed to hear and the truth I needed him to hear.
None of the loan people would have really even listened to this guy, even if he had a brilliant idea, because that was different from what those people were looking for. Just like the guys that owned this place before me and nearly all other magical loaners, they were looking for suckers to fool and scam. So the only people that had even a chance of loaning you money or investing in your business would be the purebloods. Still, they are a no go unless you are a pureblood yourself or different in a political standing or have a bad image, and if you need a loan, then you are probably not. So this man before me, though pureblooded, will not be saved by the upper echelon. His father made sure of that by him squandering his fortune and his obsession.
"Then... what am I supposed to do? I have nothing left to sell except my father''s research, and I will never do that. I need the money to fulfil my and my father''s dream, the fastest broom. I need to sell brooms to gather more funds to research and develop more brooms to sell and then keep researching. No. If you don''t loan to me, then I will find someone else that will, even if they might try to fool me. I have to take that chance." My words seem to have backfired a little since he stands all of a sudden and makes to leave. Instead of falling helpless, he surprisingly gets some fire in him and the courage to keep trying.
"Sit back down, please, Randolph. I wasn''t finished. It is rude to interrupt. Now, while I may not be able to offer you a loan, I am prepared to offer you an alternative option." I quickly raise my phone, scolding him and trying to reel him in. I am constantly monitoring his mind, and that little spark of courage was out of the blue, suddenly rising from nowhere. At my words, however, that spark quickly dims, and he listens to me intently as he sits back in his seat, surprising me.
I suddenly saw a surge of obedience in him when I spoke, and he urgently listened to me and sat back down for some reason. Curios, I look into him a little closer, and I figure out the reason why. It seems like he has a healthy case of reverence towards me, and it isn''t actually because of me, not really. People in the wizarding world, the people who aren''t filthy rich and who aren''t people of good stature, look up to those more powerful and successful than them, like Dumbledore, Grindlewald and Voldemort. And to a lesser state, the minister of magic, wealthy people/donation givers like Lucious Malfoy, seeker stars like Krum and even myself. So the public looks at us with veneration, and I will take advantage of that.
"...Sorry. So, uh, what alternative is this?" Randolph says, nervously fidgeting with his fingers.
"With what you have told me, I can not offer you a loan. The risk versus reward is simply not good enough. I would be risking too much for simply too little. So, the question is, what is in it for me? The option I am offering you is to increase the amount that I would gain. Give me a bigger piece of the pie, and in conjunction, what I can offer will increase. I will invest in you, in this broom. We will be partners, I will front all the costs, and you will focus on the broom and the research. I can get Andromeda here to do all the managerial work for the time being until we can source a proper candidate for the position unless you want to do it yourself." I say, giving him my whole deal, which I think is quite good.
His main goal is not to make money or achieve fame. It is simply to fulfil his father''s dream and make the ultimate broom which, according to him, isn''t even the Firebolt. He only needs the money and is setting up the company so he can fund the research and development. He cares much less about the profits and the business side of things.
"R-Really? Yes, I accept. When can we get started? I have quite a few experiments to do before we can start selling the brooms. I think I can improve the" Like a man drowning in the middle of the ocean, Randolph Spudmore quickly grabs onto the life raft I had thrown out and is all too happy to climb aboard. He is ecstatic to find a way out of the mire he had found himself in and quickly losses himself in ramblings about brooms and research, so I cut him off before he can get carried away.
"Again, Randolph, you have interrupted me before I could finish. Now, as I was saying, I can offer you this deal where I deal with all costs, and we become partners. However, for that to happen, I have to know about all your current dealings, the current state of your company and the current specifications of the broom you are trying to sell. I can not buy in without having the relevant details, and I will not buy into something that I do not see potential or profit in. So, tell me everything. Convince me." As I said before, I can not be assured that the Firebolt this guy is peddling is the same as the success in the actual books. I need confirmation, and Randolph, in his desperation, will spill everything to me in hopes of gaining my support.
"Ah, uh, okay. Currently, I have no assets or buildings, only the cottage that my father and I lived in and that we did our experiments in. As for current dealings, there is only one, and it isn''t really current, more bi-yearly. The deal is with the goblins for goblin silver, which costs a lot, so we could only buy more every six months. My father was certain that goblin silver was the key to advancing our brooms, and he was right. They worked." Randolph reveals, confirming that this is the guy I have been looking for. I remember something about goblins when thFireboltlt came up, so this must be it.
"Goblin silver? That improves the broom, how?" I question because I still want to know everything about it even if I am ninety-nine point nine percent sure this is the one. Just because this became a big thing in canon doesn''t mean that it will now. Just because I found it early and became involved, maybe there is something that will be messed up and won''t happen becomes of my presence. There is no guarantee, unlike the businesses in the muggle world, I have little to no influence on those after all, but this I will have an overwhelming effect on.
"I-I don''t know. All I know is that it improves the broom, not why. My father didn''t know either, but he knew more than me. My father believed the key to making the ultimate broom would be to understand why goblin silver improved brooms, and if we understood that, then we could apply that knowledge directly towards the broom. It is why we were bleeding galleons. We kept buying the goblins silver and then ruining it in our experimentations, having to buy even more afterwards." They somehow ruined goblin silver, which was apparently impossible, which was why it was so impressive. Able Spudmore must have been a genius to have done such a thing, and such a feat was done just to make a broom.
"Oh, okay. And that was what all your research was on? The broom you want to make and sell at this current moment. Surely the only innovation can''t be the goblin silver. There must be research done on other things these past thirty years." At my words, Randolph nods and continues to speak.
"Yes, we have done multiple other experiments on all sorts of materials and how they, for example, react together. Goblin silver gives the brooms additional stability and power that can withstand adverse weather conditions. The woods that we experimented on are the ones used for wands, and they each interact differently with the silver. We were also trying to combine the strengths of wood, but we need expert herbologists for that." Hmm, alright, it seems like they have put a lot of work into this. Which means I can get a lot of benefits and profit out of it.
"Alright, you have convinced me. I will help you. You will handle the broom design and research, and I will deal with the management, production, advertisement, PR and everything else. I will own fifty-one percent of the company, and you will own the other forty-nine percent. These are my terms. Only if you agree to that, will I be a part of this." I need control over this. It can not be a fifty-fifty thing. I need complete control. I can not have him decide to mess it up all later.
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"W-What? N-No, you can''t. You are just supposed to be the money man like Ellerby was. This was my father''s company, his legacy. I can''t just give control of it to someone else." He quickly becomes defensive and confrontational when I make my demands, and it isn''t as if he personally cares. He doesn''t even think his father cared about that as long as he continued to make the best brooms possible, but it is one of the only things his father left to him, and he doesn''t want to give it away.
"I will not be just a money man. I am a businessman. I will take care of everything to make sure this broom sells and makes us profit, a profit you can use to make even better brooms, the true passion of your father from what you have told me. And not only that, but my fame will also contribute to the sales of your broom. The Gilderoy Lockhart name is a household brand, and people trust it. Which is why I can not put it behind something that I don''t believe in or that is going to fail, which is why I need to have fifty-one percent." So I tell him, lying slightly. In actuality, I really will be mostly just a money man and a pretty face, my money and fame bolstering the success of the broom. Andromeda or whoever else I find will handle the managing and other stuff.
"B-but why? Why does you having fifty-one percent mean that the company will not fail?" Randolph tries to make sense of it, which he won''t be able to unless I explain it to him. He is not in it for the profit, after all, he just wants to fulfil his and his father''s goal.
"You are a broom maker, as was your father. Ellerby, who was probably an adequate businessman, shared half of the company with your father. That is where Ellerby made a mistake, your father was not a businessman, and neither are you. You are more focused on the actual broom-making. If we were to be fifty-fifty partners, you would object to things that would make our company a success. I need full autonomy to make this a success, so you can continue with your research." Maybe, that is true, possibly. I want control since I want to avoid this company eventually getting bought up by the purebloods and losing control of it. This is my cake. Still, even with my explanation, Randolph looks confused and hesitant. He needs another push.
"How about this? In the contract we will sign, I will add a clause. While I will be the majority, neither of us will be able to sell any of our shares to anyone else, and it will be passed down among our progeny. So if one day we wanted to, you could buy me out, or I could buy you out, which will be the only two options for either of us to leave this venture. This way, I will not cut and run like Ellerby, and you won''t lose your position working and developing bigger and better brooms." With this, I can control the company. I was also thinking about sneaking in that I would be the complete owner when he died, but I won''t do that. The father was a genius, and the son is a good broom maker. Maybe Randolph''s kids will also be as talented, so it would be better to keep him around.
"I..." He contemplates it for a second, thinking it over. But really, what is there to think over? This is his only option, the only good one, at least. Even if he refuses today, he will come crawling back at a later date. "I suppose I can''t expect everything to go my way. Very well, I accept. Let''s get on with signing it so we can get to the actual making of the brooms." Randolph accepts his fate and agrees, making me smile, and I try my very hardest to stop the smile from spreading to cover my entire face.
"Ah, not just yet. Over the next few days, the contract itself will be drawn up by Andromeda here. Just to be thorough, we don''t want to make a mistake and forever be burdened by it because of the magic in the contract. Oh, yes, the contract will be ensured through magical means. You are fine with that?" At his nod, I carry on, excited to get this thing underway. " Great, Andromeda, please get started. Soon Lockhart and Spudmore, the broom company, will be made, and we will release brilliant brooms." I reach my hand forwards to shake Randolph, signifying an agreement for the time being. He reaches forward to shake my hand but stalls for some reason.
"Y-You are changing the name?" He stutters out, hand frozen in midair and not connecting with my own, irritating me slightly. However, a quick scan confirms that he still has some useless attachment to the name, and getting sick and tired of all his dithering, I quickly put my skills to use and worked to rectify this.
"Yes. Surely you do not want to still keep the Ellerby and Spudmore name. Need I remind you that the former has long abandoned his post with this company? Why would you want to keep his name on it?" I time my words with my work on his mind, basically severing that connection and feeling associated with the name. Such a thing would usually be noticed, especially when you are talking about the subject and your feelings drastically change with no rhyme or reason. Timing my actions with my words provides a catalyst to blame for the change, my words being thought to have caused the effect and no magic being suspected.
"I..." He sighs, his body relaxing and his arm slightly dropping though still held up, my own having long come back down. "You are right. Ellerby had abandoned my father long ago. He does not deserve to have his name on this, especially when it is about to surpass the nimbus broom company." He nods his head in agreement, lowering his arm to scratch the back of his head, finding his previous thinking ridiculous.
"And if it is the name positioning that is a problem, know that my name being first is essential to the business. As I said before, my name is known, people recognise it. With my name upfront and centre, people will take notice. It will really boost sales when we finally release our broom for sale, and then the quality and exceptionality of our brooms, which they will no doubt have, will keep them afterwards." This is not just me being self-centred, though if I own a company, I will want my name front and centre. My name will actually boost the company a lot.
"No, no. I understand perfectly. I am sorry for the interruption. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity, and I am excited to work with you going forward." He smiles and reaches his hand forward. I look at it for a moment while he awkwardly hangs on, and then I reach my own hand forward to shake it.
"Likewise, let''s work our hardest to make Lockhart and Spudmore the premier broom company in the world." I am adamant about that, and I am sure it is possible. This is the Firebolt broom that made such a splash originally in the books, and it was released in 1993 and battered the Nimbus two thousand one.
Imagine if I could release it now, in direct competition with the Nimbus two thousand, we would demolish them and then the Nimbus Broom Racing Company wouldn''t even be able to release their next model because the Firebolt would severely outperform it. So I would have a foothold and use it to keep my position at the lead, and I wouldn''t even have to do much.
"So, Randolph. When can I expect to release this new broom you are telling me about? Soon I hope." I don''t expect him to have it ready straight away, but with thirty years of preparation, I do expect him to have something good soon. He was planning on paying back the loan he wanted within two years, so he must have something that could be put out soon.
"Ah, yes. Well, I have all the research ready. It is just a matter of picking out the right components according to those results and then refining that down to a working model that is also practical as well as aesthetically pleasing. All in all, I should be able to have the model done in three months." Three months is actually quite reasonable given that he produced the actual Firebolt in 1993, meaning that he toiled to find support and funds to get his company going for around two years. Or perhaps this broom will be a lesser version, which I would be fine with as Randolph can make improvements, and we can sell another broom a few years down the line.
"Good, good. Excellent, we should be on schedule to then get the broom out for the children returning from Hogwarts. They will be our target audience. Well, it was great to meet you, Randolph. We will owl you when the contract has been drawn up." I say, standing from my seat, prompting Randolph and Andromeda to do the same. I had honestly forgotten she was next to me. She was so quiet. But looking at her, I can see she has been writing notes. I am sure she would have interjected if there was something crucial, and I am sure she will inform me of anything important after Randolph leaves; she is reliable like that.
"Ah, of course, Mr Lockhart. It was lovely meeting you, you too, Ms Tonks." He says, moving to the door to leave.
"Now, now, Randolph. We are partners now, or we will be as soon as the contract is made and signed. Please, call me Gilderoy. Goodbye, Randolph." I wave, prompting him to awkwardly wave back as he steps out of the room, nodding his head at me as well.
The door closes, and I wait for a moment. Thinking about the various ways things could go right and also how they could go wrong, but all the same, I have to keep moving forward with it.
"Andi, next time, please escort the guest outside once the meeting is over," I say because Randolph had just been given free access to the inside of my building and could even travel upstairs to my home. I flick my wand, causing the blinds to unravel to reveal the windows, through which I can see Randolph heading back towards the reception and the exit.
"Right, I apologise. I will do so next time." Andromeda quickly apologises, to which I nod. to be honest, I didn''t even click on it until I just realised it now. Otherwise, I would have asked her to go with him when he left. We are both new to this, so mistakes should be expected, and we will learn from them. We are both capable and responsible people. Well, she is, and she will be in charge of most of the day-to-day operation, so everything should be fine.
"Is there anything you think I should know? Anything I might have missed?" I ask because while I am pretty invasive of the mind, Andromeda is more aware of subtle things and can make connections much better than me.
"No, nothing. The only thing I would say would be to wait until you have all the information before making a decision. There is no guarantee that this man is legitimate or that he is actually capable of producing a broom in three months. All we have is his word. Thankfully, we haven''t actually signed anything, so I would suggest that we get a look at his research, check out his brooms and maybe test his skill before fully committing." She makes a good point, and I would listen to her if I didn''t have prior knowledge of how successful the Firebolt would be, and I don''t want to lose this opportunity due to being slow and cautious.
"Hm. Andi, contact all the other bookmakers. I want you to make some magical deals with them and not straight loans. Tell them that we will fully handle their expenses when it comes to broom crafting for the next few months, only that related to broom making. They need proof. This is contingent on them producing a broom when those three months are up that is just as good as the Nimbus two thousand. If they cannot, then they will work for us, and we can use them should Randolph actually pan out. Having more broom makers can only be good." I need workers and broom makers for Randolph to help him with production and design. Thankfully I have a bunch of prospective employees lining up to see me.
"Okay, I will draw up the contracts and give them to you for review before approaching them." She assents, moving past me to go back to her own workspace to get started.
Things are coming together. I can already envision it like it is true, but I still need to see it.
Lockhart Consolidated will soon come to fruition.
Or maybe Lockhart corporation?
I can decide later.
Chapter 21– Preparation.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 21¨C Preparation.
I watch as Randolph Spudmore gets up and leaves my office after shaking my hand, and Andromeda gets up to join him and escort him out. Meanwhile, I sit back and look at the contracts laid out on the desk, pondering on what my next move will be.
Just now, Randolph signed all the paperwork that we laid out in front of him and bound himself to a magical agreement, though it wasn''t as easy as I made it sound. Of course, he had come hesitation when the strictness of the magical contract we wanted to induce came to light, but we talked it through, and he agreed. I had already given my bottom line to Andromeda, and I allowed her to handle the meeting while I merely observed.
I didn''t have to intervene once during the meeting as Andromeda handled it just fine, and she made sure to stay well above my bottom line. Aside from getting Randolph to agree to the method, we would be using to seal this agreement, I did nothing except say hello and then say goodbye. I could have taken a more active role and probably used my Legilimency to get the best deal possible, but the whole point of this business idea is so that I can sit back and relax as the money rolls in.
It is the whole reason I hired Andromeda and got her under such a stringent magical contract, so I could sit back and revel in my riches as she works her hardest to increase them. And given the way that Andromeda just handled this, with no input from me, I can rest assured that she will handle things just fine. So the question remains, what should I do now?
With this handled now, Andromeda will be handling the rest of the broom makers in the next few days and cornering them into magical contracts, which will demand for them to show results within three months, which is the same time limit that Randolph gave for coming up with a prototype for the Firebolt. Obviously, at least a few, though I am betting on the majority, are expecting to just take the money and run away with it, which they will be unable to do due to the contract, which they will no doubt underestimate.
So in three months, when Randolph has his prototype made, I will have a workforce of broom makers locked in contractually that will go to work for him and start the production. And then we can create multiple different versions that just differ purely in aesthetics and are exorbitant in price, purely so the purebloods can buy them just to brag. So I will get more involved when that step starts, but for right now, Andromeda will be handling operations here, and that leaves me with a whole lot of time on my hands.
A lot of time that, I really need to figure out what to do with, aside from learning all the magic I can using as many books as I can get my hands on. But now that I think of it, having a whole lot of magic at my disposal but not knowing how to utilise it seems pretty stupid. Sure I could turn a rat into a cup or a pebble into a tiger or even duplicate whole objects, but aside from being very cool and helpful when it comes to specific situations, it doesn''t really aid me.
With how dangerous I know this world will become in the coming years- no, how dangerous this world is right now, I need to learn how to thoughtfully wield the magic at my disposal and use it in actual fights instead of in the stealth and subterfuge that I have been doing so far. So I have to learn how to duel, but how do I go about that? Sure there are duelling tournaments and leagues, as well as teachers, but with a status such as mine, I can''t go to any of them.
Gilderoy Lockhart is known to be a powerful wizard, very famous for his great acts. How would the public react when he starts to get into duelling, and they see him act the fool, getting his ass handed to him. My reputation will go down the drain, and my fame will blow up in my face, and I need my fame. Without it, my current business model will fail, and I will lose all credibility, and in a community as small as this, there will be no way of getting it back without some serious action.
So I need to find someone to teach me, but it needs to be on the down low and out of the public eye. Well, first things first, I am not going to get it anywhere if I don''t start asking questions and learning more about the current state of the sport.
Pulling out a piece of parchment, I lay it on top of my desk before placing my inkpot to the side and dipping my quill into it. Right now, there is only one duelling guy I know, and so that is who I will be writing to.
"Tempus," I say, and my wand promptly replies by emitting an effervescent mist which coalesces into four numbers separated into two by a colon. Seeing that the time dictated by the spell is ten minutes before the actual meeting time, I dissipate it and relax back into my seat. I had turned up much too early for this meeting, but I wanted to make a good impression, and if I was late, then I would certainly be setting myself up for disappointment.
I am currently in a private room in the Three Broomsticks that I had booked in preparation for this meeting and after having sorted out the meeting time through correspondence with my current target. It was certainly pleasant to meet Madam Rosmerta, who was a stunning beauty even as old as she was, and while I didn''t rightly know the exact number, I know she has been around a long time. Like a breath of fresh air, she actually didn''t falter at the state of my fame and my charming face. Sure she spoke suggestively and with slight undertones of flirting in response to my won when I met her, but that was it.
There was no invitation like I usually got from the dozens of floozies I usually met, and she was definitely interested in me, I think. But she didn''t follow up on any of it and promptly moved on to another customer after I had finished my business with her, only leading me to the meeting room I had booked. Needless to say, I will definitely be coming back to the Three Broomsticks in the future to see her again. All in all, my first proper time in Hogsmeade was very enjoyable due to the busty blonde woman.
It was actually the first time that I had properly ventured into Hogsmeade, only having memories of doing so beforehand and not having any need to since all my needs are fulfilled using Diagon Alley and London. Plus, I was hesitant to be so close to Hogwarts, as well as Dumbledore, as this was where all sorts of crazy crap went down.
And since this is Harry Potter''s first year, then there will be all that business about the philosopher''s stone and Volde- fuck... Holy shit, I forgot all about Voldemort being an ugly sculpture on the back of Quirrell''s bald head. I knew Voldermort shit was going down, but in my mind, I had just somehow rationalised that it was all going to go down at Hogwarts and be solely contained there, and for the most part, it is.
However, Voldemort has been graffitied onto the back of Quirrell''s head, and Quirell is a professor, meaning he can go out and about as he pleases when he isn''t teaching classes. And since it is so close, he would probably go to Hogsmeade, which is where I am now. In fact, if I remember correctly, I think he actually did in the story to meet Hagrid at a bar and get information about Fluffy, the three-headed dog, out of him and betting a dragon egg with him.
I am in Hogsmeade, and right now, so could Voldemort be. Even if he is a parasite on the back of a baldy''s head, that doesn''t make him any less dangerous. He is not someone I would be able to handle right now. I am even iffy about handling Quirrel as well since he would be advised by Voldemort and probably have his body taken over. The whole point of this meeting set to begin in ten minutes is so that I can learn to wield my magic expertly and fight with it. I am not prepared to go into any sort of battle right now. I don''t have any type of blood magic placed on me by my mother to protect me.
Damn it, I could have picked anywhere for this meeting, but I stupidly chose this place, forgetting the chronological order of this world and how safe this place would be at this time. So, quickly going through my memories, I review the original story and work out when it would be safe to actually be in Hogsmeade, not to mention England itself. Right now, it is the first year, and Voldemort is hiding inside Quirells purple turban so he can technically move about the whole world. Quirell found him in Albania, after all. But since Quirell is a professor, he will be sticking around Hogwarts and Hogsmead as he has to teach classes, and he can''t gain the suspicion of Dumbledore and Snape (who I don''t actually know how to feel about).
So Hogsmeade is not safe this year, so as soon as this meeting is finished, I probably will only be coming back if strictly necessary. Next year the Basilisk will be restricted solely to the school because it will only be travelling through the school''s apparently massive pipes, so it should be safe to come here, though that might be cutting it close. Unfortunately, the third year will not be safe since there will be Dementors roaming all over the place with no supervision whatsoever, plus the slightly unhinged but innocent Animagus wandering around and the dangerous, even if pitiful, werewolf on the scene.
The fourth year should be fine, even if there is a disguised death eater going around, but he needs to stay in disguise for his lord''s plan to work, and he is a fanatical follower, so I should be safe to be here up until the third task. The fifth year should not be okay at all since Voldemort will be back, though keeping subtle in front of the magical world, but I should have a plan by then and, at the very least, have a few places abroad to hang till it all blows over.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
And then, moving on from there, I should stay abroad until Harry Potter fulfils his prophecy and liberates Magical Britain. At this point, I will come back to pick up the pieces and take advantage to buy up as much as I can, what will all the affluent death eaters dying and getting locked up or running away.
But... all of my businesses will be in England at that point and would also be destroyed. So I should make my company international in preparation for that, so profits won''t suffer during the war. But, then again, my whole business will probably rely on and be heavily influenced by my reputation as a famed magical adventurer. There is no escaping since I am so well known right now. And if I run away and hide while the war is going on, then my reputation will drop, my business will suffer, and everyone will view me as a coward instead of someone who knows the outcome and just decides to wait it out.
Shit, I need to plan out my future actions properly, or my future will be screwed. I am walking a tripwire over Inferi infested waters with flying dementors surrounding me on all sides, and if I make the slightest wrong move, then I will be fucke-
The door opening serves to bring me out of my rapidly spiralling thoughts, which I am thankful for. If I were to panic and try and sort those things out here and now, no doubt there would be some mistakes made. I can deal with it all properly in the future as it comes and make proper preparations. Now not being the time to focus on that stuff, I look towards the door to see the person I had risked Hogsmeade for coming into the room.
"Ten minutes early, Mr Lockhart. Well, you certainly have changed since your time at Hogwarts, haven''t you? I am happy to see it." The diminutive man says as he enters, closing the door behind him. I quickly stand and move over to him, reaching my hand out and downwards for a handshake.
"Haha, I must say my perspective on things has changed since then. I was young and foolhardy, but thankfully time has helped me wizen up. Thank you for meeting me, Professor Flitwick. I know it was a bit out of the blue, and you really had no reason to respond to my letter." I greet, shaking his hand before walking back to my seat, Professor Flitwick journeying to the other chair across from me. Though said to have goblin blood in him from his ancestors, the professor looks remarkably human. He looks just like any other normal human being, with brown hair, a curly moustache, some thin glasses on his face, and dressed in a black suit with a white shirt, a grey waistcoat and a bowtie.
In fact, I would go as far as to say the only thing about him that actually resembles a goblin at all is his height. Also, how would anyone be aware of somebody having goblin blood in their family, there is no such thing or magic to check such a thing, and family and ancestry records are held and updated by each individual family and the ministry. It is my belief that Filius Flitwick was just born this way and that he does not have goblin blood in him at all and is just a little person. Most likely, the reason he is rumoured to be descended from a goblin is because of his height, and the rest of the magical world and Filius himself probably thinks so, as they have no other basis to go off of. Or maybe one of his ancestors just got horny one day and boinked a goblin. How am I to know?
"Of course, I would agree to come. You are a former raven, after all. Even after my students leave Hogwarts, they can always come back and inquire about anything. We are an institute, after all. And please, call me Filius." He says, smiling good-naturedly at me. I can''t help but smile jovially back as well. I quickly forget about the other stuff and just focus on the here and now.
"Very well, Filius. Please call me Gilderoy. There is no need to be formal. After all, this is just a former student coming to seek guidance from his former teacher, which is not something I ever saw myself doing. But, I reached a point where I needed some help, and I understood that you were the person best positioned to assist me." So, with Filius Flitwick being as good and straightforward as he is, I decided there was no use for dilly-dallying and trying to manipulate the man. He is already willing to help me, I can tell. If there was one word to describe this man down to his very core, it would be a teacher.
"You need help? I find it very hard to believe that, given that you are now one of the most renowned wizards in our community. Even though I read all of your books, proud to have one of my ravens reach such heights, I could not connect the mischievous young child in my memories with the brilliant young man you have grown into. Please, tell me, how can I help? I will try to assist in any way I am able." My expectations are proven correct when he immediately asks how he can help. There is no scepticism or hesitation. He simply sees it as his duty to assist a once student. He wants to do it.
"Ah, yes. I also had no idea where life would take me after Hogwarts, but it seems to have worked out very well for me. However, as I see myself getting older, I no longer want to be involved in such a dangerous profession. I want to settle down, maybe start a family, which means a less dangerous profession, which is why I wanted to talk to you about duelling." I know, not the most convincing argument, but I have nothing else to use. So my excuse for leaving magical adventuring for duelling is that it is less dangerous, which it probably isn''t.
"You want to become a duellist? Because it is safer than your current profession? I can assure you that competing in the duelling leagues can be just as dangerous and deadly even with all of the rules and precautions. Also, what do you need to know about duelling? I am sure your skills are already up to scratch, given all your successful adventuring." So Filius says, getting to the crux of the problem and identifying what I need from him. And he would indeed be correct if Lockhart wasn''t a big fraud with no battle experience in him at all.
"If I am to be totally honest, I really want to stop with all the travelling and adventuring and find something closer to home. Duelling would allow me to stay mostly here, aside from any competitions abroad, so I can spare more time for other aspects of my life. Also, I need to know everything about duelling, including how to duel. As much as you can give me." I think that seems plausible enough for him to not question it further, as well as assist me.
"You don''t know how to duel? I find that hard to believe, especially, especially for a wizard of your supposed calibre." Filius expresses his doubt, which is not misplaced. Honestly, Lockhart was lucky to not have to ever find himself in a position where he would have to prove his worth and skill that he had lied about. But, lucky for me, I had already come up with an answer to this question. And while it isn''t the most solid excuse, I can always try to use my mind magic to help it stick, though I am wary of using it on someone like Filius, who is in such close proximity to Dumbledore.
"To be frank with you, Filius, I have never had to fight against another wizard. Ever. In all of my adventures, I fought against magical creatures that are nowhere near as versatile or dangerous as wizards, and my successful career so far relied heavily on knowledge, preparation and luck when needed. Which is why I thought to come to you. I ask you to become my teacher once more and teach me the art of duelling." Finishing my explanation, I watch with bated breath as he takes it all in. I could try my mind''s magic to get a glimpse of how he is taking it, but I don''t want to risk anything. There is a chance he could sense my probes after all, and I don''t want to use it unnecessarily.
"Haah..." Filius lets out a sigh, and I can feel my hopes start to burn up and die. I prepare myself to test the defences of his mind and see if it is at all malleable for me to nudge to my advantage when he speaks.
"I am sorry, Gilderoy. But I am a full-time teacher at Hogwarts and live at the castle itself." So then, hearing the beginning of his rejection, I prepare once more to invade his mind to force the outcome I want.
"Which means that I can not devote all of my time to aiding you." Thankfully he speaks up quickly afterwards and stalls my hand, which I am grateful for because I would have just made a massive mistake when he was going to give me what I wanted.
"I will direct you to the necessary reading for you to peruse in your own time to learn about duelling and any records that could be insightful. And as for the practical engagement, well, that would be more difficult. However, I will be able to be more hands-on and aid you on weekends, as well as the odd day during the week, in which I will see where you are at and give you advice. Though you will have to do a lot of work on your own and practice by yourself as well." Hearing his words, a smile begins to light up my face. While not the best outcome, as that would be him teaching me most days and devoting most of his time to it, forgetting about those Hogwarts kids, that would be unreasonable to expect.
"Truly? Thank you, Filius. I am grateful for the help that you are willing to lend me, and I will not let you down. Rest assured, I will dominate all duelling competitions once you have finished with me." I finish, bragging as would be expected of me since I tangentially absorbed some of Lockhart''s personality. This is a good outcome for me, this man has his own duties and responsibilities, so I am grateful for him using his spare time to aid me.
"I should think so. After all, I take my profession as a teacher very seriously, not to mention duelling. However, all of this mainly relies on you putting in the time and effort. If you are not applying yourself or working hard, then I will not waste any more time teaching you when I could be assisting my current students. I still remember how hard you were to motivate as a student, Gilderoy." Motivate? The only time Gilderoy would do anything would be when he knew he would be the best at it, which was never without any effort, which is why he squandered all of his potential. There was never any motivation, but thankfully I am in charge now, and I am plenty motivated due to my future knowledge.
"You don''t have to worry, Filius. I can assure you, I am very much a different man from the boy you once knew. With my head properly unattached to my neck, I know just how important things are now." I reassure him since I don''t want him to see me as the old foolish Gilderoy Lockhart. Which, now that I think about it, worries me a lot. Perhaps he did not refuse me just because I was his student, and he expected me to not put proper effort into it, and he just gave himself an out without ruining his own image by rejecting me. Either way, he is locked in, and I am not letting go till I have fully drained him...That came out wrong.
"Your head is properly unattached to your neck?" He questions my words, probably not having heard it before. To be honest, I was going to say having my head screwed on properly, but I have no idea whether that phrase is even used in the magical world and so I replaced it with something similar.
"Ha, yes. It is just a phrase, a reference to Nearly Headless Nick. The analogy is that my head is properly disconnected and so I can attend the headless hunt. A requirement being fulfilled to get to that which is your goal." I actually think that is quite good for being mad up on the spot, and it even makes sense as well. I think.
"Ha, I guess I will never be able to understand the younger generations. Though that is quite a clever phrase, I will try to use it myself." Filius replies, laughing.
I laugh as well, but for another reason. With this, I will begin to gain the skills to defend myself and attack as well. So soon, nothing will stand in my way, and everything will be within my palm... well, not soon, but definitely sometime in the future. Some day.
Chapter 22– Troubles.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 22¨C Troubles.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
"AHH!" My companion for this morning and last night lets out a scream as Andi opens my office door and walks in calmly, stopping our current activities in their tracks. Well, making my companion stop as I would have been fine carrying on, actually I would have much preferred carrying since that is really the reason we are in my office.
"Gilderoy, please get your whore out of here. I need you to sign some documents, and we need to have our weekly morning meeting." Andromeda says, after nonchalantly opening my office door and then calmly insulting my paramour and waiting with the door open for her to leave. Her attitude is freezing cold, and she doesn''t say anything more about the activities we were just performing, which is to be expected after the number of times she has witnessed it.
"W-WHORE? Gilderoy, who is this-" The woman I brought back to my office for some fun begins to shout, and I can already tell it would become a long tirade. Clearly, she does not understand that the only reason I even talked to her was so she could be some entertainment for me, and if she is not going to fulfil that purpose, then why would I continue to interact with her?
"Now, now, calm down..." I begin but pause when I realise I don''t know her name. I wait a second before I realise that I can just delve into my mind and delve that information out from the recesses of my mind, but then the woman goes and saves me time by supplying the answer herself. "Samantha Cornwallis." The last name doesn''t ring a bell, so I assume she is a muggle-born or a half-blood.
"Yes, Samantha, my dear. It seems I will be having to deal with the bureaucracies of the workplace, so I, unfortunately, cannot entertain your company any longer. Though I will send you a letter soon, and I hope for your reply soon." Samantha forgets Andromeda insulting her and turns to look at me coldly for a second until it turns to admiration and then into some other stuff before settling on a mixed emotion.
Samantha gives me a nod before she quickly picks up her clothes and uses a spell to put them on, and then leaves, giving Andromeda daggers as she does, which Andi ignores. I''m not too fond of the way that ended, and it left things too open for me to be comfortable, so I will be running down sometime soon to go erase her memories. She is feeling a bit slighted right now, and I don''t want her to go and do something stupid and detrimental towards me running high on emotion.
I blame Andromeda for this since this is the first time I have had a result like this. Usually, it is just some embarrassment and disappointment that the fun times are over before they leave with positive emotions, and I will chase them down later to get rid of their memories of our time together. Except for this time, things got derailed because Andromeda insulted the woman and called her a whore, ending my interaction in the worst way so far.
"Andromeda, was there any need to be so rude to her?" Usually, she just coldly talked to me, ignoring the woman completely until they left. And even after that, she would refrain from talking about it and just get on with her job. This has been happening quite frequently, and to be honest, I am doing it on purpose because I get satisfaction out of it.
There have been multiple times that Andromeda has walked in on me, and I did it because I realised that the contract prevents her from telling my secrets, and she is locked into it. So I took advantage of that to mess about with her like this, and over time she just got used to it, but this is the first time that she behaved like this. Andromeda is cool and calm, and she was again in this case, but something must have pushed her over the edge, and I don''t think it was me because I pull this stunt all the time.
"I have constantly been knocking for the last few minutes, to no response. So forgive me if I was a bit annoyed, Gilderoy." She says shortly, very much not apologising and instead making her grievances known though I still have the feeling she is taking out some unrelated anger on me right now. But, of course, I knew about the knocking. I hear it every time, but I just ignore it because it is fun to see her silently fume after barging in on me since we were getting late for our meeting.
"Sorry, Andi. I just get so caught up in the moment, and I don''t hear you knocking." I say, giving a half-ass excuse that even she knows isn''t true, provided by the way she stares at me. To be honest, I only do this kind of thing with Andromeda because I can''t really take it any further. Andromeda is a happily married woman, and while I am a selfish horny piece of shit that wants to get in every nook and cranny of the wizarding world, I won''t go that far.
I like Andromeda. I really do. After these past few months of working together, I have learned so much about her, and I like what I see. She is cool and collected most of the time, but she has a good sense of humour and can crack a wicked joke when the atmosphere isn''t too serious. When we are out for lunch and not at work, she lets loose and has fun, but when the situation calls for it, she can be downright ruthless and unrelenting.
Over the last few months, when we have seen and interacted with each other pretty much every day, I have gained a significant attraction to her, one that doesn''t even rely on her beautiful features too much. Sometimes I can only relent that I didn''t become Gilderoy when he was back in his Hogwarts days; since then, she would be free. But right now, she is a happily married woman with a daughter, and I might be a bastard, but I don''t go around ruining lives, which is why I mess around with her like this.
Having had a life where I did not have any family at all, with no support or love and then gaining memories of being absolutely adored and spoiled by my family, I have weird and intense issues when it comes to the subject. I might have used the excuse of wanting to have a family when it came to stopping being an author and settling firmly back into England and stopping the bogus adventures, but that is something I want eventually. Not right now, as I would like to get out there and really enjoy myself for a while, but eventually, one day, I would want that sort of thing. This is why I will not go and ruin a family, at least not one based on love or with young children.
"You hear me knocking, and I know you do. And yet you ignore it, waiting for me to come in, or else you will never open the door or stop for me. You do it on purpose. Why?" Andromeda says, whatever has been bugging her out of work had pushed her to the limits, and my actions just now made her patience stray, and she snapped, unfortunately, at me. Really, I am not sure just why I do this to her. I really like her, but she has a happy family life, so I won''t ruin that, but I can''t let go of my attraction to her so easily, either.
After the first time when she accidentally caught me with that woman, whose name escaped me, but I knew she liked pink, I realised that this was the closest I was going to come to her. So I continued it on purpose, knowing there would be no consequences with the magical contract in place, and yes, it might be weird and strange and kind of fucked up, but I guess I am as well, considering my circumstances and I live in a world of magic so who gives a fuck. But now that she is straight up questioning me on it, I don''t think I will be able to continue doing this in the future.
"Haha, alright, you got me. As for why? Well, why not? You are a beautiful woman Andromeda, and that exasperated look and the way you fume at me is seriously adorable. So, of course, I can''t help but continue to tease and mess with you like that when you give such great reactions. Plus, I think I might have a bit of an exhibitionist kink, which is great becomes it matches up perfectly with your voyeurism kink." So I explain and then try and joke around at the end, trying to finish on a lighter note and get her focused on that instead of my attraction to her.
I don''t actually have an exhibitionist kink, though I am unsure about Andromeda having a voyeurism kink. After all, I am not messing with her or forcing her to open that door. She could just wait or skip the meeting. We could even do the meeting after I finished and got bored. She makes that decision to come barging on in, and no one is forcing her to do that. I haven''t messed with her mind or influenced her at all. This situation happens consistently, and yet she comes in every time. She complains a little afterwards but then completely forgets about it, though today she snapped for some reason.
"I-I don''t have a voyeurism kink!" She shouts, shocked at my accusation and playing perfectly into my hand like I wanted her to. "W-Whatever, Gilderoy. Just stop it, okay? This is work, so let''s behave purely professionally when we are here from now on, okay?" Andromeda says to which I nod my head, agreeing with her request. I was assured of her never leaving my company or quitting because she had signed the magical contract, but that doesn''t mean she couldn''t get upset, and I don''t want to strain the relationship between me and my current second in command.
"Honestly, why me? I am not beautiful. I am an old lady with a grown-up child now. You are constantly sleeping with young women and have your pick of the crop. So why are you making fun of me?" I hear Andromeda quietly mutter to herself under her breath, clearly not meaning for me to listen to it, but I do anyway, and I am shocked at what I hear. I observe her for a moment, wondering whether I should speak up and say something, and when I look at her, I can see that she is very sad for some reason and she seems to have lost some confidence in herself, and I can''t let that rest. If she isn''t beautiful, then I want her to introduce me to the women she thinks are because they must have the face of angels.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
"Andromeda, of course, you are beautiful. Unfortunately, I am a vain and selfish man with an unhealthy obsession with the opposite sex, constantly chasing beautiful women. Do you think I would hire an ugly secretary that I would see all the time, day in and day out? No, obviously not. I only have the best, and that is what you are, so what is wrong, Andromeda? Something must have happened for you to be thinking such absurd thoughts so suddenly?" I inquire, wanting to know what is upsetting her so much. to have lost such faith in herself. Usually, she has a remarkable self-assuredness, but something has demolished that now.
"Wha- I-It''s nothing, Gilderoy. Just ignore me. I am just complaining about something stupid. Let''s get on with the meeting, shall we?" She tries to reflect and move on past the subject, but I can see that she is appalled that I heard her mutterings and called her out on it to resolve the issue. I want to help her not only because I like her but because she is the main driving force behind my company and my only employee at the moment. I am relying on her to do most of the work, and if she is not confident or assured of herself, then how can she convince others in negotiations and make me money? I need to fix this now.
"It is not nothing, Andi. I hired a confident, intelligent, collected, beautiful woman that I could trust to handle most of the work without supervision and thrive. In this business, and in life in general, confidence is key, and if yours is wavering, then how can I trust you to work to the best of your ability? Please sit down and talk to me, Andromeda, and tell me what is wrong. That is an order from your boss." I say, getting up from the bed that I have in my office and waving my wand at it to return it to its original form, a comfortable sofa. With magic being so convenient and me wanting to mess with Andromeda, I did all my activities in my office, but of course, not all the women were into that, so I just made a bed.
With the bed now a comfortable couch, I sit back down on it and tuck my wand away, calmly patting the seat beside me while staring Andromeda down. She stays still, not saying anything, but is spurred into action when I raise an eyebrow at her and make it clear that I will not let this go. With a sigh, Andromeda walks over and takes the seat, making sure there is a sufficient gap between us which is when I notice that I am still shirtless and only wearing some loose pants, but since she doesn''t say anything, I don''t move to change, content and comfortable as I am.
"Alright, take your time. You can take as much time as you need, but we can be here for ten minutes or for ten hours because I am not letting you go until you have everything off of your chest." I say, giving her enough slack not to feel pressured but also not letting off enough that she can simply shirk me off and ignore me. Andromeda can take as long as she wants, but she is telling me what is wrong before she leaves this room.
"You want me to get everything off my chest? Does that include my shirt and bra, or are you not being an insatiable human being for once?" She says, and I presume she is trying to distract me and change the subject so she can leave. So I won''t dignify that with a response because as much as I would love to see such a sight, my business is more important than a momentary high of pleasure.
Staying silent, I sit there calmly and simply wait for her to speak. Andromeda stares back for a bit before averting her eyes and then looking at the ground. I see her legs twitching minutely as if she is trying to work up the strength to get up and leave, but she can''t bring herself to do it and finds herself stuck on the chair before she eventually gives up and sighs before turning to look at me.
"My husband didn''t want me to take this job..." So she says to start off, not knowing how to carry on from there. This revelation does surprise me, however, since I remember pretty specifically that when I offered Andromeda the job, and we were talking through the specifics, she said she had to go home and talk it over with her family, and then she came back and agreed to work for me, so I thought they were onboard with it.
"Your husband, Ted, right? Isn''t he happy with you having a job? Why, plus you have been doing it for the past few months, so why is this becoming a problem now?" According to her, Ted didn''t want her to take the job in the first place, but she did even so, and she has been performing just fine so far, even without his approval, so what has changed?
"My husband didn''t want me to take this job purely because of his feelings. Hmph, and I would have been fine turning down the job if he wanted me to, but the second I mentioned it, he shut me down hard and forbade me from doing it. Not even taking the chance to think about me or even talk it out, just a straight-up no, so I made the decision that was best for myself for once and took the job. My daughter has been very supportive, but Ted has been very unhappy with it." Yeah, that tracks. Andromeda is the kind of woman that doesn''t like to be told what to do and has an independent streak a mile long. Hell, she ran away from her family when they tried to force her into a marriage.
"Mm, yeah, I can see that. I have only known you for a few months, and even I know that trying to control you or tell you what to do is a bad idea. I know every order I give you can be easily refuted if you are totally against it, which is why I am surprised you listened to me and stayed here to talk to me. Something must be seriously wrong, so what has he done now that has got you so down in the dumps." I continue to pry at her, trying to get her to open up to me some more. This woman can be as solid as stone. Even with the intimate acts I have been performing before her on purpose, she didn''t say anything and kept it in before erupting because of an outside influence.
"Ever since I took this job, I have been arguing with my husband, at least whenever we actually see each other, since he is always at work anyway, which is part of the reason I wanted my own job. He works way too many hours and does too much for so little pay, and everyone takes advantage of him. All I wanted was to help out, but he couldn''t accept it, his pathetic pride getting in the way. So now we hardly speak without arguing, he spends most of his days at work, and when he comes home, he ignores me. We don''t even sleep in the same bed even more. And then..." She stalls, and I find myself leaning forward in anticipation.
"And then?" I say, trying to lead her forward. I really want to get this out of her, and I can''t say it is for purely pure reasons either since if she leaves her husband, then I can shoot my shot at her, and she is not the type of woman I would obliviate afterwards since I actually like her. Sure, I don''t want to be the reason for a family to break up. Still, if it happens naturally due to the husband being an asshole and with the daughter all grown up and independent, and without any assistance from myself, then I am okay with that.
Sure, I might be the reason in an abject sort of way since I gave Andromeda the job, but I am not the reason for Ted being a dick and denying her the right to work and putting the strain on his own relationship. Okay, yes, I might be making excuses for myself, but if that stupid idiot can''t appreciate and takes for granted the woman that left her entire life behind to be with him, then he doesn''t deserve her. And while I probably don''t deserve her either, I am not going to let something like that stop me.
"A few days ago, I had decided I had had enough and resolved myself to confront him and talk about it because I can''t keep living like that. Nymphadora had already gone back to Hogwarts, so the house was becoming unbearable. And so I cornered him when he got back and tried to talk to him. I really tried, you know, but do you know what he said to me?" She questions, not me necessarily, but the situation in general, as if whatever happened was so incomprehensible that she was questioning reality. I shake my head, prompting her to continue.
"He said I shouldn''t be working, that I should stay at home, and it is the man''s job to provide for the family. He shouted at me, telling me I was ruining the family by trying to do something for myself, and I was just reminded of my old family. The appearance might have changed, but he was saying the same things in essence. Trying to control me, deciding how I should be and what I should do, and I almost laughed at the hilarity of the situation. I ran away from my home for him to get away from my family''s control, and now he was doing what they had. I am really an idiot, aren''t I?" She rants, sniffling at the end.
The room devolves into silence, and I don''t really know how to help her. And then I think to myself, do I want to help her, and if so, in what ways? It could be called helping to give her advice and save her marriage, or I could help her by advising her to leave a bad marriage which would also be to my benefit¡ªa lot of options here and not a lot of time to choose. So I decided just to do what comes naturally, and my natural instinct is to help myself. Yeah, I am a bastard, but t least I know what I am about, unlike those people that waffle about trying to deny it. I am an asshole.
"Hey, that is not true at all. You are not an idiot." I say, scooching up to her on the sofa and putting my right hand on her knee, my hand feeling the soft nylon on my fingers. And I reach my left hand out to her chi, dragging her head from looking forlornly at the ground to look at me, and I stare deep into her eyes. She seems a bit dazed, but she doesn''t say anything, which I take as a sign to carry on.
"Gilderoy..." She mutters, stunned and unable to react at the sudden direction this interaction has taken. Even so, she doesn''t try to move away, she doesn''t flinch away from my touch, and my hands still rest gently on her knee, and the other still holds her chin softly. Her eyes stare back into mine, but she doesn''t flinch away. I don''t know exactly what she is feeling, but there isn''t anything negative in her gaze.
"Listen to me, Andi. This is the truth, the absolute truth, and I refuse to believe differently. You are a beautiful, kind, gentle woman. And at the same time, you are funny, with a wicked sense of humour, and you can be so invested in something, you care so much, and there is a fire inside you that burns brightly in the darkness of the world. A beacon for idiots like myself that need some help, and I can''t help but want to be around you all the time. You draw me in being the miraculous woman that you are, and..." I pause here, still gazing deep into her eyes, and she is staring just as intensely back into mine.
She hangs on tenterhooks as she waits for me to finish what I am saying, but I decide that actions are worth way more than words. And so I lean in, moving towards her. She doesn''t seem to realise what is happening, but she isn''t moving away as I come closer, either. So I don''t just force myself on her, and I give her ample time to react, which she does not.
And then my lips are on hers.
Chapter 23– Long Road Ahead.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 23¨C Long Road Ahead.
Is this what they call heaven? I can think of no other way to adequately describe just how unique this moment is for me. If this were indeed what heaven is like, then I would have had no qualms with entirely skipping being turned into Gilderoy Lockhart and going straight to heaven.
And to think this incredible sensation is so powerful, and she is not even kissing me back. While I had given Andromeda ample time to turn away from my lips and avoid it, she did not. However, she does not reciprocate either. My hand is placed gently on her knee, and my other hand is lightly holding her chin in my direction, but in no way am I being forceful.
She could easily pull away, but she doesn''t. I am not pushing it. I am not devouring her face or anything. My lips are merely pressed against hers, a light kiss that has only lasted for an instant, but I am memorising it down to the most minute detail. Finally, deciding that any longer would be too much and would worsen our relationship if it wasn''t already devolving, I separated from her and moved backwards.
I then watch her face with hidden anticipation to see her reaction, knowing that the outcome would probably be bad, but I still can''t crush the hope inside me that she will grab me by the collar and pull me back in. I figure that such a possibility is very minimal as, by the expression on her face, I can tell she is stunned and shocked, she looks conflicted as well, but it is definitely not the face of someone who wants more.
She seems to shake from her state, but instead of doing anything, she silently stares at me, and I stare right back, waiting for her to talk or say something. With nothing but silence, I only have time to think about my actions just now. I saw an opportunity, and knowing what I wanted, I took it. However, instead of going all in, I pulled away. Objectively I probably made a mistake twice over. I shouldn''t have kissed her when she was telling me about her issues as she might see it as me purposely taking advantage of her, and since I did kiss her, I should have gone all in and made the most of it since I might not get another chance.
"That was..." Andromeda seems to regain her bearings and starts to speak before stopping, not knowing how to continue. I gather together that she is very confused right now and has trailed off, not knowing what to say, expecting me to pick it up from there. But I don''t, knowing that if I was to speak now, that would set the tone, and she would go off of it, and no matter what I say right now, there is no good outcome for me, so I want to let her dictate how this finished.
She doesn''t know how to feel right now, or how to process this or how to react, so she is waiting for me to act. If I were to apologise for my bold actions, she would roll with it and berate me before ultimately deciding to forget the whole thing. On the other hand, if I were to be unrepentant, then she would most likely turn frosty and cold to me for the rest of our working relationship. Just because we work together does not mean we have to be on good terms.
Of course, I don''t know any of this for sure, and I am just spitballing because my mind is racing. I don''t want to ruin my relationship with Andromeda because she is an excellent and independent employee, which she has proved over the past few months. I really don''t want to mess this up, but I also really want to advance my relationship with her, which is why I made an impulsive decision. And now I am so worried about making the wrong step that I am just waiting for her to speak. I am being a coward, aren''t I?
"I think that-" Andromeda opens her mouth, seeing that I wouldn''t and seems to have decided on a course of action. Too bad that I opened my mouth and interrupted her before she could go through with it.
"I like you, Andromeda." Pushing past my insecurity and hating the fact that I was being a coward, I plainly said it, not wanting to be so pathetic anymore. Worse comes to worst, she will somehow find a way to work through all the conditions to escape her contract and leave my employment, and while anybody else will not be as competent or qualified as her, I can always build them up over time.
"W-What?" She stutters, having just gotten her bearings and then been completely thrown off wack once again. She looks absolutely bewildered. For some reason, she looks to be having issues with believing that what I just said could actually be feasible. Even though I am constantly trying to flirt with her, purposely performing sexual acts with other women in front of her and teasing her while also continually complimenting her.
This should not have been a surprise. At the very least, Andromeda should have surmised that I at least found her very attractive and desirable and would have pursued her just for her appearance. But, instead, she seems incredibly shocked at all that I would have any intention towards her in the first place. So confused, I trace the surface of her mind since she is pretty sidetracked.
Merely scanning the surface, I learn she is very much in doubt of her allure and attractiveness given her husband''s inadequacy and distance, as well as my own promiscuous ways, and yet I never properly hit on her. She is convinced she is no longer the same beautiful woman she was as if anyone desiring her is an impossibility and one of the reasons her husband is freezing her out.
Having gotten a good look at her frame of mind, I quickly evacuate it in case she decides to bolster her Occlumency to help calm and order herself in this situation, and then we return to silence. Again we are just staring at each other in utter silence, and again I am waiting for her to speak first. But this time, I am not being pathetic or cowardly. I said what I wanted to and didn''t hide away. To be honest, I am not used to being so open and straightforward, usually preferring subterfuge and keeping everything hidden.
"Gilderoy, I... We should forget about this. I am a married woman." She says, having found her voice and the courage to speak, and at the exact moment crushing my approach. To be honest, I expected such an answer, but I still couldn''t help but feel very upset about her response because I was still holding out some hope. I am very aware of who I am, on top of all the merging, because taking Occlumency to the level that I have means that you are intimately familiar with who you are and how you work, even if you decide to ignore that sometimes.
I am aware that I am an attention-starved love craving, insecure idiot, as well as, at the same time being, a selfish, greedy, vain attention whore. Making the whole love and attention-seeking rise to sky-high levels and realising that I used my Occlumency to tamper with it and make it tamer, but the tendencies are still there. I am both scared to put myself out there and yet want to be accepted to an almost harmful degree.
It is why I sleep with so many random women and then wipe their memories of our encounters afterwards, both because I don''t want to deal with the hassle and any manipulations and plans they have in mind. I also don''t want to have them actually try and have a relationship with me either since I would probably go along with it and then have it fail inevitably down the road.
It is also why I don''t use my mind magic skill and Legilimency to affect others and use them for my own sexual means, which I could very quickly do. It is not because I am a nice guy and because it would be wrong. I don''t give a shit about that. It is the simple fact that it would be fake, that those emotions would not be genuine, and what would be the point of it all if I just made it all up. I would use my skills for my benefit with no qualms at all if they were to benefit me, but using them in a sexual manner would ultimately not give me what I want.
"An unhappily married woman. You just told me that." Still, just because she says no doesn''t mean I am going to give up and just accept that. Another side effect of my being so desperate for affection and so cautious of actually going for it is that when I actually do so, I am not going to take no for an answer and won''t stop till I get it. I will use any means possible to get it as well, and I am not afraid of being underhand as long as actual mind-manipulation does not occur.
This means I can scan the thoughts, inspect the mind and analyse them, but I won''t actually alter the mind in any way when it comes to these matters. At least not using magic, because as long as it is natural and done through my own effort, I am more than willing to slowly and properly pursue someone.
Just like now, with Andromeda. I know she is having problems at home, and her relationship with her husband is practically nonexistent, as well as the fact that she hasn''t had sex in a few years due to her husband being overworked and she herself thinking she is unattractive. I am more than willing to use these facts to my advantage to make this woman mine. Even if it will take some time, I am more than willing to wait for the eventual dividends.
Quickly leaving my introspection and getting back to the here and now, I can see that my comment had obviously been taken negatively by Andromeda in spite of being the truth. She is an unhappily married woman, and she thinks she is unattractive for some bizarre reason. The only reason Andi is rejecting my advances is that she is a good woman and refuses to betray her marriage, even if it is a failing one.
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"But, yeah, okay. We don''t have to mention this again, and I won''t try again if you don''t want me to. But I want you to know that I don''t regret it, and I would do it again." I talk again before she can reply, giving her a little bit to get her to cool down. But I also make it clear that I am attracted to her and that I want her, which I know will press the right buttons.
"G-Gilderoy... I thought you wanted to settle down and have a family. I am already old and have a fully grown daughter." She tries to put me down by siting my own goals and wishes, but it again comes back to the fact that she doesn''t see herself as beautiful, and her confidence and self-esteem are really low. All these months of her husband freezing her out have really put her down, and that is on top of their sex life that stopped pretty much after her daughter was born.
"That doesn''t matter to me, and you are not old. On the contrary, you are still in the prime of your life, vibrant and full of radiance. Although, of course, I do want those things, but it doesn''t have to be right now, and I don''t see why it can''t be with you." A lot of people may say that just because we have magic, we are not better than those without it, but they are just lying. With magic, we can do anything, and it keeps us alive and youthful for much longer than ordinary muggles. Andromeda is easily still in her prime. I don''t even think magical women have menopause and are fertile no matter how old they are.
"Don''t fool around, Gilderoy. I know you. I know who you are. I have spent the last few months with you, if you have forgotten, and I know just how you live your life. You have a different woman on your arm every night, and somehow you never seem to tire. I was once stuck outside your office for an entire two hours before you finished, and that was only because your partner for the night passed out. Can you honestly say that you would only be with me?" She references my frequent use of potions to amplify my sex life but doesn''t actually know I am using them.
"I will be honest with you, Andromeda. No, I wouldn''t. I crave affection and love, so much so that I find it very hard to reject it, and I am unsatiable. I would be with other women, multiple women and very often. But I wouldn''t forget about you, I couldn''t. I might be with a lot of women, but there are no true feelings there. It is purely physical and pleasures of the flesh." I know who I am, and I know what I want. Sure, I could lie and bag Andromeda now just once before losing her forever, but I want her for life. I want her forever, and I know I am greedy, and I will still want others as well.
"You really expect me to just roll over and accept that? That I would be with you, and you would be with whoever you want. That I would have no complaints and happily go along with it? Do you really think me so needy and weak-willed that I would accept such a life?" Obviously, I don''t, but in a world as magical and bizarre as this, I don''t see a reason why such a reality can''t come to fruition. It is possible. I know it is. People in my own world had their own weird things going on, and that was very mundane compared to this.
"No, I don''t. What I would like is for you to have faith in my feelings for you, to know that no matter how many women I sleep with or how many times I am with someone else, I will always want you and would push those women over a cliff in a heartbeat for you. They a merely a solution to a problem, one I wish I did not have, but I have no proper answer for." So I say, having come up with a reason for my horniness that will work well into the future. As I stated before, I am not above lying and underhanded tactics.
"I had an accident with dragon blood, a known aphrodisiac which is poisonous to humans when taken directly. Due to an accident, I nearly died, but I survived. However, the aphrodisiac aspect was so powerful that it had affected me severely. My libido is now so powerful that it edges on the point of being harmful, and it is the reason I sleep with so many women. It is also the main reason I have stopped my adventures and come back to Britain. I can''t exactly tend to my needs on my adventures into the wilds sometimes without civilisation in sight for miles." Technically I was poisoned with dragon blood, and there was an unexpected side effect, which was me taking over this body.
"I- I suppose that is- Wait, I don''t even know why we are talking about this. It is not going to happen. I am married. I sympathise with your problem Gilderoy, and I will be more understanding in the future. Now, I am going home for the day, and when I come back tomorrow, we will forget this ever happened." Andromeda sadly comes back to her senses before I can push any further and shuts this conversation down. She gets up and moves towards the door, ready to leave.
She wants to get away as quickly as possible and not think about this confusing situation any longer. The only thing holding her back is a small string tied to the sanctity of her marriage because she refuses to be that kind of woman. Such loyalty entices me even more, and I want that loyalty to belong to me. Before she leaves, I want to leave her with one last thing to ponder over, so I speak as she reaches for the door handle.
"Okay, that''s fine. So tomorrow, we can act like none of this happened. But I want you to know, Andi. I want you. I want you more than anything I have ever wanted in my life. You were willing to give up your whole world and lifestyle, your family, for him, a man that doesn''t appreciate you. Can''t you be willing to do the same for me? To accept my faults and embrace them?" She gave up the pureblood life for him, which must have been quite an adjustment. But she is capable of it, and she could quite easily accept polygamy.
"I-I will see you tomorrow, Gilderoy." She finishes but stays there, frozen with her hand on the door. I don''t say anything, giving her some time before her hand finally turns the knob, and she leaves the room, gently closing the door behind her. I sit there for a moment, take it all in, and realise my situation.
I have said what I said, and there is no putting it back in the box. so I am all in now, and I will get what I want.
Andromeda will be mine, completely and utterly. No matter how long that takes.
"Assume your duelling pose." Following the order, I position myself with my legs apart, my left hand by my side with my hand fully stretched out, and my wand held at the waist pointed in front of me.
"Did you read the books I recommended because your pose is full of flaws? Show me all the forms." Flitwick demands, assuming that I had done the reading because otherwise, we would not be meeting up. I had done the reading, several times, actually, and I quickly performed the other poses in the recommended reading, no doubt with some mistakes, but the basic form is correct.
"See, you are capable and know the forms. So why did you completely disregard that information and make up your own?" Flitwick asks, standing across from me, his miniature form looking remarkably daunting. Flitwick, though relatively easygoing and all-around nice fellow, is very strict when it comes to one on one teaching. Probably because he can''t be this demanding with an entire class of children, and I am an adult with reportedly tremendous power.
"None of the forms was comfortable, and I was unable to move properly using them, so I decided on this," I tell him, feeling remarkedly stupid under his unmoving gaze. I can''t help the feeling of being back in school again, with the teachers constantly eyeing you like you are a fucking nitwit and no doubt talking shit about you after they have gone home for the day. Thankfully, I don''t think Flitwick would do that, though he is looking at me a little strangely.
"Gilderoy, I admit that you are well versed when it comes to writing stories and defence against the dark arts due to your adventures, but don''t make assumptions on things you are uneducated on. Just like how I would not question your expertise on dark creatures and methods to deal with them or how to properly structure a book, please do not take the things I am teaching lightly or disregard them." So he tells me, and I can tell that if I were to give the incorrect response right now, then this would be the end of his teaching me.
"I understand. It was admittedly short-sighted of me to try and make my own stance with no actual fundamental understanding of the sport or any experience. Could you please instruct me further and aid me with this." I say, covering all my bases. I admitted wrongdoing, I apologised, I explained what I was apologising for, and then I asked for help. If he doesn''t accept it, then that is that because I don''t see what else I could have done.
To be honest, I have been a bit out of whack since the incident with Andromeda. Literally, the day afterwards, we went back to business as usual, just like she said, and though I did get a surface scan and saw that things were not quite as clear cut as that. But I also noticed that I had a long road cut out in front of me. Even the fact that I had not been with another woman and let her into my office after she knocked managed to take her off guard, there was some fluctuation, but she didn''t show anything on her face. With things back to normal, I concentrated back on my activities, but maybe I was not focused enough.
"Good. Now, the books I recommended for you were specifically tailored with your height and body structure in mind. All the stances you just performed are all suited to your body type, and it is up to you to choose one. It is natural that you would be uncomfortable in the positions as you are not used to them. However, familiarity will come in time." I nod, showing my understanding and that I am listening attentively. I really should have clicked on and understood this, but I guess I got a bit ahead of myself in trying to create my own form.
"Okay, so the form you pick will be based on what type of duelist you would like to be as well as how such a style suits you and how talented you are in the role. Since you are still inexperienced, I will help you choose the form, we can try it for a while, and if it doesn''t work, we can choose another. So, what type of duelist would you like to be?" He asks me, and once again, I feel like that stupid kid back in school that has been asked a question on a subject he is less than stellar in. I am not sure what types of duelists there are, and Flitwick realises this after a second.
"Right, I guess you would not know that. Well, there are multiple types of duelists. Offensive, defensive, strategic and illusive. Each of those has more sub-categories, such as quick attacker, overwhelming attacker, mobile defender, evasive defender, misdirectional duelist and more. So, what type would you be leaning towards?" He says, really opening my eyes to what kind of world I am getting involved in. I thought it would just be a bunch of guys slinging spells at each other while acting all high and mighty and adhering to a set of stupid rules, but clearly not.
"I want to be an overwhelming attacker, constantly on the move and keeping my opponent on the defensive, not even giving them a chance to strike back." I don''t even have to think about it because I know exactly the style I want. The best defence is a good offence, as the saying goes. The faster my opponents are dead and six feet in the ground, the safer I will be. I want to kill them before they can even manage to use a Protego, and if they are quick enough, then I just want to overpower them to death. I am not willing to allow them to get an attack in if I can help it, all or nothing seems to be a new theme I am going with.
"Alright, I think I have the perfect form for you," Flitwick says, using a spell to conjure a long stick, which he begins to use to alter my stance.
I have a good feeling about this.
Chapter 24– From Now On.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 24¨C From Now On.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
Like clockwork, I hear three knocks at my office door same time every morning, and like usual, I ignore it in favour of finishing my current task. I continue my movements, going harder, deeper and faster to reach the climax. I move my hands faster, going quicker and quicker, my pot running out of liquid as I use more and more.
And then, finally, I finish writing on the parchment, my quill flourishing as I sign the letter with my unique signature, one that moves to form my image every so often, which the original Gilderoy came up with. Grunting, I place my other hand on the head of the woman underneath my desk, holding her in place and bringing that to completion as well.
After a moment, I let her go and as she busies herself with cleaning me off and I put my quill back to rest in the pot of ink nearby, relaxing in my seat in relief, having finished both things. Of course, I would have rather only done the one, the more fun thing, but I got a bit carried away yesterday and left some dire documentation unfinished as I got lost in my fun. Which means this morning, I had to finish it quickly, but my paramour from yesterday was still around and wanted to have some fun, and so did I, so I multitasked.
Suddenly, the mature older woman pushes my chair back and springs up to sit on my lap, her mouth quickly approaching mine. She is too quick for me to react adequately, or she would have been if I hadn''t progressed so far in my education as a duelist. My fingers, now incredibly nimble, grab ahold of my wand as it comes shooting out of the wand holster strapped to my hand, having never taken it off since I got it. And I quickly direct a hygiene spell at the woman as she closes in on me, specifically a mouth-cleansing one that thankfully takes effect as her lips smush against mine.
Still, I worry for a second before the minty refreshing taste enters my mouth at the same time her tongue does, and with no worries, my tongue quickly meets hers, tangling together. I was really worried that I was about to get a taste of myself there, but thankfully I didn''t. I mean, I know there are some dudes who wouldn''t care, but when magic is an option, why would you want to when you could easily clean it up in a second? I have yet to get a sample of it, and I am not going to if I can help it.
"Gilderoy, do you have the- Oh, excuse me? I will wait." Andromeda says after opening the door and walking in to see me sitting naked at my desk and a naked woman sitting on my lap, devouring my mouth. Instead of a few months ago when she would have shouted or gone all frosty, she simply apologised and moved to leave.
"Stay. I am done here. It is time for you to go, Esther." I punctuated my words with a slap to her juicy ass, drawing a moan from the older woman instead of the complaint she was going to issue at being interrupted. Andromeda, obliging my words, closes the door and simply waits to one side as we finish up. To be honest, Andromeda knows what I am up to at this time of the day. She knows. She knocks, and then she enters. She knows what''s on the other side of the door, and she wants to see it. Even though it has been a few months, it seems like I am making progress.
"I guess I have no choice then, Gilderoy. Nonetheless, it was once again an enjoyable evening." Esther Beaufort says, standing up, not hiding her body at all in front of the stranger as she picks up her wand and expertly flicks it, gathering all of her clothes together in a neatly folded pile that sits atop her hand. Waving her wand once more at the pile, using a familiar spell, she is dressed in an elegant robe. Then, with another few swishes of her wand, she takes care of everything else, leaving an eloquent, regal woman standing there, looking like the perfect picture of royalty.
"Yes, indeed it has been, Esther. As always, it''s been a pleasure, as if any moment spent in your presence it could not. Same time next week?" I ask, as I also stand up, completely naked and perform similar spells to Esther, dressing myself and readying myself for the rest of the day. The whole time, ever since Andromeda entered the room, I have been keeping a subtle eye on her to watch her reactions and expressions. However, her face is neutral, and she is looking at the ground. One would think she is not affected by these current circumstances, but I know better. She is using Occlumency.
"Ever the flatterer, Gilderoy. And as much as I would love to attend our next weekly rendezvous, I am afraid it is my grandson''s birthday. So I will wait agonisingly for the week after, farewell Gilderoy. Andromeda." Saying so, Esther Beaufort, the seventy-nine-year-old pureblooded grandmother- that looks a hot milf forty at most- heads to my fireplace and uses the floo to travel away. Andromeda seems unfazed and doesn''t say anything as she does, remaining silent even after she is gone.
Now, before Andromeda rejected my advances, I was primarily going after young women, but that interaction with her changed my outlook. Andromeda rejected me, stating three different reasons besides the fact that she is married, even if it is unhappily. Andromeda said that she couldn''t respond to my advances because she was too old now, because she had a child that was already fully grown and because I myself could not be in a committed relationship.
To answer all of these problems and disprove them, I decided to settle on a long-time paramour, an older woman, preferably older than andromeda. As I said once before, people in this world that have magic don''t age as much as ordinary muggles, and with spells focused on aesthetics and beauty, they can be youthful for a long time. It took me a while of searching, going through countless women and observing them properly with my Legilimency and wiping their minds of their nights with me before I finally found the right woman.
Esther Beaufort. Seventy-nine years old. A pureblood witch from the higher echelons of France who I ran into on her visit to England as an ambassador for the ministry for some reason or other. Her accent was so good that I didn''t even click on to her being french until I had an opportunity to give her mind a thorough review. I didn''t even know she was that old as she looked to be around forty and very enticing, fitting the base parameters I was searching for.
It was only after I had her back at mine and had thoroughly tired her out through the night from the thorough performance that I could give her mind an in-depth review. She was perfect. She was old, way older than Andromeda. She not only had children, but she also had grandchildren. She was still married, but I didn''t go and break up their marriage or anything, and she searched me out, so I wasn''t really bothered about that.
Her husband, surprisingly being two years younger than her, was an old fogy and wrinkled bag of bones. This greatly confused me as I was under the impression that our magic keeps us youthful, though there are a few anomalies now that I think of it, such as Dumbledore and McGonagall. My new theory is that our magic keeps us young, but only if our magic is feeling young. I believe that feelings and mental well-being, as well as stress, would affect us, and that would reflect in our magic which would reflect in our appearance. For example, Dumbledore and McGonagall looked so old because of everything they had been through. The wars, as well as the stress of running a school, affected them and their appearance.
Esther Beaufort fulfilled two of my conditions, which was way more than fulfilled in actual fact, as she was almost twice the age of Andromeda and had way more kids and grandkids than her. So the only thing that I needed to do now was fulfil the third condition, which would be the hardest as it would require long-term interactions that would be without hostile intent on both parties sides.
Thankfully, with her husband not performing at all, Esther was looking for a release, and she found that in me, and she didn''t want to let that go anytime soon. She didn''t want more than that, having already achieved wealth and status since the moment she was born into the high-ranking, magical French Beaufort family. She was perfect, and with that, I fulfilled the third condition¡ªa relationship.
Of course, it was not a proper relationship, as that would not be actually attainable, and I don''t want such a one-on-one situation in the future. What I needed was a long time commitment, even if it was not a pure one, to show that I was capable of commitment. And so I set up my weekly meet-ups with Esther, and since the first time, Andromeda had seen her every week at the same time for a few months.
With this, all of Andromeda''s reasons for refusal no longer made any sense. I was bedding a woman that was older than her that had grandchildren, and we met up weekly, showing a relationship that was solid and stable, even if it was as fuck buddies. The last one might not make sense, but it does. As with my dragon blood-affected physiology excuse, I have a higher libido, and so I am constantly with different women. Still, I am proving the point that I can consistently be with a single woman as well.
The only thing holding her back now is her marriage, an empty and cold one that will break eventually. So it is just a matter of time. For that matter, she would also be afraid of what her child, Nymphadora, would think of her, so if I can meet her and get her on my side, then that would also go a long way to helping me get together with Andromeda.
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"So, what was it that you needed again, Andromeda?" After a moment, I turned back to her, making sure that I took long enough that she would notice my eyes lingering on the floo through which Esther had just exited. I have also stopped calling her by the nickname I gave her, Andi, and have reverted to simply calling her by her full name, though I have kept it first name basis to seem still close, just not that close.
"Right. I came to remind you that we need to respond to the Goblin strike immediately. Spudmore has made big strides in the last few months thanks to us providing him with all the resources he needs and him purely focusing on the research and nothing else, but those improvements have been very particular. There have been minor achievements, negligible really, in all aspects aside from the experimentation with goblin silver. That metal is the basis of our new broom, and without the goblins'' assistance, we will have immense losses." She informs me, fixing the placement of the glasses on her face as she does.
"Hm, wait. Since when did you have glasses?" I go off on a tangent as the slim, stylish, sexy really, glasses on her face are a new thing. It is the first time I am seeing them unless I am really ignorant and just haven''t noticed them before, and I can''t help but feel my desire for her increase with the glasses laid across the bridge of her nose.
"Oh, these? I have had them for a while, not that I have bad vision or anything. They are enchanted to lessen the strain on my eyes and increase my reading speed, and they also keep my eyes from going dry. I have been dealing with a lot of paperwork since I started this job, and the glasses really help." I can''t help but raise an eyebrow suspiciously, doubtful of what she has said.
Not doubtful of the fact that she had gotten those glasses for work, but wary because this is the first time I am seeing them and the first I have seen of them, even though she says that she has had them for a while. Looking at her professional attire and sexy glasses, I can''t help but think of her as a sexy secretary, which reminds me of the girl I got to cosplay as that, glasses and all, which Andromeda walked in on. Curious, very curious that I would show my interest in such a thing, and now Andromeda has shown up in a similar fashion after I started distancing myself.
"Never mind that, the goblins, Gilderoy. We have to respond. We can''t lose our supply of goblin silver. If we do, all our efforts will be for nought." She speaks after a while of me casting my suspicious eyes at her, refocusing on the topic though I also get the feeling that she wanted to avoid my intense inspection. But the issue is indeed quite severe, so I can ignore this amusing information for now.
"Right, I have already taken care of that. The letter is on my desk, and I just finished it. Esther also helped me." I say, alluding to the letter I had just finished writing. And I wasn''t lying about Esther helping me since she was under the desk, and I tacked that on just to mess with Andromeda a bit.
"Esther helped? Gilderoy, you can''t do that. That was company-" She stops when she sees the smirk on my face, her expression quickly calming as she sighs. "Right, of course. Well, how much more are we going to give them for the goblin silver?" She says, picking up the letter but not bothering to read it. After all, I have not given her permission to. Andromeda is excellent and knows the restrictions of her position. She assumes that I am acceding to the goblins'' demands, but like fuck I am going to give those greedy little shits anything like they are demanding.
"We are not giving them anything more. I have clearly stated that in the letter, and I refuse to be forced to cow before them and give them what they want. I am, of course, open to negotiation, but if I give in now, then I will have to continue giving them more each time. Give an inch, and they will take a mile, especially when they discover how vital their services are for the production of our brooms." So I tell her simply, waving my wand at my chair, desk and all around the room to get rid of the leftover smells and spill. And then I sit back in my chair, relaxing into it and closing my eyes.
"But, Gilderoy..." Andromeda begins, hesitating to speak her mind. Opening my eyes, I look at her and gesture for her to continue. I am not the kind of boss that has yes men. "We need that silver, and while the goblins are greedy, they are our only source of it, and without it, we have no broom. Our experiments are constantly ruining our samples, and we will run out before soon." Andromeda expresses her concerns, but they are not anything I haven''t taken into consideration already.
"Andromeda, Gringotts is not the only place in the world with goblins. It is foolish to the that all Goblins are unified under the single banner of a bank, especially not with their greedy nature. Gringotts is merely the home of all goblins in Britain, and they are not the only ones who know how to make the silver. I have also made that clear in my letter, and I can always go to a different clan of goblins for their services." I explain, and Andromeda gradually figures out my plan, given how her face lights up.
"So the choice is up to them, either they continue with the deal as it is, or they push for more and force me to go abroad for a new source which might be a bit more troublesome but is worth it to avoid being on the losing end. Right now, I am probably, most likely, their biggest customer, and I am asking for the metal straight up instead of having them forge it into tableware or some other shit like those other dumbass wizards. We have enough in stock right now that we can wait them out long enough and procure a new source in time." I lay it out clearly, putting my line in the sand.
I became very aware and knowledgeable about just who I am and who I want to be when I was strapped to that chair, undergoing torture. Digby was a fat bastard, and I am glad he was dead, but I also have to be grateful for the revelation he caused in me. He was the cause of my motivation and ambition because I realised just how easily this new life of mine could be robbed from me. I would have left my little hovel the minute I had finished learning as much as I could and ventured out without any good magical spell, unprepared for this world.
Not only that but those days spent experimenting on Digworth made me aware of just how badly I want certain things and just how far I am willing to go to get them. With the experiences of someone who had nothing and no one, as well as the expertise of someone who had everything and everyone, I have an appreciation for that and know how much it really is worth.
I would do almost anything to get what I want, and while, so far, there has been no need for drastic measures, I am more than willing. So if they think I am going to let some shitty little ugly fuckers run me over, they have another thing coming. So instead, I would attack and burn Gringotts to the ground and let those greedy shits get the better of me and take me for all I have.
"Alright, I will send the letter off straight away. Though, for a matter as delicate as this, I was sure you would simply send a letter to set up a meeting, not with your decision." Andromeda says, walking up to my desk and picking up the letter. She quickly gives it a once over to make sure it is correct, as if she couldn''t trust me to do it properly, which is fair since I did just admit to having done it while otherwise occupied.
"Oh, that would have been the sensible thing to do. This is a slight, really, to decide everything over a letter without even negotiating or talking to them. They will either follow the current agreement, or I will find some other fucking goblins who will." So I tell her, even though she has already gotten the idea from her reading. Her face is not revealing anything as she does so. Even though I bet she has a few complaints, she is following along with my decision.
"But how long do we wait for a reply? They could just ignore it and wait until we ran out, and then- oh, wait, I see it. So we have given them a week to respond, and then we will move on and find another supplier. Wow, you are really playing hardball." She says, finding that in my letter. I basically stated, either give me the next shipment as planned or don''t fucking contact me again. I already have some feelers out for the other goblins and know the locations of a few clans.
"Yes, now before you go. All those broom makers we gave those contracts to, their time is nearly up. Have any of them done anything lately, actually come up with a viable idea, tried to run away or come to say that they can''t come up with anything?" I ask her before she goes, as this will be crucial in the upcoming days. I am not wasting time or negotiating with these goblins for another reason as well, and that is because production will be starting soon. We have not just been experimenting with the silver, and I made sure all the experiments were cautious and didn''t harm the metal.
We have been stockpiling it for months, ever since we started the deal with the goblins saying that we were simply using it for some mundane use. I left that bit for Andromeda to decide. Of course, the goblins thought we were merely using their unique metal for stupid services, and they were happy to sell. Still, after so many months of continuous shipments, they obviously got greedy and figured they could bleed me for more, and that is when they thought I was simply making ordinary shit.
If they were to find out that we were making the newest and fastest broom ever to exist, then they would start charging an arm and a leg for the goblin silver, and if worse came to worse, I would have to meet their demands, which is why I have thought this through very carefully and decided not to rush ahead and get these things out as soon a possible but to take my time and stockpile as much as I can before releasing the product.
"No one has approached me yet, but no one has run either. Thankfully all the broom makers were more than muggle-borns, so they were all knowledgeable about magical contracts and their consequences. But, unfortunately, they were just too arrogant and full of themselves, and now they reap what they sow. I will visit each of them in turn and tell them what is expected of them now that their time is up." I nod my head, showing my understanding. In the three months to come, as we keep the goblins silver rolling in, we will be solely focusing on producing the brand new Firebolts. These workers will be very helpful.
"Alright, you can go. But don''t forget to bring me with you to visit them. That''s an order." I say, Andromeda nodding and taking the letter before exiting the room. While these guys might understand the seriousness of magical contracts, they were also stupid enough to take the risks associated with them and fuck themselves over. I can''t trust that they won''t try some stupid shit to get out of it, so I think it would be better that I am with Andromeda when it comes time just to make sure everything goes smoothly.
I already have multiple different plans brewing in my mind, and not just for my growing broom business, though I have been focusing on that topic more than the others. I have learned from the mega-corporation that was Apple how to sell the exact same shit with minor differences for exorbitant amounts again and again and again. So I figure I can produce a couple thousand and then sell them slowly for a high amount, the PS5 effect. After that, I will start doing custom orders, the same broom but an excellent design for each customer and charge lots for them. Some limited edition, and a whole bunch of other ideas as well.
"Oh, Shit. Tempus." I quickly remembered that I was doing something and sent off a quick Tempus, informing me that I was not yet late for my next appointment.
I better get going. I have a tournament to win.
Chapter 25– A Single Step.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 25¨C A Single Step.
Walking through the abundant crowd, I struggle to find the one man I am actually trying to find. Which I should have expected to be honest, given that the man I am looking for is less than half the height of the average man, and there are so many people here that I wouldn''t even be able to find an average-sized person.
Realising that I won''t be able to find the diminutive little man in this throng, I give up on my efforts and instead move to the place I was directed towards when I first arrived and was told the order of things. I wanted to find Flitwick before it started, wanting to get some last-minute advice and ease my nerves, but unfortunately, it looks like that won''t happen.
Still, I have to say, this is a bigger crowd than I had expected, especially for an event that is as underground and regular as this. For my first proper duelling tournament, I have come to an underground event that Flitwick referred me to. I am not here to win or dominate or anything. I am here merely to gain experience. I have learned the spells and the theory, and my physicality is up to standard, but I have no proper experience, which is what I am here to gain.
Still, when Flitwick told me about this place, he described it as a weekly event where people went to have some duels, anybody being allowed to get on the stage, and have drinks and bet on the fights. Given that this was described as underground, I was expecting around thirty people to be here, tops. However, there are actually upwards of a hundred, and they are all lively, waiting for the duels to begin. Overall, much bigger than the understated get-together Flitwick convinced me it was.
When I got here, I went up to the bar and talked to one of the officials there, signing up to be one of the contenders in the upcoming tournament. The requirements were not even that strict, all I had to do was give my name and then hand my wand over so they could weigh it and record it down, and then they told me where to go to prepare for my match.
Flitwick did say he would be here, but I could not find him anywhere, so I can only continue on. The match will begin in ten minutes. Walking through the crowd, I finally reach the double doors through which the waiting rooms are, where I will ready up for my bout, and low and below who is waiting in front of it for me. Filius is there, his small form waiting patiently in front of the door, clearly waiting for me though he doesn''t seem to catch my approach.
"Hello, Filius. Shall we go in? It won''t be long before my first match starts." I say to him, shining my dazzling smile at him, which glistens in the dim hall. Flitwick, seeing my smile, looks surprised but still calmly follows me as I hold the door open for him and then enter the room. And then spotting the door labelled six, I enter that one and close it as Flitwick follows me in.
"Gilderoy? I nearly didn''t recognise you. I wouldn''t have even known it was you if you did not approach me and if you did not display that signature smile of yours. I assume some form of charm to give off the twinkle?" Flitwick says, clearly addressing my current appearance. Because, if it was not obvious, I do not look one iota like Gilderoy Lockhart right now.
"Haha, yes, that is right. I use it mainly for photographs from the press, the twinkle looking to be a reflection of the light of the camera off my teeth. Though it does make itself useful on occasion, such as now." I explain, embellishing the truth slightly. Because while the original Gilderoy did come up with this teeth-sparkling charm purely for his photographs, he liked it so much that it would be applied almost constantly, first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I only use it on occasion because it can be helpful at times, such as now,
"Yes, quite ingenuitive. It is, at most, a millisecond of light flashing on your teeth, not too little to be unnoticeable and not too much to reveal its falsity. Excellent charm work. However, I am confused why you have concealed your identity. Also, can I ask what method you have used because if you have put up a charm, there is a high chance of it being disrupted in the middle of your match?" Flitwick inquires, though I do admit I am more caught up on the compliment he gave, praise from a charms master, and it pisses me off. This little charm was praised, and the original Gilderoy was the one that made it, showing he had a natural talent, and yet he squandered it. Well, I won''t make the same mistake.
"Well, I can''t duel looking like Gilderoy Lockhart, famous adventurer and masterful wizard. I am not here to win, after all. I am here to gain experience, and while I will give it my all, I most likely won''t win or even get that far in the tournament. If I were to do this as myself, then Gilderoy Lockhart would officially have a loss on his record, and I can not afford that. I have a reputation and brand to uphold. If that reputation were to fail or be destroyed or damaged in any way, then all of my businesses would be impacted. Profits will be down, and all future business will be affected, which affects not just me but all the people behind the scenes." I explain.
"This is why I have decided to come as someone else because I have more than just my reputation being in danger if I were to irrevocably lose. It would be selfish of me not to consider all of my workers and employees. That is why I went out and procured the hair of a random muggle and used a Polyjuice potion to change my appearance. I took it right before I got here, and I have some more prepared if this thing drags on." I say, not mentioning how I procured such a potion, but I think he believes I did it myself, and I am not going to disillusion him of that.
In actuality, I had known about this event for a while already, and so I had enough time to get all the ingredients needed and set up the brewing station in my building, in a closed-off room. Of course, that is well and all, but I do not have the proper skills to adequately make such a potion, and I don''t want to overestimate myself and end up permanently disfiguring myself or, even worse, killing myself. Which is why I did what all great men do when they come upon a problem they find hard to solve. They delegate it to someone else.
Thankfully, I had Andromeda on my side, who is actually a very skilled Potioneer, having wanted a career in the subject before running off and getting hitched. So approaching her, I clued her into my duelling training and how I did not want any results I get in my new career to negatively affect my businesses, which she understood and agreed to help me with. And so she helped me brew the Polyjuice potion for the month before this event, and now I had an ample supply of Polyjuice potion that I put in stasis. I also went ahead and fully shaved the head of the muggle I chose, and now have enough hair that if I ever want to use this identity again, I can.
"Alright, well. I am pleased to see that you are thinking ahead. Truly, you have become a good man Gilderoy. Now, sit down and ready yourself. I am going to give you some advice, and also, you can''t duel in what you are wearing." I take my seat as he directs me to, but then stand up again as he calls into question my form of dress, being just black clothes underneath a black robe. I don''t see what is wrong with it; it is plain and allows me to move.
"First of all, remove your wand holster. You will carry your wand onto the stage and then do the rituals. The holster is just extra weight on your arms. And your current clothes, while adequate, are not made for duelling, and foreseeing this, I prepared the proper battle robes for you. Here you are." Saying so, he reaches behind him and pulls out a black and grey set of form-fitting robes and hands them over to me, taking me by surprise. I don''t even know why he is doing this, I mean, I asked him for help, but he has gone above and beyond that.
"I-Thank you, Filius. But why? I know I am your former student, but pretty much all wizards in Britain under forty can attest to the same. I am not even paying or giving you anything in return, so why?" I ask, bringing forth the question that has been bugging me for a while. I mean, from the beginning, I was expecting an uphill battle where I would constantly bug the man and eventually wear him to until he agreed to teach me in exchange for me paying him a hefty amount, but none of that was necessary.
Professor Flitwick delivered those books to me the next time we met, and then after that, he contacted me and arranged for our next meeting. Obviously, I was confused and wanted to question it, but this had worked out for me, and so I didn''t look a gift horse in the mouth and carried on, more focused on making the best of the situation and learning and absorbing as much as I could from the master duelist. But with this, I can''t keep it at bay anymore, and I clearly ask him for his reasoning.
"Well, to be honest, Gilderoy, after our first meeting, I had only planned to deliver some books to you and give you some information and advice before leaving you to your own devices, and that was only because you were a Ravenclaw that I didn''t manage to properly teach in your time at Hogwarts." So he says, confusing me further. I had no further contact with him after that meeting, so something must have happened to change his mind, and I had nothing to do with it.
"Coincidentally, I mentioned our meeting in passing at a Hogwarts staff meeting, and Albus took some interest." I swallow nervously hearing that because originally, Dumbledore was supposed to find out about Gilderoy''s fraudulent behaviour and then invite him to be the second-year DADA teacher. Before that, he had no interest, but now, he is suddenly paying attention to me. I thought I covered up all my tracks, but maybe I missed something, or perhaps my covering things up is what clued him onto it.
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"You see, there is a rumour that the position of the Defence Against The Dark Arts professor is cursed and that whoever takes it will leave in one year, one way or the other. This has resulted in injuries and once a death, though I believe it is sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy, and they have all done it to themselves. So, needless to say, the position is constantly being exited, and we need someone new every year." I- I do not like where this is going, not in the least.
"...And what does that have to with this?" I say, dreading the answer. I am pretty sure I already know what the answer is, but unless I hear it aloud, I don''t want to bring myself to believe it.
"I am getting to that, you see, with people leaving at the end of every year, we need new people to replace them. This is why when Albus heard I was in contact with you, who has quite the background in DADA with all of your books and adventures, he requested me to help you out. And I have, in the hopes that I might request you to be a teacher for a single year if we can not find anyone else sometime in the future." So he says, practically ringing the death knell on my nice relaxed life. And I thought that I had prevented this, but apparently not.
"Well, I can''t exactly say no to that now, can I? Especially not after all the help you have given me and will continue to give me, I hope. Professor, huh? I wouldn''t mind passing on some knowledge to the next generation." I say with a bright smile, my teeth shining, even though on the inside, all I want to do is scream and pick this tiny man up and shove him into a bin. And yet, I keep the smile up and act like this is an opportunity for me.
Now that I have already taken Flitwick''s help, I am pretty much already opted into volunteering as the DADA professor for a year. Especially now that Dumbledore knows because if I refuse, I will look suspicious. Maybe, I don''t know, but I know that I can''t risk it. If Dumbledore decides to follow up, he might find out about the fraud. I mean, he knew Slughorn was lying, and that was with the man altering his own memories. So I can''t risk Dumbledore having any reason to doubt me, even if that means I have to teach at Hogwarts for a year.
"Gilderoy, of course, I will continue to teach you. I am invested now. Plus, if you were to rise to become a master duelist, I can take pride in the fact I was your teacher. And it is good that you are looking forward to being a professor since although the current professor has not quit, he has proved to be unqualified for the role even though the Headmaster gave him a chance, so he will not be the DADA teacher next year, and we have yet to decide on next year''s DADA professor. So it might be you." Flitwick says, only making me more of a nervous wreck though I still manage to laugh in response.
I suppose, now that I am locked in, I could just teach the following year like the original Gilderoy was supposed to. Is this the universe exerting its own will? I guess there are some pros to doing it in Harry''s second year instead of any of the other ones. The only threats are Tom Riddle''s Diary and the Basilisk... I can''t believe I just quantified a massive fuck off snake with the word only. Still, as long as I keep away from the diary, wear some glasses as a fashion statement or something and never travel the hallways at night or alone, I should be fine.
Perhaps it would be better to get this out of the way and do it now instead of being called in on another year when there are dementors, death eaters, death games, assassinations and Headmaster Snape. Just do it and get it out of the way now, when the threats in Hogwarts can be easily avoided. Yes, if they ask, I will accept. Wait, no... I will just ignore it till it comes up again, and when it does, I will reevaluate and make a decision.
"Well, let''s not focus on the future right now and try to turn our gaze to the present. Now, let me talk you through your upcoming duel. First of all, you are going to want to always keep an eye on your opponent, but don''t look at them. Be aware of the entire stage, but keep your focus on your opponent. Also, make sure that you..." He continues to jabber, and I just try to absorb as much of it as I can. Even if it doesn''t quite compute right now, it might become more apparent in the future.
I continually nod my head as he talks, showing my understanding of what he is saying. Well, not understanding since I don''t know how to keep my eyes on my opponent without looking at them, but I am, at the very least, listening. This is a learning experience. I am here to get beaten and, in doing so, cover my flaws and eventually become unbeatable.
"So, did you understand all of that?" Flitwick asks, finally stopping his rambling for a moment.
"Uh, can you just go through that one more time?"
"And now, our first contestant this evening. Brandishing a wand, nine inches made of cherry with a dragon heartstring core. A formidable wand is often thought to be purely aesthetic, but such a wand is very powerful, only to be wielded with exceptional control and strength of mind. Edward. N. Stick," The announcer or referee says, prompting me to walk out and onto the stage and move to join him at the centre.
"And his opponent today is..." I don''t pay attention to what he is saying as I am more focused on trying not to laugh right now. Since I changed my face, a change in name was also required, and since I can always use a different person for a Polyjuice Potion, I decided to have some fun with it. The full name I chose was Edward Norma Stick. Hehe, if you only use the initial of the first name and say the rest of it, hehe. I might be a prominent magician now with a big business and participating in duels, but part of me is still a sixteen-year-old kid, and this shit is funny.
"Alright, begin." I perk up and snap back to reality when the referee speaks, and I realised he has moved off of the stage and in front of me is a middle-aged man, his face littered with scars and was very much ugly. And once I realise this is my opponent, my hand moves and holds my wand in front of my chest as he does the same, and then I bow my head a little bit as he does a slight nod with a nasty grin on his face, which seriously pisses me off. There is etiquette to this shit, and this guy basically just pissed all over me.
Snapping my wand back to my side, I spin around, and I can hear him do the same behind me, and then I start walking over to my end of the stage. All the while, I think about how much I am going to hurt this man for the slight he has done upon me. Wizarding society is a lot about etiquette and respect, which is why status is so important and why muggle-borns find it hard to fit in and end up discriminated against.
Right now, in a duel, how much you bow your head is how much respect you are showing your opponent. It is customary to just bow your head slightly, it is like the minimum you can do, but this fucker only nods his head showing me disrespect. He is looking down and laughing at me, expecting me to be weak and easy to beat, probably because my name makes me seem like a muggle-born, and he feels no need to show me the customary courtesy. I am going to fucking humiliate this man.
Reaching the end, I spin around and take my duelling position. My right leg forward, my left leg behind, ready to spring in any which direction. My torso is to the side, leaving me less exposed to attacks, and my right hand holds my wand in front of my chest, close so as to minimise the area I am exposing and my left arm is tucked behind my back since it is useless right now, though if I need it while dodging, it will come out.
"One. Two. Three!" Immediately I lashed out with a stupefy, sending the red-coloured spell straight towards my opponent because as much as I wanted to hurt him, I must remember my goal. Plus, getting rid of him with ease will make him look like a fool, especially after he acted so big in front of the crowd.
"Expeliarmurs!" Unfortunately, my opponent, while an arsehole, is still a skilled duelist going by the scars on his face, and he just sidesteps my spell with ease before retaliating with his own spell. However, having practised a bit with Flitwick, I also don''t panic and calmly move to the side, already readying for the next attack I will shoot at him.
I duck, narrowly missing the sickly yellow spell that passes over my head, which had hidden its trajectory behind the expelliarmus and allowed must hit me directly in the face. But, unfortunately, it seems I was taking things too lightly, and I only practised with Flitwick once in a blue moon, so I don''t have much experience, which is clearly my biggest problem.
"Ossio Dispersimus, "I whisper after sending out another stunner, taking a leaf out of my opponent''s books and hiding it behind the stunner. Instead of worrying about my almost fatal mistake, I ignore it and carry on, properly getting into the groove of my duelling style. All-out assault.
Rather than wait to see how he responds to my spells that have yet to reach him, I carry on, shooting a bombarda at the middle of the stage, which my spells had just passed, making a lot of rubble spray up into the air. Then, swishing my wand at the rubble, it transforms into a flock of birds which immediately shoots forward, covering the entire stage and also providing cover for me, giving me time for my next plan.
My opponent had just sidestepped both my spells, including the bone vanishment spell and had just turned to deal with the flock when I quickly set my next plan into action. Using some conjuration, I conjure a bunch of arrows and swish to shoot them forward, right behind the flock of birds which my opponent had just burned to a crisp.
My opponent, at the sight of all these arrows, panics, knowing that if he tried to deflect them with a wide area spell, then the chance of getting hurt increases, so instead, he decides to clear out a small section and make it through that, like he is playing a hole in the wall. But I expected this. In fact, I wanted him to do this.
"Sagitta Puctum." I intone, shooting a single arrow out of the tip of my wand that was aimed in his direction. This arrow was not like the rest, as it shot out of my wand like a bullet, surpassing the speed of the other arrows and reaching my opponent just after he had cleared his section, piercing his thigh. Even though he is hit, he shows his experience as he doesn''t let that stop him. Still, unfortunately for him, I had already followed up straight after I shot that arrow. He hits the ground after a stupefy and an expelliarmus, sending his wand flying into the air.
The crowd cheers as I take pleasure in my win and showing that ugly fucker up. And I also find it funny that the arrow spell that I used was not even intended to be used as an offensive spell but rather as a cheer. This spell was used by Quidditch fans, specifically the Appleby Arrows supports, to show their support, and they would shoot a bunch of arrows out of the tip of their wand as they cheered. It was obviously banned when an arrow pierced the nose of a referee by the name of Nugent Potts in 1894. Still, it was a little nifty thing that I picked up on.
I left that stage surrounded by sheers ad shouts, feeling on top of the world like I couldn''t be stopped.
I lost my next match.
Apparently, the beginning matches are always about feeling your opponent out and conserving your magic for the later rounds. This is why my opponent did not expect me to go all out and use a bunch of flashy magic to take him down. However, in my next match, my opponent took me out quickly, utilising my lack of experience, which I showcased in my first match, and also, my magic was drained, so I lost pretty quickly.
But that is what this was all about, learning. And I have learnt that I need to be more conservative in my all-out offensive approach... somehow.
Chapter 26– Brooms Brooms Brooms.
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Chapter 26¨C Brooms Brooms Brooms.
"Hm, how much did this set us back again? Also, why this location?" I ask Andromeda, glancing ahead at the warehouse in front of us that I am the new owner of. Andromeda had brought up the issue of where our broom manufacturing would be happening, as we could not have it all done in Rudolph Spudmore''s workshop. And so I entrusted her with finding a proper spot, allowing her to use the company coffers to purchase whatever she wanted with no oversight from myself.
I did this not only because I trusted her but also to distance myself from her a little bit since I am not a panting dog. Ever since she turned me down, I decided to not run after her and let things cool off for a while. Either stuff at home will get better, and she will have her happy marriage back, or it will deteriorate further, at which point, if she likes me, she will make it known, hopefully. I have put all I can into it, and the rest remains up to her. I can''t dally and wait for her to do something, and so I am continuing on with my life.
"First of all, we have not bought this warehouse. We are merely renting it from the muggles that own it and have no use for it. After some tiresome negotiation, I finagled us down to a fair two hundred and fifty pounds a month for this 100,000-square-foot warehouse, which is 50 Galleons a year. And we chose this place because wizards or any other magical things hardly ever come through here, and everybody that will be coming here is under contract, so it should stay secluded." Alright, so we got this place in this muggle area because we want the thing to stay secretive, good.
"Alright, well, the broom makers have all been working here for a week or so, so show me around Andromeda. I am expecting good things." I say, gesturing for her to lead me in. I had taken a step back from the business and the day-to-day workings, merely coming to the office at night for some stress relief with whoever I chose for the night and then sticking around in the morning for Andromeda to show and have me sign whatever I needed to sign, I didn''t give anything more than a cursory glance, trusting her ability.
After the devastating loss I had in the second round of the duelling tournament, I realised how naive I was to think I could dedicate a few hours a week to this and think I would become the best at it. Obviously, that was wishful thinking at best and the delusions of an idiot at worst. I won''t get caught up in determining which of those I am and will focus on improving from here because I need to get better.
I learned the spells easily enough and was able to cost them as they were supposed to be cast, realising that intent and will, as well as visualisation, was vital, mostly forgoing the wand waving. I could cast silently as well, given time and focus. However, in a duel, you don''t have time to focus on doing it all silently. This is why you whisper your spells, the words helping you to automatically visualise the magic since you know what the attack is and how it behaves just by its name.
Still, this wouldn''t have helped me much against more experienced opponents, which is why I inquired to Filius Flitwick for his expertise. Since I was already locked in as a possible teacher at Hogwarts, I decided to make the most of it. And so, under his tutelage, I learned more. He tried to teach me about spell chains, in which the motions for the spells lead into each other and make a continuous cast, such as a levitation into a bone breaker into an Incendio, that type of shtick. I learned some, but I would rather just wave my wand once for each spell, and that is what I have decided to stick to.
Since that first loss, Edward N Stick (enormous dick, hehe) has been a constant regular at those low-tier duelling tournaments. I have sort of become known as the underdog of duelling since, typically, after a few losses, most people decide they aren''t good at duelling and leave, so I definitely made for a rare sight. Of course, those that usually left never even won a fight, while I always won my first fight, becoming known as ''Quick Stick'', which pissed me off.
That was my problem. I didn''t know how to properly constrain myself and limit myself without losing, so I always tried to win and wiped myself out in the first round. However, the experience I am gaining is making a difference as I have made it to the quarter-finals, in which I put up a good fight. Although, to be honest, I seriously was doubting myself and wondering how I could be doing so bad when most of the idiots in Britain were feckless enough to cower and not use their wands when attacked by Death Eaters.
When Flitwick picked up on my downcast behaviour and questioned me on it, I told him that I wanted his help in becoming better. At which point, he said to me that the duelling tournaments were not limited to just British residents and that anyone anywhere could attend and compete. He told me that there were people, even amateurs, who decided on this as a career and were constantly duelling at all sorts of duelling contests across the world.
Apparently, I was fighting against these people, more often not, people who have a wealth of experience and are constantly travelling the globe with Portkeys and apparations to compete in different contests the world over. I just never noticed because I never paid much attention to my opponents. In fact, I made it a point not to since I was preparing for a real-life battle. In real life, you don''t usually have information on your opponent, and so I decided to go into my matches utterly blind to my opponent, so I could prepare for that eventuality. Apparently, I was doing pretty well for a newcomer, but that still was not good enough for me.
Hence, why I have been going ham on my duelling capabilities and constantly participating in all of the contests I could find in Britain. So much so that even when Andromeda approached me and informed me of the broom makers'' deadlines being over, I ultimately left things in her hands. Of course, that was with the understanding that she would send them all letters and wait for them to come to her, and then deal with the aftermath and set everything up.
Of course, while most of the broom makers understood the direness of their contracts and came by of their own accord, there were one or two that showed no response at all and had to be hunted down. But, of course, there was no way I could let Andromeda go after them on her own. Thankfully, they were at home, and they didn''t really fight, and after we laid out the terms of the contract in plain words, they understood and followed.
And so now, here we are, a brand new warehouse- no, wait, not brand new since I am just renting it, with the broom makers inside already hard at work. I wonder how Andromeda has handled this because while I did leave this to her and focused on my combat capabilities, I can''t just let this go unsupervised for this long. I need to view this operation and make sure things are on the right track so I can go back to my training with no worries.
Walking forward with Andromeda, she begins to speak about various things about the property that I legitimately do not care about since as long as it works and as long as we have magic, then they are easily solvable. Reaching near enough to the warehouse, Andromeda informs me that this is where the muggle-repelling ward comes into effect as well as all the other wards. Since this is a muggle building, Andromeda arranged a small building just outside of the muggle-repelling ward to deal with any muggles that come by, such as the muggles that are renting this warehouse out to us.
Walking inside, Andromeda opens the door for me. She informs me that she had all the warding done by especially paid warders, through an old friend apparently, and that all the work was done discreetly and all the workers submitted and accepted to being obliviated after their work was done, as was outlined in their contract along with a healthy payment. I find myself adequately impressed with her, as no amount is enough when it comes to secrets and keeping things schtum. This is why I gave her full access to the company money, so she can do crap like this that I would probably forget. So now, nobody except those we want to will find this place and those we want to are limited to those we have working for us by contract.
Immediately after walking into the warehouse, I am directed by signs to two different areas. Firstly, the storage is to the right where all materials, equipment and other such things are kept. And then to the left is the workshop and manufacturing stations. However, both such places are blocked off by doors. Also, there is another door straight ahead of me, which does not have a sign placed there at all. Curious, I ask Andromeda about what it contains.
We start walking to the left while Andromeda explains that it is a secure room which holds the floo fireplace for everybody to use to arrive here. Nobody knows the actual location of this warehouse, and there are no windows, and nobody is allowed outside of the building. Apart from myself and Andromeda, everybody who works here knows very little about this building.
Questioning her on how this place could be so secure when we have a fireplace that is built into the floo network inside, and she answered me and enlightened me on some things that caused surprise. The floo network was indeed managed by the ministry, but people could indeed make their own network and system, except this requires a floo expert and a lot of money. Plus, we would have to have a specially made floo done for each employee. When I questioned why we didn''t just have it done at the office, and all of them came there to go through it, she explained that it would be too vulnerable.
With only one entrance in and out, our warehouse would be secure. Still, it would also be susceptible to attack, such as some people waiting on the exit for us and capturing us, along with other possible problems. Andromeda pointed out that joining the ministry floo network added a layer of anonymity and flexibility because nearly everybody is connected to it, and all the employees can get here from anywhere. But, again, I expressed my concern about anybody finding out our location from the ministry and tracking us down for some espionage and sabotage.
Again, Andromeda assuaged my concerns which I expected. I just wanted to know how she has solved this possible issue. She informed me that with enough money, anything is possible, and she had paid enough to the right people to get to this floo connection and change the code word. After all, it does not need to be the location name. Just use the floo network with the correct code, and you will get where you want to go. Only we know this code, but I still have some concerns if someone does discover the code.
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Again, Andromeda informs me that she has taken multiple measures to ensure the security of this and tells me to watch. Coming forward, Andromeda reached the doors and touched the hinges and screws in a particular order with her wand, making the door unlock and allowing us to go through. She says that only she and Rudolph know these codes since Rudolph can be trusted not to ruin his and his father''s own dream. She tells me that all the doors need such a combination, and the front entrance and the door to the floo are different, and only she knows them, and she will inform me of them later.
Andromeda informs me that she used quite a bit of Galleons to heavily reinforce this area, as a lot of work would be done here. If there were any accidents, she wouldn''t want them spilling out and alerting everybody because even the muggles would notice a massive explosion. I especially enjoyed the door. Making a mental note to ask Andromeda about that in the future since I would totally want to make a fuck load of hidden doors and passageways using that. I am guessing it is the same type as the brick wall behind the Leaky Cauldron that leads into Diagon Alley, with the bricks moving around. At the very least, the activation is similar, if not the effect, since they both unlock a passageway.
Walking through, Andromeda directs me to an area where I find big leather pants and jackets with hoods and boots made of the same materials on hooks, informing me that these are our protective equipment. Very reluctantly, I put on the coat and hood, forgoing the pants, shoes and the weird leather gimp mask thing with built-in eye shields. No way in hell. Of course, that is when I notice that Andromeda is shaking slightly behind me, and when I look behind, I notice she is not wearing any of the items, so I quickly take it off and put it back, assured that I would not need one if she did not use anything.
Moving me forward into another room, much larger than all the others I have been in so far, Andromeda explained to me that this was by far one of the most durable places in the entirety of England, given the experiments we would be doing in future after the production of this year''s brooms is over. Walking through, I spot multiple leather-clad figures bustling around the place, all moving under the command of a different man, who distinguishes himself by having differently fashioned leather, which Andromeda informs me is slightly enchanted dragon leather.
I go to walk towards them, wanting to get this over with and figure out how business has been proceeding, but Andromeda stops me with a hand on my arm, motioning for me to stay for a moment and watch. Which I do, realising that none of the people inside has noticed our entrance, so entranced by the work they are doing that they are fully absorbed into it, ignoring everything else. However, I understand the merit of observing their behaviour and work ethic without them knowing we are here. So I watch as they are all busy themselves, standing before a stack of some silver metallic ingots. Goblin silver.
"Ah, that''s right. I forgot about the Goblin issue. The last thing I did was tell them to either keep it coming or to fuck off, only in not so many terms. I am surprised you didn''t come to me and inform me of anything, what happened." I question Andromeda while watching the men and women busying themselves, listening to the precise instructions of Rudolph, who is talking to them all.
"Well, I have to admit, you certainly do have a way with words, Gilderoy. I thought it was almost guaranteed that we would look up one day and find an army of Goblins outside our front door. But no, the shipments just kept coming as scheduled, and they have ever since with no communication at all. Though the few times I have been to Gringotts to withdraw some Galleons, a few did glare at me quite a bit, but even weirder was that some of them nodded their heads at me as I passed them by." Andromeda shudders slightly, unable to decide which was worse, the glares or the nods.
"Profit above all else, Andromeda. They might be intelligent, but their greed knows no bounds. Nothing is perfect. Everybody has flaws. I just happen to have less than everybody to have existed so far." I throw a smirk her way, only to be received by a deadpan face as she corrects the glasses on her face, causing the light to reflect off of them. Damn, I got actual smart anime glasses girl vibes there, and I liked it.
"Right, well, be careful in future. We were never friends with the Goblins, but now that we have got one up over them, they will be gunning for us to take everything we have, a nasty lot they are. So question everything they do, and remember that first and foremost, they only care about themselves, individually, that is. And in any future deals, make sure you know everything and read everything before signing anything or agreeing to it. Tricky bastards are subtle, so pay attention. I have faith that you will be able to handle it all, Andromeda." I smile at her. This is the first time in weeks that we have properly interacted. She looks hesitant but eventually smiles back. I look away before making it weird.
"Good. Now, it looks like they all know who is in charge. That is me, then you and then Rudolph. It is time I set them some goals and timeframes and encourage them to make the next best thing in time for the new year of Hogwarts. Also, Andromeda, I am relying on you to do most of the work here on advertising and marketing this stuff. Just inform me when I need to go to a photoshoot or event." Leaving her with those words, I walk forward, thankfully, before they start doing any experimentation. Rudolph soon notices me and tells them to wait as he steps forward to meet me, the rest watching.
"Gilderoy, it is good to see you. I haven''t seen you in so long. I was beginning to dread that you had lost faith in us." Randolph says, walking forward, pulling off his mask, and reaching out a hand.
"I have not been around because I have faith in you, Rudolph, and in Andromeda. If there was anything that would have needed my interference, then she would have informed me, but she hasn''t," I laugh, holding my hand out to shake his and pat him on the shoulder. I don''t know much about this man, except he has a dream which he is determined to fulfil, and he is working for me. So better to treat him well than to treat him bad and brew resentment.
"Oh, then I worry what mistake we might have made to catch your attention and bring you down to meet with us," Randolph says, scratching the back of his head and chuckling nervously.
"Oh, nothing like that, Randolph. I am simply here to see how work is commencing and to inform you of some things. I am quite pleased with how you have been progressing so far, though I have not heard much about the new workers." So I say, calming his fears and ridding him of his worries.
"Oh, good. And these new broom makers, Gilderoy? Where did you find them? Some of them have quite a lot of good ideas and plenty of research to back it up, even if it is unfinished. With all of this, I can see myself making the perfect broom in a few years, just like my father wanted." Randolph, now calmer, speaks, informing me of the new employees. I honestly thought that these people were tricksters and arrogant people, but I guess some of them were actually confident and were making strides in their research. Fortunately, it did not come to fruition because now they can all work together and make the best broom possible.
"The same way I found you, my good man. Now, let''s get down to brass tax. These men are now all under your command in order to manufacture the next best broom. So, I know you have finalised your broom design. How long will it take to make one hundred of them using all the resources here at your disposal?" I question talking to the man in charge instead of the menial workers. I have decided that I only need to take the prominent people, and they can handle the people underneath them. And so I am merely communicating with Randolph. He will handle everything else and will come to Andromeda if he has any problems.
"Well, with the people I have now, I could make just over a hundred brooms in a month. However, Gilderoy, I have been talking to these other broom makers, and they have some great viable ideas and research to improve our current design. So if we could have a bit longer to research it, then we could improve the current design in a lot of ways." I take a moment to ponder his request because whether or not I accept it, there will be some consequences.
First of all, he is telling me that there are even more improvements that can be made, but the broom design we have right now is top of the market and is guaranteed to blow everything else out of the water. We will absolutely demolish the competition and dominate the broom market. Therefore, in a purely business sense, it would be better to release this model now and then save these new ideas for other models so we can sell more and have even more profit.
However, profit is purely my pursuit in this arrangement, and Randolph here and I assume most of the other broom makers in seeking improvement in the craft and advancement. Therefore, not only do I need to think about how to make the most money, but I also need to keep these people happy and motivated, so they will make advancements and continue to work. I can''t work them like horses, but I also can''t keep restraining their curious minds that want to go even further. I need both the stick and the carrot.
"Fifteen days," I say simply, my eyes expressing how serious I am about this. Randolph looks confused as to what I am talking about, so I lose the genial smile on my face and my expression hardness, showing I am unwilling to budge on this new term. This is enough time to make him feel he is being allowed to make as many advancements as he can while also limiting him and not allowing him to properly complete any research so as to leave more developments for the next brooms we produce.
"You have fifteen days to make any improvements you can. We are on a strict schedule, and we want to get this out before the Next Hogwarts year starts so the kids can buy it in the summer holidays. Do not rush anything. These brooms are supposed to be the best quality on the market, do not hasten your research, be careful and make sure you have fully researched anything you want to add to the broom." I tell him, and with me not giving him a second to get a word in edgewise, I inform him precisely what is going to happen. In the end, he can only nod his head in understanding.
"Good. The next fifteen days are all you have, and you will have a finalised design when it is over. Because immediately afterwards, you will begin manufacturing the brooms, and we will also begin properly testing and marketing them. When they are finally released, we will have a big population already vying for them. So I am counting on you, Randolph." This gives us two months for manufacturing and testing to make sure the brooms perform as expected, and they are not going to explode on anyone and result in a lot of angry customers coming after us.
"I won''t let you down, Gilderoy. Fifteen days, I understand." Randolph nods in understanding, agreeing to abide by my terms. Even though I only own two more per cent of Gilderoy and Spudmore than him, he is deferring to me as he should. It is good that he is not trying to get above his level and enforce his opinions because then I would have to stop being so friendly.
"Good. I expect great things, Randolph. I will return in fifteen days to see the final design and start the manufacturing. Goodbye, Randolph." Saying so, I turn around and walk back to Andromeda, ready to leave and get back to my training, I have another duelling tournament tomorrow, and I need to prepare. Andromeda can take care of the rest. I trust her, and she has shown herself to be capable.
Still, I am kind of dreading when the marketing will begin, and I need to do a lot of events and advertisements. Not looking forward to that. I would much rather go and compete in a duelling tournament. Much more fun. It is incredible to compete with wit and strength against an opponent, to give it your all and feel your blood pumping through your veins as you fight with your all.
Wait... Am I becoming a battle junkie?
Chapter 27– Hard Work Pays Off.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 27¨C Hard Work Pays Off.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for the grand finale. It has been a long night, but finally, after all the great battles we have seen tonight, we are now going to witness the ultimate battle. These two individuals have fought long and hard throughout the night to get here, and you can sure as shit, bet that they are not going to give up now. So give it up, for Blackwood Duelling Competitions final two contenders!" I listen to the roar of the crowd, the energy and electric atmosphere lighting up the whole place.
But even so, my body is still, and my blood is calm. I am unflustered in the face of it all, having gotten used to everything in the countless matches and competitions I have participated in. Day in, day out, practising, duelling, fighting. Again and again and again. Only ever taking breaks to deal with anything urgent that comes up, and with Andromeda in charge, that hardly ever happens. Countless wins, around the same amount of losses, no matter the outcome, I kept coming back for more.
And now, finally, my efforts have paid their dues. I stuck to it and saw it through, and now I am finally seeing the dividends. I have made it to the finals, and I am going to win. It is my first time making it this far, and I am going to go all the way. Like a teenage virgin that finally had his first kiss and first grab of boob, I am going to keep going as far as I can until I have to stop. I have finally got a glimpse of the areola, and I want the whole nipple... I should stop coming up with stupid analogies (or are they metaphors or innuendos?) and actually go and win this fucking thing.
Seeing my cue from the nearby staff member, I stand up from the bench I was waiting for and walk up to the black curtain. So used to how this goes, I need no further instructions or help, and neither does anybody offer any, having gotten very familiar with me over the last few months. But, man, am I glad that I took all of that guy''s hair and that I, for some reason, read his mind and learnt his name and address, making him readily available for even more Polyjuice Potion. I am a bit attached to this person now, and I will not rest until the enormous dick is known as one of the best duelists in the world.
"And now, our first finalist this evening! Brandishing a wand, nine inches made of cherry with a dragon heartstring core! A formidable wand is often thought to be purely aesthetic, but such a wand is very powerful, only to be wielded with exceptional control and strength of mind! He really needs no introduction since we have gotten to see so much of him lately, and he has made a few of you a lot of money! Edward. N. ''Quick'' Stick," The announcer or referee says, prompting me to walk out and onto the stage and move to join him at the centre. Cheers and jeers rang out together at my entrance.
Moving towards the centre of the stage, I try my best to ignore my new epithet. Not only does it ruin the secret meaning of my name when used, but it is a title earned because of defeat. Well, defeat and impatience. I am quick because I used to go all in on my matches and just drain myself by putting my all into my battles, making me a fast shooter that only wins the first match and then doesn''t progress much further.
Needless to say, that is rectified now, though the name has stuck, and people call me Quick Stick. Instead of an enormous dick, I now have a quick dick. I have to change that. Even if this is just a fake identity, I am not willing to leave it with such a pathetic title. The world will watch in awe of Edward N Stick, and when he fades away from the public eye, they will wonder, where did enormous dick go?
"And our final finalist, this evening. A man that needs no introduction since we have seen him time and again make it to this stage and, more often than not, walk away as the champion. Give it up for the one, the only, six-time winner of the Blackwood Duelling Competition, Pioter Rasputin!" A synonymous cheer rings out at this guy''s entrance, a direct opposite to the welcome I was given. Probably because I was very inconsistent in all my matches since I was still learning and trying to adjust to duelling.
Needless to say, no one really liked me in these competitions, and that was because people couldn''t predict whether or not I would win or lose a match. After figuring out my problem of going too hard and devoting myself entirely to battle, I tried to learn moderation and hold back and try to win using strategy and the least amount of effort possible. Suffice it to say, this method was hard to tune and was, therefore, something that made me very unlikeable to the betting viewers. I was unpredictable, winning and losing matches at random, still trying to achieve my new goal.
Controlled overwhelming power is what I was aiming for. Overpowering your enemy and destroying them entirely but in a controlled and efficient way. I have had some success with it, but in the end, I have realised that it is not attainable for me. I am not a smart, intelligent fighter that can plan ten moves ahead. No, I have decided that experience and instinct are my paths forward.
I am just going to keep on going ham until, eventually, there is no one left. This is how I have made it to this final, though the other stuff does help. My plan now is just to keep fighting, and with time I will beat them all. I really tried to be clever about it and all, and while I can do some tricks here and there, I want to win on my own skill.
"Alright, begin." I perk up and snap back to reality when the referee speaks, and I realise he has moved off of the stage and in front of me is a handsome man nearing his thirties. His face is clear except for the blonde goatee on his face, which informs me of his status as a douche.
Used to this after all my matches, my hand moves and holds my wand in front of my chest as he does the same, and then I bow my head a little bit as he offers me the same courtesy with a confident grin on his face, which seriously pisses me off. After all, he and I have been in this neck of the woods for a while and have faced off multiple times over the last couple of months, and I have only ever won against him once, which even I didn''t know how I won. That win was so unexpected and was clearly not due to my own abilities, so I don''t count it. Something must have been off with him that day.
Snapping my wand back to my side, I spin around, and I can hear him do the same behind me, and then I start walking over to my end of the stage. All the while, I think about how much I am going kick this guy''s ass and change that fucking moniker of mine. And this time, it is not going to be some random one-off fluke that clutches me the win, not in the fucking finals. So I will destroy my quick title, but even so, I thank my luck that the one guy who was calling me ''Fiddle Stick'' didn''t manage to catch wind and make it stick.
I start to quickly cypher through my memories and all of my duelling experiences. This was something I learned after a while, and once I realised that my best talent was the mind arts. Using the mind arts, I can supplement and improve all other aspects of magic that require knowledge and memory. Charms, transfiguration, potions, alchemy and pretty much everything else, including duelling. I figured that I had gained enough experience battling people without any prior knowledge, and I could do that at other duelling competitions as well, so I decided to start paying attention.
Using my mind arts, I have begun to compile knowledge, or rather memories, of my opponents when I fight them, recording our battles and then assembling them inside my mind space. Using this, I had made something I called the Hyperbolic Dueling Chamber. I don''t care that hyperbolic might not actually apply because it is a cool name. It is a giant Romanesque coliseum to the side of the village inside my mind, and in it, I can select each of the people I have ever faced for battle inside the coliseum.
Of course, I don''t have perfect replicas of the people I have faced, but with time and experience and every battle I have against them, I add and make their persona in her more accurate. This is how I have been training in my spare time since duelling tournaments are only sometimes being held. I face opponents at games, record their moves and abilities and spells and then face them all later in the comfort of my own mind.
Not only does this help me to train and get used to these opponents, gaining experience, but it also allows me to expand my own repertoire and skill because with each of these move sets in my mind, I learn more. Of course, while I can replicate the moves in my mind, I don''t know all of the spells they use or their chants. However, with time I can research and narrow it down, helping me to learn more combat spells.
With my mind Hyperbolic Duelling Chamber at hand, most of my training time was spent there facing a single opponent, I had tried to take two at a time, but it was still too early. I got my ass obliterated, unable to contend with two skilled opponents trying to beat me. That is for the future me to master. However, with most of my training taking place inside my mind, that left my body to deteriorate and wither away as it was not in use.
Well, maybe that was an exaggeration, but essentially my body was getting rusty while my mind was getting sharper, which meant, as a whole, I was out of sync, and only when my mind and body are both in optimal condition will my power be at its greatest. So with that in mind, I had taken up regular exercise and training, hiring a muggle professional and taking some lessons from him at a nearby gym.
With my strong mind, the training wasn''t at all straining except for on my actual muscles, and that was easily solved with potions which I got Andromeda to source for me. My current body was aiming to be lythe and fast. I will try and look into rituals and other esoteric magic to improve my physique soon, but I thought it better to perfect what I already have before adding on top of it.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Also, sidebar, the other great thing about Occlumency? Apart from all the other things that it can help me to achieve, and how great it is at enhancing my mind and all my other abilities. It also allows me to have whole conversations and monologues inside my own mind, with hardly any time passing in the outside world. It certainly helps me to tame my Lockhart quirks since I do still have the tendency for flashiness and showing off, so I curb it by monologing super fast in my head a lot. But, of course, being flashy all the time is not flashy. It needs to be appropriately paced, such as in this moment.
Reaching the end of the stage, I spin around and take my duelling position. My right leg forward, my left leg behind, ready to spring in any which direction. My torso is to the side, leaving me less exposed to attacks, and my right-hand hold my wand in front of my chest close so as to minimise the area I am exposing, and my left arm is tucked behind my back since it is useless right now, though if I need it while dodging, it will come out. Opposed to my first match all those months ago, my whole body is light, ready to move at a 1moment''s notice.
My eye looks across towards my opponent, observing his own form and positioning. I have faced off against this man multiple times before, constantly losing except for that once, but I did not walk away with just the loss. I also walked away with the experience as well as the memories, memories which I forged into an opponent precisely the same as the man opposite me, and I had trained against him multiple times. Right now, he was either going to use a large-scale transfiguration or a widespread spray of stupefy.
Of course, I can not rely solely on my experience and my training because anything can happen, and so while I am prepared for those two options, I also prepare myself to react in case he is trying something new. I don''t have time to dally on it any longer as the referee to the side looks at both of us and confirms that we have taken our positions before nodding his head and beginning his countdown.
"One. Two. Three!" Immediately I lashed out with a bombarda, sending the dangerous spell straight towards my opponent, aiming for the floor in front of him because while it is all well and good to know how he might act, acting first is always the better option. As much as I want to win against him and use my training to make a counterattack, this is not training. However, with the bombarda, the spray of debris will give me some cover while also blocking any possible spells of his for the moment.
It seems, however, that my opponent was faster than I gave him credit for as three beams of red were heading towards my side of the stage before my spell had even impacted the ground in front of him. So, while my spell makes a big explosion and blasts debris everywhere, I quickly manoeuvre myself to the side and into a position where the three Stupefys bypass me and clash into the barrier behind me.
Readying myself to send a similar spray of stupefy at my opponent to try and clip him in the storm of rubble, I realise that the master of transfiguration in front of me had taken the opportunity I had given him and ran with it. So, instead of sending my own spray of spells, I instead prepared myself to intercept the swarm of swallows darting towards me that Pioter had transfigured from the rubble I had made.
Swinging my wand forward, I unleash a tornado of fire that swallows all of the swallows and reduces them to cinders, but of course, in a duel, you can''t just make moves with only one objective in mind. So, after destroying the transfiguration, I move forward and send the swirling tornado of fire towards my opponents. With this being the final, I am okay with expending all of my energy, and right now is the time for being flashy.
With the torrent of fire covering my views, I prepare myself to cast a Protego in case he sends something through the fire. Evidently, I had proven myself right as four separate knives flew forth through the fire, becoming flaming knives that fired across the stage towards me. Holding tight while also keeping my eyes peeled for anything else, I ignore the sudden rush of water erupting to combat my fire at the other end of the stage as I cast a Protego at the exact right moment to deflect the blades away and dispel my shield right afterwards.
The knives tumble to the ground as the water on the other side of the stage starts to engulf my flames since I am no longer supplying it with my magic, the water quickly squashing out the flames but also producing a large amount of steam. Eyeing the already transfigured knives just lying there, I decide to make use of them and not expend any more of my magic than needed and quickly levitate them up and banish them at my opponent. The knives, now thankfully without the fire since that would have given them away, streak forward through the cloud of steam.
I hear a scream echo out a second later and know that my attack has found purchase. However, I did not have time to smile and enjoy my small victory as my opponent had not taken my attack well and replied in kind with rage. Surprising me, for the first time ever, I had found an opponent that had shown me something I had not thought of before, and I realised that Pioter truly was a master of his craft.
I find myself a bit daunted as the man across from me waves his wand, and all of a sudden, the steam fogging up our arena begins to swirl and condense in on itself before coalescing into multiple spears made of wood. It was my first time seeing a gas be transfigured in such a way in the heat of battle and so quickly into numerous objects. But, unfortunately, I don''t have time to appreciate the fact that this is really widening my horizons as the wooden spears blast off towards me.
Now, while I do not claim to be quite as skilled as my opponent in the art of transfiguration, with the steam now being wood, wood which I can easily manipulate, I don''t cower. Swishing my wand in front of me, all of the wooden spears transfigure into bees just as they reach me, and I quickly direct them to fly back at my opponents. While my opponent deals with them, which I am sure he will do easily, I quickly take my opportunity and decide to make use of the leftover water left on the stage.
Swishing the wand in front of me multiple times, I send several vertical slashes of water at my opponent, making sure that each of them is touching the stage. And then, implementing the next part of my plan, I quickly direct my wand at the ground in front of me, and with an overpowered Glacius, my surroundings begin to freeze very quickly.
Only the water on the floor surrounding me is frozen over as planned, but with how quickly I implemented each of my spells, the freezing spell quickly spreads forward and reaches the slashes of water that I had sent on ahead, freezing them. However, even frozen, the momentum does not stop, and the several ice slashes dart forward at my opponent. I quickly ready myself to make another move and press my advantage when I look over and realise that my opponent, for some reason, is struggling to defend himself from the bees.
He is only managing to do so in time to try and defend himself from my onslaught of ice, but he is panicking and getting some injuries for his late response. Confused at why my skilled opponent had such problems dealing with a bunch of bees, I push that aside and focus purely on victory, quickly scanning multiple disarming spells forward at Pioter.
He manages to dodge a few of them while also dodging and defending himself from the icicles. Finally, however, in a particularly perilous situation, he has to dive to the right to avoid being impaled, still managing to evade my spells. Still, one of them just manages to clip him on the side of his arm, sending his arm up and his wand flying into the air towards me as he collapses onto the stage.
I stop, still not believing that that actually just happened. To think it had ended so fast when I had been preparing myself for a long, arduous, drawn-out fight, with each of us not willing to give each other a single inch in our pursuit of victory. Even in my mind training, this was the first time I had won this fast, and that was based on past performances by him, so this victory was definitely unexpected.
Finally, though, his wand finishes traversing through the air and as my body moves automatically and my hand snatches it out of the air, as I had done countless times before. However though it was my goal to make this event happen, I had somehow thought I would forever struggle to win a duelling competition. I look down at the unfamiliar wand in my hand, realising that I have actually won, and then I look up to find the entire crowd just as stunned as me at my victory. Hardly anyone actually thought I would win, even with my previous fluke win.
I look at them as they look back at me, and then I look at the wand in my hand. Then, still unbelieving, I raise my hand high to bring it closer to my face, getting a closer look at it. My hand doesn''t stop, and then I raise it high above my head in pride, holding it aloft to showcase my glory to the entire world. Silence reigns for a moment, but I don''t give a shit about their reaction. I am doing this for me, my ecstaticness at my win, to best someone who is a professional. It is all I can do to keep from roaring out in victory. And then the cheers erupt.
"Holy fucking shit! Did you fucking see that!? He fucking won! Quick Stick won!"
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! He wasn''t supposed to win! This was supposed to be easy money! He never goes all the fucking way! Godamn, Quick Stick! You fucker!"
"I- I don''t fucking believe it! He won! He fucking won! By Merlin''s big saggy hairy fucking balls, he won! I just made a goddamn fortune! Thank you, Quick Stick, you inconsistent fucker!"
I listen as the crowd goes absolutely wild, and people are both happy and sad about my victory. However, they all unanimously seem to curse and swear at me. At this very moment, these people are all shouting for me. I am in the spotlight, and this moment is all mine, and all the attention is on me. I relish in the feeling, enjoying and getting high off of their roars like it was some kind of excellent fucking drug that was sending my mind into overdrive.
This feeling was so unfamiliar to me, having never received even a minutia of this kind of response in my previous life. Yet, at the same time, it is so familiar, Lockhart receiving such adulation pretty much every day of his life from his fans... for his fake achievements that they all praised him for. Suddenly, all of these cheers and adulations seem cheap. They are easily bought and gained, which means they are very much worth nothing.
I quickly lose all feelings of satisfaction and ecstasy from their cheers, realising that they are just as easily lost as they are gained. Essentially, they mean nothing. I am glad that this happened now, and I realise this now. Otherwise, things could have gone quite badly for me down the line when I listened to anyone that sucked up to me. I am glad to have squashed this part of Gilderoy''s psyche out.
The constant yearning for attention would have gotten in my way, while the need to be flashy and awesome is just fine. The two aren''t synonymous with each other since I can do things in a striking way, just like the sound hashira from that one anime. So I will relish in my flashy victory and not the applause that follows after it.
I lower my hand and throw the wand onto the floor since it is not mine, and someone will probably give it to him later. It is also then that I realise that there are wizards across the stage, and I quickly realise that they stopped my attacks after my opponent was disarmed, and now they are checking on his condition. It is also then that I look down at myself, and I realise that while I am drained, there is not a single injury on my body that was caused by Pioter, different from my other duels.
"Can you believe it! Edward. N. Quick Stick is our new champion of the Blackwood Duelling Competition!"
Chapter 28– Tarnish.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 28¨C Tarnish.
"And here is your prize. Don''t spend it all in one place. Enjoy." The owner of the establishment says, handing over a sack of Galleons to me. By which, I mean chucking it on top of his desk and then going back to whatever it is he is doing. It is literally around an hour after the fight, and I am here in the back, talking to the boss to collect my winnings. That hour was spent with a lot of cheers and partying. Even those that lost money ended up getting caught in the mood and partied, though I think it was more that they were drinking away their sorrows.
I only just managed to get away from it all since I was the centre of attention. And when asking for my deserved earnings except, I am not getting my deserved earnings. In fact, I would go as far as to say that I am being stiffed, given that the prize money and the revenues that they just got from my unexpected win should have netted them a whole lot of profit.
"Fifty Galleons? Really? I am sure it should be more than that, right?" I say, acting affronted and insulted at the paltry amount I am getting paid for winning the competition. It wasn''t even the total amount promised to the winner, which was one hundred Galleons, so clearly, something is up here. I am not even really bothered about the money since I have loads from all the deals and business Gilderoy had up and running along with me, and this is just a paltry amount for me.
However, for one, Edward N Stick, this is a lot of money. This matters to him, and so I have to keep up appearances and try and get the money I am owed because that is what Edward N Stick would do. Sure, nobody probably cares, but this is an alternate identity for me, and I could use it for other things as well. I have a lot of hair left over. This is why I need to make sure this is solid and nobody finds anything suspect because they could follow it from there and unravel it. Rather than a completely unknown person coming out and committing a crime, having a fake identity with a bit of renown could throw some people off the track.
"Listen, pal. Nobody expected you to win, okay. The odds were very stacked, so the few people that bet on you really made it quite big, which really evens out the amount we earned today. So, tell you what. You keep winning, and you''ll get paid in full the next time once you can keep up the consistency." He says, not even bothering to look up and dismissing me quite easily.
"Tch, whatever." Leaving him with that, I snatch up the sack and spin around with some flair before stalking towards the door. Right now, I am feeling like I am having a Peter Parker moment, and something crucial and life-defining is about to happen. I stop just outside the boss''s door and wait there for some hoodlum to come and rush by me to rob the inside and take the owner for all he had.
And then he would sprint off with the money, but I would be in the way, and the owner would tell me to stop him, but I would miss the part where that was my problem and let him go. Only, later on, this would be to my own downfall as he would do something that would hurt me and haunt me for the rest of my years, and the guilt would drive me to never miss the part where that is my problem.
I wait a moment, and when nothing happens, I chuckle to myself and then move on. Damn, that was a great movie. Sure, the MCU came along and made a more grounded and realistic universe, but the classics were excellent. The Spider-Man trilogy was my favourite trilogy, and it was awesome. I suppose, aside from the great fights and scenes, I related to Peter in some weird way and was a bit envious. He lost his parents, though he ended up with a great aunt and uncle. And he was a bullied nerd just like me, that changed it around and got the girl and became a hero.
I lost my last life and gained this one, and now I have the chance to turn it around and do everything I have ever wanted. Still, the cinema greats I loved have not been made yet, and I don''t know that they ever will be, but I do love movies. So I suppose I should try some films out, and I think the Batman movies were coming out around this time.
I try to go to the back exit, but it is my bad luck that I manage to get spotted by a couple of partygoers, and I get dragged back into the party. Well, I wouldn''t mind having a little more fun before leaving.
"Yeah, just need to use the loo. Keep the party going, alright!" I say to the cheers of the people behind me as I continue to walk off without looking back, having had my fill of fun for the evening. I had contemplated on having a woman come home with me, but I had obviously not done that as I had nowhere to take them as I am not Gilerdoy Lockhart at this time, and I did not want to go home with them. Also, I was running low on the Polyjuice I kept in a flask, and I would rather not change while in their bed.
I also had a healthy amount of requests for companionships right here and now, inside the club, with them offering to find a quiet corner of the club or go on a trip to the bathroom. In hindsight, maybe I shouldn''t have just said I am going to the toilet, because I can see quite a few girls hungrily eyeing me as I am leaving. That was part of the reason why I had rejected them since they had only one thing on their mind, and they were also very much drunk, so no thank you.
Walking through a back door, I come to a split, and instead of heading right towards the toilets, I take a left and make it towards the back exit. I had used this several times before as it is very discreet, and I would rather not chance anybody seeing me and where I am headed or, even worse, them witnessing my Polyjuice potion wearing off. To that effect, while I open the backdoor, I also reach into my robes and withdraw my flask, uncapping it and taking a swig from it to prolong my transformation. Thank you, Barty Crouch Jr, for the idea, you insane Death Eater, you.
Leaving the building, I quickly take measures to hide myself and make a clean getaway, using multiple spells to conceal my presence before moving on. I am not an idiot, though sometimes I do idiotic things. I could see quite a few of the people in there eyeing me up, knowing that I had just won the prize money, which they thought to be more than I actually got.
Their thinking is that I am weak after that big fight, and even if I wasn''t, they could attack in a group and rob me of my winnings. I read quite a few minds in there that were thinking of this, and it is also the reason I decided not to take up any of the girls on their offers since they were just ploys to rob me. Even those minds I read without ulterior motives I didn''t trust, nothing is impossible with magic, and maybe they were able to hide their thoughts or are being used unwittingly.
I wait for a moment nearby the exit, and sure enough, they come. Just as dogs will always hate cats, and men will always think with their dicks, there are greedy pricks that want money. I wait until the groups of men all run out of the door and quickly split off to try and find me so they can rob me blind, the fools. After they have all run off, and I am sure that no one else is coming, I pick an alleyway with which I have grown familiar and begin to make my way home.
I had taken this same route home after every competition I have attended because I had found it to be the most barren and deserted route with hardly anybody around and nobody knowing about it much. The path I walk is quite dark and dreary, which is how nobody really finds it, and I was just lucky to do so when thinking about how to arrive and exit without revealing my identity.
Sure, I could apparate or just use the floo, but those things leave traces, and it is a bad habit to start apparating in the exact same place or area as people could use that against you, which is why I go this way to stay hidden and disappear without notice. After I get to a particular spot, I will either apparate somewhere or make my way to a floo in a nearby shop or just walk home since I do live in Diagon Alley.
I continue to make my way through various alleyways and tiny gaps between buildings, shuffling through them. I am strangely reminded of my past life when I actually had somewhat of a friend who I was doing a project with, and I managed to play some video games at his house instead of watching them on my crappy laptop on youtube.
All these tiny alleyways remind me of the Yakuza games, of Kamurocho, where in some of the games, you could shuffle very slowly through the gaps between buildings. One of the only fun times I had in my past life, the rest of it mainly being shit. That only lasted till the project was over, and then it was back to watching movies on my shitty laptop at home and hating my life the rest of the time. I am so fucking glad that I got this chance because I am not being the little guy anymore. It is crush or be crushed, and I ain''t being crushed.
Slipping through a particularly narrow passage, I near an empty lot that is almost always deserted with quite a lot of space, so much so, in fact, that I had thought of using the area for my own needs and repurposing it. With how shoddily put together most of the wizarding world is, hidden and forgotten spots like this are all over the place. It''s not like people used to ask for planning permission and stuff when they had magic, and they would just pick a spot and build, which ended up in this weird, mismatched world we live in.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
But as I said before, this place was almost always deserted. Almost, because until today, it very much was deserted, but that no longer seems to be the case. Because right now, there appears to be a little gathering going on in the empty lot, and I seem to be familiar with at least two of the participants of this meeting.
"So? The usual amount, or do I get a little extra on account of the massive payday?" I hear a voice say, and I could swear I have heard it before, except I just can''t place it. However, I know that this voice is talking to someone I do know, as I can see them clearly.
"Ha, well, you did good work today. So I suppose I could give you a little bonus." I see the event organiser and boss of the bar we were just at, say, looking much more friendly than when I had seen him last when he stiffed me. I also recognise the guy next to him, being the big motherfucker that always followed him around. I don''t know why, though, because size doesn''t really have anything to do with might or at least magical might.
Physical might is not so prevalent in the magical world, not when we can blow shit to kingdom come with just the twirl of a stick. So he probably just keeps the big fellow around for intimidation, which would only really work on the idiots, which is fair enough, I suppose. Most of the wizarding world is made up of idiots. Anyway, back to the situation at hand, I can see the owner and his bodyguard, as well as two nasty-looking creeps sitting to the side as well as one guy who is too far for me to make out properly.
"Thank you very much. You know, I was quite happy with the performance I put on today. Quite the show it was, my best one yet." The voice says, tickling me even more because I know I have heard it before, but I just can''t remember where. I must have thought it was not necessary, but something about this situation feels off and kind of ominous.
"I''ll say. I thought you were actually losing, ha. Still, you actually almost made me believe that you had lost to stick and didn''t take a dive like planned. So here''s your cut." He says, and hands over a sack that looks to be quite hefty as the other man laughs. The resounding laughter that rings out as the other man accepts the sack serves only to piss me off as I come to the realisation of what had just happened and what they were discussing.
"Haha, yeah. Yeah, Quick Stick certainly made it hard for me. Hard for me to actually lose. I was seriously finding it hard to find a time to actually take a dive without it looking off. Well, this is a good thing, so let''s keep it going." Piotr Rasputin, the man I just defeated to become the Blackwood Duelling Competition champion, smirks, chucks the sack up, and catches it again, allowing a little jingle to ring out.
"Haha, of course. Let''s hope that little sucker will keep showing up so we can make more money off of him. Now, gentleman here is your share. I hope your boss will be pleased." The owner, who was such a hardass with me before, suddenly looks like a little puppy. The little kiss-ass starts trying to lick the ass of the two nasty-looking men who don''t give a fuck and merely walk off after getting the Galleons without a word spoken.
With them gone, the owner and Piotr stare at each other for a second before the bodyguard leans down and says something in his boss''s ear. Hearing whatever it is, he wastes no time, and with a quick nod to Piotr, he departs, his bodyguard following after. With no reason to stick around, Piotr also moves and leaves, both of them taking different paths, not the one I arrived from.
I watch with cold eyes, fury roiling in my veins at the fucking mockery they have made of me. While I was trying my hardest and giving it my all to win, with all seriousness driven to improve myself, these fuckers were laughing and making money off of my efforts. Was the other time I won against Rasputin also planned? Did he take a dive and make a lot of money off of it? Off of me?
I am confused now. I don''t actually know the actual level of skill I hold and my own capabilities. Have all my matches been faked, has it all been decided without my notice, and was I so weak that I was so easily led? I had worked so hard, and I thought I had improved, but how was I supposed to know anymore? Watching them leave, a sudden thought occurs to me. And with each second that passes, it grows bigger and bigger and even if it might not be wise, I decide to follow it.
Right now, this rage in me has to be expelled because I don''t know what will end up happening if I leave her with it and let it stew inside me, affecting my every decision. I can''t live without resolving this fucking thing since I am most sincerely pissed off.
Watching them go, I think about going after the owner since he was behind everything and is the reason why this was done, along with those two other guys that probably had a big boss. But after a moment of thought, I decided to forget it. He is a businessman, he is always looking to make money, and even if I do go after him and do something to him, another guy will just come along and fill his place. But, Piotr Rasputin. He is different. Already, without me realising it, my body has started to move in his direction, to follow him.
Piotr Rasputin is different, and I need to settle whatever this is with him. With him, he was my opponent, and he chose to go down. We both put ourselves on that stage with the understanding that we were both going to give it our all to be the one still standing, or at least I did. He shat on that. I need to confront this fucker and find out if he did actually dive and play me the whole time, or did I actually do it, and he just said he dived? Even if that is what he planned, I took him down.
I start to trail after him, following him through various passageways and alleys. Not knowing what I am actually going to do, and not actually doing anything yet since I am unsure. How do I handle this? How do I get what I want? What do I actually want?
"You can come out now," Piotr says all of a sudden, having stopped in the middle of a deserted area with only one exit. Shit, I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I didn''t realise I followed the fucker to a dead end. Shit, I hadn''t really trained at all with stealth in mind, and clearly, this guy is a lot more experienced with me in a lot more than duelling. He probably knew I was following him this whole damn time, motherfucker. I should read up on this stuff later, maybe go out and find some muggle thief to use his memories to help my expertise.
"You knew I was following you," I say after a moment, walking out and dispelling my hiding spells since they are clearly ineffective. And, well, I guess I am not the kind of man that hides away. Not anymore. Plus, I feel like getting face-to-face with this man and getting some answers. So hiding isn''t something I see the need for anymore.
"The whole time. Though I didn''t know the identity of my stalker, but now I do. So what do you want, Stick?" He says, turning around and smirking at the sight of me. He''s pissing me off, but his wand is not drawn, so I don''t pull mine out, either¡ªno need to escalate this just yet.
"Did you actually take a dive?" I ask, needing to know the answer. Because I am still trying to figure out what the truth is. I know what I heard, but I also know what I did on that stage. I know the spells I cast and the spells that he threw, and just how the battle was going. And I am sure that that victory was the result of my own effort, and my winning just sort of worked out for him since it was what he wanted. However, knowing that we both went onto that stage with the same goal in mind, how can I be one hundred percent certain?
"...Does it matter?" He asks after a moment, just staring back at me. I don''t even dignify that with a response and just continue to level my hard stare at him, waiting for an answer. Neither one of us relents, me not moving on from my question and him refusing to answer. Eventually, I take his silence as guilt and affirmation that he did indeed take a fall.
"Why did you do it?" I move on, asking the subsequent follow-up question. Maybe he was blackmailed into it, though it seems unlikely. Perhaps he needed the money to support his family or to save the life of a family member. I feel fucking angry that he would tarnish our match like this, but I can''t ignore the possibility that he was forced into doing such a thing. If he was, then I can''t very well take things to another level. It would rub me the wrong way.
"Why do anything? Money. It''s always money. I had a lack of it, and I saw an opportunity to gain more of it. End of fucking story." His tone gets a bit more gruff, and he clearly wants this over with and to leave. I have touched a button. I don''t know what sort of button, but I have. and I will be damned if I am going to let up now.
"Don''t fuck around. Why? The real reason. What did you need the money for?" I push, even as his face turns purple, and I can see the veins bulge on his forehead as he feels immense emotion at my words. There is something here I am not seeing that is serving to piss him off truly. Good, because I feel even angrier than that.
"You think I want to do this, huh? I did it for the fucking money because I hardly have any! I was practically royalty at the Durmstrang Institute, top of my class. I had everything, and they were all practically eating out of the palm of my hands. And now, because of those fuckers... those Koshki, I am here fucking scamming idiots like you to survive." He starts to rage, throwing some Russian in there that I don''t understand. What the fuck is a Koshki? I don''t have time to think about it, though, because this man is throwing his spittle everywhere and looks about a second from drawing his wand.
He comes to a stop, panting hard, his tirade over. His face is still red though it seems to be paling, and he is regaining his calm. I don''t say anything, leaving him to regain his wits. Still, from what he said, he clearly didn''t cheat and take a dive for a noble cause or anything, and he didn''t need the money for anyone but himself. He used to be a wealthy young master with everything, and then, due to some people, these Koshki people, he lost it all, and now he is doing this to try and continue the high life.
"Whatever, I don''t have fucking time for this. See you later, asshole." He says, having calmed down. And then, obviously having somewhere he would rather be, he goes to leave, not giving me another minute of his time.
"Hey, where the fuck do you think you are going! We are not finished here!" I shout, even as he nears me, ignoring me as he walks towards the exit, passing me by.
"Piss off, idiot. I don''t have time for you. The only way you will ever win anything is if I take a fall for you, and I bet others do the same. So just be a good money-making scheme, and toddle along. I''m a fucking busy man." He snarls as he continues walking towards the exit. However, I am not going to let that happen. I still have this rage in me that''s burning more than ever, and I need to let it out. I draw my wand.
"Shit! What the fuck!" Piotr shouts as he comes to a stop, my spell having halted his path and cut a deep rivet into the ground in front of him.
"Like I said before. We are not finished here."
Chapter 29– Showdown.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 29¨C Showdown.
"So just be a good money-making scheme, and toddle along. I''m a fucking busy man." Hearing those words uttered at me and being dismissed in such a way stopped me cold. And pure blazing fury roiled through my veins as the words echoed inside my head. The pure dismissal just set off something in my mind. My neurons started firing, and my Occlumency turned out to be backfiring on me here because it all started coming to the forefront of my mind.
Every family that skipped right over me and chose another child to take home. Every foster family that took me in and then hated me and chucked me out. Every time I tried to put myself out there but was rebuffed and ignored. Dismissed. I fucked up with my Occlumency. I focused on protecting and hiding my memories and keeping the others out, and I didn''t focus very much on sorting out my own mind beyond distinguishing myself from Lockhart. And it is coming back to bite me now.
I have enough sense to realise what is happening and why and my follies in not sorting this out beforehand. However, my reason is far gone, and I don''t care about any of that at this moment in time. I can sort all that out later and then try and get a hold of my abandonment issues and need for love and attention; I guess I know part of the reason I am now Gilderoy Lockhart. Right now, though, I need to expel all this wrath bursting inside of me.
I quickly utilise my Occlumency to the best of my current ability, not to stifle my emotions and clear my mind, but to focus and calm myself. My rage is thinned to a deadly fine point, and my wrath is now cooled and waiting to explode. Rasputin has already walked past me and towards the exit, and I can''t allow him to leave. My wand raises, and I don''t even speak the words as I swish it. My spell cuts through the ground and creates a chasm in the floor, just in front of Rasputin, impeding his path.
"Shit! What the fuck!" Piotr shouts as he comes to a stop, my spell having halted his path and cut a deep rivet into the ground in front of him, hitting the wall and digging into that as well. I wasn''t aiming to kill or maim him, just to stop him from leaving. Okay, so maybe that included maiming. Lucky him for avoiding that. Of course, he doesn''t think he is fortunate, and that is reflected when he slowly turns his head to look at me with an incredulous look on his face.
"Like I said before. We are not finished here." I say, my face as hard as stone as I stare him down and dare him to try and continue leaving without my okay. He doesn''t take well to that, what with him being an entitled little silver spoon baby that thinks he deserves the world and got cheated out of it. My actions are paramount to treason against royalty in his mind, and he is pissed about it. Especially as he views me as a weak peasant so far below him that my actions are nearly inconceivable to him if he didn''t just witness them himself.
"You... You fucking §·§å§Û (Hui)!" He snarls. "Did you just try and fucking kill me, huh! You tried to kill me!" Yeah, he definitely can''t believe it. Even now, he is questioning if what happened actually happened. I don''t say anything and just continue to stare, waiting to see what he will do. Will he stop and honestly answer me, or will he draw his own wand and decide to fucking fight me and let me find out whether that battle was a fluke or not. Because I am willing to put my life on the line, and I''m pretty sure I am going to walk away.
"You..." He says, his face was red just like before. His anger rises, and then he stops and sighs and swallows it. I am assuming Occlumency because this is not the type of man to hold his feelings back. The regular kind of Occlumency where you clear your mind, and not the weird and wonderful version I have with so many facets that I ignored one of the basics. Right now, though, I don''t want to hold back my anger. Why should I? What need is there to restrain myself here?
"You are lucky." Rasputin finally says his voice level. "You are lucky I have a very slutty bitch waiting for me, and I would rather be fucking her stupid British brains out than waste my time here blowing your brains all over the walls." He finishes, once again dismissing me even when I have literally nearly deprived him of several of his toes.
My rage is bubbling again. I am really going to have to sort this thing out after I am finished here. I really shouldn''t have wasted my time sleeping with as many women as I could instead of focusing on my Occlumency and getting a handle on my deep-seated need for approval and love... which is obviously also the reason I have been sleeping with so many women. Fuck, why hadn''t this occurred to me before?
"Don''t try that again, or you won''t live to see tomorrow." My mind focuses back on the here and now as he says that to me and then moves to leave, stepping over the cut in the ground. And I can''t just allow that, can I? Not when this fucker has played me like a fucking fool and made me reach a fake high and then ripped it away from me, and then told me to be a good boy and take it on the chin. No, I am not the same person I was before when all I had to do was just sit there and take it.
Again he tries to leave, and once more, I brandish my wand and wave it forth, sending out another spell that rushes in front of him and cuts through the stone. He jumps back in response, which is the correct response because, this time, I wasn''t aiming to merely stop him. He would have lost more than a few toes if he didn''t just jump back, and it was probably his wealth of experience as a duelist that informed him of that, as he only stopped for my other spell.
"You want to fucking prove that." I fire back, my intention clear as I raise my wand. This is the only way this can go now. He isn''t going to answer my questions, and I want to find out whether or not my championship win just now was a fluke or not. And this is the only method I have now. Another fight. No holds barred. No stakes on the line except for lives, so he has to fight with his all. And I will know for definite whether or not he gave me the win. I am going to win.
"...I gave you a chance." Suddenly I am jumping to the left to avoid the spell he just lobbed my way, and given the sickly feeling and colour of it, I am betting he is delving into the dark stuff he was taught at school that he couldn''t use in the duel. Well, now there are no rules, and we are both free to use whatever magic we want, no matter how dangerous.
I respond with an equal lethality, thrusting at him a spell that would cause his blood to boil. Dark magic is something I myself have been taking an interest in. And, of course, there are a lot of theories out there, both here in this world and in my past world, and so I approached the subject with some caution. I would have stayed away from the subject altogether, assured I could use normal means to achieve my goals if it were not for the black book. Inside which, was a lot of Occlumency geared towards using dark magic without losing your mind.
According to my research and own experiments, dark magic does affect you. First, because it follows the same rules all magic does, and that is intent and willpower. You need the will and intent to make your magic manifest, and it is the same for all magic, with some added steps here and there. And dark magic, well, there are some fucked up spells, and you have to want that kind of damage and horror to be inflicted upon someone, or else it won''t work.
So yeah, over time, your mind will warp and twist as the more dark magic you use, the more psychotic and demented you will become, wanting to inflict pain and hurt on others. Unfortunately, it is not something that can be adequately fixed without some actual serious therapist and psychologist work, which you can sure as shit no wizard here is going to actually get. So they bridge the gap and put a bandaid over it by using their rudimentary Occlumency to retain some semblance of sanity, but eventually, even that would be futile.
However, whoever had written this black book, sick bastard that they were, had done a lot of work on this and figured that out, as well as how to use dark magic without any side effects. I won''t go into specifics because they are horribly detailed. Still, essentially Occlumency is used to create the artificial feelings and intent for each specific spell. Then you call upon that intent with your Occlumency, and you are able to cast the spell, returning the intent to a corner of your mind after casting.
This is why I have been delving into dark magic since I can actually use it without losing myself. I have been disguising myself and travelling to Borgin & Burkes to satisfy my new point of interest. And that is why I was so easily able to cast that spell at Rasputin, though he avoided it with ease, and so I quickly transitioned into the next stage of the battle.
Subterfuge. Half of the battle is the terrain and turning it to your advantage, as well as controlling the area. Not something that can really be done in a duelling arena, but here? Here, I can do whatever I want. Swishing my wand, I use transfiguration to alter the ground, transforming it to become all topsy turvy on his side while my side remains flat with a few short walls rising up to give myself some cover if I need it.
Of course, Rasputin did not stay still during all of this, and he tried to fling another series of spells at me straight off the bat. However, he did so just moments after I altered the ground, and his footing was thrown off, making all of his shots go wide. I take advantage of this and quickly jump forward and blast a stunner at him. However, he is still a skilled duelist.
Instead of trying to regain his balance, he notices my attack and falls with his stumble, using it to his advantage to avoid the attack and roll back onto his feet, hurriedly starting to retaliate. I dive behind one of the brick walls that I have created, and quickly realising my error, I use transfiguration to again alter the ground and lower the ground beneath me. Allowing me to sink into the ground below just in time to avoid the bombarda that blows apart the brick wall above me. I cover my head with a single arm to protect myself from the debris, and at the same time, I use my wand with the other.
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Pointing my wand into the air, a cold mist starts to spread out into the surrounding and create a foggy cloud. I won''t lie; I took inspiration from Naruto and Kirigakure''s Hidden Mist Jutsu since it seemed useful. With myself now hidden, I quickly put some stealth charms onto myself and climbed out of the hole, starting to go wide to try and flank my opponent.
I hastily dropped to the floor when I saw a bright orange light through the fog that started to ring alarm bells in my head. And thank Merlin I did, because an unbearable heat passed over my head a second later that would have definitely cooked me alive. Crazy bastard. He definitely has a wealth of experience over me. If the territory doesn''t suit you, then destroy it. The motherfucker decided to just release a ring of deadly fire all around him to get rid of the fog and possibly kill me.
Thankfully the fire was concentrated to a single altitude and wasn''t covering the entirety of the surroundings allowing me to survive by ducking it. Laying on the ground, thankfully behind one of the walls I made by some stroke of luck, I think to myself, two can play at that game. So I swipe my wand in his direction, and I decide to be just as brutal and let loose with a cutting curse.
Except, however, different from the two previous times I cast the curse, this time, I did not cast it vertically. I launched it horizontally, hoping to cut the fuckers legs off. Again, it should have been evident that my attack would not have been as unexpected as I thought, as there were about a dozen walls constructed by myself between him and me. And my cutting curse cut through them all, toppling them and obviously alerting Rasputin to what was heading his way.
Thankfully, given the howl that rang out, he didn''t manage to evade my attack entirely. But he definitely lost something there. I am hoping for at least a foot, which would really hamper his mobility and make it easier for me to beat the fucker down. The roar of rage I heard served to make me think that was what happened, and a smile showed up on my face. But, of course, that was before it was promptly wiped off by the words I heard screech out of Pioter''s mouth.
"AAARGH! PESTIS INCENDIUM!" I hear the incantation, and for a second, I freeze, unable to recognise what exact spell that is but knowing it is bad. And then I feel the wave of heat hit, and I realise how fucked I am about to get, and he''ll probably end up killing himself as well. Because he just cast the spell for Fiendfire, a spell I had read up and researched on since it was known for its fearsome power, and also something I had yet to experiment with given how uncontrollable and powerful it is. It is very hard to actually control the fire, even if you can cast it.
However, whether or not Rasputin is capable of controlling it doesn''t matter. All it would change is whether or not he would die in the blaze with me, and given that he did it in a moment of rage, I am betting on him not being capable. So, acting quickly, purely off of survival instincts and a will to live, I searched my mind for anything that could help me live here. I know there was a charm that was explicitly made to abate Fiendfire and calm it down, but I never took the chance to learn it since I wasn''t learning Fiendfire yet either, and I didn''t think I would encounter it in such a way.
"Protego Diabolica!" I quickly called upon one of the preset dark spells I had set up using Occlumency, one that I was thankful I did, given its power as well as how much control it gave. Immediately I swished my wand around myself, blue flames quickly pouring out and encircling me as they formed a shield of blue flames around me.
The reason I learnt this one was that it was a defensive charm, and I thought I could develop the spell and use it in an offensive way since the roaring blue flames could burn anything to a crisp. Unfortunately, I have yet to figure out a way to control the blue flames aside from having them form a shield; thankfully, a shield is all I need right now. I thank Merlin that I was trying to learn this as a substitute for Fiendfire because now it is going to compete against it.
I see the orange glare of the flames just before the cold blue of my own flames finally finishes wrapping around my surroundings and protecting me. That doesn''t mean I can relax, though, and I grip my wand with both hands as I will for my shield to hold. Sweat pouring out of me, and my hands shaking, I focus entirely on the shield. I try to ignore the harsh orange light blaring through my blue flames and threatening to enter. Even with my shield up, I feel like I am being roasted alive, and I don''t think my inferior flames can hold up much longer against the sentient fiendish fire.
Thankfully, the orange light starts to dim for some reason, but I don''t let it down and keep my shield up, refusing to let it go before the orange disappears completely. I can''t risk it. And then, even after the orange glare has disappeared, I keep my shield up a few seconds longer before finally allowing it to dissipate. Not because I felt I was safe but because I felt like I was about to pass out from the heat. If I were to faint, then I would leave myself to the mercy of Rasputin, and given that I am pretty sure I cut some part of his body off, I don''t think he will be forgiving.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" As soon as I heard the first syllable, I dropped to the ground and started rolling to the left, Like I was on fire, though I was just trying to avoid instant death. You know, I could have fooled myself into believing that we weren''t all out trying to kill each other before and just try and let each other go before either of us died. I am sure he could replace whatever he lost since we have magic on our side. But now, he has fired a spell meaning only death at me, and there is only one way for this to go now.
Watching the deathly green glow pass above my head, I quickly jump to my feet and dart towards the right. Sprinting to find some cover before he could fire any more death curses at me. Right now, I need cover. Besides from a quick glance at my opponent that only allows me to see his position without much detail, I focus on getting close to the outside perimeter and trying to flank him again. There are still some barriers I put up there that haven''t been destroyed.
I pause and quickly halt my steps, allowing a green light to flash past the front of me. Another killing curse, silently this time. The similarity to my own actions earlier on does not escape me; however, I don''t have time to appreciate the irony since my life is in danger. I was running, thinking that he would shout the words and I would have ample time to dodge if I heard it, but he just cast it silently.
Granted, saying the words will improve your spell, but since he did it wordlessly, the spell was slower, but it still shows that he really must want to kill me. The fact that he could probably be sending a dozen different silent death spells in my direction makes me alter my plans, though I do resume running. Lashing out with my wand, I once more do a widespread transfiguration, except this time, it is bigger than anything I have ever done before, not in quality but in quantity.
The simple fact of the matter was that as long as he knew my general direction, then I was not going to be safe. The killing curse could not be blocked by magic, only by something physical, and even then, that thing was going to take damage and probably explode, so I couldn''t just hide behind a low wall. This is why I took my previous strategy and built upon it, quite heavily, in fact.
My transifuration took place very quickly, and I was glad that my Occlumency was such a help in focusing my will and intent because this was a big move. The concrete floor quickly flattened out all over the place, and then after that, brick walls started to rise out of the ground all over the area. Except, this time, every brick wall was connected together in some way, and everything was connected. I was making a maze, putting as many walls between myself and him as possible.
I am sure there is probably a better, more efficient way to defend against the killing curse and a better strategy here, but I hadn''t really thought about how to protect against it much. It was an unforgivable and not allowed in competitions, which is the only place where I thought I would be fighting for the time being. But, of course, I am not an idiot, and I wasn''t just going to put up a giant maze that I knew absolutely nothing about. That would be the height of stupidity, and I would completely lose sight of where my opponent was.
No, even if this might have been a dumb move made in the heat of the moment, I wouldn''t do it in a dumb way. I had been working on my Occlumency for a long time now, and I had built many a structure withing my mind and altered many different things over time. And one of the things I had created in my head was a maze. It didn''t lead to anything or hide anything, but I just thought it would be a good time waster for any invaders.
And so, when I did my transfiguration, I brought the maze in my mind to the physical world, impressing it on the world around me. And so, when it was finally done, I knew my exact position in it as well as his exact position. Or, at least, his starting position because he wasn''t just going to stay in one place, was he. With the walls all now up, I knew I had to move. And just because I put up a maze didn''t mean I had to follow the rules of the maze and move within it. This was my creation, and I could alter it to my image as I pleased.
Holding my wand before me, the wall in front of me starts to split and create a new passage for me and without wasting time, I continue my journey breaking walls open and closing them behind me as I make a beeline for his last known position. He could probably do the same, but I think he is much too angry right now to be thinking clearly. As I close in on it, I slow down and approach it cautiously. When I reached the exact spot, I discovered he was no longer there, much like I expected. which was fine since this was part of my plan, and I started to employ some spells that I had become quite an expert at. Tracking spells.
Employing a series of these spells, I start to follow Raputins tracks and begin to hunt him down. I had gotten very well acquainted with this set of spells because of the months I spent tracking down all the wizards the original Gilderoy had messed with to clean up his messes. Travel time was basically nonexistent with magic and portkeys, but half of those wizards were no longer in the same place when I got there. So most of those months were spent tracking them down, and I had to learn these spells.
I continue following the trail, turning various corners and closing in on my prey. Getting closer and closer as the trail becomes bigger and bigger. And then I come to a section with a passage to my left and my front, a brick wall to my right. The trail says that Piotr went forward, and so I move onward to follow it when I spot something out of the corner of my eye. I spin back around to see Piotr pointing his wand at me from down the left passage, and I quickly surmise from my knowledge of the maze that he had luckily looped around just in time to spot me.
Acting with a speed that befuddles even me, I manage to fire off a spell just after he does. And my Expeliarmus quickly bolts down the passage and is crossed by the killing curse he had sent at me, the two narrowly missing each other. I jump to the left, avoiding his attack of instant death and watch with glee as my Expeliarmus hits him dead on and wrenches the wand out of his hand and sends it flying through the air towards me.
And reach out my unarmed hand to the air in anticipation, wanting to grab ahold of his wand. To signify my win and the fact that it wasn''t a fluke. I was capable of this. I won that match. My eyes follow it along, and my hand readies to grab it, and just as it closes in- PAIN. Immense pain hits my back, and I let out a scream as my back is blasted with so much force that I pretty much shoot straight down into the ground, and it takes me a second to realise what had happened.
The killing curse I had dodged had hit the wall behind me and exploded, bringing the brick wall down on top of me. And now here I lay, covered in heaps of bricks, and my back feeling like it was broken in two.
And Piotr is in the distance, a sickly smile on his face.
Chapter 30– Red Rain.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 30¨C Red Rain.
Shit, how could I be so fucking stupid! I messed the fuck up! Don''t just dodge, Lockhart. Think about what you are dodging and where it will be going! Because if I had done that, then I wouldn''t be here getting crushed by a metric ton of fucking bricks.
"Ha...haha." I hear laughter ahead of me, but it is hard to focus on it because of the pain. I was so close to winning. No, scratch that. I did win, but it was short-lived. He spotted me first and had managed to fire a killing curse at me, but I was faster, and I fired a disarming spell at him and managed to dodge the death spell in time. I weaved past his magic, and my attack hit him head-on. And then his wand flew out of his hand towards me, and I, like an idiot, high off of my own win, just stood there and waited for it, forgetting about everything else.
Like the killing curse, I just dodged. Big mistake. Huge. Because, even if I dodged it, spells would still have an effect. And the killing curse, which is so volatile, will have an impact even if it doesn''t hit what it is supposed to. There is a reason why dodging is the primary prefered way to avoid the killing curse, and that is because there is so much killing intent and hate in the spell that even if it doesn''t hit a human like it is meant to, it will explode anything with a life that it hits. Like the brick wall behind me. A brick wall that I fucking made.
I forget about it, revelling in my victory, and the curse hit the brick wall directly behind me and exploded, bringing the ton of bricks down on my back and knocking my wand from my hand. I am lucky that I wasn''t caught in the curse explosion itself and only in the resulting debris, or maybe make that unlucky. Because as I manage to crane my head up, I witness Piotr Rasputin slowly walking towards me with a maniacal look on his face, and he can''t stop laughing.
"Ah- hahahaha! I really thought I was finished then!" I hear him cackle out, limping slowly over towards me, but I quickly avert my eyes to try and find something to help me out here. Because there is no way in hell the Piotr is going to let me leave here alive because I just saw what my earlier cutting curse did, and it is the reason why he is limping. He must not have jumped straight up, and he must have jumped forward into a roll because he is now missing a couple of toes on his left foot.
I quickly start to search around for my wand, but I can''t seem to find it, and so I start to wiggle and flail as much as I can, hoping that my hand will brush up on my wand so I can find it and grab it. Even if it does hurt like a bitch underneath all this rubble, and moving is only exacerbating it, I have no other options.
He is getting closer slowly, still laughing to himself. I would think he was delirious from blood loss if I didn''t see the blood-stained bandages tied tightly around his foot. It must be a spell and a pretty useful one. I should look it up if I ever make it out of this alive.
Spotting a wand with my eyes, I don''t recognise it and realise that it must be my opponent''s wand. Still, unfortunately, it is too far from my reach and closer to my opponent than it is to me. Nevertheless, I don''t have a cat''s chance in hell of getting that wand, and so I focus on trying to find my own. I start trying more frantically as Raputing approaches his own wand, bending over to pick it up but having trouble doing so without a few toes.
I completely put him out of my mind now and searched for my wand. This is my only possible method of survival now. Either I find my wand before he picks up his own wand and reaches me, or I am dead. And then, suddenly, my struggles end up shifting the bricks on top of me, and a whole bunch start to fall and tumble down. A couple hit me on the back of the head, but I ignored the pain since it was insignificant right now. Then, I feel something roll down on top of my eye, blocking my vision in my left eye. Blood. I hate it.
And then I spot it. The bricks shuffling about proved to be a blessing in disguise as I managed to finally find my wand. There it was, sticking out from underneath a single solitary brick. The handle facing in my direction, just begging for me to take it and use it. Except it was just out of reach. I tried and stretched out as far I could with my aching limb. I distend myself trying, the pain nearly overwhelming me, but finally, my finger just scrapes against the wood, eliciting hope in me. Just a little more, and then it was mine.
"AGHH!" A foot slamming down on top of my hand quickly put my hope to rest. I look at the bloody bandaged foot clamped on top of my hand before looking up in shock to see Piotr standing above me and snarling down at me.
"Oh, were you trying to get something? My bad, you see, I stumbled onto your hand because I''m missing a COUPLE FUCKING TOES!" He punctuates his words by digging his foot deep into my hand, like when someone puts out a cigarette butt on the ground by twisting their foot on it. I stifle my grunts by gritting my teeth as I look up at him, and I can tell he is hurting his own damaged foot as he grounds it into my hand, but his vindictiveness is such that he doesn''t care.
"You wanted your wand, right? Well, I can''t allow that now, can I?" Rasputin says, letting go of my foot to do something else. I don''t care. Seeing my opportunity, I quickly lunge forward, trying to grab at my wand. It doesn''t work. All it does is shuffle the bricks around on top of me and hurt me even more. A brick falls on top of my outstretched hand, causing it to spasm as I feel incredible pain from the point of the brick digging into my hand.
"Hahaha! Magic is on my side!" Piotr laughs as he hobbles forward. "It was on my side in the duel when it let you win so I could get my money!" He finally reveals what I wanted to know now from the beginning, lost in his own madness. I won that duel, fair and square. Not that it matters right now, given that I am in between a rock and a hard place.
"It was on my side when you disarmed me and rid me of my wand, and yet you are the one who fell!" He says, punctuating his words by kicking at my wand. However, he does so with his good foot, leaving him a bit unstable and affecting his aim, mainly kicking away the brick on top of my wand into the distance. The wand itself only moves a little, but even that is further out of my reach.
"And it is even on my side now. Crushing your hand with a brick when you meant to pick up your wand and attack me again. This is destiny!" He manages to stabilise himself, not realising that my wand isn''t as far as he thinks it is. He turns around and makes his way back to me. The anger has now faded away, but what remains is something much scarier. Arrogance. and not just arrogance but Neji Hyuuga levels of arrogance where he thinks everything is decreed by fate. Except, in this situation, Rasputin believes fate loves him. That magic is on his side.
"Haha, you are an idiot, Stick! Just a worthless mudblood. I checked up on you like I do all my opponents, and I could find nothing. No heritage or fame. So obviously, you are a jumped-up little ape that has delusions of grandeur. Trying to beat me. You can''t! Magic is on our side!" He starts to ramble on, saying all kinds of things that I don''t pay any attention to, more focused on something else. Though this sense of deja vu and being insulted like this does piss me off and make me feel like I haven''t changed at all.
I quickly push that down and focus on trying to wiggle my way out of the bricks. Trying to find some leverage or something to free myself at least an inch so I can, at the very least, get closer to and grab my wand. Nothing seems to be working, and the bricks on top of me have now settled and refused to budge in the very least. Is magic actually on that fucker''s side? Because now my only way out from under this pile of bricks is my wand, which is out of reach. Deciding to use my one hand that at least has some autonomy, however limited that maybe, I reach out my hand and clasp the ground.
"Oh, are you actually trying to crawl out from under there? Like the ant that you are!?" I hear him mocking me, but I don''t care. I ignore him in favour of pressing my outstretched hand into the ground, digging in deep. My nails bending against the concrete, and my fingers scratched against it as I tried to use it to pull myself forward and free from the bricks. I find no purchase and my hand slips.
"Hahaha! Oh, I see. You want your wand, do you? Okay, go ahead. I won''t stop you." My heart suddenly stops when he mentions my wand, and then it clenches uncomfortably when he starts to degrade me, not even trying to stop my attempts, seeing them as feeble and pathetic. They are. My hand scrapes uselessly against the ground as I try to pull myself free, and he just watches me all the time, taking pleasure in my desperate efforts.
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My life is in the palm of his hands, and he is enjoying it. So I don''t stop my struggles. I don''t let his jeering break me. I won''t give up. And I don''t. I keep trying, my fingers cracking and blood pouring out as I try again and again and again. My nails feel like they are tearing out, but it doesn''t matter. I want to live.
I will claw until my hand fucking disintegrates if that is what it takes. And then I realise I don''t hear his laughs anymore. I can''t hear him mocking me. I immediately worry about what he might be doing instead and look around for him, finding him standing in the same spot, but his face is stoic and his eyes cold.
"I have had enough of this. It is time to die, Edward." He says, pointing his wand down at me and before I can even fully comprehend what is going on, a spell has already flown in my direction. I didn''t even have time to blink before it had taken effect, and it was very different from what I thought it was. Because suddenly, the bricks on top of me disappear. Vanished. My body moves on pure instinct, and I lunge to the right to go for my wand.
It was a mistake. I knew it as soon as I had done it, but I had already committed. My body was running off of pure instinct and my subconscious. As soon as the weight on top of me had lifted, it automatically went for what it thought was the best option. My wand. I associate it, as I assume most other wizards do, with safety, with power and with every other good thing you can feel. So it is no wonder why I went for it immediately, and it is also the reason why my fingertips just barely skim the thing before my entire body is wrenched back.
I should have gone for him first. He was closer, and he was also of balance because of his missing toes. I should have tackled him and tried to get his wand off of him or plain just beat his fucking face in. If I even could, my body was just battered by an entire wall of bricks, and I was only able to scramble against the floor towards my wand. Maybe it would have turned out like this anyway. With me pinned flat against the ground, spread eagle and looking up at Rasputin as he leers down at me.
"You know, I would have been fine watching you flail like a worm for a bit longer. But unfortunately, I have to get this treated before I can no longer grow them back." He gestures towards his missing toes. "Trust me, I would have loved to torture you some more. But at the end of the day, my toes are worth more than your entire life. Any last words?"
I open my mouth to tell him to go fuck himself, but he quickly swishes his wand and my mouth clamps shut. "Sorry, I actually don''t care. Also, what''s the point. Nobody cares about your last words anyway." He smirks, and my face starts turning red as I try with all my might to struggle free or, at the very least, open my mouth.
"Actually, there is one thing I a do that will give me some form of measure," Rasputin says, and I glare at him since my eyes seem to be the only thing that I can move. But that falters when I see him move to stand directly over me, both of his legs next to the sides of my stomach, and I worry for a second that I am about to get fucking pissed on. Thankfully, much to my relief, he starts to kneel down. I thank my good graces that I had avoided such a fate, though I still worry about what is going to happen next.
As he slowly lowers himself over me, taking his sweet time because of his fucked up foot and probably finding it hard to get into a position where his toes won''t kill, I busy myself. I am pinned to the ground by some sort of charm, and it is not an immobulus since I am not frozen but something else. I don''t know what. All that matters is that I can''t move my body, which means that I can''t move to get my wand. So I have to get my wand to move to me.
I wish I had spent any time at all on wandless magic, but I never thought it an issue. I never thought I would be without my wand or in such a situation. That was a mistake. If I ever do make it out of this shitfest, then I will make sure I know the wandless accio spell because I sure as fuck need it right now. I tried my absolute hardest, willing for my wand to come to my hand, make my intentions known and using as much willpower as I possibly could, but nothing seemed to happen. But I didn''t let up.
"Ahh, finally. Now, you may be wondering why I have put myself in such a position. Don''t worry. I won''t be making you slobber on anything. You are not worthy of such a distinction." I didn''t even think of such a possibility. I am glad I am not worthy of that because if he tried, then I would fucking bite the thing off and spit it back in his face. Bastard.
"No, I am down here because I want to watch the light leave your eyes." He lowers himself further, moving his body forward until his head is right above mine, only a slight distance between his face and mine as we both stare into each other''s eyes. "Everybody I have killed before has been in the heat of the moment, and I have never had the chance to appreciate it. This time I will." I feel something digging into my chest, ad my eyes can just about manage to see him pressing his wand into my flesh.
"Nobody will remember you." I panic, knowing precisely what is coming next. I see the bright sickly green glow appear, and I know what he is about to say next.
"Die." I quickly employ my Occlumency to get some time inside my head and start thinking and planning as much as I can before he finishes casting his spell. I immediately begin to think, and I realise that trying to get my wand is a no-go. I have no practice with wandless magic, and I just tried with all my might, and nothing happened. So, the question is, what can I do without a wand. And the answer is obvious. I am doing it right now. Occlumency and Legilimency.
"Av-" It is the only thing I can do now without my wand, and it just so happens that it is the thing I am the best at. Maybe not at using it to control myself, but when it comes to using it offensively, I am a master. I tried to use it on him earlier, but he had his defences up, and I didn''t want to do anything to make the situation turn bad. But that was then, and this is now. So I immediately strike forward, trying to penetrate his head and use my Legilimency to take control of him.
"-ad-" My probe strikes true, and I strike through to the very essence of him, not caring for subtlety or gentleness. He is trying to kill me, and so the only appropriate thing to do in such a situation is to kill him first. And so I do my best to ignore the incredible hate, anger and maliciousness enveloping his entire mind and try to destroy it. I have never cast the killing curse myself, but if this is the amount of hate and rage you have to feel, then I don''t know if I ever could. This is a maddening amount of hate and fury and the sickness needed to extinguish a life directly. It is hard to ignore.
"-da-" I push with the entire force of my mind, breaking apart numerous parts and facets of whatever it was that made Piotr Rasputin Piotr Rasputin all to get to the centre of his mind, to his very core. And then, I am there. At the very depth of his being and all that makes him function and live. And I attack it. I ravage it and tear it to shreds. And he turns off. He was so focused and consumed by the emotion needed for the killing curse that I was easily able to completely destroy his mind. He is dead. Not physically, but he might as well be.
"-ka-" And yet, his words do not stop. His mind is gone, completely vanished. And yet, the green glow persists. And I realise why. I destroyed his mind, and now that is completely gone. But emotions don''t just disappear. They fade away. The mind is a complicated thing that even I can''t claim to comprehend even half of, and it seems I found a new oddity. The mind is gone, and yet the emotion still lingers.
That emotion of hate, viciousness and intent to murder persists. The same thing powers the spell, and so the magic continues, even with Rasputin dead in the intelligent sense. Somehow, someway, the emotion is what is keeping the killing curse going, and Rasputin''s empty body is following through on his casting. And everything seems hopeless. But I don''t give up. This revelation has revealed something to me, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
"-da-" I abandon Raputins head. It is too messed up for me to do anything there, and it would take much longer than the time I had to figure out what is wrong and how to stop this. So instead, I delve back into my own head. If messing with Raputin''s head wasn''t going to save me, then maybe messing with my own head would. My emotions were the key to this. Right now, my biggest desire was to not die. But that wouldn''t help me. My biggest want right now should be my wand because that is what will save me.
"-va-" I immediately start to alter my own mind. I started locking off and restraining things that I didn''t need right now. Memories, emotions and desires. I start pushing all of that deep down. So down into the depths that they can''t even be seen anymore, and not even an echo of them remains. They exist, but they don''t at this moment.
I alter my own thoughts and brain, focusing all my needs and desires on the wand and on survival. My mind forgets everything else, and I am solely focused on that one single thing. Survive, no matter the cost. Nothing remains except what is needed. What is required for me to survive this ordeal.
"-rr-" Rasputin had almost finished the spell and was about to kill me when my wand rocketed towards me, directly into my waiting hand. The charm that Rasputin had applied to keep me pressed against the ground is no longer there. Maybe my new mentality and the burst of magic had destabilised and gotten rid of it, or perhaps it had disappeared after I had extinguished Raputin''s mind. It didn''t matter. All that matters is that my right hand, my wand hand, was free to move. And move it I did.
My hand swipes to the left, passing across Rasputin as my magic follows my command without me even having to say anything. And then the green glow dies down, and all that remains is silence. It would have been eerie if I could feel such a thing, especially as I looked up into Raputin''s dead empty eyes. And witnessed the thin red line appearing across his neck.
The line gets bigger and bigger before, finally, the flesh can no longer hold back the waves threatening to rush out. And then, red pours out. Blood gushes out of his neck, falling down to cover me entirely. My face is smothered by the dark liquid that continues to pour like it wants to drown me. Like Piotr Rasputin is still around and is trying his best to kill me even after death. I have to close my eyes to prevent the torrent from compromising my vision.
Hmm. This would probably be very traumatising for me later. Not now, however, because I am in kill mode right now. I feel nothing.
Nothing at all.
Chapter 31– Emotionless.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 31¨C Emotionless.
Blood coats my entire upper body. Caking my face so much that it feels like my face is covered in some type of syrup. My eyes are closed, unable to see. The blood doesn''t bother me at all. Still, even with my emotions shut off, I don''t particularly want another man''s blood getting into my eyes or into my body. Some things just shouldn''t mix. And I don''t want anything that belongs to another man inside of me. Ever.
A second later, I feel a weight crash down on top of me, and the blood starts to really get everywhere. I close my lips tight, unwilling to ingest any. It was a wonder that his body had stayed propped up so long before falling down, but I guess it is like a headless chicken keeps moving after having its head chopped off. A guy can stay standing for a while after having his throat slit, even with nobody really home. Who knew? I do now.
Feeling even more blood slowly seeping out of the carcass above me, I manage to work my two hands up onto the shoulders, even with my eyes shut and push him up a little. And then I throw him to my right, his body tumbling to the ground next to me. I then go to wipe the blood off of my face, moving my hands over my face, but nothing I do seems to have any effect.
I quickly start wading my hands around in the puddle of blood I find myself lying in. I had let go of my wand when Raputin had fallen on top of me, and now I am trying to find it. Finally, my hand skims against wood and I hurriedly move my fingers back over to that area in search. Unfortunately, I don''t have a lot of time left before someone comes to investigate. We made a lot of noise, after all, and caused quite a lot of damage.
With my bloody wand in hand, I find myself thinking a lot more focused and critically. And then I remember exactly how I had altered my mind. I had removed all emotion except for desire and want. I focused that purely on my wand and magic so that I could pull it to myself, and other than that, I focused on survival. With the wand now in hand, I am thinking critically and know I need to act quick. I can''t waste any more time pondering on the quirks and oddities of this man''s death.
Focusing myself, I envision all of the blood in my surroundings completely disappearing, and then I cast the spell. I have never before noticed the air on my skin, but with all the blood suddenly vanishing, I can feel it across me. I was really covered in the stuff. Opening my eyes, assured of my spell''s success, I see the night sky up above me. And then I look to the right and see the pale, dried-out corpse of my former opponent beside me. Thankfully, There is no blood, including on my wand, but even odder is the lack of blood pouring out of Piotr.
I guess there is no one there controlling the meat anymore, and the life is gone, and therefore so is the magic. So with no magic, there is nothing really protecting the body from such spells. And that is why there is no blood pouring out of his body. Because my spell removed all the blood, including the blood inside his body. Which is why he looks so pale and lifeless even though he just literally died. Curious. Do wizards have some kind of low-level magical protection to protect them from such low spells? Could it be improved? Questions for later.
Getting to my feet, I realise that I have to quickly do something about the body. People will be arriving soon, whether they be the authorities or just curious onlookers. And I can''t leave any evidence that will lead to me. Even if I am disguised as Dueling Champion Edward N Stick, this can still lead back to me. Flitwick knows I am wearing this disguise, and if they investigate, it will eventually lead to me. The trail is there. So I have to make sure there is no evidence to follow. Which is why I decide to burn the whole body. Quick and efficient.
"For fuck''s sake! Hurry it up! This place is a damn maze, and we need to get there before whoever has caused this mess gets away!" I hear a shout in the distance and quickly surmise that I have nearly run out of time. That is either some Aurors or some other skilled people who like to involve themseleves. Either way, I want to be gone before they get here. But I can''t leave the evidence. However, I don''t have time to burn the body fully. They might get here in time to put it out and still be able to follow the trail.
I can quickly just vanish the body just like I did with the blood and promptly set the surroundings back to how they used to be. But the Aurors are on the way, which means they know something is going down, and if they don''t find anything, then that will be suspicious. Sometimes no evidence is evidence. Also, apparently, this guy was supposed to be meeting up with some woman after this, and he did just have a meet-up with those other guys. So people will notice he is missing and figure out that he was in the area where something went down, but they don''t know what.
Maybe I am overthinking this, but it would perhaps be better to leave his body here for them to find. And in doing so, I can shift all suspicion away from myself. After all, I beat him, and then I was partying. I snuck out as well, but I was memorable enough that they all remembered me, and they were all drunk enough to not recognise me leaving. So, knowing that the Aurors are getting closer, I make my decision. Perhaps an ill-informed one, but I don''t have time to worry about that. It''s possible that this mindstate I have forced myself into is making me make bad decisions, but I can''t worry about that now.
Acting quickly, I whip my wand at the body and command it to vanish. It doesn''t work. I don''t understand why. The blood vanished, but the body isn''t. I don''t have time to ponder on it, and I quickly move on to plan B. I accio all the money off of the corpse below me, and thankfully, a pouch flies out, saving me the time of gathering up all the loose change. I loosen the bag and spill some of the contents on the ground next to the body.
Then backing up far away, I go to perform the next part of the plan before stopping myself. I looked around the area and realised the place was much too damaged and messed up to belong to the scene that I was trying to portray. So, swishing my wand, I set about neatening up the stage, getting rid of all the cuts and gouges across the area. I also returned my transfigurations back to how they originally were and got rid of my entire maze. I left a few signs of a struggle around but nothing to indicate a long, drawn-out battle.
Of course, that was just the superficial stuff. The Aurors were obviously drawn here by something, and I would be willing to bet my magic that it was the massive magic that Raputin let off. The Fiendfire that burnt bright into the night and threatened to burn me to death. I bet half of Diagon Alley somehow glimpsed some of the sentient flames shaped like animals and called the Aurors. Which is just fine, as that fits into my next action.
Making sure to keep my distance, I cast my spell and cover the entirety of the carcass as well as the surroundings in a fire that blazes and quickly begins to char the body and even the couple of galleons on the floor. With the fire blazing, I hope they will correctly assume that the idiot cast a Fiendfire spell himself and ended up killing himself in a robbery gone wrong. Of course, the flames I set off are nowhere near as fierce, but let''s hope that they think the flames started to die down once the caster died.
Alright, it is time to leave and get out of here. I don''t have any portkeys on me, so the most obvious thing to do would be to apparate out of here and leave this scene for them to stumble on. Hopefully, they will think the idiot just killed himself in a drunken stupor after losing the match or that he was in a robbery or something. Or even if they do believe it was murder, they won''t look at me since I have never really interacted with the guy before. However, I don''t apparate out of here.
Right now, I am adamant about this never getting back to me. I have everything going for me. I have a load of wealth from all the books. I have a new business I started up with a brilliant employee that does all the work. I am starting up a broom company, and I have even been doing well in the duelling circuit, advancing my craft. So I don''t know why I would possibly endanger any of that, even if my victory was false.
It just isn''t logical. I know my usual self was feeling like everything he had done wasn''t worth anything, and he wasn''t changing, which was exacerbated by the fact that it looked like he would still be going to teach at Hogwarts. But that was just him worrying for no reason. So it only made sense for him to go there and fulfil his role as close as possible to Cannon to keep things on track so that Voldemort would die in the end.
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Otherwise, things might spiral out of control. Voldemort could end up ruling England with the Elder Wand before turning his gaze to the rest of Europe (England is still a part of the EU at this point in time) and then the world. What if Harry ends up getting eaten by the Basilisk, or Ron might stop being his friend if Ginny dies. I mean, I always thought Ron was particularly useless. Still, he must have had some kind of effect on how things played out, and to remove him from the equation could be disastrous. Overall, my usual self has really been making unreasonable decisions out of panic and emotion. I think I might not even alter my mental state back to how its original state when I get home.
Anyway, I decide not to apparate. Aurors are in the area now, so it would only make sense that they would have already set up an apparition ward to keep me from leaving if they are actually competent. Which, given this is wizarding England, is unlikely since most of the wizards are incompetent. However, I can''t risk that as I am unsure if the ward will alert someone if someone tries to apparate. So it would be better to just leave on foot. Also, I am uncertain if there are any traces that the apparition leaves behind that they can find.
Quickly employing my set of steal spells, including disillusionments and hiding spells, I completely cover myself from all tracks. And after double-checking that they are all active, I quickly leave the empty lot through the only entrance. The thought did occur to me to make my own exit, but again, I thought maybe they would be able to track that. Better to not make any more alterations and just leave without changing anything.
Walking down the passageway, I decided to backtrack and go back the exact way I came. This way, I can look out for any possible traces I left, as I also don''t give another trail to follow. Thankfully as I backtrack, I don''t spot any signs of myself, and so I continue on my path. A few times, I hear the steps of Aurors, but I just hug a wall and stay painfully still until they leave, trusting in my own spellwork to hide me. They don''t even so much as let their gaze travel over me as they print past. I get the feeling that these guys are just used to big and flashy spells and crimes, and nothing so subtle because they are just running around like headless chickens trying to spot a big mess.
Feeling a lot more safe and more assured of my escape, I increase my pace. And then, just when I was about to finally leave this back passage maze, I spotted a wooden peg leg up ahead that stopped me short. I am in the middle of the alley, and immediately I launch myself to the side. Miraculously there are a bunch of crates stacked up here to hide behind. I don''t trust them in the slightest to keep me out of sight, however, because there is only one person I am aware of in the British Isles that has a wooden leg. And that is Mad-Eye Moody. Sure, in a crazy place like this, there is bound to be more than one guy that has a peg leg, but given that I know Aurors are in the vicinity, I am betting on it being Moody.
And the reason he is called Mad Eye is that he lost an eye and had it replaced with a magical seeing globe thingy that can see all sorts of things like magic. And I have currently covered myself in magic, so I am unsure if he can see me, but I am not willing to risk it. I am not even willing to risk staying here in case that stupid eye of his allows him to see trails of magic which would lead right to me. I don''t know the limits of the thing, so I have to assume that there aren''t any. Which means he could be approaching me right now.
Acting calmly, I quickly use a stiffing charm on my clothes, causing them to go rigid. I then cast the levitation charm on my clothes and started to lift myself up into the air. My clothes are stiff, so I am not going to slip out, and my magic works perfectly. I raise myself up into the air as quickly as possible but slowly enough to not make any noises or disturb the surroundings. And then, once I am high enough, I move myself to the top of a rooftop and reales my spells, letting me land on the roof and my clothes to lose their rigidity.
I don''t hang around to see if it actually is Mad-Eye Moody or if he is following me because every second counts now if it actually is him. I no longer care about backtracking and make a straight beeling back towards the place where the duelling competition was held. It hasn''t been that long since I left, and I am sure that they are still partying high into the night. As I get closer, I am proven right by the light blaring through the window. No noise coming through because they have soundproofing charms on. Quickly using magic to get back on the ground again, I enter through the backdoor, trusting that it is much too crowded inside and with most of them being too drunk to not notice the door open on its own.
Once inside, I head straight for the throng of people right in the centre, making sure to make wild movements and turns to thoroughly mix myself in with the crowd before once more leaving after spotting some others exiting the front door. I slip outside with them. If Moody does prove able to track magic, then he will surely lose my trail in there since it has been mixed with about three dozen other wizards. And now, it is time for me to leave and get home.
Of course, I don''t head straight there. That would be foolish in case Moody did manage to track me somehow. Anything is possible with magic. So I quickly moved away to an isolated area and then apparated to muggle London. Once there, I remove my stealth spells, and I walk out and get a taxi to take me to the London Underground, the tube. Once there, I board and have the train take me to another location. Then, I move to an isolated corner, and a couple of minutes later, my Polyjuice potion wears off. Then, I am back to being Gilderoy Lockhart, just like I calculated. and then, and only then, do I head back to the office.
Many would say I am being overly cautious and on the verge of insane paranoia, and maybe I am, but wouldn''t they also? I have so much on the line, and one little mistake could make it go completely down the drain. I would rather waste my time being too thorough and doing stupid things to protect myself than do too little and risk blowing everything. This is my second life. I can''t afford to be so frivolous with it. Whether that means slitting throats, destroying families or doing tedious and boring things. Nobody is safe if they get in my way or threaten me.
Finally arriving back at the office, I reach into my robes and pull out my brass key to the door. Thankfully my regular self had enough sense to realise that it would be weird to see two different people wearing the exact same set of robes or that it would be suspicious, and so he wore reversible robes. Dark blue on one side, red on the other. As I am Gilderoy now, I am wearing the red since it is the more flamboyant of the two and would suit him better.
Entering the brass key into the keyhole, I open the door. This is the only way to enter the premises without setting off an alert ward aside from the floo entrance, which is closed off after hours, and only two people have this key. Myself and Andromeda. I had left the security to Andromeda since she was more familiar with such things, and I merely oversaw the proceedings.
But, of course, with my new mindset, I now think that was too hasty. I should really know every inch of my security and how it works if I am to trust it. Also, while I do have Andromeda in an airtight contract, that doesn''t mean she can''t make mistakes. I am catching myself reevaluating a lot of previous decisions and finding them lacking.
Ignoring my new revelations, I enter the premises, locking the door behind me. I immediately set my sights on the stairs so that I could enter my abode properly and finally relax and adequately think things over. I am seeing things a lot differently now, and now that I am living this life, I am going to make some profound changes. First thing first, I need to map out everything and then plan my future. I know what is going to happen. I should take advantage of that and interfere where possible that will be advantageous to me.
"Hello, Gilderoy. You are back earlier than usual." I hear, halfway towards the steps, and I look in the direction of the voice to find Andromeda sitting at her desk. Looks like she is working late doing whatever it is she is doing. I really have been giving her free rein, haven''t I? I really should check up more on her and what she is doing instead of trusting her implicitly. What was I even doing before?
"Yes, I am. Keep working hard. I will see you tomorrow." I say, side-skipping the conversation entirely and trying to leave and go upstairs. Seriously, what was with the weird obsession I had with this woman? Why was I devoting so much of my time trying to rile her up and get her to be with me? I suppose it was the mommy issues and lack of love since I was an orphan. Thankfully I don''t have those problems anymore.
"Okay. So, where is she?" Andromeda asks then, turning back to whatever she was working on at her desk.
"Where is who?" I ask in confusion. What is she on about?
"The woman you have brought back for the night?" She says as if it is evident, which it should be. I did always bring a woman back every night because of my constant need for love and attention. Thank god I don''t have that anymore.
"Oh, I didn''t feel like it tonight," I say, trying to end the conversation once again. Except, that seems to be the wrong thing to say because she looks up in shock and actually spins around in her chair to face me fully.
"Are you feeling alright, Gilderoy?" She asks, which once again confuses me. Why am I constantly being befuddled by this woman? Why is she acting like this? Why does she concern herself with me? And what is with the caring look on her face?
"I am fine. Goodnight, Andromeda." I say, finishing the conversation properly, once and for all. She must have thought it was weird that I didn''t bring a woman back with me when really it meant things were better for me. I don''t have holes and emotions I need to find lacking substitutes for.
"Okay. Well, if you need anything, just ask. Goodnight, Gilderoy." I hear her say as I walk up the stairs towards my sanctuary, where I can be alone with my thoughts.
That woman is being way too caring for me for someone who shot me down. I need to reevaluate her position here because I feel she will be trouble.
Chapter 32– Traumatic Exposure.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 32¨C Traumatic Exposure.
Opening the door to my abode upstairs, which is the entirety of the floor, I enter my home. I just have a door at the top of the stairs that only I have the key to, which is protected from other means of entrance. Immediately after entering, I travel to the fireplace and take off my clothes and chuck them into it before lighting it up and burning my clothes. I then use every type of cleaning skill in my repertoire to thoroughly clean myself down.
I really don''t know how advanced the magical law enforcement is because I only have access to knowledge that is freely out there. Surely there is knowledge hoarded by those who wish to keep it and use it for themselves, and surely that would include the ministry as well. Maybe they are capable of tracking me down from any number of things, which is why I have to take every precaution. Surely the ministry isn''t so incompetent to not create or find spells and keep them purely for ministry use to use against criminals and terrorists.
Going to my bedroom, I put on the first set of clothes I found and then returned to the living room. I hear a rumble, and I realise it is my stomach. I must be hungry. Going over to the kitchen, I open the fridge to find it fully stocked. Looking around, I find myself halted by indecision, not because I am spoilt for choice but because I don''t particularly want anything. In the end, I reach in and pick out a sliced loaf of bread, taking it with me and sitting down at my table. I start to eat the plain food, picking up each slice one by one.
I continue to put them in my mouth, one after the other, until the whole thing is finished. Am I full now? I can''t tell, not having actually felt any hunger in the first place, but I surmise that a whole loaf should be enough to quench it for now. This is annoying. I will have to figure out a proper schedule in the future to eat my meals, as well as what the meals will be to give myself a proper diet to keep my body healthy and strong.
Now that I think about it, I will have to do the same for all other aspects of my life. My desires and emotions are entirely shut off except for my need for my wand and survival. That means I won''t be able to keep track of my other needs as well, my biological ones. The need for the toilet, both urination and excrement, the need to eat, the need to drink, the need for sleep, and so many other things. I will need to come up with a schedule to take care of these things manually, as I will not feel them when they need to be taken care of.
Of course, I can just alter my own state of mind to let me feel these things again, but that would be the height of foolishness. That is what I did previously, and obviously, I am not the same person anymore. It was a stupid thing to do since he essentially diminished himself and created me. He has stopped existing because he suppressed parts of himself which led to the creation of me. So, isn''t the inverse possible? If I were to add things to myself, like my desires and emotions, then wouldn''t I cease to exist.
I am not as foolish as my predecessor to risk such a thing. He didn''t even realise what he was doing as he practically suppressed everything that made him uniquely him. There is a reason that mind magic is not well spread and kept restricted, and it is because it is very easy to damage your own mind when you become arrogant and think yourself a master. So, no, I will not mess with my mind and damage my own existence. I will remain and focus on my goals.
Speaking of goals, I need to start thinking about how I will approach them all. Needless to say, my predecessor, no doubt, messed up and approached a lot of them quite wrong due to his own desires and emotions. Attacking Rasputing was the height of idiocy, and for what reason? To satisfy his own ego and prove that he is capable of beating someone in a fight. Idiocy. The less time spent thinking about him, the better.
Right now, I should focus on my goals. First on the list being... being what? What are my goals? What objectives do I have? What is my ambition and desire? All I really want is my wand and to keep living. Surviving. That was what I was made for. It is also the reason I don''t want to return my mind to what it once was, as that would essentially be killing myself, which would go against my goal of survival. So, besides that, what do I have that I want to accomplish.
The old me had a lot of things he wanted to accomplish. Starting in no particular order, though he placed a lot of focus on this one, women. He wanted to sleep with and have a lot of women. An obsession, really. Derived out of his lack of love in his previous life which he compensates for with companionship with many women, mainly a focus on the older and mature ladies. One might even say matriarchal or matronly.
It is why he has focused so much on Andromeda, because of his mommy issues. She is a mother. She is kind and caring but also strict and fierce. The ideal mother. They are lovely to their children, but their wrath is immeasurable when provoked or their children are threatened. It doesn''t help matters when she seems to care for him as well. By all rights, she should not.
She has been trapped in a contract by him. He is one of the reasons her marriage is falling apart because he gave her this job. And he has hit on and harassed her many a time by doing explicit acts in front of her. And yet, when I walked in tonight, she inquired towards my well-being. No wonder he was obsessed. I myself have no desire for any companionship of the sort. I don''t have the drive or the feelings or emotions needed for it. Not romance or friendship. I have no need for either.
He also had an ambition for his business. Wanting to expand it and grow it to the point that he became an integral part of the wizarding world. To the point where he could commit barefaced crimes wherever, and none of the magical governments around the world would take action because his services and resources were so excellent that they could not afford to be without them. Where ancient and noble houses were coming to him and licking his shoes while fully knowing of his half-blood genealogy. He wanted to conquer the entire magical world with capitalism.
I had no ambition for that either. I could use magic to create anything I wanted, and anything I couldn''t, I could just steal. As for ruling and lording over everyone, that would be averse to my only goal. Being in such a position gains envy and jealousy, and others would constantly be looking for my downfall, whether that be through legal or illegal means. Most likely, there would be countless murder attempts on me. No, I don''t want that.
Finally, the old me wanted to learn all the magic he could and become the best duellist possible to prepare himself for the eventuality that he might be dragged into things. He wanted to enhance his battle capability to the utmost so he could protect and defend himself, as well as maybe use it for his own gain when he saw the need. While I do so the necessity in that, I don''t see the need to enhance my craft any further. My current capabilities are adequate.
Instead of preparing myself for danger and battles, I would rather remove myself altogether from the equation. I can use my current resources to secure an isolated home somewhere far away and get it heavily protected, and just stay there. I can use magic to supply for the rest of my needs and never have to leave it again.
This altogether forgoes the need for combat capability and protects me wholly. I can stay there, maybe on an island, completely isolated, with no one knowing where I am. That way, I can fulfil my only goal of survival. I would be protected from everything to live out the rest of my days there, simply waiting for a natural death... waiting.
What would I do on the island? Once my survival is ensured, what else is there for me to do. Nothing. I would simply stay there and repetitively follow my schedule to see to my needs for the rest of my life until my body eventually starts to shut down. I... is that survival? Is that my goal? My only reason for being?
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For some reason, that doesn''t seem much like survival to me right now. There has to be a reason for survival. Survival just for survival''s sake seems empty somehow. I don''t know why I am feeling like this. By all rights, everything else should be suppressed. My only goal is survival, and technically it is fulfilled. I am alive. I am surviving. It is over. I have my wand, and I am alive. I am not in any danger.
Now, I have come to an impasse. My purpose is fulfilled. Sure, I could stretch it out to encompass the entirety of this life, but what would be the point. I would derive no pleasure or joy out of it. It is not my ambition. I don''t even know what it would be to have one. I have no emotions, and my goals have been completed. I do not want to reset my mind to what it once was, as that would go against my goal of surviving. But also, my goal has been completed.
A contradiction. A paradox. The meaning and purpose of my existence is to make sure I survive, which I have done. My purpose is finished, so, therefore, my existence should be as well. And back and forth it goes. My goal is over. I should reset myself, but to reset myself would go against my goal. Except... I find myself confused. Perhaps a new outlook would help this.
With the reason for my existence finished, my existence has no more meaning and should therefore be over. It is not my own survival that is the goal but the survival of this body. Not the mind. Whichever mind controls the body is not my concern. My only concern is the continued existence of the body. Therefore, even if my own existence were to end, my goal would still be fulfilled. This might be self-deception, but all I care about is the completion of my goal.
If I were to stay, my goal would not be completed for perhaps centuries, but this way, my goal would be achieved immediately. This is my one and only goal, and I will do it as efficiently as possible. My new self should appreciate this and take it as a warning call because his own existence could have been entirely over because of his own mistake. He should move more carefully next time and think twice about altering his own mind because the next person to take over will not be so nice.
Sitting at the table, an empty plate before me, I delve into my own mind. Expressing more caution than my predecessor, I sort through my mind slowly and carefully, not yet making any changes but sifting through and identifying what needs to be done and in what order. Finally, after a while of sorting, I have determined exactly what was suppressed and what needs to be changed. I am resetting my mind completely, faults and flaws included. It doesn''t matter to me. I am just returning it to how it was.
Readying myself and knowing that my objective is complete, I take action. I immediately released all of the suppression and returned everything back to how it was. My emotions, my desires, my wants, my ambition, my fear, my hate. My everything, it all comes rushing back all at once. And my brain explodes.
.
.
.
When I finally come back around, I find myself on the ground, my face against the wooden floor, which is now very wet. I drooled everywhere. Damn, that was fucking weird and scary. That version of me was definitely very logical. Still, he didn''t have a lick of sense because bringing everything back all at once was asking for an aneurism. Or maybe he just didn''t care. Either way, I am not fucking doing anything like that again.
I can remember all of it, how I stopped caring about everything, and none of it mattered any more. How my mind was on a one-track focus, and the world lost colour in its entirety. I am not going to be messing with my own mind ever again. Certainly never going to remove things from it, but adding, after some severe precautions, I can do that.
Picking myself up from the ground, I grab onto the table and pull myself up to my feet. Once I am stable, I can feel the front of my face is all wet from the amount of drooling I did. How long was I down there? I bring my sleeve up to wipe it away, and... it''s... red.
"UGGHH!" I puke, vomit erupting from my mouth as my stomach curls in on itself, and all I can see is red. But it is not for anger like it always is when that phrase is used. It is because when I saw my sleeve, my red sleeve, all I remember was blood pouring out of that slit and pouring down onto my face, into my mouth and nose. I can still remember the smell and the taste of it. The sharp metallic taste, and the- I puke again.
Breathing in deep, I try to forget about it all. Knowing the sight of my robes will just have an adverse effect, I make sure my arms are lowered, and my neck is raised, so I won''t see it again. I turn my gaze to the left, and I- I puke again, having caught a full glimpse of myself in a body-length mirror. I spin around, trying to avert my gaze, but all I spot is another mirror showing myself covered in red. Blood.
I go to puke again, but my stomach is empty now. I dry heave, and spittle leaves my mouth, the bits of saliva joining the bile and pieces of undigested brad on the floor. Constantly dry heaving, I spin around, trying to find reprieve, but there are mirrors everywhere. Why did I bring them all with me when I moved? Having reached my limit, I collapse, my back slamming into the ground. The vomit-covered ground. I puke again. I thought I was completely empty, but I guess not.
It is not even the fact that I was lying in vomit that made me spill the last contents of my stomach. It is the wetness on my back and the feeling of laying in this puddle, just like when I lay in the pool of Raputin''s blood. It flashes in my mind, all of it, and I can''t escape it. His lifeless eyes. The wound slowly opening along his neck like a sickening smile. The cascading fountain of lifeblood emptying its vessel. It''s in my mind like a festering wound.
I close my eyes tight, but it doesn''t help. I can see it with even more clarity now. It''s there, and it refuses to leave. I roll to my left, out of the vomit, with my eyes still close. I work. I work myself to my feet, and then I start to rapidly pull my robes off, explicitly not thinking about it or its colour. Finally pulling it off, I throw it in a direction where I know my kitchen counter is and hope that it lands behind it.
Staying still, I turn around from where I threw it, not willing to risk it when I open my eyes. Before I do open my eyes, I take the chance to employ my Occlumency. I calm myself as best I can, not having any experience doing this before but too desperate to not try it. It takes a while, but I manage to do it. I don''t suppress any of it, having learnt my lesson from the last debacle, but I simply separate it from myself. A partition between it and the rest of myself, keeping it somewhat at bay so I don''t think of it so much and give myself some respite.
Taking a deep breath and calming myself, I find myself able to think clearly without being overwhelmed by... that. Shaking my head to quickly stop myself from going there, I open my eyes, and to my relief, nothing happens. I am fine. Shit, that fucked up version of me was right. That was traumatising for me, and he made it worse by just staying there and letting it fall onto him without complaint.
That callous motherfucker. He made it worse because he didn''t even flinch at it or anything. He just watched it happen with apathy and mild curiosity. I still remember it because I have the memory of doing it myself. I watched it with interest. It''s sick. I am going to have to figure out a way to deal with this and soon. Even now, it is on the fringes of my mind, refusing to let me be.
Sighing, I turn around, wanting to just go to sleep for the night and forget this entire day happened. As I turn, my eye glimpses my couch which is- I dry heave at the sight of my red sofa, and I collapse to my knees. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This is just too much for me. It''s fucked up. I can''t handle it. Fuck, I never thought I would see such a thing. Well, I knew I would probably be killing some people, but I always just thought that it would be a flash of light and they would go down, never so up close and personal.
I continually dry heave. I don''t know for how long, and bile keeps sputtering out. I clench my eyes close tight as if that would help, and my forehead touches the wooden floor as I grasp at my own stomach. I- I can''t live with this. I need to deal with this right now, right here. This is something I can''t ignore or just push to the side, and it isn''t going to get better with time.
Shit, if it does, it will take years, and I don''t have years. I am going to be within spitting distance of a fucking Basilisk soon, and I can''t freeze up and choke whenever I see the colour red. Gryffindors will be the end of me. Especially that little twat Ron. Fuck, I am getting irritated. I don''t know what to fucking do because I can''t go on like this. I need to solve this right now, but I can''t just remove it from my mind. I just saw one of the possible things that can go wrong when you mess with your mind and remove things...
But I can add things with precautions and preparation. But I don''t have time for that right now, but I can see anything I have ever done with crystal clear clarity. That is part of the fucking reason I am so fucked up right now. But, with my crystal clear memory, I am recalling something from my last life. Humans are the most adaptive creatures to ever exist. They can adapt to anything, and they can become desensitised to anything given enough exposure.
It might seem like a stupid idea, but I don''t have anything else to help me right now. Exposure therapy. The more you are exposed to something, the less you are affected by it, like a scary movie. The first time, you will be scared by all the jumpscares and twists. But the second, you can recall them and are prepared for it. And then, by the tenth time, it doesn''t scare you at all.
I can''t remove it from my mind. I can''t add anything to my mind at this point. All I have is what is in my mind right now. And this is the only way I can see. This memory is going to stay with me. It is not going to go away. So the best thing I can do is accept it and learn to live with it. Which means I have to see it again. Not the most ideal solution and there are bound to be consequences, but I don''t care. I am doing this. I need to.
Using my Occlumency, I go into my mind and find the memory. Knowing if I do this all manually, I will bail and run away before the first run-through is even done, I take precautions. I work to automate it. To keep it going until it doesn''t bother me anymore. I can''t take myself out until I am. I will probably become a bit of a sociopath, but that is fine. The current me is not made for this world. This will be a trial. A baptism by fire. And when I come out the other end, I will be all the better for it.
And then there I am on the ground. The slit opens. The lifeless eyes. The blood pours out. My face is drenched. The smell. The taste. Everything, as if for the first time. I can''t move. I can''t change anything. All I can do is watch and experience. I shove the body off of me. I wipe my face clean with my hands. I get up. I find my wand. I clean myself.
And then I am back on the ground, staring up into those lifeless eyes. Again, the sickening smile starts to appear beneath the chin, and I find myself regretting my decision. But it is too late. I am locked in now. And there is no going back.
How many times will I have to see this?
[AN: If my Fic ends with the main character being the exact same person he was in chapter one, then I haven''t done my job properly. Shit happens. Things change. You have to roll with the punches.]
Chapter 33– No Trauma, No Problem.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 33¨C No Trauma, No Problem.
Opening my eyes, I find myself staring up at the ceiling of my home. Blinking rapidly, I am once more aware of myself. And then, my finger twitches and I realise that I can move. It is familiar, and yet so strange and weird, having spent what seems like forever having to just have no control and watching that incident again and again. Using my hands, I push myself up till my upper body is parallel with the ground. Looking around, I quickly notice the absolute mess that is my home.
There is puke, vomit and bile all over the place, and it is not a pretty sight. I am just glad I had the foresight to move away from all that, especially given that I am completely and utterly naked now. I guess in my previous panic and confusion, I ended up taking off my underwear with my red robe and throwing it away. Whatever, first things first, I need to sort this mess of an apartment out now.
I work myself up to my feet, and then I go to pick up my wand, and my hand touches naked flesh. Which is when I am reminded that my wand is in my robes, which I threw away, which, if I recall correctly, should be over there somewhere near the kitchen counter. Manouevering myself over there, I am very careful to not step in any of the filth that cakes the floor of my home.
Now that I think about it, I stink, I am hungry, and my throat is raw as shit. Insert customary Gordon Ramsey cooking meme where the meat is fucking raw. Damn, is that guy even alive right now? He must be young, right? Fuck, I should totally go out there and find him and then just have fun complaining about his meal. You fucking donkey! That would be hilarious.
Anyway, I finally sidestep all of my own mess, and I finally spot my bundle of red robes on the floor behind my kitchen counter. Walking up to it, I sort through the clothes, and though I try my best, I do get some sick on my hands since the clothes are nearly entirely covered by the stuff. When I do finally manage to source my wand from out of there, I thank all the divine beings that be when I discover it to be unsullied by my own internal juices.
Just for extra measure, though, I immediately use my first spell with the wand to clean the wand itself. With that done, I then turn my attention to everything else within my home that has actually been sullied by my own internal juices. Seeing the amount splattered all over the place, even on the walls, because I just had to throw my sick-covered robes across the rooms, I decided dire measures were needed.
Lifting my wand, I point it forward, and I will for the entirety of my home to be clean. There is now wish, or hope, just pure will that it will happen, that it is reality. And then, a moment later, everything smells so different. I must have been lying there for a long time for that smell to have become standard and for my nose to have gotten used to it. Because right now, it feels like I have never had nostrils before, and I just grew them and smelled for the first time. That is how stark the difference is.
Looking around, I can see that my home is back to how it should be, and I take satisfaction in it. Seeing the bundle of clothes on the floor, though they have also been cleaned, mire the clean sight of my apartment. And even though I am still naked, I don''t particularly feel like wearing them, even if they are clean. The image of them covered in vomit is still fresh in my mind. No, thank you.
I start walking over towards my bedroom to put these away and find something else to wear, and I think about what I am going to do next. First of all, I need to check and see if my exposure therapy actually worked, and if not, then I am going to be a very pissed-off man. I went through a fucking lot of repetitions of that scene to the point where I got bored watching it. I am a completely changed man now, and if this didn''t pan out like I thought it would, then I will go ape shit.
Oh, wait. Would you look at that? I am carrying my robes. The red robes that previously triggered me and made me puke up all over the place. And now, I didn''t even acknowledge it and completely missed it as I did my own shit. Well, shit, at least the colour red isn''t going to fuck me up anymore. That''s good. All that fucked up watch along was worth it. I am definitely different now, but who''s to say whether that is a bad thing.
At least it is not like before, when I became a completely different person because I removed so many things. I didn''t even add anything this time, either. I am still me, except I have just had an experience and gone through something. It''s like a life-changing experience. Like when people say they went to Thailand and said the sight and scenery were amazing, and it really changed them when it was really the transvestites, and they came back knowing just how not straight they are.
It''s the same way for me. I went down memory lane and watched the worst thing I have ever seen on repeat until it didn''t bother me anymore. Definitely over a thousand times. And then I came back, and I am a little more fucked up and sociopathic than before, but I am also fully functional. Mostly. End of story. Is this what they call character development? In my case, it is more like character demolishment. At least, it''s not like any of this is going to end up coming back to bite me in the future. Hmm, I also seem to have become more sarcastic. Weird.
Realising that my objective seems to have been completed, I quickly use my wand to send my clothes back to where they belong, more concerned with further tests. Right, so the colour red no longer bothers me, which is excellent. But the colour red was not my phobia, was it? I was only getting screwed up by it because it reminded me of something, and that was blood. So I am fine with red, but am I okay with blood now. I mean, I should be, given that I was probably only a couple dozen more watches from developing a fetish for it.
Still, it is better not to leave things to chance. I don''t want to be in the middle of a battle or something and then freeze up when I see a speck of blood. I am not Tsunade. Or even worse, I don''t want to start suddenly puking when I take a girl''s first time. I have done a few of those so far, and they have been quite fun. Anyway, back to figuring up how fucked I am apart from the obvious.
Putting my forearm out, I move my wand forward and then press the tip to it. I take a moment to wonder if this was something that I might have done before I undertook my murder scene marathon. Obviously, the answer is no. However, I can''t really bring myself to care about that before I decide fuck it and just do it. I am not the same little bitch I once was. I''m better now.
"Diffindo." I intone as I calmly move my wand against my skin, cutting it open. Sideways, of course, I am not suicidal. Everyone knows that sideways is for attention, and lengthways is for results. I also spoke the incantation even though I was perfectly capable of casting the spell without it. And that is because I am using it on myself, and speaking the words helps my concentration and focus, which I will definitely take since I am cutting my fucking arm open.
As I draw the line across my forearm, memories rise unbidden, and I feel a strange sense of... something. I can''t really pinpoint the word since I am more focused on my arm. Still, the memories are there of the previous times I used this exact same spell with the same purpose in mind. And to think they were all just a few hours ago.
When I first used it, it was to stop Rasputin from leaving, which I did twice. And then I started firing at him, hoping to chop off some parts of him through multiple brick walls, which I managed to do by cutting off a couple of his toes. And then, the final time I used it was to cut his throat open, which turned out to be the cause of a few problems. Not that I regretted it. I don''t care that he died. I care that I was affected by it. And now, a couple hours later, here I am using it on myself. Life is funny sometimes.
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I watch as my own lifeblood starts to seep out of my self-inflicted wound, and I don''t so much as wince at it. I guess I don''t have any trauma anymore. In fact, I would go as far as to say that I don''t feel anything at the sight. Using my Occlumency, I separate my pain centres or whatever in my brain so I won''t feel any pain, and then I reach forward and put two fingers on either side of the wound before spreading them, giving me a slight look into the inside of my own arm. Yep, don''t feel a thing in the slightest.
I think for a moment before letting it go and then putting a finger on my arm to scoop up some blood in my finger, like when you are at Mcdonalds'' and you dip a chip into the ketchup and get a lot on there. Damn, McDonald''s, I should go get some soon. Anyway, I lift up my blood-covered finger before sticking it in my own mouth and sucking on it. I suck till it is clean before popping it out and looking at my clean wet finger.
Hmm, so I didn''t get any pleasure out of that. Good. Alright, so I don''t feel anything at the sight of the blood, which some could argue as being wrong, but I don''t see it. And I don''t derive any pleasure or find the blood interesting or arousing at all. Given that I have seen that scene over a thousand times, I think I came out of it pretty well. I don''t have a problem with the blood on either side of the scale. I am right in the middle, where I don''t have any reaction to it at all. That''s good.
Turning my wand back to my arm, I fire off a quick Episkey that quickly heals the cut up. With that done, I turn back on my pain receptors, and apart from a short burst of heat where my cut was, I don''t feel a thing. I am glad I took the time to use my little test dummy, Diggby D Digworth, to test a variety of different spells, such as healing ones, which incidentally means I also got to test out some damaging spells as well.
Episkey was a healing spell meant to just heal minor afflictions and wounds like broken noses, toes and small cuts. Of course, that was just the base use by standard mediocre wizards. Things got bigger the more experienced and skilled you were, such as treating headaches and bigger wounds and other things. I really got my entire worth out of the asshole before I sent him off.
Anyway, with that all sorted, I no longer have anything to do. Before my full vacation down memory lane, I had wanted to go to sleep, but it seemed like my little trip had the benefit of granting me some sleep and rest. So I no longer feel the urge for that. But, with my sleep out of the way, I do feel the massive urge for something else.
Heading towards my wardrobe, I quickly open it and put on some regular muggle clothes. Nothing flashy, just a simple shirt as well as pants along with some boots. I pull out a plain black robe, which I quickly transfigure to look like a regular jacket before putting that on as well. With that all done, I was all ready to hit the town and go out there and get what I wanted. And I won''t take no for an answer. Nothing is going to get in the way of me getting what I want.
Well, I got what I wanted, alright. That Mccdonalds was fucking delicious. Damn, I can''t believe I was thinking of going to eat food from a young inexperienced Gordon Ramsey when I could be having this stuff fast. And with magic, I don''t have to worry about eating too much. My magic will take care of it. I really should find a way to bring this stuff into the wizarding world under a different name, of course. Otherwise, the Pure Bloods would boycott it. I would make a serious killing if I did. Just think about it: a Gilderoys in every magical community on the Earth.
Anyway, with one of my urges now satisfied, I am on the hunt to have another taken care of. And while I do have a veritable catalogue of options more than willing to join me, I don''t want any of that. I am looking for something different tonight. Plus, I plan on getting piss drunk tonight and forgetting about all my worries. No stressing about plans and future and the cannon or whatever, just going and getting drunk and making a few probably bad decisions. I need some stress relief.
This is why I am heading towards the three broomsticks in the middle of the night, planning on getting drunk and bedded. I am looking for a companion and some fun. Opening the door, I move inside, heading straight for the bar. I am expecting a cheer or a wave of supporters to come and rush me for an autograph or just to talk, but that doesn''t happen. I guess the previous times I came here, it was during the busy hours, and the only people here right now are drunkards and people drowning in their sorrows.
Really downs my mood, and there doesn''t even seem to be any woman here. I look around the room, trying to spot any at all. Still, there are none, just a bunch of guys around the room and a couple of hooded people spread around the room, but given their lack of curves, I am not holding out any hope. The atmosphere is so down that I half contemplate just hightailing it out of here and hitting a muggle bar and one of my booty calls, but I stop myself.
I did come here with a specific goal in mind, after all, and it is something I have had my eye on for quite a while. Moving straight towards the bar, I don''t pay any more attention to the others in the room. My robe billows as I proceed with purpose, having undone the transfiguration that made it appear to be a jacket since I am now back in the magical world, and there would be some that would scoff at the fashion.
"Oh, well, there is a face I haven''t seen in a while. Gilderoy, how had my favourite author been?" I hear a melodious voice speak up as I near the bar; my eyes shoot to her in anticipation. And I am not disappointed. A vision of beauty stands before me behind the bar, calmly cleaning a mug with a beautiful smile on her face. She is dressed as you would expect a barmaid and proprietress to be, with a pretty dress and a corset showing off her slim waist and boosting up those bodacious juicy melons that are attached to her chest. Like wow, she is at the so big, so tempting point and just below the obscene. How can they be that big? Just perfect.
Her face is flushed, and the blonde twirls of glorious blonde hair frame her perfect face. Her luminous curls are long enough to come down past her neck and rest on the top of her breasts, which are half-exposed on top. Just two mountains of flesh standing proudly and imperiously, knowing just how good they are. I have to quickly use my Occlumency to stop myself from staring and acting like a fool, failing at my play before I have even opened my mouth.
"Come now, you know as much as I would like to spend every waking moment in your company, I am a busy man. Madam Rosmerta." I say, managing to stop myself from having a brain fart and actually saying something quite good. Has my horror memory experience actually improved my rizz? This needs more testing.
"Haha, yes, you seem to have been very busy. And you are also a lot more eloquent than before. Has something changed, Gilderoy?" Madam Rosmerta enquires with a teasing look, probably just having some banter but having no idea how close she is. Is she so familiar with all of her patrons that she can pick up on stuff like that, even if she doesn''t particularly care?
"Ha, well, I am sure you will be seeing that same version of me later on tonight. I dare say I will be even less eloquent than I was before with the amount I am going to be drinking tonight. A fire whiskey to start off." I say, taking a seat at the bar and, placing the money on the bar and throwing a particularly dashing smile at her, though I don''t use the customary sparkling teeth charm. I have a feeling she has seen it before, probably many a time, and never fallen for it before. She doesn''t strike me as one of the braindead witches I regularly find myself encountering.
"Well then, I will gladly profit off of your future state. Have a good night, Gilderoy." She says, placing the drink in front of me before swiping up the money and turning around. I find myself stunned, not having expected her to just say goodnight and turn around to leave. What is she going to do about all of us here? She''s just going to leave and let the rest of us stay here drinking while she turns in for the night.
"You''re going? Won''t you stay and keep me company? Alcohol does taste better when you have a beautiful woman to keep you company." I ask, trying a last-ditch attempt to get her to stay so I can work my magic and seduce her. Except, she must have heard such words so many times before. And she is so attractive, constantly serving drunk people, that she knows how to deal with such situations.
"Sorry, honey. But I need to sleep at some point. You know the drill, just place the money on the bar and ask for the drink you want, and Spinky will give it to you. Night, darling." She says, waving over her shoulder as she enters a back door and escapes from my sight. Well, that was a bust. And now a house elf is serving, like I am going to stick around for that. I''ll finish this drink and then go look for the company I do so seek elsewhere.
"C-Can I join you, Mr Lockhart... sir." I hear beside me and look to the side to find a pretty young blonde woman standing there, looking like she is about to faint from nervousness. Hmm, now that I look at her, she seems to look quite a lot like Madam Rosmerta, including the boobs, though there are a few differences here and there. Looks like I won''t be leaving just yet. Though I swear there were no women inside apart from MAdam Rosmerta, and I didn''t hear the bell on the front door chime to say someone entered. Hmm, I must have missed it.
"Of course, I can''t turn down a pretty lady. Take a seat." I say, picking up my drink and starting to sip on it. I watch as she awkwardly takes a seat next to me and then holds her hands in her lap. Hmm, she seems to be quite shy and inexperienced for someone who looks like they are in their mid-twenties. Oh well, I like this as well. She looks pretty cute.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" I ask, taking another sip.
"Ah, well, I really like all of your books. But there must be some stories that you haven''t been able to write. I would like to know about those... if it''s not much trouble, sir." Wow, I like how she calls me sir. Like I have authority, and she is a student seeking guidance from the master.
"Well, you are right. Some of my stories are not suitable for the public''s ear, but I suppose I could tell you. Now, when I was in Russia, I came across a dark wizard who I had beaten in an underground duelling competition. Would you like to hear more? Or perhaps a different story?" I say, unashamedly altering the events that had only happened a few hours ago.
"Please, continue. I would love to know what happens next." She says, her face red as she wiggles on her chair in anticipation. Yes, I do like where this is going. I need another drink.
"Spinky, another one. Now, where was I? Ah, yes. Afterwards, he sought me out and tried to murder me for winning the duel. Of course, I wasn''t going to just take that..." I idly place the money on the counter and pick up my new drink as I continue to narrate. She is hanging on my every word.
I am definitely going to be taking her home with me tonight. She seems to be a virgin as well, given how she is acting. I am glad I got rid of my trauma.
Chapter 34– Night To Misremember. [R-18]
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don''t own it.
Chapter 34¨C Night To Misremember.
Hmm, what a great way to wake up. There is nothing like waking up to another warm human body pressed into your front and a handful of soft boob in your hand. Hang on a minute, didn''t I go home with a bodacious blonde? I distinctly remember that. The last thing I can remember with any clarity is chatting and drinking with her at the Three Broomsticks, and then some fuzzy memories afterwards of the fun night we had.
And I remember that she had near enough the biggest tits I had ever seen, like close to Madam Rosmerta''s size. She actually looked a bit like her as well. Except, right now, I am palming a different breast. Don''t get me wrong, it is big, a nice handful that feels great, but I could have sworn they were bigger. Oh well, maybe she was just using illusion charms or some type of magic to boost up her appeal. It isn''t that weird. I have seen a few of those, though; thankfully, they have just been minor cosmetics so far.
Opening my eyes, I see the back of my companion''s head, though I can''t derive much from it since it is covered in the sheets. Not a pretty sleeper. I don''t bother disturbing her, however, since although my memories are a bit fuzzy, I am confident I returned to the office with that same blonde game. And that is where we are, at my workplace, in my office. As is per usual since it is the place I have had the most intercourse, and I am comfortable here. Plus, it is customary to annoy Andromeda with it now, like a tradition.
I call it my office, but really, it is like my bachelor pad. There is a desk and everything, which I sometimes do work on, but usually, it just serves as an object to have sex on, along with the chair. A lot of the furniture I have in here I got because it also served the purpose of a good place to have sex on, like the coffee table. And then there is my sofa. Initially, I would transfigure it into a bed whenever the mood struck or if my partner and I were both tuckered out.
However, that didn''t always work for me since we would fall asleep on the sofa and have a lousy sleep sometimes. Which is why I had a sofa specially commissioned for me. I asked Andromeda and told her what I wanted, and apart from an eye-roll, she sorted it out for me. And now I have a luxurious sofa that can sense your mood and change itself to match, such as changing itself into a bed when you are tired. Saves me a lot of hassle, and I can still do it manually as well.
Ignoring all of that, I focus back on something much more important. The no doubt fetching woman that was currently still naked on my bed except for the sheets and whose tit I was still fondling. Damn, it is like the most malleable squishy soft thing I have ever felt. I feel like I could pull my hand out, and it would stretch with it, though obviously, that is not possible.
Wanting to get a look at her to refresh my mind and confirm for myself that I hadn''t done something, I grab the edge of the sheets. I take a breath and prepare myself for the possibility that maybe my drunkness last night gave me a very different set of standards, and I ran into someone else after the cute blonde. I lift it up, and I realise that I am definitely not with the blonde that I last recalled. The reason being that whoever is in my bed now has more petite tits and ass, though I can''t see their face since it is still covered.
I remove my hand that was still groping her chest down to her ass and give it an experimental feel, and it is just as good. She has a banging body, though it is less pronounced than the blonde from last night, but that isn''t bad. She is definitely younger than the blonde, I would guess, around the early twenties. After a second, I manage to pull my hand away from her great ass and prepare myself to finally reveal her face, hopefully without waking her up so she doesn''t ask me what I am doing. Now, mystery guest, reveal yourself.
I pull down the sheet and reveal a full head of hair since she is facing the other way from me, but that is all I need. I don''t bother looking at her face when I see the colour of her hair and my hand stalls. The sheet falls from my hand, dropping to rest around her small neck. I quickly gather myself and quickly stop myself from freaking out. There could be a number of people out there with the same hair colour. I mean, we have magic, and there are colour-changing charms, so there is no reason for me to automatically assume that this person is the person I think they are.
Still, I can''t help but get a really bad feeling that I have crossed a line that I shouldn''t have. And I have done an irreversible thing. Getting up slowly onto my hands and knees so as to not wake her up before I am ready, I inch closer to her. Putting my hand over her and onto the other side of the bed, I lean over, and yeah. It''s her. I have seen that face before, and now I know it intimately. Shit, I have really fucked up.
Moving back, I quickly cover her back up in the sheets and then gently get up off of the bed. Walking across the room, uncaring of my nakedness, I ease myself into my desk chair and lean back in it. I sigh, feeling myself deflate at this new situation I have found myself in. What the fuck am I going to do? Hell, how the fuck did I end up like this? I remember the blonde girl, and that is it, so how did I end up with this person.
Shit, I need to do some damage control. I need to think about the trail since there is always a trail, and if this might ever get out, because if it is just the two of us in the know, then I could probably convince her to leave well enough alone or at the very worst make her forget ever meeting me. It''s a bit scummy, but it would be better for everyone in the long run. Right, so now I have to use my Occulmency to go over my memories with a fine toothcomb and get rid of the cobwebs. I need to see everything clearly to know just what happened and if anybody else witnessed it.
Okay, alright, I am starting from the very beginning, from the Three Broomsticks. Madam Rosmerts leaves, and the blond girl comes to take her place. I don''t know her name, and I don''t think I ever asked. After that, I just kept chatting with her and drinking Firewhiskey. I told her an altered version of my encounter with Piotr Rasputin, maybe as some way to get it off my chest or something, I don''t know. After that, I told her a couple more stories, and she was really interested. And then that''s when I started to get really drunk, and things faded a bit.
Thankfully with the help of Occlumency, I can get rid of the fogginess and see everything clearly. I remember that I was really drinking, and I was seeing flashes of colour every now and then, but I ignored them, thinking I was just seeing things. What an idiot I was. I didn''t even think about checking her mind to see if she had nefarious purposes like I usually did. I was just trying to relax and forget about my self-inflicted horror show.
And then I offered for her to come back with me, and she looked surprised like she had never had such an offer before. Like she didn''t even expect it. She was hesitant, but in the end, she agreed, and then she came back to mine, to my office. Even as I went and sat on the sofa, she just stood there, unsure of what to do. Hell, she looked kind of worried and terrified when I told her we would be going to Diagon Alley, as she thought I had a place at Hogsmeade which she would have been fine with for some strange reason.
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I invited her to the couch, and she sat next to me. She looked incredibly excited at the same time as scared and timid. I decided not to rush anything, even in my drunken state. Of course, in my drunken state, that just meant not getting my pants straight off. No, I started with just some proper flirting where I made my intentions clear and some touching which she didn''t shy away from. Now that I think of it, I had a lot of drinks and got drunk, but she hadn''t had any more intent to just listen to my stories.
She clearly knew why I had brought her back here, and she followed me just the same. She was nervous, and I thought she was just a virgin. She didn''t know what to do or how to proceed, and I didn''t want to move too quickly and scare her away. I just got her to feel comfortable with some chatting with some subtle amorosity, and she was getting into it. After a bit of that, I moved on to my final line of questioning and struck. And after that, things got hot and heavy.
"Are you serious? You don''t have a boyfriend?" I ask, acting like I was shocked. I kind of was and wasn''t, to be honest, given how she was acting as well as how she looked. I was much too drunk to try and use Occlumency on her to better steer the conversation. Doing so would run the risk of me fucking up and screwing up her mind.
"I am serious. I don''t have a boyfriend or anything like that... in fact, I never have." I liked how quick she was to confirm that she wasn''t taken, eager for something to happen.
"Wow, your kidding. You must have been hidden under a Fidelius all your life, or everybody is just blind." I say, to which she blushes.
"A Fidelius?" She questions, which is when I remember that such magic isn''t public knowledge
"A charm that conceals an area and makes everybody completely forget about it." I simplify and explain to her, not seeing it worthwhile to actually explain it to her.
"Oh, wow. Well, what about you? Do you not have a- a girlfriend or something?" She asks back, expressing her interest.
"No. There was someone, but she turned me down. She was with someone else." I say, my drunken state making me a bit truthful for once.
"Then, she must have been an idiot to turn you down." She says, looking angered on my behalf.
"Hmm... Are you an idiot?" I say, which befuddles her and makes her blush in embarrassment, making her think she messed up somewhere.
"N-No, of course, I am not an idiot." She says, stuttering.
"So, you wouldn''t turn me down?" I say, having led her into it. If she turns me down, then she would be an idiot, right.
"I... I-" She was obviously caught off guard and didn''t know what to say.
"Are you going to turn me down?" I say, making it clear what my intentions are. I make it even more apparent when I shift closer and put a hand on her thigh and use the other to grab her chin, slowly getting closer.
*LEMON START*
"I-I..." She doesn''t manage to get much out before my lips are gently touching upon hers, and then I stop, and it is she that presses in further, deepening the kiss. After that, we don''t talk much. Me not having anything to say, and her not having the chance to say much with how busy we would get.
We wrapped our arms around each other and pulled in closer, deepening our embrace and kiss. My tongue is the first to venture forth into her mouth to entwine our tongues. She is inexperienced but a quick learner as we start our battle of the tongues. In the beginning, I was winning, but somehow her tongue ended up dominating mine. It felt so small in her mouth at first, but I guess with experience, she got better, and her tongue was actually longer.
Eventually, we pulled away from each other to breathe. However, we still didn''t have a chance to say anything as we quickly jumped back onto one another, though this time, it was her that initiated it. It was almost desperate how she touched me, as if I could disappear at any moment, as if the moment was fleeting and she was trying to grab on and experience as much of it as she could. I didn''t care. It just made things more fun for us.
She takes me by surprise when she reaches for my robes and tries to pull them off of me, obviously finding it hard since she just pulled on it as if that would magically work. I quickly help her and take off my robe, revealing the muggle clothes I wore underneath, which I had forgotten about. I don''t even realise it at the moment, and if she notices or is bothered by it, she doesn''t make an issue of it and doesn''t even say anything. She is more interested in getting all my articles of clothes off.
Not one to be passive, I return the favour and start pulling her robe off of her frame to reveal the buxom body beneath. If my mind was more clear, I would have had some questions about her clothing that did not at all match how she looked. She had on biker boots, ripped-up jeans, as well as a punk rock chick t-shirt with purple and black striped sleeves. The clothes she had hidden under her robes completely differed from how she was acting, plus they looked very tight on her frame. They were at least a size too small.
I didn''t care about any of this at the time, and I was just more interested in seeing what lay underneath. Our lips still in a dangerous tango, I move my hands to myself and quickly divest myself of my upper wear. With my own chest bare, I quickly move to make sure we are on equal terms, and I grab the hem of her top and start to lift it up. When it reaches the pits of her arms, she moves away from me and lifts her arms up in the air, allowing me to pull her top straight up and clean off of her.
Her plain white bra is revealed, which I definitely notice and which takes most of my attention given that it is definitely more than one size too small. Her tits are ballooning out of the top, and I fear that the strain on the poor piece of fabric is too much that it would soon destroy itself. Thankfully mercy is delivered to the bra when she reaches back to unclasp it, and it practically whoops in joy as it rockets off from the released tension and flies off somewhere else in the room.
I don''t pay it much attention since I am more focused on the jiggling mountains in front of me, that wobble like an earthquake has just happened. Massive tectonic collisions are happening as my gaze is drawn to the flesh, like gravity pulls everything to the ground. And then it is like a black hole as it gets bigger and more prominent in front of my eyes, and then my face is consumed by the heavenly breasts.
I can''t stop myself from fondling and groping them as I rest my face between them. In my drunken state, I see no problem with starting to twist my face around in them, prompting the legendary motorboat. It was all a blur as my cheeks and her flesh rapidly started touching and slapping against each other, and she seemed to be taking it in stride, given the moans I was hearing and the way she clutched my head to her chest.
An amazing experience, to be sure, but I find myself coming to a stop when a bit of her breast finds itself in my mouth, and I get a taste for it. I started sucking on the flesh, drawing a cry of surprise from my partner as I grabbed and started playing with the nipple on the other breast. My mouth leaves the meat and moves towards the nipple, latching on and lightly biting it, making her moans grow louder.
I don''t know how long I spend there, but eventually, I pull away when the tightness in my pants grows too much, and I need some relief. Pushing her back onto the couch, she practically flops on it like a dead fish, and that is when I notice that her jeans are soaking. I had brought her to orgasm multiple times while focused on her breasts, and my focus was so intent that I hadn''t even realised it.
She is still there, but she is catching her breath and covering her face with her arm as she lays there, panting heavily. I would have noticed a lot more differences than just her jeans being wet if I wasn''t drunk, but I was, and I missed them. Deciding to give her a bit of rest time so she can catch her breath and rejoin the world of the living, I take my time and undo her jeans. Again, I should have noticed that they were more fitting than before, but I didn''t.
I slowly slid them down her thighs and then her calves, but then I hit a roadblock when they refused to move anymore, and when I looked down, I realised she still had her biker boots on. I grabbed them both and pulled them free before tossing them somewhere behind me, along with the socks she was wearing, before finally drawing the jeans fully off past her ankles and onto the floor.
Now at the bottom, I start working my way back up slowly, kissing along her legs, slowly moving up on the inside of her legs, holding her by the ankles. When I reach the thighs, I slow down even more and start to take my time, caressing her thighs and kissing them tenderly, getting close to her quim but never quite crossing that final bit.
"...Please." I hear from above, and then I hold back no longer. I grab her by the thighs and pull myself closer, moving her plain white panties to the side, not sexy, but definitely cute and innocent, and I go to town. I lick and penetrate with my tongue, and her screams are ecstasy to my ears. When I feel her hands grab the top of my head and grab onto my hair for dear life, I smile into her vagina as I continue to pleasure her, knowing that I am far from that inexperienced idiot I was when I first woke up in this body.
When I hear the piercing scream ring through the air and feel the full body shake as she twitches, and spasms and a waterfall rushes out at me, I know it is time to move on to the next part. I have made sure she is satisfied, and now it is my time to be satisfied. I move back and stand to my feet, going to undo my trousers, but then I stall. Even in my addled state, I can realise that something is wrong here.
This is not the same girl I brought back to my office. She is far smaller than the blonde and more petite, and now her hair is short and... pink?
Chapter 35– Shifting Shapes. [R-18]
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Chapter 36– The Line.
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Chapter 37– Naughty Girl.
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Chapter 38– Summer Fun.
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Chapter 39– Flourish.
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Chapter 40– Improvements and Barricades.
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Chapter 40¨C Improvements and Barricades.
As I sit there, having to continue with the signing and talking again and again, repetitively repeating the same conversations, I can''t help but wonder why the fuck I am here. I am glad my Occulemency has reached the stage where I can just make a partition to take care of the masses, and I can just tune it out and not have to answer another stupid question about werewolves or banshees. So, as I leave a part of my mind to that, I take the chance to review all I have done over the past few months to see if there is anything I missed or can improve upon.
A lot has changed for me since killing Rasputin and then getting drunk and taking the virginity of one Nymphadora Tonks, and unleashing a ravenous beast. And not just in one or two areas. What I experienced that night really gave me a shock to the system, and I really thought over every aspect of my life and realised that I needed a complete overhaul because I had not been doing things correctly. I thought I was ready for anything, but I was still not adequately prepared, and I was arrogant in my abilities.
The first thing I realised was that my combat capabilities were very much still below par, and I needed to improve them. However, other than working on my spell repertoire and learning new magics, the only other way to get better was experience, and that would be slow going. And the only place I had to get it was in duelling competitions, but such formatted battles would not lend much to real-life situations. Still, with no other options, I competed. And I did so with gusto and fury in equal measures.
It got to the point that I was dominating my competition and, more often than not, winning the complete tournament¡ªmultiple tournaments. Until one day, in Russia, a competitor threw a very dark spell at me, I dodged, but I didn''t take kindly to that, and I responded in equal measure. Officials had to stop the entire thing, and medic wizards were called in, and my opponent was rushed to a hospital. I wasn''t admonished because he threw the first spell, but they did say I would not be welcome back. However, one of the officials approached me afterwards.
Long story short, he was my in to an underground battling competition that spanned the globe, with matches all over the place. And anything went in these. No magic was restricted. We were placed in a coliseum and told to go at each other, and death was not an issue. I was cautious at first since I was putting my life on the line, but after the first time, I became a regular participant there, and I ended up killing my fair share of wizards and witches.
It didn''t bother me any, not after that night with Rasputin. Blood didn''t bother me anymore, along with a lot of other stuff I used to dislike. And I didn''t have to worry about anyone coming for revenge since we all wore masks and our identities were a secret. Everybody came here for battle or to make it rich. I didn''t care about the second thing and focused purely on fighting. Needless to say, I improved.
And then there was another immediate concern that I had to address, which was my mind magic. It really messed me up that night with Rasputin and in more ways than one. Straight off of the bat, I wasn''t able to control my own emotions or keep myself in check. And that''s because I went straight to the advanced stuff after sorting out my own mind and getting my Gilderoy in check. I focused on the offensiveness since I had Digby Test Dummy Digworth on hand to experiment with. I ignored the basics, and I stopped working on them.
I rectified them. I went back to basics, solidifying my base. Clearing your mind, suppressing emotions and all that good stuff. So that I wouldn''t let my feelings get the best of me again and get me in trouble. And then, when that was done, I worked even harder at it, learning how to do even more things like mind partitions and so much more. My mind was impregnable now, I think. And nobody is going to get anything out of me now without some severe torture, but even then, I could shut my mind down to the pain.
Another thing I did was properly get invested in my business. Before, I was just loosely involved, sticking solely to the big-picture stuff and leaving all the little details and finicky problems to Andromeda to resolve. I didn''t want to be so uninvolved with my own business anymore. Plus, it would be the height of foolishness to let Andromeda do everything, but she was competent, and so I still left her a lot to do.
However, I did get more involved and started actually listening and giving feedback when Andromeda gave me my morning meetings and updated me. I gave her directions, and we sat down and discussed things. I actually paid attention to the brooms being created and used my influence to ensure certain things. And not only that, but I came up with another thing that will take a whole year to come to fruition, but when it does, it will be amazing.
Also, the idea to promote our new broom using an actual Quidditch game was my idea. And not only that, but I managed to get the team using our brooms to be the Holyhead Harpies, an all-female Quidditch team that very much relies on their members for publicity using their features. Pretty much every teenage magical boy would have a picture of at least one Harpy in their room or under their bed. And I bet a lot of older men as well. I knew a lot of eyes would be on that game, and so I made the most of it.
I got the brooms and approached the club. First, before I made any deals or offers, I got on the broom and showed them the capabilities. I wasn''t the greatest flier in the world, but I was still pretty good. Gilderoy was in the Ravenclaw Quidditch team as a seeker back in Hogwarts, and it turns out that was actually something he was good at. And then, they were the ones making me the offer. They wanted the brooms. At the end of the day, I had them using the brooms for a single match, and in return, they would have brooms set aside for them to buy when the time came, as I explained that the brooms would be in limited supply.
They won the games, and afterwards, the players invited me to celebrate. What I didn''t take into account was that the players themselves would also get attached to the brooms and also want them. The female players. These were young athletic women in the prime of their lives and having fun, so I ended up in an orgy with all of them, and they got a five percent discount on the brooms. Not really a significant detail, but I like to think about it every once in a while. Or every few hours. It''s a happy memory, and it definitely got me to do patronus charm.
Speaking of the Patronus charm, I slo learned that and many other spells and magics over the past few months. I visited multiple bookstores all over the world as I travelled to all of the different competitions, and I would always buy at least one book from every single store. Thankfully, there were translation spells, and I am also able to use my Occlumency to learn other languages by using others'' memories, so I had no problem reading the books and learning from them. And I learnt a lot, and not just in the area of combat.
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You might be wondering how the hell did I get all of this done in a couple of months'' time. Well, the simple answer is that I stopped wasting time and focused on getting things done. The long answer would be that I started cutting a lot of my time down, ignoring some stuff and refining what I knew. And the first big thing that really let me make the best use of my time was my Occlumency.
With my Occlumency, I wasn''t a procrastinator. I didn''t laze about and just sat there idly tapping at the table. It focused me and allowed me to pinpoint my learning and do things efficiently. I also used it to sort out my mind. I am talking about my mommy issues. Which is my need for family. Which is my need for love. Which I have because of my orphan past, where I had no one who really cared for me.
Of course, I didn''t erase these things or destroy them. They were issues, yes, but they were my issues. I had already gotten messed up because of my forcing myself to watch Raputin''s throat divulge its contents, and I didn''t need to lose any more of myself. But just because I wasn''t getting rid of my issues doesn''t mean I was ignoring them. I controlled it and curbed it. It was still there, and I only sated it two or three times a week, one of those times being the weekly meeting with Esther Beufort, the French Gilf. And we have a weekly French connection. Though, sometimes I do have some spontaneous moments, like the time with the Holyhead Harpies.
However, even that two to three times was lessened. Because since I was looking for easy release, I was going to the same place where my fame was known and picking up my female fans, taking them home and then letting them have their way with me, with whatever ulterior motives they had in their mind. And then, afterwards, a thorough check of their minds to figure out if they were planning anything and then I would wipe their minds. End of story.
Except, I was a creature of habit, and someone figured it out. It was during one of my pickups, and I had come back to the office, and in the middle of it, my paramour''s skin suddenly rippled. It put me off. And then, my partner realised that she had revealed herself, and there was Nymphadora Tonks riding me once more. She was getting better at Occlumency, and I didn''t even realise. Some of the women I spent the night with had Occlumency, and I didn''t mind since I could just read their minds while they slept after I tired them out. We didn''t stop, even after she revealed herself. And when I questioned her, she said it was fun.
It continued after that. It became somewhat of a game for her, where she would try to get herself picked up by me and sleep with me again. The girl was crazy. She even got so good with her abilities that she didn''t reveal herself until after the deed was done. At that point, I decided to just get it over with and spend my nights with her instead of going out looking for partners. I don''t have a name for the type of relationship we have, but she regularly sneaks out of Hogwarts to spend her nights with me. And once she got out of Hogwarts, a lot more of her time, though I still do keep up my arrangement with Esther Beaufort.
Of course, being somewhat with her daughter, it didn''t feel properly right to continue pursuing Andromeda. I mean, I didn''t particularly feel bad about doing it, but logically I knew it was not right, and neither would like it, and it probably wouldn''t end well, so I decided to put it to rest. I also stopped using my office for sexual games and use it for actual work now.
I also cut down on time in my life by increasing my repertoire of spells, specifically household magic. There was a magic for everything that was time-consuming, and since I didn''t have an elf, I had to take care of them myself. Magic for cleaning, for cooking, for bathing, for brushing, and there was even some magic for defecation though those felt weird, so I didn''t use them. I was entirely focused on improving myself. So, yes, things were going good. That was until I got a letter from Filius Flitwick asking to meet.
I place my cup of Butterbeer back on the table and quickly check the time with a tempus spell. It is close to the time of the meeting, and if Filius doesn''t show up soon, then I might leave. I no longer waste time, and I have things I could be doing. Still, this man did help me out in a significant way when it came to getting started on my battle capabilities, and so I can at least give him some of my time.
That is why I am once more waiting in a private room in the back of the Three Broomsticks. Needless to say, Madam Rosmerta was more than a bit surprised when all I did was give her a quick glance over, appreciating her figure, before ignoring her entirely and not speaking to her. It definitely threw her for a loop since usually I would be trying my luck, but I don''t have time for that anymore. Not since I started covering up my weaknesses and improving myself.
"Ah, Gilderoy, you are here. Punctual as usual." I hear as the door opens, and I look to see that Filius has finally arrived, entering the room with his usual pomp in his step. "Yes, Filius. Good to see you again. How are you?" I question as he walks in, but I quirk an eyebrow when he doesn''t close the door behind him.
"I am fine, thank you. Now, I hope you don''t mind, Gilderoy, but I brought along a guest who wants to talk to you." I have an ominous feeling as Flitwick gestures towards the door with his little arm, and right on cue, a tall figure walks in. Albus Dumbledore.
Albus Dumbledore was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots. His fingers were long and skinny, but you could tell they were skilful. His soul-piercing shade of blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling with both kindness and mischief behind half-moon spectacles, and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice.
However, I knew that there was something else underneath the kindly visage he put forth. Something more dangerous. Dumbledore could transform from a benign-looking, bright-eyed old man into a wizard even more terrifying than Lord Voldemort himself, with a face that was a classic portrait of cold fury and an aura of power that made him seem as if he was giving off burning heat. There is a reason Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort had ever feared.
"Lovely to see you again, young Gilderoy." Right now though, his demeanour was serene and ethereal, and he spoke in a calm, pleasant voice when he greeted me. If I didn''t know better, I would just think he is a kindly old headmaster, but I do know better. He is a man that has spearheaded opposition in the last two wars and is not someone to be taken lightly.
"Professor Dumbledore, I did not expect to be meeting you tonight." I quickly began to rise from my seat, going to shake his hand. One must observe the niceties and remember their position. Right now, I am an old student meeting their old headmaster. To act any differently might be suspicious.
"Please, stay seated, my boy. No need to get up for an old man like me." He stays me with a hand, and I quickly sink back into my seat. Like fuck you are an old man. If you are an old man, I am a fucking sperm... That made sense in my head.
"So, not that I don''t appreciate your presence, but why are you here? I was under the impression that I would only be meeting Filius today." Best to just get it straight out there and ask. I am not in the wrong here. He is here under false pretences. I think I know what it is about, but I will be darned if I am not going to try and get out of it with all my might.
"Ah, yes, sorry to barge in on you like this, but I am afraid I have something important to ask you." Filius just sits quietly to the side and drinks his Butterbeer as Dumbledore talks. It''s pretty apparent that the little man has served his purpose, and now he is just staying to the side. I raise an eyebrow at Dumbledore, trying to urge him to get to the point.
"Anyway, Filius has been filling me in on all your progress. And I was delighted to hear about it. It''s not often someone devotes themself to study once more after leaving the halls of Hogwarts." Dumbledore says, completely ignoring my raised eyebrow. This guy is playing up the old man card, and I can''t exactly call him out on it.
"Yes, I felt like a change in career. And I approached Filius to broaden my knowledge. My adventures didn''t lend much to wizarding combat, and so I needed to bridge the gap in my knowledge." I say, trying to bring the topic to a close so we can move on. Still, I knew from the day of my first duel that Flitwick only taught me because Dumbledore asked him to. This old man has a lot of irons in the fire.
"Yes, yes. I had Filius keep me up to date. It is hard to believe that that young boy that burned his name into the Quidditch pitch field would grow up to be so successful. And I was glad to hear that you won your first competition. Against Piotr Rasputin, was it not?" Dumbledore says, and it is only thanks to my incredible Occlumency that I don''t give anything away and continue the conversation smoothly even though I am pretty shook up right now.
"Oh, was that his name? Yes, the Blackwood Duelling competition." I reply simply. Not willing to give much away, though I feel like I did by giving such a short reply.
"Hm, Edward Norma Stick. A humourous name." Filius looks confused here, not understanding the joke. I manage a light chuckle in response. "... Did you know that Piotr Rasputin has not been seen since the day you won against him?"
Chapter 41– Get To the Train.
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Chapter 42– Train Trip.
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Chapter 43- Ford Anglia.
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Chapter 44- Welcome.
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Chapter 45- Whomping.
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Chapter 46- Purposely Unreliable.
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Chapter 47- No Slugs?
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Chapter 48- Eat Slugs!
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Chapter 49- 5 Ds.
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Chapter 50- Deathday.
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Chapter 51- Beware.
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Chapter 52- Bearings.
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Chapter 53- Where Is It?
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Chapter 54- The Quidditch Match.
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Chapter 55- Forced To Be Floppy.
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Chapter 56- The Hor Radar.
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Chapter 57- Duelling.
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Chapter 58- Another One.
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Chapter 59- Mad Ramming. [R-18]
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Chapter 59- Mad Ramming.
"Hey, do you want to fuck?" I hear the words leave my mouth, and while others may regret them as soon as they leave their mouths or think, what the hell am I saying? I stand by them. Huh. I don''t think I have ever been this straightforward before. It''s kind of refreshing. You know, as refreshing as randomly propositioning someone for sex can be. So, it is extremely refreshing. Kind of liberating.
"...Excuse me?" Aurora Sinistra, the sexy dusky-skinned Astronomy Professor, replies with an affronted expression whilst looking at me like I am the scum of the earth, and yet it doesn''t diminish this fantastic feeling I am having now in the slightest. It''s like a revelation or an epiphany or something. I can''t bring myself to care about her reaction because it feels so good to be free.
"I asked if I could shove my dick in your pussy." I say with a plain face, no smile in sight. God, that feels good. No stupid, foppish, fake smile on my face. Just me. The real me. The sixteen-year-old horny little bastard that came here that just wants to get laid. I''m not the guy worrying about every little thing, staying alive, and sticking to canon. That''s boring. Goddamn, I didn''t realise just how fucking miserable I was. Right now, I feel alive. Like something was messing with my head, but now it''s clear.
"Get out of my way." Hearing the cold voice in front of me, I couldn''t help but chuckle and then take a step back. "Well, I''m not stopping you from leaving. I''m just saying... I''ve been feeling pent up for a while here. You know, with all the kids being annoying and the beast of Slytherin running around attacking people under the orders of the heir. Or whatever the hell is going on. I need some stress relief." I say, getting right to the point. I am tired of pussyfooting around. If she says no, then I will just go find one of the other teachers to ask.
"I''m sure you can find an adequate companion in Hogsmeade, Professor Lockhart." She replies, her eyes still cold, and yet I notice she has made no movement to leave, even though I said I was not stopping her. "Yes, I could. But I feel that you are just as frustrated as I am, given how much of a frigid bitch you are being. And I feel it is my duty to help my fellow professors." I put my hands behind my back as she suddenly drew her wand and pointed it at me, but I made no other movements. I am ready to draw my wand from my wand holster behind my back and cast an instant Protego, but I don''t want to get hostile.
"Well, I am sure hurting you will help me greatly." Aurora smiles a dangerous smile, showing off her pearly white teeth as the tip of her wand starts to glow ominously. "No, I was thinking more along the lines of me removing that big stick up your ass and replacing it with a big appendage of mine." I glance down here, very obviously towards her lower half, and tilt my body to the side as if to get a look at her ass. I can''t see it, obviously, as she is facing me head-on, and it is pretty dark in the infirmary right now, but it still proves to rankle her feathers.
"The only reason I am not turning your head into your ass right now is because I would probably get fired." She bares her teeth at me, snarling, and I like it. This is a whole different vibe and energy that is just riling me up; I have never had angry sex or hate fucking before. I feel like it''s time for a new experience to do some stress relief. "
Please. You could have left at any moment, but you are still here listening to me, trying to put my dick in every hole of yours. So either leave now, or I am about to drag you over to one of those infirmary beds and pound you into Oblivion. Decide." I grab the wrist of the hand she is using to point her wand at me and pull her close, staring into her eyes. She looks stunned at my sudden dominating tone, and she is unable to say anything, her wand limp in her grasp. I take that as my answer.
*LEMON START*
I move, dragging her by the hand over to an open bed and throwing her towards the bed. I turn around, not bothering to see her reaction, as I draw the curtains around the bed so no one will disturb or see us. I then draw my wand and wave it around to cast a few charms, which will make sure nobody can hear us, either. I turn around to see Aurora sitting on the edge of the bed, her wand pointed towards me, the tip glowing.
"I think you have gotten a bit ahead of yourself, Gilderoy." And then the blast of light is shot at me and hits me before I can react. I had my back to her, and she didn''t do anything, so I assumed she wouldn''t. Even now, I don''t think she is trying to kill me. I blink as the light fades and look down to find myself without my clothes, fully in the nude. That could have gone very wrong, but my teenage horny brain can''t help itself. "Don''t think you are the one in charge here. You are just a means to an end." My mind jolts back to reality, and I look back up to see Aurora giving me a thorough review with her eyes.
"Now, how am I going to get back to my room?" I ask, even though I could just use magic to do it. "That isn''t my problem, is it?" She replies, and then she shirks off her robe and chucks it to the floor. Revealing a tight white shirt beneath and a red skirt as well as her black-heeled shoes. ''Now, get over here before I change my mind." She leans back on her forearms and spreads her legs, letting me see the red panties she has on beneath her skirt.
"Well, I won''t say no to such an appealing invitation." I move towards her. This is certainly different than any of my other encounters. In the other sexual experiences I have had, I have been mainly in charge and in control. I set the pace and decided how things proceeded, and they let me lead, but this was different. I don''t hate it. A new experience. Let''s see how it goes. I lower myself and reach between her legs, pushing up her skirt as she watches me. I grab her red panties and pull them down her long legs, letting them pool around her ankles.
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She is clean-shaven, with no hair visible anywhere. I notice that it is the same all over her body except where you want hair. Magic is truly incredible and a blessing. I don''t have time to think further as I feel a hand grab me by the hair and tug me forward, shoving my face into the depths. She is... aggressive. It''s hot. I quickly help myself to her, just like she wants. My tongue quickly goes to work, licking her pussy lips up and down and then plunging in. I take my time, moving around the edges with some teasing as well.
I feel both of her hands on my head now, pulling at my hair as she tries to pull me in deeper. She moans above me, trying to keep them in, but she can''t. I smirk into her pussy as I give her what I want, and using my wand, I go a step beyond. A spell I initially found and learnt because it reminded me of a particular villain from an anime, but I found an excellent use for it in my personal life. I can feel my tongue elongate, and I can feel Aurora shiver above me as my longer tongue dives inside of her and starts to really go to town as I drink her sweet juices. "Ohhh, shit-" The orgasms are pretty much constant. This woman is insanely pent-up.
Having had enough of drowning in this woman''s juices, I pull myself away from her cunt and stand to my knees. I reach down and grab ahold of my cock at the base and point it towards her. "Well, I think it''s time you returned the favour. Everybody loves reciprocation." I say, and she breaks out of her fugue and looks at me with derision. I get the feeling she doesn''t want to give as good as she gets. Or give the head she gets. "Or are you not as good at oral as me? Because I can understand that. It would be hard to compete with what I just did." However, I am not one to be taken advantage of, and even without mind magic, I know how to manipulate. I''ve been in that many minds.
"Sit your ass down." Aurora gets a look of anger on her face at her skill being called into question, even if that skill is dick-sucking. Nobody likes to be thought of as incompetent, no matter the field. Aurora grabs me by the hand and pulls me forward while also standing up. We switch our positions as I sit on the bed, and she stands up. She kicks her panties to the side, keeping her heels on and her skirt bunched up around her waist. Seizing the opportunity, I point my wand at her and get some payback.
*POPOPOPOP* The looks of shock on her face is splendid as all the butttons of her shirt go flying, and her midsection and bra are revealed to me. "I just thought we should even the playing field a little. Fair''s fair and all of that. Plus, I thought I would need the visual stimulation if you want me to cum as much as you did." I punctuate my words by moving my wand beneath the strap in the middle of her bra and pulling on it to the limit, and then vanishing it completely. The jiggle and sway of her heavy breasts as they suddenly lose their support is mesmerising, and I find myself somehow getting infinitely harder at the sight of her hard, dark nipples.
"You are going to cum your fucking brains out." Aurora pushes me back hard, and I find myself laying on my forearms and spreading my legs, just as she did. I just look at her. She was wearing black heels, her long sexy legs, her red skirt bunched up around that thin waste above a ridiculous ass, and that white open shirt fluttering around her big juicy tits. Looking up, I can see her brown eyes narrowing at me, but my focus is on her red lips and the thick dreads on her head. A first for me, and all I can think about is how good they would be to use as reins as I rail her from behind.
Aurora doesn''t wait as she lowers herself, crouching down whilst still being on her feet, causing her ass to jut out behind her. Wanting to see more, I conjure a mirror behind her so I can watch he ass move up and down as she grabs ahold of my cock and starts to stroke it. She starts to spit and lick me up and down, getting me nice and wet because she is getting ready to take me deep. I can see it in her eyes. She isn''t going to let my challenge go. Good, I want to see her choke on me.
And then I am inside of her mouth, and I can feel her lips around my cock as they move down to the halfway point before going back up. And she isn''t gentle either, immediately going back down quicker. Up and down, faster and faster, and she gets a bit further down each time. I can hear her choking and the slick sound of saliva as she does it, but she doesn''t stop at all. I put a hand on top of her head and start to stroke through her dreads which feel really nice, she glares at me when I do it, but she doesn''t stop sucking or move me away. I just keep watching her go, sometimes glimpsing at the mirror to see her fat ass bouncing up and down.
I am very disappointed when she stops and brings herself up off of me, and I look down at her in question. I am all ready to deride her and ask if it was too much to try and spur her on so she can go back to sucking on my dick so I can cum. But then she speaks. "Use it on me. That long tongue spell." I raise an eyebrow at that, but I comply and cast in on her and watch as her tongue gets longer. I should have expected it, but somehow I was taken by surprise when she deep throats me again, and her long tongue wrapped itself around my dick at the same time she was sucking on it, and then both her mouth and her tongue were stroking me up and down.
"Fuck! I''m cumming!" To my surprise, even though I said that she continued to suck on my cock, and when I started spurting, she swallowed it all with no complaints or anything. She drains me, her face full of intense concentration as she sucks, and I can feel my soul nearly leave my body as she treats my dick like a sippy straw. It''s only when she removes my dick from her mouth and wipes her lips with the back of her forearm that I start to regain my mind.
"Looks like someone was more talk than anything. Can you even do anything anymore, Gilderoy? You look wiped out." I hear her derisive comment as she stands up, her hands on her hips, and I am already hard again. And her words have only served to spur me on. If I didn''t know better, I would guess she was manipulating me and spurring me on just like I had been doing to her. "That was a lot of cum for such a dick. Do you need to rest?" I jumped to my feet and grabbed her by the arm and the back of the neck and shoved her towards the bed.
"What are you-" I shove her face into the bed, and then I lower myself and position my ock before slamming myself into her hard. I hear her howl beneath me as my cock drives straight to her deepest depths. "Oh, sorry. Is this too much for you to handle?" I lower myself and whisper into her ear with a grin, and I feel her struggles cease.
"Do your worst, you bastard! I doubt your limp dick could do anything." Hearing that, I smile, And then I reach down with both hands and grab up her dreads into two strands, which I hold onto tightly, and I start pistoning. I slam my dick inside of her again and again, causing her to scream and moan out as I do so. And then, she starts to slam herself back into me, giving as good as she gets. "Fuck, you are insatiable!" I roar as I continue fuck her.
"Shit! Take my cum, you bitch!" I cum, my balls draining as scum shoots out of my cock, the spurts hitting the back of her pussy, drowning her womb. "Cum in me, you fucking bastard!" That draws a couple of more ropes of sperm out of me before I am done, slumping down over her, resting on her back as we both pant for air. That was fucking amazing. This woman is incorrigible.
"Is that... all you''ve got... Lockhart?" Aurora pants out beneath me with false bravado, as if she herself isn''t close to passing out from the amount of fucking we just did. I swear, if I didn''t put up the sound charms, then all of Hogwarts would be awake right now from the sound of her ass slapping back into me. "Well... I would put it in that fat ass now, but I think you are too much of a prude for that... And I don''t think you could take it either." Aurora suddenly stands up, and not expecting it, I stumble backwards.
She grabs me and swings me around to lay on the bed and then climbs onto it herself, standing above me. She uses her wand and casts several spells on herself and then on me as well, and I feel my cock swell. "I''m going to break that big fucking cock off!" She lowers herself down, grabbing my cock and aiming it towards her asshole, which is ready for me.
Aurora Sinistra is a whole bunch of fun.
Chapter 60- Christmas Break.
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Chapter 61- Mortifying Immortal.
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Chapter 62- Flying High. [R-18]
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Chapter 63- Discrepancies...
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Chapter 64- Battle For Sanity.
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Chapter 65- Theories.
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Chapter 66- Emo Slytherin Edge Lords.
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Chapter 67- Parselhead.
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Chapter 68- Snake Sojourn.
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Chapter 69- Torture.
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Chapter 70- Redundant Revelations.
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Chapter 71- Salazars Spellbook.
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Chapter 72- Unexpected. [R-18]
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Chapter 73- Respect My Authority. [R-18]
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Chapter 74- Ghost Set-Up. [R-18]
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Chapter 75- Wild Domination. [R-18]
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Chapter 76- In The Pump it & Dump it Room.
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Chapter 77- The Diadragcrux.
My finger was just only a few inches from touching the Diadem and picking it up when suddenly, the world began to spin around me. No, everything was spinning around me. When the vacuum of air finally disappears, and I could hear the ear-piercing boom, I realised that the world was spinning because I was blasted away by the damn Horcrux. Thankfully, I had realised that getting blasted away was a likely possibility in future fights, so I had come up with a countermeasure for this and for other such situations.
Bringing my wand up, I touch my chest, doing a Leviosa on the material, bringing me to a sudden stop. Of course, inertia and momentum don''t like to just suddenly disappear, and they are pissed that I tried to defy them. My bones creak and I can feel my inner organs get all jostled around, not unlike when you are at the peak of a roller coaster and start to descend, just a lot more painful. I will have to check myself over after this is all done with, but for now, I need to focus and get in the zone, because while I was sent spinning through the room, the room was spinning around me.
With me now at a stop and floating down to the ground, gently resetting myself on the floor, I can finally see the world around me. The world in motion. Countless things that have accumulated over the centuries in Hogwarts'' come-and-go room are finally being moved for the first time in forever, and I don''t like it one bit. The furniture, jewellery, weapons... Everything. It was all swirling around me like a tornado, and all of it was being sucked directly towards the Diadem. It was only my quick thinking in putting up a quick Protego that saved me from the massive cabinet that almost crushed me, it smashing into smithereens around my shield, but even those pieces continued their travel towards the Diadem.
I can only watch, unable to do anything, as the items all congregate together, growing into a dense mass that gets bigger and bigger. I consider fleeing, but the storm of objects is just too much to get through, and when I look around, I realise that all these items getting sucked up hardly even dents the full storage of the room as every direction is covered by things. And I am so deep in right now that I don''t even know which way to go to get out, and even if I did, I don''t know how long it would take me to escape. Right now, I can only weather the storm.
Except, as I just stand there and brace myself against the barrage, I can''t help but watch as the mass of items begins to take shape, the Diadem disappearing beneath the wave of random crap. And the crap starts to neaten out, the items being sucked in beginning to slow as limbs form, made of the objects. Arms with sharp claws made of swords and other weapons. Legs, hind legs that have a lot of pushing power. A thick, robust body. A monstrous snout with sharp teeth made of even more weapons. Massive twirling horns which spear through the air. And deeply sunk eye holes full of darkness except for an eerie blue glow shining in the depth, acting as eyes.
Yeah, I am freaking out. I am pretty sure this never happened in books or movies. I''m sure Harry had picked up the Diadem and moved it around, and nothing ever happened, even when they attacked to try and destroy it. I conjectured that Voldemort assumed only he knew about the room of requirement in his arrogance and didn''t bother to put up any defences as he hid it within the maze of garbage. In fact, defensive spells and curses would probably draw attention. And that is why it didn''t do anything like the other Horcruxes did. Except it did. So I had to think about what was different, and the only answer was... me.
The only thing this Horcrux did was feed the curse on the DADA position, and that means me. It is connected to me, so I theorise that the only reason it is acting out is that the person it is targeting has identified it and tried to take it. Therefore, it employed its countermeasures and defences and has gone into attack mode. Such a mode will only occur when the person it is being used on draws near, which is why Harry and others could take it, and if I was not the current defence Professor, then I could have as well. But I am the Professor, and this massive metal dragon in front of me wants to destroy me.
Yeah, I should have run even if I didn''t know where I was going to be running to. I just ended up wasting time as this thing fully formed, and now I am standing in front of it like an idiot, and I''m not sure my shelf will hold up for long against the monstrosity before me. Well, hindsight is twenty-twenty. Maybe next time a situation like this occurs, I will take the opportunity to gain some distance and express some caution, but for now, that chance is well and truly gone. Well, no reason not to try. Tentatively, I begin to move slowly backwards, my left foot going back a step.
And then I am focusing all my energy on maintaining my Protego shield as a heavy metal claw slams down on it, the shield and metal clashing against each other and creating sparks as they vie for supremacy. Thankfully, the barrier holds, but just barely. As soon as the Horcrux creature lifts its palm, I employ another of the strategies I had thought up on my own. Dispelling my shield, I once more applied levitation charms to my clothes, giving me a bit of lift and then I banished the ground in front of me with a Depulso, pushing me backwards away from the dragon and towards a bunch of miscellaneous objects. When I thought up this move, I hadn''t thought about things being in my escape trajectory.
Doing some quick thinking, I waved my wand forth. I let loose a bombarda that destroys the things in my way, but the resulting winds also slow down my momentum. I end up scrambling on the floor once more, and then I am running again. I really hope I didn''t just blow up some useful shit, but either way, I wouldn''t ever know. Thinking about it now, a Doctor Strange style cape would be really helpful with fleeing as it would let me fly and watch out for me of its own accord.
I quickly resume running, only daring to look back over my shoulder for a brief second, during which I catch a glimpse of the... I''m just going to call it a Dragcrux from now on. The Dragcrux is chasing after me, and it''s quite fast as well, quickly gaining on me, and I wish there was something I could do to go faster. If there was some type of spell that enhanced my speed or if I could just get enough time to transfigure an animal that can fly and escape on it. Wait, flight!
Continuing to run, I reached to my side and grabbed hold of my magical pouch of holding and pulled it up, dipping my wand inside of it and envisioning what I wanted. "Accio broom!" I let go of the pouch, it returning to the side of my waist on account of the drawstring holding it there, as a tiny broom shoots out of it into the air, and I quickly snatch it in my hand. Man, am I glad I got those guys to make this for me. They were a bit pissed off with the amount of work I forced on them, but it paid off in the end as it''s going to save me so I can come back later and work them even harder to make more money for me.
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Right now, the thing in my palm is a tiny broom that looks like a mini figure; hell, I''d say it is about the size a broom would be for a little Lego character. I chuck it up in the air in front of me and jump towards it. The broom is getting bigger and reaching its full time just in time for me to land on it. Just in time too, as darkness encroaches and surrounds me and I realise that the Dragcrux had worked fast and was in the process of capturing me in its jaw, its mouth closing around me. Of course, with the Firebolt ultimate edition, that isn''t a problem for me.
As the light fades, the sharp teeth closing around me, I kick my Firebolt broom into high gear and shoot forward, darting between the teeth and escaping the mouth just in time as I hear a massive clang behind me as the Dragcrux''s mouth shuts. I try my hardest to keep control of the broom as I blast through the room, finding it difficult to avoid everything in the densely packed room. My thought process was that if it worked for Harry, then it could work for me. After all, Harry managed to escape and best a dragon in the fourth book with just a broom, so why couldn''t I?
Well, first of all, while I do have memories of being a Quidditch seeker back in my Hogwarts days, I wasn''t the very best at it like Harry was. I didn''t have proper experience handling a broom, and the memories were very old, not to mention that the shoddy old broom I used to use was nothing compared to the beast I rode now. So yeah, I was hanging on by the skin of my teeth as I rode through the room of requirement, dodging stack after stack of random crap. And I am not even using the turbo function yet.
That''s right, this broom has a turbo. I tricked this bitch out. Seriously, while I downgraded all the stuff that''s on the market, I had all the researchers doing their things and making improvements, and this is the most up-to-date broom. The stuff in this... even I wasn''t sure just how many things this baby could do. However, I do know that it wouldn''t be rapid firing any Bombarda like I asked the think tank to do. That is gonna take a while, but they didn''t say it was impossible. Yeah, my Leslie was excellent. That''s right, I named her Leslie. Why? I don''t know, it just seemed to fit.
I take a quick right turn, the equivalent of a handbrake turn in a car, and shoot in a new direction. The Dragcrux just narrowly swiped the air behind my broom. It would have crushed me if it wasn''t on Leslie and riding her as hard as I could go. Yeah, this wasn''t sustainable. Either this Dragcrux is going to get lucky and snap me up, or I am just gonna end up being unable to manoeuvre my broom properly and fly into something hard and unforgiving head-on and die straight away... or live long enough to get crushed by a big sharp pointy metal paw. No, I have to do something to avoid such a fate, but what?
I continue to fly, avoiding the dragon by inches, never able to get away and never able to find a way out of this room, which just seems to go on and on, or maybe I am just running around in circles in my panic. Either way, I try various different things to try and make my escape, starting with just blasting the bloody thing and hoping enough battle damage would suck its power dry and end up with the Diadem just falling to the ground, powerless and easy for me to take. But no, every time I used a big damaging spell on it, it would be useless.
A Bombarda would explode it apart, and Expulso would hit it and penetrate deep; Incendio just splashed off of it, and Confringo''s would burn some of it away, but none of it mattered. It just kept regenerating. No, maybe that''s not the right word for it. It just kept devouring more of the objects in the room, sucking them in and turning them into part of its body, healing any damage done. I think at this point, the only way I can possibly take it down through enough damage is for all of the objects in the room to be entirely destroyed down to their last iota. Otherwise, it is just going to keep regenerating. And I don''t think I have enough magic in me to eviscerate everything in the room, and I don''t want to either. There is definitely useful shit in here, and my innate greed would never let me forget the loss.
So straight-up fighting would not work; escaping was possible but very unlikely. To be frank, I am the lone morsel of meat caught between a starving lion and a horny hippo; I''m fucked. If I just keep running, then I am just going to run out of steam; if I keep trying my futile attacks on the Dragcrux, then I am just going to run out of steam. And I don''t know how much steam I have left. I need to do something, or it''s going to do something to me. And I need to stop thinking about this and do my overthinking things and doing those non-sequitur things to prolong my dealing with it. But I can''t keep doing that; I have to face this. I have to face the Dragcrux.
Of course, just because I decided on that didn''t mean I was about to charge straight in like a meathead and go into an all-or-nothing brawl. I''m not the shounen protagonist type that can pull that off; I''m the neutral, evil, scummy protagonist type that tries to rule the world. This is a life-or-death battle, so of course, I am not going to just throw myself into it. But then again, when you have nothing else left that you can do, what other choice do you have? None. Still, before I threw myself into it, I thought about what I could do and ultimately came to the only thing I could think of, as it was a tried and true method. Even if it might just defeat the purpose of why I came here in the first place, my survival takes priority.
Still being chased by the Dragcrux, I implemented my thought-up-on-the-spot plan, slowing down enough to give the Dragcrux a feeling that it could actually get me this time, and when it lunged to eat me, I sped up into the air and looped around to fly over it''s back, going in the opposite direction. I must have been in the zone or something because as I flew over its back, various weapons shot out along its spine, trying to pierce me. Still, somehow, I managed to twist and turn through them, coming out unharmed and zooming off in the opposite direction that the Dragcrux was heading.
This wouldn''t allow me to escape, but it would buy me some time. I look back and witness as the Dragcrux screeches to a halt, its legs scrambling against the ground and knocking numerous things around as it tries to turn back around and chase me. I have some time, which I use to fly as far as I can, hoping to see anything I recognise or the exit which I don''t, and by this time, the Dragcrux is already running towards me again. Resigning myself to the plan, knowing I have no other option, I touch down on the ground, quickly shrinking and pocketing my broom before waving my wand and banishing everything around me away.
I put a lot of power into that, blasting everything around me as far away as it could possibly go, even the Dragcrux in the distance receiving a bit of the brunt of it and getting stalled for a couple of moments by the intense wind. With that sweep, everything now had at least a one-hundred-meter radius from me, and damn, was this room big because I still couldn''t see anything else. But with this, I was at least assured that it would be somewhat controlled and I would be able to not let it spread and possibly destroy everything in the room. I would be doing my damndest to control it, but I had only managed to practice this some before arriving at Hogwarts, after which I didn''t dare to in this school full of children.
The Dragcrux is now in my circle, and it is time for my sixty-four palms. Ha. No, it''s time for something much worse and destructive than that, and it''s the only option I have right now.
"Fiendfyre."
Chapter 78- Wildsmith.
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Chapter 79- On the Path.
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Chapter 80- Paper Chase!
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Chapter 81- Riddle Me This!
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Chapter 82- When You Go Into Hogwarts Tonight...
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Chapter 83- Need Directions?
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Chapter 84- Guerilla Warfare.
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Chapter 85- The Riddle of Riddle.
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Chapter 86- Paperwork.
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Chapter 87- Black Souls.
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Chapter 88- Doo Do Doo Do Doo Inspector Harry!
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Chapter 89- Igniting a Plan.
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Chapter 90- Gems A Plenty! [R-18]
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Chapter 91- Clearing The Waters. [R-18]
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Chapter 92- Frozen Water.
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Chapter 93- Threats, Taunts and Spiders.
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Chapter 94- The Spiders, Harry! The Spiders!
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Chapter 95- Salvation Incoming!
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Chapter 96- Still the MC!
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Chapter 97- It Was Me, ***!
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Chapter 98- This Bitch!?
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Chapter 99- The Suicide Squad!
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Chapter 100- Chamber of Fear...
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Chapter 101- Gilderoy Lockhart and the Chamber of Secrets.
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Chapter 102- Aftermath.
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Chapter 103- Freedom At Last!
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