CHAPTER 8:
BACK TO SCHOOL
"But where have you been, Harry?"
Ugh, that had to be at least the tenth time Ron had asked the damned question. And as before, he answered, "With Padfoot. In hiding."
"Mate, we were worried sick about you!" Ron protested. "You only sent one letter! Can't you tell me what's going on?"
"Look, Ron, Padfoot told me that the fewer people who know, the better," Harry explained as patiently as he could. "My relatives were murdered, and I only got away by the skin of my teeth! Anyway, Padfoot told me about an old mentor of his in the DMLE, Mad-Eye Moody or something."
"Yeah, I know him. Paranoid as anything, but he's got good reason to be."
"Exactly. And Harry's the Boy Who Lived," Hermione pointed out. "He's got plenty of enemies. I thought him paranoid too, but after the Quidditch World Cup, I'm not so sure."
"Yeah, I wonder who cast the Dark Mark," Ron said. "D'you reckon it was that Count Zaccone guy? He could have been a Death Eater in disguise."
Harry suppressed a snort of amusement. Ron, leaping head-first to conclusions. Hermione did so too at times, as did Harry himself, but goddamn…
"We don't know that, Ron, though I admit, it is a little suspicious," Hermione said, knowing full well who Count Zaccone really was.
"And what was worse was that Nemo guy. Okay, he killed those Death Eaters with those minions of his, which was pretty cool, I guess, but he was pretty brutal. Who's to say he's not a Dark Lord, looking to usurp Voldemort?"
Right for the wrong reasons, Ron, Harry thought.
Still, at least the experiment he devised regarding an Animagus form worked…though it took a lot out of him, and it took him until yesterday to recover enough to get out of bed, even with Mare's help. But it meant that he had something of a trump card. A dangerous one to be sure, but worth it.
Thanks to the Goblins, the item that Bellatrix had been entrusted with had been delivered to Mare, who not only confirmed that it was a Horcrux, but an item of no less significance than the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff, one of the four Relics associated with the Founders of Hogwarts. Harry had wielded the Sword of Gryffindor, and there was also a locket of Slytherin, and a diadem of Ravenclaw.
In any case, while they were heading to Hogwarts, other things were happening. Aura was heading to Hogwarts as well, or at least its grounds, the Forbidden Forest in particular. She was to report back on any creatures useful to Ainz Ooal Gown, as well as negotiate with Aragog and his Acromantulas to move to the Tomb of Nazarick. She was going to avoid the Centaurs: while neutral to humans, Centaurs and Ainz Ooal Gown hadn't had the best of relationships. Not actually enemies, but Aura couldn't expect a warm welcome. Luckily, she was stealthy enough that even a native of the Forbidden Forest wouldn't notice her unless she wanted them to. And once Harry and Hermione laid down the waystone in the Chamber of Secrets, Albedo and Shalltear would begin changing the Chamber into a storeroom and court in miniature.
He was still glad about the glamour showing him to still be about fifteen, and Hermione having the same thing, plus showing she was still human, instead of the Gorgon she really was. He didn't want to explain that away.
Of course, he wasn't looking forward to heading back to Hogwarts. He had learned everything he needed to learn about magic. He was a mage who had certainly surpassed almost every one of these sheep. The only reason he was going back was to avoid arousing too much suspicion from a certain old man, though Harry was sure that the old man would be surprised and annoyed when Harry's declaration of sitting his OWLs and NEWTs came in.
Harry and Hermione weren't the only denizens of Ainz Ooal Gown who were coming: elsewhere on the train was Narberal, though she was transferring to Hogwarts under the pseudonym 'Nabe Gemma'. She was staying with Luna for now, though Harry was going to claim later that he had met her in Diagon Alley while getting his supplies for the year. Sebas and Albedo had insisted on at least one member of the Pleiades coming with him to Hogwarts, and as Narberal was a powerful mage and a shapeshifter, she seemed like the best choice, though she had to work hard to hide her disdain of humans, a disdain that Harry was beginning to share, even if on a smaller scale.
After all, these sheep would not be grateful if, no, when he defeated Voldemort, or at least their gratitude would have a half-life comparable to some of those elements they created in a lab. Especially if they realised he was Ainz Ooal Gown. They would turn on him as a new Voldemort or Grindlewald.
Well, Voldemort had the wrong idea, anyway. He ruled with fear and hatred, and while he attacked from the shadows, he never intended to remain that way. Once he had consolidated his grip on Magical Britain, he would turn his ambitions to the Muggles…and then the world. He may not succeed in his ambitions, but he would kill a lot of people in the process, and wouldn't give a damn as long as he kept his immortality.
Harry, however, intended to rule from the shadows completely. The wizards would not know that they had been conquered. The revolution would be subtle and quiet, so that they never even knew that the monsters they so despised not only lived amongst them, but ruled over them…
…Or if they did learn, it would only be when it was too late…
Sitting with Luna was what appeared to be a Japanese girl in her mid-teens, her features beautiful, but stern and harsh, framed by long black hair done up in a ponytail. In truth, she was closer to Harry's current biological age. While she was going by the name of Nabe Gemma, her real name was Narberal Gamma, a Doppelganger or shapeshifter. While technically she could shift her appearance quite considerably, in practise, she specialised more in magical and actual combat, so she preferred to keep to two forms: her Doppelganger appearance, and her current appearance, although she preferred to look older.
While the denizens of the Tomb of Nazarick were considerably misanthropic, she was more than most. It was all she could do not to call them variants of the word insect or worm or similar things. Though Luna was at least an exception: Narberal actually grew to like the dotty human. And Harry was another: he had earned the approval of the denizens of Nazarick. And to tell the truth, as of a day or so ago, he wasn't entirely human either. Not anymore.
"…And you allow these ants to steal your possessions?"
Luna shrugged. "Professor Flitwick is a good man, but he's also a busy one. In any case, 'allowing' suggests that I am at all content to let it continue without any retaliation. Who said there wasn't?"
Narberal blinked when she realised Luna had a slight, but utterly malevolent smirk, on her face. "Oh?"
"My big sisters taught me well, and so too did the antics of the Weasley Twins. They go for showy and flashy retaliation. Me, well…my belongings are laced with a Mara Curse."
The usually-stoic Narberal's eyes widened, before a smirk touched her face. "A nightmare-inducing curse…one which will grow in strength the longer they do not feel repentance…I retract any remarks I made at your expense, Luna. You are most definitely a worthy member of our cause. I'm truly beginning to understand why Sebas tells me why humans are capable of surprising me, thanks to yourself and our lord."
"You do know he would prefer you to call him Harry, right?"
"…Right. But…it's somewhat ingrained," Narberal said. "I wish we could slaughter his enemies."
"That'd only cause more to spring up, like a Hydra's head. You know how easily Wrackspurts multiply during times of bloodshed," Luna said.
"I…believe so," Narberal said uncertainly, trying to discern the eccentric girl's import.
"Good! I hope I get to see Aura while she's on her missions in the Forbidden Forest," Luna remarked.
While waiting for her love and lover to get to Hogwarts and establish the needed waystone, Shalltear had not been idle. After discussion with Albedo and Sebas, she had received the go-ahead for a special information-gathering mission. And she had done so accompanied by her friend, one of the Pleiades, Solution Epsilon.
While Shalltear had been raised by Sebas, Solution was probably her best friend. Although she habitually took the form of a blonde, voluptuous girl, Solution was a Shoggoth. All of the Pleiades were trained from a young age, and indeed, this generation were either all orphans thanks to Voldemort or other wizards, or else they had been discarded by their families. Solution fell into the latter: Shoggoths were not the most empathic of monsters, and Solution had been discarded as a weakling, nearly eaten in the process of escaping. Of course, soon after graduating as one of the Pleiades, Solution had gone back to her family (well, her spawn –mother and her brood: Shoggoths tended to reproduce asexually, after all) and devoured them.
Of the Pleiades, Solution and Narberal had the most training in infiltration. Indeed, of the two, Solution was the better actor, and they had nearly considered sending her to Hogwarts with Harry, but as she lacked magic beyond that innate to her species and her training as a Pleiades maid, it was decided to send Narberal instead, who had training in the magic of humans. Solution was only mildly disappointed: she had been looking forward to eating some of those that opposed her lord.
Instead, they had used Solution as bait in a honeytrap. While it was unlikely that Harry would enter himself into the Tri-Wizard Tournament, his luck during his time at Hogwarts meant that Shalltear and Albedo wanted to be sure, and Sebas applauded their caution and desire for intelligence. Which was why Solution went into a bar known to be frequented by a certain person, and then had him take her home with him early this morning.
Shalltear turned up at said home later that morning. It was broad daylight, late in the morning, admittedly, but nobody would notice her, thanks to a little magic. She rapped on the door of the home, which was promptly answered by Solution. "Ah, Shalltear. I was beginning to get bored."
The vampire walked in, and looked around the décor, sniffing disdainfully. "I can see why. This fool clings vainly to a past glory. While it would be a pleasure to kill him, that will tip our hand too soon."
"I agree. It was tricky finding the right poison to send him to sleep without killing him, especially with the alcohol inside him. And I'm not sure I would enjoy eating him. I don't want to have that much fat in my diet," Solution said, her face twisting into a grotesque grimace of disgust. It should have been impossible for a human's face to twist that way, but Solution, as noted before, was far from human.
"Yeah, I know that feeling," Shalltear said, thinking back to Dudley and Vernon Dursley. Drinking them dry was satisfying, but still, the actual blood was too rich with fats, especially in Vernon. And knowing that at least part of their bulk had been enabled by Harry being forced to cook for them only made it worse. They had turned their prince into a fucking slave.
The décor was mostly Quidditch-related, particularly revolving around the Wimbourne Wasps. All yellow and black stripes, faded clippings from The Daily Prophet, a few trophies…and, Shalltear noticed, a number of bills, many of them from money-lending organisations, most of them with links to Gringotts. A faint smirk touched her lips as she followed solution into another part of the house, where they found a burly, tubby man with boyish features sprawled on a bed in a bedroom.
"Wake him, and then hold his head still," Shalltear said.
Solution did so, injecting the antidote to her sedative poison into the man, who began waking up with a groan. His eyes flickered open, only to meet Shalltear's own. His shout of fear died in his throat, as Shalltear's eyes began to glow.
"Ludo Bagman, I have some questions for you…"
It turned out to be a profitable session, Shalltear reflected as she and Solution made their way back to Nazarick. They had wiped the fool's memories after the hypnosis-enabled interrogation, modifying them so that he thought he had blacked out after drinking too much. In case anyone remembered Solution, they left a note from 'Sally', her human alias, berating him for falling asleep before they could get to have fun.
In any case, they found out more interesting things. Firstly, what the Tasks entailed. The First Task entailed retrieving a golden egg from beneath a nesting dragon, armed only with a wand. The Second Task required that the Champion retrieve a hostage from beneath the Black Lake. And the Third Task involved a hedge maze filled with obstacles and creatures.
Secondly, how the Champions would be chosen: the Goblet of Fire, a semi-intelligent magical artifact into which slips of paper with just the name of the participant would be placed into it. To prevent the younger students from participating, an Age Line would be installed by Dumbledore, and only one Champion from each of the three schools would be allowed. In order to bypass that, a powerful Confundus or something similar would need to be cast on the Goblet, which would generally need an adult, and a powerful adult wizard at that.
Thirdly, Bagman was in a lot of debt, thanks to compulsive gambling. Which meant he could have considerable leverage, especially as much of his debt was to the Goblins. And as the Goblins had a cordial relationship with the Tomb of Nazarick…well, it was something to hope for: they had few actual contacts within the Ministry, and even one in a useless, dead-end of a job could be potentially of use. Between giving him money and forcing him to sign a contract on his life and magic, they might have a useful spy.
Well, she would have to discuss this with Sebas and Albedo first. And Demiurge, of course. He was their spymaster, after all.
Still, she wished she didn't have to wait so long without Harry. Okay, once the bridgehead in the Chamber of Secrets was established, she could come and go at will, but still…she didn't like being separated from the love of her life…
CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:
Harry and Hermione are heading back to school, with Luna and Narberal in tow, and Shalltear and Solution have found some interesting info…
Review-answering time! eternal king of fire: Not gonna happen, though the thought of Entoma getting cuddly with Ron IS amusing…
Count Kulalu: Pandora's Actor hasn't appeared yet (beyond the cameo in the previous chapter) simply because I haven't read the whole of the third book (and watched the equivalent arc of the anime) yet. I'll try to have him appear.
Guest (regarding other stories where Overlord characters appear in the Potterverse): Yes, you're right, and I have amended the foreword slightly to reflect that.
No numbered annotations this time.
