War Sage.
Thank you.
Lord Edric
But Palpatine is such a good role model for those of us who want to rule the galaxy! Sorry. I meant rule the world! (Evil Laughter)
Worsfold15
Here's the update.
Guest.
My update rate should improve once half term is over. I've been spending time with my nephews and nieces so I've been busy for most of this week.
Douchiesnacks
I think them having any common sense is amazing.
A W
Oops I meant pheasant that's a funny typo.
The First Gothic. Book One. A Wizard In Training. Part 12.
Hogwarts School. The Quidditch Pitch. The Wizarding World.
I'd actually missed this silly excuse for a sport. I'd missed watching idiotic teenagers risk their lives for the amusement of the masses. And the whole school seemed to have as well judging by the insane amount of cheering going on.
It had come as quite the surprise to the student body when Dumbledore had declared that Quidditch was returning to Hogwarts. Everyone had assumed that the sport would never be played here again since it had cost a student his life but the truth as to why Draco had died was now known to everyone, and since the blame could be placed on Dobby the House Elf the staff no felt the need to worry about further endangering the players.
Well the truth was partly known. Dobby had confessed his crime telling the Ministry that it was he who had tampered with the Blugder but he hadn't told anyone why he'd done it and no one at the department for the regulation and control of magical creatures had bothered to find out. They'd simply had Dobby put down like he was a rabid dog rather than a thinking, feeling person.
I knew the reason why Dobby had done what he had done and I guessed that Dobby hadn't been able to confess the truth until after Mr. Malfoy had died. Dobby must of have for some reason felt it was best to mention anything while the older Malfoy was still alive.
Recently I'd been told that Dobby had been put down because like everything else the Malfoy's had owned Dobby had belonged to me. The Ministry had even sent me a letter to explain and then paid me a sum of money as compensation for the inconvenience of having to replace a servant. I was really getting fed up of making money through other people's deaths.
Once Dobby's confession was publicly known the Headmaster had restarted the Quidditch school cup and everyone had forgotten about the Malfoys which seemed wrong to me.
Sure the Malfoy's hadn't been nice people but the entire family no longer existed. Granted Draco's mother was still alive but she'd left the country and lost the right to the name so everything that had been Malfoy was now Mason.
Including their manor house which was now Mason Manor having been officially renamed. The Manor had been cleaned out of dark artefacts as with no one left to stop them the Ministry had done a top to bottom search of the property. I was still legally a minor so I hadn't even been informed of the raid (nor had I been at any point shown a warrant) until after the place had been cleared out but I had once again been compensated with money.
The Ministry seemed to think that either taking or giving people gold was the solution to everything.
At some point I would have to decide what to do with that Manor House. I already had Mason Mansion as a home. However my family home wasn't a true Manor House as it had never served as the home to the gentry and the difference mattered.
The former Malfoy home had been more than a place for people to live in it was the home of a minor noble in feudal times and came with a lot of land attached.
These days that was land was used by Wizarding middle class families for whatever business it was their family was known for, be that the raising of useful magical creatures or the growing of food. Those families had paid rent in order to use the land the Malfoy's had owned and the lord of the manor (which was now me) had to in return ensure that the land was usable and safe.
This arrangement had been in place for hundreds of years and was the source of the Malfoy family fortune (a long with a few business investments) and that income was, like everything else that had been Malfoy, now mine.
I also had the responsibilities as well but thankfully there were people already in place to take of any problems that came up I just had to pay them.
Once again having Madam Longbottom acting on behalf was proving to be a godsend as she paying the staff directly out of the profits and they took care of the land. Anything left was put into a new account which I could access now.
I'd known I was rich but it had taken me a while to discover just how rich I was. I'd had no idea that the Malfoy's weren't just living large on wealth obtained by their ancestors. The family had been important not just because they had money but also because they had land.
The Mason family was also rather rich but there were no responsibilities attached to that wealth. The fortune of my fake family had been built mostly by members of the non-existent family having invented a lot of things that sold well at the time but they had been fads and so didn't generate any income these days.
Well aside from a few potions but you couldn't patent a potion like you could other inventions due to fact that a clever potion's master like Slughorn could with some effort produce another potion that had the same effect using different, and mostly cheaper, ingredients. So the amount of money coming was negligible.
I'd discovered that this could happen when Neville and I had perfected the a potion version of Gillyweed. It had been rather easy to make as we could of just stuck Gillyweed in a blender to get the desired concoction so most of our work that involved trying to make the awful stuff taste better than drinkable rubber without reducing its effectiveness.
The potion had sold well as a fad and for a while the students had enjoyed being able to listen to the merfolk sing in their lake and being able to spend an hour breathing under water even if it was in the bath tub, but the Bubblehead charm was a lot easier to use and you didn't have to wait for it to wear off before you could start breathing air again.
Still the money had been nice and Neville and gotten a lot of house points in potion class. Also since Slughorn had handled the selling of the potion he'd even us extra credit in class and told us that such good work would help Neville to obtain Prefect status in a couple of years. Slughorn had also promised he put in a good word for Nev who would be a better choice that Ron 'I have the emotional maturity of a hungry and tired toddler Weasly' that was for sure. I was sure that this promise had nothing to do with the rare plant parts Neville was supplying the teacher.
Focusing on the match I watched and the Griffs and Snakes had their little war in the sky I also kept an eye out for the Dementors who were due to attack the first Quidditch game of the season.
Due to Draco being dead and buried Ravenclaw wasn't playing in this match as without Draco around to be injured by foolishly insulting Buckbeak the Snakes had to reason not to play today so they had to put with the deary weather rather than the bird team.
The rain and wind weren't really a big deal it wasn't a real storm so no brooms were going to get struck by lightening. No the real threat was the soul sucking demons.
I was keeping my wand close and I'd made sure all the Outcasts ,Susan and Hannah included, knew how to cast the charm. I didn't think that the two Puffs would be able to cast the spell when faced with an actual Dementor despite having practised but it was worth teaching them as even a few wisps of a Patronus could slow one of the demons down.
The feeling I had that the coming Dementor attack could be a lot worse than the one in the book was a strong one. Perhaps that was paranoia but it was best to air on the side of caution after all there were hundreds of children here and most of them were defenceless. I could easily imagine the Dementors sucking out a few dozen souls before the Ministry could do whatever it was they did to control the evil creatures.
It was such a shame that the attack would ruin the match as it was turning out to be rather a good one. The Seeker who had replaced Draco was a lot more talented than my now dead second cousin (apparently Draco and I had shared a pair of Great Grandparents which was why he was second cousin although with the way Pureblood families interbred we might have been third cousins as well, if such a thing was possible) I had no idea who the new Seeker for the snake team was but it was clear that Draco's father's money had gotten Draco the place of Seeker as otherwise this new kid would have been on the team last year.
The cheering suddenly stopped and I looked around time was frozen again just like at the last match I was at.
Checking out the crowd I examined everyone and found no one moving or oddly dressed at least not until I heard my own voice.
"Hello James".
I span on the spot and saw the Traveller who once more looked liked the adult version of myself only wearing heavy black robes. I got the whole impression that this was what I would look like as a Sith Lord.
"Now there's an idea" said the Traveller "I should turn one of the versions of you into a Sith Lord that could be so much fun".
I cursed under my breathe as I realised that my idle thought might just have messed up the life of another version of myself.
"So what to I owe the pleasure of your visit?" I asked the Traveller politely.
"Oh I just came by to discuss the future" explained my patron "I want to make sure that you get the most from your reward".
Considering that my reward was putting me into danger I didn't think much of it and as for the future well that had me deeply concerned.
"Hey I just promised to make a powerful Wizard" protested the Cosmic Horror who was reading my mind again "that means providing you with the needed tools and ensuring your education. I never promised to babysit you. As for your future that is up to you decide I'm not encouraging you to do anything".
He wasn't? I found that hard to believe.
The Traveller passed me a card, a card that I had seen before. I'd not had the chance to give it a good look the last time I had seen it so I took the chance to examine it.
'WIZARD GOTHIC'
There was a picture of me as a Wizard and a lot of some small print text on the back of the card. The text told me that I would be given the opportunity to become a very powerful Wizard. It also told me that the Traveller would ensure that I had everything I would need to live as a Wizard and that I could be any kind of Wizard I wished to be aside from a Necromancer.
"I supplied everything as promised" reminded the godlike tentacle monster in disguise "I got you a place in this society. I gave you wealth. Set you up with a nice home. And I am ensuring that you get the best of educations".
True enough I knew far more magic than any other second year student here and that would be true even without the summer I'd spent at the Unseen University.
"Well yes" I agreed before bringing up my concerns "but there's nothing on this card about me having to survive what is going to be a nasty war".
"All of existence is dangerous" pointed out the being "to be alive is set a date with death. There is no place I could send you to learn magic where you wouldn't face some sort of danger but at least here you have your knowledge of this world to help you".
The Traveller had made his point and done it well. He was right I had the knowledge I needed to survive and the tools needed to do so as well.
I could not only survive the coming war but I could end it quickly if I was smart enough and had a bit lucky. I wouldn't even need to kill Voldemort p I could just prevent his return or at least aid in Riddle's destruction. Heck get me into Lestrange's vault and Number 12 Grimmauld Place and I could deal with most of the coming mess on my own.
"I'd help but were would be the fun in that" remarked my benefactor "you will have to deal with Voldie yourself I'm only going to give the means to do so. I won't help directly".
The Traveller then took out a cardboard folder and passed it to me.
"And on the subject of giving you the means we need to discuss next summer. I have another educational opportunity for you and I made some other arrangements which should be fun".
I checked out the contents of the folder and found World Cup tickets for the Quidditch final in the summer. That seemed like rather a nice gift until I remembered what happened at the end of that match.
"You'll have good seats" promised the Traveller "and I took the liberty of picking out your camping spot. Your future father-in-law will supervise the trip".
I had to wonder how he arranged these things maybe one day I'd ask but right now I had other concerns.
"Any help to offer on the subject of Dementors?" I asked hopefully.
"What I have arranged for your next summer school will help with all of your future problems as long as you use what you learn smartly".
Well that was sort of helpful.
"Is there anything else you want to talk about?" questioned the Traveller "I want to go and check on the Dungeon Keeper version of you soon he's having a good time I watched him get his ass handed to him last night. Great fun ".
I examined the vast amount of knowledge my brain was filled with (most of it not really helpful unless your doing a pub quiz that isn't about sports and celebrities) and recalled what I knew about Dungeon Keepers. When I was finished remembering I came to conclusion that I had actually done rather well in picking this reward.
"Well there's the subject of Luna" I brought up "She seems to be encouraging me to be the next Dark Lord, and making what might be jokes about world domination".
It had happened a few times. Luna had made offhanded comments about me becoming a Dark Lord and about world domination. In fact she'd made a comment today when I'd asked her about the roaring lion mask thing she wore to the match. Something about having my soldiers riding Chimera.
Worse was the fact that I was actually think about becoming a Dark Lord. I couldn't help but think that this was due to a certain tentacle monster's influence
"I did nothing to Luna other than fix her mind a little and improve her Seer powers" assured the Traveller "When putting your mind back together I learned a lot about your race's 'sanity' and I used that knowledge to fix Miss. Lovegood's instability".
That didn't really assure me as I didn't think I was that sane even before meeting the Traveller.
"Of course its hard to tell sometimes given that she's seeing possible futures so often" the thing using my face added "but you have noticed that she no longer talks about rare magical creatures as if they are real and that she has the focus required in order to devote affection and attention to you".
Indeed I had noticed and I asked myself if the affection she showed towards me were natural or if the Traveller had implanted it.
"If you did become a Dark Lord she'd support you" said the Traveller "she doesn't want you to become a tyrant but if it happens she won't fight fate. You accept her so she accepts you. She's not joking when she talks about you taking over the world she's already seen that it COULD happen and she has decided to support you no matter what you do because you support her. She has seen that you will always protect and care for her no matter what so in her mind supporting your ambitions is only fair as she'll do it even it means compromising her morals".
I'd seen that in effect when it was time to use the curse on the Defence job to not only remove Lockhart from the school but also Snape. In my mind getting rid of Snape had been a good thing but to Luna it must have been a hard thing to let happen. Of course she didn't know what Snape really was and what he would do. To me the whole thing had been perfectly justified.
"You on the hand well you've always had a great desire to obtain power its just up until now you have never been given the chance to satisfy that desire. Your a megalomaniac".
I'd always assumed everyone felt like that sometimes and wasn't as I was always obsessed with gaining the power needed to change the world.
"But I have power" I pointed out "Sure I've been tempted to learn the Dark Arts in order to get more, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to try to take over the world just to get more power. I'm not a megalomaniac".
The Traveller gave me a look of pity before saying.
"There's no need for you to feel guilty. That desire is part of who you are it gives you great motivation to act. Something these lot lack".
The Traveller swung his arm gesturing to the frozen crowd.
"Look at these people. Despite the power they have most of them will be happy to spend decades, or in some cases a couple of centuries, living dull, unproductive lives were they do as little work as possible while trying to avoid danger".
You could say the same for most of mankind but at least non-magical humans had people who did try to advance their society. Which was fine with me for the most part as people have a right to live their lives as they see fit but the laziness of Wizardkind allowed the like of the Death Eaters to exist.
"This society hasn't changed much since Queen Victoria was on the throne. It's a civilisation mostly made up of closed minded bigots who at worst would like to exterminate the humans they see as below them and even the best of them want to force the Muggleborns to conform to their standards".
I agreed. Voldemort and Dumbledore were just the most visible signs of this societies' messed up attitude towards Muggleborns. Neither group seemed to realise just what an asset the Muggleborns could be.
The Purebloods were dying out because they didn't seem to understand that they needed Muggleborns. They needed them not just fresh sources of DNA to offset the inbreeding but also to bring in new ideas and new ways of doing things. Societies were like living things, they adapted or they died.
Sure Dumbledore was better than Riddle because even if Dumbledore did want the Muggleborns to integrate into this society at least he didn't go around trying to kill and torture people.
From my own observations I felt that Dumbledore was simply a well meaning person who wanted he what saw as the best for everyone but along the way he forgotten that people had feelings that mattered. He tried to do what he saw as best and was willing to make sacrifices but he wasn't fighting to win. In his inability to kill ensured that the Wizarding civil war would end in Voldemort's victory it was just a matter of time. Even if Voldemort did die someone would replace him sooner to later and the whole thing would start over again.
Voldemort on the other hand was fighting to win it was just that his cause (assuming he actually cared about it and it wasn't all just about power and avoiding death) was pointless. The Purebloods were doomed it was already too late to save them and no amount of killing would change that. But like the other Death Eaters he was to closed minded to ever see that. Even if they didn't know it they were acting of fear. They were scared of losing the privileged life styles that they had.
In the end it would be the Muggleborns who inherited the Wizarding World but that would be after centuries of being forced to conform, being oppressed and outright murdered.
"And what you see as a problem what you call megalomania is just what you'd need to fix this sorry mess" said the Traveller "you could end up being the next Voldemort while Potter replaces Dumbledore. Only next time it won't be about Blood Purity it will be about you creating a new and better society".
That was a scary idea and worse it was a valid one, but I didn't think that I had the right to change these people's lives.
"Or you could leave this world behind".
I turned to face the Traveller and asked.
"What do you mean?".
"Once your an adult again you could always leave this world and settle down somewhere else. The gift only requires you to be a Wizard that's all. You don't have to be a Dark Wizard. You don't even have to be a Wizard of this world. I altered the Veil Of Death its now no longer connected to the afterlife it will just randomly send whoever goes through it to another magical world".
"So I have a way out" I realised.
"Well you should complete your training here" recommend my patron "but yes if you need to escape its there. Just call upon your Elf and she will take you to the gate. If you take someone with you make you hold hands as at least that way you will at least both arrive on the same world".
I breathed out a great sigh of relief. Knowing that I had way out and that I could at least take Luna with me.
"Well I'm off" declared the Traveller "I'll update the folder after Christmas with the full details of your Summer school. Oh and don't forget about the Dementors. I'll get you some that can kill them for your birthday".
The Traveller was fading away but I stopped him by asking another question.
"Wait, why don't the Dementors effect me?" I shouted
"Oh well that's because when I put you back together I didn't quite do it right" explained the being "physically your fine in fact your going to discover that your better than ever. But in a spiritual sense your not quite right your soul isn't attached to your body in the right way and its a bit damaged".
I nearly started to panic and who would blame me after all having a damaged soul could be a disaster.
"Relax its actually a good thing" assured the Traveller "your soul will pass to the afterlife as normal but because its not as a attached to your body the same way other people's souls are the Dementors can't take it from you. And to their senses your not quite there and that makes them somewhat nervous around you".
I could understand that. For people who used their eyes and ears to sense people I would appear perfectly normal but when you detect people on a spiritual level I would seem to be not all there as it were. Or at least that was how I saw the situation.
"It also means you can't create a horcrux or become a ghost" added the Traveller "but you'd never make a horcrux or become a ghost so it doesn't matter. I never fixed the damage because being nearly immune Dementors other soul stealers, eaters and leeches has it advantages".
And with that the being was gone leaving me no time to seek clarification. Time seemed to speed up and then start moving correctly just in time for the Dementors to attack.
Everyone else panicked driven to fear by the horror these demons created but to me it everything just got colder and while I felt worried as well as a bit scared but it wasn't crippling.
Luna and I brought out our partonus. Soon a Fox and a Hare along with a lot of white mist took the sky to shield the stand we were on from a group of Dementors who had decided to target our stand as it was filled with the first and second year Ravenclaw students who would have been defenceless.
I cursed the Traveller again for not giving me the means to kill these creatures as their attack on children disgusted me. I promised myself that one day I'd kill all these monsters.
"Bravo!. Mr. Mason. Miss Lovegood" said Professor Flitwick the head of Ravenclaw house whose much larger patronus which was now working with ours to help shield the younger students. "I'd of gotten here in time to protect the younger students but still well done for looking after them I will mention this to the headmaster".
Oh that was just what I needed more fame and rewards.
Before I could get further annoyed a brilliant white bird patronus filled the air before us the Dementors were soon fleeing from the phoenix patronus as Dumbledore once more saved the day.
The old goat was useful for something then, not that this would save him in the end.
"Let's get out of here" I told Luna "I think the Outcast paper needs another edition".
Without replying the blond girl followed me and we slipped away using the crowd as cover.