Warning: Non-Beta, pardon me for the typos or the screwed up grammar because English isn't my mother language.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any franchise in this story!
As the sky had turned dark and the stars were twinkling in the vast black sea, the crimson and black coloured Hogwarts Express finally arrived at the Hogsmeade Station. The passengers climbed down and my group had lagged behind to let the crowd thinning first. As expected, the first years were taken by the big and hairy Rubeus Hagrid to the Black Lake while the second years to seventh years were going in the different direction. The second years mostly followed their seniors to their new destination, a field packed with horse-less, horse-drawn carriages. Not all students could see the invisible skinny — almost skeleton like — horses with beady red eyes. However, I, Holly and Su could see the invisible horses easily.
"What are you looking for guy and gals?" Parvati inquired as she saw the direction of our sights.
Holly turned his sight in Parvati's direction and asked back, "Don't you see the weird horses pulling the carriages?"
Parvati and Padma shared a confused glance while Hermione seemed to realize what Holly had meant since she had read a copy of 'Hogwarts, the History'. It wouldn't be a surprise that the bushy-haired girl had read from the front to the back more than once.
Surprisingly, it was Su who explained to the confused Patil twins.
"Thesthral," the Asian witch began, taking the Patil twins' attention, "It can only be seen by those who have witnessed the death. I have my reason how I can see them and it's personal."
Su levelled me with reproaching gaze and I shifted my eyes from meeting her. It was only normal for her to be suspicious because she knew the fact that in last Christmas I couldn't see these bony horses. I then shook my hand, indicating that I'd tell her later. The Chinese Witch nodded her head, acknowledging my silent request.
The other girls could only stare at Su and me in bewilderment while Holly narrowed her eyes. Fortunately, the Girl Who Lived decided to put her suspicion aside and climbed up the wooden steps first, taking the lead for the others. The other girls followed their unofficial leader with me lagging behind to close the carriage's door.
We settled in the cramped space and waited until the carriage entered the Hogwarts' gate. In the meantime, the girls conversed anything caught their fancy with me as the observer as the usual.
Soon, we saw the two stone gargoyles guarding the gates as the carriage passed the Castle's gate. We waited for a moment until the carriage stopped and climbed downs the wooden steps one by one. Hermione, Parvati, Padma, Holly, Su and I took our turn one by one. Not too far after we climbed down the wooden steps of the carriage, we climbed up the stone steps of Castle's entrance and strolled leisurely in direction of the Hogwarts' Great Hall.
I immediately turned on my 'Gamer's Mind' because I didn't have a confidence to my maximum level 'Occlumency' skill. Just like my 'Legilimency' skill, the 'Occlumency' skill only had seven levels in total and even I reached the maximum level, someone accomplished in mind art like Headmaster Dumbledore or Professor Snape could still pick my surface thoughts with their experience. It was better safe than sorry.
Along the way, we met Professor McGonagall in the stone corridor and bowed our head to Professor McGonagall. Soon, we entered the Great Hall through the massive archway. The two heavy doors were opened wide to let us in unhindered. We immediately saw the innumerable candles hovering in midair over four long, crowded tables, making the golden plates and goblets sparkle. Overhead, the bewitched ceiling, which always mirrored the sky outside, sparkled with stars.
Hermione and Parvati walked in the direction of the Gryffindor's table in the far left from the heavy double-doors while Holly, Su, Padma and I proceeded forwards to our table between Hufflepuff's and Gryffindor's tables. After we settled down with our year mates, greetings soon were exchanged.
Holly and I greeted back our year mates and those from the upper years curtly while Padma and Su greeted back politely. After the pleasantries were exchanged the students began to share their holiday; some were interesting while the others weren't so much. It was something for the sake of pleasantry.
After a while, the Great Hall's entrance doors were closed automatically, surprising the second years. The upper years immediately explained it was a sign that the new first years were arrived and would come soon. There were curiosity, expectation and indifference from everyone in the Great Hall. Soon, the great hall became quiet. Then, the double doors were opened and the queue of first years stepped in the Great Hall with Professor McGonagall in the front.
I spammed my 'Observation' skill to the first years; there were two students whom I had given my interest than the rest.
Luna Lovegood
- Race: Witch
- Level: 11
- Health: 80
- Willpower: 200
Statistic Attributes:
- Strength: 8
- Agility: 7
- Mind: 28
- Magic 20
Information: A pureblood witch and the first year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She has been traumatized by an accident in her childhood which has taken her mother's life. Although her mind is messed up, she's still a girl in the end. I hope you understand what I mean.
Ginevra Weasley
- Level: 11
- Health: 90
- Willpower: 180
Statistic Attributes:
- Strength: 9
- Agility: 9
- Mind: 12
- Magic: 18
Information: A pureblood witch and the first year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She is a tomboy because of growing up with six older brothers born before her and a total fangirl of the Girl Who Lived. She's a bisexual who has a dream to be Holly Potter's bride and it's not that surprising since she's Holly's diehard fangirl.
My interest in the two eleven-year-old witches didn't hold any nefarious or untoward intention. I was basically curious about the young Lovegood. I found out this Luna Lovegood didn't have an extraordinary reason for her loony behaviour. It was basically the trauma after witnessing the death of her mother in her childhood.
Nevertheless, the girl had high a 'Mind' stat for someone so young. On the other hand, Ginevra Weasley had lost my interest the moment I found nothing suspicious about her, meaning she wasn't affected by Tom Riddle's Dairy and from that, I realized the Dairy wasn't in the possession of the sole daughter of the Weasley House.
Fortunately, I had turned on my 'Gamer's Mind' or my panic would become apparent. It was another reason that I needed to call my House-elves to find out Lucius Malfoy's whereabouts. I then held back my thoughts as Professor McGonagall, a bespectacled witch with her hair in a tight bun, was placing the famous Hogwarts Sorting Hat on a stool before the newcomers.
Every year, this aged old hat, patched, frayed, and dirty, sorted new students into the four Hogwarts houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin); we well remembered putting it on, exactly one year ago, and waiting, petrified, for its decision as it muttered aloud in our ears. Well, I was an exception because of my 'Gamer's Mind' skill that was broken enough to block the Hat's attempt to mind-rape me, even though the Hat was backed with the near limitless supply of power from the local leylines but I had ended up in Ravenclaw, along with Su, Padma and the most surprising case, Holly.
"Do you think someone will give us a surprise like Lustburg last year?" said Terry Boots out of the blue. The other second years of Ravenclaw House perked up.
"I don't think so," I shook my head. I knew that I was very special.
"You sure are confident, Lustburg," said Mandy Brocklehurst snidely.
"Let's wait and find out, shall we?"
With my taunt, the uppity young pureblood wizards and witches bristled but they couldn't do anything. They returned back to observe the sorting. There was no extraordinary sorting process like what had happened to me and Holly. However, my interest was tweaked when it was Luna Lovegood's turn.
The young witch was like how J.K. Rowling described her in the series: owning an ethereal beauty with her dreamy expression. Although she was only eleven years old at the moment, it was easy to realize she'd become a beauty in the future. After the hat dropped on Luna Lovegood's head, there was a short pause and the head giggled disturbingly. Then, the hat shouted, "RAVENCLAW," as I had expected.
The dreamy-eyed girl trotted to Ravenclaw table and sat down together with her year mates. I caught her year mates' discontent because her loony behaviour and found out the telltale sign of what is going to be a future bullying.
"Well, we can't have it, can't we?" I mused mentally.
However, it was for later since I felt someone had been observing me once I entered the Great Hall. The problem was the Great Hall was too crowded for me to narrow down this mysterious observer. I narrowed my eyes slightly as I guessed what the reason behind this sudden attention to me.
"What's it?" inquired Su suddenly, taking my attention from the mysterious observer, "You seem very tense all of sudden?"
I turned my sight to Su and shook my head dismissively. "Nothing," I began, "Nothing important. Anyway, let's continue to watch."
With a slight hesitation, Su nodded her head. She seemed unwilling to follow my words but conceded in the end. After that, we observed the sorting until it finished; we clapped when a new first-year sorted into our house.
In the meantime, my eyes wandered past the sorting to where Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, sat watching the Sorting from the staff table, his long silver beard and half-moon glasses shining brightly in the candlelight. As usual, the aged wizard seemed jovial. I couldn't decipher what he was thinking. Using Legilimency seemed to be dangerous because he was master Occlumens. When I used my 'Observation' skill on him, I was pleasantly surprised because I finally could see his statistics. Surprisingly, his level was 50. His 'Strength' and 'Agility' were below 50 points but his 'Mind' was around 100 points and his 'Magic' was around 200 points.
"Weak. . ." I couldn't help murmuring faintly.
Several seats along, I saw Gilderoy Lockhart, dressed in robes of aquamarine, flirting with two witches I realized to be Professor Vector, the Arithmancy Teacher, and Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy Teacher. And there at the end was Hagrid, huge and hairy, drinking deeply from his goblet.
Surprisingly, Professor Snape looked deep in thought. I supposed his mind was elsewhere at the moment, namely Lucius Malfoy's mysterious disappearance. I didn't understand how close they were but I supposed they were close enough for Severus Snape to be named as Lyra Malfoy's godfather. I realized that there was more than Lucius Malfoy's disappearance if it made Professor Snape like that.
I spammed my 'Observation' on them and saw their statistics.
Albus Dumbledore
- Race: Wizard (Half-Blood)
- Level: 50
- Health: 530
- Willpower: 2110
Statistic Attributes:
- Strength: 41
- Speed: 42
- Mind: 121
- Magic: 211
Information: a half-blood wizard and current headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardly, he is also the Supreme Mugwumps and Magical Britain's Representative in International Confederation of Wizard. Hailed as the Paragon of light because of his kindness and benevolence, but beware not to be alone in the same room as him, or you ass's chastity is in mortal peril! Just look at his twinkling eyes, he has interest for you in that way!
Filius Flitwick
- Race: Wizard/Goblin (Half-Blood)
- Level: 38
- Health: 520
- Willpower: 1560
Statistic Attributes:
- Strength: 52
- Speed: 57
- Mind: 73
- Magic: 156
Information: a part-wizard, part-goblin who is the alumnus of Ravenclaw House and its current head, he is Charms Professor with an eccentric personality. Although he's short, don't take him lightly because his war mongering blood of goblins is very thick!
Severus Snape
- Race: Wizard (Half-Blood)
- Level: 36
- Health: 490
- Willpower: 1480
Statistic Attributes:
- Strength: 49
- Speed: 21
- Mind: 79
- Magic: 148
Information: a half-blood wizard and alumnus of Slytherin House, he is the Potion Professor as well as the Head of Slytherin House. Inactive Death Eater who hated noisy children with passion, and yet he worked as a Professor in a school full of children. Beware of him! He is very, very spiteful man.
Pomona Sprout
- Race: Witch (Half-Blood)
- Level: 37
- Health: 450
- Willpower: 1390
Statistic Attributes:
- Strength: 45
- Speed: 41
- Mind: 62
- Magic: 139
Information: a half-blood witch and alumnus of Hufflepuff House, she is the Herbology Professor as well as the Head of Hufflepuff House. She is akin to second mother figure to her charges because of her fairness, thoughtfulness and kindness as the head of her house. Be careful of being smothered by her! Don't forget to give her diet product as early Christmas present!
Bathsheda Babbling
- Race: Witch (Half-blood)
- Level: 32
- Health: 390
- Willpower: 1200
Statistic Attributes:
- Strength: 39
- Speed: 42
- Mind: 75
- Magic: 120
Information: a half-blood witch and alumnus of Ravenclaw House, she is the Study of Ancient Runes Professor. A single witch who loves Ancient Runes so much, let's show her the bliss of having a man to accompany her!
Septima Vector
- Race: Witch
- Level: 33
- Health: 400
- Willpower: 1240
Statistic Attributes:
- Strength: 40
- Speed: 42
- Mind: 78
- Magic: 124
Information: a pureblood witch and alumnus of Ravenclaw House, she is the Arithmancy Professor. She is a widower whose husband was killed in the previous war against Voldemort because of his muggleborn status. Give her company, my boy! She has been alone for such a long time!
Aurora Sinistra
- Race: Witch
- Level: 32
- Health: 320
- Willpower: 1190
Statistic Attributes:
- Strength: 32
- Speed: 35
- Mind: 64
- Magic: 119
Information: a pureblood witch and alumnus of Slytherin House, she is the Astronomy Professor of Hogwarts. Look at that lovely figure — don't forget to drag her into a broom closet once before you graduate! Make papa proud, son!
Rolanda Hooch
- Race: Witch
- Level: 35
- Health: 400
- Willpower: 1330
Statistic Attributes:
- Strength: 40
- Speed: 43
- Mind: 45
- Magic: 133
Information: a pureblood witch and alumnus of Gryffindor House, she is the Flying Instructor. She's a Quidditch fanatic. Don't let her babbling about Quidditch before you!
Rubeus Hagrid
- Race: Wizard/Giant (Half-Blood)
- Level: 37
- Health: 1500
- Willpower: 700
Statistic Attributes:
- Strength: 150
- Speed: 75
- Mind: 40
- Magic: 70
Information: the gentle halfbreed of giant and wizard, his father was an insignificant wizard while his mother is the most vicious and dangerous giantess — Fridwulfa, he is the groundskeeper of Hogwarts after he was expulsed fifty years ago because someone had framed him. Speaking of which, how the heck his daddy did it with a freakin' female giant?
Name: Gilderoy Lockhart
- Race: Wizard
- Level: 31
- Health: 390
- Willpower: 990
Statistic Attributes:
- Strength: 39
- Speed: 35
- Mind: 47
- Magic: 99
Information: a pureblood wizard and the current Defense Against the Dark Art Professor, he is a fraud who stole other accomplishments. Quite skilful in mind magic, mostly the Obliviator charm.
Soon, the sorting finished and the feast began after Headmaster Dumbledore's opening speech. However, there was Lockhart who took over the Headmaster's speech when he was introduced. The self-centred narcissistic wizard began his spiel of what achievement he'd gotten from his fraudulence.
I didn't focus on Gilderoy's spiel like the majority of the female witches in the Great Hall because the mysterious observer still observing me subtly. I was curious who this person was and what was their reason behind this sudden attention to me.
—»O«—
Lyra Malfoy was a restless little witch. Since the end of her summer holiday, her world had been turned upside down by the bunch of house-elves.
She finally understood the truth of the world.
Those house-elves had opened her mother's and her eyes to the sole truth of the world that Asmodias Lustburg was the most magnificent, glorious and superb young wizard worth of their devotion, loyalty and love.
Considering what had happened to them after those house-elves had taken them into their secret base somewhere in Britain Island, it was normal for the pair of mother-daughter became a pair of batty witches. Of course, it was almost impossible to find out that something had fundamentally changed in them.
When they were apprehended by the house-elves, surprisingly, they were treated with full course of meals three times in a day and an eight hours resting time while the rest of the day was used as conditioning, indoctrination and brainwashing process; they were put in very dark room which made them couldn't see anything, not even their own bodies.
It was when they'd been confined in that dark room that the indoctrination process began and only ended after hours.
The content of the indoctrination was simple:
1. Asmodias Lustburg is the most glorious, magnificent and extraordinary wizard in the world.
2. Asmodias Lustburg is the only one who suites to be the true King of the World.
3. Asmodias Lustburg will bring the golden age of magic in the future.
4. To serve Asmodias Lustburg is the biggest honour for them.
5. To be useful for Asmodias Lustburg is the true bliss.
6. Their person, resources and magic solely belong to Asmodias Lustburg.
7. Their life and death are belonging to Asmodias Lustburg alone.
To make the long story short, the brainwashing process proceeded smoothly. As the matter of fact, it was too smooth that made it very scary.
To devote themselves to Asmodias Lustburg, to be loyal only to Asmodias Lustburg and to love Asmodias Lustburg had become their reason to exist. They felt the urge and pull to be useful for the young wizard as though it was no different from their urge to consume Oxygen to live.
It had become their second nature.
They had realized that their meal which was given by the house-elves wasn't clean. There was something in it, her mother realized and stated. She had an idea what was inside the meal; Love and Loyalty potions.
Unfortunately for them, they could only eat it obediently or the house-elves would become crazy and their lives would be in mortal peril if they didn't follow the house-elves' demands. They feared death. They didn't want to die and could only follow the crazy house-elves' demands.
They also realized the fact that those house-elves had done something to them when they were asleep because the moment they woke up, they found the first person flashed in their mind was the young wizard in the question. Each time they woke up after their rest in the week they were confined in that room, their love, devotion and loyalty to Asmodias Lustburg became stronger, arriving at the fanatical level even.
Unfortunately, they couldn't tell anyone about those batty house-elves existence because it would implicate their beloved lord. Their body and mind reviled the notion of harming the oblivious young wizard post-their abduction.
"Lyra, are you really fine?"
Lyra returned back to the reality no sooner than the question finished. She turned her sight in the direction of the voice's origin and saw her right-hand, Daphne Greengrass. The moment her grey eyes were laid on the black-haired, green-eyed young witch, her mind tried to find a way how to convert her right hand into the devotee of 'Asmodian Cult'. Her mind also supplied her with Greengrass' connections as the spearhead of the traditionalist and the grey faction in Magical Britain's political battlefield. The Greengrass would become another useful supporter of her beloved.
"No," her mind reprimanded her, "not yet. The time hasn't arrived yet."
She remembered that the Heiress of the Greengrass House was waiting for her response.
"For the umpteenth time, Daph, I'm totally fine," Lyra finally replied with a clipped tone, shutting down any attempt of further inquiries from the Heiress Apparent of the Greengrass House.
Daphne's sight was focused on her for a moment, searching for something which ultimately couldn't be found out by the black-haired second-year Slytherin. She then returned back to her own business, namely nibbling her food prepared on the table.
Lyra eyed the Heiress of Greengrass House for a bit longer before she shifted her forlorn look to the Ravenclaw's table. She watched her beloved lord watching the merrymaking around him silently.
She couldn't help wishing to show how much she loves him. She wanted to relish in his presence closely, to be touched by him.
As much as Lyra Malfoy desired to be in Asmodias Lustburg's magnificent presence and to show how important the blue-eyed wizard in her heart, she wasn't ready.
Her family wasn't ready.
Barmy and those house-elves had stated very seriously they could only show their fanatical loyalty, bottomless devotion and unreasonable love to their sole Master after they sorted the Dark faction's problem and their financial first, so they could easily carry on any whim of their most glorious lord.
Fortunately for Lyra, her mother wasn't only a trophy wife of Malfoy House.
Narcissa Malfoy, nee Black, was formerly the scion of Black House. She was very efficient in management and subterfuges and a witch that shouldn't be trifled with. Not by the common wizards in the Dark Faction.
To cut the long story short, it wasn't hard for Narcissa to regain the control over the Dark Faction with Malfoy and Black house's connections and finances. However, Narcissa still needed time until everything sorted orderly and in the meantime, they needed to restrain their desire to be close to their most glorious lord.
That was the main problem.
To distance themselves from the target of their obsession wasn't something easy. Lyra was painfully aware of that fact. Furthermore, her mother nightly activity which made her hear her disgusting throaty moans as Narcissa called their lord's most glorious name told her how unbearable it was for her mother; Narcissa Malfoy wasn't in far different condition than hers. As the matter of fact, it must be harder for the older witch who had tasted the forbidden fruit, so to speak.
Lyra relished the small mercy that she was still young and hadn't started her interest to male in a sexual way or she would end miserably like her mother. Besides, Lyra wished to present her virginity to her lord when the time comes, to show that her loyalty, devotion and love for him were the real deal.
Soon, the sorting feast ended and all students were herded to their dormitories by the Perfects. With a heavy heart and unwillingness hidden behind her arrogant, indifferent mask, Lyra followed her housemates with her clique surrounding her like loyal subordinates they were. She threw the last glance at her beloved Lord who was lagging behind with the Asian witch, Indian witch and the Girl Who Lived.
Witnessing her lord with other girl made her heart itching with pain and anger. Inwardly, she wondered how she could distance her Lord with those lesser beings for she was enough to serve him.
That's right. She, alone, was enough to serve her lord. Not an Asian witch, nor Indian witch, nor even the Girl Who Won't Die.
Now, what she'll do to realize her ambition? She needed to kick up the notch in her scheming, so to speak.
She was sorted into Slytherin for a reason after all . . .
Footnotes:
Sorry for the late update guys. I've been busy IRL. Anyway, sorry I couldn't write the first interaction between Dias and Luna and how Dias will question his house-elves about the Malfoy. I think I'm going to write it in the next chapter. Well, nothing I want to share in this section beside I want to thank you for your support so far. The follower has reached 1k+ number and it's truly something else. It really made me happy. Thank you!
Let's meet again in the next issue. See you later!