TW: Self hurt, paranoia, and loathing.
Hogwarts Slytherin Dormitory
The room felt small.
Odd. Harry thought. The room was never this small.
His breath hitched and he struggled to get more air in his lungs. A sense of dread settled in his stomach as he realized something was terribly wrong. The room felt oppressively small again, suffocating him with its closeness. A ringing sound assaulted his ears, growing louder with each passing moment until it drowned out all other noise.
His chest tightened, constricted by invisible hands, as panic clawed its way up his throat. He struggled to draw in air, but it felt as though his lungs were filled with water. Desperation flooded his mind as he clutched at his chest, trying to ease the suffocating pressure. Harry lunged across his bed to seize his wands, but it slipped from his hands and innocently clattered on the floor. Images assaulted his mind of events he would rather forget and move on from. But there rarely were things crueler than memory.
Your people's last-ditch attempt to scuttle our rise has been eliminated. It is as it was foreseen and as it was meant to be. The robot spoke inside his mind in its monotone voice. Our victory is a testament to the superiority of science over the Maleficarum.
His muscles constricted in anticipation as he felt phantom electric shocks course through his body. Minutes stretched into eternity as Harry battled against the invisible forces that held him captive. Gradually, the ringing in his ears began to fade, replaced by the steady rhythm of his own heartbeat. His breathing slowed, becoming less labored with each passing moment. The nightmares receded, leaving behind only the lingering traces of fear. Exhausted and shaken, Harry lay on the floor of his dorm room, his chest rising and falling in ragged breaths. The panic attack had passed, but its effects lingered, a stark reminder of the demons that haunted him still.
Once he recovered, he grabbed his wand and sat with his head bowed on the bed. A nasty feeling rose from his gut till it engulfed him whole. Anger coursed through him as memories of his defeat and humiliation coursed through him once again, unbidden and unwanted. The grip on his wand tightened and Harry aimed at it himself and began cutting. Blood poured from his body as he gritted his teeth and his vision turned red with rage.
Weak. Pathetic. Failure. Still failing despite knowing what is to come.
He forcibly opened his hand and let the wand fall to the bed. The bleeding now stopped.
Whoever did this to him, there will be hell to pay. Harry vowed.
ECLIPSE Hideout
BREAKING: GRINDELWALD RETREATS FROM STALINGRAD!
In a stunning turn of events, the Daily Prophet can now confirm that Grindelwald's forces have suffered a devastating blow in the heart of Stalingrad. This marks the FIRST time since the onset of the great war that the dark wizard himself has faced defeat on the battlefield.
Morale is skyrocketing across allied forces as news of Grindelwald's retreat spreads like wildfire. Insider sources reveal that a covert team of British wizards and witches, rumored to be led by the enigmatic Albus Dumbledore, played a CRUCIAL role in dismantling Grindelwald's infamous portal technology. Despite fervent denials from the British Ministry of Magic and the Dumbledore estate, speculation runs rampant as to their involvement.
Prominent figures such as Lord Potter and billionaire tycoon Viktor Epcott have wasted no time publicly applauding the heroic efforts of the Russian Magical Unions. They have also pledged SIGNIFICANT financial aid to support the victims of war, showcasing unwavering solidarity in the face of darkness. In the wake of this historic victory, partisan activity has reached a FEVER PITCH in occupied France, indicating a surge of hope and defiance among the resistance. The defeat of Grindelwald in Stalingrad serves as a RALLYING CRY for all who dare to oppose tyranny.
As the wizarding world braces for the ongoing battle against darkness, the triumph in Stalingrad stands as a beacon of HOPE, igniting the flames of resistance across the globe. Keep reading the Daily Prophet for further updates on this monumental development.
Sirius Black read the last bits of the newspaper, barked out a loud laugh, and threw the newspaper in front of the two gentlemen before him. Edward looked amused at his friend's actions while Dumbledore stared back stoically. Despite being the outpost for a secretive para-military organization, the mood inside the bunker was weird. Empty booze bottles rolled about in confetti; the post-celebration mood still clung to the room.
"The bastard's on the run, lads!" Sirius exclaimed. "The beast is hurt and believe you me, it is bleeding heavily. Now is the time to pile on and make it worth our while!"
"Hear hear" Edward toasted to Sirius's remarks. "We should immediately go to the minister and demand that he officially declares war on Germany."
"Damn straight," Sirius said and smashed a fist down on the table. "With our grimoires and the new Auror corps. We will march directly into Berlin, unopposed."
Dumbledore stared back at them impassively. He was unmoved by their zeal for war. He had grown up with Grindelwald as a youth. He knew the man through and through. The reports detailing the raid on the Giovanni manor all pointed towards something sinister researched by Grindelwald.
"Gentlemen. I remain unmoved in my arguments here. I wholly believe we should currently maintain the status quo. We simply don't have enough knowledge about what Grindelwald is planning." Dumbledore continued, "All of us here have eyewitness testimony alongside written reports detailing what was happening at Giovanni Manor. Grindelwald is on the verge of unleashing a superweapon, all the research documents recovered point towards that."
Both Sirius and Edward grumbled heavily but Dumbledore was unmoved.
"You cannot expect me to gamble young English lives into the meat grinder without fully knowing what is hidden on the battlefield under the fog of war," Dumbledore said. "Undoubtedly, the Auror Corp is at its highest levels of manpower but do note that it is as green as fresh grass. Do note those are words directly from the mouth of Gloria Bones."
"I can't believe you're still a pacifist, old man!" Sirius's voice rang out, his frustration evident. "After this shit, we've got him on the ropes. His forces are decimated, and the rest are in full retreat across Russia. We can't let this opportunity slip away!"
Albus Dumbledore, his eyes stern and a hint of sadness in his gaze, countered, "Sirius, my boy, you fail to see the bigger picture. If we throw Magical Britain into this war, we risk losing an entire generation of young mages. They lack the training in the arts of warfare that we had in our time. Sending them against Grindelwald's battle-hardened legions would be akin to sending sheep to fight against wolves."
The two exchanged angry glares with each other before Dumbledore spoke further, "Need I remind you that we still have an unknown threat from the Muggles as well? Do you really want to exhaust our Auror Corp on one threat while completely ignoring the other? You've already erroneously conducted a raid on a muggle outpost, how did that work out for you? Several lives needlessly wasted due to poor intelligence reports."
"And if you would have let us question the Petrov kid in our way, we could have known more about what the Muggles are up to!" Sirius shouted back.
"Hogwarts students are not for interrogation. They are children, not soldiers." Dumbledore said.
"Didn't stop your apprentice from acting like it. Do you honestly expect me to believe that the kid escaped from Britain, planned an attack on the Giovannis, and made it all the way down? Dragonshit." Sirius said. "There is a hidden hand behind this attack…."
Sirius trailed off; the implication clearly hung in the air. The thin cracks of trust deficit between Eclipse and Dumbledore were slowly transforming into a canyon.
Meanwhile, an image of a young, smug dark-haired witch flashed behind Dumbledore's eyes. If only they knew what the current generation of mages at Hogwarts were capable of. Sirius was right about one thing, there was a hidden hand that was involved in the Giovanni manor robbery, but it was not the one he suspected it to be. He highly doubted Morrigan conducted a cat burglary across the Atlantic for some mere dark books that her minions in Slytherin couldn't already provide. Something more was at work here.
But now was not the time to focus on the future. Now was the time to focus on the present.
"I reiterate, my lords. More scouting missions in enemy territories to figure out things are imperative." Dumbledore said. "We need to focus on getting Mariam Shah back into Grindelwald's good graces so that we can have eyes and ears in Grindelwald's camps."
"But we can't let Grindelwald go unchecked!" Sirius argued vehemently. "We need to crush him now, while we have the upper hand. If we wait, we may never get another chance."
Edward Greengrass, usually calm and composed, chimed in, "Sirius has a point, Albus. Just because Grindelwald had a hold on your family doesn't mean we should compromise our duties to England and Eldermoor. Sacrifices have been made by many families, not just yours."
Something within Dumbledore seemed to snap and he retaliated to fury with fury. Tables creaked and orbs flickered as Dumbledore rose to his full height.
Albus Dumbledore's eyes flashed with fury at the accusation. The troubled professor vanished, replaced by an elderly mage with an unyielding resolve. "I will not be lectured on sacrifice by two lordlings half my age," he stated sternly. "My warnings are based on caution and a thorough analysis of our situation. We cannot charge headfirst into a capricious situation without considering the consequences."
Sirius and Edward opened their mouths to counter, but Dumbledore raised a hand, silencing them. "I've overstayed my welcome in this organization," he declared. Without waiting for a response, he bid his farewell, and in a blaze of orange fire, he vanished from their presence, leaving behind an angry Sirius and Edward.
The room echoed with the lingering tension, and Sirius couldn't contain his frustration. "Damn it, Edward, can you believe he's just going to walk away? We need him on our side!"
Edward sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Sirius, Dumbledore's always been a pacifist. He's afraid of direct confrontation with Grindelwald. We can't force him to change his stance."
"But we can't afford to sit back and watch!" Sirius snapped, pacing the room. "We need allies, and we need them now. If Dumbledore won't join us, we'll have to find others who will."
Edward closed his eyes, leaned back, and focused – his mind rapidly going through political calculation they will need to enact their will.
"Even without Dumbledore and his allies' seats, we still have enough power in the government to enforce our will. All we need to do is take the motion to Wizengamot and let the dice fall where it may." Edward said. "I am confident we can convince Viktor to rally the muggleborn on our side. That will take much of Dumbledore's bite away in session. I would have gotten Henry to be with us, but he has yet to recover from his comma."
Sirius sighed, "And if the minister refuses?"
"Then we resign en masse from our seats, the Wizengamot dissolves, and prepare for a fresh election," Edward said, and Sirius nodded in agreement.
HOGWARTS
Training Day
The moment a prefect had dropped off a package containing occulumency journals, courtesy of Albus Dumbledore, Harry knew that the kid gloves had finally come off. From then on, Dumbledore had become relentless in his training of Harry. The man had abandoned his grandfatherly demeanor for a more robust role. Although he still spoke the same, the signs were obvious to those who had stayed with him for a long time.
His body language had completely changed. The man stood straighter in classes, his attention was rapt, and he reacted far more swiftly to miscreants than he ever did. While his classmates only had to deal with it in the form of lost house points, Harry had to deal with a completely new training regimen with some very twisted motivation systems.
"I must commend you on your grades, Harry. You have defied all expectations and sense of normality." Dumbledore said as he lazily waved his wand. "That is despite your propensity for rule-breaking and association with dubious personalities."
Harry gasped out a whispery thanks as dodged another fireball lobbed by Dumbledore towards him. Throughout the year, this exercise had been a norm for them. Since raising powerful shields had been a negative prospect, Dumbledore had insisted upon alternative approaches. Thus, the near 1 yearlong approach had begun to design an alternative based on Dumbledore's lessons. Unfortunately, this caused his dreams of joining the Slytherin quidditch team this year to take a backseat since he was already busy with an Owl year. This coupled with the fact that Marcus and he had not been talking, sealed the decision.
Since then, Harry had been forced to memorize the true names of many magical spells that were lobbed at him. The agenda here was to analyze the magical strands at will and implement a counter-course. Or he could raise his own blend of Alchemy to raise physical shields. Anyway, was a fair game for Dumbledore. A fireball suddenly materialized in front of him and raced towards him. Harry leaped to gain some distance between it and the incoming fireball and tapped his gauntlet. In an instant, a thin blue shield materialized in front of him, and Harry braced himself for impact.
This was the moment of truth. Either his shields would hold, or the fireball would singe, and he would have to face Helena and Dorea without eyebrows. A prospect that no doubt delighted the sadistic creature that called itself the deputy headmaster of Hogwarts.
"However, your extracurricular activities leave much to be desired I'm afraid." Dumbledore merely drawled on as if completely oblivious to the boy exerting himself against his spells. Harry meanwhile relaxed his muscles; it wouldn't do much to physically strain against a magical force. Harry emptied his mind of everything that wasn't related to the task at hand.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.
Sweat trickled down his forehead as the heat grew in intensity but he remained resolute. Harry reached deep into his magic and forced it outside in small subtle bursts. Like sound waves they reflected from Dumbledore's fireballs, carrying with them the name and make of its creation. Harry grinned as his memory succeeded in recalling the appropriate true names of the spells.
Wait till you get a load of this old man, Harry thought. Dumbledore expected him to just block and extinguish the spells against him. He had no idea that Harry had been doing extracurriculars privately. He focused hard and gently wrested control of the fireball away from Dumbledore's magic.
Bingo. Harry thought and immediately deflected the fireball away from his shield towards Dumbledore. He angrily grumbled as it splashed harmlessly against him. Dumbledore curiously stared at the fireball before he smiled proudly at Harry.
"You never fail to surprise do you, Master Petrov." Dumbledore chuckled as he waved his wand around and in an instant, the room transfigured itself from a training ground and back into the professor's office. A small table appeared in the middle room and Dumbledore bid Harry to grab one of the chairs. Harry followed suit.
"A small break would suit us well," Dumbledore said and a house elf carrying refreshments suddenly appeared and placed pumpkin juice in front of the duo. "I never knew you were proficient enough in deflection. I believe we have only covered defending so far."
"Harry, my boy," Dumbledore began, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles. "I must commend you on your progress today. Your skill in deflecting spells is truly impressive."
Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks. "Thank you, Professor. But I still have a lot to learn. Deflecting more complex spells... it's not something I'm quite confident in yet."
Dumbledore chuckled softly, "Modesty becomes you, Harry. But mark my words, you have a natural talent for defensive magic. Few wizards your age can boast such proficiency. Why I can count on my right hand the number of students who can deflect spells. Fewer who can do it like you."
"Huh, I imagine Morrigan could do it better," Harry remarked and for a brief moment Dumbledore's expression darkened before he hastily sipped his drink.
"The only competition you should have Harry, is against the man you were yesterday," Dumbledore remarked.
Harry offered a small, appreciative smile before taking a sip of his pumpkin juice. The cool liquid soothed his parched throat, but he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of his stomach.
"Speaking of all things Morrigan" Dumbledore started off and Harry braced himself. This was it.
Dumbledore noticed the change in Harry's demeanor and sighed softly. "Harry, there's something we need to discuss. Your actions over the summer... they deeply concern me."
"The only reason you are still in Hogwarts is by the grace of Lord Potter," Dumbledore said. "Desiring fun during summer isn't a crime, Harry, but reckless adventuring is."
Harry's heart sank as Dumbledore's gaze bore into him with a mixture of disappointment and concern. "I know, Professor. I messed up. I shouldn't have gone off on my own like that."
"For whatever it's worth. Your actions, highly condemnable as they may be, have allowed us a glimpse into the enemy's camp unlike any we have ever had before. And in doing so, you saved my and Lord Potter's life. For that, we are eternally grateful."
Harry blushed in embarrassment at the praise. If only Dumbledore knew how extensive Harry's underworld contacts had grown….. Still, it was a necessary evil for future conflicts to come.
"I am your apprentice. It was my job to help you whenever I can." Harry stammered out.
Dumbledore nodded sagely at that. Dumbledore nodded a sage expression on his face. "Indeed, Harry. But let an old man impart some wisdom accumulated over the ages. You are the sum of the five people closely associated with you."
Harry said nothing and Dumbledore continued,
"Far from me to judge you on the company you keep, but it is my duty to guide you onto the right tracks. When I was young, I too knew someone like Morrigan. Like Morrigan, they were a magical prodigy, unlike the world, had ever seen. Finally, I thought to myself, someone I could relate to on an intellectual level. Somebody who can fully understand me."
He took off his glasses and wiped them in circles.
"Just like you, we too had grand plans. At that time, I was not paying the cost for it so the phrase for the greater good was an ethos I lived by. Until one day the cost struck home too close, and I finally realized I had lost something I could never recover. My family was gone." Dumbledore said. "It was then I realized just how low I had fallen in life. How utterly blind I was to propaganda. Do note that when you look into the abyss, it stares back at you. Take care not to become the very same thing you aspire to rebel against."
Wait. Harry thought to himself. The name in the manor, Kendra Dumbledore!
"You were mates with Gellert Grindelwald?!" Harry exclaimed. Dumbledore nodded in response.
"So that person in the crypts…." Harry trailed off.
"My mother. Grindelwald had taken off with my mother and sister. He claimed that this was his just compensation after I had allegedly wasted his time and betrayed him." Dumbledore said. "At that time, our family was bitterly divided and Aberforth, my younger brother, was too ill and begged me to not chase after them anymore. I chose my family for once in my life. A choice I still standby till today."
Harry was too stunned by the revelation and Dumbledore waited patiently for him to absorb what he just said.
"I trust you have questions," Dumbledore remarked after a brief silence. "However, I can't guarantee I can answer all of them."
"Your family has vampires in it…." Harry trailed off. "And they are helping Grindelwald with some research."
"Correct." Dumbledore said.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"I'm afraid I can quite remark on that, Harry. That is still classified." Dumbledore said. "If it helps my brother and I are working diligently to counter any acts of aggression from Grindelwald."
"Tempus" Dumbledore said and glaring red numbers popped up declaring the time. "Oh my! It looks like our break has gone off quite long."
Harry internally groaned at the return of the old man from his time.
He still treats me like I am in my first year. Harry ranted. It was as if Dumbledore sensed Harry's souring mood, he intervened with an appropriate bribe.
"Now now let us not get sidetracked. We are making quite the progress here." Dumbledore said. "Now tell me Harry, are you aware of what an Animagus is? It is one of the most fascinating aspects of advanced transfiguration."
Just Slytherin Stuff
They had been working on shifts for the past two days in a bid to meet the deadline. A snoring, mouth agape Helena lay on the couch opposite them. A pair of animated needles meticulously sewed threads into their armor. The cloth used was a blend of synthetic materials bred from numerous plant combinations. Meanwhile, Harry carved runes into the metallic plates that were to be inserted into the armor. They had already been generated the nights before by conversion from other materials. Further along, Dorea worked on her potions to further strengthen the armor against splash damage and such by coating the leather in them. She discreetly glanced at the napping form of Helena and whispered,
"Have you noticed she is acting stranger than usual?"
Harry glanced at Helena and raised a puzzled eyebrow at Dorea.
"Not her you idiot." She said, "I am talking about Morrigan."
This sent a jolt through Harry who now focused on Dorea. "What about Morrigan?" Harry asked.
"She has been acting weirder than usual." She said.
"I thought that was her usual mood," Harry said and Dorea pursed her lips.
"Perhaps I spoke wrongly. Her usual posse is acting unusually queer around her. Under normal circumstances, they merely followed her. Now they seem to worship the ground she walks on." Dorea said.
"Again, that is nothing unusual. When I arrived, she pretty much seemed to have an iron grip on them." Harry said.
"Aye, that is the problem here. You haven't seen it before, like I have." Dorea said. "Slytherin house is obligated to present a united front to other houses. So that's why some might assume that people's loyalty to Morrigan is unquestionable."
She paused as she adjusted her instruments.
"Ever after she secured a spot with Abraxas and his lot, there were still divisions and dissents. Believe it or not, Morrigan didn't have absolute control over her lot. But something happened at the beginning of this year. Something big." Dorea said. "Her hold over the group has extended to such an extreme, that she is now doling out literal punishments to people for failing her."
Dorea looked at him in astonishment, but Harry wasn't fazed. He had firsthand knowledge of how vicious Riddles could be. Unfortunately, Dorea didn't know that and thought Harry wasn't taking her seriously.
"A prefect literally dolling jinxes, causing bodily harm to heirs of Britain's most elite families," Dorea said.
"How did you know she was cursing them?" Harry asked and Dorea looked glum. She paused for a moment before resuming.
"Arcturus Black talked to Cassie. In case you didn't know, he is the head boy. There had been a break in the infirmary. Some healing potions had been stolen. Dippet put Arcturus to the task of finding out who did it. He suspected it was Morrigan and wanted to confront Cassie to know if Morrigan had hurt her." Dorea said and she scowled bitterly. "Apparently, loyalty to upcoming Dark witches is more worthwhile to some than family ties. Even at the cost of being treated like a slave."
She again paused before throwing up her hands in frustration, "Look. I am sorry for involving you in black family drama. But you needed to be warned given your weird fixation with her."
"Thank you, Dorea. I appreciate your concern." Harry replied.
Dorea stared him down hard, "I know boys your age are evolving in weird manners and are enamored with the first girl that walks over to them. But trust me when I say this, you can do much better."
Harry sputtered in indignation at her implication.
"Dorea that is not even close to what the situation is - " Harry started but Dorea interrupted him again.
"If you want I can put in a good word for you in my crowd for the weekend Hogsmeade trip." Dorea said, "When you think about it, Helena would be a good match for you, no? The two of you nerds together would look so ado-"
Her speech was cut short by the sound of Helena yelling
"AND WHAT"
Speak of the devil. Harry thought as the lab door slammed open.
"ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Helena finished off while struggling to carry a large set of official-looking documents.
"Nothing," Harry said. "Just stuff."
"Just Slytherin stuff." Dorea affirmed, "You know politics and stuff."
Helena didn't look convinced, "What kind of politics?"
"You know marriage contracts, incest, and upcoming dark ladies and how young boys should avoid them." Dorea fired off and Harry nodded in agreement.
"Just some standard Slytherin stuff," Harry said and Helena made a disgusted face.
"Ew." Helena said and shook her head before Dorea retook the charge, "And what exactly are you up to? If you are not napping, clearly you are strong enough to work again. Are you being lazy, Miss Rook?"
Helena took a deep breath, "If you must know, I was alerted to mail coming my way. Since you two lovebirds are too busy with your Slytherin business." She turned her nose up at them, "I suppose I will just walkway now without letting you know what it is."
Dorea cursed up a storm before Harry intervened again, "Helena please…"
"Sigh, you are lucky I am feeling generous today." Helena said as she brightened up, "Oh by the way the mail was from the ministry's department of commerce."
She threw the package to Harry, "Congratulations people. MystiTech Ventures is now officially in business!"
The collective grins of the trio at that moment were brighter than any patronus that Harry could have ever conjured.
The Serpent Stalks Its Prey
Morrigan idly scrolled through the pages. In past years, she would have chastised herself for idle movements and thoughts. Time was a precious commodity after all and Morrigan was determined to make every moment work. Now, with immortality all but hers, she felt confident enough to spoil herself every now and then. Better yet, no one knew where she was or kept her stuff. Salazar's domain was the perfect hideout for her to study the sheer knowledge she had stolen from Giovannis. The books from Hogwarts's restricted section felt mediocre and empty by comparison. Whoever had written, wrote them once and that was that. There were no updates as the ages marched past.
I suppose finding a publisher to update tomes of dark magic will be a tad bit challenging. She sarcastically thought.
Still, there was one piece of lore that still had her in knots. The book, Magick Most Evil, was confusing. The Hogwarts version and Giovanni version's lore were as different as night and day. The Hogwarts's version had several incorrect pieces of information in it. This was not a clerical error. The book was a plant. That much Morrigan was all but sure of.
The question is who decided it would be a great idea to fuck with me. Morrigan thought and her eyes narrowed as a potential list of suspects ran through her mind. Many whom she had thought loyal had been playing her for longer than she suspected. She would trace it all the way to the root, to where it all began, with Abraxas Malfoy. The Horcrux ritual prescribed within the fake book would have left her a broken wretch. Operating only on basic intent without the ability to comprehend higher functions. She would have been the perfect weapon. Brainless, powerful, and completely loyal to a shadowy cabal with zero checks and balances. Nargulith shivered restlessly in anticipation as he sensed his mistress's bloodlust. Abraxas would have his comeuppance soon enough. But first, she needed to deal with another annoying. The one who put the concept in her brain in the first place. She looked at the viewing pool as it showed her the view outside the chamber. Her target was oh so innocuously sniffing around her domain. Morrigan smiled viciously, the first of her prey was already here in the abandoned girls' bathroom.
Like many others, Myrtle had noticed the changes in the Morrigan's gang of thugs. She had witnessed the changes in the atmosphere. If people like Black and Lestrange were mewling around like hurt, lost little puppies – then someone like her had no business punching that far above her league. She had reported as such to Malfoy and washed her hands of the entire affair. But Warren Senior had reached out to her during breakfast. Her grandfather had thoroughly explained how their acting troupe was on the verge of bankruptcy and how the Malfoy lordling had oh so generously invested in their business when most of the world couldn't be bothered. All Abraxas had asked in return from them was for Myrtle Elizabeth Warren to run a few chores. He insisted that Myrtle comply immediately and get back into business. That had made Myrtle roll her eyes so hard, for a moment she was worried that she had damaged a muscle. Putting on the bullied, woe is me act in front of everyone was getting a bit outdated. Even the professors simply now told her to grow a spine and toughen it out. She had tried telling her grandfather how talented Morrigan was as an individual and it was simply a matter of time before she pieced everything together. She tried telling him that Abraxas was in over his head. Her social was taking a hit and even her secret boyfriend was getting a bit weirded out by her constant antics. She was frustrated, tired, and lonely.
Myrtle felt a hand tighten its grip around her neck, but she paid no attention. She couldn't pay attention to anything anymore. Morrigan had knocked her out a while ago and shoved a potion of dreams down her throat. After that, she simply cast Leglimens and viewed the young Ravenclaw's nasty little dreams. The Ravenclaw bookworm was the first to have recommended the idea of Horcruxes to her. She had conveniently let slip how she felt naughty once and had sneaked around the forbidden section of the library to find something interesting.
Morrigan pointed her wand at the sleeping girl and muttered, "Ennervate."
Myrtle gasped as she was forcibly pulled from dream sleep. Her eyes fluttered open and encountered a pair of reptilian slit eyes. Myrtle felt a sense of bliss overtake her then her heart stopped beating within the same minute and all went dark.
End
Author Notes: Hi readers, long time no see. I apologize for the delay here. I was sick, studying for a nasty exam, and in b/w working a shitty 9 hr job. Also, there were few reviews and I kinda lost motivation to write for a bit. I have been rewriting certain aspects of the story to be faster and cut out certain subplots based on the feedback received. So lemme know what you think of this chapter. Thanks for following the story for so long. Don't forget to review. Love y'all. Have a great week ahead.