Oh now this one is nice. 'To Mr. Lockhart. I am truly inspired by all your brilliant adventures. They make for riveting reads, and I cannot wait to discover the next stage of your fantastic journey. May fortune continue to smile on you. Mrs. Heather Lowberry'. Put this in the reply pile Harry."

He wasn't sure which was more annoying.

Having to spend his evenings organizing the correspondence of a man whose only good quality was to cater to the delusions of middle-aged women.

Or having to spend his time at school when things were rather tense back home in Hell.

His parents were fine. Having fallen back into their usual affectionate routine mere days after they had survived their encounter with the mustached-wearing asshole.

Whose survival pissed Harry off to no end since this was the second time Striker had dared to attack those close to him. And unlike last time, the cowboy assassin had gotten away instead of being neatly wrapped for his Aunt Sallie to 'play with'.

Which meant that sooner or later he would try to take another shot at Harry's family and loved ones.

Aside from being a little extra vicious to their dads, especially his since Moxxie had taken the opportunity to tease her while her ability to retaliate was slightly reduced, Loona was the same as ever. Making sarcastic comments about his dad's efforts to make the business more efficient, kicking Blitzo in the nuts when he was trying to shower her with paternal affection, and trading barbs with his mom.

Only new thing on the horizon was that she had decided that since he was busy with school, and Via busy with the drama that was her family, she had finally accepted an invite to go to a Hound party in order to broaden her social group.

He could tell that she was nervous about it, but Harry thought that it would be good for her.

Especially since Blitzo wasn't exactly helping matters outside of the office with his inability to find stability with his relationship with Stolas.

Harry had wasted little time in contacting his teacher once he learned what he had gone through. And while he could tell that Stolas was happy to hear his expressions of concern, the draconic preteen could tell that he wasn't the one the Goetia was waiting to hear from.

Especially since Via told him that her dad got all excited whenever he heard a phone ring, only to immediately enter a state of depression when he learned that it wasn't the former circus performer.

It was a state of affairs that couldn't last without it ending in tragedy.

Which meant the sooner he was back home, the better.

Especially since he had already begun to think that perhaps he didn't need to use his employee discount since there were a number of ways to stage an 'accident' for the babbling idiot he was currently forced to help. Though each of them had their drawbacks.

Breaking his neck while going down one of the many magical staircases. Easy enough to do, but very likely to get caught since nearly every staircase had an animated portrait acting as a discreet alarm system.

Luring him into the Forbidden Forest under the pretense of having one of his fan girls being interested in a midnight rendezvous. Again, easy to do, but it did run the risk of getting Hagrid involved since the forest was his responsibility. And could very well see something he wasn't supposed to see.

Poisoning his morning coffee with something that was either instantly lethal or left him wishing that it was. Though in truth Harry didn't really like that option since it ran the risk of ruining breakfast.

All great options on paper, and visual, but Harry took after his dad when it came to plotting successful hits. Which meant that more time was needed if he truly wanted to…

"I think it's time we call it a night Harry. The willingness to work hard is admirable, but it must be balanced with dedication to self-care. Wouldn't want our fans to see us if we hadn't gotten a good nights sleep after all."

Acknowledging the egotistical dismissal with a curt nod, Harry quickly left the classroom and headed for the Kitchens.

For an after-dinner snack was just the remedy he needed to get over the nightmare that was spending more than the bare minimum of time in that man's presence.

Luckily, the mixture of his training regime, and his Hell altered metabolism ensured that he didn't run the risk of turning into a skinner version of Dudley.

Which meant that as long as he didn't overly indulge he would be ok.

"H….Hi Harry."

Snapped out of his musings by a familiar hesitant voice, Harry briefly nodded his head in acknowledgement before looking for the stair way that would take him from the 2nd floor to the kitchens.

For while the youngest Weasley was far more tolerable than Creepy, if only because the girl didn't stick around long enough to do more than acknowledge his presence, she was little more than a distant acquaintance.

Which suited him fine since he had no interest in getting involved with Slytherin house more than he had to.

Laying down a beating on Malfoy, or being 'honest' with Snape was one thing.

But offering to protect a first year when said protection couldn't be extended to their domestic situation, that was another.

….

Despite his evening nearly coming to a waste of energy thanks to a run in with Potter, and that fool that proved that Dumbledore's wisdom had declined since he had roamed the halls of those years ago, he had done it.

It had taken some effort, and more than his usual levels of self-restraint since he couldn't afford to draw attention to himself at this critical juncture, but he had done it.

In a day's time, his ancestor's mighty beast would once again be able to strike terror into those who were unworthy to learn the intricate secrets of the magical arts.

And with enough time and effort, probably by the end of the year if all went according to his plan, he would no longer be reliant on the physical capabilities of others to achieve his ends.

It was extremely infuriating, being reduced to a mere parasitic state where he could only slowly increase the time he spent controlling his little blood traitor puppet.

But he supposed he was fortunate that circumstances allowed the female Weasley to be as susceptible to his powers as she was.

It had once amazed him just how much an individual was willing to bear their heart and soul when they thought they had an attentive audience. But in the years leading to his rise to power, amazement quickly transformed into amusement.

In the early weeks of their 'association', Ginerva's despair, jealousy, and admiration, had been enough to sustain him to the point where she had begun to believe the advice provided by her 'dear friend Tom' that Slytherin house was not the bastion of evil her family, in particular the one that was closest to her in age, had always warned her about.

In fact, the speed in which she so readily believed his claims that ambition and cleverness was a virtue to be cherished rather than discarded had undoubtedly culminated in the Sorting Hat's decision to reward her newfound perceptions by placing her in the serpents den.

Something which only allowed his hold on her to increase.

For as the member of a family of blood traitors, without the necessary wealth or political connections that would have caused some of the members of Slytherin House to give her a chance before passing judgement, little Ginny was left all alone in the den of snakes. Though thanks to the perception that she wished to seperate herself from the rest of the Weasley clan she wasn't bullied like he had been before the discovery of his powers.

Except for the diary of her good friend Tom.

Thanks to this desperation for a kind word or gesture, something that her brothers, even the gangly featured one, were hardpressed to do thanks to the rift between the houses of the lion and snake, the girl became vulnerable enough to allow him to take possession of her far more quickly than originally expected.

He of course would still reveal the return of Slytherin's heir on the night of Hallow's eve. Not only because it would allow him more time to prepare the Basilisk for its intended purpose, decades of hibernation and a poor diet could not be undone in an instant after all, but also because it would demoralize those who dared to mark the 31st as a day of celebration.

He knew of course that his older 'self' had not been destroyed on that fateful night eleven years ago, his continued existence was proof of that, but to celebrate his apparent demise, while praising the child responsible for this unexplained act of magic, it was enough to make him consider using his puppet to carry out a more direct form of revenge.

But he knew that it would be unwise to do so.

For Potter possessed too many similarities to himself to make such an option viable. At least for the time being.

He was ruthless to those that displeased him, especially when he thought no one in authority was watching. He was academically brilliant. And from the few times Ginny had been close enough to Potter to provide him with the memory, he had the subtle tells of a killer.

All of which made him more dangerous than the girl's pre-Hogwarts imaginings of 'Boy Who Lived' had painted him to be.

Which meant that he was strongly considering the possibility of having Potter be the first victim of his soon to be unleashed servant.

If only because there was something poetic about having the one responsible for his supposed downfall as the first sign of Lord Voldemort's glorious return.

….

"Harry mate, don't take this the wrong way, but have you ever considered 'talking' to someone?"

Though he was slightly annoyed at having his morning meal interrupted, especially by someone who should have known better, the black-haired second year nevertheless answered the question.

Albeit in his usual manner.

"I'm talking to you right now aren't I? Seems to me that should answer your question."

His words causing some of his housemates to chuckle, Harry rolled his eyes at Justin's inability to be distracted.

"I mean talking to someone professionally. I don't know if you've noticed but, your a little.."

"Rough around the edges?"

"Possess a mean streak a mile long?"

"Acting like my uncle Ned when he's had too much of his 'special brew'?"

Huffing in irritation at that last one, for he knew for a fact that he had a firm control over his alcohol consumption, courtesy of what he knew his mom would do to him if he ever caught him exceeding the limit she set for him, Harry felt his frown deepen as his year mate refused to drop the subject.

"Exactly. I mean, don't get me wrong, all of us here greatly enjoy your efforts to disprove the image of our house being filled with...how do I put this delicately?"

Though he was capable of doing so, at this point Harry didn't care about sparing his housemates' feelings.

"Hard working duffers who are forever doomed to lower to middle-class management?"

Earning a glare from those around him, though he could tell that it wasn't directed so much at him as to those that made that claim, Harry kept his attention on his embarrassed looking year mate as he tried to illustrate his pont.

"Y..yes thats right. All your efforts have done much to prove that Badgers can be dangerous if push come to shove but...I dunno. Sometimes you can get scary you know?"

"Then you should count yourself fortunate that its only sometimes instead of all the time."

Deciding that he was done with the conversation, Harry allowed the surrounding chatter to wash over him as he once again dwelled on something that had frequently occurred to him.

He missed being in Hell.

Back home, so long as he was mindful of the class system, no one cared if he showed open hostility to those who weren't friends or family. Blitzo being the sole occasional exception of course but even then it was more out of irritation rather than out right malice.

But up here?

Just because he didn't act like the image of a hero, it was enough to make people think that he needed a shrink.

He didn't need one.

He had loved ones that supported him, and numerous outlets to vent his frustrations.

He didn't need to talk to some clock watcher about his feelings. And since Blitzo had been seeing one for years, without any visible signs of improvement, he would pass on having some educated quack ask him questions he had no desire to answer.

No. He was fine the way he was.

And he was certain that this stance would be supported by his family once he made his way home in 2 weeks' time.

Yes it meant that he would be missing out on the Halloween Feast. But it was a small sacrifice to pay since he sure to have a better time spending the weekend with his family and friends.

Even if his favorite mentor was still dealing with the end of his marriage and the depression that had been sparked by Blitzo's inability/unwillingness to admit that he cared for the grey-feathered Goetia as more than just a meal ticket.

...

Despite all that had happened in the years following that fateful day, Stolas could still clearly recall all the emotions his younger self had experienced from the moment he opened his eyes to when he had fallen asleep.

Excitement at finally being acknowledged as mature enough to be considered a proper member of the Goetia family.

Pride as his father bestowed upon him the tome that would allow him to actively be of service to Hell.

Shock, and then fear at the knowledge that he was arranged to marry someone that would have never chosen for himself.

And delight at finally having someone he could call a friend.

He of course would have to spend 25 years in a loveless, yet somewhat amicable marriage before he was once again united with Blitzy. Which had inevitably caused his relationship with Stella to deteriorate rapidly, though his mentoring of a prophecy child had resulted in a brief reconciliation that had resulted in more 'shared physical interactions' than they had ever done before.

But the fact remained that he had never forgotten that Imp that had brightened what had turned out to be a day of disappointment.

And it had been with great delight that they had been reunited during a time where his marriage had a reached a low point.

He knew that Blitz's presence that night had more to do with thievery than it did for a desire for romantic rendevous. But he didn't care.

That one night of passion had been to reunite his long cherished dream of romantic love, and he would do anything he could to retain it.

Unfortunately, his efforts to try and deepen his relationship with his darling Blitzy had proven to be less than successful.

Oh they had tremendous chemistry in the bedroom. With his beloved Imp proving to be able to keep up with not only his libido, but also that of his wife.

But, his praise of Blitzy's sexual prowess and his flirtatious efforts to make him know that he was always eager to spend time with him had sadly resulted in an unfortunate miscommunication about his intentions.

Which meant that his Imp lover felt that he was viewed only as a way to slake his lust.

Something that he should have picked up on. But alas, their different upbringings had ensured that he could not convey this in a manner that Blitzo would believe to be genuine.

Which is why it was time to do something drastic.

If his Blitzy believed that their relationship was based on obligation, then he would remove the symbol of that obligation from the equation and start fresh.

Of course, this plan would go poorly if his actions cost his beloved the means in which he made his living.

But fortunately, since his grimoire was not the only means to access the mortal world that shouldn't prove to be too much of a problem.

So long as Asmodeus was in a mood to grant his request when he visited him in the coming days.

...

Authors Note

Happy New Year everyone. Happy that I was able to get this chapter out on the last day of 2024 :)

Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter, might be a tad short, but it is setting the stage for not only the opening of the Chamber, but also the plot lines for the rest of the Helluva Boss's season 2. At least as far as Blitzo's reconciliation with Fizz, and the evolving nature of Stolas and Blitzo's relationship. Might be a bit condensed time frame wise, but since the 'I hate Blitzo party' happens on halloween, should be dooable :)

Appreciate the continued support for this story.

Plz continue to review, no flames.

Til next time.