Bab 235: Chapter 234 "Blessings in Disguise"
Amidst the sky, Buckbeak soars through the clouds, and Skyler gazes at the vast, silent expanse, his thoughts turning to Silver Paw.
Reflecting on his past life, where he defied his parents to pursue an adventurous career, he met them only once a year on New Year's Eve. Lacking true friends and a life partner, he remained indifferent to human emotions.
In this life, however, he considers himself fortunate. He has parents who love him, and despite past disagreements with Draco, he reconciled with his brother and bonded stronger than ever.
Skyler has people that he can trust with his life no matter what happens; even when the whole wizarding world is against him, he has people or beasts to help him.
He values these hard-earned relationships but rarely shows his emotions openly.
Deciding to revive his family during the summer vacation after his first year, he maintains a strong façade, only revealing his melancholy when alone.
Seeking solace, he walks beneath an old locust tree, its sprawling branches casting lush shade over silky green grass.
The rich fragrance lingered, inducing a sense of relaxation and joy with each breath.
Brandishing his wand, Skyler declared aloud, "Let the ink alive and turn into a fearsome Dragon!" The wand emitted a thick mist of ink, transforming, under Skyler's guidance, into an ink dragon complete with teeth and claws.
The dragon's body and claws exuded a faint, sharp luster, but its most striking feature was the blank emptiness of its eye sockets.
Hovering like pale black smoke, the ink dragon glided beneath the locust tree. Coiling around the trunk, its tail emerged, encircling the old locust tree entirely.
If someone saw the scene from the start of the Ink Dragon emerging, they would be in awe at how Skyler made a simple drawing turn into an absolute living being. No one in the entire life of a wizarding scene ever made something alive out of a drawing; it was told in the entire history of the magical world, someone only managed to turn a corpse into a living human.
Skyler has reached another level entirely due to his meeting with Fate.
Skyler, tapping Ink Dragon's eye sockets gently with his wand, uttered softly, "Ink Dragon touches the eyes." Eyes sprouted in Ink Dragon's sockets, bringing the dragon to life. Emitting a soft growl, Ink Dragon burrowed into the old locust tree's body, setting the dragon's form into a slow rotation.
Guided by Ink Dragon, the locust tree revolved, akin to a wheel's rotation. Nine turns later, a subtle tinkling emanated from the ground.
Moving westward through the soil, the locust tree revealed a large hole in the earth, unveiling stone steps leading into the profound depths.
Descending the stone steps, Skyler entered the dungeon, "Time to visit an old friend, I hope he made his stay in here comfort."
Despite being in a basement, the atmosphere wasn't damp or dim but rather warm and cozy.
Skyler's figure materialized in the dungeon, where Hector Fowley, bereft of his two feet, was bound to a spider web. The web, infused with magic, absorbed the wizard's magical abilities, rendering him incapable of casting spells.
His pale, bloodless face and sunken eyes, along with dry hair and skin, attested to his weakened state. Lost in his own moans, he remained oblivious to Skyler's presence.
Lucida Slughorn, her hands shackled by black iron-colored restraints, hung high from chains connected to the ceiling.
Darkened eye sockets and dull eyes marked her appearance, with traces of saliva at the corners of her mouth. As Skyler approached, her body twitched slightly, as if recalling a dreadful memory.
Having already wiped the memories of the four prisoners, Skyler observed the scene.
From the memories he obtained, Hector and Lucida were the current leaders and deputy leaders of the Ghost Society. Following Voldemort's downfall, they utilized the dark magic inheritance left by him to allure and recruit talented young Slytherin wizards, molding them into loyal confidants.
After graduation, they absorbed those who controlled the Ghost Society, turning them into assets for their families.
This explains why Skyler was targeted in his second year and the subsequent Slytherin Civil War drama. The families controlling the Ghost Society—Fowley, Slughorn, Selwyn, Yaxley, Travers, and Avery—all had ties to Death Eaters, particularly Lucius Malfoy. Yet, intentionally or not, the Malfoy family was excluded from inheriting Lord Voldemort's legacy.
Skyler, realizing this rivalry stemmed from jealousy toward the Malfoy family's wealth and power, sneered at their attempt to suppress Malfoy's growth. Both being members of the Holy 28 pure-blood families, he saw their monopolization of the Ghost Society as their own affair.
We all belong to the same social class; there's no need for enmity, but one should never cross certain lines—Skyler reflected on his own principles.
Skyler didn't aspire to be a cruel and murderous Dark Lord. Instead of resorting to force or violence, he favored transforming enemies into allies, recruiting talent, and integrating former foes into his camp.
Originally, the Ghost Society, predominantly made up of prefects or elite students, was a target for recruitment in Skyler's plan. However, they crossed a line that violated Skyler's principles.
When Skyler first entered school, his circle of friends was limited, especially within Slytherin. Cassius Warrington and Gemma Farley, who participated in the Merlin Contest together, were the only ones Skyler felt comfortable talking to. Gemma's interest in him became apparent, leading to an unguarded solo date that resulted in an attack.
Yet, Skyler knew he had the Philosopher's Stone as a safeguard. While feigning injury and conversing with Gemma, he discovered the complexity of her emotions toward him, eventually unraveling the situation.
Gemma's mood likely stems from the necessity of taking action herself to ensure control over the situation and minimize damage. She leveraged Skyler's excuse to provide valuable information, and he no longer harbors resentment towards her.
Gemma's family, being simple farmers, could be dealt with in various ways, impacting them economically, in business, or politically.
However, Skyler refrains from such actions openly due to constraints, and he struggles with the moral dilemma of making her family a stumbling block.
Upon learning of Gemma's death, Skyler felt a genuine sadness within but concealed it. He harbors an unforgiving stance towards the culprits responsible for Gemma's demise—Lucida Slughorn, the planner, and Hector Fowley, the leader of the ambush.
Instead of opting for lethal punishment, Skyler offers them a chance to live by following his instructions, allowing him to extract more value from their cooperation.
Therefore, the creation of malevolent entities in the laboratory, such as man-eating vines, cursed demons, and other wicked new species.
Regarding the remaining two prisoners, Irina Selwyn and Miles Blige, they don't hold central roles in the Ghost Society. While their families have ties to the organization, Irina, for instance, belongs to a Selwyn family branch closely associated with the Ghost Society's controlling branch.
They might eventually become Ghost Society members, but Skyler refrains from blaming them for Gemma's death as it hasn't occurred yet. Since they are not directly linked to the incident and aren't core Ghost Society members, Skyler, being generous, has no intention of punishing them for something beyond their control.
Looking back, perhaps the Ghost Society's attack on Skyler from the early time he started to establish his influence in Hogwarts was a blessing in disguise. If not for them attacking him, then most of the plans made today wouldn't even see the daylight in the first place.
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