Capítulo 47: Chapter 47: Contract Termination
Even though the Lance family's arrival was as low-key as possible, given the formality of the meeting and the significance of ending the contract, the scene was still quite grand.
At the very least, when the tall, ancient, and elegant Thestral-drawn carriage landed, the group of students couldn't help but show looks of surprise.
"Are those... horses?"
Harry asked in confusion as he stared at the bony, pitch-black creatures with massive bat-like wings that were pulling the carriage.
"Horses pulling the carriage? Didn't the carriage fly here on its own?"
Seamus Finnigan looked at Harry strangely, then took a careful look at the carriage.
"Those are Thestrals," Ron explained. "They're fairly common magical creatures used to pull carriages. It's said that only people who've witnessed death can see them."
As he spoke, he glanced at Harry.
For a moment, Harry's mood dropped.
Seamus, however, was amazed and gave Harry a pat on the shoulder.
"You can see them! That's awesome!"
Kids are like that—anything unusual, especially when it's connected to mysterious words like "death" or "fate," always seems inexplicably cool.
"I'd rather not be able to"
Harry said quietly, his tone somber.
His sadness left Seamus unsure of what to say.
"Harry, uh, I didn't mean…" Seamus stammered.
"Alright, Seamus. Stop talking about it"
Hermione said, glancing helplessly at the overwhelmed Seamus. Taylor, meanwhile, wasn't paying attention to Harry's distress. She was focused on the two people emerging from the carriage.
"They're from the Lance family"
She whispered to Hermione, "They must be here for Luke."
Hermione's brow immediately furrowed.
"Should we warn Luke?"
Taylor shook her head, "I think Luke's already prepared."
The appearance of the figure below confirmed Taylor's words.
Luke stepped forward under the gaze of his fellow students. His attire was formal as well, though he didn't seem as concerned with the details as the two members of the Lance family.
"Wade Lance"
Wade greeted Luke first with a bow. Laike, standing behind him, also bowed. Although he—or they—had their grievances with the Gaunt family, when it came time for formalities, they had no choice but to smile and be polite, even if someone from the Gaunt family spat in their faces.
This was precisely why Laike wanted to terminate the contract.
There was no sense of autonomy. It wasn't an equal contract at all, not even one as lenient as that of a vassal. But the agreement had been made during the Gaunt family's golden age, and back then, anyone wanting to benefit from their power had to accept these terms.
Luke returned the greeting with equal formality, his expression solemn.
This momentarily stunned Wade, who caught a glimpse of Luke out of the corner of his eye.
It had been years since anyone from the Gaunt family had shown them such proper respect with such a formal greeting.
"Luke Gaunt"
After exchanging names, the three stood upright.
Wade was just about to make some small talk when Luke cut him off.
"No need for pleasantries. You know exactly what today's meeting is about."
Luke's voice was cold, "And of course, since you've come, I'm sure you're well aware of the happenings."
With that, Luke turned and began walking toward the castle, his demeanor exuding arrogance.
This attitude immediately snapped Laike out of his earlier frustration and surprise, returning him to his previous state of mind.
Those arrogant and conceited Gaunt family members who lacked ability had left a lasting impression on him.
Up ahead, Wade glanced at Luke's retreating back, his troubled expression easing a bit.
As long as they could talk, that was good enough.
With this thought, his steps grew a bit lighter as he followed Luke.
Professor McGonagall had offered up her office for the meeting.
Though not overly formal, Hogwarts didn't need to provide a special venue for a student and a less influential pureblood family to hold a discussion.
However, today's witness was a notable one.
The moment Luke entered the office, he hesitated briefly before quickly suppressing his surprise, keeping his expression composed as he bowed to the figure seated in the room.
"Professor Dumbledore"
The two Lance family members behind him wore expressions of astonishment.
Dumbledore's attitude toward pureblood families had never been particularly warm, especially since many of them had once stood firmly against him during the war.
After the fall of the Dark Lord, they had been severely put in their place.
And now, here was the heir of the Gaunt family, apparently on good terms with Dumbledore? Could this be a sign that purebloods were regaining a foothold in the power structure? Did it mean Dumbledore was looking to reconcile with the pureblood families? Or perhaps he was trying to recruit some of them to strengthen his faction?
In that brief moment, Wade's mind raced through countless possibilities, but outwardly, he maintained a calm and composed demeanor.
"Let's proceed quickly, Mr. Lance. Forgive an old man's lack of energy. Once the contract is dissolved, you may discuss things at length," Dumbledore said kindly, a gentle smile on his face. "Mr. Gaunt, you have permission to miss all your classes today, but please remember to catch up on your assignments later."
"No problem, Professor"
Luke responded quickly.
He then turned to Wade.
Wade wasted no time. He reached into the box that Laike was holding and pulled out a piece of parchment.
"Please take hold of this corner, Mr. Gaunt"
Wade said, offering one corner of the parchment to Luke while holding the other himself.
Though Luke refrained from reading it in detail, phrases like "eternal servitude, no disobedience allowed" and "respond to every request without exception" were unsettling.
A contract like this could hardly be called harsh—it was far beyond that. Of course, there were always loopholes.
"A remarkable piece of contract magic," Dumbledore remarked with admiration. "Even older than the Unbreakable Vow."
"But not as binding, Professor," Luke replied, shaking his head. "Every contract has its loopholes."
"…You're right," Dumbledore said quietly.
For a brief moment, Luke thought he saw a flicker of sadness in Dumbledore's expression.
"Now, please tear it apart, Mr. Gaunt," Wade's voice brought Luke back to the present.
Luke promptly pulled on the parchment.
He felt a sharp sting in his fingers, and then, blood-red flames ignited from the bottom of the contract.
Gradually, the ancient parchment was reduced to ash.
Wade and Laike immediately felt a heavy weight lift from their shoulders.
Luke, on the other hand, experienced a moment of disorientation, like he had just taken a refreshing bath.
But before he could fully gather himself, Wade's voice broke through.
"Now, let's talk about the matter of credibility, Mr. Gaunt."
*****
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