บท 77: Tutelage Price
He did indeed not like situation at all.
Apparently the idea to befriend him and seduce him was not something that was concocted by her but her lovely father instead.
Though he could tell that she was not entirely against that idea either.
She was a pragmatic person and knew that his talent would take him to heights that few people reach and that by associating with him, she would reach a higher place as well.
He couldn't fault her for her thinking as she had little choice in regards to her future because of her father who made it clear that if she didn't manage to get close to him, then he would simply cart her off to some other pureblood bloke with a rich background.
That last bit certainly made him pity her cause he was from 2019 and such arranged marriages rarely, if ever, happened in that time.
His pity however didn't make him any less cautious toward her.
She had said that she would be truthful in her explanation to him and saw was. But that still didn't tell him what she wanted from him.
And he knew better than to underestimate a clever person like her even if she might be far more weaker than him.
Everyone underestimated Peter Bailish in the Game of thrones series while in truth he was the one who got Jon Arryn killed and also the one whose master plan that started the war of the five kings.
So yes, just because someone was weaker than him didn't meant that he would underestimate them.
"So what do you want?" he asked her after getting the whole truth out of her.
"I… I want to apologize to you for…"
"That is not why you're here." He said shaking his head "You may apologize while you're here and that's good and all but it's not the main reason why you're here."
"So I'll ask you again. What do you want? Why are you here?"
Daphne looked uncertain for a moment before took a deep breath and bowed before him "Please teach me."
"Teach you what?" Harry asked looking unimpressed.
"About magic." She answered. "You're one of the greatest genius of our time. And Hermione has advanced by leaps and bounds under your tutelage. Please teach me." She looked hesitant before she added "I'll do anything you want me to do."
Harry could tell that she was throwing away her pride right now and just hoping for the best. She was also a bit disgusted by herself when she said the last sentence though a small part of her wanted him to take advantage of situation and make her his own as well.
All in all, she was full of contradictions right now.
But he didn't trust her.
She was the kind of person who was loyal to herself and her sister before she was loyal to anyone else.
And he did not want someone like that as his companion.
It would be so easy to tell her to get lost and then get back to his experiments.
But she was rather downtrodden at the moment and he was not the kind of person that too joy in kicking someone who was already down.
But he did no want to teach her either.
He thought for a while before he answered.
"I'll teach you but my tutelage will cost you a lot of galleons."
"How much?" Daphne asked looking hopeful.
"1000 galleons." He said and heard Penelope gasp from behind him.
Cause 1000 galleons was a lot of money for a young student.
In fact, a poor student who bought 2nd hand books, 2nd hand robes and didn't splurge any galleons in luxuries could probably spend his 7 years in Hogwarts with that much money.
"1000 galleons in a year?" Daphne asked looking a bit downtrodden though her eyes still held some hope.
He knew that the Greengrass was a rich and noble house. So if she asked her father about it and he agrees with her plan then she might be able to scrounge up a 1000 galleons after all.
But he was not asking a 1000 galleons for a year.
"No." He replied "1000 galleons for a month."
Daphne looked like she didn't knew whether he was being serious or sarcastic and after a long pause, she finally managed to say "That's a lot of galleons. I don't think I'll be able to pay that much. Couldn't you lower the price a little bit. I mean Hermione and Penelope here are…"
"They're friends." He interrupted her without a second thought "And you're not."
She took a gulp and nodded "I can be your friend."
"I don't want a friend who only wants to use me for her own purposes."
She looked sad for a moment but she knew that he was telling the truth so didn't oppose his words.
"You can not lower the price a little. I don't think anyone in Hogwarts could afford you right now."
"That's their problem not mine." He said with a shrug. "In fact, if your life story was not so depressing then I would have asked for 5000 galleons though I believe my tutelage is worth much more than even that. I've already given you a low price. But I won't go any lower for you."
"Please." She begged and he felt sad for her. He really did because he could feel her desperation from her surface thought right now.
He felt like he she was an actress who was asking for a small role in a movie that could make or break her future and he was the director was denying her request simply because… simply because he could.
He took a deep breath and wondered how to deal with this situation.
He wanted a student who was resolute and hard working like Hermione. Who used her time to learn new things about magic and not follow in the footsteps of the old. Someone who could brave the new future along with him while discarding the past.
After a long moment of silence, he finally came to a decision.
"Our mid term exams are about to start in a few weeks." He said and Daphne nodded though she did look a bit perplexed at the change in topic.
"You'll fail those exams." He said and her shock was clearly visible in her face.
"Which ones?" she asked with a gulp.
"All of them. You'll fail all of those exams."
She looked uncertain for a moment as she thought about the repercussions of such an action for a while before she answered "I can do that. Is that all?"
"No." He replied "That's just a small part of it. After that, you'll fail in every other exam that you give in Hogwarts. Again and again and again."
The color drained from her face as she stared open mouthed at him with an expression like he had just killed puppy.
"I'll… They'll expel me after I fail three times in a row." She begged.
He knew why would not want such a thing to happen to her as no one has been expelled from Hogwarts for failing three times in a row in living memory.
"They will. I'm counting on it." He said "That'll be the price you pay for my tutelage." He shrugged "And you won't another chance for me. Either you take this or you leave and don't come to bother me again."
Daphne looked downright distraught at the task he'd given her. But then she managed to gather up the last of her dignity and asked "Can I think about it?"
He nodded "You've an hour and no, you won't contact your father for this decision. It'll be yours and yours only. You won't leave this room for the next hour and I want your answer by the end of it." He said and went back to his work.
Hermione looked rather surprised at the choices he'd given her, even a bit fearful as she probably couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to fail your exams.
Penelope on the other hand look sympathetic and tried to help Daphne the best she could so that she girl would at least be able to think upon her choices.
An hour passed in silence as Daphne and Penelope whispered amongst each other at the corner of the room and in the end Daphne resolutely walked up to him and said.
"I'll do it. I'll fail every exam conducted in Hogwarts and then get expelled by them as a price for your tutelage."
"Good." He said "But words are empty. How do I know that you won't simply renege on our deal sometime in the future?"
"I… I can give you an Unbreakable vow." She said with nervousness.
"Good." He replied.
And that's how he bound Daphne Greengrass to his ship.
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