Chương 119: Ch.4
When I finished recovering I focused on dismantling the doxie nest and sending the eggs along with the gruesome amenities to the doxie cave. While I was at it I used a Greek breeding charm on the deer and normal wildlife to increase the food sources for the growing beast population.
The manticore needed fed often so it would need more besides that the unicorns were herbivores so I'd moved them to a separate forest where they could grow and create a peaceful herd away from the dangers of the carnivorous beasts. As for the Sphinx, I created a small desert habitat where jackrabbits and sand lizards would grow in abundance beside a fertile river of green vegetables they fed on and trout for the lizards and Sphinx's diet.
Most of the beasts of obtained were young and only one of each not even a pair yet but I had time and I needed to learn how to take care of them. As it was I was already sick of seeing doxie eggs when one caught my eye. It was pink in color as apprised to the blue ones so I knew it to be a queen. Smiling with a thought I created a second cave on the opposite side of the forest the first one was in.
After storing it and the last of the eggs in there, I left the room of requirement for now as today was the last day of the school year so I needed to pack before heading down for the feast and to see what all Peeves was up to. I wasn't half surprised as I should be when the school was in chaos. Dozens of students had been bitten by doxies and a small swarm was chasing some girls down the winding staircase.
When one of them tripped, I hit her with an arresto momentum spell to slow her decent until I hit her with a silent Wingardium Leviosa to stop her completely as I noticed it was Nym.
Waved my wand sending a small blasting hex at the banister and trapping the doxies chasing them for the moment. I helped Nym up and gave Peeves a look while motioning for him to drop the bannister with the doxies wrapped in it off the stairwell onto the fleeing crowd below.
He cackled, catching on as he did so. More screens of terror ensued and he was chased off by Filch saying he'd be out of the castle by morning once the headmaster found out. I took Nym with me to a back passage and told her to be quiet for a moment until the teachers passed and took care of the doxies.
When all the mess was cleaned up I helped her gather her things in the hallway and we headed to the feast while she asked why I helped Peeves cause more chaos. I shrugged it off saying. "They'd have gotten out angry bear us. In that moment Peeves need for chaos and my need not to be bitten by a swarm of angry doxies coincided so I suggested a solution that benefited both of our goals. Besides, what's a bit of chaos in an otherwise boring day?"
I stopped outside the great hall waving her in and saying. "It'll be a bit before the rest of the teachers arrive, save me a seat, I've something to do."
She frowned but nodded all the same. I disillusioned myself heading to the kitchen. There I tickled the peach on the portrait outside the dungeon entrance to the kitchens. When the secret passage opened I entered without hesitation. There, while the house eleven were cooking, I began to do silent charms on all the silverware, plates and platters.
When I left with a smile only a few house elves even noticed someone was there and not for what. A truly interesting concept as I could in theory poison the whole school and no one would've noticed without checking before eating or drinking anything and I think only Snape or perhaps the headmaster would notice in time while the rest of the student body would've be dead.
Either way it was just a passing thought as I knew Flitwick would detect these charms before hand as it was his area of expertise. None were dangerous or harmful so I did a silent switching charm with his platter as it appeared so that a letter appeared on his new one.
He read my letter while Dumbledore announced the chaos had abated and all the students were being treated for minor doxie bites and no one was severely harmed. Peeves was being punished by the Bloody Baron for his prank and he'd been forced to show the headmaster where the nest was.
When the Professor giggled he drew Dumbledore's gaze for a moment but he apologized and Dumbledore continued. "The nest was found in the third floor corridor passage and has since been moved to the forbidden forest so as to not be disturbed again."
As such Slytherin was announced to have won the house cup with Ravenclaw as second. Then Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Snape has a particular hate on for those two houses so they'd lost the most points, not that I cared about the house points or anything.
I read my book innocently as Dumbledore announced the beginning of the feast. Not ten minutes in everyone's hair turned lime green and they broke out in song over the bravery of Slytherin, then it changed to yellow as the Wisdom of Hufflepuff and red for the cunning of Gryffindor. Finally they bellowed out the loyalty of Ravenclaw with blue hair.
I did a silent spell to change the ceiling as words spelled out the lyrics and a sick beat sounded to the song they sang. Even the teachers had been caught up in it. When they finished they sat down and Flitwick clapped squeaking out. "Very well done Mr.Greengrass, very well done! Excellent charm work!"
I stood up as the student body gave me a glare except my friends. I gave my head of house a sardonic rare smile. "I've no idea what your talking about professor but I thank you for the compliment nonetheless."
I gave a light bow and he squeaked happily while the students scowled at me, even the seventh years though they weren't really mad as most of them had something unique to remember their time in Hogwarts by. After the feast we boarded the Hogwarts Express and headed back to Kings Cross station.
Elsewhere in the castle a meeting was taking place with all the teachers involved except Mr.Mxyzptlk who retired with the students as he'd been the worst bitten of them all having ran across them just as Peeves released them. That with his allergies had him laid up for the feast and as soon as he was on his feet he quit.
Dumbledore called the meeting because of a certain sign the centaurs had given him going on nearly twelve years ago. He sat down and sighed. "As you all know this is a time of reflection on the past year and the students who will be coming back next year. What you may not know is that approximately twelve years ago the centaur Firenze told me of a curious fate of chaos that shall spread across the school and indeed the world for the next seven years starting this year. That fate as I've come to believe is from a child whom we've witnessed today."
Professor Snape sneered. "Your point headmaster? While changing hair colors and breaking out in song is annoying and he does deserve detention for it, I hardly believe a centaur's words of a child of chaos would begin in Ravenclaw. At best it was a prank on the whole school that was in fact harmless."
Flitwick was surprised by Snapes while not really a defense, but lack of fervor to punish one of the students not in his own house. As indeed they all were from the way they looked at the sneering man. Dumbledore continued. "While that is indeed true, I've seen into the matter about the doxies and while I have no real proof, I believe he was the one who instructed Peeves to do so as I believe he was the one Peeves got the dung bombs from before hand for the previous matters."
That got their attention and Filius Flitwick has to speak up. "I hardly see how any of that was connected. Peeves wasn't even present when he did the prank in the great hall and I believe the boy was just trying to lighten the mood after the doxie incident."
"At worst he should receive a detention with me and at best points for trying to make everyone laugh and have a good time when other more negative matters had occurred. Why he quite reminds me of those four students i so dearly enjoyed and he's at least as skilled and intelligent as Lilly Evans! I've seen the boy do wonders with the cheering charm and his wand movement and spell casting is nearly perfect. He's a natural I intend to cultivate in my charms club next year!"
Professor McGonagall agreed. "The boh is gifted I'll give you that. He hardly has to pay attention in my class and that's only long enough to cast perfect and detailed transfigurations that are a sight to behold! If we had a large enough student body, I should think I'd have like to start a transfiguration club just to cultivate his talents in that field as well."
Professor Sprout spoke up. "I don't see how the boy isn't paying attention in your class Minerva, he's always hands on in mine and always taking notes on every detail. One day I even saw him trying to perfect a newer and more nutritious compost with unicorn and dragon dung and a bit of mandrake leaf extract."
She said excitedly. "He actually succeeded! Unfortunately the mandrake extract and unicorn dung is too hard to get ahold of to upgrade our own supplies or I'd be asking you for much needed funding to stock up our greenhouses with the concoction. He even donated the recipe to the school free should we ever get the funding!"
She pulled out the list of ingredients and what ratio it should be mixed with along with what to look for as signs of success. Snape finally spoke up. "You'll fins that that's hardly surprising when you hear what I have to say. The first week of class I saw him taking notes even when I wasn't speaking and he didn't even try to hide it."
"In fact his entire first year potions book is full of modified and enhanced potions with techniques recommended and detailed lists of augmented ingredients that are both cheaper and easier to acquire with better results! This was in fact before a book came out on the market called A Potion Master's Guide to Acceptable Learning. If I were a betting wizard I'd say he was the actual author."
"What's more when I confronted him about not being in Slytherin like his father, the boy had the audacity to say it wasn't cunning to go to a house known for it. He said the best snakes were the ones who lived and breathed with their prey, passing as an eagle, lion or badger. That anyone else wasn't a true snake but a bunch of prey."
Snapes endorsement had the opposite intended affect on Filius then he expected. The squeaky teacher went silent for a bit before sighing. "He is still a Ravenclaw and that means he has my houses's traits as much as yours at the very least!"
Snape shrugged it off saying. "I intend to see what the boy is truly capable of next year when he comes back. I'll not be wasting his talents like the rest of you lot if he's truly as capable as I suspect he is."
"At the very least he could end up helping assist me in my own potions or grading work, leaving me with the free time to pursue my own endeavors in potion making. The experience might be just what he needs to further his own understanding of potions as well."
Little did he know that each of the teachers present had similar plans brewing in their minds. Dumbledore frowned at the turn the conversation had taken from a potential prophecy meaning chaos to praises and thoughts on the boys potential. Elsewhere on a train bound for nowhere, a boy to tired to sleep was staring at a window through the darkness as he shivered like a cat having it's tail stepped on.
A girls voice entered my ears. "Damien, what's wrong?"
Sighing I turned. "Sorry, I felt a cold spot, what's up?"
Nym frowned but shrugged. "We're going to see what's up with the trolly lady. She's not stopped by like usual and I want a chocolate frog."
I nodded. "Go ahead, I've something to do real quick and I might as well get it done now."
I stood and split off from them as I headed to the seventh year section. I stayed away from the Slytherins as best I could and went to offer each of the students who were officially out of Hogwarts a job at the farms. I had a week before my father and mother left so I might as well get a head start. At the same time I'd be getting picked up by Newt in two days.
After giving them each the serious offer and a list of their job requirements and pay I left them saying. "Just think on it and if you decide to stay and make an honest living, traveling and seeing the world isn't out of the picture either. Eventually I intend to be the only path out of Hogwarts for those interested in the exciting life instead of the boring ministry work. Gringott's has an official agreement with my family to only hire their curse breakers from our people so if you like that job then your path forwards is obvious."
One of the Gryffindor boys asked. "What's required to join the curse breakers at Gringotts?"
I smiled. "You'll undergo a three month course training set by myself and my father. You'll be required to study and practice damn hard and that includes learning several languages though it's rather easy once you begin as we've set up a course that allows you to increase you knowledge as swiftly as an owl flies."
They were each curious and I handed out applications and warned them. "This is a magically binding contract so read over it carefully. It's very serious and can be bad if you rush into it. But once you sign you'll be required to head to the address at the top within a week. There you'll receive the benefits on the back and begin your courses."
I was quite generous and added a hundred galleon signing bonus while the pay was above minimum wage and only went up depending on where you decided to end up. Even the goblins paid better as my promise ensured only the best of the best would be eligible for their hire.
Out of the fifty graduating students, forty were from all but Slytherin and all but one of them accepted the contract to look over. The one was a pureblood who'd already had a job in the ministry waiting for him. I spread the word to all the seventh years that mattered before heading to the sixth years and doing the same as their contract was different though.
Only those of seventeen now could sign it or when they became seventeen they could over the summer. I offered summer training and jobs for those who were of age or were about to be of age while all the non Slytherin sixth years received applications to be signed whenever they turned seventeen and were sure they wanted to take this path.
There was a standard disclosure clause that stopped them from speaking about their training or sharing the knowledge with anyone freely or they'd loose their magic so it was a serious enough contract they needed to be sure they wanted to take this path forwards and I made sure to express to them the seriousness of what they were dealing with and the benefits of it.
When they asked about someone using mind arts or forcing a confession, I pointed out the willingness clause in the contract that, so long as they resisted to the best of their efforts, they'd not loose their magic but instead the one responsible would receive a massive backlash that would mark them magically in a globe I could track and hunt them down to be dealt with.
I gave them a hard look and even for a first year, they shuddered under my gaze at what I meant by it. I told them coldly. "I consider business those who do back room deals and try to covertly ruin my family's business. Those people will disappear, but those who attack my people, that I consider personal. Pray you never find out what will happen to those who do so."
My killing intent and bloodthirst leaked out just a bit making all of them pale as I turned and sighed, releasing them. "Just consider this, if you join you become my people even if you're hired out to Gringotts and then you'll still bare my family's mark. No one touches my people without swift and decisive actions. I protect my people and I will use the full weight of my family's influence and power to do so."
I turned and left them there to make their decisions and think on their future prospects. They understood that even if they decided not to stay after the training they'd still have many more doors opened up to them.
When I arrived back in my compartment both Nym and Charlie were there eating chocolate frogs. I declined their offer and instead asked. "So what happened to the trolly lady?"
Nym smiled. "She was help up by a doxie someone snuck aboard the train trying to take home."
Charlie snorted. "More like Peeves snnuck it in someone's trunk and it escaped while they went to change."
I chuckled. "Peeves really is the funniest fellow that's ever happened to Hogwarts. Imagine if he got ahold of a venomous Tentacula and cultivated his own nest of doxies, swarming in the millions!"
They both paled while shivering and Charlie asked. "Why would you find that funny?"
I shrugged. "He'd probably feed them to the acromantula colony in the forbidden forest to attract them to the school. Now that would give quite a few people nightmares. I can imagine Dumbledore running into Snape's arms in fear while Snape uses his hair grease to slacken the floor, making the acromantula's fall and squash each other like they were on skates!"
They both laughed now and Nym giggled. "You've really thought it out."
I nodded. "I have a lot of time on my hands while I'm reading. It takes very little effort to memorize the course books."
I sighed. "That reminds me, have you both made up your minds?"
They nodded and Charlie said. "We'll do it. It's not like it's actually dangerous or harmful. At worst we don't have the talent for it and at best we'll become straight O students for the rest of our term at Hogwarts."
I snorted. "Hardly. It still takes effort to actually read the books and practice the spells even if the effort is greatly reduced. Here you go."
I handed them copies of the Occlumency guide book and advanced books for their own learning. I told them sternly. "Remember not to show it to your parents as they are still banned no matter if they're harmless. Actually, Nym your mom might help you learn it if you ask her. She is a former member of the Black family so she'd know how to use it even if she's out of practice."
Nym nodded before asking. "Where should I say it's from?"
I shrugged. "Tell her it's from me. Your father is my family's lawyer after all so she's understand if I want my best friend to learn to protect her own mind. Besides just mention Dumbledore and Snape are master Legilimency so anything you may overhear would be subject to their perusal without your consent."
She shuddered and hugged her books nodding while Charlie looked a little jealous. I patted his back saying. "Don't be jealous. You're still my second friend I've ever had since I was born. It's only fair I favor her but I won't treat you wrong. I'm training with Newt Scamander this summer so if I get the chance I'll see about having you over to help with the hard work. I know for a fact he has a Antipodean Opaleye dragon!"
They both were shocked now and Charlie's was beaming making me swear I'd suggest him as Newt's next student and see about having him help out in the summers. Nym was happy for us both but wasn't jealous as beast handling wasn't as fun when you were accident prone.
When we arrived at the station and met with our parents. Although my father was reluctant to meet openly with the Weasleys, he begrudgingly admitted Charlie was a positive influence on me as it was good for a kid to have friends no matter how intelligent they were.
I told Mr.Weasley about having Charlie over for part of the summer to help with stable work for New Scamander and while Mrs.Weasley wasn't too happy about Charlie's obsession with dragons, she couldn't say much as Newt was world renowned for being the expert on all beast handling.
He'd even fought by Dumbledore's side in the war against Gellert Grindlewald so she couldn't really speak against him as he was a war hero and very knowledgeable. A recommendation from him opened doors as his voice meant something in almost all magical communities.
Mr.Weasley agreed to let Charlie go for the experience and hard work as it built character. Ted Tonks actually brought Nym with us as we went to Gringotts to settle some matters. She had to wait outside so I gave her a bag of ten galleons and suggested she pick up a few books for the coming semester so she'd have a head start after she began to bare results from her mind arts training.
I'd given her the special guide like Charlie's that had my own mind arts training in in the dictation margins as I called them. If they were smart they'd read them and grow faster. It would indeed be faster as well because the magic of this world was bullshit. It constantly filled up your core so unless you were like me and had a realm you could dump it in, training to your full potential was actually quite hard.
When she left, a little sad she couldn't join, I got busy with the meeting. The news had broke about Malfoy stealing from the school and he was counter suing for defamation of character. We talked strategy and came up with a nearly impenetrable defense and offense.
The first part, the defense, was based on Gringotts own investigations and no one smart would call the goblins liars especially when they handled the money you had and so much of it as well. Next was the offense and well, that would play out beautifully in court.
For now though I set that aside as I prepared everything, dumping half the goblin gold I had into my family's vault for the lawsuit we were sure to win and the investments and expansion of our family owned farms and work force that was coming up.
I set aside the money for the scholarship program that would be deposited into the special vault Dumbledore had set up for the scholarship program. With that came the pamphlets that were to be handed out to every orphan and muggleborn that received a Hogwarts letter from now on.
As did those leaving Hogwarts after the last feast. It would make advertising so much easier. With that done and our course set my father handed his patriarch ring to me in front of both men and told them the plan for this summer. Our goblin account managers found it funny they were apart of a trick to fool silly wizards and Ted agreed to keep an eye on me in case things went bad.
I told Ted what I'd given Nym and why it was important she learn it and he approved as his wife, Andromeda, had taught him the same thing for his business dealings as his business relied on discretion and closed door secrets. With his approval out of the way, I had one less thing on my mind.
I left the bank after doing a bit of investing and giving Nagnok and Tergak, my family account manager, specific instructions. My father had officially retired for a bit so he was no longer able to make business decisions until his return from the cruise when I'd return his ring.
For now though my heir ring was given to him for safe keeping until we switched. He'd made arrangements with Ted for Astoria and Daphne to stay with the Tonks's for a part of the summer as to not overwhelm Newt and his wife, Tina.
I stopped by the house elf exclusive traders in knockturn Ally and bought twenty loyal elves pre-trained and now bound to me as their masters. The leader, Binky, was a happy and bright head elf who became the rest's task master. I had them tied and now draining my core constantly while taking care of the ten mile modified unicorn and dragon dung fertilized garden in my realm.
They were excited about the work and were forbidden to talk about me or even any general discription of my dealings but that was very normal though oddly more detailed from what my father described. They would work the land and were to breed and rest often as needed to raise as many elves as they could, each one would bond to me when they were ready and continue to work the farms.
My father didn't even ask where I sent them instead he asked what I planned for so many elves. I smiled. "I'm building a business empire that will last generations and hopefully see our family through the worst this world has to offer. Not to mention they help to drain my constantly growing core that strengthens my magical reserves."
He nodded in understanding and led me to the public floo. When we headed home, I set up the second vanishing cabinet and had three house elves working in my inner realm, surprisingly already pregnant, it seems the abundance of magic combined with their connection to a master and my order to breed, not to mention the Greek fertility spells I had on all the non beast beings in my realm, all played in as factors to my plans.
What surprised me most was that the one male had managed it so damn quickly. I didn't look to closely into it as that's not something I wished to know just yet. For now though I gave them instructions to clean out the room on the other side of the vanishing cabinet of all but the books and dark objects.
They were to bring it back here and repair what they could to peak condition before storing it in the bottomless pouches I provided them. Then I told them to transfigured their own rags into presentable clothes and gave them a picture of a butler uniform.
The were to wear those and represent our family but never speak to anyone not in the Greengrass family. They got to work immediately and were excited to see the very daunting task before them. It only made the even more happy to see all the work they were about to do.
I made a house inside my realm and instructed the elves inside my realm to live in it as it was there's. There wasn't any clothes in it so they were happy to not have to sleep on the ground and well, to my seriously disturbed mind now, conceive on the ground.
The caterwauling of a horny house elf would haunt me to my grave of this I swear. When I finished all my basic tasks, I headed for a shower then to bed. The next morning I spent the day with my family as it's the last I would see of them for a long time. As the master of the house now I was tied into the wards through the head of house ring.
With it I could see all of the estate and and where the wards were clearly damaged. Unfortunately all I had for materials wasn't enough to fix what was truly wrong with it for now and the items in question were out of the markets because the goblins had basically cornered the markets on warding.
I'd have to make my own ward stones and build it from the ground up. Fortunately, if my memory was correct and my theory that all earths that had the basic land masses the same also had the basic elements and even more impressive, the diamond and gold mines in the same areas, then getting three massive ward stones only required time and magic.
Unfortunately I had neither in spades yet as unearthing all three stones required massive magical power or very precise timing in one case. One after all, was near a volcano that would suck to make active. Another was in Australia while the last was in California. Each would be a pain in the ass to get to as I am now.
I was able to direct the wards to cover the weakened area better but any more would require things I might as well remake the ward scheme far stronger if I were to buy. For now I put it to the back of my mind and focused on the current situation, trying to make my sisters laugh with new faces.
When I turned my face into a mime and stretched my pink and white cheeks sticking my tongue out, Astoria lost it while Daphne smiled a bit more. I spent hours simply making them smile and laugh and it was heart warming to see that they could just be kids. This world really was cruel to the innocent and I swore I'd never let anything take away their ability to smile.
That evening I sent Nym and Charlie letters saying I was leaving in the morning for Newt's place. Like clockwork the old Magizoologist showed up as we started to break our fast. He introduced himself to my mother and father before turning to me. "Are you ready for the summer?"
I nodded and touched the time turner my father had given me. It hung below my shirt, against my skin. With it there I felt less secure so I sent it into my realm where it would be protected.
I followed him outside where his apparated us to his house, a cottage by the North Sea off the coast of Wales. It wasn't a short hop but one still manageable by apparition. There I met an equally old woman though by old I mean around fifty. They were wizards and if they cared about appearances they could in theory look as young as Remus Lupin for most of their long lives.
Hell Burke looked to be only sixty and he was older than Dumbledore. She introduced herself as Tina and even showed their grandchild Rolf Scamander. I said high to the kid and was reminded of Harry and Luna, things I'd have to take care of later.
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