"What happened?"
Jon glanced over in the direction Hermione's gaze was directed, only to find a few girls clustered in front of the door of Hogwarts Castle, making their way out of it, but there was nothing special in view.
Hearing his voice, Hermione withdrew her gaze and shook her head.
"It's alright, let's go back to the wagon."
***
"No don't do this Floyd don't hurt me please."
Assia's hands were restrained by the Incarcerous Spell and two girls, much bigger and burlier than her, held her shoulders down, forcibly dragging her towards the part of the castle near the Quidditch pitch.
"I warned you, Konrad!"
The girl who shouted out Assia's family name shrilly was a girl who had a blemished face and a slightly chubby figure; she wasn't ugly, but her face was unusually hideous when she looked at Assia.
"Stay away from the young lord of the Flint family! But you refused to listen! What are you trying to do scratching your head in front of him every day? Dreaming of joining the Sacred Twenty-Eight House? I'm telling you! There's no bloody chance! He will only play with you and then toss you out! You will never set your foot in a pureblood house in your life, because you are a lowly half-breed! A bastard! Understand? A bastard! Scum!"
Two of Floyd's goons tugged Assia and dragged her to the edge of the Quidditch pitch.
Quidditch had been stopped in Hogwarts Castle this school year to make way for the Triwizard Tournament, and even the daily practices were no longer necessary, so there were no students or anyone else around now.
The angle they had chosen was also very clever, perfectly avoiding the observation range of the Aurors who were guarding the perimeter of the castle, and there was absolutely no fear of anyone coming to disturb them.
Fearful and anxious, Assia stomped in vain on her white socks and black leather shoes, her slender white ankles scratched and bloodied by the weeds on the ground, but there was no way out in this situation.
"I, I don't want to be near him too... it's Flint who wants me to stay near him. I didn't want to talk to him, but he threatened me, saying that he would have my mum and dad fired from their family's businesses and put them out on the streets."
She just sobbed and kept explaining, but it was clear that it wouldn't change the fate she would be facing.
"So you didn't voluntarily do all that, Assia."
The two goons pinned her down on the grass and Floyd cupped her chin, saying in a whispery voice.
"Then it wasn't your fault, but surely young lord Flint couldn't have made a mistake either, could he? Just like me, a noble pureblood is always right, so who is wrong in this matter? Was it Sir Headmaster who had specified such rules?"
Her words were frightening and not only did the pupils of the overwhelmed Assia constrict for a moment, but even the faces of her two underlings became flustered.
"No, I didn't mean it like that."
Floyd touched Assia's pale, tender face, her expression not as brutal and fierce as it had been at the beginning, and her calm face actually gave off a civilized look.
"Of course, you wouldn't dare to mean that, so neither of us is wrong, so what is wrong?" She patted Assia's cheek and said with a sudden dawning realization. "I see, it must be your face that is causing the problem isn't it?"
As she spoke, she violently pinched Assia's cheek!
"Then the solution to the problem is very simple! Just make this face of yours less pretty than it is, and then all our troubles will be gone, you are so gentle and generous that you will surely agree to my proposal, won't you? Miss Konrad?"
Assia was trembling all over, she kept trying to shrink back as a way of avoiding Floyd's iron-clad hand, but she had only shrunk less than a metre before her soft back touched the cold wall.
The Quidditch stadium was behind her and there was no turning back.
Floyd released her grip on Assia's cheek, and she straightened up, wand in hand, then slammed the tip of it into the girl who had been cornered.
"Don't do this, okay, Floyd, please, I beg-g you, really… I beg you."
"There is a spell that has been passed down in my family, Konrad, or as you might call it, dark magic. It has a very special effect, the ability to transform a person's body in the direction of a monster, a transformation so slow that you won't even feel it yourself. If you are lucky enough, the effects of the magic can be completely integrated into your bloodline, allowing it to be passed on to your offspring along with your blood. Sounds great doesn't it, a truly marvellous magic."
A dangerous light glinted in Floyd's eyes, she was still smiling and acting excited.
"Of course, such a powerful curse would certainly require a lot of preparation and be extremely demanding on the caster, and it is unlikely that I would be able to use it thoroughly at my current level. But it doesn't matter Konrad, even if it only has a minuscule effect on you, it will haunt you throughout your life."
"If the Prof-fess-sor. The Professor knows about this."
Assia's two hands, already unbound, clutched her shoulders helplessly, like a lamb to be slaughtered, and all she could do was make one last pale, feeble threat.
"Professor? Which professor do you want to make this known to? Professor Greengrass? Professor Crouch? Or Professor Snape? It will come as no surprise to you, Konrad, that if you find them after you've been cursed by me, the most I might get is some verbal reprimand from my father, who is a noble and honourable Death Eater! And what would happen to you, the lowly, curse-tainted bastard? Let us guess?"
The tip of Freud's wand had glowed dangerously and Assia shrank back, her fear was by no means feigned, the desperation in her eyes had spread to her whole miserable face.
"Hogwarts will expel you! I'll get my father to pull the strings and leave your parents both on the streets! You guys would be no better than those mudbloods surviving! Only to roam the streets and go snatch food from wild dogs!"
For some reason, instead of thinking about her parents at this time, Assia's mind went back to the question Hermione had asked her a few days ago that she hadn't bothered to answer.
"Why not just resist?"
Not sure if it was just her hallucinations, Assia felt the voice didn't sound like it was ringing in her head.
She couldn't help but look up, and then she saw the girl with the chestnut-coloured, shoulder-length hair behind Floyd.
That girl's features seemed refined and penetrating, the kind of penetration that is impossible to forget after just one look!
Whether it was Assia, or Floyd, who had obviously heard the voice coming from behind her and turned around to find a tip of a wand pressed against her forehead.
"I wonder if you heard the words Jon said in the entrance hall back then? Can you still recall it? May I ask this noble Miss Floyd to please repeat it for me?"
Floyd's body froze completely the moment she felt the hard touch from the tip of the wand on her forehead.
She saw the face of Hermione, a face she hadn't forgotten even after almost two years had passed.
Hermione Granger was the name that had spread throughout Hogwarts Castle at the beginning of last year, she was the one who had helped the wanted man attract the attention of the castle caretaker and allowed the criminal to successfully take many of the mudbloods.
And now that she had returned back to the Hogwarts premises following the most feared dark wizard of all time, Albus Dumbledore, many of the students in the Castle were aware of Hermione's existence and also knew that the student who had made such a scene in the Castle and caused so much humiliation to many of the Professors back then is the current champion representing the Hogwarts wagon in the tournament - -Jon Green.
The moment she saw Hermione's facial features, which were even more beautiful and refined than Assia's, many rumours about the Hogwarts wagon rose up in Floyd's mind.
Rumour had it that the wagon housed a group of murderous fiends who would train low-born mudbloods and turn them into demons who would only destroy the social order and murder pureblood wizards.
Perhaps many of these statements failed to hold up to the logic, but many of the students still took them as true in their hearts.
They believe that the Headmaster of Hogwarts is Great and has no rival, so how is it that Dumbledore and his gang still exist and are so brazen in today's wizarding world?
It must be that they have built their rule on bloody and brutal violence to be so brazen.
And since Hermione seemed to be one of Dumbledore's best henchmen, she must have learnt a lot of brutal and violent methods, more so than the evilest dark wizards, and if they fell into her hands, there would be no hope for them.
Looking at Floyd, whose face had turned completely white, whose mouth was open, but unable to speak even half a word, and whose body did not dare to move, Hermione continued flatly.
"Is it possible that you didn't understand my question? Erm, do you need me to rephrase my question again?"
At this point, Floyd's two henchmen finally responded as well, their hands fumbling to raise their wands at Hermione, but the hand that was holding the wand was shaking uncontrollably.
"I... I..."
The aggressive and powerful Floyd was now beginning to stammer, she obviously wouldn't answer Hermione's question, not because she hadn't been present during that day at lunchtime, but because Jon's statement, was so treacherous in today's British magical world, one that no pureblood would ever try to remember of their own accord, or they would even subconsciously try to forget.
Hermione looked at the reactions of the three pureblood students in front of her at this moment in the face of her, and in her mind, she was actually certain of one thing.
Voldemort's downfall is absolutely inevitable.
He possessed a superior personal strength, but his bloodline policy simply raised purebloods like pigs.
They enjoyed the best resources and power of the whole society but were so low-minded that they just thought about extravagant pleasures all day long, losing the most basic level of learning and study of magic that wizards should have, in contrast to the number of half-bloods who had started to embark on a brutal internal struggle to excel and get ahead.
As of now, no half-bloods, except for outliers like Cedric, have tried to defy the system because Voldemort is still alive and at his peak.
But once Voldemort's personal prestige has diminished and the half-bloods have had enough of trying hard to get ahead but still working as subordinates despite their high skills and strength, then they will begin to wonder why these useless purebloods are riding over them and will spontaneously question whether the bloodline supremacy theory is true or false based on their own interests.
At that point, even without individuals like Dumbledore, the foundations of British rule would still be shaken, and there would be a succession of open and covert revolts by the half-bloods.
The reason why British magical society remained as smooth as it is now is simply due to the presence of a Voldemort that no one can defeat weighing down on their heads.
Hermione in the Castle had previously thought that this dark magical world had been waiting for its saviour, but once she had detached herself from this society and looked at Voldemort's rule from a different perspective, it became clear that the so-called saviour was in fact these people themselves who were being oppressed in a conservative manner.
"And you, do you remember what he said back then? Miss Konrad."
Hermione's wand still resided on Floyd's forehead, but she had changed the subject of her question to a different one.
Assia, who by this time had only just recovered from the shock of Hermione's sudden appearance, met those clear, transparent, but resolute and daring eyes with a fright that never abated, yet she answered subconsciously.
"'The so-called purebloods are only noble because they can use evil Unforgivable Curses to determine the life and death of others, and when they're not in a position to do so, they behave as ridiculously as snotty buggers'"
She remembered Jon's words well, better than many half-bloods could remember them.
Perhaps it was because she herself had been in a situation where she had been subjected to pureblood bullying but had no professors to even care about it, so the words Jon had originally left behind were that fresh in Assia's mind till now.
"What about the next sentence?" Hermione asked, tilting her head as she continued.
"'This status is not something they rightfully earned, this is them whitewashing their slavery, disguising their privilege, and adding a cr-ro-owning juss-sification for their op-oppression.'"
The more she spoke, the more Assia seemed to realise exactly what she was saying, and her voice grew short of breath, her gaze lowered a little more, and her words became stuttered.
Floyd turned her head to look at Assia in horror and anger.
"Bitch! What are you talking about! Do you know the consequences of those words coming out of your mouth! If the professors find out, you're finished! You're screwed!!!"
"Instead of worrying about others, worry about yourself, noble Miss Pureblood."
Hermione's voice was cold, and the next second she spoke, a blinding red light flashed at the tip of her wand, and the next moment Floyd's body became as rigid as stone.
----
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Thanks for all your love and support.
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Happy Reading!!!
Floyd's body fell straight backwards, her body wrapped tightly around with magic ropes created by the Incarcerous Spell, unable to make any movement except for using her mouth to speak.
Her two henchmen only dared to raise their wands in their hands and hadn't even had the guts to fight back until now.
Only when Hermione turned her gaze on them did one of the girls falter and try to use a Stunning Spell, but the spell didn't even brush the edge of Hermione's dress, it just flew off into the distance and hit the grass on the ground.
Without any difficulty at all, Hermione had dealt with the three pureblood girls straight away, and to be honest she was a little surprised that the pureblood students had been so ruined in Hogwarts Castle under Voldemort's control.
But of course, it's not that all purebloods are rubbish, rather, it's that Hermione encountered a few girls who happened to be good for nothing who were only good at a few hexes and jinxes that can be used in bullying, and who were afraid of a "notorious" and "infamous" dark wizard like Hermione, that they didn't even dare to fight back.
Floyd didn't dare to scream out because she was afraid, and the place they chose to torment Assia was particularly well-chosen, exactly in line with the statement "No one will come to save you even if you scream loudly."
"You, you shouldn't do anything to-to us, do you think you're saving that little bitch by stopping us? No, you aren't! As soon as the professors find out about this and learn that you cast a spell on us just to save this half-breed student, she'll surely be tortured to death as well!"
As if thinking of something, Floyd sounded nervous and rushed to tell Hermione the consequences of doing something like this, trying to salvage the situation.
"Just don't hurt me, and those two friends of mine, and set us free, then I promise we won't tell the Professor about today and the little bitch won't be harmed. Granger, your name is Granger, isn't it? I make a promise on the honour of the Floyd family!"
Hermione didn't bother to look at her from the beginning to the end but just sat down next to Assia.
"See? That's how they are, not only them, but the Professors in this Castle as well, no matter how hideous and horrible these people normally act, the moment they lose their force, they are a pile of rotten meat."
The short period of ups and downs had made Assia's emotions fluctuate a lot now.
She was constantly shedding tears and whimpering like a timid kitten not even daring to make her sobs louder.
After Hermione sat down next to her, she buried her head in Hermione's lap without any control and wrapped both arms around her slender waist and cried out in anguish.
Thinking that Assia was shocked by what she had just said, and feeling sure that Hermione would be softened by the way Assia now behaved, Floyd said more excitedly and sharply.
"Not only will I not tell anyone about what happened today, I swear Granger! I will never bother with this half-breed again! Surely you are unable to kill us, right? Surely Dumbledore doesn't want to get into conflict with Sir Headmaster since he's willing to participate in the tournament, so if you can't kill us, you have to trust me! Let us go, Granger!"
Hermione didn't push Assia away, allowing her tears to soak her robes while still reaching out and gently stroking the hair of the girl who was clearly two years older than she is.
"Have you forgotten that there is a spell in the magical world called the Obliviate?"
At Hermione's words, Floyd's eyes narrowed sharply, but she soon put on a reluctant smile again.
"But you've only just studied magic for less than two years right? Obliviate spell is very advanced magic, not something that even any random seventh-year in the castle would necessarily be able to master, let alone the fact that you're only a fourth year and have been a slave in the castle for a year, to begin with, don't try to scare me, Granger, letting me go is the only thing you can do!"
The more she spoke, whether she had convinced Hermione or not was unknown, but it was as if she herself had been convinced by her own words, her tone becoming more and more firmed up, as if she was sure Hermione wouldn't do anything to her.
"She can't, but I can, right?"
A voice that didn't belong to anyone present there rang out abruptly.
Floyd turned her head sharply and looked at the boy who had appeared on the grass at some point, her shock turning to horror at the sight of the face that had appeared in the Daily Prophet who knew how many times!
Hermione also looked up at the unexpected visitor, the corners of her mouth involuntarily curving in a slight curve and Assia, who had buried herself in her lap, also looked up with red eyes and frozen in fear at the sight of the student who had the entire castle, during this period, scorning and cursing in fear.
"When did you follow me here?"
"Hey, we've known each other for so long Hermione, you don't really think I haven't noticed that you've become a little moody since we got back to the wagon."
"Then why didn't you ask me then?"
"If I had asked, you would have told me straight away, how pointless would that have been. I kept it to myself and then popped in when you needed me, that way you got the surprise and I got the satisfaction, we both win, don't we!"
"...Has anyone ever told you that your hobby is quite bad?"
"It seems not, but there are so many people here, so we'll just have to ask a random one to find out the answer. This young lady, I think I remember your name is Floyd? Do you think my hobby is quite bad-natured?"
Jon walked up to Floyd with a raised eyebrow and asked a question, his mere approach caused the noble pureblood to scream in fear, just like Assia who they had cornered earlier, constantly trying to back away desperately further away from him.
"Don't kill me! Please! Don't kill me!"
"So she's a victim of paranoia." Jon shrugged with a spread hand, then casually waved his wand, and the next moment Floyd's eyes suddenly became hollow.
Floyd's two followers followed suit and cried out, but unfortunately, this place was exactly where they had chosen to bully someone, so even if they cried out loudly, no one came to their rescue.
As he did, Jon also made both of their eyes go hollow, erasing the memory of them seeing Hermione and himself here today, then weaving a false memory of Assia herself running away from them and padding it in.
"Let's move to a different place, Heroic Miss Granger, or it'll cost me another swing when they come to their senses."
In response to Jon's teasing, Hermione simply reached out and hammered his shoulder, then lifted up Assia and followed Jon towards the edge of the Forbidden Forest near the wagon.
They couldn't get too close to the wagon, it was a priority surveillance area for the Aurors and the two of them going over there with a student from the castle like that would definitely cause trouble for Assia afterwards.
After helping Hermione with the aftermath, Jon didn't stay around, he wasn't exactly in charge of everything, he had just noticed Hermione's complexion on the wagon and went along to help, now that it was over, he had no intention of interfering with Hermione's social life.
He had met Cedric in the Forbidden Forest before, so couldn't Hermione also play a heroic role in saving a girl's day?
So Jon had no intention of making a scene, and after a brief goodbye to Hermione and a reminder not to forget that it would soon be dinner time, he left in the direction of the wagon.
By this time, Assia had also gradually settled down, still whimpering and with her head down she whispered her thanks to Hermione.
"Thank you, Miss Granger."
"So why not just resist, anyway?" Hermione asked the question once again as she looked at her calmly.
Assia gripped the sides of her robes with both hands.
"If I fought back... They'd bully me even more, along with my mum and dad, and get them into trouble, and mum taught me not to get into trouble at school"
"So you can live with the fact that she's going to use the curse on you and turn you into an inhuman beast later?"
Tears flowed again from Assia's eyes and her eyes, which had become red and swollen, looked up at Hermione.
"But, but the only person who would have to endure the torture like that would just be me, wouldn't it? At least I wouldn't be causing trouble for my mum and dad."
Hermione fell silent.
She looked at the seemingly weak girl quietly, as if she were looking at herself a year or so ago.
The difference between the two of them was simply that Hermione was trying to sacrifice herself to save more of her peers, while Assia was now trying to sacrifice herself to stabilize her parents' lives.
She didn't have the right to accuse her of being weak, because both of them had made the same choice.
It was just that Hermione was lucky enough to meet Jon at that time, but is it possible for Assia to have the same luck now to meet someone like how she met Jon when she most needed it?
Or maybe can 'Hermione' now be who 'Jon' was to her at that time?
Hermione didn't have that in mind, and it was fair to say that Hermione couldn't think of that for the time being; this time at Hogwarts Castle, not only did Jon need to work hard to win the Triwizard Tournament, but Hermione herself had an equally important task.
There wasn't much she could do regarding Assia these days.
"That's a nice string you have there."
There was a long silence before Hermione changed the subject and fixed her gaze on the string on Assia's left wrist.
Assia huffed and set her gaze on her own wrist as well, her eyes unnoticeably froze for a moment after seeing the string, but the next second she was back to her normal self.
"My mother gave it to me for my sixteenth birthday."
"She bought it at a muggle ornament shop, I guess." Hermione said staring at the string, "My mum was wearing a string exactly like the one you have on her hand back when I was brought to Hogwarts Castle, it was given to her by her dad for her wedding anniversary years ago."
Assia, a sensitive girl at heart, heard something unusual in Hermione's calm tone, and she asked in a small voice.
"Is it possible that-that you are missing your mum and dad?"
"Of course, I'm missing them." Hermione didn't hide her feelings, "But I can't reconnect with them yet, but Professor Dumbledore told us that when this Triwizard Tournament is over, maybe the Memory Charm on our parents will be lifted, or at least when it has been determined to be safe in France, I will be able to reconnect with them at that time."
Assia's eyes shone up.
"Congratulations."
"Such early congratulations mean that you too think that we are sure to win this tournament, don't you?"
"Your friend, the boy called Jon Green- He's very formidable, I've heard a lot about him in the Castle."
"He's actually normally pretty off the mark, but he's more reliable than anyone else when it matters. So if you also believe that in the end, he will win this tournament then you will actually get your situation changed after the tournament is over."
Hermione said softly.
Assia looked up as if she didn't really understand what Hermione meant by what she said.
"Don't forget that the bet between Professor Dumbledore and that Headmaster of yours is not just about the ownership of the French wizarding community, but this Hogwarts castle as well."
Hermione looked up at the towering castle.
"Whoever wins this tournament will gain the sole ownership of the school name Hogwarts and the right to own this castle, and when that time comes, the professor will surely be fighting to keep most of the students as well, and after that, you'll be able to have a normal school life."
"Is that really possible?" Assia asked in a thin voice, with hope in her gaze, but in a tone that was clearly a little unsure of herself.
For some reason, Hermione suddenly remembered Jon's comment to herself in the Castle that "the professors at the other Hogwarts never lie" at this moment.
She smiled and made a promise in the same way.
"It'll be fine!"
As if moved by Hermione's promise, Assia's whole self became cheerful and bright, and she looked at the smile on Hermione's face and smiled back as well.
This girl, who was obviously two years younger than her, gave her a sense of security she had never felt before.
Assia had been absent from the Castle long enough that she couldn't continue to talk with Hermione here, and without waiting for Hermione to say anything, she offered to go back herself.
"Try not to be alone when you get back, avoid those people who are bullying you, and if they still try to tie you up and leave the castle to use the curse on you, then cry out for help and I will hear you."
It was a promise that shouldn't have been voiced at all; Although Hermione had cautioned herself at first not to get too involved with the students in the Castle at this point in time, she hadn't been able to resist saying it in the end.
Assia, whose reddened eyes had obviously not yet dried up, looked at her with a smile that was as bright as the sun.
"Thank you, Miss Granger!"
----
Thanks for all your love and support.
Read advance chapters on P@treon. If you have some extra pocket money, Support me at P@treon: www.p@treon.com/Crazy_Cat.
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Thanks for all your love and support.
Read advance chapters on P@treon. If you have some extra pocket money, Support me at P@treon: www.p@treon.com/Crazy_Cat.
Happy Reading!!!