章節 19: Chapter 19: I Solemnly swear…

(Note: This chapter is dedicated to Anne Hathaway, because why not?)

'Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the universe.'

The sensible wizarding mind is divided between the mental realms of magic, mighty shields of manners, founts of darkest humours and deep wells of most useless culture.

It was the last one that allowed Magnus to summarize the absurdity of the current situation in polite yet concise words, per the quotes of sir Einstein, may his hair stay wild.

"Did he really?" He hears the disbelieving voice of one Padma Patil, the girl was intent on going above and beyond his expectations. For she stayed true to Magnus in yet another predicament, and is bright enough to see the fraud for what he was.

"Yes." Magnus answer, shaking his head at thought of the thrice damned buffoon parading in the corridors as if this morning's fiasco was naught but lies.

The ostrich was no great strategy, for ignoring a problem would not erase it. Yet in the madness that was the wizarding world, and with ample quantities of fanatical young witches, it seemed to work out for Gilderoy.

"The man who claims victory over werewolves, vampires and banshees has been defeated by the common Cornish pixies." He throws himself back onto the sofa, the rose like smell of our common room soothing his headache. "A travesty by no other name."

"At least you don't have to come, think you could convince McGonagall to help me out?" She asks, reading her herbology tome.

"Unlikely, Flitwick?" Magnus proposes.

"Already tried." She frowns lightly, clearly unhappy with the arrangement.

"Sinatra?" He suggest, the witch was rather attractive, but otherwise inconsequential.

"It's Sinistra, Magnus. And no, she is quite taken with Lockhart." Padma replies, lips quirking up. Whether her amusement stems from his mistake or the Astronomy teacher's is a mystery.

"Oh." Is his most elegant reply, a grimace worms its way into his face as he thinks of something he could and by all means should have lived without knowing.

"Oh, indeed." She shakes her head, sharing his well-deserved disgust.

"What about Sprout? The woman is rather fond of you, isn't she." Magnus says more seriously, opening one eye to look at her. His words leaving the girl rather embarrassed.

"W-well, I could try…But she might get mad at me, what if she likes Lockhart too?" She asks, fidgeting a bit before catching herself.

"I doubt it, the woman probably taught him back in the day. She would know he is a less than stellar wizard with an astronomic amount of narcissism." He says, before identifying the root of the problem.

"And she wouldn't say no to one of her best students, now would she?" Magnus smiles "No one in our year could hold a candle to your skills in herbology, save perhaps the Longbottom boy, but he doesn't count."

She giggles, her eyes lighting at the rare praise. Magnus does not offer much in the way of compliments, having made due without them himself. But when he did give praise, he meant it; Padma Patil spent enough time with him to know that.

"You're not too bad yourself." She says as she smiles with mischief, hiding her happiness behind some teasing.

"Very funny, Miss Patil." Magnus answers drily, though his lips did quirk up a bit.

"Well, you did manage to care for a few flowers, didn't you?" She laughs, before returning to her back happier than she was before.

"Don't push it Patil, you have been outstandingly unannoying."

-Break-

'How do I deal with a cursed diary possessing a young witch's mind without betraying any kind of foreknowledge?' Magnus thinks, sitting in the room of requirement as he organized one last war council before interfering in the problem.

The boy already established inaction as cowardice, a stain on his honour he could and would not tolerate. While reporting the dire situation to the more competent authorities would be little more than glorified suicide in the long term, ending with his abduction for less than morally tolerable experiment, or elevation as wizarding Jesus, which might be worse.

Endless strategizing showed that the most sensible course of actions was long term operation of observation and espionage on the enemy, and waiting for the best opportunity to strike Riddle and nullifying the threat in one swift blow.

This decision coincides with one of the many plans Magnus fomented through the years, and would doubtlessly still follow even if the events of this year were less critical….

'It will work…it has to.' He thinks, biting his nail.

Long hours did he spend, grimly sitting in the room. Immersed in the possible flaws in his strategy and how to remediate or at least mitigate them, planning and replanning his every action, word, move and their implications.

Magnus was many things, but a fool he was not. And who else was charge into battle without a most flawless plan in mind, when he could readily craft one?

-BREAK-

A few days later, at an unholy hour that should see all students tucked in their beds. Ages old stones and ancient corridors witnessed three youths converse.

"Let us get this straight." Says the much freckled, red-haired student.

"You want to rent our super-secret map." Says the other much freckled, equally red-haired student.

"Which you'll admit, should know nothing about." Continues the first, his hand 'stealthily' going near his pockets to reach his wand.

"A hundred galleons." Says Magnus, nonplussed by the relatively furtive threat. "And I shall refrain from telling McGonagall that you charmed Snape's toilets to try and bite his ass off."

""Deal!"" Shout the twins, greed and fear removing their inhibitions.

"Good, now do you want help with the charms? I know a pretty nasty itching curse I'd love to try and enchant."

Magnus was one step closer to his goals, the Weasley twins a hundred galleons richer.

Snape spent a full day trying to overpower the ancient itching charm with the general counter spell, it's original counter-curse being lost to time.

McGonagall was oblivious to this, looking forward to her next meeting with her amber eyed protégé while Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with secret knowledge. As for Lockhart, he was doubtlessly trying to find new ways to lick his own arse.

To those who wonder about the literality of my words, know that Polyjuice cost but three hundred and seventy galleons in most potion master's shops…

Magic makes your wildest fantasies come true, for better or worse.

"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."

-BREAK-

Hogwarts is a place of learning, as Professor McGonagall is so fond of saying. Magnus knows that learning is a dangerous path, with many an obstacle in the way of those who seek to walk it.

"Look at this, boys. Another lost little raven." Magnus hears the physically painful voice of the most irritating twelve-year-old he met so far. The boy's mother had to be a banshee, for the amber eyed student could feel his ears bleeding at the screeching-like sound.

'Like a thousand rusty doors being opened, a hundred chairs creaking as they are pushed, a million cats clawing a black board.' He thinks, barely resisting the urge to hex the boy on the spot. 'Attacking him would be politically incautious.'

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Magnus says, his voice as steady as water yet scarier than any growl could hope to be.

It seems to unnerve the would-be bullies, now rather unsure of their decision. Yet as bigots often were, they were too feeble minded to realise the madness of their actions.

"Now that's a good question, what do I want?" He sneers, repressing his emotions in a pale imitation of his father's intimidation tactics.

His two goons, whose name Magnus could not remember, took it as a signal to step forward, looking as menacing as they could. Which wasn't much, since they were nothing but pathetically dim-witted, if rather large twelve-year olds.

"Did you actually train them to do this?" He says, not impressed by the so-called show of strength. "Or did your father do it for you?"

"Shut up!" Draco, whose name was even stranger than his own, shouted as his face flushed in an unhealthy mix of embarrassment and anger.

"He'd know about it, wouldn't he?" Magnus chuckles at the angry weasel "Muggle Duelling that is, a full-grown wizard brawling like a mere child in Flourish and Blotts."

'Seems like I've hit a nerve.' Magnus think amused at the shaking boy who reached for his wand, intent at cursing him.

"HOW DARE INSU..!" His shout, and subsequent attack were interrupted by Magnus.

"Looking for this?" The boy asks, mirth filling his eyes as twirled Malfoy's wand between his finger. He enjoys the bully's paling face, the panic in his eyes as he realised what kind of position he was in.

"You should be careful not to lose your wand, Malfoy." Magnus warns, as he offers the wand to the paralysed boy. "It could end up breaking if you're not careful."

The weasel could do naught but watch the muggleborn leave, his two gorillas not moving to stop him much to his ire.

"What the hell were you doing?!" Draco shout at his goons, once he regained his bearings.

He was not happy to find them asleep on their feet, with no idea of what just happened.

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Uncle sheo's here! How is it going, mortals?

It's a small chapter, with a few events and build up for the next big stuff to come. I tried mu hand at present tense, which i hated immensely will likely never use again.

This chapter was one of the worst things i've ever wrote, honestly. The narrative and description were the only decent parts of the chapter, and i've struggled to tell my story. Next chap will be past tense, third person, nice and long.

Things are about to go off plot, and the knowledge from the movies will be but a starting point for Magnus to plan and deduce the future through his understanding of people and events to come.

Peace and Cheese!