The break was a lively affair. Susan was happy to be back home and was spending a lot of time in the herbology garden, tending to her favorite plants. She's also only realized how advanced and incredible the place is after receiving Hogwarts lessons on the subject. She didn't know before because this way of doing things was all she knew, as she learned it as her starting point, so the revelation was funny to see. The fact that she was also learning how unique and actually brilliant I was, due to now having a point of comparison was also nice. She now appreciated the knowledge I've been giving her since she was young and wanted to work harder to catch up to me in some way. As a loving older brother, I wanted to do everything I could to support her goals, so a made her copies of my notes, guidebooks or good published books on the subjects of Herbology and Potions, the areas she felt most comfortable.
Aside from Susan's realization, Victoria has been getting some one on one training with me.
"Haa haaa haa! Let's keep going. I want to be able to cast that battle Transfiguration spell before the holidays are done." She declared during her live combat practice.
"It can help if you've broken the ground already. For example, using a bombarda to obscure my sight can serve a dual purpose, as it breaks the ground and loosens the earth, letting you transfigure the ground in an easier fashion. It's basically using the spell to create an immediate trap and makes for a good combo involving limiting your opponents sight, movement and reaction time." I advise my very determined friend.
"Yeah, I'll try that." As she got her breath back. "Bombarda!" She shouted as she pointed her wand at the ground near my feet, trying to surprise me. Too bad for her, I have both extraordinary reflexes and I can feel what's around me without seeing it. So I just completely blocked her attempt as the chains came towards me and I turned them into mud.
"Good try Tory. On pretty much anyone else, that would have been worked splendidly." I applauded.
"Damn, still can't get you!" She exclaimed in frustration.
"You can't get me with three of you. What's been telling you it would work when you're alone?" I asked to tease her.
"Get over here you wanker and I'll show you how much I can do alone!" She shouted back at me, getting me a good laugh in response.
With another half-hour of training, she was finally able to pull off the combination fluidly, but it would take some time for her to truly be able to change the ground into her weapon.
Aside from practice, she's also been able to ask me in-depth questions on everything troubling her in our advanced learning sessions. But a lot of my modified spells need a large amount of practice to replace the standard forms. Say if you learn a standard stupefy, you'd need to overwrite your understanding of the spell by learning its arithmantic equation, then understanding the parts I've modified, then you'd need to calculate the changes in your mind after getting used to them on paper, ending up with the need to practice over and over again to ingrain it into yourself. I haven't found a way to learn them in a simple manner yet and that's why I'm not forcing Christian to learn everything, he just doesn't have an affinity with such heavy mathematics, so he focuses on some spells he's interested in and works intensively on those.
James came over twice during the holidays and both times we worked on making the new broom. We've agreed on a sleek black design, with a silver alloy blend for the metalwork, made by the goblins like the original Firebolt. It would remind some of the upcoming nimbus 2001, but this was miles ahead of it in term of performance and its look was less decorative. Due to my collaboration with Randolph, and an agreement with the man to make them together as a brand, I've saved time by getting the custom enchantments for the Firebolt. James was really excited to see the cutting edge of the industry and spent hours studying them when he was home. We spent an unknown amount of time discussing the needs of the chaser and their role on the field. We even got Christian involved with that discussion without letting him know about the broom. In the end we decided to focus on maintaining a slightly lower level of speed, to focus on subtle movements to allow for better fakes, doges and maneuvers required of the position. We are also completely revamping the comfort and weather/wind protection to reduce drag and help maintain player stamina since it is the most active position in Quidditch. We've also decided to up the acceleration to make it more versatile and hopefully making this broom more appealing to Keepers too. So we got to work. I used my goblin contacts to set up a proper supply for the metalwork, used people in the woodworking industries to obtain the testing material I would need and was workshopping everything else with James.
Victoria has no interest in this project of ours and just shook her head at her two friends talking to each other excitedly and only saying 'boys' before walking away.
But, did you know testing a developing broom involves a lot of crash landings? I mean, it's not like I expected it to go well on the first try and it was great that I was able to make a flying stick, but it was really surprise when it just stops listening to me in mid-air. So lesson learned on that one; fly lower until you know it works. Luckily, I wasn't that high and an arresto momentum was all that I needed to land safely. Victoria did find it both amusing and terrifying. She was scared at first, but it later became a story to tease me about, since it was one of the rare times I've ever made such a surprised face. But aside from that, steady progress has been made in the making of the prototype.
With the house being full of life and happy, hardworking kids, aunt Amelia had a very satisfied smile during her break. She saw her niece and nephew growing to be such good kids, and that relived her greatly. She always worried that she hasn't been there enough due to her duties in the ministry and even now, I'm the one who's handling the houses paperwork, making her feel guilty, grateful and happy I care about her enough to do it. I even caught her talking to an old family portrait of when her, my father and Susan's father were younger, with who I presumed were my grandparents behind them. She was drinking and venting about her worries, talking about what's been going on and that we've been doing good, and she cried a bit because she missed them and felt guilty she wasn't able to help them that night. The only thing I knew I could do at the moment, was to let her vent. Everyone needs to let things out at one point, just to lighten their burden and they don't need anyone to interfere. So I left her be and quietly returned to my room.
Christmas Day was a warm and relaxing affair, with nice music from the muggle world, aunty has begun to appreciate, gently resounding throughout the houses, large family meals, the three of us in the younger generation all put our studies and projects away to spend time enjoying the family atmosphere. It turned into a very nice memory with smiles and laughter.
What was less pleasant was the unending teasing I got from Victoria and the weird smiles I got from aunty and Susan after they saw the pile of chocolates and candies I received this year. I get a good amount every year yes, but it more than doubled this year. The worst part being that the senders wrote letters of admiration or proclamations of love without signing their names and the girls read them out loud to tease me. It was nightmarish.
My innocent time with my family was interrupted soon enough though. An emergency message from Oliver said they had captured a few men trying to break through the wards i had set up over all my businesses and personal properties. Like hell I was letting people destroy my things and buildings without making them work for it, and it also served as anti-theft protection. They were taken down after they started to bombard the FIRM center instead of my other holdings, meaning they probably held anti-muggle views and took enough of an offense that they wanted to destroy the place.
This was a serious enough matter, so I decided to head there personally. I used Sol to quickly travel to the Alley and headed to the center. The building was completely fine, with my wards being more than enough to stop three idiots trying to vandalize the place.
"Sir Folster! We didn't expect you so soon!" Said one of the members of Fortress.
"This is an important matter. I wished to see the twits brave or stupid enough to do this." I say seriously to the man. He nods and leads the way. We head inside Fortress Protections official office in the Alley, where people can come to hire what they need. Bringing me to an underground room, hidden from plain sight, with three men are chained in holding cells.
"You've done a very good job. All of you. As is stated in the practices of the Fortress, you shall be rewarded according to level one accomplishments. You may chose your rewards from the appropriate list." I say with an authorities voice.
""""thank you sir!"""" Was the response of those on duty.
Incidentally, what I mentioned was a system me and Oliver put in place to motivate members beyond their pays. The lowest being level one, but even that requires above perfect handling of duties, to level five, requiring immense merit during service.
"I will be handling the interrogation. If any feel uncomfortable you are free to leave. If any wish to see how legilimency can break an man, stay and learn, because it might be you suffering through this in the future and it is always good to be prepared." I then announce. None of the men present budge an inch. They knew what I meant. Many dark wizards liked to toy with their prey.
"Alright. Then let us begin. I don't have all night and I want to get this over with. I've heard you took the appropriate evidence and it is being developed yes?" I ask.
"Yes sir! The photos are being developed by Brook as we speak and we have recorded the entire event." He confirmed, as everything was handled according to protocol.
"Good." I simply say.
"Now you three gentlemen are not going to have a pleasant time. You see I hate using my gifts to harm others, but for you three I think I'll make an exception. I mean, it's not every day I get three gift wrapped death eaters to work on." I say with my devilish smile appearing on my face.
"We were found not guilty!" Yelled out the smallest one.
"These three are death eaters!?" Exclaimed one of my men. All three turned with fire in their eyes. Pretty much all members of Fortress have suffered at the hand of these inbreed barbarians calling themselves nobles.
"Oh yes, you were surely excused." I agree with them with a light voice. "But honestly, do you really believe being excused by incompetent, corrupted, biased, stupid and rushed old fools will actually let you off the hook from everyone? Because if you do, then all of you are bigger imbeciles than I could have thought."
I approach the smallest man first, with a gentle smile and shining eyes. He starts trying to struggle and fight the chains he's in. Trying to get away from me.
"No! No! Stay away from me! Stay away!" He shouted in growing panic.
"Such a brave little death eater you are. So brave and courageous when you attack the weak and helpless. But when in front of those stronger than you, you cower like a blithering baby." I say in an almost motherly tone, causing the man to start shivering.
"Now look at me little death eater. Look at me and remember what you really are." I say as our eyes meet and he freezes in horror.
The man stiffens as his brain is being forcefully broken into, analyzed and his entire life is laid bare. A few minutes later of him silently screaming, with tears and horror in his eyes, I finally let him go. He immediately collapses and assumes the fetal position as he shivers uncontrollably.
"Well now Mr. Gibbon, you truly are a piece of shit. But now I must pay attention to our other guests. Mr. Crabb and Mr. Goyle, shall we begin?" I say with a pleasant smile as I turn towards them.
A dozen minutes pass and the three are now lying on the ground trembling. I had gotten everything I wanted and what I saw disgusted me. These men were truly vile and did not deserve to be alive, much less hold any positions of importance. But I needed them alive for now. They were going to be used to create a stir in the ministry. I removed any and all memory of me and replaced it with another member of Fortress, simply changing the face they would remember since I wanted to play in the shadows for now.
"You all know what to do now. I want them detained and to file for a trial as soon as possible. I don't want to give those gits any time to mess with things. These bastards will go on trial. I've heard Edward Tonks wishes to be active in the FIRM center, he is a skilled lawyer and wishes to be a skilled barrister, so contact him and offer him to be our legal representative. We have everything we need to put them away. If palms need greasing I'll take care of it. Dismissed." I order as I set everything in motion.
'Let's see how much this'll rattle the cage.' I think to myself.