After leaving Snape's office, I wandered for a while until it was time for afternoon classes. As for the fight, each house had lost 160 points, 20 per person, and everyone was punished with different tasks. Why 160 points for each house? Because there were the seven players from the Quidditch team, plus Ron and me. Somehow, we managed to make each house lose the same amount of points. This was a devastating blow to the house competition, which greatly depressed Professor McGonagall; after having salvaged the loss of points from Harry and Ron's flying car incident at the beginning of the year by claiming the school year hadn't officially started yet, she still had hopes, but those were immediately dashed.
When I reunited with my girls, I noticed their curiosity about what had happened to me. I couldn't reveal too much to them, but I knew that sooner or later they would find out, so I simply postponed the conversation and continued with my day. It was relatively normal: classes, training in the den and in the nest. Everything was simple until I returned to the Slytherin common room.
Upon entering, I saw several "snakes" gathered in their various groups, although my attention was focused on some first-years. Among them was not Ginny, as she was training in the nest with the other "baby harpies" at that moment. My interest landed on a pale-faced blonde girl and her sister, who instinctively moved the little one behind her when she noticed me.
"Hello, Daphne. You're Astoria, right? It's funny that we haven't introduced ourselves formally until now," I said, smiling as I approached.
Daphne clenched her fists tightly, though she kept her expression controlled. The lack of encounters between Astoria and me had not been accidental; Daphne had made sure to keep me as far away from her sister as possible. She was not naive and understood very well what kind of person I was, so she preferred that Astoria not be on my radar. She trusted her ability to draw me toward herself without me being able to actually reach her: she allowed me to desire her but without letting me have her. This game was part of her plans, as winning my closeness served her to build advantageous relationships with people who would one day have influence in the magical world. However, her sister was a different case. Daphne had carefully guided Astoria to remain distant, reducing her presence to protect her. Although she knew this moment would come, she hoped to have more time to ensure that her sister did not become my target. Now, with few options, she looked forced to accept my advance while beginning to devise ways to keep me away from Astoria in the future.
Astoria looked at her sister, uncertain. After everything Daphne had told her about me, she was very nervous, recalling the repeated warnings she had received to follow her sister's instructions to the letter. Daphne could only give her a subtle signal to continue.
I was now in front of them, with my hand extended and a smile. I had observed the interaction between the sisters and deduced something, so I tried to appear as friendly as possible, even though inside I felt hurt by what Daphne had done... though I completely understood her; I would also protect my sister above all else.
Astoria, nervous, extended her hand to shake mine. I took hers gently, ready to bow and kiss it like a gentleman should... and make some witty comment directed at Daphne, as I understood her game well. But something unexpected happened.
I had known for a long time about Astoria's condition: a curse that drained her vitality little by little, ensuring she wouldn't live beyond her twenties or something like that. For that reason, upon touching her hand, I let a small fraction of my blood magic flow to analyze and investigate her, just as I had done in the past with others. However, the result was not what I expected.
Both of us opened our eyes, surprised and somewhat scared by what was happening. To others, it just seemed like we had shuddered upon touching hands, but this was much deeper and more concerning. My magic, which had barely brushed her, roughly slipped inside Astoria, as if something were drawing it in with irresistible force. I felt as if it left me empty, and at the same time, I perceived the blood curse that dwelled in her lineage for a few moments. People began to notice that something was wrong when we remained frozen, holding hands and staring blankly for several seconds. It was only a brief instant when my blood magic seemed to escape and delve into Astoria, but then, just as it left, it came back abruptly, dragging something else with it.
When my magic finally returned to me, we could both let go, stepping back a few paces. Astoria, however, looked even paler, collapsing backward into her sister's arms, who caught her with evident concern. I, on my part, was watching my hand, where I could still see the residual black flames, invisible to the others.
"I feel... strange..." Astoria murmured weakly, still dazed by the odd sensations.
"What did you do to my sister?!" Daphne screamed with a murderous look, filled with madness. With one hand, she held Astoria, and with the other, she quickly drew her wand, pointing it at my face from which a faint green glow emanated.
"I don't know," I honestly replied, feeling the tension in the air and Daphne's fury, which was almost palpable. There was also a part of me trying to feel my own blood magic and understand what had happened and if it was what I suspected.
"sister…" Astoria whispered in a very low tone due to her current state.
"What's wrong, Tori? Are you okay?" Daphne turned her face towards her sister, her concern evident, although she did not lower her wand.
"I feel… weak, very weak… weaker than before… but…" Astoria whispered with a faint voice, but a slight smile formed on her lips. "But… it doesn't hurt anymore," she said, as tears fell down her cheeks.
"Doesn't hurt? Are you in pain?" Daphne asked urgently.
"Always… but I didn't realize until now," Astoria replied, as she seemed to be falling asleep.
Daphne gave me one last intense look, her eyes wavering between concern for her sister and a mix of fear and fury towards me. Finally, she made a decision. She put away her wand, lifted Astoria, carrying her in her arms, and ran out of the common room.
Those present, shocked by the scene, didn't understand what had happened. Even Tracey and Pansy, who had watched everything from a distance, ran towards me, filled with questions. I didn't know exactly what to tell them; I had some conjectures, but I couldn't be sure. The only clue I had was the strange sensations I had just experienced and this new alert in front of me:
[Blood Magic: "Cursed Mode Lvl 1" Acquired]
-When entering this mode, all dark magic strengthens, but you take more damage and any healing magic, whether produced or received, is negatively affected. It consumes vitality while active.-
...
During dinner, an event occurred that captured the attention of the entire school. Dumbledore made a solemn announcement about Gemma's disappearance, asking anyone with information to contact their respective deans. This surprised everyone; it was not common for a student to disappear without a trace. While accidents or even tragic deaths were known at Hogwarts, a disappearance, as Dumbledore framed it, seemed unusual. Most assumed that Gemma might be running away from something, possibly from the law, that she had committed a crime and was now a fugitive.
The girls in our group were the most affected. Gemma was someone important to the group, and that night, at her request, we gathered in the den to talk about the matter. I repeated the same story I had told Snape and Dumbledore, trying to calm everyone down, and the rest did the same, weaving theories and sharing their fears. It was a long night, but it reflected the friendship that united our group, with everyone deeply concerned for each other. But it also showed that the girls were smart, for amid the conjectures, they asked me to use my [Message] ability to try to contact Gemma. Although it was a secret to most, it wasn't to them. They knew of my ability, as we used it constantly and hoped that I could provide them with answers about our missing friend. I activated the group chat, and to the girls' relief, Gemma responded. Although she agreed to talk, she was clear that she did not want to be found and continued the story everyone knew. Thus, our meeting in the lair ended.
Later that night, I became a little worried noticing the absence of the Greengrass sisters, both in the lair and in the dining hall or the common room. I inquired about it and learned that Daphne had requested the headmaster to use the fireplace to return home due to an emergency, and they had not yet returned. This relieved and slightly worried me, but overall I felt calmer.
With Gemma in a safe place, I felt I could relax, which allowed me to enjoy a bit. I took the opportunity to take Penelope to "mess up" the kitchen table in the den during the night. It was fun to see how she blushed to that point, both from the fear of being caught and from the unusual place where we would do it.
I was also able to take Pansy to Myrtle's bathroom for a kissing session. The girl deserved it; she had grown a lot and worked hard. She was happy to have her piece of mine, and she couldn't help but think about the good job Hermione was doing. Occasionally, she even mentioned that in the future we should grant her some title, like vassal of the Parkinson house, in reward for her dedication. This idea reinforced the feeling of superiority that Pansy had gained, and, in fact, I think that was exciting her.
However, our kisses abruptly stopped when Pansy felt a bit uncomfortable noticing that Myrtle was watching us, with an expression somewhere between jealousy and anticipation. Although she didn't like being observed, I assured her that Myrtle was a friend who could help us have these private moments, so she became animated again. At first, she struggled to regain the same intensity, aware that we had an "audience," but soon she let herself go, forgetting everything while enjoying our tongue battle and continuing to rave about Hermione's role in our lives.
I had ignored Pansy as she rambled on about how to keep Hermione close, suggesting that she could turn her into some sort of servant or even a subordinate member of the Parkinson family. According to her, Hermione could earn the privilege of 'serving me' occasionally, as if it were a special reward for Hermione herself. Meanwhile, I realized that, besides Myrtle, someone else seemed to have followed us. I felt we were being watched from a distance, although I was sure I couldn't see exactly what was happening. Myrtle, tasked with guarding the door, was so focused on us that she forgot to do so... what a terrible henchwoman. Still, I wasn't bothered; although at first I was worried and ready to act, when I noticed who the intruder was and their demeanor, I decided to let it be. From afar, the figure was spying and straining to listen, barely seeing the shadows of my feet and Pansy's under the cubicle door.
I smiled mischievously. I didn't have grand plans regarding this, but since I had come this far, we would see how the situation unfolded in the future.
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2nd Additional Chapter
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