< Quest Completed: New Beginnings >
< Get the lay of the land, near and far! Settle yourself and Hogwarts into a stable situation. >
< Rewards: +3 to Mind, Rulership Discipline unlocked +5 levels >
< Stats >
< Mind: 80+3=83/200+ >
< Social >
< Rulership 1+5=6/100 >
It'd been a busy year. For both Hogwarts and myself. As to be expected when the whole castle was uprooted and thrown into a different world. But we'd adapted and persevered. Thrived, even. The quest popped shortly after Hogwarts reached an agreement and alliance with the North. Having allies on our doorstep instead of potential enemies, plus room to grow New Hogsmeade, seemed to count for a 'stable situation'.
< +8 to Soul, +12 to Mind, +18 to Body >
< Soul: 84+8=92/200+, Mind: 83+12=95/200+, Body: 80+18=98/200+ >
I'd seen the most progress in my Stats over the past year. With this world raising the potential cap, they were made easier to increase. To a certain extent. There was still an almost exponential scale going on there, as with all my 'Gamer numbers'. The higher they were, the harder they were to raise further. But as I was now, I felt confident matching the average Westerosi Knight, in terms of physical fitness at least.
As far as I could tell, everyone else in Hogwarts had reached and surpassed this world's 'baseline'. Some were already near or beyond it. They saw less immediate growth but more relative growth overall as we all continued to push ourselves. Physical training proceeded as planned, though it did begin to peter off once everyone was deemed acceptably fit.
Not everyone in Hogwarts wanted to be fighters. In fact, I'd say most of the students and staff wanted to do other things, to help Hogwarts in their own ways — be that research, development, practical applications of magic, or other avenues of support. I'd pitched in with a bit of everything. I knew I'd have to fight. But I wanted to contribute intellectually as well. And Narcissa never let me forget the political side of things…
IIIII
"Heave! Heave ho!" The exclamations were entirely unnecessary but they made me feel good.
With a swish and a flick of my wand, my side of the building under construction was raised up another level. Due to my power, I was given a whole side of the pyramid-shaped structure to myself. Heather was given another, brute-forcing her side similar to mine. Two other teams took the other two sides of the square base
The final construction would be a thing to behold. It was more of a step pyramid than one with smooth sides. Each step was a story high and according to Hermione's plans, there would be seven of them. Partially for the magical significance of such a number, and partially to fool some Faithful locals into thinking we were paying homage to their Seven-Faced God. The solid blocks of gray stone, hewn and 'grown' from the ground itself by magic, would make it rather intimidating though. I think Luna had the idea of painting each step a different color. 'Like a rainbow! A Reading Rainbow~!'.
Set in the core of New Hogsmeade, the step pyramid was planned to become a center of learning outside of Hogwarts. A library, a school, and a place for printing. It would be a place for public knowledge and most revolutionary of all for this world, a place for the Smallfolk.
I know Hermione wanted to call it the 'Library of Alexandria' but I think the final name was still under consideration. Heather had thrown out the 'Library of Hermione', which I think was gaining a bit of steam despite Hermione's embarrassed protests. Personally, I kind of agreed with Heather's suggestion. A place of learning intended mainly for Smallfolk was unprecedented in this world and Hermione should have her name attached to it as more than just the architect. This was her baby, what she'd been working toward for the past year. An achievement like this should be properly honored.
Outside of the building itself, there was much to be done to see Hermione's vision realized. Some of the Smallfolk had to be educated from the ground up — trained to teach in the school, run the library, and work the presses. That much was underway and would likely be an ongoing process until the pyramid could sustain itself.
Conventional wisdom for this world would have us employ Maesters or cooperate with the Citadel. We… weren't doing that. For one, we didn't trust the Maesters farther than we could throw them. As the 'most learned and neutral' men in Westeros, they had way too much power to be doing nothing at all with it. We had no proof, but even the littlest First Year doubted the Maesters were as 'neutral' as they said.
For another, the Citadel would undoubtedly protest against Hermione's dream. Fiercely. Perhaps to be expected from this world, the Citadel only let men learn, and only Highborn men at that. Hermione's dream was practically a spit in the face of the Citadel but by the time they could hope to do anything, it would be much too late to stop.
Before even teaching Smallfolk to sustain the pyramid, the first step of Hermione's plan was the printing press. The 'Hogwarts Printing Press'. Easily one of the most influential inventions of all time on Earth. And I didn't see it being any different here. Working through the kinks to make it entirely mundane took a bit of time — especially since we only had references of magical versions to work with — but Luna was satisfied with the invention now. With it ready and step two ongoing, step three of Hermione's dream could begin, bringing me back to the process of raising the pyramid that would house it all.
New Hogsmeade as a whole was coming along quite nicely. It'd grown dramatically over the past year, absorbing the nearby villages. Houses and farmsteads had sprung up, both in the town proper and the lands immediately around it. Infrastructure expanded to compensate for the population increase, a sewage and plumbing system was developed, and a very primitive (by modern Earth's standards) industry was coming up.
Worked goods were already becoming the primary export of New Hogsmeade. Things like clocks, compasses, matches (a godsend in the North), and better steel were 'rediscovered' by our research parties and introduced to our growing Smallfolk population. At first, people came to New Hogsmeade for community, healing, or even just the novelty. Soon enough, they were coming to find work. Or even sanctuary, as with the recently arrived 'Caravan of the Cursed'…
< Creation >
< +5 to Potions, +6 to Enchanting, +20 to Crafting, Forging Discipline unlocked +20 >
< Potions 40+5=45/100, Enchanting 48+6=54/100, Crafting 18+20=38/100, Forging 1+20=21/100 >
IIIII
Magic was, strangely enough, where I'd seen the least progress. Relatively, of course. It was still my favorite field to put time into, though martial training was growing on me. However, I was a bit too busy to be a dedicated part of any one of the research parties. So instead, I hopped from one to another, helping where I could.
Hogwarts made great progress on the research front over the past year. After Ned's first visit, Luna and I shared what we'd seen and heard from our divination dream. That… went over about as well as one would expect. The biggest revelation there was, without a doubt, the gods.
Not divine gods. But magical ones. And once we knew that difference, we found more proof of them rather quickly. They left a sort of imprint on the magical concentration of the world. Like a gravity well of pure mystic significance. Something that spilled over onto the people and magicks of 'Planetos'.
For example, the Old Gods 'ruled' over the land. They were inherently connected to the leylines of Westeros. They were also connected to the Children of the Forest — a group we hadn't seen much evidence of yet — and the First Men but mostly, they 'blessed' places not people. The First Men could still be considered 'magical stock' though because of just how long they'd lived near and given tribute to the Old Gods. And — some of us suspected — because some First Men had mated with Children of the Forest in the far, far distant past, leaving them sort of 'Fae-touched' to this day.
In comparison, the Seven Who Are One 'ruled' over people instead of land. They were the closest to a traditional understanding of faith and 'divinity' that we'd come across. Instead of holding power of their own, they rode the waves of collective consciousness. Shared ideas, merged cultures, and significant magical offerings in the form of prayers and the like elevated and empowered them.
At first, we thought magic in this world came in only two main flavors: sorcery and an approximation of 'divine' patronage. The 'divine' patronage was the simplest to understand. The vast and robust magical beings who were worshipped as gods could be called upon to invoke 'miracles'. This could be seen with the Seven on rare occasions but it was most prominent with the flame god Luna and I had seen in Essos: R'hllor.
It (he?) was something of an oddity. We'd heard stories from Essos, mostly via traders who came from White Harbor. By all accounts, it was rather active for this world and its age of diminishing magic. But it was the least… sentient of the 'gods' as well. Instead of a coherent or connected magical being like the Seven or the Old Gods, R'hllor was a magical conflagration. An astral bonfire that had been burning for millennia.
Its power could also be chalked up to the second flavor of magic that was most prominent in this world: sorcery. The difference quickly became clear when we looked into the subject. Sorcery… required sacrifice. Not merely the expenditure of one's internal energy. It required concrete loss to gain or affect something else. With offerings of significance, blood, or life — magic and mystical meaning were generated, which could then be directed as the sorcerer willed.
That was a slightly horrifying discovery. Almost all sorcery would be equated to the darkest of ritual magic on Earth. So it seemed that Wizards, Witches, and our magic were unique in this world… until a recent development brought that theory into question. With Hogwarts' arrival acting as a sort of magical eruption, magic was returning to the world with due haste. Most importantly, it was returning to the people of this world, not just the 'gods'. As an unashamedly open safe haven of magic, New Hogsmeade received refugees who brought fresh looks at the magic of this world.
Septima sighed, resting her head on my bare chest as we lounged in sticky, sweaty post-coital bliss. She'd been all too busy since the Caravan of the Cursed arrived, locking herself away in study, research, and experimentation for days. The only way I'd been able to get her to stop was by quite literally kidnapping her and carrying her back to our rooms to ravish.
"The stories they tell, Atlas," Septima shook her head sadly. "They're horrible. Neighbor turning on neighbor, desperate escapes, pain, tragedy, loss…"
"It's just the way of things in this time period," I soothed. "All we can do now is give them a place they'll be accepted and learn from them."
"The examples of native magic they've brought with them certainly have helped expand our understanding," Septima mused, looking for a silver lining. "Bloodlines are somehow even more important than in our world. Why, they seem to be the primary way magic expresses itself natively, along with rituals, religion, sorcery, and sacrifice. So much sacrifice…"
"It explains some difficulties and mysteries we've been running into," I nodded. "Thank Merlin that the Hogwarts library is full of very old books. I still struggle with the strange awkwardness of wands in this world. They work perfectly well but…"
"They're too rigid, too forced," Septima finished for me before giggling. "Or as Luna says 'Magic here likes it raw~!'."
I snorted in humor, "It's certainly one way to put it. With the confirmed gods and the bloodlines and the sacrifices, the magic here feels much more… primordial than it is on Earth."
"Ugh," Septima groaned, turning to dig her face into my chest. "Don't even get me started on the gods."
"C'mon, love," I coaxed. "They have to be discussed. We can't simply ignore them."
"… I know. It's just-," Septima huffed. "Even a single year of eldritch magical beings posing as divines has been enough for me. And they're getting more powerful! Or at least, more willing to interact with the physical world. Hogwarts' arrival here must have raised the magical concentration twice over. And from there, it just began to run away with itself.
"Now, the world has old bloodlines and magical gifts reawakening and 'divines' on the rise. The Seven themselves aren't too egregious. A bit too human-centric, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. But the Faith that follows them is painfully hypocritical! They loathe and damn magic, blissfully blind to the fact that everything they worship is magic! I dread to think about what their most faithful followers will do when magical miracles inevitably make themselves known…
"Then the fire god and its icy counterpart to the far north you and Luna first told us about. I don't like either, if I'm honest. They seem like opposite sides of the same coin. But both sides represent Death. Just by different means.
"And I don't even want to think about the god beneath the waves that is somehow worse and more eldritch than Cthulhu! Somehow, in all of this, the coral-esque bloodthirsty trees are the most agreeable! And they're still a vastly inhuman network of Genius Loci!"
Septima was panting and enflamed — a beautiful flush on her pale skin — as she finished her rant. I simply stroked her hair and asked, "Feel better now?"
"… Yes~," Septima gave an adorable, almost whimper and nuzzled herself back into my chest. We settled into contentment, saying nothing more to each other. It wasn't necessary. Septima would return to her work soon enough. Until then, I wished to make her enjoy her temporary respite.
So, of course, that was when Fleur barged into our room, interrupting peace and common sense as she was wont to do, "You wish to talk of 'ze gods?! I know of only one god! May he hold up my world and bring me low — so low~! — With each thrust of his glorious sword~!"
She stood at the foot of our bed with her hands on her hips and her head held high, intensely smug about 'something'. Septima and I shot her scathing deadpan looks. Fleur was utterly unbothered by our disdain. She knew what she was doing. She'd likely been waiting outside our door, listening for the perfect moment to make her dramatic entrance. Of course, Septima and I knew that too.
That didn't change our course of action, "Atlas…? Put your most fanatical lover in her place, please."
"For interrupting our cuddles? Gladly~…"
Fleur quickly devolved from smugness to a gasping, moaning, crying puddle of Veela pleasure, "Praise~! Praise be~!
< Magic >
< +1 to Wanded Magic, +1 to Charms, +2 to Transfiguration, +2 to Runes, +3 to Arithmancy, +3 to Magic Theory, +5 to Wandless Magic, +10 to Potter's Clay >
< Wanded Magic 74+1=75/100, Charms 68+1=69/100, Transfiguration 67+2=69/100, Runes 64+2=66/100, Arithmancy 65+3=68/100, Magic Theory 79+3=82/100, Wandless Magic 58+5=63/100, Potter's Clay 11+10=21/100 >
IIIII
Steel clashed against steel, magically forged and then reinforced further by runes that glowed lightly across the length of the blades. Hogwarts had very quickly solved the forging question and had only gotten better since then. As it turned out, the Twins had been looking to get into forging and smithing to facilitate some prank ideas of theirs before this whole 'World Transfer' debacle. The suddenly changed situation only lit more of a fire beneath them and soon enough, they'd brought Hogwarts up to speed with any castle forge in this world. Even a year later, they were still finding ways to improve their work.
Neville stepped into my guard with a thrust that aimed to take me across the cheek. I just barely batted it aside with the flat of my blade, my head swerving at the same time. I turned the motion into a ducking step around, looking to attack from a new angle.
That plan was quickly aborted. Neville pressed his attack. With another step, he pursued me. A satisfying clang rang through the blade, vibrating into my hand. His slash was directed down the length of my sword as I met his aggression with aggression of my own. He yielded in the clash. Close now, my edge snapped out like a snake.
He turned with my strike. His blade came up from below, looking to parry mine. Like him though, I pressed my advantage. A hand came off my hilt and lunged for his wrist. Having to choose between defending my striking sword and getting snagged, Neville was forced to abort his parry and step back out of reach.
Neville's face was set in a grim mien as he silently called for a reset. It always was. 'Grim' was just his usual facial expression in a fight, I'd come to learn. Lips set in a firm, flat line, and ever-furrowed brows. Whenever he picked up a blade, it seized his whole focus.
Still, I knew he enjoyed bladed combat just as much as I did. I could never resist the thrill that went through my veins when I fought or sparred. Neville was the same. Perhaps even more so. It was the most unique mix of relaxing — going through well-practiced motions — and exhilarating — applying those motions in always novel ways and situations. Furthermore, ever since we'd graduated to live blades — something Cygnus encouraged, 'The thrill of the cut!' — neither Neville nor I looked back.
I didn't consider myself a suicidal thrill-seeker but it seemed swords got the better of every man — and woman — with a bit of skill and dedication. Neville was a natural, easily surpassing me over the past year. I mostly kept up but he put in much more time with his sword than I did. Still, I was one of the few who could offer him a challenge, along with Victor, Susan, Heather, Astoria on occasion, and of course, Cygnus.
Facing off against each other, we took the chance we didn't necessarily need to catch our breaths. I kept my blade low and pointed at the ground in a Fool's Guard, inviting an attack. Neville rested in a tense Ox's Guard, his blade pointing toward me and held from a position above his shoulder and beside his head. The tension between us grew. One beat. Two.
Then I spoke, "So how's the wall coming along?"
It was partially out of honest interest and partially to put him off guard. Neville saw through the ruse easily but he still replied even as he stepped and slashed at me.
"Well enough-!" Neville punctuated his statement with a grunt.
His vicious slash slammed into my guard. Instead of meeting force with force, I rolled with the blow, using the fluidity of the Fool's Guard to step away and back in. Neville easily brought his blade back around to deflect my answering jab.
"I've managed to get our most vulnerable side up to about 10 feet now. Just another 60 or so to go… Raising solid stone is more tiring than I thought it would be," Neville continued.
"It should be," I nodded. "But you've got more than enough power for it."
"That's what Professor McGonagall says…" He trailed off awkwardly, leading another strike — across the body, from low to high — in place of saying anything more.
"It's true. I-!" I replied, interrupted as Neville turned his slash into a thrust that nearly took me off-guard. "Bugger! I, I'll never know how you still doubt yourself, Neville. You're one of the best among us."
*CLANG CLASH SHWIP!*
Neville shrugged casually, ignoring his three-piece combo that nearly took my head off my shoulders, "I dunno… I suppose I just don't like to brag."
I panted and laughed incredulously, stepping in with an overhead strike to try and regain momentum, "You're bloody terrifying at times, mate. Honestly, humble confidence will always say more than a thousand boasts."
"That's what Susan says," Neville nodded, leaning his head to the side at the same time.
My sword slid along his with a rasp. Neville didn't even flinch as it took off a few strands of hair from his head. Instead, he immediately twisted his blade around mine. A step across my body put my sword out of position. His point lashed straight into my face. It stopped bare inches before my wide eyes as I got a physical shield off in time.
After a beat of stunned silence, I began to chuckle, "Yeah… Bloody terrifying. I yield, I yield."
Stepping back, Neville gave the sword salute that Cygnus had drilled into all of our minds, "Good fight. Again?"
An eager grin came across my face, "Oh, yeah. There's no way I'm letting that go unrepaid."
"You can try," Neville shrugged nonchalantly, settling into a mirror of my earlier Fool's Guard.
A half-breath filled my lungs and I lunged, practically blurring across the distance between us to engage Neville once more in a song of singing steel…
< Combat >
< +2 to Dueling, +5 to Tactics, +5 to Focus, +5 to Awareness, +6 to Attack, +8 to Defense, +8 to Evasion, +8 to Healing, +10 to Agility, +23 to Melee, +30 to Swordsmanship >
< Dueling 70+2=72/100, Tactics 65+5=70/100, Focus 62+5=67/100, Awareness 62+5=67/100, Attack 59+6=65/100, Defense 60+8=68/100, Evasion 59+8=67/100, Healing 45+8=53/100, Agility 65+10=75/100, Melee 25+23=48/100, Swordsmanship 18+30=48/100 >
IIIII
Little Aries Black was without a doubt one of the best things to happen in the last year. My firstborn. My son with Narcissa. The first child to be born of this new Hogwarts. He had his mother's blue eyes, our namesake black hair with a single white streak, and an adorably serious expression always. Even when he was giggling and burbling, he looked like a baby Lord.
He'd immediately become the light of my life. My reason for wanting to build a stable and thriving future here. Even if we never found a way home, Aries would thrive. He would be a Wizard amongst men. I loved the little bugger, my flesh and blood. The moment I held him in my arms, I knew I would give him the world or help him take it himself.
Narcissa… I'd never seen her happier. No matter what else happened, she'd gotten what she wanted. I imagined she was even more enthusiastic about Aries' future than I was. And to say that about a Slytherin, a Pure-Blood Witch of House Black? She'd be pulling strings and acting as his dagger in the dark for the rest of Aries' life.
Of course, Aries was also a hit with the girls. 'Baby fever' had struck the coven with a vengeance. Not all of my girls were consumed by it. Heather, Luna, Aurora, Daphne, Dora, and Pansy were thankfully content to dote upon Aries. But I'd have to be blind to not notice the way others were looking at me after they first held him in their arms. And Bella was the worst off there, taking 'baby crazy' to a whole new level. As expected…
I was a bit more cautious about knocking anyone else up for the moment. We had enough on our plate already. Little Aries was unavoidable but I wasn't going to be easily convinced to bring more of our children into the world until Hogwarts' future was much more secure. One baby was already a handful.
The same couldn't be said about others within Hogwarts. A few of the older students who were already in relationships were either trying or already pregnant. Sirius had proved that Azkaban wasn't wholly crippling in that regard. Amelia was pregnant, about six months along — and Phoebe had already given birth to a new Black Heir.
Fine by me. I didn't want to be the Black Heir in the first place. I had my own house to plan for. Of course, I'd still maintain my position until their daughter Celeste grew up. I didn't necessarily agree with the decision to continue reproducing in our current situation but I could hardly say anything. Not everyone wanted to wait until things were set and secure. As far as we knew, Hogwarts was the last remnant of our world. We were the last of our people. It made a certain sense for some of us to prioritize continuing their bloodlines.
Thankfully, it wasn't a full-blown baby boom. Only five babies — born or on the way. Aries, Celeste, and Amelia's coming child. Then two more from the Weasley Twins, both of them knocking up their long-time girlfriends-turned-brides. I almost snorted at that thought. Count on the Weasleys to reproduce…
Draco was happy enough with his new half-brother. He'd truly changed from the arrogant boy I once knew. He was one of the more decent fighters in Hogwarts, good with both sword and wand. And when he wasn't puffing up his chest like a peacock, he had a sharp mind in that Pure-Blood head of his. He seemed set on completely redefining the Malfoy name in this new world and had already pledged to defend his brother to the death.
Of course, everything we'd all been through would do that. Everyone was changing, thankfully for the better most of the time. I hesitated to call any of the Hogwarts students children anymore. Even the youngest were taking on responsibilities that the previous generation would never have thought of. There wasn't much more unifying than being thrown from your home into a strange land and becoming the last of your people.
Here and there, internal conflicts had cropped up though. Surprisingly, not over what I had expected. Some of the older Pure-Bloods still preached supremacy. But honestly? They were kind of right in this world. Westeros was a society stuck in the far past, and as far as we could tell, it had stagnated there for several thousand years. Even the magic of the world had been dwindling before Hogwarts arrived.
So there was something to be said about prioritizing ourselves. But me, Albus, and anyone with sense, really, stamped down hard on the idea that we were inherently 'better' than the natives. As I saw it, we had the ability, opportunity, and at least a passing obligation to guide the people who came to us. The Smallfolk under our banner, and the friends and allies we'd made here already. But declaring Wizards and Witches as 'supreme' would only lead to tyranny.
It was no secret that we could conquer this world if we wished. Magic and 'rediscovered' technology would see to that relatively easily. As small as Hogwarts was in comparison, we hadn't seen anything from this world that could truly oppose us if we played to our strengths. We could repeat this world's history and become a new Targaryen dynasty.
But… what was the point? What could this world offer us that we couldn't gain for ourselves or that Hogwarts lacked now? Power? We had magic beyond anything else we'd seen from this world other than perhaps the 'divines' and long-dead Dragons. Wealth and luxury? Even the most advanced castle paled before Hogwarts and her magic. A kingdom? That would only lead to infighting, we knew, and Ned had gladly granted us a corner of the world here in the North to call our own.
Furthermore, what right did we have to rule? Other than the obvious 'Might Makes Right', of course. Westeros had been relatively stable for thousands of years. The North alone had existed longer than any civilization on Earth by a significant margin. No, it was better for us to leave the 'Iron Throne' to people who coveted it unless we absolutely had to step in to stand up for people who otherwise couldn't for themselves.
That's how I thought, at least. The general sentiment of Hogwarts mostly agreed with me. The relative primitiveness of the 'Muggles' here — something of a misnomer now with how primordial and ever-present magic was — sealed that. But I wasn't blind enough to think that idea was unanimous. Wizards could be prone to ignorant, selfish ambition the same as anyone. Perhaps more prone… Eventually, Hogwarts would run into further internal issues about our place in this new world.
The very thought was heart-wrenching. That I might have to stand across a battlefield from my former students. I bounced Aries on my knee to soothe my worries for the moment. He bore the indignity with stoic 'indifference', serious baby-Lord that he was.
He was constantly at Narcissa's side — or someone from the coven — but since she was leading this mini-meeting, I offered to take him off her hands for the moment. It was a small affair, mostly just the politically-minded of us. Dumbledore, Cedric, Sirius, Phoebe, and Ada. Gabrielle, Daphne, Narcissa, and unfortunately, myself as well. Aries was a good distraction, both from my own thoughts and from the meeting itself.
"Brub. Abab. Hngl," Yes… Aries had such a sober, comforting way with words already.
Narcissa watched me and our son with intent eyes, the ghost of a smile just barely visible on her face if you knew how to look, "Are you listening, Atlas?"
"No, my mind is miles away," I answered frankly.
"Ah, how sweet~…" Gabrielle sighed fondly. "The most beautiful of scenes with Mon Ange~…"
"Care to enlighten us as to where your thoughts are?" Dumbledore inquired.
I shook my head, "Just possibilities for future tragedies. I hope to never face one of Hogwarts' own in open conflict."
"Ah, yes. I understand…" Dumbledore nodded, uncharacteristically somber. "Something that keeps me up at night as well. I've already vowed to do everything I can to keep such an internal struggle from coming to pass."
"It won't be any time soon if it does happen," Cedric voiced. "I know a few of the older students are unhappy, relatively speaking. But I can't see them doing something as dumb as breaking off on their own just yet."
"We'll just have to let some of the older students venture out and forge their own paths in this world before they get too restless," Daphne said, her tone as flat as ever.
"Isn't that… kind of unproductive…?" Sirius asked warily. "It'll just give them more chances to break away when we're already concerned about loyalty."
"The freedom and opportunity to earn something for themselves will do them good, dear," Phoebe reasoned.
"I can see that," I nodded slightly. "We've kept everyone centered on Hogwarts so far to be safe but things are about as stable as they're going to get. We'll have to loosen the restrictions eventually."
"Especially for us older students. A good portion of us would have graduated already. We're feeling a touch stifled, even if most of us understand this is unexplored ground," Cedric put in.
"So long as they can defend themselves and not shame us, let them," Ada said curtly.
"And if they shame us, we silence them, and whoever took offense," Daphne said, her voice deadpan and nonchalant enough to draw blinks.
I reached over and chided her with a flick to disrupt her dead expression, "A joke in poor taste, my bloodthirsty goth."
"Yes~," Gabrielle giggled. "We would only silence the ones who took offense."
I gave her a deadpan look to match Daphne's, "Don't make me come over there while I have a baby in my lap."
"Perhaps it's time to take Lord Stark up on his offer of fostering," Narcissa mused, not-so-subtly rolling her eyes at the coven's antics. "And extend the program to other Houses as well. Lord Manderly would certainly appreciate the opportunity to deepen ties with Hogwarts. We're quickly becoming one of his most profitable trading partners."
"Even to the South?" Sirius pressed.
"Even to the South," Narcissa nodded. "We wouldn't stop the students from finding their own paths anyway but it will be extraordinarily helpful to make more contact with the rest of Westeros."
"The atmosphere down south grows increasingly tenuous," Gabrielle cautioned. "The Caravan of the Curse brought tales of skirmishes and tension throughout the lands. And the fact that we received a caravan of refugees at all speaks for itself. Magic is practically a viral outbreak. Une pandémie — much worse in the South than in the North. The ripples of our arrival are inflaming zeal, unrest, and dangerous ambitions."
"All the more reason to bring ourselves into play," Ada argued. "The situation is potentially dangerous, yes, but also profitable. The Smallfolk aren't the only ones awakening magic. Perhaps the noble Houses will want educated and well-informed magical hands to guide them in this trying time…"
"Indeed. And not all of the Southern Houses are inherently hostile to us," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Why, I've quite enjoyed my correspondence with the Southern Kingdoms. Even Lord Stannis is amusing enough to rile up. And Lady Olenna is simply a delight!"
"That's a terrifying sentence to hear from you, Albus," I shot him a deadpan look.
Dumbledore twinkled even brighter, "Yes, two peas in a pod, she and I~… Would you like to see our letters?"
"Not particularly," I sighed. "But I have a feeling that you aren't going to give me another choice."
Dumbledore finally broke and chuckled, "Come now, my young friend. You could stand to learn much from your elders~."
With a wave of his wand, he summoned a sheaf of parchment to his hand. A rather impressive display of casual control considering this world's magical environment. Perhaps counter-intuitively, the littlest of things were so much harder here. He handed them to me and I almost reluctantly began to go through them.
There was only one letter from Stannis Baratheon, Lord of Dragonstone, in the bunch. Likely, Dumbledore only saved his favorite. That is to say, he only saved the one where he managed to break Lord Stannis…
Headmaster Dumbledore,
You are a frustrating man. But given your policy toward frankness and rather blunt honesty to me, I'll return the favor. I hope to never interact with you again after our arrangement is concluded. I find you… difficult, Headmaster.
That said, I feel we have come to a satisfactory agreement. You shall heal my daughter Shireen. In return, I shall hand over the Red Witch to you, along with the last Dragon Egg on Dragonstone — petrified and a useless curiosity though it may be. Though my wife will surely protest, Priestess Melisandre is already taxing my hospitality. I hope you have better luck weathering her particular brand of magical and religious fervor.
Regards, Ser Stannis Baratheon, Master of Ships and Lord of Dragonstone.
"This man… is a treasure trove of self-control if this is all he wrote to you," I shook my head at Dumbledore.
"A shame, isn't it?" Dumbledore did the same back. "I'd hoped for more. The young man could hope to loosen up a tad. The agreement we reached was fine enough. The man does care for his family, as stone-hearted as he may seem. The Dragon Egg and this 'Red Witch', I can hardly wait to study them both."
"And Lady Olenna?" I asked.
Dumbledore's as twinkled as they were wont to do when he was most amused by something, "See for yourself…"
Headmaster Dumbledore,
What a fortunate coincidence. I like to socialize as well. Perhaps this correspondence will satisfy both our appetites. Seven knows few have kept up with me in the past…
Regardless, I would like to welcome you and your people to this land we call home. It is a strange and absurd situation that you've claimed. And easily the most interesting thing to happen in my lifetime. I wonder, are you aware of the effect you and your magic seem to be having on the world around you? Strange, strange things are afoot, Headmaster Dumbledore, and I can't help but feel that you and yours are the cause.
While some will protest your magical reveal and introduction most fiercely, I only see an opportunity. Your offer intrigues me. The Heir to my House, my grandson Willas Tyrell, suffered an unfortunate injury when he was barely more than a boy. If you should heal him and restore my grandson's leg, House Tyrell would owe you a debt.
Furthermore, I would like to discuss the players of this game you've found yourself in better detail. Should you so wish, of course. While I can recognize the veteran player of A game, you do not know THIS game, Headmaster.
I look forward to your reply and shall indulge whatever arrangements you feel need to be reached. A glorious relationship blooms here, I feel.
Growing Strong (and most curious), Lady Olenna Tyrell, Q.O.T.
"She certainly seems like quite the character," I commented.
"Oh, she gets better," Dumbledore chuckled. "Read the most recent letter, if you will."
Headmaster Dumbledore,
The arrangements have been made and I find our agreement acceptable. Willas and I will come to Castle Hogwarts, post haste. My granddaughter Margaery will be traveling with us. We shall take a ship from King's Landing to White Harbor. You can expect us in three moon's time.
Now. Tell me why my darling granddaughter — the light of my old soul… Tell me why she came to me this morning with a crown of roses that she grew BEFORE MY VERY EYES. I know this is your fault, Dumbledore. Perhaps not purposefully, but your fault all the same. You and yours will take responsibility.
My Margaery is the sweetest rose of Highgarden. She will not grow unnurtured. I expect this discussion will continue when we arrive. I will only accept the best for my Little Rose. And if I know anything after our many moons of correspondence, you — Headmaster Dumbledore — can give that to me, to HER. I shall see it made so.
Growing Strong (and bloody magical, apparently), Lady Olenna Tyrell, Q.O.T.
"Ah…" I slowly set down the letter. "We have a very powerful and concerned grandmother looking for guidance for her suddenly magical granddaughter. And as our first magical nobles, to boot."
"Indeed," Dumbledore smirked and twinkled. "Personally, I'm more excited about the Lady Olenna than Lord Stannis' Dragon Egg. Preparations will have to be made for both. And I'm already eagerly counting the days~."
< Social >
< +1 to Luck, +3 to Willpower, +3 to Seduction, +4 to Teaching +5 to Perception, +8 to Influence, +8 to Rulership, +12 to Notoriety >
< Luck 61+1=62/100, Willpower 65+3=68/100, Seduction 63+3=66/100, Perception 50+5=55/100, Teaching 62+4=66/100, Influence 8+8=16/100, Ruleship 6+8=14/100, Notoriety 8+12=20/100 >