Especially not with the surprise in store for the selected champions!
"I can see you have become a lot happier since becoming a mother," he said warmly, his voice softer now.
Serafall's eyes narrowed. "Damn right I have," she snapped, sitting forward in her chair and fixing him with a glare. "And stop trying to butter me up like that lying goblin king. You are not fooling me. What do you actually want, Zex?"
That wiped the smirk right off his face. For the first time since he walked in, he faltered. His gaze shifted away, sliding off hers like he could not quite bring himself to meet her eyes. That alone was enough to put her on edge. She already knew whatever he was about to say was going to irritate her.
Finally, he spoke. "I actually wanted to talk about your son, Harry," he said carefully. "You know our families have been allies for generations. We fought together in both wars. Do you not think it is time we properly...united?"
Serafall's stare sharpened, her aura chilling the air again. "No," she said flatly, the word snapping through the air like a whip.
She knew exactly where this was going. She leaned back against her chair, arms crossing tightly under her chest, her gaze never leaving his.
"I am not going to force Harry into a marriage with your little sister just so she can squirm her way out of marrying that asshole Riser," Serafall said, her tone icy and final. "On top of that, my precious little sister and Harry already have very obvious feelings for each other. Anyone with half a brain can see it. And my parents are already expecting their marriage to strengthen our clan. Besides, aren't your parents all about your little sister marrying a pure-blooded devil?"
"They can be convinced, Serafall. Especially if Harry is powerful enough. You have seen it yourself. He has gone from a low-class to almost high-class in little over a month. That kind of growth is exponential. It is unheard of. Frankly... it is amazing." He hesitated for half a second, then added in a quieter voice, "In fact, he might be like me. Or like Ajuka."
Superdevil.
The unspoken word hung heavy between them, even though he had not dared say it aloud. The very idea made her grit her teeth. If that label got out, if rumors even started circling, every scheming vulture in the Underworld would turn their eyes on Harry. They would all circle him like sharks. Harry was not ready for that. Not even close. He was still figuring out how to live with his new family, still trying to balance his life between the Sitri and the magical world. He was learning, adapting, growing-but he needed years, not weeks, before she would allow that kind of spotlight to fall on him.
There had been a reason she had instructed her little sister to not tell Harry just how amazing his growth and power had been over this past month. From his perspective it had been slow going as he struggled to catch up with So-tan. And not to mention Serafall herself.
The reality was anything but.
The reason that Serafall was so powerful was because she trained for literally hundreds of years.
And the reason her little sister was already high-class-along with a large majority of the other younger devil heirs and heiresses-was the result of a secret empowerment ritual that was performed in the womb.
Something created by Ajuka after the wars. Something to give the next generation of noble devil children a massive leg up. This ritual was, of course, not available to the public or anyone outside of the nobility. It was supposed to be a complete secret.
And Harry had never undergone that empowerment ritual— yet he was catching up quickly to So-tan who should have had a massive advantage over him. Even So-tan's queen Tsubaki, who had been training hard for years, was still stuck in mid-class. Yet he was already stronger than her.
"...None of that matters anyway," Serafall said firmly. "Your little sister is still wasting her time in that mundane school of hers in Japan, pretending to be something she is not. She is hiding from her responsibilities instead of preparing for them. Thankfully, my little sister has at least seen reason. She is actually attending a magical school in the human world, learning useful skills for her future alongside my precious Harry." She was not just defending Harry, she was defending So-tan too.
Sirzechs exhaled slowly. "You are right. And Rias... has not been doing particularly well ruling over her territory," he admitted, his tone lower now. "She is struggling... More than ever."
Why was that? "Wasn't she supposed to get another high-class devil king to move into Kuoh Town and rule alongside her?"
Sirzechs looked away for a moment before answering. "She did," he said, almost reluctantly. "But unfortunately, the king that was sent to live with her is... Riser."
There was a pause. Serafall blinked once, before she let out a sharp, humorless laugh. "Oh. Well, that sucks," she said flatly.
No wonder Zex is so desperate right now... Ugh, not she felt kind of bad for him and his sister...
— Harry —
The Goblet flared again, its flames shifting into a deep blue that lit the entire hall. Every eye was glued to it, and then Dumbledore's voice carried across the room, sharp and dramatic as ever.
"The first champion for Hogwarts is... Sona Sitri!"
The announcement echoed through the Great Hall, and the place erupted. Half the room cheered loudly while the other half booed or groaned. I did not even need to look to know most of the boos were coming from Malfoy's end of the Slytherin table. His cronies practically lived to sneer whenever a Sitri got attention in his presence.
It was weird and annoying seeing he was still blatantly attracted to and coveting MY aunt Sona, but also still hated her at the same time for how she humiliated him.
My eyes flicked to the Ravenclaw table. Sure enough, Sona was sitting there with that calm, smug little smile of hers. She looked like she had been expecting this all along. Her fellow Ravenclaws were clapping and patting her on the back, and I could not help but smirk. She caught my eye across the hall, her gaze steady, proud, and a little self-satisfied.
The goblet flared again, the flames roaring higher and twisting red before shifting back to blue. The whole hall leaned forward, hungry for the next name. I felt Hermione's hand slip into mine under the table, her grip tight with excitement. On my other side, Jasmine McKinnon-who had taken the seat before a jealous and pouting Ginny Weasley could sit down-surprised me by reaching out too. Her hand closed around mine almost shyly. She kept her eyes straight ahead, her cheeks flushed pink behind her glasses, like she did not even realize what she had done.
I glanced at her briefly. She did not look at me, just kept staring at the goblet, her grip firm and warm. I did not say anything. My lips twitched into a faint smile, but I let it slide. Hermione squeezed tighter on my right, Jasmine on my left, and for a moment I was just sitting there with both of their hands in mine, waiting.
The goblet spat out another slip of parchment, flames bursting higher as Dumbledore reached out and caught it. The old man knew how to milk a moment. He held it up high with his eyes twinkling over the rim of his spectacles.
"HARRY SITRI! HARRY SITRI IS THE SECOND CHAMPION OF HOGWARTS!"
The hall exploded. Gryffindor's table in particular nearly shook from the stomping and cheering. My name was bouncing off the walls, and for a second I just sat there, taking it in.
Hermione let out a squeal and leaned over, kissing my cheek without hesitation. Her lips were soft and warm, and I could feel her smile against my skin. Normally she would have turned red at doing something like that in public, but not tonight. Not after last night. Giving me her virginity had clearly lit a new fire in her, and everyone in this bloody school probably already knew thanks to the never-ending Hogwarts rumor mill.
I glanced around the hall and caught the looks, the muttering, the wide eyes at the fact that the Sitris had taken both Hogwarts spots.
Me and my aunt. The Sitris.
And it was not just us. At the Ravenclaw table, Fleur and Gabrielle were practically glowing. Both Veela sisters had snagged the Beauxbatons slots! Their classmates seemed much less happy about that, though. They were getting a lot more hateful stares than appreciative claps.
"Too bad Viktor Krum does not have a sibling," I muttered loud enough for Hermione and Jasmine to hear. "This would have been the Tournament of the familys...."
The goblet had spat out some other Durmstrang guy whose name I had already forgotten the moment it was read out. He had the kind of forgettable face that made me doubt he would survive the tournament, but that was Durmstrang's problem, not mine.
Jasmine shifted slightly beside me, finally turning her head. Her eyes were warm and nervous as she whispered, "Good luck in the tournament, Harry. We are all rooting for you. I am... really proud of you." Her voice cracked a little at the end, and her blush deepened, but her grip on my hand stayed firm.
I turned to her and gave her a small, genuine smile. "Thanks, Jasmine."
She looked away quickly, clearly flustered, but I caught the way her lips twitched into a small smile.
Dumbledore's voice rose again over the cheers and muttering, cutting through the noise. "Will all six champions please stand and come to the back room behind the Great Hall for an important announcement?"
This was it. The Triwizard Tournament had officially begun!
...
All six of us made it into the back room, the heavy doors shutting behind us and muting the roar of the Great Hall. A couple of teachers and all the judges were waiting, lined up in front of us.
Remus was the first one to step forward. He clapped a warm hand on my shoulder, his tired eyes soft but proud. "Congratulations, Harry," he said.
I nodded at him.
Then Lockhart's stupid grinning face shoved into view. "I knew you could do it, my boy!" he said way too loudly. "As expected of my apprentice!" He puffed his chest out like he had somehow trained me for this moment.
I had to physically curl my fist to keep from planting it in his smug jaw. The worst part was the way Sona's calm eyes slid toward me with the tiniest flicker of confusion at that "apprentice" bullshit.
Thanks for making me look like an idiot in front of her, Lockhart...
Fleur and Gabrielle didn't seem to care about him at all. Both of them giving me challenging and obviously aroused looks.
Krum and the other Durmstrang guy, the one whose name had already slipped right out of my brain, were off by themselves. They stood stiffly near their own headmaster. Their faces were carved from stone. Maybe that was supposed to be intimidating, or maybe that was just how Durmstrang students were trained to look-like fun had been beaten out of them.
As expected of students from the school where Wizard Hitler-AKA Grindelwald-used to attend.
Dumbledore stepped forward then, his presence pulling everyone's attention without him even trying. He introduced a few of the judges one by one, giving their titles and flowery little descriptions. Honestly, I tuned most of it out.
"The first task of the Triwizard Tournament," he declared, his voice booming across the chamber, "begins tonight!"
Every single one of us stiffened at the same time.
"TONIGHT?" Gabrielle blurted.
Fleur spoke up in her sexy French accent, her brow furrowed and her lips pursed. "What do you meah by zat, Professor Dumbly-dorr?" she asked, her accent slipping a bit.
Before he could answer, a sparkly rainbow flash exploded in the middle of the room and startled everyone!
Serafall stepped forward proudly as the lights faded dramatically. "I have arrived, right on time!" she declared.
My mum stood there in her sparkly magical girl costume that left very little to the imagination. The fabric clung to every curve of her voluptuous figure, the short skirt riding high on her toned thighs and the top cut so low it barely contained the swell of her heavy breasts. Glittering ribbons wrapped around her arms and legs, shimmering as they caught the light. Her long legs were bare except for thigh?high boots that hugged her calves and showed off how shapely she was. She carried herself with a playful sway of her hips, her chest bouncing with each movement in a way that made it impossible not to stare.
She was not alone either. A man with long red hair who was obviously a devil as well stood next to her, but all eyes remained locked on her dazzling, scandalous appearance.
A couple of the judges immediately spoke up in shock, their voices overlapping as they demanded to know who this scandalous woman was. One elderly wizard with a crooked hat pointed his finger accusingly. "Who is this woman parading around in such indecent clothing? This is highly inappropriate for a school event!" Another judge, a sharp?faced witch, clutched at her pearl necklace as she sputtered, "This is outrageous. Dumbledore, explain yourself at once!"
Before anyone could answer, Lockhart practically shoved his way forward with his trademark grin plastered across his face. He puffed out his chest, smoothed back his blonde hair, and gave my mother a dazzling smile that made me want to vomit. "Ah, my dear, such a radiant beauty must surely be the embodiment of magical charm itself," he said, taking her hand without hesitation and trying to kiss it. "I am Gilderoy Lockhart, bestselling author, Order of Merlin, Third Class, and of course a wizard of no small reputation. On top of that I'm your son's favorite professor! Might I say you look absolutely stunning tonight?"
Fuck, I really should have punched him earlier...
"Thank you, Professor Bigshart!" Her voice was full of playful pride, her hands resting on her hips as she struck a pose.
"It's Lockhart actually...." he said but quickly shook his head. Gilderoy preened at her smile. "And who might this fine gentleman be standing beside you?" he asked with narrowed eyes.
Serafall waved her hand airily like it was nothing. "Oh, him? He is just my pushy ex-boyfriend. You can ignore him, he just invited himself and I couldn't get rid of him," she said cheerfully. Obviously making up some random identity for the guy next to her.
The man I suspected to be Sirzechs-fucking-Lucifer sputtered. His mouth opened and closed like he could not believe what she had just said about him.
Across the room, my aunt Sona sputtered too as she flushed in mortification at her sister's outrageous declaration.
Lockhart immediately straightened, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked Sirzechs up and down. Then, puffing out his chest, "If this man is bothering you, my dear lady, I would be more than happy to escort him out of this chamber myself!"
