Finally, Rias turned toward her queen. Akeno lounged elegantly in her seat, a teasing, sultry smile curving her full lips. Seeing that familiar playful expression made Rias slightly wary as she addressed her friend. "And you, Akeno? I'm guessing you didn't have many issues at Kuoh?"
Akeno tilted her head slightly. "Oh, playing the role of a normal human schoolgirl was certainly an interesting experience," she purred lightly, "but I think I'll enjoy being able to openly use some of my... more exciting abilities again." As if to emphasize her point, a playful spark of electricity danced across Akeno's fingertips. The lights flickered briefly in the cabin, and Rias immediately felt her stomach drop in mild panic.
"Akeno!" she scolded quickly, eyes widening as she leaned forward urgently. "Please, not on the plane! The last thing we need is you shorting out the electronics mid-flight!"
Akeno laughed softly, sheepishly pulling her hand back and dispelling the tiny sparks with a wink. "Ara ara, sorry, President. I couldn't help myself."
The voice of the pilot came on. "We've reached cruising altitude and should be in Scotland by around 5:00 p.m. their time."
"Ara ara... just in time for dinner," Akeno teased. "I wonder what our new magic school is like? Is it dangerous? How exciting!"
Rias rolled her eyes. "I'm sure there will be some danger since, you know-all the hormonal young adults with access to magic. But it shouldn't be that dangerous otherwise! The Faculty is supposed to be top-notch at the very least."
— Lockhart —
The last echoes of footsteps faded away down the corridor, leaving Lockhart standing alone at the front of his classroom, shivering slightly in humiliation.
Narcissa Black, his newly appointed assistant, had just swept from the room-leaving behind only the sharp clicking sound of her high heels against the stone floors.
Lockhart slumped against his desk, head in his hands, face burning with shame. She'd completely taken over every one of his lessons today, effortlessly pushing him aside and dominating the classroom. It was as though he'd been reduced to a mere spectator, an afterthought in his own class.
The indignity was almost unbearable.
Yet he hadn't spoken a word against her-not a single complaint. He shuddered again, feeling the cold chill of genuine fear trickle down his spine. There was something about the Black family women-their dangerous beauty and notoriously merciless dispositions were legendary in pureblood society.
Narcissa was certainly no exception. Her intense stare alone was enough to send ice through his veins. There was also the uncomfortable knowledge that she, like the rest of her family, was rumored to be a master Occlumens. That meant all of Lockhart's usual tricks, his sly charms and subtle memory manipulations, would fail miserably against her impenetrable mental barriers.
Still, he couldn't deny that Narcissa Black was devastatingly beautiful. The way she held herself, that perfect poise, those full, red lips, and of course, her impressively voluptuous figure-Lockhart sighed heavily, feeling an uncomfortable tightening in his trousers. She truly was an incredibly sexy MILF, though not quite as mouthwateringly gorgeous as the famed Lady Serafall, the boy-who-lived's mother.
Still, Narcissa came close enough to make him regretful that he'd never have a chance with her.
"I suppose it's just you and me again tonight, old friend," Lockhart muttered glumly, glancing down at his hand with a pitiful sigh. He was deeply frustrated. Who would have guessed that Hogwarts' female population would be so prudish? Every time he'd approached one of the older, of-age students with a thinly veiled proposition, he'd been met with glares of open disgust and annoyance!
Did they somehow know he was a fraud? Had rumors spread already?
Lockhart shook his head violently, dismissing that terrifying possibility. "No, impossible," he muttered under his breath. "They couldn't know!"
They were simply shy, intimidated by his immense fame and undeniable charisma. Yes, that had to be it.
With another heavy sigh, Lockhart pushed himself off the desk, smoothing down his rumpled robes. He needed to freshen up and change before dinner. Perhaps things would look brighter after a good meal, a fresh change of clothing, and some of his favorite cologne.
He walked briskly down the hall, humming softly to himself, trying desperately to shake off the lingering embarrassment. But as he approached the door to his private quarters, his steps slowed uncertainly. Something wasn't right. His door was slightly ajar, when he clearly remembered shutting it that morning.
"Damn those Weasley twins," Lockhart whispered nervously, pulling his wand out with trembling fingers. Those red-haired troublemakers had already terrorized him multiple times this year. If they'd gotten inside his room again, Merlin only knew what kind of humiliating prank they'd set up this time.
Wand shaking, he cautiously pushed the door further open, peering hesitantly inside.
To his astonishment and rising indignation, a scruffy, ragged-looking man with wild hair and a manic gleam in his eyes lounged casually in Lockhart's favorite plush armchair. He looked up slowly at Lockhart's arrival, a twisted smirk curling the corners of his mouth.
Lockhart raised his wand with as much bravado as he could muster, despite the nervous tremor in his voice. "Excuse me! Who in Merlin's name are you, and what are you doing in my quarters?"
The intruder chuckled darkly, eyes glittering dangerously. "Heh. Hello there, Lockhart. Name's Barty. And you and I are going to be good friends for the next couple of months. Very good friends indeed!"
Lockhart stared blankly, confusion twisting his devastatingly handsome features. "Friends? What in the blazes are you talking about? I-"
Barty interrupted smoothly, his voice cold and mocking, "After all, I'll need you alive and fresh for collecting hair samples for my Polyjuice Potion."
Lockhart's heart skipped painfully in sudden terror, his wand slipping uselessly from numb fingers as the full horror of the intruder's words finally sank in. His eyes widened, voice trembling in panic. "Polyjuice? Wait, what are you-"
"Stupefy!"
A flash of crimson filled Lockhart's vision, slamming into his chest with blinding force. He felt his consciousness ripped away as darkness claimed him instantly, his body collapsing helplessly to the cold stone floor.
— Tonks —
Tonks stretched her arms above her head with a groan as she followed her charge down the hallway toward the Great Hall. Harry Sitri walked confidently beside his pretty girlfriend, Hermione. Tonks trailed just behind them, keeping her sharp eyes trained on their surroundings, though she couldn't help but let out a frustrated sigh.
"Merlin's saggy balls," she muttered under her breath, running her fingers through her currently bright pink hair. "I forgot just how bloody boring some of these Hogwarts classes could get."
Harry turned his head slightly at her comment, shooting her a teasing glance with his clear blue eyes. "What's the matter, Tonks? This morning, in Dumbledore's office, you seemed pretty confident about protecting me." A handsome smirk played on his lips, causing her cheeks to heat up a bit.
"Oi!" she protested immediately, putting her hands on her hips defensively. "I am confident, it's just-this is my first real assignment, y'know? I really, really don't wanna screw this up. The boss-lady Amelia will hex my arse if I botch it."
Hermione glanced back at Tonks over her shoulder and offered a friendly smile. Tonks had to admit the bushy-haired brunette was much nicer and more welcoming than she'd initially expected. Especially because Tonks was pretty sure that Hermione had witnessed Harry openly flirting with her a couple times today. Or was it actually flirting or maybe he was just teasing her? Ugh, Tonks hadn't had a boyfriend in years now and it showed.
"Don't worry, Tonks," Hermione said kindly, clearly sensing Tonks's anxiety. "I'm sure you'll do just fine. You managed to pass Auror training, didn't you? I've heard that's incredibly tough."
Tonks immediately perked up at Hermione's encouraging words, nodding eagerly as some pride returned to her voice. "Yeah, you're not kidding. It was brutal. Mad-Eye Moody alone kicked out half a dozen trainees on the very last day. Told 'em right to their faces that they'd end up as nothing but corpses if they ever came face-to-face with real Death Eaters." A faint shudder rippled through Tonks as she recalled Moody's grizzled face and intense magical eye. "Blimey, I'm glad I was too young to properly remember the first war. Sounded like absolute nightmare fuel."
Harry chuckled softly, giving her a reassuring grin. "You'll be fine, Tonks. I trust you."
Tonks felt her cheeks warm again at the sincere faith in Harry's voice. She cleared her throat awkwardly, trying to maintain her tough, professional aura. "Yeah, well-thanks, Harry," she said, attempting to brush off her embarrassment.
As they continued walking toward the Great Hall, Tonks's gaze absently wandered down toward the stone floor of the hallway. She immediately frowned, noticing something odd. "Huh? That's weird."
Both Harry and Hermione stopped and looked at her curiously.
"What is it?" Hermione asked.
Tonks knelt down, peering at the floor closely. There, streaming steadily across the corridor, was a long, orderly line of spiders. They were all scurrying rapidly in the same direction, crawling neatly in single-file toward an open window nearby. "I don't remember Hogwarts having this many spiders," Tonks said slowly, her brow furrowing. "And they're all marching together like they're escaping something..."
Harry stepped up beside her, looking thoughtfully at the spiders.. "Huh. Now that you mention it, this does seem pretty weird," he murmured, carefully reaching out to poke gently at one of the spiders. It instantly scurried away faster.
"Honestly, it's Hogwarts. Spiders acting strange is probably one of the least weird things we've encountered here lately," Hermione pointed out.
Tonks chuckled wryly, standing up again and brushing off her robes. "Fair point. I saw some weird stuff in my student days as well," she admitted.
But still, a small, worried knot formed in her stomach. What could be so bad that even spiders were desperately running away?
— Rias —
Rias approached the towering iron gates of Hogwarts with wide eyes, pausing briefly to marvel at the spectacular sight before her. Rising majestically on the horizon stood the enormous medieval castle, bathed in soft golden hues from the setting sun.
"It's absolutely amazing," Rias breathed softly, awe evident in her voice. She had to admit she felt a bit jealous that her dear friend Sona had discovered this incredible place weeks earlier. But she reassured herself it was still early enough in the school year. Surely they hadn't missed anything too critical yet.
Her queen, Akeno, stepped up beside her, bumping Rias's shoulder playfully with a teasing smirk. "Ara ara," Akeno purred mischievously, her violet eyes sparkling with excitement. "It's an ancient medieval castle. Who knows what kind of dangerous secrets could be lurking in the dungeons below?"
Rias let out a small sigh, giving her playful queen a mildly exasperated glance. "For the last time, Akeno," she said patiently, brushing a long strand of crimson hair behind her ear, "this school is not going to be nearly as dangerous or mysterious as you think."
Kiba chuckled softly behind them, clearly amused at their exchange. Even the stoic Koneko allowed herself the smallest hint of a smile at their familiar teasing banter. Gasper, however, just whimpered nervously, tugging his cloak tighter around his shoulders.
"Are you absolutely sure about that, President?" Kiba asked, his polite smile widening into a playful smirk as he glanced around curiously. "I mean, it's an old magical castle. I'm sure it has at least one or two interesting secrets."
Rias shook her head slightly, allowing herself a small smile at her peerage's antics. "Just don't get your hopes up too much," she said dryly. "I'm certain Hogwarts is completely safe and-"
Her sentence abruptly died on her lips as heavy footsteps echoed across the grounds. The gates slowly swung open, and a massive figure stepped toward them from the shadows.
"Oh my," Akeno murmured softly, eyes widening in genuine surprise. "You were saying, President?"
Rias couldn't help staring. Approaching them was an enormous man-or rather, half-giant, she quickly corrected herself-who towered impressively over them all. He wore thick, rugged clothes beneath an enormous furry coat, his bearded face warm and welcoming despite his intimidating stature.
The giant of a man stopped in front of the group, looking down at them kindly. "Ah! Yeh mus' be them new students Dumbledore told me about," he said cheerfully in a deep, booming voice. "Welcome ter Hogwarts! The name's Hagrid-Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper o' keys an' grounds here and your care of Magical Creatures professor if any of ye take me class."
Oh? He was a teacher? Now Rias felt rude for judging the big scruffy guy so quickly and shot glares at her family as well. All of them looked equally sheepish. Devils shouldn't discriminate!
Rias quickly composed herself, smiling warmly at the gentle giant. She stepped forward confidently, giving a polite bow of greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hagrid. My name is Rias Gremory, and these are the members of my peer-my friends," she corrected quickly, mindful that devils and peerages weren't common knowledge here yet. "We're excited to join Hogwarts!"
Hagrid chuckled heartily, his big brown eyes twinkling with kindness beneath his bushy brows. "Please, jus' call me Hagrid. Follow me then, I'll take yeh up ter the castle."
Chapter 21 (~14k words):
— Harry —
I had a small, amused smile on my lips as I listened to Fleur and Tonks bickering next to me at the Gryffindor table. Tonks stood her ground firmly, arguing, "Look, Fleur, it's literally my job to sit next to him. I have to keep Harry safe."
Fleur flipped her silky blonde hair over her shoulder with a delicate scoff, her lovely French accent becoming sharper with irritation. "Oui, but you can do zat perfectly fine from ze other side of ze table. Only Harry's lovers should have ze privilege of sitting right beside 'im, non? Unless that is what you are aiming for!?" Fleur accused.
Tonks's cheeks turned an adorable shade of red at Fleur's bold statement, her hair flashing through several vivid colors in embarrassment. She sputtered defensively, clearly caught off guard. "I-I never said anything about-that's not what this is about!"
