A private house in the London suburbs ca under the control of five wizards in red robes in the blink of an eye. Under Muggle-Repelling Charms, they quickly secured the periter, and two of them burst into the house.
Without saying a word, holding their wands in front of them and checking every corner with quick glances, the wizards in red robes began to rapidly sweep the house for the wizards who had triggered the magical alarm.
A minute later, two wizards—or rather, a wizard and a young witch with violet hair—finished their inspection and entered the living room.
"Clear," the witch said into the amulet around her neck.
In an instant, the other three gathered in the living room as well.
"Thompson," the most senior one spoke, addressing one of the wizards. "Start searching for residual traces."
"Yes, sir," saluted Thompson, a young guy with chestnut hair, and imdiately began waving his wand through the air.
The others waited but remained on alert.
"Fourth ti this month," chuckled the only girl, the owner of the unusual hair color. "And for the first ti, the intruder got away."
"You should also rember, Tonks, what kind of repeat offenders were caught here," the senior mber of the group smirked. "Amazing, they're just drawn here."
"It's not for nothing that Mad-Eye asked to keep a particularly close watch on the house," Tonks smiled smugly, as if she were the one who had organized all the arrests.
"Not only that," the senior nodded. "A couple of anonymous reports claid that the ho of these Muggles might be subject to attacks. And in conjunction with Moody's request—that's already a wake-up call. And why did they catch everyone's fancy so much?"
"Don't you read the newspapers or sothing?" Tonks was surprised.
"I don't have the habit of reading those stupid newspapers before lunch. And they aren't sent out after."
"Basically, boss, the Grangers, brother and sister, Muggle-borns, and they are an incredible eyesore to everyone. Well, I approve of their zeal and all that," Tonks scratched her head, and her hair changed shade slightly. "But psycho relatives might not approve."
"Rubbish," one of the wizards scoffed. "Parents don't interfere in Hogwarts affairs until sothing special happens there."
"We're talking about normal parents," Tonks parried. "But there are all sorts of ex-cons, bought-off psycho Death Eaters, and other riff-raff who are relatives to soone."
"Got a trace!" shouted Thompson, who until this mont had been diligently and intently tracing various figures with his wand in the space of the hall. "Almost washed out."
"Forward, Thompson!" the senior commanded imdiately. "We're right behind you."
Thompson nodded and instantly disappeared into the vortex of Apparition, and the rest of the five wizards in red robes disappeared after him.
On a spacious area by the very cliff in front of the sea shore, near the smoldering remains of a house, of which not even stone walls remained—only a pile of burnt junk, and miraculously surviving front door and porch—five wizards in red robes appeared, imdiately bristling with wands in different directions.
"Sowhere here," Thompson said. "Can't say more precisely, a mile there, a mile here."
"I can tell you without that that you didn't miss," Tonks chuckled, looking at the remains of the house.
The cold wind from the sea ruffled the clothes and hair of the group of wizards, but this did not stop them from discovering three survivors lying on the grass not far from the smoldering fire.
"There."
The wizards quickly ran up to the dirty and disheveled people, holding them at gunpoint with their wands.
"Auror Office operating. Nobody move," the senior of the group said loudly and clearly.
Only now could the Aurors make out so details of the behavior of these three survivors. One of them was lying in a fetal position, whining, muttering sothing, trembling finely, and was generally in a deranged state. The other two tried not to move unnecessarily, and if they did move, then slowly. Terror and panic could be read in their eyes.
"Look who it is..." the senior Auror chuckled. "So you got caught, my darlings. Let's take them... We'll interrogate them at the Departnt."
. . . . . . .
Hogsade greeted with the height of adequate amusents and walks, because the initial excitent had passed, and now many were strolling, laughing, eating all sorts of sweets and joyfully discussing strange novelties in the shops.
I was reluctant to join any companies, although they looked at with so expectation—whether I should approach, and like: "Want to take a walk?", or they themselves were thinking about such a thing.
I didn't want to look for adventures anymore sohow, but returning to the castle ahead of ti—was also not an option. As a result, my legs brought to the Three Broomsticks, and I, adjusting the strap of the backpack that Dumbledore returned to through the house-elves, decided to spend so ti in this establishnt. The pub was not particularly full, because it was popular with senior students only closer to the end of the day, so I got a table, albeit small, and in a not very convenient corner for gatherings, but with a good view of everything around.
Noise, din, conversations, Butterbeer or sothing stronger, various snacks or full als exuded slls—all this mixed, and, oddly enough, gave an opportunity to think, or at least outline a direction for reflection. And I have sothing to think about.
For example, here is a question that remained unanswered—how was the family chosen for intimidating Muggle-borns, and my little sister specifically in this case? Randomly from the list of such families where there is a child studying at Hogwarts? Or was our family purposefully chosen to intimidate precisely us? Who? No, not like that... To begin with, need to answer a simple, but extrely important question—who benefits?
Many can benefit. For example, the sa Malfoys. Like, look what trouble happened, and all because your family, like you, is without protection, co to us or with us, blah-blah-blah. Can this be? Can. And maybe the legs of this action grow from the Greengrass family, because all indirect data speak of their dissatisfaction with the fact that I hang around Daphne. "Hang around" in all senses. It could be the Notts, because information collected by spiders here and there, dropped phrases and other indirect data speak of serious intentions of the Greengrass and Nott families to combine part of the assets for further prosperity and so on. Of course, if you believe scattered data from the library, and just the sa conversations, even arranged marriages are not at all obliged to be concluded imdiately after Hogwarts, and moreover, often such things happen at a much more conscious age. But nevertheless... Yes, nevertheless.
Butterbeer went well with such thoughts, and a couple of at dishes that I ordered, even more so. New visitors to the Three Broomsticks ca, old ones left, but there were enough places so far, and no one rushed to disturb my peace.
And now it is worth thinking about what I can do for the safety of parents. The first thing that cos to mind—ho protection. But they don't sit at ho around the clock. But this should still be the first point. Personal protection—here is a problem. Can make a pendant or sothing similar for protection, but it will work on a wizard, and on an ordinary person—unlikely. Energy needs to be taken from sowhere, and if a pendant with Lumos, a luminous trinket that I created for the sake of experint, and which lies in my backpack... In general, if such a pendant is capable of working from background energy, because Lumos—is an extrely weak thing, and in artifact execution requires even less energy, then protection, and especially good protection, requires much more, and background energy simply won't be enough.
In general, it is worth attending to at least ho protection. For the future.
Nott entered the Three Broomsticks, looked around and headed in my direction, unceremoniously sitting down at my table, right opposite .
"Sitting?" with a smirk the guy looked at .
"You show amazing observation, Mr. Nott," I answered in a tone so similar to Snape.
"Think soon you will moderate your Mudblood arrogance. Let's go outside."
In a silent question I looked at this self-confident guy, and Nott, getting up, only smirked wider.
"Don't be afraid, Granger, won't beat you."
"Fear, like respect, still needs to be earned," I chuckled in response, took out so change and left it on the table in paynt for food and drink. "Let's go."
We left the Three Broomsticks and, ignoring groups of students scurrying back and forth, went into a narrow alley between two buildings. Of course, I was ready, but I don't think Nott planned sothing as insidious as an attack in an alley, and even with a bunch of witnesses who saw us entering here.
Two senior students from Slytherin were waiting for us there, and they stood trying to hold themselves as pompously as possible, sort of cool mafiosi, well or soone else—don't know what they play in their racist team.
We approached these smirking and very important characters, whom, by the way, I did not observe in the Dueling Club, and yet it seed to that all older guys, and especially Slytherins, should be there.
"Here, look," Nott threw a familiar ball with stand-legs, which I imdiately intercepted in the air. "And rember that next ti the result may be irreparable."
"Hm?" I turned the ball in my hands.
"Ha-ha-ha," the Slytherins laughed, but only Nott continued to speak, seemingly as the initiator. "Was it possible to expect from a Mudblood that he knows how to use such things?"
"You are simply phenonally petty," with a smirk, I sent a little magic into the ball with the ssage "Activate, show image".
A volutric image of the living room of our house appeared in the air, and that very unpresentable man was sitting on the sofa. The faces of the Slytherins expressed anticipation.
"Oh, our house," I stated the fact, giving a little surprise to the voice. "Have you already watched?"
"I decided that I would look at the warning to you together with everyone," Nott chuckled.
Need I say exactly what picture the Slytherins saw? The entire scene arranged by , from beginning to end. And their faces expressed slight fear and bewildernt. In the end, when in the image I in an improvised plague doctor costu stood in the fire and destroyed the sphere, thereby interrupting the recording, the Slytherins looked completely dumbfounded.
"Thank you, Nott, that with your act you hinted... At a lot. Think it is worth informing this wizard."
With an honest and kind smile on my face, I returned the ball to the dumbfounded and pale Nott, turned around and walked away. Almost imdiately they pronounced into my back:
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Without turning around, I took out the wand with one movent and turned it into a whip, and, still without turning around, guided only by spatial sensitivity, created Protego Reflecto on the tip of the wand, reflecting the paralyzing spell back. And along with this conjured two more maximally fast Stupefys, knocking the spirit out of the remaining opponents. Just in case.
Leaving the alley, boldly headed back to the castle. In fact, I do not consider it strange or surprising that Nott hurried to show what was supposed to put in my place, without even checking exactly what was recorded on the sphere. Having received what was desired, well or what was supposed to act in this role, he hurried to besiege the Mudblood who is so unpleasant to him. And I am glad that he did exactly so, because two conclusions can be made at once. First—Theodore himself did not organize this, because then he would know exactly what was recorded on the ball. Second—the custor is either an interdiary or a relative of Nott. Moreover, both are equally likely. The interdiary could send the recording, since it was made anyway. A relative could send it so that Theodore would watch and draw conclusions. Well, it turned out that I drew conclusions instead of him.
"Sigh..." a sad sigh escaped from my chest by itself while I climbed the slope to the gates of Hogwarts.
thods of influencing the Notts surfaced in my head in the form of ideas themselves, and the sources of such machinations were shards of an elf and a dwarf, and I myself was inclined to so wild thoughts about how to spoil their life, since they are so "evil". But for all this I need connections, information, need to co to so agreents with other wizards, and the scam will succeed. But first—information. Not general, from fragntary information in articles from the library, but facts. Where are facts taken? Correct—in the Ministry. Which house is the most "ministerial"? Hufflepuff.
When I reached the Great Hall, a plan of action finally ford in my head that should hit the Notts' well-being like an assassin's dagger from the shadows, spoiling all conceivable and inconceivable plans of their family for the near future. Since we moved to another level of confrontation, on the field of tough gas and shadow manipulations, it is a sin not to use so experience.
Waiting until students began to return to the Great Hall for dinner from walks and other activities, I intercepted Cedric.
"Need to talk without witnesses."
"Ok," he nodded seriously. "Can wait, or urgent?"
"Can wait."
"Then after dinner."
"Ok."
Dinner itself passed unnoticed while I worked out various options and nuances of the possible developnt of events in my thoughts. Need to be ready for everything and any kind of activity. And after dinner Cedric and I, unnoticed by anyone and under the guise of a cheerful discussion of past events, turned into a deserted corridor, and there—into an unused classroom. Cedric imdiately began to cast a whole bunch of various privacy charms and other concealing magic, most of which, to my surprise, I already knew anyway. Although, why to "surprise"? Just didn't pay proper attention, being absorbed in the educational process.
"So," Cedric took one of the chairs and, turning the back in front of him, sat down. "Did sothing happen?"
"I need information," I repeated his actions, sitting on a chair opposite.
"And you turn to ?"
"Well so, and who knows everyone who needs to be known, and who has connections in the Ministry?"
"Indeed," Cedric nodded. "I will listen to you, but you know, I've been thinking about sothing for a week now..."
"And about what?"
"Hector, there are several orders for various artifacts, but they are not very expensive, quite complex, but there are many of them."
"And you kept silent?" I smiled.
"There... Slippery mont with the fact that I found out about them bypassing father..." Cedric thoughtfully scratched his head. "And the custors themselves... Not the most reliable mbers of society."
"Criminals?"
"No-no, but... But not law-abiding citizens either. Father has a fad on the admissibility of such contacts, and he easily rushes from one extre to another. His overprotection and habit of bragging about my every sneeze are annoying, can't argue here, but I am not eager to know the opposite extre of his attitude towards ."
"Oh, I see. And you have been thinking for days about how to make it so that both orders are taken and hidden from father."
"Yes, and haven't co up with it yet. Just need to know, if I co up with it, will you cope, and will you take it at all?"
"Of course I'll take it, where do such questions co from at all?" I resented feignedly, and smiled.
"So you earned a very decent amount of money from the last order. I thought that in the near future this would not be interesting to you."
"Money may be useful to very soon, and it's good that I won't have to stay with a minimum in my pockets."
"Then, as soon as I agree, you will get down to business? Because the twins found the last order for you, and they are bad with morality in this matter—business is business."
"Understand," I nodded. "Will take it."
"That's good," Cedric clearly relaxed. "So what kind of information do you need?"
"Dossier on the entire Nott business. With whom connected, promising directions, enterprises, anything, but fully. Who may be interested in close partnership with them one way or another..."
"Stop-stop," Cedric put his hands in front of him. "I understood what you need. Here, I'm afraid, just a favor or service won't do. Need money... Hmm, understand why you need money. In principle, all this can be found out inside the house, through parents or relatives of our guys. They will find out 'in a friendly way', but pocket money won't hurt anyone."
"How much?"
"Don't know yet..." Cedric thought, clearly counting coins. "But the amount is decent. Information, you know, is not public, plus, as I understand, you will need the calculations of Ministry analysts. But hardly more than two hundred Galleons."
"Got it. Not a question," I held out my hand, and Cedric imdiately shook it.
"And why, if not a secret?"
"Sorry, but..."
"Nothing, understand. Dark deeds," he smiled at the joke, not even suspecting how close he was to the truth.
"Exactly. Darker than black."
On this wonderful note, our negotiations ca to an end. Cedric received the necessary amount on hand and promised to make inquiries today, and within a week I will receive a full dossier. He also asked to do without stupidities, because such a thing—is not my level. Just in case I decide to do sothing rash. Of course, I agreed, because I do not intend to do anything rash.
Now it remains only to find out the details about the Notts' business and inco to decide what exactly I am going to do. But one thing I know for sure—it will hurt them. But not in the literal sense, of course.
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