The Sorcerer’s Legacy

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.

Betad by Mike God of Lore, Malcolm Tent, Marethyu, Priapus, Beans

The Sorcerer's Legacy

Chapter 10: Return to Hogwarts

– Daphne Greengrass –

Leaning against the window, she watched the countryside pass by as they returned to Hogwarts. She was happy to be back, but despite that, a frown was stuck on her face. She'd had plans for this year, she'd had everything worked out, and now it had all gone to shit.

Fate had a sense of humour because if she'd gone through with her plan last year like she had initially planned, she'd be in an amazing position now. Instead, her carefully concocted scheme was, simply put, fucked.

And it was because of something utterly out of her hands, which made her 'failure' feel all the worse. Losing because of something she couldn't affect and couldn't have predicted just infuriated her.

If someone had asked her last year who her ideal husband was… Well, she'd have told them to go away. But if she'd been willing to answer, she'd have said Grayson Raum.

It wasn't a matter of his looks or personality, but Grayson was literally perfect for her. 

He was the missing piece to the puzzle that was her life, all she needed to start making things truly go her way. If things had gone as she'd expected, she'd have approached him this year and been betrothed by the winter break.

She wanted to be Minister of Magic. The Raum and Black names would help her achieve that. Her family was not popular on the political side of things despite their wealth and purity. They had financially supported the Dark Lord in exchange for being left alone, so the 'good guys' saw them as traitors and evil for prioritising their own safety. 

And yet, those who supported the Dark Lord saw them as cowards and fence-sitters who didn't commit to the cause. They'd survived the war without losing a single family member, at the cost of alienating themselves from both sides. Having Grayson as her husband would help because he came with two old and very respected names. 

In addition, she needed access to the Raum libraries. Her eyes moved to Astoria, who was breathing on the glass and doodling with her finger. Her sister would not die of the Blood Malediction that cursed their family, but the healers had failed to do more than alleviate the threat. The Raums had one of the biggest libraries in the world and possessed mountains of 'forbidden' knowledge. If there was an answer, it was inside that library that they hid away from the world. Not that you could tell that Astoria had such an illness from the way she acted, eternally optimistic.

The fact that Grayson seemed to actually like the little brat had even given her more hope in enlisting his aid. Despite his weak magic, he was undeniably a genius on the theoretical side of things.

Of course, her planned relationship with him was just as much to his benefit. All good relationships were built on being mutually beneficial. He was the spare of the spare, and with his weakness, it seemed obvious that he'd never be picked to be the next Lord Raum-Black. If anything happened to Damian, it seemed so obvious that Morrigan or Keira would become the heir. England might prefer male heirs, but Yennefer was a symbol for all noble girls to look up to, the strong woman leading her family to success in a male-dominated world. Even when Lord Geralt was still alive, Yennefer had handled the family affairs while he travelled the world.

Yennefer may not be popular, but nobody could deny her power or intelligence. Daphne had been sure that even if Damian had lost his position as heir, it would go to one of her intelligent and powerful daughters instead.

So, by marrying her, Grayson would elevate him to the position of Lord Greengrass. With his intelligence and calm personality, she was sure they could work together to achieve whatever ends they needed. Her wealth and power, his bloodline and intelligence, it was the perfect match. She didn't care that he lacked the power of his siblings; he was a calm, logical man with a brilliant mind and few flaws. 

She didn't believe in love at first sight or soulmates, unlike Tracey, but Grayson was simply the perfect match for her. Maybe she'd grow to love him, despite her lack of interest in romance, but at the very least, she was sure that they would have grown fond of each other, a new power couple.

She'd had plans to approach him last year, but planning to convince him and actually doing it were two very different things, and her confidence had faltered. So she'd put it off and given herself a summer to hammer out the details of her plan. She'd been utterly convinced that by Halloween, Grayson would be by her side.

Grayson was as logical as her; he'd see the benefit in their union. She planned to approach him on the train, gaining him as her boyfriend before they even arrived at Hogwarts.

Then, her family had gotten that damned invitation. A ball, held by the Raums for the first time in decades. A promised announcement of big changes in the Raum family and a crippling blow to her carefully concocted scheme.

Grayson looked good, and she'd heard that it was the result of some ritual he'd done to try and fix his magic. It only confirmed her suspicions that he would be able to help her find a cure for Astoria, but the devastating blow to her entire carefully planned twenty-year strategy?

Heir Grayson Raum-Black, the next Lord of his family after Damian had stepped down and Yennefer had chosen her youngest to replace him. 

As she'd said, every relationship needed to be beneficial to both sides to work. That was true in business, politics and romance. What did she have to offer him now that he was the heir of his family?

Sure, he'd benefit from becoming the next Lord Greengrass all the same, but it was a far less tempting prize now. When they broke up for summer, Grayson had had a few people considering him a good match, but most were looking at his better-looking, more powerful brother who would inherit it all. 

Now, Grayson was Britain's most eligible bachelor. She'd had the best headstart imaginable and squandered it entirely. She'd let her nerves convince her to put things off, and now her task was immeasurably harder. Before, she would have been competing with a couple of second or third daughters at the most. Now, she had to look at every single pureblood girl (and woman) as a threat. Merlin, she should probably start looking at the taken ones as a threat as well since the more ruthless or ambitious ones were probably considering an upgrade.

She'd considered switching targets, but it was a consideration that lasted a matter of seconds before she discarded it. Damian Raum would be open to her seduction, but it was more likely he'd take her virginity in some broom closet and toss her aside when he was done, given his reputation. Plus, Damian might get her access to the Raum library (and that was a big 'might'), but while he was a good duellist, he was unimpressive on the theoretical side. Damian was no help with her main issue.

No, Grayson remained the missing piece of the puzzle that was her life. Both her ambitions and her sister relied on her being the one to claim the grand prize that every pureblood girl was currently hungering for. Her father had even sent him a betrothal contract, but she was just one of many. He was probably getting so many from all over Europe that he was using them for kindling.

This was a devastating setback, but she wasn't so easily deterred. It meant she was dealing from a weaker position than she originally hoped, but that just meant that she needed to be smart about this.

– Grayson Raum-Black –

I have to admit, as far as rides to Hogwarts have gone… this year has certainly proven the most entertaining.

Parvati kisses my neck as Lavender kneels between my legs, her robe open to expose her utter nudity under it. Her hands push her massive breasts together as she traps my cock in the pillowy flesh, heaving her chest up and down with a lewd smile on her face.

"How's it feel to have some of the biggest tits in Hogwarts wrapped around your cock?" Parvati asks, her hand inside my robe as she strokes my muscles, pausing to nibble on my earlobe. "I bet it feels heavenly. All the boys stare at them, but you're the only one who gets to bury your cock in them."

Somehow, I don't believe that, but she silences my reply with a kiss. Tutoring these two is going to be interesting, but I'm doing this for more than just their bodies. These two are known gossips, and they happen to share a dorm with our resident hero and know-it-all.

Parvati is a good kisser, tasting of something sweet that I don't quite recognise as Lavender continues to pleasure me. My cock is almost entirely swallowed by her tits, but whenever the tip pokes free of her cleavage, she kisses and licks it.

Breaking this kiss, Parvati grins at her friend.

"Lav, you slut. Stop hogging Gray's cock," Parvati demands with a smirk, pushing her friend back before she leans down so her head is in my lap. Lavender just giggles and moves to my other side.

"Please, Gray wasn't complaining about having the best tits in Hogwarts around his cock," Lavender boasts, pulling my head towards said breasts. Parvati briefly pulls back, a smirk on her face as she strokes me.

"I didn't know Susan was here…" Parvati quips, but Lavender just grabs her head and pushes her back down.

"Please, that girl has to be stuffing her bras. Something isn't right about those fat tits. She had c-cups when we were getting sorted; it's unnatural," Lavender snorts. "Besides, size isn't everything, and I bet mine feel better, don't they, Gray?"

With my face buried in them, I'm reluctant to pull back to answer, but I suppose that proves her point.

"They're certainly very nice, but I'd have to have both sets in front of me to properly compare," I say, my tone steady despite the gagging sounds coming from my lap. Lavender just giggles again, one of my hands groping the fat breast and tweaking her hardened nipple. Pulling my head back in, I take the hint and take her other nipple into my mouth as I suckle and nip at the bud, swirling my tongue. "Mhmm, I bet mine are more sensitive as well. Merlin, you know what you're doing with that tongue… I can't wait to see what else you can do with it."

Again, I can't really respond to her purred words with my head pulled against her tits, but I also can't bring myself to mind. Tutoring these two will satisfy my Pact of Knowledge if only a little, and their payment satisfies my Pact of Lust. If I can turn their gossip into the start of my own little network of informants, that's Secrets as well.

At that point, all I need to do is paint them, and I'm four for four. I'm a greedy guy; it's only natural to make the most of every opportunity that comes my way. Their lesser secret is fairly obvious, unsurprisingly. It's simply that they are pseudo-lovers.

I don't think they're truly lovers in an emotional sense, but rather just very good friends with a mutually pleasurable benefit. They clearly aren't completely gay, given the way Parvati is enthusiastically fellating me as Lavender encourages me to play with her tits more.

I also know that they did approach me because they needed tutoring, that wasn't a lie. What they left out was that this was their plan to get Parvati closer to me to make Lord Patil's offer more enticing. One daughter as my wife, the other as my mistress, and the beautiful, exotic twins are now in a competition to get the wife position. 

"Now who's hogging Gray's cock?" Lavender asks, pushing Parvati's head down until her lips are pressed against my crotch. Parvati chokes slightly, but Lavender just grins at me before she pulls Parvati up and off my shaft. Parvati lets out a gasp for air, giving Lavender a dirty look.

"Girls, learn to share. Lavender, Parvati, kneel," I order, making Lavender grin and share a look with Parvati as they both move. With their robes parted to expose their nude bodies beneath, the pair lean forward and place a series of kisses along either side of my cock. Lavender has red lipstick on, leaving stains in her wake as the pair work to bring me to completion.

Sliding their lips along my shaft, they pull back enough for it to slip free as their lips collide, and they begin to make out. It's only for a moment before I slide my cock back in between them, but they're clearly familiar with each other's bodies.

Lavender takes my cock into her mouth, and Parvati leans down and suckles on my balls before they move and swap positions. It isn't long before their cooperation brings me to the edge, Lavender smiling impishly as she pulls back.

"Come on, Gray… cum all over our tits. I can't wait to go to the feast with your cum staining my body. Think about how good Parvati's caramel skin is going to look, painted white," Lavender encourages, stroking my cock as Parvati bites her lip. Staring up at me with big brown eyes, she nods as she massages my balls.

"Do it, cum for us," Parvati says. She's quieter than Lavender but equally eager as she kisses the crown before she aims it at her breasts. "Mark me with your seed, Gray."

Well, it'd be rude to keep a girl waiting. With a groan, I give them what they want as my seed bursts forth and splatters on Parvati's cute caramel breasts. Lavender grasps it and changes direction, getting the last spurt on her own breasts. With a deliberately slow action, she runs her finger along a particularly coated part of Parvati's chest and lifts her hand, licking her finger clean.

"Good girls," I say, stroking both of their hair as they beam up at me. "I think tutoring you two is going to be an interesting challenge, but I'm sure some hands-on training will have you both ready."

"Thanks, Gray. We seriously appreciate this," Lavender said, getting up and sitting opposite me. She doesn't fix her robes, leaving it all on display as Parvati cleans off my cock with her mouth, then tucks it away and joins her friend.

"Oh, yeah… speaking of thanks. Can you thank your mom for inviting my family to your ball? We didn't get a chance to talk to Lady Raum. It felt like the entire world wanted her attention," Parvati says, making me chuckle.

"Honestly, that's accurate. I talked more that night than the rest of summer put together, and I know Mother was in the same position. Still, she didn't invite you. I did," I explain, making her pause. "I added a lot of families of classmates to the invite list while she handled the invites of people that I haven't had a chance to meet. Though you would have likely been invited, either way, the Patils are an old family."

"But not a white one," Lavender says, showing no tact as Parvati sighs and gives her friend a look. "What? You know I'm right. You're a rich, traditional, pureblood family. If you were white and were called something more English, they'd love you, but nooooo~"

"You're not wrong," I admit. "It's why my family takes lengths to ensure that we're all born white."

"Eh, why would you be born any other colour?" Parvati asks, making me chuckle.

"The Raums have had a long-standing disdain for the close-relations inbreeding that is so frequent in British Purebloods. It has noticeable effects on the intelligence and magical prowess of the children and can lead to squibs, especially when it's first cousins or even siblings. Just look at Crabbe and Goyle; their family have always practised close inbreeding, and now they're barely smarter than a bag of rocks and about as magical," I snort. Sure, given my own incestuous actions, maybe I'm being a hypocrite… but inbreeding is dangerous.

People hate to compare themselves to animals, but there's a reason that farmers don't allow their stock to inbreed. Why would humans be any different?

"So, it's been a common practice for Raums to find their partners from outside the country. Mostly, that means France or Eastern Europe, but not always. My great-grandmother was Indian, and I have some Chinese and African blood, diluted as it may be at this point," I explain easily. "There are rituals you can do to ensure that the right parent's skin colour is the one that is passed down. It's no secret that us Raums aren't exactly pure English, but if you're white and sound English, it's easier for the less tolerant to pretend you don't have 'lesser' blood." 

The disdain in my tone is fairly apparent. Pureblood is pureblood, and the obsession with purity in England has caused most families to be, at the very least, distantly related. 

Lavender giggles at my tone, but I can see the thoughtful look on Parvati's face. I imagine she's realising why I never looked down on her or her sister for their skin before. The conversation went to a lighter subject, with us planning the time for tutoring. I already have several hours a week dedicated to tutoring Astoria so it's easy enough to add them in. 

It's a long ride to Hogwarts. Thankfully, I have such good company to keep me entertained this time.

– Later –

The opening feast was mildly interesting, with the announcement of the Triwizard Cup and the overly dramatic arrival of our foreign guests. Beauxbatons and Durmstrang joining us for the year is certainly an opportunity for some international camaraderie. 

I spotted Apolline's daughter, Fleur, during the Beauxbatons' arrival. For just the briefest moment, she looked directly at me before she pretended that it was a coincidence. There was also the announcement of a secondary tournament for the rest of the students, as it would be ridiculous to have dozens of students from each school travel to the Scottish Highlands for an entire year… for a single student to do three tasks.

Quidditch, Dueling and Academic competitions between the three schools. We haven't been given all the details yet, but it's enough to get my attention. My reputation is currently rather mixed because, despite my new looks and position, people still see me as weak. I want to change that, and achieving success in the tournament would be a good start. I'm not foolish enough to enter the Triwizard Cup myself, even if I wasn't below the age limit, but this secondary tournament has potential. 

There is also an announcement that Hogsmeade would be open every weekend for students in their fourth year and above who kept their grades at Exceeds Expectations or higher.

However, one little detail made me sit up straight and pay more attention.

Dumbledore has brought in some additional security for the tournament… Barty Crouch Junior. He looks good for a man who should be dead. Actually, he looks like shit, polyjuiced as 'Mad-eye' Moody, but that's still better than the rotting corpse he should be. The polyjuice he's using can't fool my eyes, and if he's here, something strange is going on. I'd put money on it involving the Triwizard Cup.

I have to admit, my mind is split several ways on this. This is not my fight unless Morrigan becomes the Hogwarts Champion as she plans. Even if she does, I don't doubt she can handle herself and she'd take offence to me babysitting her. It may be best to take a wait-and-see approach to things.

But Voldemort killed my father. I didn't get to meet him, but having a Death Eater in my school is insulting to me. I'm tempted to expose him and ruin his plans, but then they'd just take him to Azkaban, where he already "died" once. I wouldn't trust the Ministry to deal with a rogue kitten, let alone one of Voldemort's former inner circle. I could start making a plan to eliminate the threat myself… 

Plus, if he's using polyjuice, as I suspect, he has to have the real Alastor Moody stashed somewhere. I could just tell Triss, our new Defence Professor.

No, I won't get involved yet. I am going to deal with him because while I was hesitant to skip straight to human sacrifice to fix my magic, the fates have hand-delivered me a 'human' I don't mind sacrificing. Plus, I want to wait for the Champions to be selected to see if I need to worry about Morrigan getting caught up in his plans.

The sorting led to a surprise. Wednesday was put in Slytherin before the hat could even touch her hair, and it almost sounded afraid. Somebody else found themselves sent to my house, much to the shock and surprise of two houses. Juliet Granger, little sister of her.

Juliet does not look that much like her sister, but the resemblance is clear enough if you look at the messy hair. She looked like she was going to have a heart attack when she was sent into the snake pit, and Granger herself wasn't looking that much better.

Granger is public enemy number one in Slytherin. The largely Pureblood population of the viper's den have not enjoyed being constantly upstaged by the know-it-all. Of course, beyond Lyra and Pansy, nobody is dumb enough to actively target Hermione because she is always with Potter. Granger doesn't realise how much Potter keeps her safe purely by existing. 

Now, Granger's baby sister is going to be sleeping in the snake pit, surrounded by people who would have already disliked her purely for being muggleborn. If nothing changes, all that anger at Hermione is going to be taken out on Juliet. 

The grumbling started the moment she got sent our way, and Juliet doesn't seem so naive as not to understand the distinctly hostile air around the Slytherin table. She doesn't know why the table seems so unwelcoming, but she's realised that she isn't popular here.

I take the chance to talk with some of the Durmstrang students who have been seated with us Slytherins, but the feast passes quickly enough. I do take a little pleasure in Granger's obvious panic at her sister being sent to us Snakes, but as I chat with our guests, I take a chance and delve into Juliet's mind.

Finding the cause for her being sent here was not hard. She's lived in her sister's shadow for a long time, and both her parents are often busy with work and rarely pay attention to her. It's turned her into an ambitious little girl who is determined to surpass her older sister. 

I would be the first to admit that I find Granger frustrating. She's undeniably smart, but her insistence on showing off (often reciting our books word for word) and her disdain for our society grates against my nerves. Not to mention the fact that I've been utterly incapable of dethroning her from the top student spot.

I want to put her in her place. I want to dominate her, putting her smart mouth to better use. Glancing over at her, I see the worry in her eyes and smile slightly. By the end of this year, Hermione Granger is going to be under me.

Juliet will serve as a good tool to facilitate the domination of her sister.

– Juliet Granger –

She wasn't stupid, far from it.

The moment she was sent over to the green and silver-clad table, there had been a hostile aura from the other students, and she'd immediately worked out at least part of why. Hermione had done something to anger an entire quarter of the school, and now that quarter were her housemates.

The fact that the password to get into the house common room was purity, which led to some unfriendly looks sent her way, only helped her work out more. Hermione had mentioned the 'backwards' mindset of many magicals and the problems with being a muggleborn. 

So, she was the sister of someone they hated and a muggleborn. 

She'd tried to keep her head down, something she was used to doing, but that only worked if people weren't already watching you. She'd also tried to stop the tears from falling after several unsubtle comments thrown her way already, with only limited success.

Cornered in the common room, she tried to speak up as several older students pinned her in. She didn't know what Hermione had done to anger them so much, but they'd wasted no time in teaching her her place. 

The blonde girl glared at her, wand dangling from her hand menacingly. Her two dumb-looking friends stood at either side of Juliet, their bulk meaning she was going nowhere.

"As if one of you wasn't bad enough, we have to put up with a second Granger… in our house, tainting the common room with your filth?" the blonde girl asked dangerously, her wand letting off worrying sparks as Juliet tried to speak up. Her words failed her, tears stinging her eyes. "Nothing to say, mudblood?"

She didn't need to know the meaning of the word to know it was a slur, with the sheer bile the blonde put into the word.

Several others jeered as the blonde lifted her wand, and Juliet knew her options were laughably slim. The only path she really had was to just let them have their fun and hope they got bored of her quickly.

"Already, cousin?" a bored-sounding voice asked, making Juliet pause as she looked in the direction. Sitting in one of the comfier seats, an older boy was looking up from his book with a bland expression. "Do you really have nothing better to do, Lyra?"

"I'm just making sure this filth knows her place, cousin," Lyra countered, looking uneasy. She didn't get the social hierarchy in Slytherin, but Lyra glanced toward a pug-faced girl who was standing by the boy with a strange expression. "Just the usual Slytherin greeting for a mudblood like her."

"How kind of you," the boy said, resting his hand on his chin as he turned to her. His eyes were intense, a deep violet colour that left her feeling naked as he stared at her. "But I think I can handle Miss Granger's induction to Slytherin."

"Wha- are you defending a mudblood, Raum?" Lyra asked with disdain and shock clear in her tone. "I would have thought that you, of all people, wouldn't come to the know-it-all bitch's sister's defence."

"I don't judge people by their family. I've dealt with enough people coming after me because of Damian to grow tired of that," Raum said, rising from his seat. "Why don't I show you to your room, Miss Granger?"

There was an uneasy air in the common room and several unhappy faces, but it was clear that whatever the totem pole for Slytherin was… Raum was high on it. Many of her tormentors looked away, averting their gaze from Raum's intense violet stare.

"Y-yes, please," Juliet replied hesitantly. From Lyra's words, Raum did not like Hermione at all and she feared this was the start of something worse as she followed him to her room. She wasn't naive, and as they entered her room, she wondered if she'd have been better off out there than trapped in her room with an older boy.

She turned to him as they were in the safety of her room, apprehension clear on her features as she waited to find out her fate. Those fierce eyes boring into her very soul for a moment before he sighed.

"Of all the houses you could have found yourself in, you had to come to Slytherin? As you've no doubt noticed, this is not a friendly place for a muggleborn or a Granger," Raum said, chuckling darkly. "I am Grayson Raum-Black. You need no introduction, not with the target you painted on your back by coming to Slytherin."

"C-can I get resorted?" Juliet asked, making him shake his head.

"The hat's word is final. No, this is your house, for better or worse," Grayson replied, dashing her hopes. 

"Why did you help me? You don't like Hermione, do you?" Juliet asked, her blunt words getting a raised eyebrow before he smiled softly.

"I find Hermione frustrating, it's true. As for why I helped you?" Grayson started, looking over her. "There are two types of muggleborns. Those who attempt to integrate with magical society and those who demand the world changes to match the one they left. Your sister is very much the latter, which has caused much of the dislike aimed her way. I don't know which one you are yet."

"The rest seem to have made their decision already," Juliet said, her tone bitter.

"Hermione has been frustrating most Slytherins for three years. She's nice and safe, but you just became the new target for working off that frustration," Grayson admitted, adding to her bitterness. 

"It's not fair; I haven't even done anything yet," Juliet complained, making him chuckle.

"You exist. That's enough of an insult for many of our housemates," Grayson countered.

"What should I do?" Juliet asked, hating the hint of desperation that slipped into her tone as Grayson hesitated before he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"There's only really two paths before you. You could leave, drop out and go home. The Ministry would confiscate your wand, and you'd be free to go back to muggle society," Grayson said bluntly, but she frowned. She was a witch, and the moment she touched her wand, she'd realised that she'd been missing a part of herself all her life. "Alternatively, you need someone to protect you. Slytherin has very few muggleborns, and those that last attach themselves to someone powerful enough to keep them safe."

"Someone like you?" Juliet asked, making Grayson smirk slightly. "The others seemed scared of you."

"Smart girl. They're scared of the influence I have as the Heir of two of the oldest and most powerful families in Britain. Yes, I could protect you," Grayson admitted, clicking his fingers as a diminutive creature with massive ears appeared. "Fetch me one of the necklaces Mother put aside."

The creature bowed, popping away and returning with a silver necklace. Grayson took it, thanking the creature that bowed to him as he turned back to her.

"I can keep you safe from the others at a cost," Grayson explained, holding out the necklace. On the front was an elegant family crest. "To truly keep you safe, I'd have to take you as a vassal. Essentially, it would pseudo-adopt you into my family as a servant. An attack on you would be an attack on House Raum, something that would be retaliated against brutally."

"Why would you go that far? You don't even know me," Juliet asked, eyes narrowed slightly as he nodded.

"I don't. But I do know what it is like to be targeted because of something your siblings did. My elder brother is an idiot in Gryffindor but a powerful one who has found it funny to 'prank' many of my housemates, humiliating them. My elder sister is in Slytherin and is known for her brutality, outright crippling some of our housemates for bothering her. When I started, many of the people who were too scared to challenge my siblings found me easier prey," Grayson admitted. "Aside from that? As an heir, I have a duty to increase the power of my family by whatever means I can. I don't like Hermione, but I can admit that she is very intelligent, and I suspect you will follow in her footsteps. With the right guidance, and a few lessons in having some tact that Hermione clearly never took, I think you could be a useful asset."

The comment on Hermione's tact was spoken quickly, under his breath, making her lips twitch even as she considered things.

"But I'd have to obey you?" Juliet asked, making him nod. He called for the creature again, sending it to get a book which he handed over to her. 

"This is a tome on vassalage. I'll leave it with you, and cast some wards on your room for tonight. This is a large decision, one that should not be rushed into. I understand that this has not been a wonderful introduction to the magical world, and I apologise for that," Grayson said with a small smile. "Good night, Juliet."

As he turned to leave, she called out, making him stop.

"T-thank you, Grayson," Juliet said, making him give her a small smile and a nod. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the book he had left her and cracked it open. It was advanced legal material, making her head swirl as she read through it, but she got the idea.

Her late-night studies were interrupted by a screeching sound, making her wince as she moved to her door. As she opened it, searching for the source, she realised that the source was her door. She also spotted several students fleeing down the hallway, her blood running cold as Grayson returned to silence and reset the alarm ward he'd put on her room.

What would have happened if it wasn't there?

– Grayson Raum–Black –

"I can't believe that you're protecting a Granger," Lyra spits out as I return from the first-year corridor. "Have you no pride?"

"Have you no cunning, Lyra?" I ask, making her blink. "As you said, I, of all people, have plenty of reasons to dislike Granger. And yet, here I am, looking after her precious little sister. Has it not occurred to you, even for a minute, that there might be more to that than meets the eye? It's no wonder you so often lose in your little rivalry with Potter. Truly, cousin, you must be the most ambitious girl in the world because I've seen more cunning from a Puffskein."

There's some quiet laughter at that; Lyra always does need an audience for when she tries to embarrass someone. More importantly, I see some thoughtful smirks at my words. Many of my housemates correctly identify that I'm using Juliet to get back at Hermione, even if they aren't sure what I'm plotting.

Juliet is also a power move, reminding my housemates that I now hold a considerable amount of political power and influence, and I do not shy away from wielding them. Pansy has switched from Lyra's lap dog to mine, following me around, and Wednesday has admitted to being my mistress with her usual blunt attitude, so there's a small faction building up around me.

Power is shifting in the Slytherin house, and I intend for it to keep it shifting until it's entirely in my hands. Lyra, the tool that she is, is going to help me with that.

— Bonus Scene — Damian Raum-Black

He'd been outsmarted.

Now, this wasn't particularly surprising since he rarely put any thought into what he was doing, but his mother had decided to teach him one last lesson for the shit he'd pulled. Again, that wasn't particularly surprising to him.

Shit, it wasn't like he'd expected her to agree to fuck him. He'd mostly added that to his list of demands to piss her off, which he'd achieved spectacularly. Ten out of ten play on his part. He wanted her angry, and he'd certainly gotten it. It wasn't like he'd even wanted the fucking rings. Gray was welcome to them since they'd keep the snakes off his back, and his lil bro needed all the help he could get. He just wanted to make sure he was set for life after he got rid of them. 

He'd figured she'd lose her temper at him trying to get her to whore herself out, as prideful as she was. When she refused, he could use that to get more out of her and make his life as comfortable as possible. He did remember some of her lessons on negotiations. 

Unfortunately for his not-so-well-laid plans, she'd fucking agreed, and it had caught him off guard enough that he had no idea what to do. His not-so-carefully concocted plan went out the window at her agreement, whatever he had planned ruined as she took her clothes off. How the fuck was he supposed to plan for that? His mom was more prideful than Morrigan, she should have been furious and shut him down hard… not just fucking agree to pimp herself out.

Plus, he was pissed off as well. They all knew Gray was Mum's favourite, but the fact that she was willing to whore herself out to get Gray the heir position pissed him off a lot. She wouldn't have done the same for him or any of the others. Gray was great, way too serious but that was just the result of being groomed by their mother his entire life, but having her prove how much more she loved Gray had hit harder than he'd expected.

So he'd had a moment of true 'fuck it' where he decided that if she was so willing to whore herself out, he might as well take her up on it. Of course, he couldn't get hard, and he wasn't fucking stupid. She'd fucked with his mind, there was no other explanation. He could call her out on it, but it was also a reminder that she could have him think he was an eleven-year-old muggle girl called Nancy if he pissed her off enough… or made his erectile dysfunction permanent. He'd played with fire, and he should count himself lucky that he'd only gotten a little burnt. 

Would he learn from his mistake? Absolutely not.

She'd promised him the salary of a Ministry Department Head for the rest of his life, so he figured that he was set for life. He kinda forgot something… Arthur Weasley was also a Department Head, and he was eternally broke. Mostly because his pull-out game was weak as fuck, but with an ass like Molly's, he understood why Arty didn't want to pull out. He certainly didn't.

He'd gotten his first payment, and while it was great for most people since he didn't have to work for it, his habits were far more expensive, and it wasn't going to last. Well played, mum.

So, he had two ways to fix this. Well, three, but one was a no-go. He somehow got Mum to up his payments, he got Gray to do it or… and this was the one he saw as no real option. 

He got a job.

Unacceptable, obviously.

Now, as tempted as he was to go and whine at Mummy dearest until she fixed things, he wasn't looking forward to a lecture on being more specific when making deals, and Gray was in the castle. All he had to do was get his dorky lil bro to increase his monthly stipend. 

Easy, right?