Rumors, Shadows, and a Dangerous Smile
The days following what had happened on the Quidditch pitch marked a before and after in Hogwarts.
A "before" because before all that, everyone felt oppressed by the Dementors; now, suddenly, they had vanished from the surroundings of the school as if the very air had been cleansed. Students could breathe calmly again, even stepping outside the castle to get some fresh air whenever they needed.
But that wasn't exactly the case for Harry, now that everyone seemed to be avoiding him as if he were the next Dark Lord.
Many whispers spread about the Defense Against the Dark Arts class and how Harry's appearance was almost identical to what had come out of the wardrobe. They also talked about how he stopped all the Dementors as if he were their master. Some even claimed he had controlled them himself so they would attack the players, but then lost control completely, causing all the chaos.
The Slytherins were boasting while spreading these supposed theories; some claimed they had seen Harry entering the Forbidden Forest and making deals for the souls of students in exchange for more power… and that afterward everyone would have to serve him as their master.
It was as if a faucet had been opened all the way; every Slytherin seemed to have taken the chance to spill absurd theories. Some even said he controlled all his friends, and that he was the new Dark Lord who, as a baby, killed You-Know-Who just so he could take his place.
A one-year-old planning to become the future Dark Lord. There were truly idiots who believed that.
But apparently, yes; the magical world was not exactly known for thinking coherently. And at the same time, it seemed that someone from the shadows was pulling the strings to worsen Harry's reputation in Hogwarts.
Harry walked through the corridors while some students whispered as he passed by.
Harry, walking beside Hermione, sighed.
"It's really always so adorable to return to our school," he said with sarcasm.
"Don't pay attention to them, Harry," Hermione said, giving a sharp look to the people who kept whispering under their breath; the moment they noticed Hermione's glare, they quickly stepped away. "They're just fools who believe foolish rumors. They should be thanking you for saving everyone from those Dementors." she added, clearly annoyed.
After all, it was thanks to Harry that the Dementors had stopped. And it had been Aunt Wanda who destroyed them right then and there.
That was also why the Ministry seemed furious; they were the ones who had sent the Dementors to the school to look for Peter Pettigrew.
But then they remembered who they were messing with; and especially now, with the entire student council furious at the Ministry for endangering the students with the Dementors.
International newspapers were talking; they were putting the Minister in a tight spot, so he had to drop the issue of the missing Dementors they had sent. Those creatures were like cockroaches that reproduced in the damp, dark corners of Azkaban, so now they were simply trying to save their own skin.
And to his misfortune, this time they couldn't blame everything on Wanda or anyone else… or they would end up like an egg smashing against a rock.
Harry felt slightly irritated. "We really gave those bastards exactly what they wanted. An excuse," Harry said, glancing at the Slytherins watching him from not too far away with mocking expressions, waiting for him to fall.
"Wow, this school is really something," said the familiar voice of Luciel behind Harry and Hermione. When they turned around, it was indeed him; he seemed to have come from training by the riverbank, with a towel around his neck and his sword at his waist. "I have to say I enjoy a bit of healthy competition, but I'm not really a fan of how things move around here," Luciel added, wearing a slightly strange expression.
"Well, this is Hogwarts in all its glory; where the competition between houses can even turn into a life-or-death fight outside school grounds," Harry replied with sarcasm.
"I'd like to believe you're joking, but from your excitement, I can tell you're not," Luciel said with a forced smile.
He then glanced toward the Slytherins for a moment before speaking in a lower voice.
"Well. This has a lot of Juliette's style. So try to be careful. That woman is the worst thing that could exist. She sees everything as a game and believes karma will never reach her because her father is the French Minister of Magic. I've seen students quit their studies because of her games. The worst part is that she has this way of attracting idiots just like her to her side easily. And she always has plans prepared to protect herself," Luciel said, his expression completely serious.
Harry looked at him for a moment, then nodded seriously. "Yeah, I was already expecting something like that. The guys I know from Slytherin don't have enough brains to plan something this fast," he said calmly, though his eyes seemed to shine slightly.
"Well, just don't let it get to you; the more you show that it bothers you, the more excited she'll get about making your life miserable," Luciel said before walking away; after all, he had to shower before classes.
Hermione watched him leave, thinking about his words. Then she looked at Harry; when she saw his expression, she let out a sigh.
"I really understand why Fleur says that sometimes you look like a villain," Hermione commented, looking at Harry's face, who already seemed to be planning very dark things, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"The school created this house division for student competition. So let's give them what they want. A good and brutal competition to show which house is better," Harry said with a villainous smile.
…
"Why did you call me?" Draco said, standing with his usual serious expression. In front of him, seated at a small garden table with a cup of tea and a little pastry, was Juliette Marceau; the very same person Harry and Luciel had been talking about.
"Draco Malfoy. Your father had some dealings with mine in the past. He was quite good at his job. Thanks to him, we had a way to enter the English magical economy. And since you are his son, I thought you might be interested in joining me. After all, everyone knows you are a Slytherin through and through." Juliette said calmly, looking at him gently, as if she were seeing a future ally.
"Ah?" Draco lifted his upper lip slightly, as if he had just heard something ridiculous. "Join you?" he asked while glancing around.
Several Slytherins were standing nearby, behaving like very polite servants; though their expressions carried a hint of mockery, as if the whole situation were some kind of performance.
"Pass," he said with complete calm, turning around as if being there was a waste of time.
"Are you sure?" Juliette asked. Her tone was polite, yet it carried an icy undertone that suggested something bad might happen if Draco decided to leave.
Draco paused for a moment.
"I know your family—or rather, your mother—is well positioned in England with her businesses connected to that alliance she formed with the relatives of your friends. But do you really think she can keep climbing the economic ladder? You never leave England, right? Meanwhile, my father has economic alliances with every major family in Europe. The Slytherin boys have already joined our alliances. Do you think just four or five families could have enough power to stand against more than a hundred?" she said with a soft yet poisonous smile.
"Stand against?" Draco looked at her as if listening to an extraordinarily stupid joke. "All those fools have been trying since I can remember," he said, pointing at the Slytherins around them. "And the only thing they achieved was increasing our profits. If you bring in more families, you'll only accomplish the same. And if you try something malicious outside of economic dealings, all I can say is that you're pretty idiotic. Not to mention my Aunt Wanda, who could erase every last trace of your allies. My Uncle Edward or Sirius are already dangerous enough monsters. You don't even know the level my mother or Aunt Selene have. So no, I'm not afraid of you." Draco stared at her firmly. "In fact, you should be the one careful with your stupidity."
To him, it was already obvious that Juliette was behind the attacks on Harry's reputation; it was too clear, seeing how she seemed to control the Slytherin idiots and how she tried to recruit him. She surely wanted to divide the group so Draco would betray Harry.
Draco wasn't stupid.
"You should be careful who you're messing with. Harry may seem harmless, but if you keep poking the underside of a dragon long enough, it will spit fire in your face. You have no idea what he's capable of. Not even he, nor we—his own friends—fully know." Draco said with a deadly look toward Juliette before turning away, with zero intention of hearing anything else from her.
"Pf." She let out a soft laugh, as if what she had heard was the most ridiculous, amusing, and embarrassing thing in the world. "Sure," she said with a mocking tone, completely unconcerned about Draco leaving.
Just then, an owl flew toward her and dropped a letter. Juliette picked it up with complete tranquility, opened it, and read it before smiling with a delighted expression.
"It seems my father has arrived. And he was invited by the Minister to watch the trial of that half-giant," Juliette said with an amused, almost enchanted smile.
Yes, she knew perfectly well that Hagrid was a half-giant. As the Minister's daughter, she had sent people to investigate it. And it had been far too easy for her to pull that information out from the most hidden places.
"Let's see what they can really do," she said, smiling in a disturbingly pleased way.
…
Meanwhile, outside the castle, a grayish-white rat ran between the trees of the Forbidden Forest; several huge spiders were chasing it, trying to catch it before it could slip into the hollow of an old tree. The creature moved as if it knew the path perfectly. And that tree was only a few meters from the castle.
Very close by, a small golem resting against a rock, apparently deactivated, suddenly opened its glowing eyes before sending out a signal.