Chapter 15 (~9600 words):
– Jasmine –
Jasmine McKinnon-Potter strolled down the worn path with Lavender on one side and Parvati on the other, her two best friends keeping close as the crisp autumn air swept through the grounds of Hogwarts. For once, the pair of them were not giggling about boys. More specifically, they were not talking about Harry. That in itself felt like a small miracle. For days, Harry Sitri had been the only subject they seemed to care about, every whispered conversation somehow circling back to him.
Today, thankfully, their chatter was different. Tonight was the big night, the moment everyone had been waiting for. The champions of the Triwizard Tournament were going to be chosen. The air around the castle felt charged with excitement, as if the walls themselves were buzzing with anticipation. Students from every house, as well as the visitors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, were all restless.
Everyone wanted to see who would be picked.
Plenty of students had entered their names even though it was obvious how dangerous the tasks were going to be. The promise of glory and recognition outweighed the risks for many. Jasmine thought it was kind of ridiculous, but she could not deny that Dumbledore had been clever when he reassured everyone that there would be extra events throughout the year. Competitions and challenges for the students who were not chosen as champions. It made the whole thing feel less exclusive and kept spirits high.
The three girls had wandered further than they realized, their easy conversation carrying them away from the main crowds. Before long, Jasmine noticed the old, crooked silhouette of the Shrieking Shack in the distance. The place looked gloomy and abandoned, like it always did, but it was oddly peaceful standing out there away from the buzz of the castle. They slowed down and eventually stopped near the fence, leaning against the worn posts as they continued talking.
Parvati was the first to speak. "So, who do you two think is going to get picked?" She tilted her head.
Lavender crossed her arms and looked thoughtful. "I don't know who the second champion will be, but the obvious first choice from Hogwarts is going to be Harry. He literally blocked an Unforgivable Curse that day in the alley. We all saw it. That was supposed to be impossible…"
Damn, they almost made it a full hour without Lavender saying his name. At least it was about his feats instead of Lavender just thirsting over his looks.
Jasmine rolled her eyes but nodded along. "Well, he blocked the Killing Curse as a baby, remember. Obviously, the Cruciatus was not a problem now that he is a grown man."
Lavender let out a soft, drawn-out sigh. "And what a man he is." She licked her lips in a way that made Jasmine immediately glare at her.
"Stop it," Jasmine said firmly, her cheeks warming in irritation. "We agreed we were not going to talk about boys today. You two are insatiable!"
Parvati gave her a wicked grin. "More like we are very pent up. Lavender has not had a boyfriend since last year, and me and you, Jaz, well…" She gave her a sly look. "We have not had one ever."
Jasmine's face went scarlet at that, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to come up with a retort. Nothing came. Instead, she turned her head sharply away, pretending to study the distant windows of the castle. "I am not even going to respond to that," she muttered, but both of her friends laughed at her flustered expression anyway.
After a moment she sighed, letting her embarrassment fade. "I do agree, though. Harry Sitri is the obvious pick." Her voice came out quieter, more thoughtful this time.
It was still strange for her. She had spent nineteen years believing he was her brother. Harry was not her brother. Not by blood. The revelation had left her with a knot in her stomach that still had not untangled itself.
…The three girls had moved on to arguing about who might be chosen as the second Hogwarts champion. Lavender was the first to blurt out her opinion, tossing her hair dramatically. "It will probably be Cedric Diggory. He is the second most sexy guy in the entire school." She smirked and leaned closer as if sharing a scandalous secret. "If we cannot end up in Harry's secret harem, then I would not mind having a go at him instead."
Jasmine rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt.
Lavender was still going! "Although it is too bad he has been dating that Asian slut from Ravenclaw. Cho, or whatever her name is." She finished with a huff, folding her arms as though she was personally offended.
Before Lavender could continue, Jasmine flicked her wand and sent a quick stinging hex at her friend's legs. Lavender let out a sharp yelp and stumbled back, clutching her thigh. Jasmine lowered her wand slowly, a smirk tugging at her lips. "No more talk about boys," Jasmine said firmly. "We already promised that today."
Lavender groaned loudly, rubbing her legs together as if she could soothe the sting away. "Fine," she muttered, her voice sulky. She crossed her arms tight across her chest and stuck her bottom lip out like a child.
Parvati broke the tension, speaking more seriously. "I think the second best student is probably Hermione. Even though she is only a fourth year, she already seems to know every single spell from every year's curriculum. I swear she never gets anything wrong."
Jasmine stayed quiet for a moment, chewing on her lip. She had been made a prefect this year, probably thanks to her family's close ties with Dumbledore. But even she had to admit Hermione Granger's talent made her feel insecure sometimes. The girl was leaps ahead of almost every other student in the school, at least until Harry had shown up and stolen all the attention.
Finally Jasmine sighed and added, "Hermione did not even put her name into the Goblet though."
That caught Lavender and Parvati off guard. They looked at her with wide eyes.
"She didn't?" Lavender asked in surprise.
"No," Jasmine said. "And that shocked me too."
Parvati tapped her finger against her chin, thoughtful. "Then if not her… maybe it will be a dark horse pick."
Jasmine nodded. "Exactly. I think the one to watch is Harry's mysterious aunt, Sona. We do not know much about her, but she did turn Draco Malfoy into an icicle on the second day of school."
Lavender tilted her head curiously. "I thought that was just one of the Weasley twins' pranks."
"No," Parvati said quickly, shaking her head. "That was definitely her. And she used wandless magic to do it. Wands are not nearly as popular in other parts of the world, especially in my family's country of India. Sona absolutely cast that spell herself. She just managed to make it look like Fred and George did it instead, and the professors believed it."
Jasmine shivered slightly at the thought. Sona had been calm, collected, and beautiful every time she had seen her. But beneath that elegance there was something intimidating, something sharp as ice. Jasmine could admit to herself that the Ravenclaw transfer student intimidated her a little. Still, Jasmine wanted to try being friends with her at some point.
From what she had seen, the only girl Sona ever spent time with was the other transfer student—Tsubaki—and sometimes Luna Lovegood would float into their orbit as well.
That was it.
Sona was part of Harry's family, and even though Jasmine knew Harry was not her family by blood, the habit of thinking about him that way was hard to shake. For nineteen years she had thought of him as her brother.
Even now, the feelings were tangled. Along with her obvious feelings of attraction to him…
At the very least there was some history connecting them. Jasmine's mother, Marlene, had been his mother Lily's best friend for seven years when they were at school. They had been inseparable until everything blew apart when Marlene ended up sleeping with James and getting pregnant with Jasmine. That single act had destroyed the friendship that was more like a sisterhood—according to Jasmine's mother.
It was messy, and Jasmine had grown up in the shadow of it. But it was also the reason she existed. She could not exactly hate her mother for making the choice that literally gave her life.
Lavender and Parvati were still caught up in gossiping about who else might end up chosen as a champion if it was not Sona. Names flew back and forth between them, each suggestion more ridiculous than the last.
"You know, honestly, a secret part of me hopes Draco Malfoy gets picked," Lavender said with a sharp laugh. "Just so we can see him die in one of the tasks."
Parvati snorted. "Honestly, I would freaking love to see that too. But you know what? He is more like a cockroach than a ferret. Somehow, I think he would survive no matter what. And if he could not, you just know his daddy would bribe every single tournament official to hand him every advantage possible," she finished with a sigh.
Lavender tapped her chin, pretending to think it over. "Would they even care about bribes right now, though? I heard a rumor that the school just got a massive secret donor. Dumbledore was talking about a bigger budget, so I guess it is not even a rumor anymore. We just do not know which family dropped all those galleons, or how much it was..." she trailed off.
Jasmine had opened her mouth to add her own thoughts when a soft whimpering sound reached her ears. She turned her head and froze. A large black dog was slowly padding toward them across the grass. Its fur was ragged and patchy, and its ribs showed through its thin frame.
The animal looked half-starved, mangy, and exhausted.
Lavender and Parvati both gasped and stepped back immediately, clutching at each other's arms. "Stay away from it!" Lavender hissed. "It could be wild or diseased!"
Parvati wrinkled her nose, already taking another step back. "It looks and smells half dead. Are zombie-dogs a thing?"
"Ok, that's a little mean," Lavender said, letting go of Parvati, but still warning Jasmine that "it could still be diseased at the very least… But it's probably not a zombie."
But Jasmine didn't care. For some reason she couldn't explain, her heart clenched at the sight of this dog being in such bad shape. She dropped down to her knees before she even thought about it, lowering herself so she was closer to the dog's eye level. "Hey there, boy," she murmured softly, holding her hand out. "Are you okay? You look like you are in really rough shape, huh?"
The dog whined again, the sound low and pitiful, and shuffled closer to her. Its eyes were dark and sad, but there was an intelligence in them that struck her immediately. When Jasmine reached out, her friends hissed warnings behind her, but she ignored them. She brushed her fingers gently through the rough fur on his head.
The dog flinched at first, but then leaned into her touch. The way he moved was careful, controlled, and far too well-trained to be some wild stray. This was not a beast that had lived its life on the streets. No, this was someone's pet, or had been once. Maybe it had gotten lost, maybe abandoned…
Jasmine smiled faintly as the dog pressed its bony head into her palm. "You are a good boy, aren't you?" she murmured softly, rubbing behind his ears. The words slipped from her mouth before she even realized she was saying them. Her chest tightened unexpectedly as she added, "Do you want to come home with me?"
It was ridiculous, she knew. She was sitting in the grass with a mangy half-starved dog, but the connection felt real. Something about his sad eyes and the way he leaned into her touch made her feel protective.
Parvati's sharp voice cut through her haze immediately. "Absolutely not."
Lavender jumped in right after, her hands flying to her hips. "Yeah, no way. You are not dragging some filthy stray mutt into our dorm room, Jaz. I refuse."
Both of them sounded horrified at the idea, and Jasmine's face fell. The dog's ears flattened against his skull as if he had understood every word. He let out another low whine, a sound so pitiful that it twisted Jasmine's heart.
She stroked his head slowly, biting her lip. He is too smart to be just some random stray. He has to have belonged to someone once. Maybe a wizard's pet. Maybe even a familiar?
Still, her friends were not going to allow it. She knew that the second she looked up and saw the disgusted looks plastered across their faces. She sighed, her voice coming out softer this time. "What if we take him to Hagrid then? Fang could use a friend, and Hagrid is amazing with animals. He could nurse this good boy back to health."
Lavender groaned, tilting her head back like Jasmine had just suggested something outrageous. "You and your bleeding heart, Jaz." Then she shook her head, exhaling hard. "I guess that is not the worst idea. At least if Hagrid takes him, he will not end up giving us fleas."
Parvati crossed her arms, her nose still wrinkled in distaste. "Sorry, Jasmine. I am just not a dog person. If you want an exotic pet, get something like a snake. Those are all the rage back in India!"
The words made Jasmine and Lavender shudder at the same time. Lavender's nose scrunched up, and Jasmine felt her skin crawl. "Absolutely not," Jasmine said flatly. "Snakes are creepy."
"No way in hell," Lavender added.
The dog gave a tiny huff through his nose as if he agreed with them, which made Jasmine smile again. She gave his fur another affectionate scratch and then pushed herself to her feet. "Come on, boy. Follow us. We are taking you to Hagrid."
To her surprise, the dog immediately obeyed, padding after her with slow, steady steps. His ribs still stuck out painfully under his fur, but he moved with purpose, as if he knew exactly where she was taking him.
The three girls cut across the grounds, the grass cool and damp under their shoes as they made their way toward Hagrid's hut. Smoke curled lazily from the crooked chimney, promising warmth inside. But before they reached the cabin, Jasmine spotted movement on the path.
Two very familiar figures stepped into view.
Lyra and Lyna. The Sitri twins. Harry's maids.
Jasmine almost rolled her eyes, but her gaze lingered anyway. It was impossible not to. The pair of them looked like they had just walked out of some perverted fantasy. Both were twenty years old, with matching heart-shaped faces, perfect skin, and striking blue eyes. Their silky black hair shone in the light, flowing down their backs, and of course they were wearing their ridiculous maid outfits.
If you could even call them maid outfits.
The skirts were scandalously short, barely covering their asses, and the stockings clung to their legs like a second skin, drawing the eye straight to their supple thighs. Their tops were low-cut to the point of indecency, their massive tits spilling out with every bounce of their steps. Even the frilly aprons did nothing to hide how blatantly slutty the whole look was. They strutted with that same shameless confidence, their hips swaying deliberately as if they wanted the entire world to stare.
Jasmine felt her cheeks heat, and she quickly tore her gaze away. She had always considered herself straight, but Lyra and Lyna made her question herself sometimes. They were just so… distracting. She hated admitting it, but she always found herself sneaking double takes when they were around. No matter how much she tried to hide it behind her stern prefect demeanor.
Parvati muttered under her breath, "Merlin, do they ever wear anything normal?"
Lavender let out a low whistle, folding her arms and watching them approach with a smirk. "If I had a body like that, I would not."
Jasmine just clenched her jaw, annoyed at herself for staring but unable to completely stop. She couldn't help but wonder if these two gorgeous sisters were sleeping with Harry every night? And if so, Jasmine's thoughts drifted to the scandalous idea of her even joining in—before she rapidly stopped and shook her head.
Lyna spotted them first and raised her hand in greeting, her glossy black hair bouncing with the movement. "Hello, you three. Out for a stroll?" she asked in a sing-song voice, her lips curled into a teasing smile.
Lyra followed up immediately, her voice also soft and melodic. "The weather is great today, is it not? I wish I could be out with the young master, but he is busy taking extra school lessons with Hermione and Sona." She tilted her head slightly, almost pouting as she said it. "I wish he wasn't so busy all the time."
"So are we, sister," Lyna added as if it was obvious. "With our surprise."
Lavender perked up at that, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "Surprise?" she asked.
Lyra's smile brightened as she lifted the wicker basket hanging from her arm. Inside, Jasmine caught sight of smooth brown chicken eggs cushioned carefully in straw. They must have come straight from Hagrid's chickens.
"Yep," Lyra said cheerfully. "We are baking Harry a cake to celebrate him getting picked as a champion! He is going to love it."
Parvati raised an eyebrow, her dark hair swaying as she shook her head. "But the selection has not even happened yet. How can you be so sure he will be picked?"
Both maids stared at the three girls like they had just asked the dumbest question in the world. Their perfect blue eyes were wide and almost glowing, like the answer should be obvious.
Jasmine felt a twitch of irritation, though she kept it to herself. She could at least admire the loyalty the maids had to Harry, even if it was a bit unhinged. Honestly, it was still insane that Harry had been allowed to have live-in maids in the first place. In the Gryffindor dorms no less. She shook her head slightly. How much money did his second mother, Serafall, bribe Dumbledore with to get that one approved?
Pushing those thoughts aside, Jasmine forced a polite smile. "Well, good luck with the cake. We are just taking this poor dog to see Hagrid. He is in bad shape."
That was when both Lyra and Lyna glanced down at the animal at Jasmine's side. Their smiles faltered for a brief second as their eyes locked on the dog. It was not a casual glance either. Both of them stared at him intently, their pretty blue eyes narrowing in perfect unison. There was a strange gleam there.
Jasmine shifted uncomfortably, stroking the dog's head again to steady herself. For a heartbeat she felt like they were seeing more than just a ragged, half-starved animal.
Then, just as suddenly, they both straightened up and smiled again.
"Hm. That is interesting," Lyna said, though her gaze lingered for a second longer.
"Indeed it is," Lyra agreed smoothly. She adjusted her basket with a delicate movement. "I hope Hagrid can help this poor injured creature. Hagrid is a very nice giant, giving us these eggs for free."
Lyna gave a little wave as she stepped past. "Good day, you three. There will be victory cake in the common room after the fun event tonight!"
"What event? The choosing ceremony?" she asked the two of them. "Aren't we just gonna be staring at a magic cup?"
"Oh no, the event will be much more fun than just that! I hope you all are good on your cardio because you'll be running all over the castle later tonight!" Lyra said with a grin. She clearly knew more about the tournament than they did.
How? They weren't even students!
Lavender and Parvati exchanged glances with Jasmine. Clearly, they weren't getting anymore cryptic information and would just have to wait. She did have pretty good cardio at the very least…?
With that, the twins swayed past them, their hips rocking side to side with deliberate, exaggerated movements. Their short skirts bounced dangerously with each step, flashing glimpses of smooth thighs that made Jasmine's cheeks heat.
Despite herself, Jasmine's gaze trailed after them, her eyes fixed on the hypnotic sway until she caught herself. She quickly looked away, embarrassed at how obvious she must have looked.
Lavender noticed, of course. She let out a playful laugh, reached over, and gave Jasmine a smack on the arm. "Oh, I didn't know you swung that way too, Jaz? Is that a recent development?"
"...I don't know—maybe…" she admitted to her two friends. Those two were just nice to look at—but she was still more attracted to Harry though…
Neither of her friends judged her at all for her words though, witches and Wizards were far more liberal when it came to love than Muggles were.
"Let's just go bring our new friend to Hagrid."
"You're new friend, I'm not getting near the fleabag…"
The dog let out a sad whine at that.
– Serafall –
Serafall sat stiffly in her throne-like chair in her office, one leg crossed impatiently over the other. She tapped her manicured fingernails rhythmically against the ornate wooden armrest. Her usually playful blue eyes were hard as ice, narrowed sharply on the goblin king standing before her.
King Ragnuk bowed low. He had already introduced himself as Ragnuk the Tenth, proudly tracing his lineage back through countless other goblin kings who had foolishly worn the same name.
To Serafall, it was just another annoying reminder of the ancient grudge she held against his race. The goblins had always been a thorn in her people's side. Centuries earlier, their ancestors had launched a brutal surprise attack against the underworld. It happened during a time when the devils had barely started recovering from the Great War and the bloody civil war that followed.
The sudden assault had cost the devils dearly, with hundreds of thousands of low-ranking devils slaughtered when the goblins dug large sink holes underneath major cities. The fucking cowards.
Of course, the newly crowned Maous had swiftly retaliated, crushing the goblin armies and driving them from the underworld with merciless fury. Millions of goblins had perished in the conflict. Unfortunately, the Maous were not able to follow the Goblins out of the underworld to finish the race off because the Goblins went and hid underground on Earth right below faithful human territories.
The greedy bastard had basically used the churches faithful believers as literal human shields without them even knowing. And it's not like the Maou could have asked Heaven's help at that time because they were coming off the Great War and still bitter enemies.
She sighed inwardly, forcing herself to listen as Ragnuk straightened up, his wide mouth stretching into an ingratiating smile. His small, beady black eyes glistened with poorly disguised greed. His thin fingers kept twisting and grasping at the heavy gold rings that adorned nearly every inch of his bony hands.
"We graciously thank you, Great Devil Queen Serafall, for allowing our people the pilgrimage to our ancestral homeland in the Underworld," Ragnuk droned on smoothly, his voice oily and falsely humble. "It is a great honor for my kind to once again walk the lands where our race was originally born."
Serafall barely suppressed an eye-roll, giving him her fakest, most exaggerated smile. "Uh-huh, sure. That's just great..." she drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She stretched lazily, making no effort whatsoever to hide her boredom.
Ragnuk either didn't notice her blatant lack of enthusiasm, or more likely, he simply didn't care. He straightened the cuffs of his heavily embroidered robe, puffing up slightly with self-importance. "Your generosity and wisdom know no bounds, Lady Serafall. Truly, you are the most gracious and powerful leader to ever sit upon the throne of Leviathan."
"Yeah, yeah," Serafall muttered, flicking her gaze pointedly toward the large ornate clock on the wall. She raised an elegant eyebrow at him, giving a clear signal that her patience was rapidly running out. "Are you finished flattering me yet? Because my calendar is booked solid."
In truth, the meeting had already dragged on for well over an hour, and Serafall felt dangerously close to snapping. Her playful nature had limits, and her patience for goblins was virtually nonexistent.
She only endured this miserable encounter because of the annoying fact that the goblins had been the ones to initially discover her precious Harry. Of course, their motivations had nothing to do with kindness or altruism. Goblins didn't do favors unless they stood to profit handsomely. She had no doubt they were after some outrageous payment or ridiculous favor now, and she dreaded whatever asinine request was coming next.
Ragnuk cleared his throat, his long pointed ears twitching slightly. "Of course, Lady Serafall," he continued smoothly, finally getting to his true point. "Our humble pilgrimage party simply requires a small—ah—token of hospitality from your noble devil house. Just a modest tribute, nothing more."
Serafall stared at him blankly, her eyes flashing dangerously. "A tribute?" she repeated slowly.
They were asking for tribute…from her? Not the other way around?
Ragnuk cleared his throat again, the sound wet and grating in the quiet chamber. He smoothed the front of his gold-threaded robes as if the gesture could somehow make him look more dignified. "My lady, the war between our two races was absolutely tragic and should never have happened. However, it is clear that the casualties on both sides were… quite lopsided when one looks back from a historical standpoint."
Serafall raised a skeptical eyebrow. Where exactly was this arrogant little goblin planning on taking this conversation? With a sharp intake of breath, she responded coolly, "And what of it?" she asked coolly. "Your people attacked first, Ragnuk. Your armies almost completely wiped out multiple cities filled with low-class devils. Men, women, children. Our retaliation was completely justified."
Ragnuk grimaced, shifting uneasily. His small, beady eyes gleamed as he tried to push his point further. "And yet millions of goblins died at the end of it. Entire bloodlines were erased. We lost all of our territory in the Underworld. There was a clear disparity there!"
Serafall sat forward suddenly, the temperature in the room dropping several degrees as her aura flared. "Can you just get to the fucking point already?" she snapped.
Her thoughts boiled with contempt. What right did this greedy little pest have to complain about "disparity"? Goblins bred like vermin, entire litters of children born from a single womb. By comparison, devils counted themselves lucky if a couple managed a single child in a hundred years. There was no comparison.
Even now, centuries later, Serafall suspected there were more goblins scuttling around beneath the human world than there had ever been in the Underworld! Were there a billion of those Vermin hiding beneath the earth's crust?
Ragnuk cleared his throat again nervously, clearly sensing Serafall's growing impatience. He hurried to explain himself further, wringing his thin, gold-ringed fingers. "We are well aware that most of our former territory was annexed by your four Great Devil Kings after the war," he began carefully. "But much of it remains empty and uninhabited. Those lands are incredibly valuable, overflowing with mineral deposits that have remained completely untapped for centuries. Is that not a shame?"
Serafall rolled her eyes openly, unable to hide her disgust at the goblin's shamelessly transparent ploy. The nerve of this greedy little bastard was astounding.
Undeterred by her obvious skepticism, Ragnuk continued eagerly, "Rather than allowing such wealth to waste away unused, surely you could find it in your generous heart to permit some goblins to return to the Underworld permanently. We could resettle those lands, establish mining communities, and in exchange, we would gladly pay the appropriate taxes to the Underworld government."
Serafall struggled to keep from openly laughing at the ridiculousness of his proposal. She knew exactly what the goblins truly wanted. They wanted free reign to strip those territories bare of priceless mithril, orichalcum, and whatever other rare resources lay hidden beneath the surface. And because goblins lived and mined underground, devils would have absolutely no way of accurately measuring or verifying exactly how much was extracted.
Inevitably, the greedy little creatures would falsify their tax records, paying only a minuscule fraction of what they truly owed. They would pay scraps, cheat on their taxes, and smuggle out the real wealth for themselves.
Worse yet, Serafall had no doubt that if she granted this ridiculous request, the goblins would inevitably stir up trouble within a century or two. Their boundless greed guaranteed that another goblin rebellion would be inevitable. Of course, high class devils would crush it with ease, but not without first losing more precious low class citizens whose numbers still hadn't fully recovered from centuries of devastating losses—even with the implementation of the Evil Piece system.
With all those thoughts racing furiously through her mind, Serafall finally leaned forward, folding her arms gracefully across her chest and giving Ragnuk a cold, decisive glare. "Your request," she said slowly, emphasizing each word clearly, "is completely denied."
She felt a satisfying rush of vindictive pleasure as the Goblin King's expression twisted into barely restrained anger. He opened his mouth to argue again, clearly ready to protest.
Before he could get another word out, Serafall was glancing dramatically at her bare wrist as though checking the time.
She made a show of sighing loudly, shaking her head with exaggerated fake regret. "Oh, look at the time," she said with mocking sweetness. "I completely forgot—I actually have a very important meeting with Sirzechs Lucifer right now. Sorry, but you're going to have to go."
Ragnuk sputtered. "What—"
Serafall simply snapped her fingers dismissively, ignoring whatever protests or insults he was about to hurl her way. A bright blue teleportation circle instantly appeared beneath the Goblin King's feet. He vanished abruptly in a swirl of magical energy, leaving the ornate office blissfully silent once more.
Letting out a deep sigh of relief, Serafall leaned back comfortably in her throne-like chair, stretching her arms lazily over her head. "Finally," she muttered softly to herself.
…
A sharp knock rattled the doors of Serafall's office, and before she could even open her mouth to respond, the heavy oak swung inward on its own. Serafall's lips pressed into a thin line. The intruder was immediately recognizable. Tall, broad-shouldered, with striking crimson hair that framed a face far too handsome for its own good.
Sirzechs Lucifer, the infamous Red Satan himself, strolled into the room like he owned the place. Which he did not—because this was her territory!
Once upon a time, Serafall had nursed a crush on him. She had chased him with the intention of marriage, her teenage self hopelessly smitten with his charm and presence. But that had been a long time ago, and her plans had dissolved the moment he had chosen his queen, Grayfia, instead. The sting had faded over the years, especially with the fact that Serafall had found new and forbidden loves to fill up her heart.
Loves that she would absolutely have one day soon. She just had to play her cards right and break those barriers bit by bit.
"Ah, hello, Serafall. I am here for our meeting," Sirzechs said playfully, flashing that polished smile.
Serafall blinked at him, her expression perfectly blank. "What meeting?" she asked flatly. She definitely did not remember scheduling anything with him.
"The one you just told that goblin about," he teased.
Serafall's jaw tightened, though outwardly she kept her expression calm. Of course. He was eavesdropping, she thought bitterly. The man had no sense of boundaries when it came to her business. She exhaled slowly, giving him a small shrug.
"Well, I suppose I can make a little time right now," she conceded, waving her hand dismissively. "But make it quick, Zex. Harry-kun and So-tan's tournament starts today, and I am not missing the opening ceremony for anything!"
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!"
Holy fuck! Lockhart really has absolutely zero survival instincts!
I had heard from Sona and my mom that Sirzechs was usually a pretty chill guy, but that did not mean a bug like Lockhart could just go and insult Lucifer, the most powerful devil in history, to his face like that!
The second those arrogant words left his lips, the air in the room grew so heavy it pressed down on my chest.
My lungs felt tighter, and every competent mage in the room instinctively shuffled back, their eyes wide as they sensed the sheer power rolling off Sirzechs. A low hum of energy prickled along my skin, raising goosebumps on my arms. My breath caught as I realized he was barely letting any of it show, and yet it still felt like the walls themselves might crack under the pressure.
Lockhart, being the useless idiot he always was, seemed oblivious to all of it!
He actually tried to puff himself up taller, like he had just won some invisible contest. His incompetence had hit a new level if he could not even feel the weight of that aura pressing down on all of us!
Dumbledore immediately stepped in between them. "I apologize for his rudeness," he said, before his newest professor ended up nothing more than a smear on the wall. "We do not insult guests like that, Professor Lockhart," Dumbledore scolded, sweat dripping down his brow.
"Ah... Right... My apologies." Lockhart didn't sound sorry. If anything he looked a bit confused as to why Dumbledore was urging him to the other side of the room.
Mum looked like she was about to laugh her ass off and was doing her best to hold it all in.
Krum finally broke the tension, his thick Bulgarian accent rolling heavily over his words. He squared his shoulders and stared directly at my mum. "Are you part of the first task, woman? I vant to get started already," he said impatiently.
My mum tilted her head playfully, her pigtails bouncing as she clasped her hands behind her back. She gave a cheeky giggle that echoed across the chamber. "Tehehe! Yes, I am part of the first task, and a few more in the future too. After all, I am funding most of this tournament!" she announced proudly. She spun in place once, the glittery ribbons around her costume sparkling as she struck a pose, her chest bouncing shamelessly. "I am Serafall Sitri, Harry's mummy and So‑tan's amazing big sister!" She thrust her arm into the air dramatically, her smile wide and bright. "Let's get this show on the road, shall we? The first task will be a survival challenge in enemy territory!"
Dumbledore cleared his throat and began to explain further that in just a few minutes, the six of us would be teleported to random spots within Hogwarts castle and grounds. The entire castle to the edge of the forest. We were not allowed to leave the castle grounds for the next two hours, no matter what happened... Or we automatically fail the first task.
The other Durmstrang guy finally spoke up, his accent not as thick as Krum's. He furrowed his brow and asked, "What happens during those two hours, exactly?" His tone carried a mixture of suspicion and eagerness.
Before Dumbledore could answer, my mum stepped forward with a mischievous grin tugging at her lips. She clasped her hands together dramatically and leaned in. "Every single student from Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons will be hunting you down, trying their best to capture you," she announced, her tone sing-song and far too cheerful for what she was actually saying. Then she added with a little wink, "And they will be very motivated after all, because the students that manage to capture any of you will receive a reward of ten thousand galleons!"
I nearly choked on my own breath. Ten thousand galleons? My mind raced as I did the math in my head. That was one hundred thousand pounds in British currency!
Were they trying to start a freaking riot???
I could hear the sharp gasps from the other champions echoing my own disbelief.
Fleur swore softly under her breath in French, and Gabrielle's jaw dropped.
Remus stepped forward. "There is one more thing you all need to know. None of you will be allowed to use your wands. You can only rely on your wits and whatever 'wandless' magic abilities you possess." he explained and gave me a sorry look. As if he thought I'd be devastated to hear that.
The words made Krum's eyes widen before he let out a vicious curse in Bulgarian. The other Durmstrang boy joined him, muttering angrily in their language. I understood everything they were saying with my natural devil linguistic abilities—they had very colorful language.
Fleur gasped and Gabrielle's jaw dropped, both sisters staring in shock. But after a moment they composed themselves. They clearly remembered they had innate fire magic at least as Veela's. Of course, I'd protect my french lovers as well, if I was able to meet up with them in those two hours.
Depending on where we all got teleported.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught my mum smirking knowingly at me and Sona. That look said it all. She had rigged this first task in our favor. Both Sona and I only carried fake wands for appearances.
One by one we stepped forward and placed our wands into Remus's waiting hands. His expression was calm and reassuring as he collected them carefully, sliding each wand into a small enchanted satchel at his side. "You will have them returned in a few hours," he promised us. "And you have my word, every single student has been told they are only permitted to use non-lethal magic against you. Anyone who disobeys that order will be severely punished." He looked directly at me as he said it.
Yeah…
I didn't think the Slytherins—at least some of them—would care about that...
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fleur clutch Gabrielle's arm for a moment before letting go, both sisters clearly shaken but trying to hide it. I shot them another reassuring smile. "You both will crush this. The other students should be terrified of your amazing power—wands or no wands!"
"Thank you, Harry…" Fluer said with a small blush.
"You truly are magnifique, mon amor!" Gabrielle added with her own lovely smile.
"Good luck, everyone!" Mum chimed in suddenly, her cheerful voice cutting through the tense silence. She blew me and Sona an exaggerated kiss. Then, without a moment's hesitation, she snapped her fingers. The floor beneath us lit up with brilliant blue runes as six massive teleportation circles flared to life, humming with power. My stomach lurched in anticipation as the magic rose up around me, swallowing us all in a blinding flash of light...
I opened my mouth to take a breath, but instead of air I felt cold water rushing down my throat. For a terrifying second I thought I was going to drown as the icy liquid filled my lungs. Panic clawed at me and my chest tightened. Then, all at once, the fear melted away as I realized I was fine. My lungs did not burn. The water moved in and out of me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Of course—I was a Sitri. A devil of water. Why wouldn't I be able to breathe underwater?
I forced my eyes open and found myself completely submerged, the world around me glowing with strange, muted light. Long strands of green aquatic plants swayed lazily with the current, brushing against my arms and legs. Tiny silver fish darted between them, scattering in all directions when I moved. The lake bottom stretched out beneath me, soft silt puffing upward in clouds whenever I brushed against it.
For a moment I just floated there, taking it all in, realizing I had to be on the bottom of the Hogwarts lake. Apparently that counted as within bounds too, since the teleportation magic had dumped me here.
I breathed again, deliberately this time, letting the cool water fill my lungs and leave just as easily. It was almost soothing. I could actually survive down here as long as I needed. Part of me wondered if I should just stay hidden in this watery world for the next two hours? I doubted any students would find me down here.
"Demonic invader! You will die for entering our home uninvited!" a shrill voice echoed through the water, and I whipped around instinctively.
The sound had come from a cluster of mermaids swimming towards me. Mermaids were kind of uglier than I was expecting. Bummer... But also...
At least a dozen mermaids were closing in fast. Their sharp eyes glowed with fury, and each of them clutched long, jagged tridents.
And I felt they weren't alone either?
I pivoted quickly, scanning the shadows to my left, and froze when a massive shape stirred in the murk. The water rippled violently as something far larger began to get closer.
Was that a fucking kraken?
...Yeah, it was a fucking kraken, and its massive tentacles were shooting right at me through the water, moving faster than I thought something that size could. It definitely did not like me. Was this what it felt like to have Aquaman's powers, except all the sea creatures were out for blood instead of listening to you?
Because honestly, this kinda sucked.
The first thick tentacle lashed toward my chest, churning the water so hard I almost lost my balance. I twisted my body and shot my left hand up, calling on my magic with a surge of panic and anger. The water around my palm shimmered blue as a magic circle flared to life, and I poured my will into it, shaping the spell by instinct and imagination.
"Not today, you overgrown calamari!" I shouted, my voice bubbling out in a rush of air.
A jet of razor-sharp hydro magic blasted out from the glowing circle, slicing clean through the tentacle that was about to wrap around my waist. The kraken's scream vibrated through the water, low and guttural, the sound echoing in my bones.
Dark blood billowed out in a cloud, staining the water around us.
All hell broke loose. The merfolk who had been circling nearby exploded into motion, their eyes wide with fury at the sight of the kraken's blood. One of them hurled a trident, the weapon whistling past my head as I ducked and spun. Another one screamed, "You have angered the guardian!"
"How dare you filthy demon creature!"
"You will not leave this water alive!"
Great, now I really pissed off the locals...
I wondered how the others were doing?
XXX