life changing events part 1

As the days slowly trickle, the staff of the castle discover yet again another aspect of the missing students, numbers. Other than the Slytherin, all the three other House hadn't enough students to make the class worthwhile.

When the Board was warned, it immediately sees opportunities. The Houses timetable was remade, Slytherin would now have clas on their own, while the three other Houses would be put together.

While it took care of the problem, favouritism became evident. The snake potion class see a sudden rise of proficiency, while the other one seems to stay at it was. The funny fact was they seem to start to fall behind in different class, with only very few individual show accurate results.

Being an outsider and having assisted at different class, Alex was undoubtedly one of the few to realise that the level seems to drop even further. Without muggle-born to drag the course to the top, the pureblood appears to lack of determination to prove that they were superior.

Those simple class mirror the society mindset, without motivation, they stagnate.

With his free timetable, made even more straightforward, Alex choose the best class each time, that to say only joining the snakes in potions.

Another class for which he was thankful for his status of guest, was his ability to dodge DADA. After seeing the disparities of the character of some, Alex did give the man the benefit of the doubt, but the first class had been enough to cure him.

Lockart was the same as the books, a braggart and scaredy-cat, whose first words were a complain that he wasn't able to choose the course books, as the year was already started. Knowing him, Alex had hypothesised that he only took place to booster his sales.

Along with DADA, he also stopped attending Astronomy, with its obsolete telescope.

~~~

Like this, the rest of the year painfully trickle toward its end. All year long, Alex had to keep an eye on both words new.

For the magical side, it turned precisely like he trough. With its new control of the banking system, the Ministry had slowly re-instate a system close to monarchy. While the prices had risen to an impossible height, the British community was barely making it, safe for large families like the Weasley. Even with the loss of Ron, Fred and George, it had been impossible to ties end the month, if thing stays as they were.

It had need, Molly Weasley, three months, and nearly losing her daughter to understand that the time as she was a houseworker had ended. Now, the woman works at the Leaky cauldron, making a meal for all clients, while her ten-year-old daughter was doing the service.

The harsh reality, the incarceration of Dumbledore, and the stories about Harry Potter had shattered the little girl dream of a happy forever live with her white knight; her mother had fed her since the cradle.

With Percy school fees and the incoming one of Ginny, Arthur hadn't other choice but contracted a loan of 30,000G (1,500,000 P) at 10% interest per year. Thankfully, due to the weird Ministerial loan policies, only the remaining sums each year would be taken into consideration.

With the family income of now 20G(10G for Arthur, 6G for Molly and 4G for Ginny, per week.), at a rate of 15G per week, the family would need to pay for the next 22 years, at the condition they didn't earn less.

Needlessly to say, if Ginny were ever to wed and have children, she would have debt a significant part of her life, if she had them before repaying her situation and putting some money on the side, or found a rich husband.

On the muggle side, local news was starting to report the visibly decreasing amount of the metallic waste in junkyards, principally cars or homes appliance. As the action spread around the entire island, the thief was attributed to an ecology gang, wanting to give a second life to the discarded broken items.

As it all happens in illegal dumps, the authorities had announced that so long, none were throws back in the wild, they would look the other side. So while the government was now monitoring Alex action, no action against him would be taken as long as he didn't pollute the environment.

~~~

As the month pass, Fudge strat to understand that rather than a boon, taking over the banking system had been a honey trap. There wouldn't be a single day without wizards complaining and claims a thief from the Ministry.

Without the goblin protection, and the rising fees the ministry wanted to apply on each vault pushed all the old Houses to retrieve they're found to store them themselves.

Those actions had led some of the smaller House to be robbed blinds, and once again, without goblins wards to add insecurities, those heists had been effortless.

As those House had taken out their gold from the Ministry bank, they couldn't complain, or press charge, as they were responsible for their security once in their walls.

As always, it was when one had lost something, that he understands how much precious it was, even goblins for wizards.

~~~

Running the bank for the Ministry soon turn to be a nightmare. Not only did it need staff to run it, but restarting the security on the vaults had been time and money consuming. Due to the ban of a goblin on British ground, Gringotts needed to send human curse-breaker towards the Vaults and will competent; they didn't have the goblin brand of magic available to them.

With Alex taking out 38% of the liquid asset, alongside the old families taking their gold back, a shortage of Galleons soon appears, in response, Fudge hadn't other choice but raised the taxes. As his 'friends' would be displeased to pay them, only the lesser families had been hits by the astronomical weight of them.

The taxes of May would soon be famous through the Magical world, at the breaking point for the lower class of Britain.

Two months before the end of the school year, another exodus of wizards exiting England in mass happen, taking with it another 20% of the remaining students of Hogwarts, and the majority of the workers of Diagon Alley shops.

In wanting to 'protect' his wealthy friends, Fudge it them harder than those taxes would have cost them. Losing the grunt workforce had been a harsh blow to the already shaking business, and since Fudge adds to keep the taxes hidden for all until the last moment, no one had the time to tell him what monstrous clustefuck it would bring.

Fudge, during the year, had shot himself so much time in the feet that it would have been nothing but a mangled mass of flesh at the time. The only string still securing his fall was the contract between the Potter and Bones.

In a rare moment of cleverness, he had sold the deal assigned with his name as a minister, making thing the old pureblood that, should he was thrown out of office before it happens, the deal would come dud.

~~~

Of the entire community, very few had been spared, and after the fall of the Prophet, the Quibbler had become the only newspaper available. Strong of his supplier outside Britain, Xenophilius Lovegood had no problem with continuing his paper.

At the time, Fudge had nearly begged the man to take the place of the Prophet, becoming a periodical, and sell shares of the business. Still, the man had refused immediately, not wanting to betray his precious subscriber who had followed him since its start.

While he had kept his bi-monthly edition, he had seen the numbers of subscriber raise, as he was the only source of news, other than the WWN.

Another one had been Alex. Without him knowing, Spring had raised the price of their supply by one, allowing them to earn twice as much while remaining two times cheaper than everyone else. This was one of the sole reason that the community was still standing, not knowing that Alex would shortly cut off the supply.

For Fudge and the Ministry, the return of the Boy-Wh-Lived had been disastrous. At the start of 1991, the population of the British Wizarding community accounted for 42,653 strong wizards of all cast and class. On January 1st, 1992, this number had dimmed to 29,869, a large part of it due to the fleeing muggle-born and half-blood students, the remaining made of the few muggle-born who had stay after finishing Hogwarts. As for after the departure of May 1992? The entire population of magical human had fallen to 12,235.

Nearly all remaining are of pureblood families, making Wizard Britain as the land with the highest concentration of pureblood, but one of the smaller community. It was clear for the rest of the world that the birth ground of the fabled Merlin was nearing its death, without a miracle.

~~~

During the year, Alex had to keep an eye on Susan, even going as far as passing some time with her. She, like the rest of the female Heirness, had been the target of lust. While it wasn't out of the normal for this to happen, it shouldn't have taken place before three to four other years later. This situation was because all other ladies-too-be were taken out of Hogwarts, and for some already married. With a shorter supply of big fishes in the water, the predator hadn't other choice but fell back on the smaller one.

As the Heiress of the Bones House, without direct contender for the title, Susan had become a first-rate target, turning into the juiciest target.

While Alex would never go out of his way for someone, not of the clan, the girl, for the time being, was meant to be a part of it. As such, he would never allow one to put its hand on her.

~~~

As the snow slowly starts to melt under the April' sun, the gloomy atmosphere that overtakes the castle hadn't vanished.

If things had been normal at first, incidents weren't late to appears. Due the sudden, even stronger favouritism, shown to the Slytherin, and the lack of six and seven years females, the young purebloods had started to roam around the raven and badger.

Under the pretext of study groups, they slowly invade the library, mixing discretely with an existing group of easy prey. From innocent flirt, to promise of riches and comfortable position, the Slytherin had taken their time to pressure the poor girls.

When January had leave place to February, along with the ever-rising stress due to the incoming exams, the weakest had succumbed, only to be thrown away after being robbed of their purities. The situation had continued for an entire month, and Alex had a look in disgust as the professor had turned blind eyes at the suffering of their students, unwilling to face off against the fathers of those committing those crimes in fear of losing their places.

While he could have acted, Alex didn't. Not only he wasn't related to any of them, and those girls were old enough to know how to defend themselves. With the state of the population, the students were all made of pureblood, with a smattering f half-blood. What they either ignore or didn't care was the pureblood laws were clear, a soiled girl couldn't and wouldn't be taken as a bride.

Before, it wouldn't have mattered, as they would have targeted muggle-born, but now? With a dwindling population, this generation was killing all it chance of future for a few minutes of fun.

It was only when they moved for fourth years and below that he acted. Not holding his blow, he made copious use of memories charms, taking each time, more than necessary as a warning. They didn't listen, and one Seven years old made a move and Susan, he didn't hold back anymore.

~~~

Flashback

~~~

Shortly after the bell rings the end of the class, Alex frown as Susan didn't appear.

'She late.'

-She never late.- Confirmed Cs, he too shared the bad feeling resented by Alex.

Not willing to take risk after the rumours spreading around for the last weeks, he looked at his wristwatch. Not finding Susan on her habitual path toward the Library, he immediately rises and bolts through the room, toward the corridor, not bothering with the grumpy Librarian yelling after him.

Looking back at the class, she should have exited, Alex wrath flare, unconsciously leaking bloodlust. All those around, seeing the boy gaze, and feeling the rapidly decreasing temperature, immediately open a path, not wanting to submit the aftereffect.

Raising, again and again, his speed, to the point of breaking human limit, he tore through the wooden door like it was wet paper. The thundering sound of the exploding door alerted everyone in the vicinity.

Barely realising what room it was, Alex ponce on the closed professor quarter, snarling a bombarding curse. Boosted by his momentum and the intensity of magic poured in the spell, the door burst into shrapnel, peppering all inside the room.

The raising yelp of surprise at the intrusion immediately turns into cries of anguish and pain.

Looking in the room, he could see Susan tied on the bed by her wrist and ankles. Her shirt was open, with traces of torn off button, her skirt shredded, and her robes cleanly cut by either blade or spell.

The poor girl was sobbing, left conscious all the while, her modesty only covered by a half removed plain bra and still untouched panty.

Tearing apart the disgusting, if ingenious, use of the incarcserous spell as if it was nothing, he covers the shivering girl with the bedsheet. Before she could cling to him after the traumatic event, the two rapists were about to subject her; he turns to the two downed bodies.

Looking past the layer of blood rapidly covering them due to the numerous cuts, he gnashes, before taking a hold on both collars, pulling while half-turning on himself. Raised by the sudden pull, before rotating under the centrifugal, Alex let go of both bodies.

Crossing the room through the air, under the unseemingly throw, none had the time to shriek, before passing through the window.

~~~

Running to the origin of the repeated smashing sounds, the four Head of House press hurry when cries immediately resound.

Due to the distance they had to cross before intruding in the classroom then the professor quarter, they could only look powerlessly at the shadow of two bodies pass through a shattered window, falling for the third floor of the castle.

Aghast at the more than likely murder of at least two students under their gaze, all turn to the other side of the room to look at the culprit, but only this a blur of red before it follows the fallen bodies.

"Morgana! Was it Potter!" Clamoured McGonagall, putting a hand on her chest, trying to calm her drumming heart.

Before any of them could respond, a soft squeaking of the bed attract their attention. When she sees her charge in such state, Pomona Sprout immediately forgets about what she witnessed, and approach the poor girl.

"Sweet Circe, what happen to you, dear?!"

Still, under choc, Susan was unable and unwilling to respond, trying to shrink and hide as much as she could. Seeing the state of the student, it was Flitwick who snapped back first.

"I think the poor girl needs to be taken to the infirmary immediately, Pomona. Severus and I shall stay back and try to understand what happened."

While he raises only a brown, the dour man acknowledges that a masculine presence after an attempt of rape wasn't the best course to soothe and calm the victim.

Understanding the half-goblin word, the two women immediately ushered the girl out.

Before them even start to look around, they were once again alerted by cries of pain, fright and barely intelligible begging.

Running to the window, both look with horror and morbid fascination at the widest feline creature they ever see shredding alive what was a student a few seconds before. The large blood splotch, organs and intestine were drawing an abstract picture on the white gravel of the pathway surrounding the castle.

Their gaze attracted by a lilac spot, both men look at who turned to be Lockart, shivering and squealing like a schoolgirl, cornered by the beast at the angle of two building. Contrary to their expectation, the man wasn't shredded to bits but slowly dragged by his ankle toward the forbidden forest, leaving a trail in the lawn through his desperate attempts of anchoring himself in the ground, unsuccessfully.

Both could only look with bewilderment at sight.

"Perhaps a headcount should be wise."

"Indeed, Fillius, indeed."

~~~

Just after throwing the two would-be rapists out of the window, I immediately ponce after them. While I was freefalling in the air, I couldn't help but notice how my mind was clear, even if I was feeling and fueled by this unsustainable rage.

It was the first time I felt so much anger, and it was pure luck that I remain in possession of all my mental capacity. Blind rage can be limit breaking, but staying in control feel some much more natural.

I could feel the blood pump into my veins, my muscles tensing, reacting to every current of the air whipping my face as I fall.

'I never felt more alive.'

-And so much angry. All these negative emotions should have blinded you; you know that.-

'What are you trying to say CS.' I could feel him nagging me at something, wanting to make me realise it.

-Realy? Do I need to spell it to you?-

I couldn't help but snort at his snarky tone; I know why I feel like this.

'She is mine; no one had the right to touch her.'

-Right in one. You may not love here, but until told otherwise, she is your, and we both know you would never let anyone touch what yours it in your nature.-

I could only nod to that, Cs was right, Susan was for all intent and purpose, if not a part of the clan, a part of my pack. Until we void the contract, she will remain mine, and I would rather die than leave anyone harms one of mine.

Morphing as I pass the top of the first-floor window, I fall without a sound and damage on the ground. Looking just between my foreleg, I could finally identify him, Marcus Flint, Slytherin Quidditch captain, and only remaining male of the Flint House, one of the sacred twenty-eight.

Looking at the moaning boy holding his thrice snapped legs from the fall, I could only feel disdain at the worm. It wasn't the first time I hear of him forcing himself on barely consenting partners, but this time, the piece of shit had gone too far.

Clamping my mow around his thorax, I shook my head a fast and wide as I could. I barely listen to the threats who rapidly turn into sobs and begs, but didn't stop. Crushed, cut and shaken thoroughly, his body didn't last long before starting to sherd.

Spatting the remaining blood and mixed bits of fleshes, bones and organs still in my mouth, I turned toward the second culprit, Lockart.

I would have never thought the man rapist, but when one knows that he excels in memory charms, ii should have expected it.

Not wanting to bother with the man and rapidly check on Susan, I just dragged him to the forest.

Remembering the path on where I led the twin, I directly intrude in the nest of Acromentulas.

~~~

Seeing the unknown beast enter his den, going to the point of stopping right in front of his nest, Aragog was curious and careful. He instinct was screaming at him not to engage and contrary the beast. Even with the help of the swarm, they would face crushing lose.

Heading to the path of cautiousness, he fully reveals itself, not wanting to be seen as a potential threat.

"You are in my ground. What had to lead you in the heart of our nest." Say him while giving the signal to his children to stay in height.

"A gift."

Needlessly to say, Aragog was shocked to found another sentient creature endowed with speech.

"It's a stain to my sight and presents no interest for me. If you keep your children in the forest, I will leave it for them to feed on."

Aragog hadn't to think of it; he had already promised Hagrid to keep them inside the wood as long as he lives. Just for keeping his words, his youngling would have a free meal.

"We shall stay in the wood." Say Arargog, while slowly retreating in the nest, dragging Lockart inside with him.

~~~

Returning to the castle, the spiders kept to their word and didn't try to attack.

-Were going, aren't we?-

'Of course.' Taking human appearance back, he called for Autumn. "Once you took me to the border of the Flint land, keep an eye and Susan, let no one give here potions or spell her."

The House-elf immediately nod, popping him there, before returning, keeping an eye on Susan.

Looking at the Manor afar, Alex let out a savage growl before making his way. Wich each step his pace quicken, until breaking in a full run, and slowly deviate. Starting by running around the Manor while slowly approaching, he didn't need long for him to fell the prickle of magic on his skin, signs of the near wards. Taking out a glass orb full of suspended mithril, littered with mithril runes, he drops one to each point of magic concentration, place of the ward stones.

As the last orb falls in place, stands of mithril exit the spheres at subsonic speed, rapidly forming a net seemingly on the air itself. The bubble formed was the delimitation of wards, and a similar process, if barely slower was happening underground.

The instant the underground strand pass under the limits of the wardstones ward, the ensnares them. Following the treads, the orbs slowly bury themselves, before surrounding the wardstones. Isolated in the bubbles, Alex rapidly made his way to the Manor, knowing that his incursion was timed.

Those orbs were Alex curse-breaking tool. Rather than ploughing through countless of wards, alerting the occupant at the same time; the mithril treads would spread, taking the shape of the existing wards bubbles, before isolating the wardstones. In doing so, he momently became the owner of the wards, while letting control to the master.

Regretfully, he wasn't still to the point of totally taking over then, and could only take over. The duration of the isolation depends on the strength of the wards, but when he tested them on one of the islands, the orbs hold for half-a-minutes before burning through.

This was another shortcoming of his actual dispositif. Once used, the orbs would vanish, needing him to create more. While he could gather back the mithril used, a single globe needs two days of constant craving inside the printer, and five others to charge a full week.

Right now, he needs eleven of them, burning through a third of his stock.

Even then, it was well worth, due to the landfall he would make after eradicating the Flint House.

~~~

Entering through the door, Alex's tail immediately wraps around the house-elf neck, breaking it. Looking at the pitiful creature, all compassion die the instant he sees the butcher knife in its hand.

-Nasty little bugger, they raise.-

'Hmm.' Grunted Alex, while slowly making his way inside.

Looking at his wristwatch, he rapidly locates the only person inside the house. Not wanting to deal with the mother, he soundlessly creeps behind her, before slamming a SED on her temple.

Hearing the muffled *thud* of her body falling on the carpet, he splashes the open wound with a drop of his concentrate venom. The corpse immediately shrivels up, before turning into elemental dust, the trapped soul and a nugget of mithril.

Before starting with the room, he immediately calls for the five other elves.

"Spring, Thunder, Ash, Winter, Summer! I will be brief, were short on time. I want you to raid this Manor, I have already taken care of it owner. Start with the portraits, made sure to freeze them, before cutting the canvas of the frame, go!"

While the elves vanish to accomplish his order, he climbed to the roof, and start to deconstruct the entire Manor, stocking every piece of it in his pocket space.