217) The Return of Greengrass

Tired. That was how I felt, wandering in the Forbidden Forest alongside Andra, Eileen, and Tonks, in lands covered with webs. I knew we were being watched, but that was precisely what I was looking for. There were so many new things, so much to do, so much to keep in mind.

Several eyes emerged in the darkness of the forest, accompanied by the stealthy sound of legs moving among the grass and trees. There they were: the Acromantulas, ready to attack us. Elise would have loved to be here, but I couldn't bring her; I needed these spiders alive, and she wasn't exactly the best at holding back.

When I saw the spiders starting to leap toward us, the four of us raised a barrier, as if we had rehearsed it beforehand, blocking their advance.

"Remember, alive," I shouted, and as if it were a war signal, the women with me began casting spells all around.

"Incarcerous."

"Descendo."

"Stupefy."

Each one attacked this plague of creatures, which were quite resistant to common magic. But that didn't matter; what I needed was for them to be held off long enough. I, with masses of blood flowing from me, quickly trapped each spider that looked even slightly incapacitated, and with [Sleep] put them to rest before storing them in a suitcase with an expansion charm.

No matter how many we captured or how many ended up accidentally dead, there were still plenty. This was already the third group we faced, and it was the largest one; they seemed endless. The first few times, we made several mistakes: lack of coordination, lack of control.

Tonks was surprised when I told her what I planned to do. Although she no longer wanted to be an Auror, things like this still caught her attention. But she regretted it a bit upon seeing the number of spiders, not out of fear but because of the disgust they caused her. Luckily, for this third round, she already seemed more accustomed and even appeared to be enjoying it.

We must have captured a little over a hundred of these creatures. And if we consider that Tenebrius, along with his group of werewolves, is in another section doing the same, I don't think we'll have any trouble reaching 200.

But it's late now; it's time to return and see if I can get rid of Tonks without too much trouble. The idea of explaining to her that Gemma Farley is pregnant with my child and that two girls who shouldn't exist in this timeline now reside in the [Fief] is not exactly appealing. Telling her isn't the problem… her reaction is. I have to find a way to make it up to her.

...

It took some effort, but we finally managed to sort the cursed spiders. The worst part is when they wake up too soon and attack you by surprise; we lost a few specimens that way.

Anyway, we managed to categorize and separate them by sex and age. The oldest and the males were sent as "ghost fuel." Yes, that's right. The rituals Helena needs require sacrifices, and almost 100 spiders isn't a bad start. Although, in the future, she may need more. I think I'll post a notice in "The Dragons of Albion" to see if anyone will take on the job of procuring me pests like this. Although it might not be necessary; that mission board has opened up a lot of possibilities for me.

As for the young females, they're all kept and classified, seeking the best specimens until an acceptable group is gathered. Then, they are magically restrained until we finish with other preparations.

A house, much like the one where Lily and Petunia now reside, is the place designated for them, or rather, the basement. There, we're building a small laboratory, different from the previous ones, as its purpose is another, and I've understood it's better to be organized. Well, it's not exactly me doing all the remodeling work, but rather the girls here, while I'm focused on another part of this grand project: human transfiguration.

The less suitable spiders, the ones in poorer condition, are my test material. I know that magical creatures possess magical resistance and transfiguring them is quite complicated, but I'm not just any wizard. With blood magic to empower me, a merchant with all sorts of objects, an archmage who also has exceptional artifacts, and a land where I am practically a god... I have everything to give it a try.

...

Several days passed at Hogwarts during which Daphne and her sister were absent, which worried many people. They were the second and third Slytherin students to disappear almost without explanation. Not even the Chamber of Secrets was an issue, and everyone was already on edge.

But that fear vanished when we were informed that both had family matters and would be returning today. I was curious to see what would happen when they came back, wondering if Daphne would still show me that murderous attitude. That girl can be frightening when she sets her mind to it.

In fact, I stayed waiting for them in the Slytherin common room, eager to see how things would unfold. I wouldn't like to lose Daphne in that way; she's a really good girl, calm, serene, and mature. Someone you can trust if you manage to earn her friendship.

And there they were, entering the common room along with the other Slytherin girls, who didn't seem to stop asking them questions and talking to them. I decided to stay in the shadows for a moment, waiting for things to settle down while observing the sisters. They looked... well, really well.

Daphne didn't look much different, but Astoria… The girl had always been pale and appeared frail; it's not that she was apathetic, but it seemed like she lacked the energy to do anything she set her mind to. However, she was different now. Though still pale, I'm sure that if she could, she'd be jumping for joy along the walls. She looked tired, even exhausted, panting after simple actions, yet smiling and running around with the girls, despite the effort. She was happy.

I waited a bit longer until the group around her dispersed and the questions became less intense. Then, I subtly revealed my presence. Even so, my appearance brought a silence to the room, and everyone present exchanged glances between Daphne and me. They knew what had happened before she left and possibly suspected I was the reason for her absence. Everyone was tense, expectant.

Daphne seemed to take a deep breath, as if preparing for something important. With a solemn expression, she started walking toward me. The atmosphere became even more tense; even Pansy made a move to step forward to stop her, but I gestured for her not to interfere. Young Greengrass stood before me, while Astoria, smaller, watched me from behind an armchair with childlike curiosity, unafraid, perhaps even a little excited.

"Red," Daphne said, catching my attention. She looked at me with unusual determination.

"Daphne," I replied, waiting to see what she would do.

Then, swiftly and skillfully, Daphne drew her wand. But before I could react defensively, she placed it over her chest and knelt before me, her expression solemn. She looked down for a moment and then lifted her eyes to meet mine.

"I, Daphne Greengrass, member of the noble House of Greengrass, pledge my loyalty to you, my lord, for the honor of my family and the sacred bonds that bind us. I will defend your interests with my life and magic, and remain faithful until my last breath," she declared in the most serious and imposing tone possible.

The room fell silent. Everyone watched the girl kneeling, unfazed by the stares of others or by my expression of surprise and confusion.

"You're going to have to be a bit more specific about what you're saying," I responded, reaching out to help her up, but she resisted, determined to stay kneeling before me.

"It's exactly what I've said. From now on, I, Daphne Greengrass, promise to be loyal to you and serve you until the end of my days," she said, her gaze unwavering. "Please, my lord, accept me. Let me repay the debt I owe you. I will be your wand and your cloak. I will be your general in battle, your advisor in your house, and your most loyal servant in this life."

"You don't have any debt—" (Red)

"You resolved the issue that has plagued my family for generations, saving my sister. In the past, I promised myself I would give everything to free Astoria from the curse that afflicted her, and you did it. It is my duty to repay you. The only thing that truly belongs to me and holds any value is my life." (Daphne)

The other girls quickly moved closer, especially Pansy, who was making a considerable effort to lift Daphne off the ground. Daphne resisted, though the combined strength of three girls was gradually managing to pull her away from me. However, I still saw the resignation and longing in her eyes.

"Very well, I accept your loyalty," I said, looking at her. Hearing my words, Daphne relaxed and stopped resisting, allowing her friends to pull her away, almost causing them all to fall backward.

"Thank you, my lord. I will be your faithful servant from now on," she responded as the girls led her to their dormitory to talk in private.

I could only watch as the scene unfolded, trying to understand what was going through her mind. I glanced around and noticed Astoria, who continued to watch me with wide, starry eyes. She seemed to look at me with a mix of wonder, fear, and curiosity. She looked almost like a little fan... though the only downside was that Ginny had just entered the common room and shot me a sharp look when she noticed how Astoria was watching me.

With my body language, I tried to communicate to Ginny that I had nothing to do with it and quickly left before my sister could say anything about it.

...

In the Slytherin girls' dormitory, Daphne was surrounded. Pansy, leading the interrogation, crossed her arms with a disapproving expression. She was clearly angry, as if someone had broken into her house to steal her treasures.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Daphne," Pansy said.

"A vow, seriously? And in front of everyone," Tracey added, distressed. Although her reasons were different, she was more concerned about her friend's image and what she'd just done.

"It was necessary."(Daphne)

"Why?" asked Pansy, shaking her slightly, though not violently.

"Because he saved my sister," Daphne replied, serious.

Then, Daphne explained about the curse that weighed on her lineage, the deaths it had caused, and the slim hopes they'd had that Astoria would live beyond twenty. Her words nearly brought the girls to tears as they hugged her.

"That's why I made this decision. I truly promised myself I'd give everything I had to save my sister; I'd even have traded places with her if I could. But that's no longer necessary. My family has checked in every possible way: there's no trace of that curse in her. She's still not as healthy as a girl her age and will have some issues in the future, but with proper treatment, she'll recover," she said with a happy smile.

"Wow, Red is amazing. He'll be famous once word gets out that he can break blood curses," Tracey commented, excited by the gossip.

"But... for something like that, a family debt would have been more appropriate. Why pledge yourself to serve him?" Millicent asked.

"Because it's better to establish my relationship with him now," Daphne replied, and they all looked at her, confused. "Before, I was taking advantage of him; he had great potential, and being his friend benefited me. But now… I know he'll go very far, probably even farther than the Dark Lord."

Her words froze her friends.

"Before, I just wanted to be his friend and benefit from the situation, but these past days, I've seen the extent of his power. A curse like ours, one that's centuries old, shouldn't be breakable, yet he did it. If I want a good position in the future, to advance as much as he does, my best option is to get on his ship before he sails too far. If the Dark Lord hadn't fallen, the power structure in the magical world would be different, with his followers at the top. I'm doing the same, aligning myself with someone who can take me far. I think I understand what kind of person he is; I know he wants me by his side, and that's why I did what I did. I'm just reaffirming my position. It's just a small sacrifice." (Daphne)

"Hmmm..." Pansy grumbled, uncomfortable hearing her friend say she wanted to be close to her "boyfriend." But then Daphne shot her a disdainful look, and Pansy almost completely understood the message she was conveying. With a gesture, Daphne indicated, "You have no right to complain; I know what's going on between you," making Pansy look away, flustered.

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