Chapter 215 "The Serpents Body"

Seizing the momentum of the collective enthusiasm, Skyler unfolded his plan for Serpentis Vigil Club.

Serpentis Vigil Club was to be divided into five groups, each operating independently yet offering mutual support and capitalizing on individual strengths.

The first group, dubbed the "Serpent's Head," was the combat unit. Skyler appointed Daphne as its leader. Comprising students in the fourth grade and above, this group was tasked with organizing frontal battles.

Their focus rested on acquiring practical combat skills and offensive curses during regular training. Despite being a fourth-year student, Daphne had mastered all of Skyler's distinctive spell-casting techniques, including two-handed spellcasting and curved shooting.

Through Skyler's deliberate training, she had gained practical experience surpassing that of senior students.

Although her magical power level initially lagged behind sixth- and seventh-grade students due to her age, this concern was addressed after she consumed the magic blood potion.

Daphne's strength and affluent family background made her a compelling team leader.

Daphne assumed the responsibility of conducting hands-on training for her team members on a weekly basis.

Skyler also envisioned Salff transforming into a student through human body transformation to infiltrate the organization, acting as the shadow leader of the group. Salff would complement Daphne's leadership or secretly assist in her actions.

Salff surpassed Daphne in strength and possessed proficiency in the long-lost snake language magic. Her overall combat ability rivaled that of the top Aurors.

Collaborating with Daphne, the members of the combat team were expected to operate seamlessly. While Skyler secretly hoped for the development of mutual feelings and understanding between the two women, those details were left unspoken.

The second group, named the "Serpent's Fangs," focused on surprise attacks. Luna was appointed as the leader of this group. Comprising students skilled in magical zoology and herbalism, they specialized in long-distance combat. Their role involved providing side support to the combat team members, requiring them to conduct daily operations on their mobile phones.

The box space was dedicated to cultivating magical animals and plants suitable for battlefield use, including devil's net, mandrake grass, poisonous tentacles, knot vines, etc.

Luna, a third-year student, assumed leadership for this group, showcasing her expertise in various exotic flowers, plants, and magical animals. After a convincing demonstration of Vinny the Bowtruckle's skills in actual combat, Luna dispelled any doubts others may have had about her abilities, surpassing even Ginny Weasley in the same period.

Unbeknownst to everyone, Luna possessed the blood talent of a "child of nature" and had inherited the legacy of an insect master. All she needed was time to familiarize herself with her new powers.

The third group, referred to as the "Serpent's Tail," focused on logistics. Astoria was entrusted with a crucial role, leading members skilled in healing magic and potion-making. Although this group did not engage in combat directly, their contributions were equally vital to the overall mission.

On regular days, their duty involved refining potions in a secret classroom designated by Professor Snape.

Though highly magical and superior to their Muggle counterparts, potions suffer from a significant drawback—they cannot be mass-produced and demand considerable time for refinement.

For instance, Polyjuice Potion necessitates two months, Veritaserum requires at least one month, and Felix Felicis takes no less than six months to refine. Hence, the logistics team plays a crucial role in ensuring a steady inventory and supply of various potions.

Concerned that Astoria's youthful appearance might undermine her authority, Skyler appointed the Carrow sisters, Joanna Derwent and Melinda Bobin, as deputy leaders to assist in coordinating the team's operations. Despite their youth, the Carrow sisters wielded wands from the same source, allowing their combined spellcasting to rival that of an adult wizard.

Joanna, a descendant of Headmistress Derwent, possesses expertise in numerous family-secret healing magics. In contrast, Melinda hails from a family that owns a chain of thirteen drugstores, excelling in potions and various unconventional potion recipes.

Each brings unique strengths to the team, and with proper assurances of loyalty, they should be reliable in supporting Astoria. Skyler has his methods for securing loyalty, but the details need not be expounded here.

(Note: Veritaserum requires one full moon cycle to refine. In case of unfavorable weather conditions preventing the appearance of the full moon, the process must be restarted.)

The fourth group, known as "Serpent's Soul," is the research group.

Morag leads this group, with Cho as the deputy leader. While lacking dedicated members, academically outstanding elites from the previous three groups serve part-time. This team's responsibilities include researching magical theories, developing advanced magic spell applications, and enhancing magical potion formulas.

Once the members accumulate sufficient experience, they can even pioneer risky new magical spells and potions. Access to the shared library and the freedom to peruse Serpentis Vigil Society's extensive book collection make joining this group enticing.

However, entry into the fourth group demands rigorous academic improvement, and Skyler has established stringent standards for admission.

Morag excels in magic, demonstrating an exceptional affinity for elemental magic. Meanwhile, Cho excels in transfiguration and has begun practicing the family secret art of paper transfiguration. Skyler is reassured by their capabilities.

The fifth group, known as "Serpent's Eyes," is the intelligence group.

Susan leads this team, which operates covertly, analyzing and compiling information gathered by house elves from across Europe. Over time, Skyler's intelligence network has expanded, with establishments like the Miraculous Alchemy Shop in Hogsmeade Village and the Malfoy Armor Shop in Diagon Alley acting as his ears and eyes. These two bustling commercial areas in Great Britain fall within his purview.

Moreover, in Great Britain, Skyler has forged alliances with pure-blood families like Greengrass, Nott, Wakanda, and Runcorn, each boasting its own intelligence networks.

With Minister Fudge's leniency and Amelia Bones' cooperation, Skyler has turned the British Ministry of Magic into a porous sieve, with nearly every crucial department under his watchful eye.

In the business realm, Ali Bashir's extensive connections make him a key player, engaging daily with numerous business elites. Information garnered from these individuals is akin to privileged insights into the Muggle world's stock market.

In sports and entertainment, Horace Slughorn's Slugs Club and Philbert Devrill's Puddlemere United cast their nets wide, striving to gather valuable information for Skyler.

Beyond human wizards, large-scale movements of major alien races and even subtle resource mobilization evade neither Skyler's watchful eyes nor his attentive ears. The werewolf group led by Greyback suffered severe setbacks at Skyler's hands.

With the popularization of humanoid restoration spells, many werewolves, aware of overcoming their own shortcomings, sought to break free from Greyback's control.

Skyler no longer wishes to trail the echoes of his criminal pursuits.

As for goblins, ogres, dwarfs, and trolls, Skyler entrusts their oversight to his alien allies—the six tribes of Yaksha and the vampire royal family. While the likelihood of them unexpectedly causing chaos is minimal, Skyler, ever thorough, remains vigilant.

He recognizes the importance of meticulously arranging all forces and covering every aspect, a crucial aspect of the preparation expected from a qualified contender.

Skyler extends his influence and alliances beyond his homeland.

The Hohenheim family in Germany and Sweden, informed by Eleanor, is actively mobilizing its resources, continuously supplying intelligence to support Skyler's operations.

In France, the "Veela network" centered around the Delacour family has been won over by Skyler's prowess. Like the Hohenheim family, all families with Veela wives in France diligently relay every significant detail from every nook and cranny, ensuring that Skyler's forces are kept informed in a confidential manner.

Simultaneously, Skyler initiated discussions with the Vongola family in Italy. In the upcoming semester, Suthers Vongola, the heir to the Vongola family's next generation, will transfer to Hogwarts in the guise of gaining experience to collaborate with Skyler's endeavors.

Notably, the Medieval Wizards' Federation, gaining prominence in recent years, strategically placed media outlets worldwide as their keenest observers.

Capitalizing on Skyler's increasing standing in the international arena, the Medieval Wizards' Federation seized the opportunity to rapidly expand its influence across more countries, regions, and corners of Europe.

These families and organizations spanning Europe, along with individuals and informants across various industries and corners of Great Britain, are all coordinated by the "House Elf Errand Team," led by Dobby, ensuring a continuous flow of information and connecting the dots.

In the coming semester, the seventh-grade students, under the leadership of Guile Peasgood and the other seniors who are set to graduate. They will soon become Skyler's new intelligence network, infiltrating various political and business organizations in Great Britain.

The responsibility of the intelligence team is evidently weighty, with the task of processing millions of pieces of information daily, decrypting, analyzing, organizing, and finally distilling them into genuinely useful content presented to Skyler.

Under Skyler's distinguished reputation and charismatic leadership, the group plan smoothly unfolded without encountering any resistance.

Comparatively, the Serpentis Vigil Club surpasses Dumbledore's Army from the original Harry Potter series by an immeasurable margin.

Harry's organization lacked strict discipline, harbored indecisive betrayers like Marietta Edgecombe, and faced internal challenges from skeptics like Zacharias Smith. Moreover, the group lacked a clear purpose as a cohesive force and lacked a structured hierarchy. Members merely congregated to practice various magic spells.