Chapter - 68 : The Dance of Blades part - 3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome to the world of our fanfic! Your support is the heartbeat of this story, allowing us to craft new adventures and explore deeper character arcs. With over 55 chapters ahead, becoming a patron gives you exclusive access to bonus content and the chance to influence the narrative's direction.

Join us on this thrilling ride—together, we can make every chapter unforgettable!

http//patreon.com/Kun_kanshi

(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bill watched his students heading off to class but wanted a quick word with his youngest brother first. "Well Ronnie, still think he's nothing special?"

Ron had his eyes well and truly opened, they had almost popped out watching that fight. "The Patil girl could hardly lift that axe, it would have cut him in half if it had connected. That goblin wasn't holding anything back either."

"That's right Ronnie, yet he beat the goblin warrior that attacked him. What chance do you think you would have had in a fight like that? Perhaps now you'll stop being such a little prick and leave well enough alone."

At that, Percy appeared at his elbow. "I've got this time set aside for Ron to do his homework, I'll take it from here Bill."

The curse-breaker left Percy in charge while he went to deal with his own students. Like everyone else, he'd been impressed with the fight. His brother Charlie had the quickest reflexes of anyone Bill had ever seen - until today. The look of concentration on the lad's face as he fought was also something to behold. Any one letting Harry close enough to use a blade was going to lose - even Voldemort.

-oOoOo-

Dumbledore was also astonished at Harry's reactions and speed of thought. Likewise, he thought Filius was strikingly accurate in equating the goblin fencing tutor to his old friend Alastor, their teaching methods were remarkably similar. Like the rest of Hogwarts, he also didn't miss the 'going soft' reference. After that display, Harry's enemies would not be meeting him head-on for the foreseeable future. Albus expected a few months of quiet now while the plotters evaluated the situation before making their next move.

This situation presented Albus with something of a dilemma, he wanted to wrestle control of the boy away from the goblins but he also knew Voldemort had to be defeated. He needed a way to accomplish his first aim without in any way endangering Harry's chances of successfully completing the second. He was tempted to leave things as they were but knew he couldn't. Master Sharpshard had berated his student for showing a modicum of forgiveness and there lay Albus' problem.

A victorious Harry would have the wizarding community worshiping at his feet and rushing to fulfil his every wish. Without forgiveness in the boy's heart, their society could be changed beyond all recognition. He needed information on exactly what the goblins were up to, and had just watched his unknowing source walk away to teach young Harry and his three friends.

William Weasley would need to understand the harm that could be done here, and pressured into recognising where his loyalties really lay. With a delicate situation like this, it was all about using the right lever - and there was no bigger lever to use against someone than his or her own family.

He was sure it wouldn't take long for a conversation with William's mother to gravitate to Molly telling Albus how pleased she was to have her eldest son back home. That would be his opening to express his regret that William refused to cooperate with him, and that how his time working for the goblins had really changed the former Hogwarts head boy.

Molly hated the very thought of any of her children changing, especially if that influence of change wasn't exactly human. She would be on her son's case the entire time he was at the Burrow, and Albus would intensify his efforts while William's duties brought him to Hogwarts. This twin attack should soon expose a crack in his armour, that was all Albus needed to exploit the situation.

One bit of information would soon lead to another and then he would have the young man. He would become his spy inside Gringotts, providing information that would help Albus plot the course of magical Britain's future - for the greater good of course.

-oOoOo-

Lucius was trying to plot his future and having very limited success, he was not looking forward to his master's eventual return. The head of the Malfoy family understood that his usefulness as a death eater lay in his fortune and influence. With neither, he would be severely limited in how he could assist his master's plans. Lucius had witnessed first hand what happened to death eaters in that position, and it was anything but pretty.

Lucius was contemplating his next move as he sat staring at a little black diary. With the goblins blocking Narcissa from accessing the Lestrange or Black vaults, this diary was the only card he had left to play. As with any triumph card, it was all about how and when it was played.

His craving for revenge on Crow was tempered by the fact that the 'Hogwarts Champion' would be helpless against this. Like a fine wine, Lucius' revenge just got better the longer he left it to age. If this was played right, it had the power to see Crow's dead body carried from Hogwarts - with Dumbledore sacked and Fudge forced out of office as the public demanded scapegoats.

Lucius was a patient man and his need for revenge now wouldn't settle for anything less than a triple take down. He could afford to be patient. Patience was about all he could now afford, and it wasn't like he had anything else to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome to the world of our fanfic! Your support is the heartbeat of this story, allowing us to craft new adventures and explore deeper character arcs. With over 55 chapters ahead, becoming a patron gives you exclusive access to bonus content and the chance to influence the narrative's direction.

Join us on this thrilling ride—together, we can make every chapter unforgettable!

http//patreon.com/Kun_kanshi

(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~