Chapter 69: Stockholm syndrome spreading through Slytherin?

"Well, Hermione, I think you don't understand!"

"There is no such thing as good or bad magic!"

"Good people can use a 'disarming spell' to do evil, just as dark wizards sometimes use 'Avada Kedavra'."

"Sometimes they even use the Killing Curse to eliminate each other, reducing the number of dark wizards!"

"We should think differently!" Kael began reassuring Hermione.

"But the book says that dark magic can twist people's minds and lead them to commit all kinds of evil!" The little witch clearly wasn't convinced, and she deliberately cited a clear example.

"Kael, Professor Dumbledore doesn't know the Dark Arts, but he's still the greatest Light Wizard of the century."

"Um, who told you that Professor Dumbledore don't know the Dark Arts?"

Kael looked shocked.

Goodness!

Grindelwald's 'best friend,' doesn't know a single dark spell?

Hermione: "???"

[Ding! Shock emotion detected!]

[Ding! The treasure chest is being drawn for the host!]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for getting a silver treasure chest!]

"Okay, Hermione, don't worry. Only the weak can be influenced by dark magic."

"Just like when I was sorted into Slytherin a few days ago and you came to find me."

"See, a kind wizard like me doesn't fit in with Slytherin."

"I'm sure you've heard that I've been ostracized and had conflicts with the Slytherin students?"

Dumbledore's case wasn't very convincing! But Kael could speak for himself!

For a kind little wizard like him, the light in his heart couldn't be hidden no matter where he was.

And now, the Slytherins targeted him because they were jealous of his kindness.

As soon as the words left his mouth, a timid girl's voice came from behind.

"Master Kael, I'm sorry, may I interrupt?"

It was Gemma Farley, the female prefect of Slytherin!

"Senior Farley? You came to see me?"

"I believe you've made the right choice?" Kael's previous warmth towards Hermione turned into a stern and lofty tone.

"Of course, Master Kael. This is the pocket money I've saved since childhood."

"A total of five hundred Galleons."

"I hope you'll accept it!"

Gemma Farley had spent the whole night thinking about how to express her loyalty to Kael.

He was the "Blood Demon" from Knockturn Alley. Whether it was magic materials or spells, nothing she offered would seem sufficient.

Eventually, she remembered Kael demanding two thousand Galleons from Malfoy as compensation. And thus, the scene before them unfolded.

Although the Farley family wasn't among the "Sacred Twenty-Eight Pureblood Families," Gemma was still a prefect in Slytherin—a pureblood family strength was not to be underestimated.

And now, her usual savings amounted to five hundred times the Weasley family's total wealth. (T/N: The Weasley family from the Harry Potter series was considered poor by wizarding standards. In 1992, their Gringotts Wizarding Bank vault only contained a single Galleon and a small pile of Sickles. This could be equated to around $50–$75. )

Kael weighed the bag, which had been charmed with an Undetectable Extension Charm. The sound of gold coins jingled inside.

"Very well, Senior Farley. You've made a wise choice."

"As long as you don't provoke me again in Slytherin, I won't trouble you either."

Kael prided himself on maintaining professional ethics—taking money to solve problems for others.

Kael still has the most basic work ethic.

It's just that Gemma Farley didn't leave when she heard this, but She stood there, hesitant to speak.

"What is it, Senior Farley?"

"Why haven't you left yet?"

"Do you want to offer more Galleons? don't worry, I'll never refuse more!" Kael gave her a sideways glance, showing no mercy to Slytherin students. There was an implicit threat in his words. If you provoke me again, just prepare enough Galleons like Malfoy did to buy your safety.

But to his surprise, instead of fear, Gemma's eyes lit up.

"My lord, do you need more Galleons?"

"Tell me, if I become your servant, how many Galleons should I give you per year?"

"I mean, I can ask my family for more if I am your servant!"

[Ding! Surprise emotion detected!]

[Ding! The treasure chest is being drawn for the host!]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for getting a golden treasure chest!]

Hearing Gemma's words and seeing the system prompt, Kael was a little confused.

Surprise emotion?

What the hell?

Does Slytherin's prefect have Stockholm Syndrome?

From the look of things, was she worried that she couldn't become his follower?

After he threatened her and hung her from the ceiling all night?

"No, I mean..." Kael waved his hands, deciding it was best to clarify things. Having followers right under Dumbledore's nose, especially in the Slytherin snake pit, was like taking the first step towards becoming a Dark Lord!

This is simply the standard configuration of the Dark Lord!

"Yes, my lord, I understand!" Gemma's looked excitedly at Kael's outstretched five fingers before Kael finished speaking.

"These five hundred Galleons are my show of sincerity."

"In a few days, I'll ask for another five hundred Galleons from my family. From now on, I'll offer you five hundred Galleons annually."

"Gemma Farley is willing to give her life to serve you!"

"I'll graduate from Hogwarts in two years, and my family will arrange for me to work at the Ministry of Magic."

"I'll definitely become a powerful servant of yours!"

Before Kael could respond, Gemma rushed out of the library happily, eager to write to her family for money.

If they pay Five hundred Galleons a year for ten years? That's five thousand Galleons.

Even for a pureblood family, this amount of money is not a small sum.

But the returns?

Back when Voldemort's shadow loomed over Britain, those pureblood families who followed him gained enormous power!

And now, Gemma Farley had learned that she was the first to pledge loyalty to Kael, which was a big deal!

She was the first to call for Kael's allegiance, and it's a big deal!

[Ding! Surprise emotion detected!]

[Ding! The treasure chest is being drawn for the host!]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for getting a golden treasure chest!]

<Outside the library>

"Senior Farley, how did it go?"

As soon as Gemma left, several familiar little snakes surrounded her.

"Success! Master Kael has accepted me as his servant!"

"And I only needed to offer him five hundred Galleons per year."

Gemma Farley's excitement was impossible to conceal.

"Really?" The little snakes were thrilled to hear the news.

For a pureblood family, no matter how tough things were, five hundred Galleons was manageable.

No matter how miserable life is now, which pureblood family would be short of the five hundred gold Galleons?

Hogwarts gave Muggle-born students only two hundred pounds per year!

The British pound was practically worthless in the wizarding world.

"Lord Kael is so merciful."

"I... I don't even know what to say."

"Senior Farley, I'll write to my family right away and ask them to send money." One little snake sighed in admiration.

"No, what you should do now isn't to write home."

"Instead, rush inside and be the second to pledge allegiance to Master Kael!"

Hearing this, the little snakes looked at each other.

The boat of friendship sank instantly.

Even Gemma didn't care, rushing back into the library.

Friends moments ago, they had now turned into competitors.

<In the library>

Gemma Farley was gone, but an awkward atmosphere lingered between Kael and Hermione.

Kael glanced at his hands, confused. He had only meant to wave them in refusal. How had it turned into an agreement for five hundred Galleons?

The young witch stared at him suspiciously.

"Is this what you meant by kindness?" she asked. "ostracized because of your kindness? And how many times did you say you had conflicts?"

To be honest, this was the first time Hermione had ever seen someone offer money so eagerly—and to become a servant while doing it, giving money every year, no less!

"Hermione, wait! I think I can explain!" Kael's head was spinning. That Slytherin prefect must have taken the wrong potion—or worse, taken it by mistake!

"You see, there are more than seven hundred students in Slytherin. Out of so many, there's bound to be one or two who are... a little different."

Kael continued, "You're from a Muggle family, so you've heard of Stockholm Syndrome, right? It's when the victim of a crime develops a weird attachment to their captor—a type of mental disorder. Maybe my extreme methods made them see me in a strange light. You know I despise evil, but sometimes that creates unintended results."

It was the best explanation Kael could come up with.

"So that's what happened," Hermione said, shocked. She thought Kael had a point. After all, with so many students in Slytherin, it made sense that one might have this condition. It was a strange coincidence, but plausible.

"Master Kael, excuse me!" A voice interrupted them as six more Slytherins approached.

Leading them was fourth-year student Hughes Lestrange.

"You've thought it through as well?" Kael raised an eyebrow at the group of snakes standing before him.

Unlike Gemma Farley, these students all came from pure-blood families. They had been raised with proper family values—there was no way they all had Stockholm Syndrome, right?

"Of course, Lord Kael. It is our lifelong honor to serve you," Hughes Lestrange said respectfully, placing a pouch full of Galleons in front of him.

"Here are five hundred Galleons as a token of my sincerity," Hughes continued. "I will send another five hundred to my family to cover this year's total."

"My Lord Kael, this is a thousand Galleons. I deeply regret any past misunderstandings," another student added.

One by one, the rest of the young wizards presented their offerings. Some had brought even more than others but insisted that the extra Galleons were just their "sincerity." They promised to deliver the remainder within the next couple of days.

For pure-blood families, money wasn't the issue. Hundreds of Galleons meant nothing if it secured even a small favor from someone like Kael, who was still growing into his power. That was the true reward.

[Ding! Six surprise emotions detected!]

[Ding! Drawing treasure chests for the host!]

[Ding! Congratulations! You have received six silver treasure chests!]

Kael stared at the six pouches of Galleons in front of him, then at the six eager faces of the Slytherin students.

Wait, is Stockholm Syndrome contagious? he thought, bewildered. He had never heard of such a thing!

"Master Kael, we won't take up any more of your time. Have a pleasant morning!" Hughes Lestrange said, bowing slightly before leaving.

It was clear to the others that Kael had been in the middle of a conversation with Hermione, so they left with polite smiles, even flashing friendly looks at Hermione—something unheard of for Slytherins toward a Muggle-born witch.

"Kael!" Hermione exclaimed, staring at the growing pile of pouches on the table. "This... this is insane!"

Kael rubbed his forehead, feeling overwhelmed. "Just give me a minute. I'm sure I can explain this to you."

What in the world was happening?

"Well," he began, trying to think quickly, "maybe the Slytherins have a higher rate of Stockholm Syndrome. You know, pure-blood families... they intermarry a lot, and some can become a little... extreme. Like Hughes Lestrange, for example. His family were ardent supporters of Voldemort. Most of them are still in Azkaban!"

Kael couldn't help but admire his own reasoning. It was a perfect explanation.

To be fair, many wizards were considered eccentric by everyday standards.

"Master Kael, sorry to interrupt again."

Three more wizards approached.

Kael froze.

No matter how perfect his explanation was, there's only so much I can handle!

And for the next hour, Kael didn't get a chance to read a single page of his book. Groups of Slytherins, ranging from as few as three to as many as seven, came over, one after another.

They all repeated the same routine: offer money, pledge loyalty, and ask to be accepted as servants.

If this weren't a library, with people still around, some might have even knelt down to kiss his shoes.

Each group left behind not just Galleons, but a "surprise emotion" treasure chest for Kael to collect.

By midday, Kael had gained more than seventy Slytherin minions and amassed over forty thousand Galleons.

These little snakes were generous—none of them brought less than five hundred Galleons, and some brought as much as a thousand.

Even Malfoy's lackeys, Crabbe and Goyle, had snuck over when no one was watching.

Even Mrs. Pince, the librarian, began to look at Kael with suspicion. She didn't know him well, just another first-year student, but how had this boy suddenly become the object of such respect from upper-year Slytherins?

It wasn't just Mrs. Pince.

Two Ravenclaw students at a nearby table quickly packed up their things and fled the moment they witnessed the third wave of Slytherins approach Kael.

They were close enough to overhear everything and were understandably freaked out.

Allegiance? Servants?

The scene was terrifying. Words like "Dark Lord" immediately sprang to their mind.

To be honest, did Kael even need these Galleons? Even if he were short on money, was it worth resorting to extracting protection fees from his classmates every year?

This was an insult to his character!

Who did they think he was—Kael, the first good little wizard at Hogwarts?

Thinking about it, Kael angrily took out a notebook and began writing down names.

Marcus Flint.

Draco Malfoy.

Pansy Parkinson.

These three hadn't paid their protection fees yet!

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