Volume 1

The walk ended much more positively than it started. Pansy calmed down, and there was something in her gaze that I could regard as my own success. Well, to be more precise, the old love has returned there, only now it will be much more difficult to expel it from there. No! No mental bookmarks and triggers, pure suggestion and work on the natural reactions of any person. Even though I wanted to tie a girl tightly to myself, I didn't want to bring up a maniac in her that would drive any female person away from me. And it is quite easy to detect mental bookmarks.

The parents also came to a slightly more complacent state. The way Lucius could not finally calm down, but the changes in him could be seen even behind his eternal mask of an aristocrat. Narcissa was literally glowing from the inside, enjoying communication with friends and just acquaintances.

And I was almost happy myself. Still, I expected the worst from this day, the conversation with Pansy promised to be really difficult. But... after my father's fight, talking to Pansy seemed like a real rest to me. Most likely, this is just a game of contrasts, but after the real shame of my father, I even sighed calmly, starting a conversation with the girl. And the squires showed amazing talkativeness today. Apparently, they can't wait to return to Hogue again. It seems to me that the guys are already fed up with their own parents.

In general, I was in a good mood. And after I managed to get Lucius to make Pansy and the squires stay with us for a short time, everyone was happy in general. My guards were almost happy to get rid of their own parents, and Pansy was for any kind of movement with me now. The girl still hasn't calmed down after the recent conversation.

So yes, my "friends" were very happy to visit me. Despite the fact that it is indicative, their parents were all limbs for our campaign, but Lucius could afford to freeze a little. After all, my father is one of the richest people in magical England. Despite the lack of any serious personal power, most wizards themselves sought to meet him. The only exception was a couple of families that aspired to their own strength, and not to financial well-being.

An example of such a family are the Greengrasses, which have been striving for power since ancient times. Not to say that they have succeeded much, but against the background of other wizards of their status, they stand out in a very favorable way. And the reasons for their relative failure were quite serious. Twice on the verge of destruction and thrice ruined, the family simply could not gain more knowledge and gifts than they have now.

Especially if you remember that gifts are not something ephemeral, but a very real predisposition to some of the art directions. Predisposition, closed at the genetic and at the lower, that is, hereditary, magical level. It is almost impossible to develop such a predisposition from scratch. It will take at least five generations of masters specializing in a single field for the gift to mature and gain a foothold in the very blood of magicians. In the current conditions, this is almost impossible. And the chance of losing such a gift, with the change of generations, is very high.

In general, yes, my father picked up a good bride for me. Another thing is that I don't fucking need it. I'd rather stay single until I'm twenty-five or thirty. However, in my current conditions it is almost impossible. Even if I become the head of the clan, having got rid of any control over myself on the part of relatives, I will still have to find a wife.

Reputation is very important in English magical society. And if you are also pure-blooded, then reputation for you becomes almost the main thing in life. Well, if a pure-blooded magician does not find a life partner for up to twenty years, then who is he? That's right, impotent or a sodomite. That's about what the absolute majority of English magicians think. Well, the aristocracy is right.

It's a problematic situation, but I don't want to think much about it yet. I will still have time to make a choice. And it is unlikely that by the time I graduate from Hogue, my reputation will be damaged by too late a marriage. If at least a third of my plans come to life, my generation, as well as slightly older and younger wizards, will consider me almost the main authority in their lives.

Still, I took into account the experience of myself-Volondemort. He made a bet on purebloods, but lost. I will bet on everyone in general, on someone more, on someone less, but on everyone. Moreover, while we are studying at Hogue, it is extremely easy and simple to establish contacts. One joint drinking is enough for half of the Pufendui to consider me almost their relative. The Ravenclaw is a little more difficult, but even those are not complete sociopaths. It will be enough to tie up a few authorities from that faculty, and the rest will already follow them.

Problems arise only with vultures. They are too proud, the struggle between our faculties began too long ago, they value Potter too much there to "dirty" themselves with connections with the main enemy of the hero. But that's not bad, people have always needed enemies. And sometimes just scapegoats. In my opinion, the Gryffindors are just right for the role of such goats, they are also all horned and stupid.

Well, I outlined the general plan, it remains not to screw up on the details, it was on them that Tom most often failed. I'm not going to repeat his mistakes, I don't want to end up like him. But his knowledge would be very useful to me. As far as I managed to find out, from my father's not very intrusive inquiries, Volondemort was an extremely strong wizard who had achieved mastery in as many as five directions of magic. A real monster whose potential I surpass. I just need the knowledge and time to surpass it.

And if I can get knowledge in the help-out room, then that's the trouble with time. If I really want to stay in the annals of history, then by the end of the Hogue I have to match the master title. The youngest master in the last three hundred years! It sounds very proud and impressive, I will even surpass my godfather with such a twist. Yes, but the disciplines in which I am really good are not very suitable for disclosure. Mental magic is now banned in England, there is nothing to say about dark magic. Only enchantment and transfiguration remain. But in them I just did not even reach the rank of an apprentice. I was much more interested in... somewhat more specific knowledge.

We'll catch up. Fortunately, I know the school curriculum perfectly well, and you can deal with these. Now the main thing is to get the right teachers interested in order to speed up my own training, and I should have a justification for obtaining mastery. And the recommendation of the current master is the best justification possible. In general, yes, I have another goal for the next year at Hogue.

However, it is better to start with transfiguration. Let it be led by the dean of Gryffindor, but after the awakening of the gift, it is given to me a little easier than before. Yet metamorphism is also a kind of transfiguration, only of oneself. It is quite natural that the awakened gift also affects the discipline so close to it…

The main thing is not to get burned in front of your father. I can rub it in to others that I have pulled up my knowledge over the summer... it's still good that I insisted on guests. As long as Crabbe and Goyle are with me, I'll be able to dig into their memories pretty well. Yes, and a couple of sessions of suggestion should be arranged for them. Besides, Pansy will get used to my eternal transformations ... the days before the start of the school year promise to be useful.