67) Musings

Lucius looked at the impassive wizard infront of him.

"So how does being a triwizard champion feels like?" He asked amusedly. His voice was mirthful as he looked at his calm and composed friend.

"Well..... It's hard to describe. There are certain perks though." Severus replied with a frown on his face.

Being a champion didn't made him special. He felt perfectly normal like always. There was no feeling of triumph or the type of happiness from such an achievement inside him.

"Hmm." Lucius said with a frown on his face.

He poured the elf made wine in the two glasses.

"So? Why did you lie about not wanting to participate in Tournament?" Lucius slowly asked with a frown on his face.

"I didn't. I did not entered my name." He replied back.

Lucius's eyes widened slightly. He knew Severus would not lie at this moment. He had no need to.

And the information he dropped was dangerous.

"Do you suspect someone?" Lucius asked with a frown. He chugged the glass of wine.

"Many. Regulus Black, Marauders, Harry Potter, Ronald Whitby, some hardcore death eaters' scions." Severus replied with a sigh. The list was long!

He chugged his glass of wine too. His throat burned a little at the wine. He welcomed the burn though.

"Hmm. It is near impossible to find now." Lucius remarked as he filled his glass one more time. The recent information was a surprise though.

"This tournament is giving me grief right now, though, it does have its benefits too. Technically I would be considered as an adult. As per the old laws of Triwizard Tournament." Severus said with a smirk on his face.

"You want to start the second phase of our plan!" Lucius said eagerly with an excited face. The change was expected, as the Phase 2 was going to make him and Severus much money, if handled correctly.

"I believe, it is the perfect time for it! We can start a year early now." Severus replied with a shark like grin on his face.

"Well speaking of plans. I did some research and found this. It took some time for me and Evelyn, though your friend Petunia was a help too." Lucius said as he remembered something.

He took a file from the shelf and passed it to Severus.

Severus took the file and opened it.

The front page of the file had a photo of young boy. He looked to be around sixteen years old. He had blue eyes and blonde wavy hair with a widow's peak. His cheekbones were prominent and his chin was slightly jutting.

"Scott Green." He read amusedly.

"Or Scorpius Greengrass for the wizarding world. The twin brother of Laena Greengrass." Lucius said with a small drawl.

"Squib?" He asked after reading the first sentence in next page.

"Yes. One of the hidden secrets of Greengrass family. The Heir who was disinherited for being a squib." Lucius said distastefully.

Severus was amused. Lucius may be on his side, but it didn't change the fact, that he was brought in a blood purist way. Even the light side detested squibs with a passion, despite all of their talks on equality and So what should he expect from dark side?

Most of the Wizarding World hated squibs with a passion.

"Hmm, Eton?....Impressive!" Severus murmured as he read the file of Scorpius Greengrass.

"Scholarship for Eton. Well he's intelligent otherwise he won't have this," Severus said, begrudgingly impressed at the file of Scorpius Greengrass.

"He works as a singer in a restaurant during the summers. Apparently he is very famous due to it. One businessman heard him one day while dining there. He was impressed and paid the remaining fees." Lucius added as he sat lazily on his chair.

"Quite lucky then!" Severus joked amusedly.

Eton didn't covered the whole fees in the form of scholarship. As per his knowledge, only 50 to 60% fees was covered by Eton as a scholarship at this time.

"So what are your plans with him?" Lucius asked looking at Severus curiously.

"Why do you think that I have plans with him. I only found about him about just now." Severus replied with a small near innocent like face.

"As if!....You told me to dig around the Greengrass family's past. I myself was shocked about this. Afterall the Greengrasses had hid this well. I had to imperious the Greengrass family healer for this information. Even then, searching in the whole muggle world was a pain, until your friend Petunia joined the search. We finally found him through his orphanage." Lucius said sardonically. He leaned back in chair as he looked expectantly to Severus.

"I would be honestly baffled, if you tell me, about not having any plans regarding him now!" Lucius said with a chesire like grin on his face.

"Laena's father wants to meet me. I need to have leverage against him. He has quite a reputation, to be cunning afterall." Severus drawled slowly.

"I believe that he wants a business deal. As the second option coming to my head sounds ludicrous." Lucius stated with an understanding look.

"What is the second option?" Severus asked curiously.

"It's better if you don't hear it. I don't want you brooding in a corner this days!" Lucius said, closing the matter with a joke. If what he was thinking came true, it would be quite a nuisance for Severus.

Severus just nodded along. If Lucius thought is a nuisance, then it should be so. Afterall if an opportunist bastard like Lucius Malfoy found it nuisance then it should be a nuisance.

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What are you thinking Albus?" Alastor asked with a frown on his face. His forehead became lightly wrinkled due to the harsh frown; he was adorning on his face.

"It is this tournament, Alastor. I don't think, it is going to be as smooth as I hope it for." Albus said pensively

"And why do you think so?" Alastor pressed on. Between Albus and him, he was the least optimistic man between the two. It made him a little unsettled seeing Albus looking pensive.

"Tom is silent.....Though it is not the worst, that I am afraid of. It's the champions of the tournament....." He said looking at Alastor.

Seeing Alastor nodding along, he continued on. "Mr Schmidt and Mr Bernard are exceptional Duellists. There is no doubt in that....Their achievments prove that. Mr Prince while not having any duelling prizes under his belt, will also be a fierce competitor with his skills."

"Then what are you afraid of exactly?" Alastor spoke off. He wasn't understanding in the least what Albus was worrying for? It was not as if the Hogwarts champion was weak.

A small part of Alastor might be a little biased against Severus Prince and his future, yet even he had to begrudgingly admit, the capabilities and skills of the boy.

The boy was very dangerous. It was not because of his out of the world dodging skills or his spell repertoire. No, it was because of his calm and composed aura that he always maintained.

Alastor had seen many dangerous beasts in his life till now. Some were fierce, some hid behind polite and gentle smiles. While some hid carefully, behind the masks of innocence.

The boy was the same. He was a little beware about the person behind the mask. The moment, when his mask will break, and unleash his hidden emotions and the person inside. Those moments were the most powerful ones' of a person like him.

The bigger the dam of patience, the worse the flood when the dam breaks.

He was always a little cautious while dealing with them. Emotions always played a great part in magic.

Sometimes during the state of vulnerability, a person's magic is either extremely strengthened by his emotions or his magic becomes discontinuous and weak.

The former was not a good option when you are standing against him.

"I believe Mr Prince didn't admitted his name himself." Albus stated calmly.

Now that confused Alastor.

"What are you saying Albus?" He asked confused.

"There was a moment of fright mixed with surprise when he heard his name being announced..... Those emotions shouldn't occur....If he participated himself." Albus said with a frown on his face.

"Maybe he was surprised at being selected!" Alastor offered back. He was a little confused hearing Albus' observation.

"That is a little perplexing to me.... In my time as Headmaster, I have never pegged him as being eager for glory. I had seen the eagerness of attention, but never for glory in him..... He was eager for attention, . . . though I don't think that he would become eager for glory so soon despite everything. I recall hearing reports of him, evading the newspapers and other interested reporters. It struck me a little odd and added some more convictions to my doubt." Albus said with a thoughtful voice.

"I see. If he was framed into the competition, then there is a chance for harm against him." Alastor concluded.

"Hmm. I believe we should lay back a little. For now, let us simply observe." Albus said with a sigh.

He was not going to actively meddle into the affairs now. His attention was directed more to Tom and his efforts.

Already the Order was stretched too thin, due to them spying on the suspected Death Eaters. He couldn't distract himself from the more important task right now. The fate of wizarding world was at risk afterall.

"Care for a lemon drop Alastor!" Albus suddenly offered excitedly as he tried to change the serious air around them.

Alastor simply glared at the Headmaster.

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Hope you all like this chapter.

My exams are going to be till 23 so expect random updates.