Dark Legend of Potter Chapter 66 (Patreon)

Reclining at the breakfast table, Lucius Malfoy was reading his copy of the Daily Prophet and sipping his breakfast tea when the mail came. It was brought by Thuban, Draco’s Eagle Owl, and Dobby the Elf hurried over with the letter after giving the bird a treat. 

“Here, good master, letter from Master Draco,” Dobby said. 

Lucius grunted and took the letter, while Narcissa looked up from her own breakfast. “Surely he doesn’t need more pocket money after just one visit to Hogsmeade.”

“He might if Kazuma got him into a card game, the boy will have to learn not to gamble with our other son. He’s got the devil’s own luck,” Lucius said with a chuckle, fondly remembering several ill-advised card games he’d gotten into as a youth, though he had eventually figured out cards were less about luck and more about reading people. 

He unrolled the parchment and read through the usual greetings, then paused when he got to the middle section. He went back and read it over again, then carefully read through the whole thing, his face turning red and his hands clenching. 

“Lucius? What is it? Has something happened to Draco?” Narcissa asked, getting up out of her chair to lean over his shoulder to read the letter. 

“Yes, the young fool has taken leave of what little good sense he had!” Lucius snarled and thrust the letter at his wife, his mind racing furiously. What in the name of Morgan Lefay had put the boy up to this nonsense!? Rights for werewolves!? That was the sort of drivel that the Old Fool’s camp advanced, not his own!

Narcissa read through the letter, then laughed and patted Lucius on the shoulder. “Well, it seems our son has grown up at last.”

“Why, because he defies me like an adolescent fool in the face of all good sense!?” Lucius snarled, his face still purple with rage. If Kazuma had put Draco up to this as some sort of sick joke…

“You’re not thinking about this properly,” Narcissa said, her hands rubbing Lucius’ shoulders. It was a naked attempt to soothe him, and he very nearly shrugged her off, his mood was so foul, but he restrained himself. He hadn’t married Narcissa just because she was a pretty face: she had a keen mind, and he wasn’t too proud to listen to her. 

“And what angle do you see that I do not, wife of mine?” Lucius growled, trying to get his temper under control. Perhaps he should tell Dobby to iron his hands again. 

“Werewolves are dark creatures. Don’t you see? Draco is making alliances with them, and attempting to normalize relations with them. Traditionally, they have been our allies. If he can convince people to accept them, why, that’s giving our camp more power. He’s stealing a march on Dumbledore and his pets as well, by making this seem like your idea and not the old codgers.”

Lucius blinked and relaxed slightly. He let out a long slow breath and thought for a moment as Narcissa continued her ministrations. She did, in fact, have a point. Werewolves were the long-time allies to those who practiced the Dark Arts, mostly as useful dumb muscle and instruments of terror. However, if Dumbledore’s camp were to become more accepting of them, they might succeed in luring away the werewolves. Stupid and bestial as they were, they were likely to fall for such obvious pandering. That would weaken Lucius’ position, as one of the best potential weapons he had defected. 

“You…have a point,” he admitted. He picked the letter back up and read over it again. The more he thought about it, the more his heart lifted. Draco had always been a bit of a spoiled child. He had long been the only child that Lucius and Narcissa had, as her condition made it impossible for her to bear another. Lucius was also deeply in love with his wife, and though on occasion his eye had wandered, he’d never strayed from their marriage bed once in twenty years. That had led to a bit too much pampering and coddling of Draco, who while Lucius’ pride and joy, wasn’t exactly the perfect Slytherin leader his father hoped he’d become. 

A move like this, however, showed that not only was Draco growing up, he was far cannier than his father had thought. Draco had seen that fool Potter had taken up some damnfool crusade, and then swiftly moved to coopt the movement. Instead of a potential blow to Lucius’ alliance of Dark Aligned families and forces, it would become a major rallying point. 

“Perhaps our son has more cunning than I give him credit for,” Lucius admitted. He snapped his fingers. “Dobby! Fetch my quill and parchment. I have letters to write.”

Draco had seized on an opportunity, and Lucius wasn’t going to let his son’s efforts go to waste. 

Of course, if Lucius had known the real reason that Draco had thrown his support behind recognizing werewolves as human, he might have just given up hope on the lad entirely. 

But it wasn’t like Draco would be the first young man to be led astray by a pair of Crimson eyes. 

At that very moment, Yunyun was being led astray herself. She was currently absolutely filthy, with bits of twigs and leaves in her hair, her jumper and jeans stained with mud and torn in a few places. Despite the disarray of her clothes and hair, she was smiling and striding happily through the Forbidden Forest with Megumin, Firenze trotting along at her side. 

“I must say, that was a most impressive display of druid magic on your part, Yunyun. We thought it would be ages before we could restore the grove you two so foolishly destroyed. But instead, it was but the work of a morning!” 

“It was my potion that let her do it,” Megumin sulked, crossing her arms over her chest. Her own hair was in a puffy halo about her head, and her overalls were ripped at both knees. 

“It was a very impressive brew at that!” Firenze laughed, which soothed Megumin’s wounded ego. “You’ll have to tell me the recipe sometime.”

Megumin immediately launched into a detailed (and overly flowery) explanation not just of the ingredients, but how she’d adapted a potion she’d found in one of her potion textbooks to fit their needs to best suit the environment of the Forbidden Forest. 

Yunyun didn’t mind, letting Megumin take the glory once more. She was just happy she’d been able to speak to so many plants, which she now considered dear friends, and encourage them to grow in the way the centaurs had wanted in the devastated section of the forest. 

“W-we’ll have to come back again next week, a-and do another portion,” Yunyun said once Megumin wound down.

“Indeed. You have several more lessons with us before you have served out your sentence,” Firenze agreed. “Though today gives me hope that you will both come to respect the natural world.”

Megumin and Yunyun shared a knowing look. As Crimson Demons, they knew perfectly well that the proper place of the natural world was their personal plaything to reshape as they saw fit. Normal wizards saw the laws of physics as quaint suggestions. Crimson Demons saw them as a checklist to violate in the most spectacular manner possible. 

 “Um, M-Mr. Firenze, uh, how do centaurs…feel about being classified as beasts?” Yunyun asked in a spectacular even for her display of lack of social graces. 

Firenze stopped in his tracks, then slowly turned to face the two girls, his expression guarded. Yunyun looked earnest, but Megumin was studying him thoughtfully. 

“You know, centaurs really are just people with horse legs. Were they cursed by a dark and terrible fate, and that is why wizardkind maligns them? Or are wizards simply fearful of that which they do not understand?”

“Out of the mouths of foals,” Firenze said ruefully, with a sad shake of his head. He folded his arms over his broad chest and gave the two girls a sad smile. “It is a long, sad tale, and truthfully, we centaurs are not as innocent in it as we would like to think. I am sure you have heard the muggle legends of centaurs? Of how we were uncivilized brutes, who plundered, raped, and mistreated mankind?”

Both girls nodded, and Firenze made a face. “They are, sadly, more or less true. Centaurs are naturally stronger, faster, and more magically gifted than humans. I say this not to brag, but because it is simply true.”

“Don’t worry, we fully understand that not all humans are as superior as Crimson Demons,” Megumin said smugly.

“Which is why I tell you this at all,” Firenze said with a sad smile. “In truth, in ancient days, humanity fought against my people as they did many of the now scattered and isolated peoples of this world. Though we are more naturally skillful at magic than humans, we struggle to use magical tools in the same way, and we not only breed more slowly, but struggle to adapt to environments humans can thrive in. While long ago we oppressed and lorded over humanity in our pastures, that has not been true for thousands of years. As humanity multiplied and invented new tools that surpassed our natural gifts, we went from oppressors to oppressed.

“There very well may yet be some humans who fear that if given the chance, centaurs or other magical races would attempt to overthrow the human hegemony and reclaim our places as rulers, in truth there is little danger of that, and most wizards know it. They simply view us as inferior.”

“So, wait, you can’t use wands at all?” Megumin asked, wrinkling her nose. “You just use those staves and chants?”

“No, no, we can use wands. We simply do not gain as much benefit,” Firenze explained. “As an example, a centaur may naturally have twice as much magic as a human, but a human gains four times their natural ability with a wand. A centaur gains only twice as much, so in the end, even with a wand, we are merely as strong as a human is. This may in part simply be because wands are made for humans, and centaurs have never had great wand makers to experiment with forms that may better fit us. Or it could be that our sort of magic works best with our natural bodies, and does not respond well to tools. We may never know, as we are forbidden wands utterly.”

“Well, it’s not right,” Yunyun said firmly. “You’re people too, a-and you should be treated like it.”

“And I’ll explode anyone who says differently!” Megumin agreed. 

“While some of my herd might believe violence is an acceptable option, myself and Chief Magorian do not,” Firenze told Megumin, then he smiled at Yunyun. “Thank you. And I hope to find allies like you in the future.”

Yunyun did not mention that her only aversion to violence was that she preferred to talk first. But not always, and usually only once. Instead she smiled and said, “W-well, I always want to make more friends.”

After that, Firenze let them go at the edge of the wood by Hogwarts, then trotted off. Megumin waved and waited for him to leave, then immediately started back into the forest.

“W-wait, Megumin! You can’t just go blow up the forest again!” Yunyun cried, hurrying after her cousin. 

“I’m not going to,” Megumin snorted. She pulled out Chunchumaru and began to mutter spells over herself, cleaning up the mess she was in and repairing her clothes. “I’m going to Hogsmeade and making sure that Hermione isn’t misleading Ron. She’s not as overdeveloped as you are, but nature has clearly been overly generous with her as well.”

Yunyun gave Megumin a baffled look at first, then rolled her eyes. Hermione wasn’t as flat as a boy like Megumin, but she was hardly unusual for a girl her age either. 

“H-Hermione and I aren't that weird, s-some girls just, um, start to grow earlier than others,” Yunyun pointed out. 

“Yes, well, Ron’s mind is small and easily led astray. Besides, I have heard there are many delicious dishes and rare potions ingredients for sale in Hogsmeade, and I refuse to miss out on them! We have finished our work early, thus shall we not miss out on the class trip!”

Yunyun considered that. Her friends were in Hogsmeade as well, or at least Lavender was. Luna was still a second year, but Yunyun would have been lying if she said she didn’t want to visit Hogsmeade as well. Taking out her own wand, she made the same repairs to her clothing and physical appearance, then hurried after Megumin through the undergrowth towards the village. 

She didn’t ask anything silly like “What if we get caught?”

Yunyun knew perfectly well what would happen if they got caught, but also thought she was clever enough to avoid it. She would just have to keep Megumin from doing anything too spectacular to blow their cover. 

Hastily plucking a few large leaves, Yunyun transformed them into cloaks, one of which she drew about herself, the other of which she handed to Megumin. “S-so we don’t get recognized.”

Megumin’s interest was immediately sparked, as brooding in a hooded cloak was one of the coolest and most dramatic disguises you could use. Sabotaged only by the fact that if someone saw two short figures with deep hoods and glowing red eyes, they didn’t have to think very hard about who it might be. 

It didn’t take them long to make their way through the Forbidden Forest to the outskirts of Hogsmeade, though by the time they got there they had to perform the tidying spell again to get further brambles and scrapes out. As they did so, Megumin perked up, looking around them. Her eyes lit up, and she shook Yunyun’s shoulder excitedly. “Behold! It is the most accursed house in all of Hogsmeade!” 

Looking up curiously, Yunyun spied a boarded-up, ramshackle house behind a rotting wooden fence. The yard was overgrown with dried-up dead weeds, and various signs were posted against trespassers, though they were faded and rotting. 

Just as the two girls were peering at it, a distant wail was heard, echoing from the house. Megumin immediately leveled Chunchunmaru, chanting,

I am the bone of Explosion

Crimson are my eyes, and my blood is- OW! 

Yunyun lifted her fist from Megumin’s crown and glared at her. “We just got in trouble for you blowing up something you shouldn’t! Besides, we don’t know what’s making that screaming sound.”

“Hmph.” Megumin considered a moment, then leveled Chunchumaru again. “It could be a minion of Lord Voldemort! We are about due for one to appear, after all.” 

“Hmm, that is true. Though I suspect one has been walking in our midst this entire time,” Yunyun mused, even as the wailing continued. “Who do you suppose it is?”

“Probably somehow related to the scavenger hunt my parents left. I bet Sirius Black is secretly around here somewhere,” Megumin said presciently. Though she was a bit off: Sirius Black was currently sunning himself on the Hogwarts Lawn with Luna while she read the latest copy of the Quibbler aloud to him. Not because Luna knew it was actually Sirius Black, but because she firmly believed that all dogs went to heaven. Provided they joined the Axis Cult. 

If you’re wondering how that relates to the Quibbler, well, every last one of the Lovegoods were cult members. You can’t even say that the insanity resulted from them joining the cult: they were all crazy before Aqua showed up. 

Back at the Shrieking Shack, Yunyun and Megumin both jumped when the shrieks were joined by a long, warbling howl. If these had been two ordinary girls, they probably would have screamed and hugged one another, then ran away.

Instead, both Crimson Demons let out gasps of delight, and raced towards the hut. 

“It’s a werewolf!” Yunyun said in delight. “Maybe he’s heard about my petition!” 

“Can’t be, full moon isn’t for a week! It must be some sort of other horrible monster! Let’s kill it and loot it!” Megumin said eagerly. 

“No, we should make friends with it! What if it’s hurt, or lost?” Yunyun demanded as they both scrambled over the fence. 

“It doesn’t sound hurt, it kept shouting ‘yes yes yes’,” Megumin pointed out. 

However, their shouts seemed to have attracted attention, as the noises from the hut had died out. Both girls ran up, shoving at one another in an attempt to be first. However, before they could break down the door in the most dramatic fashion possible, they heard a soft “Nyaaaa.” 

Both girls turned, and a moment later, they saw Chomusuke pad out of the shadows, carrying a limp rodent in her jaws. 

“Chomusuke, was that you?” Megumin asked, stooping down to peer at the cat. To her disgust, Chomusuke spat out the rat at Megumin’s feet. “Ugh, I don’t want that.”

“Hold on, that’s Scabbers!” Yunyun gasped, kneeling down and taking out her hankie to gingerly pick up the rat. 

Megumin frowned. “How can you tell? It looks like any other fat old rat.” 

“See, he’s missing the middle claw on his right paw,” Yunyun said. “It’s Scabbers for sure.”

“Chomusuke! Bad kitty! Don’t hurt Ron’s stupid old rat,” Megumin said, glaring at her cat.

“Nyaaa?” Chomusuke blinked cutely and swished her tail, causing Megumin to sigh in exasperation. 

“Give him here,” she told Yunyun, taking out two vials from her overalls, both filled with glowing liquid, one green and one red. She administered a drop of each to the insensate rat, which suddenly squeaked and sat up, thrashing wildly, his claws raking at Megumin.

“Ow! Stop it, or I’ll give you back to Chomusuke,” Megumin threatened.

Scabbers immediately quieted, and Megumin stuffed him into the front pocket of her overalls. “Hmph. Well, whatever was making that noise, it was either Chomusuke and Scabbers, or it’s gone now.”

“Well, we can come back and investigate later,” Yunyun said, standing with Chomusuke in her arms. “For now, let’s go find Ron and give him back his rat.”

The two girls walked away, leaving the two very embarrassed adults to scamper through the tunnel back to Hogwarts as they hopped into their clothes, cursing Crimson Demons and their complete and utter lack of sense. 

It didn’t take long for Yunyun and Megumin to track down Ron and Hermione, who were at Honeydukes enjoying a selection of sweets. 

“What are you two doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in detention?” Hermione demanded, frowning up at Megumin and Yunyun as they wandered in. 

“We finished early so we came here,” Megumin said with a shrug.

“Better keep your hoods on then, if someone sees you and rats you out you’ll get in trouble,” Ron said, tugging Megumin’s hood a little lower on her head. 

“No, Professor McGonagall told me I wasn’t to come back to the castle until sunset, so I don’t think she’ll mind. But speaking of rats, I found yours.” Megumin pulled out Scabbers and dumped him on the table, causing Hermione to let out a startled gasp. 

“Oi! You there, what are you doing with a rat in my shop?” the owner, Mr. Flume snapped, looking over a crowd of hungry students to glare at Ron.

“It wasn’t me, it was her!” Ron said, pointing at Megumin. 

“Out, the lot of you, before I ban you! No pets or familiars! It’s unhygienic!” Mr. Flume shouted, and the four teens hurried outside. After a huddled conference, Ron and Megumin stayed outside with their pets, while Yunyun and Hermione went back inside to purchase more treats. 

“Thanks for saving Scabbers. I don’t know what Chomusuke’s obsession is with him, but she keeps hunting him down,” Ron said, smiling at Megumin as he stroked Scabbers, who was trembling as he perched on Ron’s left shoulder. 

“She’s a very clever girl. Maybe she’s just keeping an eye on him, and he’s secretly some sort of cursed creature,” Megumin said. 

Ron rolled his eyes. “He’s just a common rat, fat and lazy. But he’s mine, so I ought to look after him properly.”

They stood there in the street, Megumin sidling close to Ron and looking at him sideways, he completely oblivious. Before Megumin could do something egregious, Hermione and Yunyun reemerged with several bags of sweets, which caught both gluttons' attention immediately. 

They all ambled back to the castle, munching on jelly slugs and ice mice. Halfway there, however, they were met by Luna and Blackie.

“Oh, hello there. I had a feeling Blackie might be looking for you,” Luna said breezily, waving hello. “Are those jelly slugs?” 

“Yep, here, have one,” Ron said, passing over one of the sweets to Luna, who accepted it eagerly. 

“What’s he got in his mouth?” Hermione asked, squatting down. She held out a hand, and Blackie spat out a long wooden tube into her hand. 

“I don’t know. We were just reading the Quibbler, when Blackie suddenly winced, got up, and ran off. He came back sometime later with that tube and wagging his tail,” Luna explained. 

Hermione got the top off the tube, and a roll of parchment spilled out. She held it up for everyone to see as all the children crowded around her. 

“You’ve found some clues, but you require more. A hidden room, hidden on the fourth floor. Need is the key, and desire the door. Fix your heart's desire in mind, and you will find the traitor as you explore.”

“That’s a terrible rhyme. I could have done better,” Megumin complained. 

“Yeah, but it’s another riddle! You think we’ll find out more about your parents?” Ron asked eagerly. “Ow! Scabbers, stop trying to hide in my hair! Chomusuke won’t bother you.”

“And a way to find Sirius Black and take him down for good,” Megumin said darkly. Then she reached down and petted Blackie. “Good dog! You’ll help us find the villain, right, Blackie?”

The dog barked eagerly, which caused Scabbers to go into paroxysms of fear. 

“Bloody hell, Scabbers, stop it or I will give you back to Chomusuke!” Ron swore, but the rat didn’t calm down until he had thoroughly embedded himself in Ron’s hair. 

“Come, my faithful companions! To the Fourth Floor!” Megumin declared, and the friends galloped off across the field, whooping in excitement. 

Blackie sighed, then trotted after them. This ought to keep Megumin out of everyone’s hair for at least a few weeks. Remus had been absolutely livid. Whatever the girl had done, it had probably been hilarious. As long as you weren’t the one it had happened to. 

Megumin, like most disasters, was best appreciated from a distance.