"Bastards..." Richard Leystrange hissed quietly at the empty table before the distribution of newcomers, "almost without training, they threw them out on parachutes under the anti-aircraft guns of German Muggles.
"Who?" I didn't get it, because I hadn't left the Manor all summer and wasn't up to date with the latest developments.
"The Leystrands lost Lafe, from the younger branch — a red-haired joker two years older, a Slytherin," explained Ralph Bergson.
"I remember, he was still after Matilda..."
"Yes," Richard interrupted us, "and now neither him nor Matilda are here! They were drafted into the war... you know how it is — some were pressured at school, others by the Ministry... They trained them a little, and then — off to war! They threw them out of planes, and took their wands beforehand...
"Wait, how did they take them away?" I was stunned.
"Just like that," Leystrange snapped, "they said no magic until landing, only Muggle methods... They took our wands and artefacts and put them all in magic-proof boxes.
"Why?
"They said Grindelwald had set up a Veil over the Channel, and now if wizards from Britain apparate or use portals there, first of all, it takes a lot more power, and secondly, the alarm goes off.
"That's nonsense... Because of those wands...
"Yes! But they swore an oath to their commander, and they couldn't disobey him because he believed in it himself. "And he himself...
"He died too, but it's hard to say, he may have been under Imperius or under the influence of potions. There could have been a chain to get around the Oaths and the Kickbacks... I can't tell you — one person passed it on slightly distorted, another... and now the meaning has changed to the opposite. And this distortion can be achieved even without pressure on the performer — just pick someone who's not too smart and add some non-verbal cues. Roll your eyes here, grimace there... and he'll "fill in the blanks" himself and pass it on as he understood it.
"But if it was there, it means they were 'leaked' from the very beginning!" Ralph couldn't hold back.
"Don't you get it yet?" Richard looked at him sternly. They were silent for a moment...
"And so they threw them out of the planes right onto the anti-aircraft guns, and their wands were packed away... And that was it... They say someone was taken alive, but knowing Grindelwald, they ended up on the altars anyway...
The new recruits came in and the conversation was interrupted — we'll have time later.
"Amanda Brown...
"Richard Gorsley...
"Filius Flitwick! – Oops... I'm watching the newcomer like a hawk – his appearance is somewhat... unusual, but still within the bounds of human normality. Although no one has cancelled Illusion charms or cosmetic spells. And his height... I remember Flitwick in the past/future, and it turns out he hasn't grown at all. Did his growth stop at eleven, or...? He sat under the hat for a long time, and you could see sweat dripping down the half-blood's face. Finally...
"Ravenclaw!
Rrr...
...
"Minerva McGonagall!
And the little gloomy girl goes to Gryffindor.
That's how "fun and encouraging" my fourth year of school started.
The Hogwarts administration, together with the Ministry, "bared their teeth" and sharply tightened the penalties for any insubordination. Previously, possession (not use!) of a "dark" artefact could be punished with a reprimand, provided the artefact was considered "moderately dark". Now, however, the punishment is a fine of thousands of galleons or a lengthy stay in Azkaban.
Similarly, at the School, the pressure became unabashed, but the reputation of the administration was saved by almost daily "sermons" on the theme of Light = Ministry. There was little logic in these sermons, but when a wizard of Dippet or Dumbledore's level says something, the wave of Power emanating from him forces you to believe in that "something." Even if mental magic is not used. And it was used... just like the Obliviators.
Only representatives of the Strong Families could resist this, as well as particularly intelligent sceptics whose motto was "Question everything." And resist... When most of your classmates believe that "the world is at war," it's very difficult to go against the majority opinion. And then the opinion of that very majority slowly creeps into the sceptic's mind...
I couldn't pull the same stunt with Flitwick that I did with Hagrid — the half-giant was downright stupid and had been set up more than once, while Filius was smart, and it wasn't certain that anyone would believe he was half-goblin.
And even if they did believe me, getting him out of the school... Oh, I'm not so sure that would work — many goblins are in the pockets of the noble families, and on top of that, the school administration is on his side, and there's martial law...
In general, if things really get desperate and there's no other way out, I could go for broke, but then I'd have to leave Hogwarts after the incident — they definitely wouldn't let me finish my studies there. FOR NOW, I'm just one of dozens of particularly annoying students — that is, representatives of independent Houses. But to become THE MAIN annoying factor... no, thank you — I want to live. And trying to change history after that would be at least an order of magnitude more complicated. Hmm...
The half-goblin in the Ravenclaw faculty was as annoying as... ringworm. Itchy, disgusting... and you can't touch it. He annoyed me madly: several factors came together at once.
First of all, he had done a lot of evil in the past/future as dean. Despite his smiles and reputation as a "good guy," supported by mental artefacts, he actively interfered in the life of the faculty — he broke up couples with incompatible Gifts, ruined the lives of students in other ways...
There was also the transfer of knowledge, books, artefacts, and material for blackmail to goblins... This was revealed by accident, several years after his death. Kickbacks for the Oaths? Well, first of all, I'm not sure he took those Oaths as a teacher and as Dean... And secondly, with the connivance of the Directorate, they could have been circumvented. Or "removed" with bloody sacrifices.
And finally, he was a goblin, and I was a sid. So even if all of the above hadn't happened, the enmity between us was inevitable. It's very intense; even the sid didn't have such enmity with the fomori. Yes, they were enemies, but they were understandable enemies and respected in some ways. Goblins, on the other hand, are enemies who kill without regard to gender or age — they cannot be re-educated and perceive members of other races as food on an instinctive level.
McGonagall... well, she's not interesting yet.
Fleetwick wasn't the only one who didn't like her — there weren't enough descendants of the Sides in the Castle, the Malfoys, the Leystranges... many others. Even those whose "blood had been purified" felt hostility towards her. And... I could swear anything — the goblin spawn was significantly older than eleven. Their movements, facial expressions, mannerisms, predatory glances at appetising older girls... In short, not eleven, not even fourteen, but at least seventeen.
Incidentally, an important factor is that it is much easier for someone like that to establish themselves as, if not the leader among the little ones, then at least one of the leaders. If only because of his age, he is more well-read, physically stronger, and his magical core has stabilised or is almost stabilised. This means that whether in his studies or in childhood skirmishes, the half-breed will dominate. At the same time, the older students and teachers don't take the "kid" seriously... The perfect saboteur and agent of influence...
The only one who understood that something was wrong with me was Tom. However, he was an exceptionally intelligent boy, no doubt about it.
Leaving lunch, Riddle lingered a moment, talking to a Hufflepuff friend, and as soon as I approached, intending to pass, he said cheerfully:
"... seven brothers and four sisters, can you imagine?
At the same time, the teenager clenched and unclenched his fingers behind his back — a gesture very similar to that used in shadow theatre*** to depict conversation. I have no idea what the Hufflepuff replied or what they were talking about — I hurried to the seventh floor, to the fourth room from the staircase.
Still on the stairs, I cast a simple spell, a weak analogue of an invisibility cloak, to hide from the portraits, and slip into the classroom. I grimace but take out my pipe — I have to smoke a lot this year, and I have to add calming herbs to the tobacco... But what can I do? I'm a Slytherin, forced to stay in a somewhat distorted Place of Power, and all these Flitwicks... At least tobacco doesn't affect us the same way it does humans — it's just a regular analogue of valerian.
I manage to smoke, knock out the pipe and clean it before Tom enters.
"What happened?" he blurts out anxiously. I look out the window, waiting for him to continue, "You haven't been yourself since the beginning of the year!"
"Is it that obvious?
"Um... no. If someone knows you well, they might realise that you're a little uncomfortable for some reason, but I... I feel like something's wrong.
Interesting... Could it be the effects of that Legilimens? You know, the residual connection between teacher and student...
"Alright... can you keep quiet?
Riddle grunts.
"Filius Flitwick is a half-blood goblin.
"Ssu... mma..." The teenager is completely frozen after learning about Rod's history, where green-skinned creatures were the main "suppliers" of misfortune, and his attitude towards them is extremely negative. After about a minute, he regains his composure and says in a hollow voice:
"What... now he's going to undermine Hogwarts from within? On top of Dippet and the others?
"Apparently so. I don't know what opportunities they have to subjugate the Sources. It's clear that this won't be a quick process and he'll have time to finish school and most likely settle here as a teacher (as was the case in the future-past). And he's also an agent of influence, a spy, a saboteur...
"Enemy," Riddle says quietly but meaningfully. No... Gont...
"Enemy," I agree with him, "but a dangerous enemy, with cover from the administration and Grintgots."
"Should we tell them?"
I shake my head:
"It won't work: I've already analysed this version, and it turns out that it will be our word against the word of the administration, and they've probably already taken into account the previous mistake with Hagrid and come up with variations of the Oaths or simply conversations that can be circumvented. Not to mention that they have the ability to simply shut us up.
Tom's gaze became questioning...
"It's quite simple," I explain to him, "you start saying something 'wrong', and Dippet just shuts you up as a 'provocateur' who is 'trying to destabilise the situation in wartime'. Then it's detention... I know it's illegal, but do you think that will stop them? Exactly...
"What if we do it gradually?
"Same thing, only in profile. If whispering starts, it can be stopped. If something serious starts, it's 'provocateurs'. And even if you somehow force Flitwick to 'show the Essence', the administration can explain it away as a 'special operation' against... well, against anything. They'll say that we were all in such danger that we had to work together... Glory to the Noble Goblins! That's if we don't remember that many pure-blooded Rods are green-skinned and hold the eggs.
"And... what do we do now?" The teenager's voice was filled with rage and despair.
"Think.
"Ideally, he should be killed. Or at least expelled from the School for a long time — later, his human mask will fall away completely and everyone will see his goblin blood.
"Kill him," Gont said sternly.
"Yeah, right... 'If you meet a goblin, kill it'. Our ancestors were right...
But even just expelling him for a while... do you think there are many half-breeds like him? They are only compatible with humans through magic, and you also need good looks, magical gifts, brains, training... And you know yourself that incompatible races tend to produce... Hagrids.
With a grunt, Tom stood up...
"All right, let's think about how to get rid of the enemy without getting ourselves into trouble.
"We will. In the meantime... Let me show you a simple but effective non-verbal, wandless spell.
Revival... Well, that's fine, at least we'll have something to keep us busy...
Channel*" La Manche.Minerva McGonagall!**" Please note that this work is not canonical and I may change the order and time of the characters' arrival at the faculty.
Shadow theatre***" quite a popular entertainment in the old days. A lantern was placed in a dark room, and then the actors used their fingers to depict various animals and entire scenes on the screen that appeared. It sounds rather poor, but in reality it all depends on skill — I have personally met people both online and in real life who could perform real mini-plays without even using words.
***
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