"Harry Potter! Harry Potter!"
Ron burst into the Great Hall in a panic, completely ignoring the students quietly eating breakfast as he ran straight through.
"What's going on? Why are you so worked up?"
Harry Potter didn't appreciate this kind of scene. In fact, he didn't like being famous, and Ron shouting like that made him feel extremely awkward.
"Haha! I just made a shocking discovery! You saw Professor Snape got hurt, right?"
Ron pouted in Snape's direction, motioning for Harry to look.
"Yeah, I saw. He's walking like a limp old man!"
Harry couldn't explain it, but seeing Snape injured actually made him feel a little happy.
"Watch your words, Harry Potter! He is still your professor, after all."
Hermione chimed in at the worst possible moment, pointing out the boys' insensitivity.
"Oh, come on! People call him the old bat! Loads of students don't like him. What I'm saying is—Snape smelled like drool." Ron said excitedly.
Harry looked at him strangely. Drool?
"How would you even know that? Were you lying on top of Professor Snape or something?"
"Gross!"
Hermione wrinkled her nose in disgust, as if Ron had done something utterly filthy.
"Why are you all looking at me like that? The smell on him was from a three-headed dog! We've smelled it before, remember?"
Ron's words brought it all back. Hermione and Harry both clearly remembered. It was that time the three of them had stumbled into that room while trying to avoid Mrs. Norris.
Hermione found herself growing nostalgic for the friendship the three of them used to share. But the not-so-mature young girl, after observing the boys' expressions carefully, realized—they didn't seem to care that their friendship was fading. She had thought to remind them... but now, maybe she wouldn't bother.
It was clearly a Cerberus—a magical, ferocious three-headed hellhound—yet Hagrid, the half-giant, had the audacity to call it "Fluffy," like it was just a dog with three heads. Even Regulus Black would want to complain about that. Sure, maybe you've got the strength to raise a tiger like it's a housecat—but don't call the tiger a kitten!
The two boys were still deep in thought. What kind of dangerous magical creature like that would be guarding something? It had to be something Dumbledore valued greatly. Something that could be stolen. Something Hagrid had taken from Dumbledore's vault.
Meanwhile, Hermione already knew she'd be transferring to Ravenclaw—or rather, she had already transferred. So long as she avoided Professor Flitwick and any interaction with Ravenclaws, she had to be careful not to do anything that would cause a shift in "history." That meant staying out of whatever the two boys were planning.
What really occupied Hermione's heart now was:
"Mr. Regulus Black went through all that trouble just to help me transfer... and what if that thing he said half-jokingly actually came true someday?"
Realizing she might be swooning, Hermione quickly patted her cheeks to wake herself up, trying to hide the blush creeping across her face.
[Soul Domination] was a spell that could increase a puppet's resistance to various types of magic—or be used to simply dominate a particular soul.
Though he hadn't directly cast it on Hermione, a weakened and simplified version of the spell had been attached to the Time-Turner he gave the young girl. This effect of [Soul Domination] would slowly and subtly increase her affection. As long as the target didn't have a negative impression of the caster, the increase in affection would be permanent.
Hermione was someone with a mind of her own. If there was any intention to deviate from the original storyline, a little nudge like this was necessary. Otherwise, who knows when the plot might need her to do something utterly irrational—just for the sake of "what was supposed to happen."
Months flew by after the start of term, but the oppressive, tense atmosphere in Potions class remained unchanged.
Professor Snape glanced coldly around the classroom. The students' expressions—miserable as if life itself had left them—brought him great satisfaction.
Originally, Gryffindor had at least one top student who worked hard to prove herself. But now, Gryffindor was left with nothing but accidents and unspeakable disasters, standing in stark contrast to the composed and orderly Slytherin half of the classroom.
Since joining Ravenclaw, Hermione had finally understood how to use the Time-Turner properly. She also came to grasp the Ravenclaw approach to life: quietly gaining knowledge to enrich oneself.
She could now ignore Slytherin's noble superiority complex, nudge Gryffindors to throw themselves at dangerous experiments, and guide the helpful Hufflepuffs into solving various problems.
We are Ravenclaw—born solely for the pursuit of knowledge, destined to spend our lives immersed in the sea of learning.
As per Ravenclaw tradition, Hermione was assigned a "senior sister." From the moment she arrived, Cho Chang became her esteemed elder sister.
That very night, Hermione was ambushed by Cho—who, wearing pajamas and clutching a pillow, climbed right into her bed.
This completely different way of life pulled Hermione away from the reckless antics of Gryffindor once and for all.
However, as someone who had once been a brave member of Gryffindor, Hermione couldn't help but feel that the Ravenclaw eagles were just a bit too timid.
Especially after Potions class—each one of them looked like a rain-drenched chick, shivering under Professor Snape's relentless verbal venom. In the end, only Hermione emerged unscathed. With no comparison, there's no damage—but because she faced Snape head-on with courage, Hermione became known as a hero within Ravenclaw.
Sipping Ravenclaw's afternoon tea in leisure, Hermione honestly didn't know how to thank Regulus Black enough.
A better learning environment, self-confidence, and friends closer than family—all of this, she gained after transferring Houses.
Thinking back, if she had rejected the offer, Hermione felt a cold shiver of regret. She probably would've spent her days trailing behind the boys on wild adventures. Not that it would've been terrible, but reckless behavior is still reckless—success only means they were lucky enough not to die.
Christmas was approaching, and during this period, Regulus Black had been extremely busy. The moment he finished his teaching duties at school, he'd vanish from Hogwarts, since there was another estate outside that needed managing.
With magical spells and a system-integrated storage space, Regulus Black effortlessly transported building materials to Beheading Valley.
A large section of land near the hell fissure in Beheading Valley had already been marked out. It would become the private estate of the Duke of House Black.
To construct this estate, Regulus Black had worked on and off for nearly a month.
He found a design firm, and with the help of gold and magic, had them produce their best manor blueprints.
Combining Gothic and Baroque styles, the manor had five floors above ground and two below. Viewed from the sky, the building took the shape of a grand Baroque-style cross, while from any angle on the ground, its outer walls bore the distinct features of Gothic architecture.
The interior was more practical, but its various sculptures and landscaping reflected the atmosphere of Beheading Valley—darkness, despair, absurdity, and death. Walking through in black robes would make you feel as though you were in a Gothic cathedral.
Currently, the entire manor was staffed only by Madam Cook and her two daughters, Miss Karenna Cook and Miss Catelyn Cook. Madam Cook served as the housekeeper, while her daughters were both maids—and also Regulus Black's apprentices.
Due to the sheer size and number of buildings in the manor, Regulus had to develop new methods to help Madam Cook manage the estate more efficiently.
He left behind two books. In the game Diablo II, two of the most important items were the Tome of Identify and the Tome of Town Portal.
However, the two books Regulus left behind were titled: The Master's Blessing (The Book of Contracts) and The Butler's Handbook.
The Master's Blessing contained details about Regulus Black, the estate's Master—lavishly praising him and his accomplishments. It also recorded the names of those who had joined the estate: Madam Cook as the housekeeper, and Karenna and Catelyn Cook as the maids.
In the future, any new members added to the estate would automatically be recorded in the book, as it was magically bound to the manor.
The other book, The Butler's Handbook, was what helped Madam Cook manage the estate. It documented everything about the manor—resources, expenses, daily tasks, and more.
It even came with a few basic spells, such as:
"Lumos",
"Scourgify",
"Aguamenti",
"Impervius",
and "Incendio."
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