Wizards on broomsticks kept swooping in, hurling spells that fell on the dragons like a meteor shower.
Lucifer figured it was selfish to enjoy the spectacle alone, so he flew back, bundled Hermione up tightly, and carried her out so they could watch the meteor shower together.
"Why did the dragons suddenly go crazy?" Hermione asked, baffled from the echoing roars, And doesn't Gringotts have countermeasures? It looks like they can't do anything to stop them," She scrunched up her cute nose, "I thought.. ten trained wizards were enough to subdue a fire dragon. Their enforcement unit should be more elite than that, right?"
The Dragons' rampage only grew fiercer as she talked bad. Between broom-riders and ground forces, the number of wizards involved had already passed fifty and was closing in on a hundred. Yet instead of containing the dragons, the battlefield kept expanding.
Half the Headquarters was collapsed already, and nearby buildings were taking hits too.
"Because the dragons are magically influenced, ten trained wizards can take down a normal fire dragon. These aren't...." He jerked his chin toward the scene, "Look at their eyes. A normal fire dragon has yellow slit pupils. What do you see now?"
"Red!"
With that hint, Hermione immediately noticed the flaw and formed her own theory, "So they didn't go wild on their own. Someone cursed them... Maybe that same thief who stole from Gringotts?"
"Very possible."
It was too far for Lucifer to glean more details with just his eyes, but affecting a dragon's mind like this, forcing them into suicidal, mindless destruction, was definitely the work of a master. Could it be him?
He already had a name in mind.
"Mr. Morningstar! Mr. Morningstar!"
A strained voice yelled from the ground. It was the goblin executive who had received him yesterday, Noby, he shouted again, "I beg you to subdue those five dragons! Gringotts will absolutely offer compensation!"
Lucifer descended towards the shaky ground with Hermione in tow, who finally breathed a sigh of relief at her foot touching it, "And this involves me how?"
"It doesn't, it doesn't at all," Noby said, sweating bullets. "This morning's search was conducted by subordinates who suspected you without authorization. Gringotts does not 'believe' you stole the treasure. Please, if this continues the entire market will be destroyed!"
"Three conditions." Lucifer raised the same fingers, his grin matching even wider than Goblin's toothy, "Tell me what was stolen today, I want one hundred of those balance scales your enforcement teams use. Three: those 'five' dragons belong to me..."
Noby agreed to the first two without hesitation, but the third one made him freeze. Five dragons. A single adult was worth at least a hundred thousand Galleons.
Five meant--- half a million.
Was Morningstar making money or committing daylight robbery?
"I agree, Mr. Morningstar." An older goblin flew over on a broom, voice gravelly with age, "But you must prevent further destruction. If the buildings take more damage or battlefield expands, the Dragons remain the property of Gringotts."
"Finally, someone sensible, I'll take your terms."
Lucifer grabbed Hermione's hand, took a single step, and in the next instant the two of them appeared mid air above the battlefield. A Dragon was already roaring near them.
"Expecto Patronum." His body burst with blinding white light. In seconds, a towering 'thirty-meter' Titan of pure magical light formed around him.
Before the Dragon could react, Ddraig's tail was slammed downward. 'Boom!' The 'fire-breathing' beast rolled its eyes and fainted on the spot.
The other four dragons went berserk at the sight, charging in without hesitation. The Patronus Dragon's surged in size again, growing fifty percent larger. Two extra heads and 'four' additional tails having spikes erupted from its colossal frame, and dense runes crawled across its surface like living ink.
"Dear lord..." Wizards on the scene looked like they were witnessing a godly being descended. The sheer pressure of the thing nearly suffocated them.
Even the 'four' charging fire dragons skidded to a halt. Hermione saw a flash of confusion flicker through their blood-red eyes.
The Patronus, Ddriag didn't pause. Four tails shot out, each clamping onto the neck of a fire dragon.
No matter how they thrashed and writhed, the grip didn't loosen an inch. Instead it only tightened, then whipped the Dragons around and smashed them together in pairs.
Two heavy crashes rang out, followed by the crack of snapping bones. The fire dragons screamed and collapsed, following the first one into blissful unconsciousness. Like tossing out the trash, Ddriag 'flung' them aside and then vanished.
Drifting down to the ground with Hermione in tow. From the moment they struck their deal to now, whole thing hadn't even taken thirty seconds.
The Dragons that enforcers had been tearing their hair out over, terrified to approach, were now sleeping peacefully like oversized pets.
The contrast was so extreme that enforcement team just stared blankly, completely at a loss for what to do.
"Gulp---"
The old goblin who had just agreed to Lucifer's terms swallowed hard. A moment ago he'd been wondering if he could weasel out of the deal, but now... well, goblins were the most honest merchants in the world. A deal was a deal.
Five fire dragons, all belonging to Morningstar now. With a fresh understanding of his combat ability, the goblins immediately restrained their petty schemes. Unlike their ancestors, modern goblins knew how to pick their battles. They understood who could be provoked and who absolutely couldn't.
Their ancestors had been suicidal idiots, trying to scheme for Gryffindor's sword.
The craftsman who forged the blade, "King Ragnuk the First," regretted handing it over the moment he did. In the end, he sent his subjects to steal it back, only to be intercepted by Gryffindor, the most skilled duellist in his time.
Godric Gryffindor then bewitched the goblins, sending them back to Ragnuk with a warning: if he ever tried such a thing again, he, Godric Gryffindor, would use the sword to kill him and all his subjects. Only then did the matter come to an end. One man threatening an entire kingdom, goblins remembered that incident as shame and a warning: 'never provoke those you cannot afford to'
"Mr. Morningstar, you are...?"
When the goblins flew closer, they found boy kneeling beside the unconscious dragons, muttering incantations with his wand pressed to their scales. Lucifer didn't acknowledge them, and they were too scared to interrupt.
When wisps of black smoke drifted out of the dragons' bodies did he finally snap out of his focused trance, "Just so we're clear, I don't care what you lost. If I find it, it's mine."
The goblins hadn't even processed what he meant when they saw him pull out his little pocket world wallet, enlarge it, stuffed all 'five' fire dragons inside, and then toss Hermione in after them.
Lucifer shot into the sky, racing in a single direction, Noby's face went pale. "Not good, Morningstar just found the thief's location!"
"WHAT?!"
xxxxxxx
Egypt's Sahara Desert
Night in the Sahara was terrifyingly silent. Beyond the endless yellow dunes, there were only tiny oases scattered dozens, even hundreds of kilometers apart.
Even with modern technology, almost no one chose to cross this human forbidden zone at night.
A cloud of black mist streaked across the desert like a ghost, silent and swift. It left only the faintest track in the sand, quickly swallowed again by wind.
'Crack----'
From the heavy, brooding sky, lightning crashed without warning and speared toward the black mist. The first bolt missed, but then came a second, then a third. Soon lightning poured down like rain.
"Damn it!"
The Dark mist was forced to a halt. A low, furious voice echoed out as a silver shield snapped into place. Cracks spread visibly across it with every impact.
Unable to stand it any longer, the figure blew the mist apart, revealing a small, stunted creature with an enormous head. His bald skull bulged with blue veins, crisscrossing like layers of snake scales pressed beneath the skin.
He raised his wand and fired a brilliant flash of green light into the sky. The thunderclouds twisted sickly green, then broke apart, scattering the storm in all directions.
Lucifer dropped from above and landed ten meters away, looking down at him without bothering to hide the disgust in his eyes.
The big-headed creature stared back, his narrow pupils filled with murderous rage. His grip tightened around his wand.
"Lucifer Morningstar!"
He smiled lightly.
"I was wondering who had the guts to rob Gringotts twice in a row and actually get away with it. Turns out it was you, little Voldy...We've barely been apart and you're already looking like this? What a downgrade."
Who did Voldemort hate the most?
There used to be no debate: the person he hated, feared, and resented above all was Albus Dumbledore.
Even after Harry's survival left him half-human, half-ghost, convinced the prophecy was real, Voldemort still never placed him at Dumbledore's level. But now two new names had climbed to the top of his hate list, standing right beside the old man.
The 'first' was Grindelwald. That bastard didn't just compete with him for the title of Dark Lord, he even chased him across half of Europe and hunted through the forests of Albania, leaving him in an even weaker state.
If Graham's hadn't eventually found him, who knew how long it would've taken him to recover?
The second was Lucifer. A filthy Mudblood who dared to ruin his attempt to steal 'the Philosopher's Stone', and even killed the Basilisk he'd left behind at Hogwarts. The two of them together seemed hell-bent on erasing him from both history and reality. How could he.. not hate them?
"Tsk tsk... little Voldy, just look at yourself..."
Lucifer shook his head, wand casually pointed at Voldemort's twisted posture. "Where's that old Head Boy dignity now? Seriously, if I snap a picture of you like this and send it to Azkaban for your old followers to see, what do you think they'd say?"
He didn't just threaten, pulled out a camera and snapped two quick shots, wasn't sure yet if he'd show them to the other Death Eaters, but Lucifer was definitely sending a copy to Grindelwald so he could hand it to Barty Jr. You call this thing "Father"?
"'Lucifer," Voldemort rasped, voice cold and serpentine, "you're not walking out of this desert. The Sahara will be your grave. As a gift to someone who killed my Basilisk, I'll even make sure you have a tombstone."
The boy sighed in disappointment, "Voldy, your biggest problem is that you never know your place. Look at the state you're in... Who gave you the right to posture in front of me?"
"I'm the Dark Lord. Even if I was down to a tenth of my full strength, killing you would still be child's play... 'Avada Kedavra!"
Green light burst outward. But a metallic clang followed, an armor clad knight, covered in rust and dripping sand, appeared before Lucifer and blocked Voldemort's killing curse with its shield. Raising his hand, the sky roared to life.
Air and sand twisted into dozens of tornadoes, encircling them, Voldemort's expression contorted-an insult. The storm wasn't meant to attack him. It was laced with magical interference to disrupt the space around them, preventing "Apparition."
What did that mean?
Lucifer was afraid he'd run?!
Fury detonated inside Voldemort. He snapped his hand forward, tongue flicking out as streams of 'Fiendfyre' poured from his mouth, coiling into giant serpents. He thrust his other arm skyward, unleashing black lightning that rained toward the Mudblood, trying to return the humiliation with interest.
Lucifer wasn't even trying to play with him, the half-ruined Voldemort wasn't worth that effort. He stepped once, crossing through the lightning in an instant, appearing before the Fiendfyre serpents. A blast of brutal cold erupted from his wand, freezing the monstrous flames into ice sculptures.
"That's impossible!" Voldemort stared in disbelief. Apparition under this level of magical interference was already ridiculous, but freezing Fiendfyre with a single spell?
What kind of cheat was that?! Shock didn't slow him down. Lord Voldemort's attacks only grew more vicious, Chanting under his breath in a voice that scraped like broken glass, he spoke in Parseltongue. It wasn't for show, but amplified his spellpower.
Moments ago the two had been dueling atop a rocky hill. Now the terrain was ruined and cratered, the hill reduced to a basin. An invisible curse tried to latch onto Lucifer, but the boy let out a cold snort. A phoenix's clear cry shattered through the battlefield, sweeping away the malevolent magic.
"'What the...?" Voldemort was genuinely speechless. Since when were curses that easy to brush off?
"Focus, little Voldy----"
Seizing the opening, Lucifer lashed his wand forward. Silent spells carved through the air, blasting the ground to pieces. The atmosphere itself ignited, closing in like a suffocating net. Voldemort 'found' himself pinned at the center, attacks hammering in from every direction. He threw up his strongest defenses, but each one collapsed the moment it appeared.
Only a silver shield remained.
His power made Voldemort's scalp prickle, or it would have, if he still had hair. The bombardment alone could have made his hair stand on end, "Avada Kedavra!" x2
Both shouted the killing curse at almost the same instant. A crackling shriek split the air as the spells collided, tangling into a single beam. Barely half a second passed before Voldemort's magic collapsed under the overwhelming force.
What remained of the curses hit the silver shield. It wailed, held for a heartbeat, then shattered, just long enough for Voldemort to slip away.
He rode the wind upward, racing into the sky. But just as he got elevation, a column of purple light speared down from above, moving several times faster than "normal magic."
The snarl vanished from Voldemort's face as the purple light swallowed him whole, Lucifer lowered his wand with a sunny little smile, it was Astral.
The sand tornadoes faded. Floating in the air was a clump of something that looked halfway between mist and matter, "Alright, Voldemort. Reality sunk in yet?" Lucifer asked, smiling without any kind of warmth.
"'Why... why are you this strong?"
Voldemort didn't try to flee. He was too busy questioning his whole existence. A one-sided fight had been expected, sure, but wasn't he supposed to be the one dominating?
The suffocating pressure this boy put on him earlier made him genuinely wonder if Dumbledore had taken Polyjuice and turned into a teenage boy. But the 'fighting' style, and that punchable face, clearly said otherwise.
"Because I'm simply stronger than you," Lucifer said with a sigh. "You even failed to kill me in the 'Forbidden Forest' back then. Do you think you ever had a chance? If I were you, I'd find a hole to crawl into and wait for death. Why bother coming out here just to suffer and get burnt?"
"'Don't get cocky!" Voldemort's current form had no face, but his voice came out tight and furious, squeezed through gritted teeth. "I am immortal. No one has walked 'further' on the road to eternal life than I have. Dumbledore couldn't kill me. Gellert Grindelwald failed to capture me. You won't either! 'I have conquered death."
Lucifer didn't bother answering. His eyes simply lit up with crimson light. Voldemort immediately sensed danger and tried to scatter.
"Ah---!"
Screams tore out of the black mist as it visibly thinned, then exploded apart and vanished, "Dead for real?"
Switching to magic-sight, Lucifer scanned the whole area. He eventually spotted faint traces of scattered magic drifting in every direction. He chased them for a while before they abruptly winked out.
"'Man, he's really a pain to kill..."
Lucifer shook his head, half amused, half exasperated, and gained a bit of respect for "Herpo the Foul" to talk about Soul Magic, basically a cheat code, unless every shard was destroyed, or Voldemort's own consciousness unraveled, he gave up on living, he genuinely couldn't die.
His last move had been developed specifically for shredded soul fragments, based on Grindelwald's descriptions and long discussions with Testarossa. It used will and mental force like a grindstone to crush soul and intent, 'far' more effective than simple spells.
It definitely hurt Voldemort, but killing was another matter entirely.
Back on the ground, he picked up a red gemstone that had burst out of Voldemort's body, examining it a moment but saw nothing obvious.
"'Reducto."
A flash of magic passed over it. The gem didn't even crack. It had to be the treasure Voldemort stole from Gringotts. Surviving astral magic without a scratch proved how extraordinary it was.
"Whatever. I'll just ask the goblins."
He pocketed the gem and lazily flew toward Cairo.
xxxxxx
Two and a half hours later,
The main Gringotts headquarters was unusable for now. Almost every enforcer, and a bunch of Aurors sent by the Ministry, had locked down the area to protect the vaults.
Luckily, the goblins were rich enough to own half the city. They had several properties in the Heka Corridor and converted one of the hotels into a temporary office. After getting the address, he strolled right in.
Lucifer found Noby, the goblin who'd handled him before, and several of the highest-ranking elders. Without any courteous preamble, he took out the red gemstone, "This thing is what you guys lost, right?"
While he spoke, he watched their expressions. They tried to keep straight faces, but the flash of joy in their eyes and tiny twitches in their features didn't escape him.
"Think before you speak. Doesn't matter what you say, the gem is my loot now," Lucifer warned sharply.
One of the elder goblins opened his mouth, then deflated. "Fine, Mr. Morningstar... no one is going to take your spoils. That gem is called the Tear of Isis."
Isis, the 'Goddess of Healing' and Magic was central to ancient Egyptian religion. She was known today by her Greek name, Isis, though the ancient Egyptians called her Aset. Her name means "Queen of the Throne."
Her headdress was even shaped like a throne, symbolizing royal authority. She was also one of the most important mother goddesses in Egyptian pantheon, the sister and wife of Osiris, God of the Underworld, and Mother of Horus, God of the sky.
"Osiris, huh?" Lucifer didn't really know much about so called Osiris, but 'Osiris the Sky Dragon' rang a bell immediately. As for Tear of Isis, that came from one of the myth's most famous stories.
Osiris was killed by his jealous brother Seth, who tricked him into lying in a golden chest, sealed it, and threw it into the Nile.
When Isis heard the news, she was devastated. She followed the river all the way to delta and finally recovered the chest. During her journey, Isis transformed into a bird and circled over Osiris's body with outstretched wings. Through that act she conceived and later gave birth to her hawk-headed son, Horus.
But Seth found out Osiris had been recovered, so he used another cruel trick. He chopped Osiris's body into 'fourteen' pieces and scattered them across Egypt.
Isis refused to give up and set out to collect her husband's remains. In the end she recovered thirteen pieces and wept tears of joy. Those were the legendary "Tears of Isis."
Lucifer rolled the red gemstone in his palm, unimpressed, "So I came all the way here in the middle of the night just to listen to mythology? Tears of Isis, huh? Why don't you go find me the 'Eye of Horus' while you're at it? Or Osiris's pen... manhood?"
Because yeah, Osiris got chopped into fourteen pieces, Isis found thirteen, and the one piece that never turned up was... the 'baby-making tool.'
"Mr. Morningstar, everything I said is true," The old goblin Heiman said with a weary smile, "This artifact and its story have been recorded since before Gringotts existed. Even after the Goblin Kingdom fractured, the Tear of Isis has been guarded by our ancestors."
"So what does it do?" Lucifer asked bluntly.
Heiman shook his head. "We don't know. But its absolute resistance to damage proves how extraordinary it is. Since it's in your hands now... the rest is your responsibility."
Lucifer almost laughed. Old goblin really knew how to pass the buck.
Then Noby voiced what every goblin in the room wanted to know, "Since you claimed the artifact, Mr. Morningstar, what about the thief? Did you capture him alive or perhaps..."
The "Tear of Isis" was valuable, sure, but they'd had it for centuries without learning anything from it, Lucifer taking it hurt their pride but didn't actually cost much, other than triggering their racial instinct to hoard shiny things. The thief, however, was a serious threat.
Two robberies in Gringotts, every alarm silent, even the Dragon charmed into submission. After today, people would question whether Gringotts was truly safe.
Someone like that could not be allowed to roam free.
"The one who robbed Gringotts was Voldemort," Lucifer dropped that bomb so casually the goblins collectively forgot how to breathe.
"V-V-Voldemort?" Noby squeaked, his voice practically breaking. "Wasn't he dead?"
"Nah~ Dark wizards always have a few tricks up their sleeves. Voldemort is alive. The Gringotts break-in in Diagon Alley three years ago was also his work... Back then he was working with Quirrell. This time he acted alone. I didn't manage to keep him, but he didn't walk away unscathed either." Lucifer still found it strange. Why was Voldemort acting solo?
The goblins, meanwhile, were still trying to wrap their heads around it.
All three Gringotts break-ins were Voldemort's doing. That bastard was treating their vaults like his personal pantry, come whenever, leave whenever.
If Lucifer hadn't been here sightseeing today, the entire Heka Corridor would probably have been reduced to a pile of ashes under the five fire dragons.
The goblins wanted to keep asking questions, but he had no obligation to give them a detailed briefing. If anything, they still owed him an explanation.
"So, what exactly was stolen yesterday? It must have been really valuable for you to offend everyone."
"This..." Heiman hestiaed then sighed, "It was the Water of Good Fortune."
Good Fortune... what the hell? Lucifer felt another question mark pop up. Why did today feel like story time? First Egyptian mythology, now Beedle the Bard?
Among the Tales of Beedle the Bard, he did remember Astoria reading him up her favourite story, 'The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,' but he also remembered looking up the 'Fountain of Fair Fortune' when Evelyn Greengrass didn't finish whole story, and they ended up snogging instead.
The legendary fountain gave people good luck, cured sickness, granted wealth, healed injuries. According to the goblins, the 'Water of Good Fortune' they possessed had effects similar to Felix Felicis, except without side effects when it wore off, and it could extend lifespan.
Basically a cheat potion. As for where it came from, Heiman finally gave the full explanation. Over two hundred years ago, a British wizard made a deal with Gringotts. He traded one gallon of Good Fortune water for an entire vault filled with gold.
Whatever that wizard's background was, history had long since forgotten him. Lucifer stared directly into Heiman's eyes the whole time. He even dipped into 'Legilimency' just to be sure he wasn't being fed nonsense.
'There really was a Fountain of Good Fortune? So, those children's stories had reality into? What about the rest? The 'Elder Wand, the Cloak of Invisibility, the Resurrection Stone?' And if this one tale was real... did that mean all the other legends in that little storybook exist too?'
"Got any of the water left?" He asked with suspicion, "I'd like to see if it's really as miraculous as you say."
"Mr. Morningstar, that was the last bottle. The rest were stolen by Vold- by the Dark Lord," Heeman's face twisted with pain; the other goblins didn't look much better, like their hearts had been gouged out. The 'Tear of Isis' was useless to them, but Fortune water... Fortune water was a benefit they might've actually gotten a share of. And now it was all gone.
Lucifer dropped another blade-sharp question. "Whether it's Tear of Isis or the water, how did Voldemort learn about something that secret in the first place?"
None of the goblins could answer. They'd been wondering the same thing, where had Voldemort even heard about any of this? Did he actually know how to use the Tear of Isis properly?
Too late to think about that now. Gringotts had taken a double loss today.
"The strongest 'fortress' usually falls from within." Lucifer tossed the line over his shoulder as he walked away, leaving the goblins staring at one another, suspicion already blooming in their eyes.
Because he wasn't wrong. Unless someone on the inside had betrayed them, how else could Voldemort have known everything so clearly?
Back at Newt's little cabin, he released Hermione from his pocket dimension.
The moment she learned that all of this had been Voldemort's doing behind the scenes, her face went pale. It wasn't surprising every young witch and wizard in England had read the horror stories about Voldemort.
But getting rid of fear was easy enough.
Lucifer pulled out the memory of that brief fight, the very one with Voldemort and projected it for her, letting her experience it from the inside.
"See? Maybe Voldemort isn't weak, but I'm way stronger."
No comforting words could compete with the raw impact of reality. After watching the whole fight, Hermione was still shaken by their power... but most of her 'fear' had burned away, replaced by something warmer: Adoration. 'My boyfriend is incredible.'
He handed her the Tear of Isis as well.
She turned the gem-like droplet over in her hand, admiring it for a while before getting bored, it looked pretty, but that was about all she could tell.
The two of them lay in bed and talked for ages about 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard', listing everything in the book that might actually be real.
Eventually, Hermione drifted off to sleep. Lucifer didn't dwell on today's gains or puzzles either. Some things couldn't be figured out just by thinking. He didn't need to be omniscient; just needed to keep moving forward, steady step by steady step.
xxxxxxx
Meanwhile, along Egypt's coastline.
Nebula was out collecting a set of rare poisonous ingredients on Voldemort's orders. Luckily they'd split up earlier. Otherwise, even if he escaped, she would've been finished.
She had just secured a generous haul of oleander and monkshood and was in a great mood, already imagining the Dark Lord's praise, when a bolt of pain stabbed through her skull. She screamed.
Black mist streamed out of her eyes, ears, and mouth, and more black smoke came rushing in from every direction, thickening into a swirling mass above her.
Even through the agony, she recognized what it meant, looked up, voice cracking with panic. "Master! Master, what happened?!"
Voldemort had been burned badly today. Before splitting up, he had placed a mark on Nebula not just for tracking, but as a failsafe. If things went south, he could ride that imprint to escape.
The moment she saw the black mist, she knew he had died, 'again.' The smoke roiled and squeezed together for a full five minutes before all of it finally converged in one spot.
No matter how much she screamed, the mist didn't respond. Richard was stunned into silence. 'What the hell? My boss is this unreliable? He finally gets a body and someone immediately beats him to death again?'
For one brief shining moment, his desire to switch employers hit an all time high. At this rate, if he kept following Voldemort, 'forget' returning to England for revenge against Dumbledore, he was lucky if he could even keep a whole boss.
No one knew whether it was his wife's shrieking or Voldemort's own consciousness clawing its way back, but finally, a voice drifted out of the smoke, thin and ragged, "Wh-who am I? Where is this? Damn it, why does it hurt so much...?"
Nebula froze.
Richard went numb.
For a moment, she felt as if her heart had torn open. Had her brilliant, once, invincible master really lost his memory and turned into some wandering ghost with no self?
...Thankfully, the worst didn't happen.
Voldemort had indeed been beaten senseless, but his instinctive refusal to die slowly dragged him back. Bit by bit, his mind cleared, his memories returned. And once he remembered everything, the very first thing he did was roar, "LUCCCIFERRR!"
The venom in his voice made both Richard and Nebula shudder. Just how deep did that hatred run, to make Voldemort sound like he wanted to tear Morningstar apart with his bare hands?
"Master, you encountered him?" She asked cautiously, not wanting to get under his bad mood, "Then the item you were looking for..."
"What item!" The black mist around him thrashed violently as Voldemort snarled, "Look at me! I'm back in this pathetic excuse for a form. What exactly do you think I could've brought back?! That damned brat ruined everything!"
"M... Master," Nebula stammered at a loss, "What happened? With your greatness, how could Morningstar possibly defeat you?"
The mist said nothing. Yes... he was the great 'Lord Voldemort', the true Dark Lord, heir to the noble bloodline of Salazar Slytherin. By what right could Morningstar win? But facts were facts. Lucifer's power surpassed anything he had imagined, so much so it had filled him with fear... and jealousy that bordered on lunacy.
What had he been doing in fourth year? Attending classes obediently, trying to make friends, making himself look respectable and well-liked. Then sneaking into the Restricted Section late at night, gulping down 'forbidden' knowledge while praying no one noticed a thing.
But now... thinking of the way Lucifer fought just now, Voldemort wasn't even certain that his strongest self could have beaten the boy. With him silent, the Grahams Couple didn't dare make a sound. The air fell into an oppressive, suffocating stillness.
Only after a long while did Voldemort free himself from that tangle of emotions. His mood settled, "Nebula. Never underestimate Morningstar. After this fight, I understand completely, his threat is no less than Dumbledore or Grindelwald. With only a fragment of a body, I was no match for him. It was... it was a miserable defeat."
Nebula's eyes widened in disbelief, while despair flickered behind her husband. Their son had taken a deep hatred for the boy, for no reason, and wanted revenge against a monster like that?
Sensing their change in mood, Voldemort actually chuckled, "This isn't the end. It's only the beginning. Now, we must be more careful. And more patient." His voice softened, almost like a teacher giving advice, "The world is changing quickly. Competitors are everywhere. But it's fine... If I defeat them all, I'll prove myself the strongest. Tear of Isis? Whatever. I have leads on other relics."
"Yes!" Richard hurried to agree, while deciding to give his foolish son Malcolm a severe beating, "Master, anyway, we did manage to steal the water that came from the legendary Fountain of Fair Fortune..."
"Steal?" Voldemort repeated the word, and his voice dropped to an icy chill, "I don't like that choice of words. It wasn't stolen. That water belonged to my ancestors and was entrusted to Gringotts. I merely took it back, understood?"
"U-understood!"
"Good." The black mist shot toward Nebula and fused into her body. Voldemort sounded weak as he said, "Let's go. Keep heading south, there's something I want in Chad."
xxxxxx
Lucifer slept in until he woke naturally. The next morning, he resumed yesterday's unfinished business: checking on his girlfriend's backside, her "physical condition." The two stayed wrapped up together until noon before 'finally' stepping out the door.
Today was blazing hot, the sun burning in a cloudless sky. Just like most summer days in Egypt, but from anywhere in the Heka Corridor, as long as your view wasn't blocked by a roof, you could look up and see the battered ruins of Gringotts.
Thankfully, far fewer enforcers patrolled the streets today, and the goblin frenzy had quieted.
Clearly, the goblins trusted Lucifer's information: with Voldemort out of the picture for now, Gringotts was safe. And there was no reason to waste manpower hunting him down, better to bring everyone back and concentrate on rebuilding.
The Dragons' destruction was saturated with magic, and paired with all the wards and enchantments embedded in the building, it wasn't something a simple 'Reparo' could fix.
Restoring Gringotts to its former state would cost a ridiculous amount of money and manpower. The worst part was... they also had to find new dragons. The goblins absolutely loathed Voldemort, and they were just as furious at Lucifer for swooping in during the chaos and making off with his spoils.
Lucifer and Hermione, however, were in great spirits. Since the Heka Corridor was a no-go for now, they just kept wandering on the Muggle side. Plenty of fun things to do there anyway.
Along the way, he had to take out his WhatsApp every now and then to respond to messages from all over.
The bigger the incident, the faster it spread. Gringotts had been robbed, a dragon riot had followed, and within one night the news had spread across half the planet. A bunch of wizarding newspapers ran it as front-page headlines.
Everyone from the girls to Newt sent him messages. They weren't worried for his safety, but they still wanted to check in and make sure he was fine.
When Lucifer saw that Dumbledore had sent him a message too, he grinned. While they rested in a café, he started chatting with the old man.
『Lucifer Morningstar』: Professor, guess who attacked Gringotts last night?
Far away at Hogwarts, Dumbledore suddenly felt a bad premonition and scribbled back quickly.
『Albus Dumbledore』: Was it Voldemort?
『Lucifer Morningstar』: Truly perceptive as always. I actually ran into him... [photo attached]
The photo made Dumbledore's white eyebrows knot together, Lucifer didn't even need to say it. Just by looking, he could tell it was Voldemort. Appearances could change, but that poisonous gaze and that aura, no one else had it. After a few back and forths, he got the general story.
『Albus Dumbledore』: That was a magnificent battle. Lucifer, you defeated him head-on. Good.
『Lucifer Morningstar』: Just a damaged, half-form Voldemort. Hardly counts as magnificent. Fighting you would be another story, Professor.
『Albus Dumbledore』: Spare these old bones... Lucifer, what exactly was inside the Egyptian Gringotts that he cared so much about?
Taking the chance to tell him about 'Tears of Isis' and the 'Fountain of Fair Fortune's' water. He'd mentioned Voldemort partly because he wanted leads, hoping Dumbledore might know something.
But Dumbledore was just as surprised that the mythical relics actually existed, no leads at all. After chatting for a bit, Lucifer closed the WhatsApp empty-handed.
Well, not entirely empty-handed. At least Dumbledore was now nervous and apparently considering a trip to Africa.
Across from him, Hermione ended video call with her Grandfather. She sighed and smiled helplessly, "He suggested we change destinations. It took me a long time to convince him to relax..."
"Can't blame him. Who'd expect us to run right into something like that on day one? Crazy luck, really."
"Do you want to switch?" Hermione asked while her pout was upside down.
Lucifer seeing that couldn't stop the twitch of his eyelid, "Not necessary. Let's just stay here, we'll go to another country next trip."
"Okay, your call. So where to now?"
"The pyramids. There's a little market over there. Newt said they sell mummy shrouds. I want to bring some back..."
For the next few days, they explored everywhere, hitting all the 'famous' sights and taking tons of photos. Hermione picked her favorites, printed multiple copies, and sent them back home with postcards. In the meantime, the goblins tracked Lucifer down once and delivered the balance scale they'd promised.
And they had another request.
"Mr. Morningstar, we'd like you to design a defensive system for Gringotts," Noby said, respectfully setting down a gift of fifty thousand Galleons.
Too bad he wasn't interested in money at the moment, and refused without hesitation. So, Gringotts made a new offer, help him establish guilds in Egypt and several nearby countries.
That offer actually tempted him.
The Guild network across continental Europe had gone smoothly. Almost every country had one now, except the tiny ones. But beyond Europe, progress stalled. In the end, he agreed. He spent 'four hours' designing a complete defensive and alert system for Gringotts. It was flawless, just one look made it clear it was far superior to anything they'd seen before.
The goblins tried to get Lucifer to install it himself and got booted out the door on the spot. Alchemists and experts in ancient runes could handle the actual deployment. Free labor? Not happening. After sending off the greedy goblins, he headed into Tempest.
The five Dragons were already awake, chained up again and kept inside a makeshift den by Aoyuki. They might have lived underground without sunlight, but Gringotts hadn't abused their dragons. On contrary, they were well taken care of, and all five were elite specimens of their species.
To put it in gamer terms: Dragons from wildlife preserves were elite mobs; Gringotts-raised dragons were epic or even champion-level pets for Aoyuki to raise. Though... maybe he could send one back to Hogwarts to guard the place. But how much should he charge for renting a dragon?
Meanwhile, in Scotland, Dumbledore was packing for a trip to Africa. He suddenly sneezed, rubbed his nose, and quietly added another thick coat to his suitcase.
xxxxxxx
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye, Lucifer and Hermione boarded a plane and flew back to London. After having dinner with Wendell. and Mrs. Granger, he took his leave and returned Lux to rest. The next day, he traveled to Milan with Tracey, as they had arranged earlier.
In the Muggle world, the Apennine Peninsula was in a golden age. Economic recovery, booming industries everywhere, life was good.
But in the Wizarding world, not so much. Back when Grindelwald had just broken out of prison, Italy pretended nothing happened. At 'International Confederation' meetings, they sat there like ghosts, never offering opinions. While Babajide ran around begging for support against Grindelwald, the Italian Ministry barely twitched.
Only after Grindelwald won and forced Dumbledore into that Blood Pact did Italy finally poke its head back out and try contacting the Acolytes to rekindle old alliances. And the answer was... 'no thanks.'
Grindelwald never wanted to deal with Italian wizards again for the rest of his life. His review of Italy's magical community went something like: "They look like reliable allies, but in truth they're more dangerous and exhausting than enemies."
"To protect those idiots and keep opportunists from losing faith, do you know how many loyal followers of mine got arrested because of them?"
"If I could do it over, I'd force them intoDumbledore's camp instead."
To get Grindelwald this angry, you can imagine how hopelessly abstract Italian wizard politics must be.
To be fair, though, Italians had great artistic taste. Their robes and magical household items were far more elegant than the British ones. The food was better, too.
Lucifer slipped fully into vacation mode, but Davis clearly didn't. Even abroad she kept worrying about 'Mistress Kanan's Workshop.'
One morning he woke up to the sound of her arguing with Yorkshire about sales numbers for a new product line. But he didn't interfere. This was how Tracey found purpose. Forcing her to slack off like him would make her miserable.
While she was out checking the accounts at a local branch, Lucifer snuck off to watch a few runway shows. Fashion standards hadn't collapsed yet, every model seemed beautiful, elegant, and perfectly balanced. When it was over, he bought a pile of clothes and magazines for Astoria.
The little witch loved fashion magazines and analyzing new designs. And at this rate, she'd probably grow up to be a little tailor.
The following week, Lucifer and Darcy spent their break on the beaches of Barcelona. The best in Europe, endless bikinis, and he finally had an excuse to use that enchanted pair of "Nicolas glasses."
While Lucifer was enjoying himself, Voldemort was dragging Richard's wife through a frantic escape.
...Dumbledore had arrived.
The newspaper headline showed Dumbledore smiling in 'front' of the ruins of Gringotts, announcing that he would personally upgrade their defenses. But Voldemort swore he was there because of him, 'that damn boy must have told the old man something! Was he trying to use this chance to finish me for good?
For someone who had twice escaped monsters on the level of dark lords, Voldemort suddenly wasn't so confident about his Horcruxes.
Lucifer had almost scrambled his mind last time. If Dumbledore found him again, would he end up as some brainless ghost? Immortality would become a joke, an eternal suffering.
"I'll be back!" Voldy spat, forcing Nebula's body to stare north as he swore revenge.
xxxxxx
"I'm back!"
Lucifer returned from his beach outing in a great mood, walked into the private villa, and hugged Hermione, who was still doing research even on their vacation.
"Stop," Hermione blushed, then shared her good news cheerfully, "About the object and vampires you asked, I've narrowed it down to a few suspicious candidates, Hopping Pot, is it any good?"
"...."
xxxxxx
A few days later, Greengrass Mansion
Lucifer opened his mouth, and Astoria popped a grape in with skin and all, he didn't mind the seeds. Nearby, Daphne was sampling the fruit he'd brought back from Egypt. A whole table was laid out with all kinds of exotic treats.
True to form, the young lady's tastes shifted quickly; she'd take a bite or two of each before moving on. The two pandas sat behind her, watching eagerly. The moment Daphne switched to something new, they'd pounce and polish off whatever she'd left behind.
The scene was unhurried and blissfully relaxed. If Dumbledore could see this, he'd probably weep tears of envy. This was the retirement life he'd dreamed of, one that Lucifer was already enjoying a century ahead of schedule.
Lady Greengrass stood by the window, shaking her head with a soft laugh. Ever since Lucifer returned a few days ago, he'd completely switched into slacker mode, and both her daughters were glued to his side.
She'd planned to hire an etiquette tutor to straighten them out during the holiday. That plan had gone straight down the drain. Ah well. If it had to be delayed, it had to be delayed. Sooner or later he would get busy again with 'four' newborns.'
"Oh, right."
After discreetly licking Astoria's fingers and leaving the girl blushing furiously, Lucifer suddenly remembered he actually had something important to do.
"My teacher, Nicolas, is coming back tomorrow, I'm taking Hermione to his place for dinner..."
She had spent half a month digging through records and had finally turned up a 'few' promising leads on the second task he gave her, read up on Vampires, Lucifer forwarded everything to Nicolas Flamel without hesitation who wanted to research the new mutation.
In the end, none of those people turned out to be connected, but Nicolas was still impressed. His grudges with a few of them were extremely obscure; the fact that Hermione could tease out clues from such scant hints spoke volumes about her intelligence.
So when he returned from France, before Lucifer could even bring it up, Nicolas took the initiative and invited him to bring Hermione over so he could meet her again properly, last time at Christmas, the girl was barely audible to voice her questions.
Daphne and Astoria both knew Hermione had long wanted to change her image in front of Nicolas Flamel, and see his Manor, so neither of them suggested tagging along.
The next day, Lucifer went to the Granger house to pick her up. He ended up waiting over an hour before the young witch finally dawdled out of her bedroom, "You never put this much effort in when you go out with me, 'your boyfriend," he said, sounding more than a little sour.
By third year, Hermione had started to grow into her looks, he found it both nice and slightly regrettable. She was in that in-between stage, no longer a little kid, not quite a young woman just yet.
Hermione snorted loudly at the boy's vicious reaction, he was seriously grumbling, "When we go out to play, it's just for 'fun.' Why would I dress up so formally? Today I'm meeting Nicolas Flamel. Without any holiday distractions, How could that be the same?"
Scowling, Lucifer grabbed her hand, and took a single step. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the estate in Dorset.
At that moment, Nicolas and Perenelle were enjoying tea in the tea room. The sudden appearance of the two of them startled the couple so badly that he nearly dropped his teacup.
Hermione looked like she was about to cry. Who does things like this? It was her 'first' visit. She hadn't even walked in through the front door, she'd done 'Shadow travel' straight into their faces.
"Couldn't you at least give some warning?" Nicolas obviously snapped, "Trying to give me a heart attack so you can inherit my wealth?"
"How was I supposed to know you were in tea room? I was just planning to grab something to eat first."
There was no arguing with Lucifer's shamelessness. Seeing Hermione still looking shaken and unfocused, Nicolas softened his tone, "Don't be afraid, child. This is my home, and it's basically this brat's home too. There's no need for all that stiff formality here."
Perenelle smiled and nodded in agreement. After all, the old couple was well practiced at playing the role of Lucifer's guardians. If Hogwarts ever held parent-teacher meetings, they'd probably attend without missing a beat.
Before long, Hermione's nerves settled, though she still seemed a little reserved. Usually, when he brought Astoria, Daphne, or Valentine over, Madame Perenelle handled the hosting. This time, knowing Granger's personality well, it was Nicolas instead.
These two barely exchanged any small talk. After just a few sentences, the conversation naturally drifted into academic territory.
Lucifer, meanwhile, was rummaging around the room in search of snacks, until Perenelle couldn't stand it anymore and simply had the house-elves serve dinner.
Normally, living this close, they would have invited Newt over.
Unfortunately, he and Tina had left for the United States with their grandson Rolf a couple of days ago and wouldn't be back until the Quidditch World Cup.
"You should stay the night," Nicolas said over dinner. "It's not like we don't have the space."
Lucifer glanced at Hermione. Seeing no objection, he nodded casually.
Nicolas found her breadth of knowledge and sharp insight deeply impressive. For a student to have such a solid foundation was rare, excluding freaks like Lucifer who simply defied comparison.
What truly won him over, though, was that Hermione was always thinking. Everything she learned was actively processed and ready to be used. She was an excellent material for studying alchemy.
After all, in alchemy, raw magical talent mattered less than a vast knowledge base, strong comprehension, and meticulous execution. With those, one could become an outstanding Alchemist.
But to become a true master required creativity, something that applied to almost every field. To rise above others, you needed a unique style and skills no one else could replicate.
Hermione Granger's performance made Nicolas seriously consider taking her on. Training a student like Lucifer had brought him pride and satisfaction, but when a student was too brilliant, it also robbed a teacher of any sense of achievement.
She was just right. Smart enough, but not monstrously so. Diligent and eager to learn, without the risk of becoming arrogant after a little success.
When Nicolas expressed his interest, Hermione accepted in a 'fluster' of disbelief and gratitude. They agreed that she would come to the estate for lessons every afternoon from two to five.
"Tomorrow I'll go to the Ministry and connect your fireplace to the Floo Network..."
Hermione hesitated, but she very much wanted to come over, but breaking the rules was a problem for her, she had always insisted on Makima to bring her at Lux, "But I'm not of age yet, and my parents are Muggles. That's illegal, isn't it?"
Lucifer waved it off, doing an amused eye-roll, "I can bend the rules. Don't worry about that stuff, just focus on learning from your teacher."
Nicolas nodded in agreement and said earnestly, "Child, I know you're a good kid. But you need to understand that privilege exists in both the Muggle and the Wizarding world. You have to learn when it's appropriate to bend the rules to make things easier for yourself.... As long as you're not harming anyone, you don't need to feel guilty about it."
She nodded awkwardly, still unsure of herself, but agreed. After dinner, Hermione followed a house-elf to familiarize herself with the estate, while Lucifer and Nicolas headed to the pocket world, he took the ruby, giving it a quick glance.
"Are you sure what those goblins said was true?"
"I used Legilimency on them at the time. After that I went back, grabbed a few more goblins, and fed them Veritaserum. Same answer every time. They all said it was Tear of Isis."
"So, it must be true... unless their ancestors lied to them." The old man fell silent for a moment, "About the 'Fountain of Fair Fortune'... I've actually heard it."
"Huh?"
Lucifer straightened up, indignant showing on his face, "Then why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"Because I didn't believe it was real," Nicolas said, shaking his head. "Do you know Enzo?"
"Enzo... Enzo Avada?" He thought for a moment, "What does he have to do with the Fountain of Fair Fortune?"
Just hearing the surname told you who he was. The creator of the 'Killing Curse.' The man himself wasn't famous in his own time, but the spell he invented would be passed down for countless generations.
"Yes. That Enzo," Nicolas said softly. "Someone once researched his life. Early on, he was completely ordinary. No special talent, nothing that stood out. But after he disappeared at the age of thirty-three, he reappeared twenty years later... He looked exactly the same, yet his magical power had increased severalfold. He challenged duel after duel and never lost. The 'Killing Curse' became his signature spell, the unblockable Avada Kedavra...One of his close friends once said that Enzo found the island where the 'Fountain of Fair Fortune' was located. He stayed there for more than half a month. After that, he became what he was."
"Half a month?" Lucifer raised an eyebrow, "So, the implication is that time on that island works differently from the outside world?"
"According to that story, yes. But there are far too many stories like that in Wizarding world. The credibility is... maybe 20% at best. I only knew it because of Enzo Avada himself. The place where he vanished was Egypt..."
"The Island of Fortune is in Egypt, or somewhere nearby in the Mediterranean?" Lucifer instinctively looked at Nicolas, but the old man immediately shook his head.
"Don't even think about dragging me out to sea to help you hunt for some island. If you're really interested, go catch Voldemort..."
Right, Voldemort was the closest person to the truth, Lucifer knew the 'Fountain of Fair Fortune' and 'Tear of Isis' were in Gringotts' possession, and he also knew what they were for and how to use them. Catch him, and everything would become clear.
Then, he smacked his forehead in frustration, "If I'd known, I wouldn't have hit so hard. I should've captured him and taken my time..."
Nicolas couldn't help laughing. "That's what you get for being so murder happy. You're always jumping straight to killing people."
"I just wanted to solve the problem once and for all," The boy sighed, he stood up from the rock and dusted himself off, "I'm done thinking about it. You take your time researching. Let me know if you 'find' anything."
"Don't get your hopes up. I'm not exactly confident."
"Whatever."
With nothing gained, Lucifer didn't dwell on it, took the Tear of Isis back, making 'final' of using it as gift for Testarossa, spending a few years down there with her, he had already sent Grindelwald a copy of the photo he'd taken of Voldemort.
The moment he received it, he logged off. The reforming of Barty Jr was nearly complete. Any task he was given, he carried out flawlessly. The only problem was his mouth. Open it and it was Master, close it and it was the Dark Lord.
Still, the way he said it had grown increasingly casual. The reverence he once had was almost gone. That photo might have been the final straw.
Grindelwald didn't care that it was the middle of the night. He forcibly summoned Barty Jr.
"Why are you looking for me this late?" Barty only just fell asleep and was clearly in a foul mood. A piece of parchment flew into his hand. He glanced down, and his pupils shrank.
"Recognize him?" Grindelwald said with a mocking tone, "Your 'master' has fallen this far... no, actually, this is the good version. Because Lucifer already blew him apart. You know what happened in Egypt, right?"
Barty was sharp. "You mean... my master was the one who robbed Gringotts?"
"That's right. Unfortunately, Lucifer shattered his fantasy, and now he's back to drifting around as a wraith."
"So you're working with that brat?"
'Thud!'
A crushing pressure slammed down without warning. Barty was forced to his knees. He stared up at Grindelwald in shock, unable to understand what had set him off.
"Show respect to those stronger than you," Gellert said coldly, his eyes raging up a winter storm,"Brat? What right do you have to call him that? Lucifer is countless times stronger than your master. If he's a brat, then what does that make Voldemort'? A dung beetle?"
Grindelwald had originally planned to finish breaking Barty today, but he lost the mood entirely. He waved his hand impatiently, "Get out."
Barty froze.
He could feel the change in Grindelwald's attitude.
Before, Grindelwald wasn't exactly kind, but he'd had patience. He was willing to lecture him, even if those lectures were clearly purposeful. Now... there was coldness and disgust.
All because of a single word?
Not understanding, but panic rose unbidden in his chest. The comfortable days he'd enjoyed lately had almost made Barty forget that he was nothing more than a prisoner.
If Grindelwald had treated him badly from the start, it wouldn't have mattered. But after tasting concern, being thrown back into indifference was a shock Barty couldn't accept.
Seeing Grindelwald frown, clearly about to drive him out again, Barty finally lowered his head, "I'm sorry. I was wrong."
"Hm?"
Grindelwald paused. That was unexpected.
"I shouldn't have looked down on a wizard stronger than myself," Barty said quietly, "I'll be more careful in the future."
After a long silence, Gellert walked over and personally pulled him to his feet, "Good. Only by admitting your shortcomings can you continue to improve. I look forward to your future performance. Now I have a question... If Voldemort appeared before you, would you choose to follow him, or stay by my side?"
Barty didn't answer, his eyes said everything.
xxxxxx
Lucifer'd come back from the 'White Primordial's Domain', near Lake Shore, but he slept badly that night. By the next morning, his head felt like mush, Hermione practically had to help him finish breakfast.
"What's wrong with you?" The little witch asked anxiously. She reached out to touch his forehead, then her own, "You don't have a fever..."
"I'm fine," Lucifer said stiffly, shaking his head, he was already missing laying his face on her thighs, "I just need to lie down for a bit."
Hermione hurried to help him back to bed. Even after he closed his eyes, she stayed by his side, unwilling to leave. But his mood's reverse cycle was fast. By the afternoon, before she headed to class, he was basically back to normal.
After watching him bounce around, the bushy haired girl finally believed he was fine. But she didn't make it to class, her professor, furious and wand in hand, came storming out to hunt down Lucifer.
"Brat! You're dragging my new student behind. Out!"
"...."
Kicked out of the estate by Nicolas, Lucifer sighed his way back to his own place on the mountaintop. Several spells shot into sky, scattering the clouds. He lounged in a deck chair under the sun and took stock of----
xxxxxxx
Next, he went out and had Granger family's 'fireplace' connected to the Floo Network at the Ministry of Magic. Then he paid another visit to the Arkham Asylum Guild to restock Banfield' Maids for the new branches and give instructions for the next phase of work.
If the Wizarding world were a massive game, then Asylum had just released a server-wide event quest, 'preparing for the World Cup.'
This wasn't limited to British wizards. Anywhere a guild branch existed, the quest sat at the very top of the job board. From construction, to ward placement, to component manufacturing, dozens of specialized tasks were available. The pay was generous, and any wizard could find something suited to them.
The original plan was for a venue to hold 100,000 spectators. That had now been upgraded to 300,000, complete with global broadcasts and dedicated commentators. It was set to be the largest World Cup in history. Fudge had been riding high lately.
Never mind what the truth was. To outside world, this spectacle was the result of his brilliant leadership.
The Ministry had also set up some kind of 'Preparatory Committee.' Fudge even stuffed Umbridge into it as his own pair of eyes. Not to seize power, just to make sure his share of the credit didn't get diluted. Crouch couldn't be bothered to stop him.
Finally, after a full day spent tying up loose ends, Hannah's exam was naturally postponed. Ever considerate, the girl said it was fine. Then the same night, she went straight back under covers to continue arguing with herself.
xxxxxx
In Berlin. After his mental defenses were completely shattered, Barty Jr let himself go entirely. Where he once worshipped Voldemort, that devotion had now been transferred wholesale to Grindelwald, and with even greater 'fanaticism' than before.
If you set raw power aside, Gellert surpassed everyone in every other respect: influence, reach, and charisma. More importantly, he gave Barty a much bigger stage to play on.
This time, Grindelwald handed Barty a truly heavyweight assignment. He was to take a team to Constantinople (Istanbul) and stir things up. That crossroads between Europe and Asia was something he had to control.
xxxxxx
In Britain, where Crouch was still buried under preparations for the World Cup and the inter school magical tournament, he received news that his son was stable. The relief hit him so hard he broke down in tears. He locked himself in his office for the entire afternoon and refused to see anyone.
Did Crouch love Barty?
A little, perhaps. No matter how many unforgivable things Barty had done, he was still the only heir of the Crouch family, his only son.
But more of that love belonged to his late wife. She had traded her life for Barty's. In a way, Barty's continued existence was an extension of hers.
There was also hatred for Voldemort. That man had destroyed his family, and Crouch could never allow his son to remain loyal to him.
Even if it meant Barty becoming a tool for another Dark Lord, even if it meant destroying himself in the process, he would accept it. By the time work ended, Crouch had finally pulled himself together. He picked up his briefcase and left his office.
"Mr. Crouch, are you all right?"
Percy Weasley, newly hired, hurried over. Seeing the redness around Crouch's eyes, he asked carefully.
"I'm fine, Weasley. Tonight I want a preliminary seating plan for the West Stand. Pay close attention to national and cultural differences... Don't seat wizarding groups with existing tensions too close together."
Percy lit up like he'd been injected with adrenaline. "Yes, sir! I'll be careful!"
Crouch nodded in satisfaction.
Percy might be rigid, but he wasn't stupid. He worked hard and had energy to spare. A single person doing the work of three. Having him around had lightened Crouch's load considerably, "Keep it up, Weasley," he said, rare praise slipping out, "I see a bright future for you."
That single sentence sent Percy into a fit of excitement. After Crouch left, he rushed back into his small office, scooped up a stack of files, and went home. It looked like another night of unpaid overtime was on the menu.
xxxxx
Meanwhile, Dumbledore arrived at a small village at the foot of Mount Cairngorm in northern Scotland.
Inside a shabby little yard, a man sat across from him, his face crisscrossed with scars and a fake eye set in its socket. This was Alastor Moody, the greatest Auror in English history, a name that made countless Death Eaters tremble.
"So, Alastor," Dumbledore asked, he still felt, he needed more to go on, the man was crazy, "I have transferred your salary, you won't go back on word, right?"
Moody took a long swig from the flask he carried everywhere. His magical eye spun, fixing on Dumbledore for a moment, "Albus, I've just gotten used to retirement. And now you want to drag me back in?"
"I don't have much choice. Suitable professors are in short supply. Remus did well, but he's found a new direction in life, I had to let him go." It was a good decision coming here, Dumbledore smiled helplessly.
Moody however snorted, "So you came to ruin mine instead?"
"One year," Dumbledore said seriously. "I only need you to fill in for a year. Hogwarts will be... lively next term. And there will be some unstable factors. I need your experience and your instincts."
"Unstable?" Frowning, he took a sip from his flask, then popped up, "You mean Grindelwald?"
"No, Threats out in the open are rarely the real danger. What matters are the undercurrents hidden beneath the surface of peace."
He had found a few clues in Africa, but Voldemort had acted decisively, cutting off outside contact and burying himself even deeper.
And then there was North America. If Agilbert Fontaine were the one coming to the next event, Dumbledore would actually feel more at ease. But if it was the Vice headmaster again, that could only mean Fontaine was hiding something he didn't want discovered.
Dumbledore didn't say any of this. It was his habit to keep unpleasant secrets to himself.
And Moody knew him well enough not to expect many answers, "Fine," he said after a deep breath. "I've got nothing better to do. I'll go knock some sense into those brats." Then something occurred to him, and he changed tack, "Albus, there's a hell of a kid at Hogwarts right now."
Pausing for a bit, then he said at once, "You mean Lucifer?"
"Who else? His reputation's almost on par with yours these days. Filthy rich, founder of the Arkham Asylum Guild, host of the Quidditch World Cup. None of that bothers me...But the blood on that boy," Moody said, his eyes narrowing, "I've never seen anything like it. Albus, have you thought about how young he is... and how many wizards have already died by his hand? Compared to him, the Death Eaters rotting in Azkaban look like model citizens... And you're telling me you're not 'worried?"
"Worried about what?" Dumbledore asked calmly.
"Don't play dumb with me. Worried he'll become the next Voldemort."
The Headmaster who came to poach him with a cursed job, suddenly laughed, leaving Moody completely baffled. "What's so funny?"
"Alastor, you're underestimating Lucifer," Dumbledore said, shaking his head, "I've spent a lot of time talking with him, and I understand how he thinks. He is reasonable, loyal to his friends, and the very fact that he has a Patronus proves he isn't evil, a person filled with hope and life. He simply has different ideas and sometimes uses deceptive methods. Voldemort can't be compared to him."
"..."
"Alastor, when you get to the school, don't ever say something like that in front of Lucifer. Otherwise... I'm afraid he'll hold a grudge and teach you a lesson. He could even team up with Severus..."
Both of Moody's eyes flew wide open. Even his magical eye whirred at full power, as if checking whether the man in front of him was an impostor. "Albus, are you serious? There's a cold-blooded little devil killing without blinking among your students, and you can still laugh?"
Dumbledore's smile faded slightly. "I'll admit that he has sent a number of people on their way. But that isn't his fault... A child raised in suffering is always more sensitive than others, and more prone to extreme reactions."
Moody finally accepted that Albus Dumbledore before him was genuine.
But there was no way this man wasn't under the influence of some damn 'Confundus Charm.' How else could someone's views change so drastically in such a short time?
xxxxxx
Lucifer the talk of those old Wizards', meanwhile, shot toward the Moon's south pole at top speed. There lay the largest crater on the Moon, the 'Aitken Basin.' Over 2,500 kilometers across and more than 13 kilometers deep.
If the Moon hadn't intercepted that meteor, Earth would have been finished long ago. His way of venting for all that work did in past three years on this Wizarding world was simple. He unleashed magic without restraint, bombarding the crater until its diameter expanded by another hundred kilometers.
He ended up panting and exhausted, but it 'felt' incredible. Letting loose like that, without holding anything back, was pure bliss. After lying on the ground and resting for most of the day, fully recovered, Lucifer finally flew toward Earth.
The moment, he entered the atmosphere, a streak of black light shot toward him at extreme speed.
"Wuu-!"
"All right, all right, see? I'm fine."
Lucifer lay sprawled across the little fine, the big one's back, soothing her, while he took relaxed, "Honestly, this is kind of your fault too. Why didn't you warn me last time? If I'd known, I would've done some adaptation before going to the Moon, it had a magical disease for wizards..."
"Wuu-!"
Usagi looked utterly wronged. How did this end up being her fault? Even Lucifer felt how shameless that sounded once the words were out. He scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.
To make it up to her, he let Usagi shrink back into her old small-snake form and took her home to keep her company for a few days.
Once back on the ground, he headed straight for the Greengrass estate and had the three house-elves lay out an entire feast, Daphne and Astoria rushed over as soon as they heard Lucifer was back.
Seeing how much thinner he looked, both sisters' eyes instantly turned red. What on earth had he been doing? How could someone lose that much weight in under three days?
But there was no time to question him now. Judging by the way he was devouring the food, he was clearly starving, "So good... I feel like I've come back to life..."
After wiping out two full tables of food, Lucifer leaned back in his chair and sighed in bliss. Apparently, when you're truly focused, you don't feel hunger at all. Once you finally relax, it all comes crashing in at once.
Daphne looked at him with watery eyes, "Hey, what did you go do?"
Lucifer answered honestly, "I ran into a really tough disease. I thought too hard and forgot to eat these past few days..." As he spoke, he pulled Daphne into his arms and planted several loud kisses on her, "See? Other than being way too hungry, I'm not hurt at all. Don't worry."
Daphne puffed out her cheeks and nodded, with a large blush on the side of her neck, "Then no matter what trouble you run into next time, you have to eat on time."
"I promise." Burying the girl's head against his chest, Lucifer hugged her tightly. While Daphne couldn't see, he stole a quick two-second kiss from Astoria as well.
That 'finally' soothed the Greengrass sisters. Unfortunately for him, Evelyn had chosen that exact moment to walk in. The timing couldn't have been worse, she had seen everything. Her vision nearly went dark.
"...." The sudden appearance of Evelyn, his wife, his growing child's mother, and future mother-in-law was obviously not part of the plan. Doing it publicly was okay, but behind each daughter's back was no good, that's what she had said, cause Daphne was kind of a buffoon, Evelyn Greengrass felt bad for her.
But Lucifer had already tempered the universe itself. Putting everything else aside, his shamelessness alone had leveled up to the highest tiers in all his years. Not only was he not embarrassed, he even winked knowingly at the girl's mother, giving her subtle hints to join the bedroom together again.
"...." Lady Greengrass froze for a moment, then cradling her belly, she pointed toward study upstairs and slipped away without a sound.
"Mm... Lucifer, it's so stuffy." Daphne lifted her head, cheeks flushed. Not from shyness, but because he had been holding her too tightly, "Huh? Astoria, why is your face so red too?"
She felt the temperature in the living room. It was cool enough. Had Astoria suddenly stopped being sensitive to heat and cold?
"I... I'm worried about Lucifer," The silver-haired girl said obediently, blinking her eyes cutely, "He hasn't slept for almost three days. He must be exhausted, right?"
"That's true!" Daphne suddenly realized it and immediately jumped down, pushing Lucifer toward the stairs to make him sleep.
"Hey, don't rush. Evelyn told me to go to the study first, maybe she has something to talk about..."
"Mom really is something these days. Ignore her, we'll go talk to her for you." People say daughters grow closer to outsiders, and that saying works both at home and abroad. If you don't feel it, that just means they don't love you enough.
Lucifer definitely felt it now, as he went back to Daphne's room to catch up on sleep. Lady Greengrass felt it too, 'double the impact!'
The next afternoon, Evelyn finally got her wish and saw her husband, "These two daughters of mine..." She shook her head, "Husband, I almost regret you meeting them so early. If it had been a few years later, I could've kept them by my side longer. But now, do you want to make me a Grandma..."
Lucifer gave an awkward smile, "Meeting early is good too. More stable, you know." A wizard's dating pool was painfully small. In Britain, if you didn't want to marry a Muggle, your only real option was Hogwarts, "So, what did you want to see me about?"
Evelyn's resentment was palpable, and he quickly changed the subject.
"Crouch is about to drop dead from exhaustion," She said bluntly, it was already hard for Lucifer to not stare at the wet droplets at her nipples, her naked breasts were resting on the table, she was growing, "The upcoming Tournament, the World Cup, and whatever it was you had him tinkering with. In short, there's too much. I took over part of the workload....Arrange for more people to help. These past few days have nearly worked your wife to death."
Lucifer could clearly read the words 'I want to give up' written all over her face. His future mother-in-law had never been particularly career driven. Her greatest wish was simply to lift the 'family' blood curse and see her two daughters grow up safely.
Instead, she had been dragged into handling all this mess while just being two months away from delivery. No wonder her resentment was sky high. But she couldn't refuse either. Otherwise, the looks from daughters alone would make her miserable. So, the best solution was to deal with the problem at its source, the damn Morningstar who "impregnated" her.
Lucifer, who was usually the one passing the buck, hadn't expected to end up holding it this time, "Give me a bit more time," he said, blinking away from the desk, and looked at her face for properly, she had been glaring, "Ten days at most. Crouch will get a perfect assistant..."
"You said ten days, if it goes over, no breast milk for 'you', and sleep on the couch, I'm saving it up for the baby."
"I won't, it's too nourishing to let go," The boy patted his chest and agreed. In the end, the topic fizzled out, Lucifer made an excuse to leave and headed for Abbott's house.
xxxxxx
When the little witch learned that her mother had taken up pregnancy quite well, she clung to Lucifer like an overexcited koala, showering him with frantic kisses. Luckily, Hannah didn't have a habit of wearing lipstick, or he would have been covered in marks by now.
"Don't get too excited just yet," He said, pinning down the girl as she kept squirming, "This is your first time. If there's any problem with the process, I won't let you take the risk."
"I know. But I believe you'll be here with me, our child will be healthy..."
Every girl has a hero in her heart. For Hannah, Lucifer was that hero. Everything she had now, and she would ever have, had been given to her by him. Her belief in him was absolute.
xxxxxx
Great Britain, England.
~~Gloucestershire
Godric's Hollow lay within this remote county. Of course, that was the wizarding name. In the Muggle world, it was called the Dean Valley, with the Forest of Dean to the east.
It couldn't compare to Hogsmeade, but there were plenty of wizards living in Godric's Hollow. The Potters once lived here, calling it a semi wizard settlement was more than justified, Lucifer had even heard the Dumbledore's lived too.
As soon as he reached the village entrance, felt the traces of magic. On the north side of the valley, 'Muggle Repelling Charms' were in place. Any Muggle who tried to approach would be gently driven away, their thoughts turning to more pressing matters elsewhere.
Never one to forget a grudge, he remembered that one of his enemies lived here too. Grindelwald's great-aunt, 'Bathilda Bagshot.'
Back when he was angling for the 'Order of Merlin', the old woman had been hopping around making a fuss about his age. On top of that, she was a renowned historian of magic. The textbook currently used at Hogwarts was her work. She had also criticized Evelyn's 'History of the Wizarding World' more than once, claiming she cited sources that couldn't be verified.
She being the Greengrass family's Matriarch, had slapped her down hard in response. 'If you can't find the sources, that's your problem. My materials came straight from those families. Maybe ask yourself why they won't give them to you.'
Rumor had it that after that exchange, the old bat spent a month and a half in St. Mungo's. Lucifer still wasn't satisfied however, he turned around and went after 'Hogwarts: A History of Magic' instead. He picked out over two hundred errors. And he didn't release them all at once, every few days, the 'Daily Prophet' would publish a handful more.
By now, Bagshot was so furious she'd lost her clarity. The new edition of Hogwarts: A History of Magic stalled halfway through. Dumbledore had even tried to mediate between them, only for Lucifer to brush him off by changing the subject. Offend his wife, delay his 'First Order of Merlin' and expect peace afterward? There was no such person in this world.
The only real pity was that Professor Binns was too resistant to new things. Otherwise, Lucifer would have replaced the textbook for her as well.
He glanced at the low house on the hillside. Seeing that the lights were still on, he quietly decided that the day his own book was completed, he'd celebrate by giving Bagshot something extra. Enough to send her back to St. Mungo's for another stay.
For now, he would just look around the 'infamous' Godric's Hollow.
xxxxxx
August arrived, and the Quidditch World Cup final drew closer by the day. London's streets filled with oddly dressed visitors. The 'Ministry of Magic' had been working overtime for days straight, and things were only going to get worse.
The largest gathering of wizards in history. Hundreds of thousands, all arriving at once. If anything went wrong, it would be an absolute nightmare for the Ministry.
Inside the 'Department of Magical Transportation----'
Staring at the mountain of entry applications, temporary Floo Network access requests, and Portkey landing approvals piled on her desk, Evelyn Greengrass who had to come at her job on maternity leaves 'felt' a vein throb violently in her forehead. She had a powerful urge to set the whole stack on fire.
She had been Department head for ten years. But the total workload of that decade didn't even come close to what she'd handled in just over a week. And all of it... was the blessing bestowed upon her by her wonderful Husband, her baby's 'father', and future son in law of two daughters.
The 'Department of Magical Transportation' also handled part of customs. Every foreign wizard entering Britain had to pass through her office. And nearly two hundred thousand spectators were coming from abroad.
Night fell, Evelyn was dragging her exhausted body home, while laughter drifted in from the Living room.
Her two adorable daughters were roughhousing together. Normally, she would have smiled at the warm, loving scene. But today?
'I'm drowning in paperwork at the Ministry, and you two little darlings of the culprit are living carefree lives every single day... Does that seem fair? Does that make any sense at all? I am working hard for your sibling!'
"Still playing?" Lady Greengrass grabbed one ear in each hand, she was downright furious today, Daphne's and Astoria would have to suffer with her, she thought.
"Ow, 'Mom', what are you doing?!" Daphne bared her teeth, protesting loudly.
Evelyn too loudly snapped back, she glared down at her, "The entire summer and you haven't done a single useful thing. Have you even finished your homework?"
"Of course we have!" She said confidently. In truth, Daphne'd passed the assignments off to other students. But Lucifer had told her that process didn't matter as long as the goal was achieved.
"Then why don't you read a book?" She arched her brows, her tone pure curt, not being fooled in the slightest, Evelyn knew her girls well, "And tell your boyfriend that if he doesn't deliver the helper he promised by tomorrow, you two are coming to the Ministry for internships. 'Unpaid."
After scolding her daughters, Lady Greengrass felt refreshed, almost reborn. She headed upstairs for a bath. The sisters exchanged a look, both seeing the same helplessness in each other's eyes.
"What do we do?" Daphne asked, rubbing her now swollen earlobe.
Astoria sighed like a tiny adult, "What else can we do? She's gotten so big, and would pop out. We ask fat-Lucifer for help...." She had to bite her tongue before calling the boy 'father, in front of her older sister who would get upset.
"I'll do it!" Daphne hopped off the couch and scampered back to her room, tapping out a message at top speed.
{Lucifer, save us!}
xxxxxx