Dark Hogwarts

They lived like knizzles,

The Seven Merry Weasleys:

The whole family, bedlam since childhood.

Oh, those Weasleys...

***

When we returned together by the same route from our trip, the days began to fly by one after another in the blissful cares of living in the hospitable house of Lockhart.

The guardian himself focused all his attention on Sally-Ann, having lost all interest in the rest of the children.

No, he was still sociable and friendly to us, but the invisible connection that he maintained with each of the Hogwarts students was gone. You could talk to him, ask him something, or tell him at the dinner table how our day went, but the initiative from Lockhart himself disappeared in this regard.

But with Sally-Ann... Our guardian did not leave her for a moment, devoting all his free time to getting to know the girl more closely. No, there were no intimate advances on Lockhart's part. At least, I didn't even notice a hint of it. He just constantly told her something, introduced her to his house in much more detail than the others, and even ordered the maids to obey my classmate in everything.

Lockhart showed a similar attitude towards the new guest, a stone creature that Sally Ann lightly called a Cabaret. The name was funny, but it quickly stuck to the creature, and it was no longer called anything else.

The guardian took out a special mixture of some kind of magic compound feed in a roundabout way, which he happily ate Kabarashkas. It was thanks to this, as well as because of the caring attitude towards Sally-Ann, Lockhart managed to win over the animal, which took the wizard, if not for a friend, then for a good acquaintance of his mistress, which made the attitude towards him appropriate.

Gilderoy Lockhart turned out to be a very cunning fox.

The magical animal was quite active, obeyed its mistress in everything and often "molted", dropping pebbles from its body, which the maids methodically collected and took them to their master's office. Once I managed to find a similar stone - I quietly put it in my pocket, remaining unnoticed, and then hid it in a suitcase.

Unfortunately, such cases were no longer provided, as the maids watched the Tavern day and night. But even a single instance of a rare "living stone" I was glad. You never know what exactly such a thing might be useful for. As a last resort, I'll sell it to someone, or make a gift if I still don't find a use for the magic thing.

Once again, I was convinced that our guardian had significant connections throughout the Ministry of Magic. How else to explain the fact that in just a few weeks he managed to achieve the status of permanent guardian for the girl?

Yes, for this purpose, on one of the last days in July, Lockhart, along with Sally-Ann, went to the Ministry for the mandatory custody confirmation procedure. Strangely enough, but according to the girl, her opinion was taken into account just as much, and in the absence of the child's desire, custody could be safely refused, despite all the possibilities of the rich wizard and his various useful acquaintances behind his back.

However, Sally-Ann agreed. The distinctive features of the girl were not only short stature and a pessimistic and even sometimes evil character, but also a fairly healthy pragmatism. In all this situation, the girl saw a relatively bright future in the absence of any tricks.

A rich wizard who will provide for her. A place where she can spend the summer safely and with a familiar good-natured guardian. Protection that can help her even at Hogwarts, since the girl is important to Lockhart alive, because in the event of Sally Ann's death, her pet will crumble, and the properties of the living stone will disappear with it.

All this pushed her to accept custody, and I didn't even think to dissuade her. Yes, it was fraught with possible risks. Yes, Lockhart could have ended up with his skeletons in the basement, which he barricaded shortly after our arrival in such a way that I stopped thinking about trying to get there. But recommending that the girl abandon a mutually beneficial agreement with a guardian would be much more stupid, which would eventually affect not only me, but also Sally-Ann herself, if she listened to my words.

As for protection, by the way, Lockhart, oddly enough, one day turned to me:

— Kyle, I'm aware of how you helped your classmates with their first year at the castle. It is complicated in its own way, so it is a very brave and right thing to do. In the following courses... Let's just say that you will inevitably move away from each other, because Hogwarts will open up to you in full. I want to ask you to look after Sally during her studies, as you did in your freshman year. And in gratitude, let's say I'll send you a cash gift every summer. Well, what do you say?

Of course, I agreed. There was no point in giving up free money, especially magic money, and Sally Ann was not a stranger to me. If I had the opportunity to help her with something, I would do it without any monetary incentives.

Plus, my ego was so warmed by the thought that even an adult magician appreciated my successes and actions in the first year. If I continue at this pace, I may begin to show some hope among the powerful of this world, which will inevitably reduce the probability of my death during my studies, if this world can work according to the laws of logic and common sense at all.

Summer has definitely had a beneficial effect on me. It turned out that things weren't so bad outside of Hogwarts. Wizards were not maniacs, psychopaths and murderers, but rather ordinary people with their own advantages and disadvantages. Muggles work as servants or live in their own world, and are not visual material on the structure of their own bodies for the sake of ingredients, as Quirrell presented it to us. Let everyone have their own interests, and various intrigues in any society are inevitable, but in this society it was possible and necessary to live, not survive.

Moreover, Lockhart's example showed me the full range of possibilities even for Muggle-born wizards. Once you graduate from Hogwarts, the Ministry will pay you Muggle money, and the status of a wizard will allow you to live a comfortable life.

Yes, this idyll can be easily disrupted by serving in the Ministry or recruiting the same Dumbledore, or even starting a large-scale war between entire continents. But in the prism of peacetime, existence in this society as a wizard had undeniable advantages and preferences, for which the incentive to graduate from Hogwarts painlessly increased, drowning out the desire to take revenge on all teachers in general and the headmaster in particular.

But I still had six whole years to study in this god-cursed castle, and the events of the canon implied a fairly high probability of a new civil war, once Voldemort was reborn.

And I didn't even have a thought how it could be experienced, and on whose side to be at the same time. I don't think the Dark Lord is all about goodness and justice. Rather, I see him as exactly the same domineering wizard as Dumbledore. Only one managed to take over the government, and the other was destined to lose and sink into oblivion for eleven years now.

August 1st.

We woke up reluctantly, as we spent the rest of the night looking at Harry's gifts that he received on his birthday. And besides, Lockhart, having found out about the birthday boy, gave us a real picnic against the sunset, hiring a special enchanter for this purpose, which for that day arranged a clearing in front of the guardian's house into something truly magical.

Harry was happy. He met his twelve years with friends, received congratulatory letters, various small gifts, which from the point of view of a teenager were perceived as real treasures.

That's what it means to replace the eternal loneliness of the Dursleys with friendship among classmates. I was quite touched by how much Harry appreciates any kind of care and attention from anyone. Yes, he even began to worship Lockhart when he found out about the planned picnic!

The long-awaited date has arrived, on which it was planned to change the place of stay and stay with Ron for the last month of the holidays.

Lockhart notified us about the correspondence with Mrs. Weasley. They agreed on everything in it, so with the help of a fireplace with flying powder, Ron's mother arrived this morning straight to our cunning guardian's house.

And why didn't he take us off the platform with this fireplace? Was it really only his desire to fly and give impressionable students a ride, making a positive impression? Indeed, Lockhart's motives are inscrutable.

Molly Weasley turned out to be an ardent fan of such a famous writer, so instead of a quick departure, the adults were having tea downstairs, while we sat on ready-made suitcases and said goodbye to the rest of the Muggle-born classmates.

— It will be much more boring here without you, — Sophie admitted sadly, — now you leave, then Jack will leave. Sally-Ann is with Lockhart all the time...

— Cheer up, girlfriend, — optimistic Jack shoved the girl, — this is a real resort compared to Hogwarts. Get high and have fun, and we'll meet at school soon.

— Come on, Sophie, — I put my hand on her shoulder, — spend the rest of your time with Hermione. I know that you communicate well, and without us, all the awkwardness between you will subside.

— Mm-hmm... Yes, you're right, Jack. And you, Kyle, thanks for the support," she agreed, sitting on my made—up bed and swinging her legs, —Hermione is quite interesting. She's not a bad girl, you know...

— And I'm not telling you anything against it. But you know about our situation with her, so personally I'm not offended.

There was an awkward silence in the room.

— So that's it... See you at Hogwarts? — after a while, a thoughtful Sally-Ann spoke up, who was still a little embarrassed in front of the others for having a rare pet and a permanent guardian.

Although the girl hid her feelings, her mood was incapable of lying. It was very important for Sally-Ann not to lose her newfound friends, but she also did not want to give up the opportunity to spend the summer with Lockhart.

Now, we're going to spend the next summer holidays apart, and Dumbledore alone knows if we'll get an equally acceptable guardian, or if our Muggle-born siblings are destined to run into someone terrible or cruel.

"Yes," I replied, lost in my own thoughts, "in just a month, and already back to school. I don't even want to think about what awaits us there.

— Children! Kyle, Harry! Come here. Mrs. Weasley is ready to go! Lockhart shouted to us in a ringing voice from the lower floor.

— Okay, guys. See you. Have a good rest before school," I said, and then hugged Sophie, Jack, and Sally-Ann in turn.

Such intimacy was new to all of us, and even I experienced something exciting in my actions. Harry never dared to repeat my hugs on the girls, terribly embarrassed at the same time and incoherently mumbled the words of farewell. The girls blushed, feeling the piquancy of the situation.

What can I do - we spent this month being constantly together, so the girls became quite close people for me. And I didn't mean anything indecent by hugging. The usual friendly "hugs", after which the world does not seem so gloomy and hopeless. At least for a while.

I think I feel the beginnings of sentimentality in myself.

After rolling our suitcases, Harry and I went downstairs, and there Lockhart and a smiling Molly Weasley were already waiting for us.

— Well, guys, it's time to go. Ron has probably been waiting for you there already," she rubbed her hands, examining us.

"Goodbye, Mr. Lockhart," I said to my guardian, "thank you for your hospitality."

— Goodbye, friends, — he waved his hand and put a snow—white napkin to his eyelid, wiping away a non-existent tear and thereby causing emotion in Mrs. Weasley, - it was infinitely pleasant for me to spend this summer with you. Harry, Kyle," he winked at the mention of my name, "have a good study, we'll definitely meet someday!"

— So, my dears, — Molly Weasley put her hands on our shoulders, and began to speak softly, — now you and I will move into my house with the help of volatile powder. Do you know how to use it?

I nodded, and Harry shook his head.

— You need to take a handful of gunpowder, go into the fireplace and say loudly and clearly the place where you want to be. In this case, you need to pronounce the word "Hole", after which you immediately throw gunpowder at your feet. Is everything clear?

—Um, it doesn't seem difficult," Harry scratched his head and looked at me questioningly.

I hope he doesn't stumble in one word, as happened in the canonical version of events?

—Yes, I see, Mrs. Weasley, thank you," I replied, "I can go first and show Harry an example of how it's done."

— Yes, good, good... Oh, and one more thing," she looked around and got closer to us, "the fact is that Ron has a sister, Ginny. I think he told you about her. So, she is going to Hogwarts this year, so I kindly ask you: in her presence, do not communicate by word, hint, or gesture on all topics related to Hogwarts and studying there. Otherwise, you can not only endanger my daughter, but you will end up being punished at school. It would be better if you and Ron spent time separately, and Ginny separately. Agreed? Molly looked at us worriedly.

I forgot about that. Ginny is a future freshman. And she, like her neighbor Luna Lovegood, has yet to learn all the "delights" of school life. And we really shouldn't tell them anything unless we want to make it worse.

But they will not have a student with an adult consciousness on the course, who will get to most of the basics and rules in the first week of study. What will happen to the freshmen this year? And do we really just have to be like other senior courses, and silently watch the confusion and suffering of children? Amazing cruelty, which, as it turned out, has two sides of the coin. And so far, we have fully experienced only one of these sides.

— Yes, — I swallowed a lump in my throat, — we won't tell her anything about Hogwarts and we won't talk to her at all, Mrs. Weasley. I promise.

— That's nice, — she hesitated from an uncomfortable conversation.

Are adults really so humbly accepting such wild rules for their children? These are what edifying examples occurred in their memory, since any rudiments of indignation or open disagreement were not mentioned, not only in newspapers, but also in private conversations. But, apparently, Mrs. Weasley knows that this is wild, but she can't do anything about it, which is why she pretends that this is the norm. It's as if the ban on communicating with a first-year daughter, who, for a second, can easily die at school, is some kind of routine, which is the order of things here.

With similar thoughts, I stood in the fireplace of the living room, which expanded upon activation and began to occupy almost the entire wall. Somehow I put my suitcase next to me, took a handful of gunpowder provided to me by Mrs. Weasley, and prepared for my first movement in space with the help of magic.

— Nora! I said firmly and clearly, throwing the powder at my feet. After this action, flashes of bright green flame appeared in front of my eyes, and the world around me seemed to narrow for a second.

It feels unusual. It was difficult to even describe them in any way. But there were no negative feelings, rather they were unusual and unusual in the human understanding. In any case, you will have to get used to it willy-nilly.

— Kyle, hi! — Ron jumped up to me, who was sitting on the floor next to the fireplace at home, — move away quickly, you can't stay in the fireplace for a long time, otherwise others may push you out with their arrival, — with these words Ron took my suitcase, and also stretched out his hand so that I came out of the fireplace, not too much Getting dirty, — how glad I am to see you! — the boy exclaimed when I was in the room.

— Nice to meet you too, Ron. Thanks again for inviting us to stay with you," I replied to my red—haired friend.

—Come on," he waved away, "my mother has been buzzing about you all the time. However, she talked more about Harry... But you were also mentioned when I told her about our lessons and your successes.

Suddenly, a bright green flash appeared behind me, and dirty Harry appeared in the fireplace. We helped him out.

— Well, tell me, how do you like the guardian? What did you do besides this trip? Cool, actually! I'd like to go there too, but Dad said it's very difficult and expensive to get to this Valley, so it's probably not fate yet," Ron sighed sadly.

Yes, Lockhart allowed three of his owls to be used, who carried letters to our friends. So, Harry mostly wrote to Ron, and I corresponded with Neville, Seamus and the girls of our faculty. Even Susan sent a letter congratulating her on her birthday, which took place back in early July.

While we were talking with Ron and sharing impressions that cannot be conveyed on paper, Mrs. Weasley appeared from the fireplace, climbing out of it with amazing ease, not a bit dirty in soot and soot. She was a little late-apparently she wanted to give us more time before we left the fireplace. Well, or else she cooed with her idol - who knows?

— We got there, guys. Great. Ron, take your friends to your bedroom, and then show them our house and the surrounding area. I'll be expecting you for lunch in a few hours, so don't go far," Mrs. Weasley said, going about her business.

Ron followed my mother's instructions, and we followed him to the top floor of a spacious, cozy house.

From the rooms in the house, their location and magical strays, it was immediately possible to understand that wizards lived here. Here and there we encountered a wide variety of charms: from the clock in the living room, which showed the condition of each member of the Weasley family, to enchanted objects in the kitchen, whether it was a towel that rubbed glassware, or a broom that swept the floor on its own.

"We're lucky to some extent, because my bedroom is on the top floor," Ron told us on the way, "Percy, Fred, George, and Ginny have bedrooms on the ground floor, so we're unlikely to be disturbed or disturbed in any way. But here's a ghoul... Yes, he can be a problem - the trapdoor to the attic where he sits is right in my room. That's how he's usually quiet, just creaking something all the time. But sometimes something comes over him, and the ghoul starts howling. I've already got used to it, but you - be ready," he informed us, climbing the stairs.

— Ron, why do you need a ghoul in the attic? Is he protecting you from something? I asked the boy a question. I was really curious, because I didn't know much about ghouls.

— No, it seems that his parents keep him as a pet. Although... The twins once told me that the presence of a ghoul prevents the appearance of other dark creatures in the house. I don't know, maybe it was just another joke of theirs...

Suddenly, right on the stairs, little Ginny Weasley ran out at us, dressed in pajamas.

She stared at Harry with all her eyes, in a kind of state of shock.

— Ginny, what are you doing? Ron asked, looking at his sister's strange behavior in disbelief.

— Hi, I'm Kyle, — I held out my hand to the frozen girl to greet her.

Instead of answering, Ginny looked at me, then at her brother, and stormed off to her bedroom without saying a word.

— Em... You will forgive her. My sister just annoyed me by asking about you guys. But I am... Well, I can't tell her about Hogwarts. Even her mother scolded her for this, although she had never raised her voice at Ginny before.

"I think she was just really embarrassed because she didn't expect to see us here," Harry said, looking awkwardly towards the girl's bedroom.

—I support you,— I said, shoving Harry in the side.

— Ay, what are you doing? — He was indignant.

— And you don't look at Ron's sister too much.

— Me?! No, you're not, I'm just... — Harry was completely confused after his future passion according to the canon version. It is not surprising that the boy has awakened some interest in Ginny already now.

— Okay, okay. I was joking. Let's move on. By the way, Ron, what does it feel like to live in a family with a person in whose presence you can't say anything about school? I'm really interested - are you just ignoring her as a family? Was it the same with you?

Ron hesitated.

— Well, we generally try not to bring up the subject of school when Ginny is at home. Or we talk about her without any specifics. And... yes, a year ago they did the same thing to me, which made Ginny and me even more friends. And now she thinks I'm almost a traitor... As if it were my fault that she was forbidden to inform her about the upcoming difficulties almost on pain of death," he shuddered from resentment and injustice.

Yeah, it's an unpleasant situation. And yet, I was haunted by the question of how exactly Hogwarts would find out that a student had received information support from friends or parents.

Let's say I am. He demonstrated at school the wonders of his shrewdness, bordering on awareness, and repeatedly. So why wasn't I even suspected of information tricks? Because I lived with Muggles? Or was I actually being tested, just having my memory erased, without finding anything in my memories? But then, did they find out that I am a hitman? It's just a lot of questions...

And what happens if, before going to school, the future student figures something out on his own, without outside help. For example, he will eavesdrop on someone's conversation or read a rare article about the Hogwarts rules in the newspaper... Will there be any consequences in this case? And who exactly will they affect?

In general, the implementation of a forced and uncompromising system of ignorance of future freshmen raised a lot of questions. How does it all work, and most importantly, why?

There have been no answers so far, but maybe I can find out from someone from the Weasleys about it this month? If not the twins or Percy, then at least Molly and Arthur, who simply can't help but have at least their own versions of this. But here's how to make sure that you touch on a rather slippery and dangerous topic and at the same time not arouse suspicion...

We got to Ron's room and began to settle down on a pre-prepared extended bed, which occupied almost half of the entire space of the room. It was immediately obvious that the sleeping place had been enchanted to expand, making a triple bed out of a single bed.

"Ron, are any of your brothers coming for the summer?" I asked, as we collapsed laughing on the long bed with our clothes on, playing and fooling around like that.

- no. Bill is now all about work, although he has the opportunity to take a vacation. Some ancient ruins were found among the Zulus in Africa, so he went as part of the curse destroyers. Bill says that there may be magical artifacts of antiquity that can still work.... Well, Charlie rarely appears at all. He works with dragons, and adores them almost more than his own family. Moreover, then he will have to return when he gets married and starts a family. So now my brother spends all his time with scaly monsters.

— What do you mean, you have to go back? I asked in surprise.

—Well, the laws are like that," Ron shrugged, "since my two brothers work abroad, I've heard a lot about him. If a British magician has a child, then he is obliged to return to his homeland with him and raise him in his native lands. Otherwise, as Dad told me, there will be huge problems with the Ministry, up to the announcement of a wanted list in all allied countries and a real hunt for the violator by a special unit of aurors who specialize in this.

—Wow," Harry shook his head, for whom this news also came as a surprise.

— That is, any wizard is simply obliged to raise offspring in Magical Britain. That's right. In principle, I can understand why such a law exists at all. If I had the opportunity to start a family in the future, I would not want my children to go to Hogwarts. I think you're of the same opinion," I said thoughtfully.

The guys confirmed my words with their own nods of agreement.

The time passed unnoticed during the chatter. Ron also had a lot to tell: about his family, about the neighborhood where Muggles lived, about his father's work, about Peddle Guns... Perhaps the last point was the only topic about which it was not interesting to listen at all, but otherwise all the conversations with the slightly grown-up Ron were informative and not at all burdensome.

Dinner at the Weasleys' was just fine. As in the case of Lockhart, we all ate at the same time and at the same dining table. Since Ginny was present with us, the entire Weasley family, including Harry and me, instantly forgot about Hogwarts, communicating either on some common topics or completely keeping silent while eating delicious food.

Our summer guardian's maids may have cooked deliciously, but Molly Weasley surpassed them by a head. Apparently, a wizard who cooks on his own and is quite skilled in this business is able to create such works of culinary art with the help of charms, from which even the house elves of Hogwarts would wash their faces with tears of despair.

It was simply delicious, and every exclamation of surprise from Harry and me when we tasted another dish caused the other children to grin -the Weasleys and Molly's good-natured, pretty face.

—Fred, George, wait a minute," I called out to the twins as they were about to go back into the room, returning to their mysterious experiments.

— Kyle...

— What do you want? They repeated the words one after another.

— A cool feature, by the way, with the end of sentences one after another, — I appreciated their ability, when using which they did not get lost or confused, which gave the impression that the brothers read each other's minds.

"Thanks, it doesn't always work out, but we practice a lot," one of them replied. I'll assume it's Fred, so as not to get confused and make a fool of myself. In the end, what difference does it make who and what exactly their names are, if they have similar characters, similar hobbies and even spend time exclusively together?

— I wanted to ask you about, — I made sure with a glance that Ginny went outside for a walk and was not nearby, — Hogwarts. We entered the second year, but we still haven't really learned any interesting things from school. What awaits us in the new academic year? Can you help me with information? Now we can, we're not freshmen anymore.

— You can do that, but what exactly do you want to know? Tell me specifically," George answered me in a serious tone.

— Will the danger pass us this year? In the sense that the first year is called the most difficult. So the second one will be easier?

— Huh. An interesting theory, but no. In fact, the difficulties are added by the fact that now all undergraduates will interact with you directly, and the school material will become more complicated," said Fred.

— But it will also facilitate access to information. Now there will be no need, like newborn kittens, may Mrs. Norris and McGonagall forgive me for such a comparison, to blindly poke into the unknown. You can be told, prompted and shown everything incomprehensible - this is the difference between the first course and the second," George supplemented the words of the twin.

— But you shouldn't relax. The second year is the moment when you show yourself in the company of other students. The final result depends on a lot: on acquaintances and friends, on points earned, on talents and abilities, on joining a certain club...

"And Harry, you don't have to worry too much about that. At least we wouldn't. After all, he's a celebrity, and you're almost a straight-A student who scored the most points from all Gryffindor courses last year.

— From all courses? Seriously? I asked, startled.

— Didn't you know? Fred chuckled, "Yes, we always compare student scores at the end of the year. And you, the first-timers, surprised everyone by earning just an indecent bunch of points, thanks to which our faculty managed to take the first place.

"So you don't have to worry too much about that," George continued, "just follow the basic rules: ignore the first—timers, get points, obey the elders. Well, join a good club, having acquired acquaintances and protection. Although, you may be Muggle-born, but you made a good impression, so there should be no conflicts with other faculties. I think you even saved a badger girl, didn't you? From the mirror spirit, back at the beginning of the year.

I nodded.

—Then we don't understand at all what you want from us and why you're asking all this," Fred shrugged, "everything is fine with you, and you've already passed the most difficult thing, even overcoming Dumbledore's test, like we did in the second year," Fred shuddered from the memories, but on his face after this brought a satisfied smile.

— Yes, Kyle. Sit back, grow up, study magic. The only way to fuck up all your progress is to pit yourself against the upperclassmen. We do not recommend doing this if they at least mean something in the local hierarchy. Even for the sake of friends, although it is debatable. It already depends on what exactly you want first of all: to protect yourself or to protect another.

The twins looked at each other, and only they themselves knew what they were thinking at the same time. Without saying another word, the brothers turned towards the stairs and walked to their bedroom.

"And don't forget, Golden," one of the twins said finally, "there can be danger anywhere at Hogwarts, no matter what. Constant vigilance, as the Moody beast says.

***

August 2nd.

After another delicious lunch, we headed to the second floor. I glanced at Harry and Ron briefly, then knocked on the door.

"Come in," came a voice from the other side.

We entered Percy's room, which combined both a bedroom and a study. The habitat of a sixth-year student would be a paradise for the most picky perfectionist. The entire interior of the room was in harmony with each other, the walls and floor almost sparkled with cleanliness, and even the objects on the desktop were neatly and evenly placed in their places. Compared to Percy's room, Ron's bedroom was akin to chaos, in which even a cleaning spell would hardly have done its job to the fullest.

"What did you call us for, Percy?" Ron said nonchalantly.

If I came at the invitation of the Weasleys with caution, being morally ready for any discoveries that awaited me, then Ron still considered Percy to be an ordinary older brother, a nerd, treating him accordingly.

"Have a seat," Percy conjured a transfiguration spell, thanks to which the empty wooden shelves against the wall turned into three chairs from some kind of closet. It was obvious to me that he had prepared for this in advance by putting the pieces of wood in the right places. Apparently, Percy was not yet able to create chairs out of thin air.

Did he want to show off his skills to us? Was it purely out of bragging rights, or was he pursuing some other goal?

We sat down on chairs, and in a sitting position, Percy looked like a real, albeit skinny, giant in front of us. The guy, at the age of sixteen, has already managed to reach under six feet.

— My mother asked me to tell you about the school, or rather, about some of the dangers that may come from other students regarding you, — he began his staged speech, moving around his room and building an intelligent kind of educator, — even though I am the headman of Gryffindor, but you can always count on me or the twins Ron, it's not worth it. So, what do you know about magic contracts? He looked at us with a serious frown.

— Em... Ron scratched his head and looked at us.

— You mean the immutable vow? I asked, interested.

"Do you know about the immutable vow?" — Percy raised an eyebrow in surprise, — where did you find out about him?

- yes... It doesn't really matter. I saw a couple of lines about him in some book when I was staying with the summer guardian," I shrugged my shoulders, pointedly carefree.

I hope I didn't blurt out too much now and didn't earn myself a lot of problems and suspicions?

— In the book, it's weird... Percy thought about something, then shook his head and came to his senses, "well, to some extent you're right, Kyle. An immutable vow is an enchantment in which a wizard is obliged to keep a promise made to another wizard. Otherwise, he will die. But I want to tell you about the magic contracts that were created based on these charms. An unknown German wizard forty years ago managed to capture these charms on a special parchment with the help of ancient runes. Any conditions that are written there and read by the wizard, who will put his voluntary signature, will have to be respected. Such a discovery, as one might guess, alarmed the wizarding community. In some countries, such contracts are completely prohibited, as they are equated to an unforgivable "Imperio".

"And," I said worriedly, "in fact, could such a contract be a slave contract?"

— Slave contracts... How do you know about them? Percy asked, surprised.

— Yes, I just assumed. After all, if any conditions can be prescribed there, then it is not so difficult to guess the existence of such contracts...

Stunningly. Now I also have to be careful that I might be enslaved by some pure-blooded snobs or Dumbledore himself.

— No, slave contracts are generally prohibited everywhere, as they pose a growing threat to all wizards. I don't think there's even one in all of magical Britain," he said confidently.

But for some reason I did not share this confidence.

— It is very difficult to create any contract, and you can only sign one of them, since two different agreements may contradict each other in any case, which is why the wizard will die. Plus, good will is at the heart of these very charms. The magician must be in a clear mind and clear memory when signing his signature. Otherwise, it won't work. Neither Imperio, nor Confundus, nor even rare Legilimency - nothing can be used to persuade a wizard to sign such a contract — Harry and Ron did not know such spells yet, but I was concentrating on such valuable information.

And why haven't I heard anything about magic contracts before? It is clear that such charms are not advertised and hushed up, but at least a mention in the chronicles that I read should have appeared! At least one!

"And there are similar contracts for Hogwarts students," Percy continued tensely, "they are all completely of the same type, created by an anonymous wizard and sold in the dark, since the Ministry does not approve of them. Their essence lies in the fact that a bond is created between two students who have signed a contract, thanks to which one begins to depend on the other, following his orders, obeying almost everything, if it does not put the life of any wizard on the line. But only during my studies. There are still different conditions, but I do not know all of them, since I have not seen such a contract myself. However, I know that the expiration date is specified there: until one of the students who signed it finishes his studies at Hogwarts, or else dies. After that, the contract is destroyed, and the subordinate student gains complete freedom.

— Um, is there any way to terminate the signed contract ahead of time? And what happens if you don't follow it? — I asked clarifying questions.

— It can be interrupted quite simply - find a contract and get rid of it. To break it into two parts - and it will already lose its power. Moreover, those who have signed a contract can feel exactly which side he is on, even if it is not so easy to do. To do this, Hogwarts contracts stipulate that a subordinate student should not try to find or destroy him, nor should he ask other wizards for it. As for the consequences... As I've heard, at first you feel itching all over your body, which turns into pain. If you continue to disobey the prescribed conditions, you will eventually lose consciousness, and the next time you try to violate it, you will die. In fairness, this also applies to the subordinate. For example, it says about the prohibition of orders, which entail compulsory... Uh, intimacy, or about risking the life of another wizard, yes... If such orders are still given, then the subordinate will experience similar consequences.

That's all we needed. Permitted contracts, as an analogue of Imperio.

— And do the teachers and the principal allow their use? I asked Percy.

- yes. If such a contract is concluded, then none of them will look for it or even punish it. You need to understand that this is one of the most harmless contracts, and it also has its own expiration date. Therefore, teachers do not care who obeys whom, as long as discipline is maintained and lessons are attended. It's a completely different conversation about other types of contracts, but, again: It is almost impossible for students to create other versions, and it is too expensive, illegal and very dangerous to buy them. Now, why am I telling you all this?.. — Percy came close to us and continued insinuatingly, keeping a serious expression on his face, — If one of the seniors tries to foist such a contract on you, will persuade you to sign it, threatening with a variety of punishments - do not sign. Endure any pressure, then tell the elders about what happened. You, Harry, and Ron have nothing to worry about. This practice is mainly used against Muggle-borns. No one wants a conflict with another family of wizards, and this can lead to serious consequences, which has been proven over time... And even you, Kyle, have already got a good base for not being bothered with such things. For the most part, some students choose unremarkable Muggle-borns for subordination, and you are no longer such. But still, Mother wants you to be aware of such a danger. Don't you have other Muggle-born friends? So, warn them and try to make more friends among the seniors at school. And then there will be no problems.

— Wait, and the teachers? Do they, well, not use such contracts? So that we can study better there, or obey them in everything? Ron asked his brother.

— Are you a bad student? Or don't you listen to the professors? — Percy made a surprised face, — turn on your head, brother. Teachers already control the situation at school, especially since there can only be one contract.

I left Percy's room in a state of disarray. Teenagers, it turns out, have an affordable opportunity to subjugate other teenagers. It's just brilliant.