Harry Potter: Red Weasley The Strange Red Wizard

I contemplated the options in front of me, feeling incredibly stupid about how I started the Marauders' campaign the first time: simply ignoring everything. Here, it was clear I could configure a lot of things.

First, there was the starting year. While there was some flexibility, the furthest back I could start this campaign was the first year the Marauders entered Hogwarts. I also noticed that I could choose which identity to play as, each with its own set of skills. I could select Red with all abilities unlocked, Red as a blood mage, Nicholas Leopold, a regular wizard, Tenebrius, an arcane rogue... and so on. Interestingly, my latest and new identity—future waitress/manager of the new branch of my business—wasn't available. But that made sense; I hadn't even given her a name yet.

Back to the topic, as I reviewed the options, I discovered I could also select an origin. However, this seemed tied to the main campaign. In the main campaign, you can freely choose which family to belong to, while in side campaigns you're limited: you can be a member of the same family, an orphan, or adopted by another. This made obtaining a different lineage impossible. It wasn't total freedom either; certain origins came with costs.

For example, being a Muggle or a Muggle-born was free, as was being the child of a wizard married to a Muggle. But being a pureblood required a small fee, which increased depending on how powerful and prominent the selected lineage was. Of course, there were exceptions: joining any of the main families in the campaign came with a hefty cost, sometimes even requiring crystal coins. Additionally, if you selected a close bond with a main character (as a sibling, child, parent, etc.), the price skyrocketed.

There was a lot to consider, but my goal was to earn the lowest rankings in the campaign to gain crystal coins. Repeating a score I had already achieved wasn't worth it: crystal coin rewards for a rank of B or lower converted to x10 Galleons, while for A or higher, they barely gave a tenth of the crystal coins earned the first time.

I'm not sure why I feel nervous about trying this again. Maybe because I can't bring Elise with me; she still hasn't recovered from the experiments... or maybe because, in this new attempt, I plan to kill myself to achieve the lowest possible ranking. And even though I know it's not entirely real and I won't actually die, the fear of death still lingers. I don't know. All I know is I have to start, or I'll never make progress.

With that thought, I configured everything and launched a new game in the Marauders' campaign.

...

The loading screen appeared, and soon I found myself at King's Cross Station, the location I had selected. I looked around; the only thing giving me a sense of the campaign's context was the older style of clothing people were wearing.

I didn't plan to stay long. I pulled out my wand. Since I had chosen to start so close to the departure of the Hogwarts train, I already had all my school supplies with me. With determination, I pointed the wand at myself, channeling my blood magic to ensure the best possible outcome.

"Avada Kedavra."

...

Honestly, it went better than I thought. Dying wasn't so... mortal. The moment the green light hit me, I felt a strange resistance, as if there was some chance of avoiding instant death. Maybe I could have survived, though not without consequences. But I didn't. Once I let go, nothing particularly strange happened; the loading screen simply appeared again.

The only difference was that this time, it showed Lily and Snape playing in the courtyard instead of the Marauders. And suddenly, I was back here, facing the following notices:

[Marauders' Campaign Completed]

[Campaign Score: F]

-Due to no significant points being achieved, there is no save data for this playthrough.

-Rewards for an F and B score will be reduced in future playthroughs of this campaign.

Rewards:

>Consolation Letter (written by the Marauders)

>10 Crystal Coins

>Unique Achievement: "Persevere, Friend."

>Merchant's Shop Updated

Great. 10 crystal coins… It's a pittance, but still, it's something. I also got a letter from the Marauders. I'm not sure what to do with it; I guess I could give it to Harry. After all, it's from his father and his friends—it might be useful to him... or I could sell it. That same letter now appears in the merchant's shop for just a few knuts.

As for the achievement, at least it'll help me get a better score next time.

Well, it turned out okay. Time to keep going... though it's going to be a headache.

Just as I was about to plan my next move, I ran into a problem. Each side campaign can be played for free once per month, but if you want to try again in the same month, you have to pay: 100,000 Galleons or 10 crystal coins. And the worst part? That amount doubles every time you attempt it again in the same month.

That mechanic was annoying, but it made sense. Luckily, I can afford it. Though it would have been much better if I'd taken advantage of all these past months, had I known about it earlier.

There's one small benefit: if you achieve a new rank you haven't gotten before, they refund what you paid. But if you repeat the same score... well, forget about a refund.

The cost was steep, but I'd take the risk. Crystal coins can update the mission board, and that would increase my earnings in the long run. So...

...

Loading screen. King's Cross Station. Everything was the same, but this time it would be different. Very different.

Without fearing the consequences of my actions, in this playthrough, I decided to unleash the evil I had kept locked away within me for so long. It was strange to feel my thoughts fill with such horrible, inhuman ideas. Something within me was awakening: [Wrath], [Envy]... and even [Madness] began to activate with alarming ease. I made no effort to stop it.

I didn't know how hard it would be to improve my ranking, but I was willing to try. Today, everyone would board the train to Hogwarts. Today would be my chance to unleash an atrocity. A crooked smile spread across my face as the false appearances crumbled, revealing terrifying, beastly teeth.

In the crowd, a family was saying goodbye to their daughter, who would be attending Hogwarts for the first time. After they put the girl on the train, they never managed to leave the station. The father was the first to fall. A single move, and his body was completely drained: first his blood, then his vitality, until nothing but dust remained.

The mother and daughter, on the other hand, suffered something worse... raped, forced to fuck each other. Their expressions of terror and suffering fueled something dark inside me. Afterwards, they suffered the same fate as the father: dust. It all happened in a matter of minutes. There was still work to be done, and the train wouldn't wait if it took longer than necessary.

Invisible, I moved through the carriages, searching for my targets. Although they were just 11-year-old children, they were key pieces, and I had to eliminate them. I recognized one of them, which made it easy to locate the others. The hunt began.

Invisibility gave me an advantage, but it didn't make the task perfect. They were children, yes, but I, though physically one as well, had skills and experience far beyond most adults. With precise, silent methods, I took each one down without being discovered.

I reached the next group, where I encountered people I cared about. A friend fell quickly, but with her... I decided to take my time. I forced her as I had with her mother and sister, preventing her from screaming for help. And the strangest part was how little I cared. Perhaps this world, not being real, dulled my conscience, or maybe my evil alignment silenced any trace of guilt. I even began to enjoy it, watching familiar faces twisted in suffering.

I had to suppress the alignment of [Elise], the small part of me still fighting to stay good. But it wasn't hard; my evil made up 60% of who I was. If it had been 50/50, perhaps the outcome would have been different.

When I finished with Lily, defiling her in the same way as in the first campaign, I drained her vitality until her body was nothing but dust. I thought it would be enough. But I didn't stop. My thirst for destruction drove me to the other carriages, where the massacre continued. This time, without violations, but with the same brutality.

Not everything was perfect. Although I eliminated my victims quickly, I couldn't always hide the traces of my actions. At some point, they began to discover me. But by then, I had accumulated enough blood and vitality from my victims, allowing me to use much more destructive methods. Not even the older students, who tried to resist, could stop me.

I wasn't as strong as in the main campaign. Here, my normal magic was that of a 12- or 13-year-old, and my blood magic was at half its potential because I hadn't started this campaign from the beginning and allowed my blood magic to develop and strengthen me. In the main campaign, my magic was comparable to that of an adult. Yet even so, I achieved far more than my current abilities should have allowed.

The massacre culminated in the derailment of the train. Although some managed to escape by jumping or hiding, my work was nearly complete. The Aurors and professors eventually arrived, far too late to save most. I knew I couldn't win against them.

I decided to end it the same way as before.

...

[Campaign "Marauders" Completed]

[Campaign Score: D]

-Game saved at the last save point before death.

-Rewards for F, D, and B grade scores will be reduced for each game with that ranking in this campaign.

Rewards:

>Recipe for Animagus Potion (with Lily's handwriting).

>100 crystal coins.

>Merchant shop updated.

I was surprised to get a D. Frankly, I was expecting an E, but I won't complain. Upon reviewing the achievement notifications, I understood why. The achievements of [The Path of Evil], [Kill All the Protagonists], and [Persevere, Friend] that I had earned in previous games gave me too many points this time. Maybe it was my fault for planning it so well, but I guess it's not so bad.

As for the rewards, the 100 crystal coins were a relief. And the Animagus Potion recipe... I was lucky to get the version with Lily's handwriting. A rarity. I could sell it to Snape, or maybe it would be better to give it to him as a Christmas gift. Could this motivate him to try and become an Animagus if I do? The idea was intriguing.

I pushed those thoughts aside and got ready to continue. When I reloaded the campaign, I noticed that since I hadn't gotten a repeated grade, I recovered my money and the cost didn't increase. Nice...

...

Back at King's Cross Station, I repeated exactly what I did before. Every movement, every decision, every atrocity. All the same. Once again, I killed myself at the end to force the end of the game.

...

[Campaign "Marauders" Completed]

[Campaign Score: E]

-Game saved at the last save point before death.

-Rewards for F, E, D, and B grade scores will be reduced for each game with that ranking in this campaign.

Rewards:

>Photo of Lily (with her kiss marked).

>50 crystal coins.

>Merchant shop updated.

Finally, the result I was aiming for. This time, the achievements I had already earned didn't give as many points, but it was enough to avoid an F.

I chose the photo of Lily as a reward. Of course, I won't give this to Snape, not a chance. The photo of the Marauders was also available in the shop for a few sickles. I think I already have the perfect gift for Harry.

With that, I finally finished all the low-level missions, but since there's nothing memorable in these last two games, I deleted their save points; they wouldn't be of any use. Now the real challenge begins. The higher-level missions, and also a lower level, from my first game await.

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Friends, the Patreon has gone up again. So yes, there will be more chapters. This week I couldn't make them since it was already too late, but starting next week, we'll get back to the usual pace: 4 chapters of Red and 2 of Riuz. Thank you for your support!