HP: Pure-Blood Glory

Luke genuinely found himself in a dilemma over these two's enthusiasm.

To stop them outright? That didn't feel right; they were, after all, just friends.

To not stop them? Watching these two bumble their way through a few years of foolish antics, as they had in the original timeline, seemed equally unappealing. Especially with Hermione no longer around to scheme and plan... who knew what kind of trouble they'd stir up on their own.

For Ron, Luke could take him or leave him. But Harry? He wasn't about to let go of such a valuable ally.

The title of 'The Boy Who Lived,' the one who defeated Voldemort—anyone with foresight would want him on their side. Why else would Malfoy have tried so hard to befriend Harry in their first year?

Clearly, Lucius had put Draco up to it.

Of course, it eventually became clear that they were fundamentally incompatible, and their relationship had only deteriorated from there.

Now, the two people with the best chances of winning Harry over were Dumbledore and Luke himself.

Naturally, Dumbledore had every advantage.

Even Ron couldn't be underestimated. The Weasleys were fiercely loyal to family. So while Luke might feel indifferent toward Ron personally, it was far too early to show it.

"We were out last night, just wandering," Ron began with a feigned air of seriousness, as though delivering an official report. "At first, we were just planning to head to the kitchens for some food."

"But as we were heading there, we spotted Filch's name on the map. If we'd kept going, we'd have run straight into him!"

Recalling how close they'd come to an actual encounter, Ron shivered a bit, still slightly rattled.

"So, we turned around. Honestly, we weren't that hungry—we just thought maybe we'd head up to the Astronomy Tower to stargaze instead."

Luke nodded knowingly. He figured the trip to the kitchens wasn't about food at all. These two didn't need a purpose—they just wanted an adventure.

Something thrilling enough to make them feel like heroes, even if only in their own heads.

Kids being kids.

With that thought, Luke decided not to say anything to them. He'd leave Dumbledore to worry about their antics.

"But before we reached the tower, we heard a cat meowing on the fourth floor," Ron continued.

"We thought it was Mrs. Norris and panicked, so we ducked into a classroom to hide," Harry added.

At this point, Ron looked fairly calm, but Harry's face turned a shade of pink.

"I'll admit, we got a bit flustered and forgot to check the map right away, but when we did, guess what we found?"

Ron had unknowingly slipped into his usual storytelling tone—the same one he used when boasting or spinning tall tales.

Luke didn't mind. He was eating anyway, and this was as good as entertainment got over breakfast. He played along, giving Ron the cue he clearly wanted.

"What did you find?" Luke asked calmly.

"There wasn't a cat there at all! And we saw no other name on the map!" Ron declared dramatically, his voice brimming with the gravity of some great revelation.

The way he said it—with all the flair of dropping a bombshell secret—naturally caught the attention of nearby students. Heads turned toward them, curiosity piqued.

Harry, noticing the attention, quickly tugged on Ron's sleeve.

Sneaking around the castle at night might sound daring, but drawing this much attention to their rule-breaking antics was a step too far for Harry. The last thing he wanted was for a certain professor to catch wind of this and come after them.

This wasn't just giving people a handle to criticize them—it was like walking straight into the line of fire.

Ron seemed to realize he had gotten a bit too excited and cleared his throat to calm himself down.

As he collected himself, he noticed Luke holding his hand over Booker's face.

"What's wrong with Booker?"

Ron asked curiously.

"Nothing, don't mind this silly cat. Go on," Luke replied.

There was no helping it—if Luke didn't cover Booker's face, the cat's mocking expression would've been impossible to hide.

Cats with magical bloodlines were exceptionally clever, and their facial expressions could be alarmingly vivid.

As for why Booker was smirking? Harry and Ron might be clueless, but Luke understood all too well. That "invisible" cat the duo had panicked over last night? That was none other than Booker himself.

When Luke had cast spells to mask his presence, of course, he'd included Booker in that too.

So the mysterious 'meow' that had sent Harry and Ron scrambling last night? Courtesy of Booker.

If Luke weren't so adept at controlling his own expressions, he might've been wearing the same smug look as the cat right now.

Ron, oblivious to all this, quickly returned to his story.

"After that, we ended up in the corridor and found that locked room"

"We were curious, sure, but at first, we didn't plan to go in. But then we saw someone come out! Guess who?"

Ron paused dramatically, clearly aiming for suspense. Harry, however, was growing impatient.

"Come on, Ron, just tell him!"

Harry, unable to contain himself, finally cut in, interrupting Ron's "epic tale."

Ron looked a bit disgruntled at being interrupted, but Harry leaned forward, lowering his voice to a near whisper.

"We saw Snape, Luke," Harry said gravely.

"He came out of the room looking angry, and his face was as dark as a thundercloud. That room is supposed to be off-limits by Dumbledore, right? And he looked like he'd just been defeated. So I'm sure he's the one Dumbledore is trying to guard against!"

Ron, now reminded of the critical detail, quickly chimed in, his earlier irritation forgotten.

"Yeah, Luke, what do we do now?"

The two of them stared at Luke, their gazes filled with expectation, as though he was their strategist in a grand battle.

But Luke didn't react the way they'd imagined.

He didn't spring into action or brainstorm schemes to deal with Snape as the "traitor."

Instead, he looked at them with mild confusion and said, "Just tell Professor Dumbledore."

The duo froze, clearly taken aback by Luke's casual response.

"If it's that serious, don't make decisions on your own. Just report it to the headmaster," Luke said calmly, returning to his breakfast.

Booker too, no longer paying attention to the two boys, quietly resumed nibbling on his fish snack.

"But… what if Dumbledore doesn't believe us?"

Harry said after a moment, his mind racing for an excuse.

Ron nodded vigorously, backing Harry up. "Yeah! And we'd also get in trouble for sneaking around at night."

Luke sighed inwardly. He knew nothing he said would change their minds now.

"You do have a point," Luke replied nonchalantly.

Hearing this, Harry and Ron perked up, their faces lighting up as if Luke had just validated their theories.

"Because I don't believe your speculation either," Luke added, his tone unchanging.

The words landed like a bucket of cold water dumped over their heads.

Their excited expressions instantly froze.

"Honestly, I don't think Professor Snape is the person Professor Dumbledore is guarding against," Luke said, his tone calm yet firm.

"You two are basing your conclusion on just one glance last night, assuming that a professor who has worked here for years is a bad guy. If you tell anyone that, no one—no adult—would believe it."

He continued, "Moreover, since that area is off-limits under Dumbledore's orders, Professor Snape coming out of it could simply mean he's helping guard or monitor the area. Jumping straight to the conclusion that he's the enemy… honestly, it's just preconceived bias."

While such bias might be understandable given Snape's usual demeanor, Luke couldn't, in good conscience, support their hasty judgment.

"Of course," Luke added, casting a sharp glance at Harry and Ron, "I know even if I say this, you two won't be convinced."

Sure enough, their expressions were a mixture of bewilderment and frustration, their dissatisfaction plainly written on their faces.

"So you guys can do as you please," Luke said nonchalantly. "I don't think you're right, but I'm not going to report your actions to the professors either."

He then extended his hand. "But, give me the Marauder's Map first."

Ron hesitated, opening his mouth as if to argue but ultimately handed over the map reluctantly.

He couldn't hide his disappointment—and even a hint of resentment—that their "big discovery" had been met with skepticism and a lecture rather than the enthusiasm they had hoped for.

Harry's gaze also carried a trace of disappointment as he watched Luke.

But Luke remained unfazed, accepting the map. He drew his wand and rubbed out the name "Doris" that had appeared on it before handing the map back to Harry.

Both Harry and Ron were puzzled but didn't ask immediately. Harry took the map instinctively, still unsure what to make of Luke's actions.

Luke finished off the last bite of his breakfast and swallowed before saying calmly, "Keep the map for now. Whatever you can uncover will depend on your abilities."

He then placed a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder, adding, "Stay calm when things happen. Think things through. If you ever run into trouble you can't handle, come find me for help."

With that, he picked up Booker, who had finished his fish, and headed toward the library.

While he didn't believe Hogwarts would hold information about magical creatures like the Basilisk that surpassed the knowledge of the Gaunt family, there was always a chance he might find a clue about peculiar beings like Doris.

Behind him, Harry and Ron stood there in a daze, watching Luke's departing figure. Harry's gaze fell to the map in his hands, his emotions conflicted.

Earlier, when Luke had criticized them, both boys had felt hurt. When Luke took the Marauder's Map, Harry had even felt a pang of sadness, thinking their closest friend no longer trusted them.

But when Luke returned the map, it felt like everything turned around again. Despite not agreeing with them, Luke was still supporting them. If that didn't prove their friendship, what would?

"Ron, we 'have' to uncover the truth and show Luke Snape's true face!"

Harry declared with newfound determination.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing!"

Ron's face was equally serious and focused.

What neither of them realized was that their efforts were directed in the wrong way, the harder they worked, the further they would drift from their goal.

Luke, at this moment, had no idea what the duo was thinking. But even if he did, he would have just laughed it off.

Honestly, he genuinely felt that without Hermione by their side, Harry and Ron were unlikely to accomplish anything significant. Of course, whether Harry's protagonist aura would still come into play was another question entirely. If it did, then anything was possible.

Fate was inherently unpredictable. While Luke could influence the future, the ultimate course of the future was beyond his full grasp. All he could do was rely on his plans to keep things within his control.

Unfortunately, he was still just an 11-year-old boy. He had no trustworthy relatives, nor many friends who could offer real assistance at this stage.

In such circumstances, there was only so much a child his age could achieve.

Fortunately, he still had the opportunity to win over a few allies.

"Booker! Come here!"

A clear, feminine voice called out from not far away. Booker, without hesitation, wriggled free of Luke's arms and happily ran toward the source of the voice.

Luke groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead in frustration.

He glanced toward the tree in the garden where the voice had come from, sighed, and followed.

"Senior Farley, he just finished breakfast"

Luke called out as he approached, watching Gemma Farley pull out a small fish treat and offer it to Booker.

Just as he finished his sentence, Booker had already snatched the treat and started munching on it.

Seeing Luke's sour expression, Gemma let out a delighted laugh.

After laughing, she patted the spot beside her, inviting Luke to sit down and chat. Luke didn't hesitate and took the seat.

"Your Booker is absolutely adorable"

Gemma said with genuine admiration.

Luke didn't disagree. For better or worse, Booker had indeed been quite helpful to him thus far—though the cat had also caused its fair share of headaches.

"Senior, I have something to ask you"

Luke said after a brief pause, deciding to cut straight to the point.

"Oh? What is it?"

Gemma tilted her head curiously, clearly intrigued but not yet forming any specific guesses.

"You're in seventh year now, right? Do you have any plans for after graduation?"

Luke asked directly.

At Hogwarts, prefects were typically selected in their fifth year and could serve until they graduated. This meant each house had six prefects at any given time.

Which prefect handled which responsibilities depended on availability and interest.

Currently, Slytherin's affairs were managed by none other than Gemma Farley, the seventh-year female prefect. However, with her graduation imminent, her role would soon come to an end, and she'd inevitably move on to a career.

Luke had already done his research on Gemma—her character, abilities, personality, family background, and connections—through sources like Professor McGonagall, the Malfoys, and Ollivander.

Most importantly, he could sense that Gemma didn't harbor any aversion toward him.

In fact, she seemed to hold a faint appreciation for him—not romantic, but rather an alignment with his ideas and principles.

So, he decided to be straightforward and pose the question.

Then, he waited silently for Gemma's response.

*****

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