Chapter 156: Preparation
"Hello, Draco. You asked for a meeting?"
Rowena addressed me with a slight smile. We were now sitting in one of Hogwarts' classrooms, and the house-elves were setting out light snacks on the table for us. Rowena preferred wine, while I had pomegranate juice.
"Yes."
"And what do you need?"
"Well, in truth, I have two matters to discuss. I'd planned to postpone the first until the new school year, but the second..."
I shrugged slightly in embarrassment.
"...in short, since the second matter came up, I decided I could bring up the first as well."
"And what do you need?"
"Well... at the beginning of summer, I earned my mastery in Charms and Spells, and I thought I couldn't afford to stand still. In short, I would like to study Malefica."
"Hm..."
Rowena looked me over from head to toe.
"...let's suppose that was expected."
She nodded slowly.
"In any case, any of us can teach you this art."
"Well..."
I shrugged.
"...I came to you specifically. Because I think we'll work well together. But the second matter... I need a curse from your time, one that would be extremely difficult to detect now, or better yet, impossible. And I need to be trained to cast it in a couple of days."
"And whom are you planning to curse?"
"A German... He crossed a line..."
"And what line is that?"
"He tried to buy the residents of my Quarter."
My eyes probably flashed with anger at that moment. Still, it was the only way I betrayed any emotion.
"And although, let's be honest, if that were the only reason, I would simply break a few dozen of his bones and throw him out of the Quarter. The main reason is that the Faunus he tried to sell me wasn't a stranger, but my close friend's mother."
"But that's not all either, is it?"
"That is all..."
I shrugged.
"...my reason for cursing him comes from combining the first two reasons. Either one on its own could have been resolved with... milder..."
I rotated my wrist, as if to say that wasn't quite the right word, but I couldn't think of a better one.
"...methods. But together..."
Shaking my head, I fell silent.
"Well... there is a spell that can be cast on a sentient being. And there's more than one type. There's a delayed version that will take effect in a month or two... Which do you want?"
"I'd prefer the one that takes effect now. A delayed spell is good, of course, but I need to make it clear that what he did won't be forgiven. And I need to do it so that everyone understands that this bastard's health problems started after he visited the dungeons of House Black, but no one can pinpoint exactly what's wrong with him."
"Very good..."
A devilish smile appeared on Rowena's lips.
"...watch."
A wand appeared in her hand, and she performed the gesture very slowly. I copied her.
"The second third should be almost wavy, and the spell itself ends with a definitive stop."
I nodded and repeated the movement. She made several more corrections, and I repeated it again. In total, I had to perform the movement almost forty times before it matched Rowena's requirements exactly.
"Well done. The words are these..."
She pronounced a tongue-twisting formula in a mixture of Latin and Celtic. I had to admit, such gibberish left me slightly bewildered.
"Hah, you should have seen your face..."
Rowena shook her head.
"...you yourself wanted a spell just like this, didn't you? I developed it myself. As you understand, I never formally mastered Malefica... not officially, at least. My brothers, sister, and I were lax about formal mastery in many areas. That never stopped us from developing spells, though. I created this one myself."
"And what does it do?"
"Well..."
Rowena shrugged.
"...it makes the blood vessels in the lungs hemorrhage. The victim literally starts coughing up blood. The lungs themselves gradually die. The curse can be slowed if the lungs are partially removed. That creates the false impression that you've been cured, but in fact..."
Rowena shook her head.
"...in fact, it does nothing. Death comes ten years after the curse is laid. And those ten years are agony for the victim."
"It suits me."
I nodded and began memorizing the spell's incantation.
Naturally, I couldn't get it to work that day, but Rowena loaded me down with books to study before the school year started...
"Hello, everyone..."
I entered the house and saw Blake sitting in the parlor with Kali.
"Um... I thought you were already out walking the Quarter..."
I looked at the clock.
"We already went for a walk."
Kali nodded slowly, studying me with an intense gaze, while Blake looked everywhere but at me.
"My daughter showed me how the Faunus live, and honestly, I'm not happy about it... The Veela and werewolves live much better..."
"Well, that's only natural."
"Natural?"
The catwoman frowned.
From what I understand, they immediately received better living conditions than the Faunus. Why is that?
I heard anger in her voice, but she wasn't acting on it yet. She was intelligent; she wanted to hear my explanation for why things were this way.
"You see, slavery certainly exists in our world. The Veela and werewolves lived difficult lives and faced persecution, but the residents of this Quarter were never slaves. The Faunus who came to me, whatever it was called in your world, were actually slaves. From what I understand, many of them initially signed labor contracts that trapped them in bondage."
Kali nodded slowly.
"And I realized that signing a contract where I provide them an apartment while cutting their salary almost in half..."
I shook my head.
"...would be too similar to what was done to them in your world. That's exactly why I housed them in cramped quarters and made them pay for it. That's exactly why they'll buy their own apartments. It lets them know they don't owe anyone anything except their employer, the one they have a work contract with. To him, they owe their attendance and meeting a perfectly reasonable quota."
"That's still..."
"Did you want me to just give them apartments for free?"
"And if I did?"
"Then what?"
I tilted my head.
"Well, suppose I give all of them apartments. How long before those same Veela rebel? Before the werewolves start neglecting their duties?"
"Those are just guesses."
"Guesses, but do you really think the chances are that small?"
"No..."
Kali shook her head.
"...it's quite likely, but..."
"Are you saying they live poorly?"
"I..."
"Did I cram five families into one room with a toilet in the corner?"
"No..."
She shook her head.
"There, you see. They live in somewhat cramped conditions, but from what I understand, they're more than satisfied with what they have and what they receive. Or am I wrong?"
"You're right."
She sighed.
"Then what grievances could anyone have against me? Do you want to improve the lives of the Faunus?"
"I do..."
She nodded stubbornly.
"Then go to work and buy them apartments yourself."
"Draco!"
Blake looked at me indignantly.
"Blake, your mother apparently forgot that such actions are far more likely to create not grateful sentients, but rather those who want everything without working for it."
"Faunus are not like that!"
"That's the nature of ALL sentient beings. We all want to do nothing and get paid for it. But I can afford to... I can afford it because generations of my ancestors worked like hell. One of my fiancées, Fleur Delacour, can afford it too. Her ancestors worked for generations too. Blake got lucky..."
I smiled.
"...she caught my attention, and if she becomes my wife, she'll be able to do nothing and never worry about her well-being. But other Faunus, humans, werewolves, and Veela weren't so lucky..."
I shrugged.
"...just unlucky. Some don't have generations of ancestors who secured the well-being of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Others were simply transferred to this world, leaving everything they had behind..."
I nodded vaguely.
"...in your world."
"Just unlucky?"
"Well, yes... Though of course, that can't be said of the Faunus living in my Quarter. They were lucky, lucky twice, in fact. First, when they were transferred to our world on Russian territory, and second, because by then Blake was already living here, so it wasn't hard for me to fulfill her request and bring them here."
"Good... I understand..."
Kali closed her eyes.
"Blake, he's a miser..."
"Mom, that's not true..."
Blake shook her head.
"...you know he's right. If the Faunus are just given free apartments and provided with everything they need, they won't do anything. Not all of them..."
Blake quickly shook her head, cutting her mother off before she could take offense.
"...yes, not all of them will, but many will honestly think it's fair that Draco should answer for the Schnees' actions, and that he's simply obligated to provide for them."
"All right... all right..."
Kali sighed.
"...I understand. I just..."
"I understand, Mom. I want to help the Faunus too, but I already took the easy way out once..."
Blake shook her head.
"Yes... your..."
Kali didn't finish, throwing a quick glance at me.
"Yes, the White Fang. And there's no need to keep glancing at Draco. I told him everything long ago."
"I see... and he accepted you despite your past..."
She wasn't asking, but stating a fact, and gratitude and respect shone in her eyes as she looked at me.
"Yes."
"All right, then come on, put me in the dormitory."
"Mom..."
Condemnation filled Blake's voice.
"...I already have an apartment. And you can absolutely stay there."
"No, Blake..."
Kali shook her head.
"...I'll walk the same path as all the Faunus who ended up in this Quarter. Only then will I show them I'm no different from them, that they can trust us."
"That's certainly true... but you do realize this will undermine Blake's authority?"
"That..."
Kali twitched an ear.
"Here's what you're going to do. Stay at Blake's apartment, and not just because you're her mother. As your daughter, it's her duty to help you find your footing in a place she knows but you don't. Then you'll get your medical exams and have the language implant put in. After that, you'll find a job..."
"Draco..."
Condemnation edged Blake's voice.
"Blake, if you inherited your stubbornness from your mother, then either way, she won't agree to sit on her ass and do nothing."
"I won't agree..."
Kali smiled merrily, her ears perking up.
"...and yes, that would be for the best. Perhaps in a couple of days, once I'd calmed down, I would have reached that decision myself... but if you hadn't stopped me now, I wouldn't have been able to change my mind later."
Kali shook her head.
"So thank you..."
Blake and I smiled at her and nodded.
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