HP: Spirit Talker

Yes, yes, I liked the headmaster's words as well. It's even possible that Dumbledore is just a stupid but cunning politician who really believes in some of his own ideals, and that what's going on in Britain isn't his idea and grand plan. I mean, things happen on their own, right? It's just a black spot in the life of the kingdom.

This theory is well supported by the fact that I've already met the local elite. And after all, none of them have not considered the birth of a new pureblood line in the family of "fools" — a full-fledged family with a powerful gift, shaped by local spirits and kami.

That's how it is, isn't it? After all, the Lovegoods are actually the chance for all of magical Britain to begin a revival, a cleansing of the land and the ancestral magic. And what do we see in reality? And we see ridicule from all sides, as well as an inability to even recognize their own problems and ways to save themselves.

But it opens up such opportunities and prospects that I want to burst out laughing at the Dark Lord! They walk around, wrinkling their faces, shaking their heads condescendingly, saying that he is a savage — what can I take from him? And they can't even perform the rituals themselves, but how they shout in the Ministry and in the Wizengamot! What slogans and ideas they spread! Well, water treads water. Snape, too, was shouting insults all over the place, but he wanted the loot, so what? What does he have left?

A meager account and a few work journals, that's his legacy... at least that's what most people think, if not all, who forget something. But that's okay, it's even good, because there won't be many obstacles to what I already have in mind.

While I thought about many things, I enjoyed the atmosphere around me while I sipped my Medovik with black tea. Potter, Weasley and Granger sat next to me, the rest of my acquaintances were busy with their clubs and circles.

— Here you go. — A sheath with a straight blade lay on the table in front of Potter.

— Uh... — The teenager looked at me incomprehensively, averting his gaze from the black scabbard and gray hilt.

— Take it, it's a gift for showing the Chamber of Secrets. — I nodded at the knife. — I hope you won't give it to anyone, for that would be ugly, and this blade is a true artifact. So I hope it stays in the Potter family and doesn't end up anywhere else.

The teenagers were quite interested in what I had to say. I even noticed that Ron and his brothers, who were sitting a little off to the side with the girls, had bright eyes. The sixth son's hand even twitched to grab the first thing he saw, and I was glad I held back or I would have lost it. Harry picked up the knife and pulled it from its sheath, revealing a dull gray blade twenty centimeters long.

Straight, double-edged, with a proper lobe, a moderate guard, and a weighted bone hilt covered in sharkskin. A very serious blade, mature, yet quite versatile. Any normal man would not want to let go of a knife, even a "dagger", once in his hands. Actually, this is what we are observing at the moment: the heir to the family openly admires the gift, turning it this way and that.

Everything is fine, but these children, no matter how much you remind them and teach them, will continue to grab anything in their hands. What if the thing is cursed, or some kind of protection? There is nothing left to do but sigh sadly at either excessive gullibility or stupidity.

— Prick your finger.

— Why? — The teenager is as surprised as his friends, waiting for an answer.

— This blade is an artifact that must be bound with blood so that it cannot be stolen or taken by force.

— Blood magic is forbidden! — Granger interrupted, frowning in amusement.

— I don't care. This 'forbidden' magic here is only binding. — A lazy wave of my hand, waiting for Potter to stab him with a knife before I continue. — All sorts of uneducated or untrained people break through to power and then ban everything without having any idea of the essence of the matter. Do you know what you can do with this magic?

— Black magic. — The disheveled girl answers confidently, but there is a spark of doubt in her eyes. Will my efforts really work?

— You can do things with Transfiguration, too. — I shrug as I pop a piece of cake into my mouth. — It all depends on how twisted your imagination is. Here's a concrete example: I hired a blacksmith to forge a good blade, then refined it and turned it into a real magical artifact with a price tag of five or six thousand galleons. Then I gave it to the teenager as a thank you for the favor. Following the thought? — A slow nod from the girl and a furrowed brow, thin eyebrows drawn together.

— There. And then some cocky Snape or whatever shows up and takes away the teenager's expensive gift because 'because'. That's it. The boy, — he nods at a quiet Potter. — Gets robbed, gets fogged up with 'there's nothing you can do', gets rich out of nothing. End of story. Do you like it? — I ask Potter, who, like his red-haired friend, has taken a new look at the expensive gift.

— You see, he doesn't want some "important" uncle to take it away from him. And this way, with blood-based protection, that won't happen. Unless Harry himself acts like a real idiot and gives it to someone, because this "someone" needs his thing more and cannot buy it "because". — I look at the disgruntled teenager. — But he's not an idiot, and he wouldn't do that, would he? — Harry frowned even harder. — Such things are kept in the family, passed down from generation to generation. — The boy's gaze softened. — By the way, besides the protection it has a self-cleaning function, it can't get lost and it can even cut dragon scales or thin iron. — I won't tell you that it's spiritual steel in case someone talks, but you won't be able to tell by looking at it. Then, when he's wise enough, I'll tell him.

They discussed my gift for some time, and the Patil sisters even praised the blade, saying that I had made a mistake in the price. How they knew that, I decided not to ask. And after class, when Granger and I were alone at my desk in the library, I offered her a job.

At first she didn't even understand that it was possible to work part-time at school, but when it came to it, she almost got into a fight — she thought the wrong thing and blushed. I had to explain what I really wanted from her, which was for Granger to make a list of books with a brief description of each one's subject, first the ones she'd already read, plus the degree of usefulness, and then what she could find in the library.

Yes, it was a questionable job, but at least I wouldn't be wasting my time on it. I'm afraid to let her do anything more serious, Hermione's already getting a big kick out of studying the Law of Magic. I'm still interested in the Patil sisters as assistants, especially Padma, who is a very intelligent and analytical girl. But before I make that decision, I need to do something and meet with the sisters' parents.