Chapter 270 - 270. The Competition
Slowly, September came to an end and shockingly, on the 1st of October, it snowed. Much different from the normal schedule, where the snowfall only starts during November.
So most students took out their winter wear and went out to their classes. Magnus also sometimes attended them. The only classes he made sure he always attended were DADA and Potions. DADA because Moody was after his life and Potions because he was bad at it and couldn't make Slughorn dissatisfied.
Most of the time he would spend his days in his room, on the computer. Trying to develop the program. The CPU was already running so hot that he had to every once in a while put a freezing charm on it. After getting fed up, he even asked Bobby to send him a small electric freezer. Magnus then used an alchemy potion on it to make it magic repellant. Next, he stored the CPU in the freezer. Though he first had to make it completely waterproof.
After that, his work became much more efficient. "I wonder if there can also be a magical computer, that maybe runs on some kind of alchemical energy stones, and instead of circuit board with logic gates, it can have runes, alchemy and other magic on it. Hmm... definitely something to research when I get more proficient in everything."
Magnus then went on to develop the basic program first. It didn't have any UI, just a simple black screen and lines of text. Magnus though had another use for the program, which was to help him compile the Book of Merlin. The trick was simple, as the book's runic language went from easy to hard as he turned the page, he simply put all the characters he had already decrypted into the program. Then, it was made to match each harder character with the previous ones.
It didn't automatically translate but helped a lot. As the program now gave Magnus suggestions on what the new, harder characters originated from. As each runic language across the time was derived from a single source, this gave Magnus 5-10 suggestions, where one was always correct.
So his speed increased a lot. And within days he was making the progress he used to make in weeks. He also worked on his strength, since now it was inevitable that he would have to fight Voldemort. Everything that has been going on was ominous. Regulus had already warned him, now the thing with Severus. All of it suggested one thing, something big was coming.
"HAA..." He jumped over 10 feet in the air using his feet's fire as propulsion and crossed a wall. Then with swift actions like a flexible cat, he moved and cut the stomachs of all the dummies. He was training in the Room of Requirements. Here, he tried to replicate any fighting situation he could think of.
*RING RING*
Magnus' phone rang all of a sudden. He picked it up with a smile, as it was from his mum. "Hello, mum, how are you?"
"MEOWWW?"
Magnus, taken aback, looked at the phone screen. "Chad? What the hell are you doing with the phone? Where is mum?"
"Ah, CHAD! Don't play with the phone." Voice of Grace came from the other side. Grace saw that Chad had called Magnus, she talked.
"Hello?"
Magnus took a seat on the side, "Yes mum, it's me. How are you?"
"Sorry, Mag. Chad called you mistakenly. I hope I didn't disturb you." She apologised.
How could Magnus be angry? Even if it was in the middle of a class, he'd pick up her call, no matter what. "No mum, I was just exercising." He couldn't really tell her he was practising beheading a snake man.
"Oh, then I guess we can talk. So how is your time going there? How is Ragnar?" She asked him a series of questions as she also relaxedly sat on the couch at home.
"Everything's amazing, mum. Hehe... I just turned my dorms into music halls. People love it here in this mediaeval castle." He told her about the party he had not long ago.
She sighed, "I wish I could see the school someday."
If this was her wish, Magnus would of course fulfil it. "Umm, once I become the King, I can make rules and also break them. I will bring you and dad to see the school during the summer break season."
"No, Magnus. After becoming the king, you should never break rules and mistreat people. God blessed you with the responsibility of ruling this country as its monarch, you should do it like a good boy." She lectured him.
Magnus chuckled from the other side, "Hehe, you have no idea mum, I am already helping so many people across the world. You will understand in the coming years. Where is dad? Has he still gone to the office?"
"Yes. He said they're working on some missiles nowadays so he had to go to check things. By the way, how is Emma?" Grace came to the juicy topic.
Magnus choked, "Ah... mum, I gotta go. The class is about to start. Love you... see you soon."
Grace laughed loudly, "Hahaha... fine. Bye, take care. And say my hello to Ragnar."
*Phew...* Magnus took a long breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "All right, let's go for another round. This time, I will fight 200 dummies at once."
...
The time in Hogwarts was very peaceful. Actually too peaceful, and it felt a little ominous to those who were concerned about the world. It felt like the silence before the storm, and some of the people in high places had already smelled the storm coming.
But, they had no idea what it was and what it meant. So, the Order of Phoenix met that night in an abandoned shack in an unknown place.
"So, what now? He's planning something and we don't even know what it is." Aberforth Dumbledore asked his brother.
Professor McGonagall had the same question, "The words in the Knockturn alley suggest that something big is coming. Maybe... a purge of some kind against the non-magical borns?"
Dumbledore stroked his beard and shook his head, "No, if it was that they won't gather the Death Eaters. This time, they are gathering all their ranks, big or small. It's too overwhelming for the muggle-borns."
"THEN... Could it be that they're planning to attack the school?" Minister of Magic, Eugenia asked. She had no choice but to join the order since she had already opposed Voldemort.
Moody denied this possibility, "No, that would be very foolish. The defences of Hogwarts are too much for his current army. He'd at least need the strength of the Giants as well as other small or big wizards. From the last record, there has been no movement in Giants' camps."
"Then... maybe they are preparing to siege the ministry?" Eugenia asked with a scared face. She knew that the ministry was still not cleaned and many sleeper agents might just open the doors to let the enemies enter.
"Too many targets, we can't be sure where he is going to strike. The best thing we can do is prepare. I ask all order members to stay ready at all times. The moment you get the notification of any attack you shall apparate to that location.
"Minister, if the Ministry is attacked, I need you to open your office's anti apparition wards. If the attack is on Hogwarts then I will let you enter. If it's on the muggle-borns, then it will be open warfare." Dumbledore ordered them.
His suggestion was unanimously accepted and the meeting soon ended. But Moody didn't leave. He came to Dumbeldore and talked to him, "I noticed something very strange..."
...
5th October,
The notice boards outside the entrances of common rooms of each house were surrounded by students. As today, the announcement was made that from the next day the tests for selecting who will be going to France in December's Inter-school multi-subject competition will take place.
All the young wizards and witches were excited, but the first and second years were sad they could not participate, though they didn't care about the competition they just wanted to see France's magic school.
When everyone was gathered and blocking the notice board, Magnus arrived with Severus, Ragnar and Emma behind him. Everyone separated and let him come forward. Magnus read the notice and nodded.
He turned around and faced all excited members of Slytherin. "Friends, this is the chance. For years, Slytherin has been seen as a house that is weakening, falling down. But, no more. This is a chance for us to prove ourselves. So, I will train all those who qualify to go to France. In the time we have, we will become the best in the field you will be competing in.
"Repeat after me, FOR THE GLORY OF SLYTHERIN!"
"FOR THE GLORY OF SLYTHERIN!"
"FOR THE GLORY OF SLYTHERIN!"
Everyone chanted together with their blood pumping. Their voice was of course heard by students of other houses and they too felt pumped. After all, it wasn't just a competition between schools, it was also between houses.
However, what Magnus had not told was that he'd be training a select few students from other houses too. There are bound to be subjects in which no Slytherin will get selected.
"FOR THE BROTHERHOOD OF HUFFLEPUFF!"
"FOR THE HONOUR OF GRYFFINDOR!"
"FOR THE PRIDE OF RAVENCLAW!"
The loud cheers resounded around the school.
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