Chapter 15 - Chapter 15 - Veela’s Succubi Village

Story below is Canon/ But these Characters won't be mentioned further in story. But rest assured, they will be added to his harem secretly as "Veela Concubines" in Hell without Hermione's knowing.

Darcy Valentine (from Marvel)

Alexandra Valentine (from Percy Jackson)

I will write extra Chapter at the end of story. Both these girls won't date anyone else in Beauxbatons, in 4th year, they had already been taken down to Hell, so they won't appear in the story!

-----A Minotaur, named Asterion, under Gappa's regiment had rebelled, Lucifer'd gotten the call just after getting ready to rest in his bedroom at Gryffindor' tower, after greeting Hermione.

----He quickly wrote the letter to Dumbledore about visiting a "funeral urgency", delivered by Rowena, he was authorised using floo-powder in the fireplace of McGonagall's office.

At present, flesh and blood burst into the air. Fireballs rained down like comets, directed by Lucifer's will. They slammed into the remaining enemies, leaving no survivors----

Within seconds, the clearing had fallen silent. Only the crackle of fire remained, searing the air.

The Veela were frozen, too stunned to move. Not a single one dared to breathe too loudly---Overhead, balls of hellfire still hovered, blocking their escape.

Lucifer gave a slight nod of approval. He was pleased with the results of his recent training----He'd mastered Protego Diabolica and many 'deadly variations'. Drop him into Paris during war, and he could've torched the entire city himself with a single spell.

Looking over the shivering Veela, he smiled slightly.

"Shall we talk?"

He gave a polite nod.

"But maybe calm down a bit first. In your current state, I'm worried you might lose control."

To be safe, he switched to fluent French, in case they didn't understand English. A few Veela still looked terrified and confused, but two seemed to understand, chirping something in a strange, high-pitched language.

Slowly, all eight descended from the sky, keeping their distance and forming a protective wall in front of the silver-haired girl.

To show he meant no harm, Lucifer recalled floating flames, pulling the blazing orbs into his palm. They vanished in a golden shimmer----

One of the Veela, still in her birdlike form, stepped forward and spoke in halting French, her voice harsh and scratchy.

"Respected human... Thank you for aiding us."

Lucifer understood the transformation wasn't their fault. It was like a cat puffing up its fur in fear---Veela assumed their birdlike form as a defensive response to emotional stress. Right now, they were still too shaken to revert.

He decided not to press them.

"You heard what I said earlier," he continued calmly. "I'm looking for a Minotaur, a bull head, more precisely, nothing more. I saved you. All I ask is this-return the favor. Help me find it."

The French-speaking Veela translated his words. The others exchanged glances, uncertain how to respond.

Both options were dangerous--that monstrosity' could talk, and wanted to use their fertility to breed ... and this terrifying wizard.

But if they refused him, they might not leave this place alive.

"Darcy!"

Suddenly, a shout echoed through the forest. More winged shapes swooped in from the treetops---a second wave of Veela had arrived.

"Grandmother!"

The anxious cry jolted Darcy from her lingering state of fear. At last regaining her senses, she shouted into the sky in response.

Dozens more Veela had arrived, diving from the sky. The one in lead landed directly in front of silver-haired girl, while rest bared their fangs and wings, encircling Lucifer with open hostility.

He frowned slightly.

The Veela who had been communicating with him rushed to explain, relaying everything in their shrill, melodic language.

Only then did the tension begin to fade---though wariness still lingered in the air.

"Thank you for saving my granddaughter," said a breathtaking Veela as the others parted to let her through.

She had the same waterfall-like silver hair as the one called Darcy, with porcelain skin that glowed faintly like moonlight---An otherworldly grace radiated from her, muddling the senses of anyone who looked too long.

Lucifer flared his mental shields a notch up. Not the faintest flicker of attraction passed through him----He'd children with Queen of Seductress, the 'first' Succubus herself, please there are just veela's.

"I am Polana, matriarch of the Veela tribe," She introduced herself with a slight bow, "Had you not arrived, they may not have held on long enough for our reinforcements to arrive."

"Pleasure to meet you, Lady Polana. You may call me Mr. Rogers," Lucifer replied gently, "I believe you already know what I came for."

"No problem," Polana agreed without hesitation. She affectionately patted Darcy's head. "You saved my treasure. In return, I shall mobilize every Veela and all our allies to help you locate the 'monster'. It's a great terrible danger to our lives.'

'Whew.' Lucifer let out a breath of relief. With the aid of locals, things would go a lot smoother from here.

"Until then, Mr. Rogers," Polana offered, "please stay in our village. My people tend to shun human settlements---too many 'treacherous' eyes and 'greedy' hearts."

"Then I'll trouble you for the hospitality." Lucifer readily agreed. He was quite curious about how the Veela lived.

With the danger gone, the Veela's monstrous forms melted away, revealing their natural beauty. Each of them shimmered with silvery waves of hair, long graceful legs, and elegant curves--- Even without wind, their hair fluttered like silk in a breeze.

'Now that's more like it', Lucifer thought, watching as dozens of stunning women surrounded him like an escort. He almost felt like back home---not even the most luxurious human clubs could offer this level of quality.

The Veela smiled at him with eyes like spring blossoms. Even a dog would fall in love under such stares. But Lucifer, having seen their monstrous forms in battle, remained unfazed.

"Mr. Rogers," came a soft, delicate voice.

Lucifer turned. With him momentarily distracted, she had appeared by his side.

"My name is Darcy Valentine. Thank you... for saving me." A half-Veela, French, she lacked.... 'manners'

"Miss Valentine," he suddenly put on a serious expression, "that's not how one gives thanks. It lacks sincerity."

Darcy blinked in confusion. "Then... what would be sincere?"

"Like this," Lucifer cleared his throat and recited with exaggerated seriousness: "If your savior is handsome, you should say -'I have nothing to repay you with but myself.

But if your savior is ugly, you should say---'If I could be reborn, I'd become a cow or a horse just to repay this life-saving grace.'

He leaned closer. "Now... which one will it be?"

Darcy seemed to see the light. She tilted her head and said tentatively, "Then... I'll be your cow or horse in the next life?"

"...." Lucifer.

'Pffft-!'

The Veela who understood human language burst into laughter, doubling over as they tried to catch their breath. Those who didn't understand looked around in confusion.

Even Polana chuckled gently, her smile growing more indulgent by the second----

And when someone finally translated the exchange for the rest, the forest erupted in silvery bell-like laughter-except for Lucifer and Darcy, who stood there red-faced.

He was especially frustrated. The persona he had taken with was downright hideous...

And suddenly--one of the Veela gasped. All eyes turned to Lucifer, as removed his own enchantments.

Before everyone's stunned gaze, he shed his disguise and returned to his true form. The magically altered clothing shrank back into proper size with him.

"You... used Polyjuice Potion?" Darcy stared at him with wide eyes, quickly putting the pieces together.

Lucifer sighed, "Not exactly, it's my own magic. When you're out on your own, it's best to give yourself a mature identity.... Otherwise, everything becomes unnecessarily complicated."

Even Polana looked surprised. "Mr. Rogers... is this your real appearance?"

"Call me Morningstar'. Lucifer Morningstar," he replied calmly, no longer bothering to hide anything.

The Veela, though guarded, weren't concerned with laws or secrecy. And even if word got out-well, this was France. The 'British Ministry' had no say here.

"Morningstar... how old are you?" Darcy asked the question that had been gnawing at her since she saw his height.

"Eleven and a half, 'for now'."

Darcy's worldview shattered.

Eleven---that was the age of starting school. But this boy, at that age, had casually wiped out several fully grown hideous magical creatures....

That could talk, any that powerful which such voice, was classified to be---- 'he' killed them outright with a single curse... annihilated an entire squad in under a minute...

And he was gorgeous to boot?!

Lucifer looked at her with a sly smile.

"Valentine, I'll give you one more chance. Do you choose to be a cow... or would you rather offer yourself in gratitude?"

Darcy stared at his face, utterly entranced. Slowly, a blush crept up her cheeks. Could she... pick again?

xxxxxxx

An hour later, he arrived at the Veela village.

It was nestled in a hidden valley, its layout not unlike a human settlement. Neat little houses clung to the cliffs, forming rows that stretched down the mountainside.

Polana arranged a private cottage for him to rest, while she took the wounded for healing.

Lucifer explored the house briefly, picked out a bedroom, and had just settled in when he heard a knock at the door.

He opened it-to find Darcy standing there prettily... along with a miniature version of herself.

"Didn't we just part ways? Why are you back already?" He asked casually, though his gaze had locked onto the smaller girl.

She stared back with wide, clear eyes, fearless and curious. Lucifer raised an eyebrow. A younger version of Darcy...? This was going to be interesting.

"What do you mean by that?"

Darcy was visibly upset. She had come over full of curiosity, eager to get to know this mysterious boy who had just saved her life. But instead of a warm welcome, she was greeted with what sounded suspiciously like... 'disdain?'

Hadn't he just asked her to devote her life to him a moment ago? Now he was acting like he didn't even recognize her.

Jerk!

What really grated on Darcy, though, was that Lucifer seemed way more interested in Alexandra than in her. Other than a single glance when speaking, the boy hadn't looked at her again-his attention was entirely on her 'younger sister!'

Back at Beauxbatons, Darcy was used to being the center of attention. Wherever she went, all eyes followed. But here? This boy treated her like just another bystander!

"Big brother, I'm Alexandra," the little Darcy look-alike said sweetly.

Lucifer couldn't help but smile. He crouched down to meet her at eye level, "Hello, Alexandra. I'm Lucifer Morningstar. And how old are you this year?"

"I'm six!" Alexandra announced with great pride.

"Wow, amazing!" Lucifer gave her a big thumbs-up. "Six already? That's incredible!"

Children never cared why they were being praised. Praise was praise, and it made them happy. Alexandra beamed, eyes turning into little crescent moons as she giggled-and promptly revealed the reason for their visit.

"Big sister said you saved her, so I came to thank you!"

"I see..." Lucifer pretended to be enlightened. "Then do you know the proper way to than "

"Morningstar!"

Before he could finish, Darcy cut him off in a panic. Was he seriously trying to pull that same 'devote your life' trick again? That might've worked on her-once-but not on her six-year-old sister!

She could take the hit, sure. But her sister? Absolutely not!

Changing the subject, Darcy huffed, "So, are you really planning to keep us standing at the door?"

Lucifer simply shrugged, utterly unfazed. He stood and, quite naturally, held out his hand. Alexandra, just as naturally, placed her tiny hand into his, letting him lead her into the house.

Darcy ground her teeth as she watched them--why did it look so natural for that brat to be holding her sister's hand?!

Once inside, the three of them settled in the living room. Alexandra sat close to Lucifer, unusually well-behaved for a six-year-old, not fidgeting or running about-just quietly watching.

"My grandmother's busy tending to the wounded," Darcy said. "She asked me to check if you need anything-so I can help get it for you."

Lucifer shook his head. "I always carry my essentials. Don't need anything. Though, food might be a problem. What do Veela usually eat?"

Darcy gave an awkward yet polite smile.

"Veela prefer magical berries and enchanted flowers. There's a garden at the end of the valley, but... I doubt that sort of thing is very edible for humans."

Drinking dew and eating flowers? Honestly, they sounded more and more like real-life fairies. If only they didn't have that horrifying transformation ability, they'd be indistinguishable from the elves of legend.

"What about you and Alexandra?" Lucifer asked. "What do you eat?"

"I do the cooking. We just eat something simple."

"Didn't peg you as the cooking type. Make me something too, then. As long as it doesn't kill me or worse upset my stomach, I'll be fine."

Lucifer said it with total nonchalance, like it was only natural for Darcy to cook for him. She rolled her eyes, "Don't underestimate me. Alexandra says my cooking is delicious!"

Behind her, the little girl quietly pursed her lips. Of course she'd say it was good. Who dared say otherwise when Big Sister was watching?

Though Darcy was annoyed that Lucifer didn't seem to think much of her, she still didn't refuse his request. Brushing a strand of silver hair behind her ear, she asked casually, "Morningstar, you're eleven, right? That means you should've started school already. So how come I've never seen you at Beauxbatons?"

"I'm from good ol' London-Union Jack and all. Not French. I go to Hogwarts."

"No way-you're British?" Darcy was surprised. "But your French is so fluent! And you don't even have an accent!"

"Well, you know what they say---learning more languages opens more doors. I just studied it for fun when I was bored."

Darcy once again found herself re-evaluating this prodigy of a boy.

"So you came to the Vosges Mountains just to find this demon?" she asked.

Lucifer replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world: "Of course. What else would I be doing here?"

"Big brother, why are you looking for a demon?" Alexandra asked, her big eyes blinking with innocent curiosity.

Lucifer suddenly put on a very serious expression, "It's a trial set by my school. To be promoted in grade, every student has to slay a demon and prove their strength."

What kind of insane school would do that?! Of course, in the underworld, but Alexandra and Darcy couldn't know that----

The older veela was torn between laughing and screaming. If 'that' were the standard, Hogwarts would've gone extinct centuries ago. But what really floored her was--cute Alex believed him.

The poor little girl looked horrified, scrambling into her sister's arms.

"Sister! Hogwarts sounds terrifying! I don't want to go there!"

Darcy shot Lucifer a glare of pure exasperation as she hugged her sister close, gently soothing her. "Don't worry, Alex. You'll go to Beauxbatons like me. It's the best wizarding school in the world--we wouldn't send you to Hogwarts."

She added another mental note to Lucifer's growing list of flaws:

Likes cute little girls.

Spews nonsense without blinking.

Says one thing and does another.

Grade-A scoundrel.

To Lucifer's surprise, though, he didn't argue with Darcy's claim about Beauxbatons being the best. It wasn't that he agreed, exactly. He just didn't feel like debating.

Hogwarts, as it stood now, had indeed fallen behind. Until revolving-door curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts post was resolved, the school didn't deserve the title of "best."

Alexandra, reassured by her sister, slowly peeked out from Darcy's arms and turned to Lucifer. "Big brother, Hogwarts is too scary. You should come to Beauxbatons instead! Then we can see each other every day!"

"You live at Beauxbatons?" He asked, surprised.

"She's in pre-school," Darcy explained, "Beauxbatons offers early education. Starting at seven, young witches and wizards who qualify can attend to learn reading, writing, and basic magical theory."

Lucifer was genuinely impressed. "That's actually really smart. Way better than Hogwarts. There, even pure-bloods have to teach themselves everything before they enroll... No wonder the standards are all over the place."

"That's thanks to Madame Maxime," Darcy said proudly. "Oh-right, you probably don't know her. She's the headmistress of Beauxbatons."

Her eyes lit up with admiration at the mention of her headmistress.

The three chatted a little longer until Alexandra began to nod off. Her eyelids drooped, and her head lolled slightly to one side. It was clearly time for a nap.

Darcy stood up and gently scooped her sister into her arms. "We'll be going now."

Lucifer nodded and headed upstairs himself to rest for a while.

By the time night fell and the valley was bathed in moonlight, Darcy returned once again-this time, to call him for lunch.

The half-Veela's cooking really wasn't anything to write home about-especially with her obvious preference for vegetarian dishes.

She'd tossed together an enormous bowl of salad, but since Lucifer was basically freeloading a meal, he didn't exactly have the right to be picky. Once he was full, he set down his fork without complaint.

Not long after, Polana arrived as well.

----After offering her heartfelt thanks once again, she informed Lucifer that half of the Veela in the village had already gone out to track down the bull-headed demon, that could breathe fire. They weren't just combing the mountains themselves either, they had also reached out to their allies: local centaur clans and goblin settlements.

It was a matter of their own safety after all.

"The goblins? Those money-grubbing misers agreed to help?" Lucifer raised a highly skeptical brow.

Polana chuckled gently, "I promised them a gold coin in payment. With goblins, if the money is good, they'll do just about anything."

Veela were, after all, quite a wealthy magical race. They were in high demand across nations as magical cheerleaders and performers. For major events or ceremonies, hiring a Veela to perform an opening dance was both glamorous and extravagant-and it didn't come 'cheap'.

So paying a little gold to get goblins on board wasn't much of a strain on the wallet, and the other Veela certainly didn't object.

"You've gone to great lengths," Lucifer said, finally realizing this was a full-on "cash solves everything" maneuver.

Polana smiled gracefully. "Compared to you saving Darcy and the others, this is nothing. While you're here, if there's anything you need, just say the word. I'll do my best to arrange it."

Lucifer gave it a moment's thought before speaking, "Then I'll trouble you with one more thing-keep an eye out for the hunter group too. They're after the same thing as me: the Minotaur, albeit as an 'unidentified species'."

'That' fool had broken "Seal of trust" and activated "The Curse of Horsemen" which is worse than death, and Lucifer was generous enough to make the torture last for a day, then moment when it was about to be rotten into Nothingness----

Curse would pull strings to make way for him to meet the traitor who rebelled, and even after death, it would simply go to Purgatory....

That's even worse than living itself.

However, as their King, it was his responsibility to make sure innocents weren't affected, and if other interfere with his torture, 'eliminating' the competition would do just fine.

'Classic Slytherins logic..' Polana paused for a moment, visibly hesitant, but nodded in agreement, "Mr. Morningstar, please be careful if you encounter the poachers. They're extremely dangerous and cunning too."

"You have my word."

Satisfied with his solemn tone, Polana left quietly.

Once she was gone, Darcy cast a glance toward little Alex, who was still wrestling with a stubborn piece of broccoli, then scooted a bit closer to Lucifer. The warmth of her breath brushed against his ear as she spoke softly.

"Hey, why are you so set on finding it? Why not just alert Ministry? If it's the materials you need, I might be able to help. My father has a few... connections in magical community."

Miss Valentine here had seen firsthand just how powerful Lucifer was---his mastery over flame magic had left her awestruck. But to her, that Minotaur was on another level entirely, so strong than those mini-cows he had as minions. She couldn't imagine any wizard, no matter how gifted, facing that one alone and surviving----

"I do need the magical materials, yes," Lucifer replied calmly, "but that's not my purpose this time, I won't compromise on providing it's 'punishment myself.'"

He had, at one point, considered taking a shortcut. Let one of his trusted demons take care matter entirely, but even Minotaur's seemed to have alerted the poachers to go after it, let alone Ministry.

Sending even more powerful, would alert all kinds of wards around the globe, bringing unwanted attention, Makima's presence was concealed cause she was under his shadow---- Lux was warded, but other places were not.

Lucifer had to take it upon himself, besides it was his own duty.

Darcy saw the resolve in his eyes and hesitated again before offering another suggestion: "Then... why not find a team? Just a few people to help?"

"That won't work either."

Lucifer shook his head slightly, and because he was trying not to let Alexandra overhear, their faces were very close. When he moved, Darcy's soft lips brushed against his cheek.

Their eyes widened simultaneously.

She immediately leaned back in shock, while he frantically pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face like it had been cursed. "My first kiss!"

Hermione's or Maze's didn't count. Former wasn't in her right mind, second was well, his own daughter---

"You?! Yours is still intact! Mine just got stolen!!"

Darcy Valentine was absolutely livid. And he wiped it off, too--what, was he disgusted by her? Wait a second...

They barely touched--where would saliva have even come from?!

She felt herself heating up in more ways than one, but before she could explode, Lucifer quickly changed the topic.

"Recruiting more people isn't viable. Hunting a newly found species without permit is illegal. The more people involved, the faster we'll be exposed."

That managed to reel Darcy back from the brink of erupting. She'd forgotten the legal part entirely.

She had just witnessed the darker side of the magical world: bull-headed monsters, she hadn't even read up before attacking Veela to increase population, drawn by their beauty, ready to do unspeakable things.

If Lucifer hadn't shown up in time, even if she and the others had escaped, they would've paid dearly in blood----

Now that those creatures, poachers enraged under 'its command' had been wiped out, Darcy felt no fear toward Lucifer. Only overwhelming gratitude. And maybe because she'd watched so many people? die up close... life felt cheaper now.

If a bunch of dark wizards could die, why not a beast? She'd completely forgotten the law even existed.

"Don't worry," Lucifer said reassuringly, "This was a task given to me by an elder. They wouldn't have sent me if they weren't confident in my ability. And if things get really bad... they'll step in to save me."

Seeing that Darcy still looked skeptical, he tacked on another layer of cover.

----Worst-case scenario? He'd just let Makima do some off-screen power leveling, the woman had requested five times already to stomp on demon's heart.

That finally seemed to calm her down. After all, to raise a monster like Lucifer, his mentor had to be terrifyingly strong. In that case... what was there to worry about?

And so, he settled into the Veela village for the day, a team scoured the mountains to search for signs of a bull-head and poachers.

The Veela hated poachers with a burning passion. On the very first hour, they managed to find a group of over ten of them camping in a daze nearby, as if dozed by words.

Lucifer shadowed to the area and used the Disillusionment Charm to sneak closer----Unfortunately, poachers had cast perimeter detection spells. As soon as he got too close, he was detected.

Stealth failed.

Time for carnage.

With no choice, he launched a blitz attack. The whole camp descended into chaos as he cut down the poachers one by one. Their souls had already left the world, corrupted, only saving grace--- Die, no point in leaving husks behind, right?

Two tried to Apparate away-but they weren't fast enough. Lucifer chased them down and executed them mid-escape.

Truth be told, Apparating mid-combat was something only top-tier wizards could do effectively. The further you wanted to go, the longer you had to concentrate. Most people couldn't pull it off while under pressure---

The result? Over ten poachers dead. He even looted over 2,000 Galleons, along with various potions and magical materials.

Not a bad haul at all. As the old saying goes: 'No windfall, no wealth. No stolen grass, no fattened horse.'

When he returned to the Veela village with over a dozen confiscated wands hanging from his belt like trophies...

He instantly became the most popular guy in the entire village. His rumours even spread to their second settlement which was even better hidden.

One by one, the alluring and charming veela women began treating Lucifer with great care and affection. They fawned over him with warmth and attentiveness, even going so far as to perform captivating dances just for him----

He took this opportunity to confront his "greatest strength which unknowingly turns into weakness, cause of desires to explore"---training his willpower, against new species of Seductress. With the help of these dazzling older sisters, he was sharpening his mental discipline.

In the future, if an enemy ever tried to use beauty to seduce him... well, good luck with that. He'd be immune.

For several hours straight, Lucifer had snacks accompanied by a full song-and-dance troupe, he even invited Albedo, and Shaltear to join him in the spectacle.

Shaltear showed no reaction at all-vampire who 'knew, knew'. Albedo, on the other hand, was heartbroken.

"My Lord, you're a man destined to become the greatest wizard! How can you lose yourself in such soft indulgence? Why don't I get a troupe of sucubi's to dance for your back at home?"

"You really are hopeless..." Shaltear shed a fake tear, and then wiped it off.

Both Shaltear and Lucifer twitched at the corners of their mouths.

Clearly, the last sentence was the real point of Albedo! And it wasn't just her who couldn't stand how relaxed Lucifer was living---someone else showed up with a grievance.

Darcy Valentine.

"I want to learn English!"

"English?" Lucifer asked, puzzled as he chewed on an apple, "But we can talk just fine-why bother learning English now?"

Darcy stood her ground. "Aren't you the one who said learning more languages opens more doors? I suddenly got interested in 'English'. And since you're right here, a walking, talking native tutor, I'm not about to miss this chance..."

"But I've got a demon to find," Lucifer said, a bit guilty under Fleur's sharp look. Alright, fine. He had been slacking off a bit these past few hours.

But there were plenty of veela out there helping him search---wasn't that enough? His Curse was making the bull scream somewhere.

The Blood-Tracker Charm for mesmerised poachers had become mostly useless anyway. The forest was full of wild predators, so the moment he cast it, the whole five-kilometer radius would light up with red dots, earning him no small amount of ridicule from Maze, and her cousin Mera....

Lucifer had considered asking Ellie to use her prophetic ability to track Asterion, but woman demanded to sleep a night in her bed, in payment if foreseeing the future.

She was perverted as always, that darn prophet was one of his great, great, great, grand-daughter!

And so, he had slipped into half-surrender mode, hoping the "Curse of Horsemen" ---veela would come through.

"Alright, fine," he sighed. "You want to learn English? Let's learn English."

Darcy's eyes sparkled with a hint of triumph, and she took him away from the Veela dance, spending the late afternoon teaching her English.

At first, Alexandra was all excited to join the lesson. But as with all kids, her patience didn't last after an hour. She soon found it boring and ran off to play on her own.

Which suited Darcy just fine.

Whenever her sister was around, Lucifer would focus entirely on the little girl, which drove Darcy absolutely mad with frustration.

Besides language lessons, she also asked him about magic and requested for a duel with him. After going through a life-threatening experience, she deeply understood how important strength was.

The real world was nothing like the quiet safety of school!

Lucifer approved of her talent--there was no doubt she proclaimed herself among the best candidates for Beauxbatons future's Champion. Especially in mental and spiritual magic, Darcy had a natural edge-likely thanks to her veela heritage.

Once the night arrived, Polana returned to village with a bright, joyful expression.

She found Alexandra crouched near the flower beds, bored out of her mind, teasing two fluffy Puffskeins.

Polana walked over and asked, "Alex, why are you here all by yourself? Where's Darcy?"

Little Alex instantly put on a pouty, aggrieved look. "Sister's learning a foreign language with Big Brother. She won't play with Alex anymore..."

Polana didn't think much of it and just told her not to leave the village on her own. Then, she headed straight to Lucifer's rest house.

She hadn't even reached the door when she heard soft moans coming from the backyard---Polana's face twisted into a mix of shock and dread.

She was no innocent---having given birth to two children herself, she had plenty of experience. Just from the sounds and bits of conversation, her imagination had already painted a vivid scene in her mind.

Sure, the boy was handsome and the girl was lovely. She could admit Lucifer and Darcy were a good-looking match. 'But... they were still just kids!'

No. She had to stop this immediately.

What if Darcy ended up with a baby and made Alexandra an aunt younger than herself? Her daughter and son-in-law would explode!

Fueled by fury, Polana stormed around the house-only to freeze in place at the sight before her.

Darcy was sitting in a full side split on the grass, and Lucifer was gently pressing down on her leg, speaking calmly, "Once we stretch you out, your flexibility will improve drastically. You'll move quicker and more fluidly, which gives you a big advantage in duels."

She noticed her grandmother's angry but confused face and called out, "Grandma? What are you doing here?"

Polana stiffened and replied flatly, "I... I heard from Alex that you were learning a foreign language with Mr. Morningstar. That's great. Language is important. 'Keep it up'."

Lucifer applied a bit more pressure.

Darcy winced slightly and hissed, "Grandma, no need to be so formal with Lucifer. Just call him by name."

The boy nodded in agreement. "Ms. Polana, she's right. No need to stand on ceremony."

"Mhm, then you don't need to call me 'Ms' either. Just Polana will do. Or..."

She shot Darcy a sly glance. "Calling me Grandma like she does... wouldn't be unacceptable."

"Grandma! What are you saying?!" Darcy blushed deeply, her ears and cheeks glowing red.

Polana simply smiled, then smacked her forehead as if just remembering, "Oh, look at me, nearly forgetting why I came! Lucifer-we found the bull-headed Minotaur."

In a flash, Lucifer dropped Darcy's leg and sprang to his feet. "Where?!"

Polana let out a sigh. "We were all fooled by that crafty Horned Bull. It only showed itself in the Vosges Mountains for a moment before slipping away... all the way to Black Forest on the far side of the Rhine."

"From our village, head northeast straight across the river. Once across, go another 200 kilometers east. It's resting in a valley between two tall mountains---both covered in dense fir trees. You won't miss them. The goblins spotted it while en route to trade with German wizards."

The moment he got the news, Lucifer didn't waste a second. After thanking Polana, he immediately activated Shadow realm of Igris and disappeared on the spot.

"Hey, Lucifer, you-!"

Before Darcy could even finish her sentence, he was already gone, not even a shadow left behind. Furious, she punched the ground twice.

"Was it really that urgent? Even if you're going, you should at least prepare properly first!"

Polana looked at her granddaughter, a mix of worry and resignation on her face. One might think it was Darcy herself who had to go face the demon. But of course, it wasn't hard to see how much she cared about Lucifer.

And honestly, it wasn't surprising. Life-saving debts are always the hardest to repay-it was 'practically tradition in theirbloodline.'

Back in her day, Polana had ended up with that old fool for the exact same reason---he'd saved her life. The only difference now was, that old fool had been hideous. Darcy and Lucifer? Now that was a 'good-looking' match.

"Darcy," Polana said softly.

"Yes, Grandmother?"

"You have to trust him." Polana gently stroked the silver hair of the girl beside her, "If you want a relationship to last, 'trust' is the most important foundation. If Lucifer dares to face that monstrosity', then he must have his own confidence in doing so.... Men don't like being doubted---even if it's well-intentioned worry, too much of it becomes tiresome. Do you understand?"

Darcy nodded, not fully grasping the depth of her grandmother's words, but committing them to memory all the same.

Elsewhere...

After several consecutive jumps, Lucifer finally crossed the Rhine River and arrived at edge of the Black Forest. He stopped to recover from the dizziness brought on by the rapid spatial travel---

Without wings, it's really tiresome.

There are two main ways to use it.

One is to clearly picture a known destination in your mind and break through space with sheer force of will. The other? 'Blind jumps' Like teleporting twenty kilometers east without ever having been there.

It's harder, consumes more magical and mental energy, and the range is shorter---but it has fewer constraints.

Lucifer was doing the second kind. He'd never been to this area before and was following only Polana's directions.

And the reason he was in such a rush was because of one particular detail Polana had shared: the demon had been spotted by a band of goblins en route to a deal with a group of German wizards. That meant the location couldn't be far from the border towns.

---If he waited too long, others might get there first--and that would make things much messier.

......

It wasn't until two days later that others arrived. The scene was carnage. Hide, flesh, blood---'wasted.'

The poachers who'd come hoping for a prize could only gaze skyward and howl in frustration. 'Someone beat us to it...!'

On the return trip, Lucifer moved significantly faster. Where his range had once maxed out at twenty kilometers per jump in unfamiliar territory, that distance had now doubled---And even after multiple leaps back to the Veela village, he felt no nausea. No dizziness. Just boundless energy.

Since Lucifer had left, Darcy hadn't left his hut. She'd been pacing restlessly the entire time, unable to hide her worry.

The familiar pop echoed outside.

She reacted instantly, rushing to the door--and threw her arms around him the moment she saw him.

"You're finally back!"

Lucifer blinked in surprise at how deeply Darcy seemed to care, he wasn't used to hugs, but a certain Gryffindor' had somehow made him less uncomfortable.

Then, smiling, he gently patted her back and said, "Have a little faith in me, will you? Not only did I come back alive---I killed the demon."

'BOOM-!'

In Valentine's awestruck gaze, the massive corpse of Asterion crashed to the ground, nearly filling the entire backyard.

Even in death, the beast exuded a faint draconic pressure. To most wizards, this might be imperceptible, but Darcy, being a quarter-Veela with part-magical-creature blood, felt it far more intensely than others.

Drawn by the commotion, Polana hurried over and froze at the sight of the Minotaur's body sprawled across the earth. 'He... actually did it!'

In many Western myths, Demon slayers similar to dragon-slayers, were hailed as ultimate heroes, draped in the mantle of legend.

Like Siegfried of Germanic lore, Beowulf, St. George, Lancelot, and Saint Martha. Some of them were even real witches or wizards who had truly achieved the impossible feat of slaying a dragon.

But a wizard like Lucifer, who accomplished that level of feat, at the age of 'eleven?' Had there ever been such a figure in the entire history of the wizarding world?

Polana's mind blurred for a moment as she looked at the boy recounting his battle to Darcy, gesturing animatedly as though he'd merely gone on an afternoon stroll.

Perhaps... this was the greatest opportunity their Veela tribe had encountered in a hundred years. If Darcy Valentine truly ended up with Lucifer, they would have the protection of a demon-slayer-and one who 'would only grow stronger!'

Don't be fooled by the seemingly friendly ties between the French Ministry of Magic and their tribe. It was all 'mutual exploitation' The Ministry was riddled with factions, and some of them had already set their sights on the tribe's wealth-or even on the 'Veela themselves'. For now, political balance kept things stable, but once that balance broke...

Well, in that case, only raw power could force others to "talk reason."

And with the way Darcy was throwing herself at Lucifer, Polana thought... this hardly counted as "selling off her granddaughter." With a sly smile, she quietly left the garden, leaving the space to the two young ones.

The two stood close together, Darcy a head taller than him, being four years older. Side by side, it looked almost criminal as Pomona thought her grand-daughter raising a boy to marry herself, grooming "her own man!"

It looked like a perfect match.

"I used the same magic I did the day I saved you," Lucifer was explaining, "But their skins are near tough as Horntail. A wizard gets roasted in seconds, but a demon can burn for minutes and jump around shrieking in pain..."

"That was Protego Diabolica?" Darcy asked, her blue eyes wide, "But the books say spell is uncontrollable, only a few counter-curses can even contain it."

"Well, that just means the people who wrote those books weren't as talented as I am," Lucifer replied smugly. "So of course they think it can't be controlled."

"Hmph, always full of yourself."

"How is that bragging?" Lucifer laughed. "If I ever wrote a book, I'd write it better than all of them."

"Then write one!" Darcy said brightly, grinning. "When you finish, I'll be your first customer!"

"Nah." Lucifer shook his head. "I'd be afraid no one could afford it."

After all, even the method of controlling Protego Diabolica would drive countless Dark wizards mad with desire. The knowledge he knew was priceless. Lucifer understood the concept of guarding his own secrets.

'True power should not be handed out lightly....Only those I recognize, or those with something to offer in return, would be worthy of such gifts.'

This time, Miss Valentine didn't tease him. After killing the demon, something about Lucifer had changed---his very aura was different. He exuded sharpness and command, confidence without arrogance.

Compared to the silly, strutting boys at school who flared their feathers like peacocks, Lucifer was... on a completely different level.

Half an hour later, she gently urged him to rest. After all, he'd just gone through a fierce battle, and she assumed he must be exhausted. Darcy left the cabin, closing the door behind her.

But Lucifer wasn't tired at all. On the contrary--he felt charged with endless energy. Since killing one of Hell's spawn, he touched godly essence, fatigue seemed like a 'foreign concept.'

'He closed his eyes, and his mind sank into the depths of his own consciousness.'

On one of the parallel earth's

Prophet Mopsus, he lived two centuries before Andros--a titan of his age and a true 'King of the Century.'

He wielded extraordinary prophetic abilities and even defeated another seer, Calchas, securing his kingdom's golden era. Unfortunately, he got tangled in a royal succession dispute and was poisoned. A pathetic end for such a man.

But before he died, Mopsus cursed the royal family with venomous words:

"You shall die by your son's hand. Your son will marry his own mother."

Sound familiar? That was the infamous Oedipus Curse from Theban lore-one that haunted generations and sparked the Trojan War.

Lucifer remembered his good days of having enjoyable time with "Son"

xxxxx

'What about the Imperius Curse? I've developed some rather... refined techniques for it. You could kill even a unicorn, then bring it back with a controlled 'resurrection.' Perfect loyalty.'

Lucifer's face instantly darkened, "That's forbidden to me, I cannot trap souls, they need passing over. Don't mess with me, Gellert.... You think I haven't figured your dirty little incident with the qilin? Trying to dupe the International Confederation of Wizards? I need trust and loyalty---not some corpse 'puppet'."

Grindelwald's face also darkened, this Devil, 'being' who cursed him with the food, in fact even without eating, just a mere presence, it stirred his soul.

Glutton, Greed----

....He had sold his soul to this inhuman for 'reasons.'

Low blow. Real low. Not only had Lucifer hit a sore spot, he'd practically slapped him with it.

Yes, the qilin incident---when Grindelwald tried to use a killed and reanimated magical creature to manipulate the outcome of an election---was infamous.

While it hadn't ended his career, the aftermath had been a major pain to manage. And what stung the most wasn't the fallout.

It was that the person who ruined 'everything' was that nosy, suitcase-slinging, creature-loving nuisance Newt Scamander.

And to make matters worse, he shattered the blood pact at the climax of it all, freeing 'Dumbledore' to move against Grindelwald unhindered.

That blasted Scamander---truly a walking disaster! Now that Grindelwald had been thoroughly shut down, Lucifer discussed other matters of magic with him.

xxxxxxx

Processing a Minotaur's corpse wasn't just delicate---it was a massive operation. Had to be done before mid-night, going home using Hogwarts Express at 6 pm, 'forgotten!'

With a body stretching over eight meters long, even basics like scale removal, skinning, muscle separation, and bone extraction took up an absurd amount of time.

And that was just the beginning. Afterward, all harvested materials had to be sorted, categorized, and preserved properly.

Darcy had originally wanted to help, but the moment she laid eyes on the blood-soaked corpse, her legs went weak. Instead of being helpful, she became a liability. Lucifer quickly ushered her out before she got in the way.

The part-Veela girl, feeling slighted and underestimated, huffed indignantly and switched tactics---logistics support.

She began preparing delicious meals for Lucifer's dinner, trying new recipes, and even rounded up a squad of Veela to give him full-body massage after his long workday.

Two hours later, the Asterion's body was finally fully processed. In his spare time, he also managed to brew another batch of the physical enhancement potion.

Thanks to his previous experience, everything went smoothly---no accidents this time. He'd only used one-fifth of it's heart. The bottleneck, it turned out, was the sphinx eyeballs---they were completely used up. The final yield? Twenty bottles.

He downed one to test the results. Just as expected, there was an improvement---but the effect was far less significant than before.

Still, any improvement was an improvement. Even a mosquito's leg was still meat. But there was no way he could use up all twenty bottles himself, so he thought of Darcy.

Lucifer was exhausted--but blissfully so. He was practically drowning in tenderness and warmth, cause of her efforts all day.

He had originally planned to keep a low profile when school started, maybe spare Snape until the man himself forgot about that 'whole Christmas gift situation.'

Now? He wanted even more so?

But, Lucifer spare a duel? Bring it on. Face to face. Head-on.

So, he offered to sell her a bottle for 630 Galleons, with a 'try-now-pay-later' deal for the first one. Give it to her for free? Not a chance.

As of now, there was only one person in the world worthy of receiving the potion as a gift from Lucifer---and that was Hermione Granger.

That girl had stood by him without hesitation from the very beginning, and in his heart, she held significant weight.

His relationship with Darcy was budding, sure--but it hadn't reached that level yet. No way he'd hand it over for free. In fact, selling it to her at all was already a subtle gesture of closeness.

If Malfoy had asked? Even if he offered ten thousand Galleons--well... alright, if he was actually willing to pay ten thousand, only a fool wouldn't sell it. That rebelled demon's worry was not much.

Darcy, being here visiting her grandmother, naturally didn't have that kind of cash on her.

Worse, she had no idea what was so special about this potion that it was worth over five hundred Galleons. Even 'Felix Felicis' only cost a few hundred for a tiny vial---

Madame Polana didn't know what it was either---but without hesitation, she paid the bill for Darcy.

At this point, even if Lucifer handed her a bunch of weeds and told her they were worth a thousand Galleons, she'd pay without blinking.

That's the Charm of being the Devil.

Once she took the potion and paired it with the movements Lucifer had taught her, she immediately realized---she'd hit the jackpot!'

In the magical world, few things could directly improve a witch or wizard's strength. Most tools were external-enchanted objects, artifacts, alchemical gear. 'But this potion?' After just one dose, Darcy could feel the difference in her body.

"What about Alex? You're not going to prepare any for Alex?"

Past hours, that girl had practically glued herself to Lucifer. Whenever he was around, her sister stopped nagging her. Plus, he was endlessly patient with her.

----The little one hadn't even gone home for the day, choosing instead to sleep at Lucifer's place like a human plushie.

Even Polana had started wondering if she'd picked the wrong candidate. Maybe it was Alex she should've sent....

.....She was able to bribe two more using her little sister Alexandra Valentine 'Launching her full on offensive Veela-charm...'

xxxxxxx

But Darcy heard something else 'entirely-beneath' the words, a sadness.

"You're leaving... aren't you?"

Yes. She was a student at Beauxbatons. He was at Hogwarts. This had just been a one holiday--that was now coming to an end.

Lucifer nodded.

"This journey's come to a perfect close. Term starts tomorrow. I'll need to head back."

"Can't you stay at least the night, or or at least a few hours?"

Miss Valentine suddenly grabbed his hand, eyes glistening, "My parents must be on their way. They want to thank you in person..."

"That's really not necessary..." Lucifer looked hesitant.

"Please?" Darcy begged gently. "You can Apparate, can't you? Even if you leave at 8 pm of, you'll still make it in time.... Just stay. Few more hours Spend time with me... 'and Alex.'"

In the end, Lucifer relented.

He'd already erased the Trace on his wand using the Confundus Charm, which meant he could now cast spells freely outside school.

----If he left at 8 pm, he'd still make it to Hogwarts's Welcoming feat by 9'25.

He spent the next hours building a magical brick castle with Alex. Once it was finished, he used a 'Sticking Charm' to solidify the entire thing so it wouldn't collapse, even if moved----

At exact 7:26, Darcy's parents arrived.

"Mr. Morningstar, thank you for saving my daughter. If something had happened to Darcy, I... I don't know what I'd have done."

The moment he stepped through the door, Mr. Valentine was already gripping Lucifer's hand, emotion trembling in his voice.

He was in his forties, balding, a little overweight, and just under 1.8 meters tall-honestly, the kind of guy you could mistake for a random background character on the street.

He quickly explained why it had taken them so long to visit, even though his daughter was in danger.

He was the 'Director of Emergency Affairs' at the French Ministry of Magic, and during the Christmas holiday, his schedule had been completely swamped. ---Hundreds of magical disputes had broken out-mostly caused by wandering wizards from the north.

He'd only managed to request early leave today because of Darcy---and even then, he had to go back to the office by nightfall to continue working.

Lucifer suddenly completely understood why the man was balding.

And also felt deeply relieved, thankfully, neither Darcy nor Alex had inherited their father's looks. They had inherited all their mother's strengths instead.

Madame Valentine was Darcy, but upgraded---more refined, more elegant, and with a maturity that only enhanced her beauty. Though she was forty, she looked barely over thirty.

Darcy Pro, Darcy, and Mini Darcy, three women standing together, and no one in the world would 'ever' doubt that they were family.

Madame Valentine expressed her gratitude, but her attention was clearly more on Lucifer himself. Her eyes swept up and down over him, again and again, growing more pleased with each pass.

Polana had already written about her intentions in the letter. So right now, the only person still left in the dark was Monsieur Valentine.

As for Madame---her eyes held the clear gaze of a mother-in-law evaluating a future 'son-in-law.'

The entire hour passed in a haze of polite conversation. Lucifer sat and chatted with the Valentine couple, who each had their own focus. Monsieur spoke at length about 'international affairs' and recent cases he'd encountered in his role.

Meanwhile, Madame Valentine focused entirely on Lucifer's personal background.

And when she learned that he was an abandoned child-orphan from the Muggle world, a hush fell over the room.

Monsieur Valentine grew solemn.

And the three women? It was like someone had stabbed them in the chest. Darcy's wide, glimmering eyes filled with tears almost instantly.

During all this time of the day, Lucifer had never once mentioned his family. Combined with his strength, she'd simply assumed he came from a powerful, ancient wizarding family...

But who could have guessed it was this kind of background?

To rise from the Muggle world, step into the magical one, and achieve everything he had in just over half a year... 'how much suffering had he gone through?'

That thought alone sent the older daughter's tears falling like broken pearls. She wanted to rush over and embrace him---

-but someone beat her to it.

Alexandra had already thrown herself into Lucifer's arms, sobbing quietly.

"Big brother," she sniffled, "from now on, I'm your family."

Lucifer didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Why did it feel like they'd already written a tragic backstory drama in their heads?

Honestly, he felt fine. He liked being on his own.

xxxxxxx

"Mr. Morningstar," Dumbledore said, his voice gentle, a faint smile on his lips, "I heard from Hagrid that you weren't in the carriage procession. That would mean... you didn't take the Hogwarts Express? Would you mind telling me what happened? I especially 'arranged the experience.' Perhaps I can be of help."

Lucifer gave a helpless shrug. "Professor, today has been a complete disaster.... The Muggle train to London was delayed, and by the time I got to the platform, it was already past 6 pm."

"Then how did you arrive at school?" Snape asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I read about the 'Knight Bus' in a book and tried summoning it. It actually worked.... Though the fare was kind of steep-Stan Shunpike charged me two Galleons."

"Ah, I see." Dumbledore nodded, then smiled, "Next time, if you find yourself in a similar predicament, you can call on 'Fawkes' for help. You do have one of his tail feathers, don't you? If you burn one, he'll sense your call."

What?! Snape's gaze instantly snapped toward Lucifer, sharp and filled with disbelief.

A phoenix tail feather?

You've got to be kidding me. He had pleaded with this old coot-and that dead bird--for years, and not even a single phoenix feather had come his way. And now this boy--this new transfer---barely in Hogwarts for a semester, and he already had a tail feather?' 'Where's the justice?!'

Lucifer, of course, paid no mind to Snape, whose eyes were practically bloodshot. He smiled at Dumbledore and nodded. "Then I'll call on Fawkes next time."

"Incorrect," Dumbledore corrected gently. "Next time, do your best not to be late. The 'Hogwarts Express' remains the safest and most comfortable means of travel."

"Yes, Professor. I'll be more careful next time."

Dumbledore gave a satisfied nod, Lucifer was far more agreeable than he'd imagined him to be.

But if he knew what he had been up to over the holidays, he might not be so pleased.

Forget the demon. Just counting the dark wizards and poachers alone, Lucifer had killed no fewer than thirty over the break.

"Well then, Mr. Morningstar, after such a bumpy journey, I'm sure you're tired after the funeral Go get some rest."

"Wait--no, let's talk more about the feather!"

Snape was frantically signaling to chat, but Lucifer ignored him entirely. With a quick farewell, he left the office.

"What's with the phoenix feather?"

The moment he left, Snape pounced like a 'woman' scorned, voice sharp and quivering with repressed jealousy.

Dumbledore merely shrugged. "That's a matter between Fawkes and Mr. Morningstar. I had no hand in it."

He smiled gently. "Fawkes delivered a belated Christmas gift for him---a tail feather and a drop of phoenix tears. I believe it was his personal gesture."

A drop of tears too?! Snape was now visibly hyperventilating.

"Severus," Dumbledore suddenly grew serious, "surely you've noticed the change in him?"

Snape, still fuming, regained his composure and nodded gravely.

"Sharp-edged. Commanding presence. He must've 'done something' extraordinary over the holidays. No other explanation for such a leap."

Dumbledore smiled again, this time with warmth. "It's good when a student strives for improvement. I just want to ensure this transformation doesn't come at a personal cost."

"I'll look into it myself," Snape said, determination flashing in his eyes. He was already planning a rematch. Their last duel had ended badly for him---and if Morningstar had closed the gap that much, maybe he'd taken some 'unsavory shortcuts.'

Snape didn't mind Dark magic per se-but rushing the process was a fatal flaw. Quick progress often hid deep cracks. He knew this better than anyone.

After all, wasn't he the perfect example?

Even now, hailed as one of the greatest dueling minds in Wizarding world---just under Dumbledore and the Dark Lord himself---Snape still knew the gap between them was like a chasm.

"I'll handle it, Headmaster."

Dumbledore gave a satisfied nod and turned to leave the office.

It wasn't until Dumbledore's robes had vanished entirely from view that Snape finally realized: That old bastard had, 'tricked him again.'

They were talking about the phoenix!

How did the conversation end up on Lucifer Morningstar?!

xxxxxx

When Lucifer returned to the common room, he was immediately pulled into a corner by Hermione.

The young witch lowered her voice and asked, "Lucifer, what exactly happened today?"

He let out a long sigh, sank into the sofa, and silently cast a 'Muffliato' charm to ensure no one could eavesdrop.

"What happened? Just... 'pure bad luck."

He then began recounting his chaotic day to Hermione. At 8 pm dot in the night, Lucifer quietly left the Veela enclave without disturbing Darcy or Alexandra---they were tired, and has dozed off during the talk with parents.

He only said a quick goodbye to Polana. From there, he started Shadowing his way back toward London.

----Everything went smoothly-until he hit the border between France and Britain! That's when he slammed straight into an Anti-Apparition Ward.

Apparently, the movement of wizards between British Isles and European continent was heavily regulated. Anyone wanting to cross had to formally register....

The ward wasn't particularly strong, more of a tripwire than a wall--meant to 'triggermagical alarms' rather than block passage.

Magic, being sentient, had messed up with a collision of Lucifer's own.

And sure enough, the moment he triggered it, four uniformed Hit Wizards Apparated in, 'fully armed.'

Thankfully, Lucifer was quick---he conjured a black hooded cloak to mask his identity and physique just in time.

Explaining himself? Out of the question. If they figured out who he was, he'd be spending the night in Azkaban. Or worse full out war, with two countries.

So naturally, he bolted.

The four Hit Wizards hesitated for only a moment before taking off after him, tracking the magical disturbance through the air.

---Their orders were to log cross-border travelers, and anyone who ran at the sight of them obviously had something to hide!'

What followed was a high-speed game of cat-and-mouse across half of Britain. Lucifer managed to shake them off at first-but then they called for backup, bringing four more 'Hit Wizards' into the chase and forming a net.

Eventually, he ran out of patience. He set a trap, launched a sneak attack, and took down all eight of them before they could even send out distress signals.

Only then was he finally free of 'that headache!'

But by then, it was already 9:45 p.m, and Hogwarts Express was already a lost cause, it had long since left the station---if not for Dumbledore' extending the feast longer, he couldn't even see Desserts' being vanished.

With no other options, Lucifer summoned the Knight Bus and took it straight to Hogwarts.

Hermione listened with wide eyes, her mouth slightly agape. She was completely stunned by the wild sequence of events.

Of course, Lucifer included, he was travelling with a friend, who did "Apparating work", not him.

However, witch realised she nearly had to plan prison visits to Azkaban! She wasn't even sure if Susan's DMLE Auror Aunt could get Lucifer out...

"Well, at least you didn't 'get' caught," Hermione said as she held his hand, trying to comfort him, "But please--try to use 'safer methods' next time you travel abroad. A muggle plane, perhaps?"

Then she huffed, suddenly annoyed. "It's all that half-blood Veela's fault! If she hadn't insisted on keeping you an extra hour, none of this would've happened."

Lucifer hadn't cut off communication with Hermione during his time in the Veela village, so she was well aware of his recent whereabouts--and of a woman's existence.

The two-way mirror only showed one person at a time, so she hadn't seen Darcy's face yet. But the words 'half-blood Veela' were already more than enough to rouse her hostility.

'Fantastic Beasts: And Where to Find them'

In the Western magical world, Veela had a reputation like that of "Succubus" in folklore---gorgeous, bewitching, and 'dangerously' alluring.

Lucifer chuckled helplessly. "This was bound to happen sooner or later. Even if I'd left a day earlier, we still would've Apparated back and hit the same ward...."

He really hadn't expected the British magical world to mirror the Muggle world's infamous isolationist policies. Europe was embracing unity, while Britain still had its walls up.

xxxxxxx

Her stamina surged. Her thoughts were crystal clear. Hermione's magical power felt denser -more abundant, physically she felt chest bulging, getting flesh where it needed even in 'other womenly parts'---as she drank bison Re'em potion mixed with Lucifer's own blood drop, he'd taken when he was still a new-born, billions of years ago.

"Do you have more?" Hermione's eyes burned with hunger as she stared at Lucifer like she wanted to devour him, "I'll 'take' all of it. However much you've got. I'll pay with interest after graduation..."

Lucifer thought for a moment, "At most, I can give you two more bottles. As for money, no need, just 'write my' homework..."

He needed to set some aside for further studies of the Curses, and there's no way he would ask for money from Hermione, so he used "homework" to trade in return.

As for himself, the potion would probably stop working after a few more doses anyway. He'd already touched heavenly or say hellish essence through Asterion. He was truly immortal again, and body's strength would return with time.

"Three bottles 'isn't enough,' Lucifer. Come on, give me a few more. Aren't we best friends, please?"

Hermione leaned in with a pitiful expression and launched a full-on 'lost cat-charm offensive.' A lovely, delicate girl wrapped around your arm, swaying gently with tearful eyes and a soft voice---it was the kind of thing most men wouldn't survive.

But Lucifer wasn't most men. After spending ages impregnating Succbus'es, 'tree spirits, fairies, demoness, even Kryptonians', not pointing other---alien, heavenly, hellish, and beastly species, and then even being 'trained' in the Veela tribe, his mind and heart were steel-forged.

He stood his ground. Against one mere Hermione Granger. With no other option, she played her 'trump' card.

"I have a favourite 'older' cousin. Her body is weak, Snow's suffering from-- a split personality disorder issue, and it's getting harder... to become a doctor."

'She'has cousin who is studying medical? And if that woman is anything to go by, being related to Hermione Granger....'

As expected, Lucifer hesitated. But after a pause, he still shook his head.

"It's not that I don't want to give your family some, but she's still not magical. And, what eighteen, too young---There's no rush. Once she gets nineteen and a half, then it'll be 'right time."

"I don't even have a lot of stock left, and I'm short on a key ingredient. If you can get your hands on more 'sphinx eyeballs', ever in France, send them to me, I asked the same of Valentine, I'll brew a fresh batch then..."

Seeing how sincere Lucifer was, Hermione had no choice but to give up--but she gnawed her lip in frustration. 'This bastard!' I try everything--pleading, pouting--and he stays cold. Mention an older woman? even better, Cousin of mine? Boom. Instant soft spot....!'

'Even gives me an explanation!'

Lucifer, blissfully unaware that Hermione was actually jealous of her own favourite cousin Caitlin Snow, handed over two potions which were richer in his "bodily fluids" and gently reminded her:

"Don't rush to use them all at once. To fully absorb the potion's effects, you should space it out---one bottle per month is ideal. And don't skip the complementary movements I taught you.... They'll help your body adapt faster."

Everyone had a different constitution. For Lucifer, a bottle a week was fine. But Hermione's physical foundation was weaker, she was a human girl, twelve years old, so taking it slower wouldn't hurt.

After chatting with her for a while longer, he slipped out of the common room and snuck off to the kitchens for dinner. He was starving.

What he didn't know, however, was that his chaotic border--crossing had already thrown the entire 'Ministry of Magic' into a frenzy.

Though none of the eight Hit Wizards had suffered life-threatening injuries, just minor ones--the implications of the incident were far more serious.

A powerful, unidentified wizard had broken into Britain. No one knew who he was. No one had seen his face. And no one could say for certain if he was acting alone.

The Ministry was flying blind.

All Aurors and Hit Wizards were ordered to work overtime through the night. Every known magical hideout was combed through. Knockturn Alley, in particular, became the focus of a sweeping crackdown---what began as a 'manhuntsuddenly' turned into a full-scale anti-crime operation.

It wasn't until the next day, when, Lucifer finally got his hands on the Daily Prophet, that he realized just how much of a mess he'd stirred up.

"BEWARE OF STRANGE WIZARDS: DANGER LURKS AMONG US"

That was the headline on the front page. The Prophet called it a "premeditated invasion." The number of culprits: unknown. Their appearances: unknown. The only certainty was that the intruder was incredibly "powerful."

The paper urged all witches and wizards to immediately report any suspicious individuals to the Ministry.

After reading it, Hermione was left completely speechless. She glanced at Lucifer in disbelief---then suddenly burst out laughing.

He couldn't help but laugh too. The people around them gave them confused looks but didn't dare ask 'questions', returning to their own discussions about the sudden appearance of this so-called "Mysterious Intruder."

Before Transfiguration class, she quietly filled Susan in on everything. When she heard the full story, she didn't know whether to laugh or facepalm.

"You mean the entire Ministry got turned upside down... because of Lucifer?" she whispered, horrified and 'amused.'

"Not Lucifer," Hermione whispered back with emphasis. "The Mysterious Intruder. This has nothing to do with Lucifer we know."

Susan nodded vigorously, fully agreeing with the muggle-born witch, not even her Aunt could have gotten the boy out of Azkaban without serving a 'few months' or so---No one else could know about this. If word got out, it could cause major trouble for Lucifer.

Then, after a moment of hesitation, bushy-haired girl glanced at him sheepishly, "Lucifer... that Disillusionment Charm trick of yours... do you think you could use it on my wand too?"

Not being able to use magic all holiday had driven Hermione 'mad.' When she heard Lucifer had a way to mask spellcasting, she couldn't sit still.

Lucifer of course, smirked. "Well, well, if it isn't the most 'law--abiding' Miss Granger herself. So, let me get this straight---you follow school rules to the letter, but when it comes to Ministry law, suddenly you're flexible?"

"Oh, come on." Hermione blushed bright red, while Susan giggled beside her, clearly enjoying the scene.

She playfully pinched Lucifer's arm-not hard, just enough to show her mock annoyance. "Stop bringing up my blackmail-worthy moments!"

She had gradually changed her outlook. Rules, she'd realized, were often arbitrary--some even unfair. So why blindly 'obey them?'

Take the "no wandering after curfew" rule---it was way too strict. As long as she wasn't late to class the next day, what harm was there in taking a walk? It was even good for 'mental health!'

Looking back, Hermione now felt her old self had been way too 'uptight basically', she'd studied herself silly.

Lucifer decided not to tease her further. If he really annoyed her, he'd be the one stuck coaxing her afterward--not worth it. He said Confundus wouldn't solve the problem, it needs to be re-applied repeatedly, to truly bypass it, you either needed "Emancipation" letter by the Ministry, or learn his special magic to create "Reality-Alter wards"

---Well, he changed wording, so Hermione realised it had something to do with Runes, and Arithmancy, she decided to pick those two definitely in her 3rd year.

As for powered-up 'Confundus' to fool the magic user's identity, and wand, he agreed to do it once after school year ends, which would at most last for a week. She could enjoy until then, another fool--proof method, he suggested was to "buy off" or steal an adult wizard or witch's wand, then don't use your own, staying physically far enough----the Ministry would detect nothing.

Even better, The "Trace charm" remains silent if an adult wizard is also present within the child's magical detection radius.

Take Susan Bones for exanple,

The Trace only detects magic cast near the underage individual, not necessarily by them... For example, if an adult casts a spell near a child, the Ministry only registers that 'magic occurred' at the child's location

Because of this proximity loophole, magic performed by parents in pure-blood or magical households often goes unnoticed, as it is difficult for the Ministry to prove 'who cast' the spell----!

Hermione shot Susan, a "princess glare" for living in a magical parent household, she could neither get a second wand, or ask an adult wizard to live near her residence, so Lucifer's own updated temporary "Confundus" to make the exact spell cast, the time, and the location difficult to pin-point.

She wouldn't be able to learn or even cast the spell before 'fifth-year', due to her under-developed magical core, maybe in fourth, if she kept her training with Lucifer till then, but even still, her charm wouldn't be powerful than this boy's! Guh...!

It seems the entire world was against her using Magic outside Hogwarts!

Just then, Professor McGonagall walked into the room, carrying two cages-each holding a rather disgruntled-looking owl.

The room instantly fell silent.

McGonagall strode up to the front of the classroom, scanning students with her usual stern expression.

"All of 'you'," she said coldly, "place your holiday homework on your desks now. And don't even think about telling me you forgot it at home---I have owls right here who can retrieve it for you."

The students obediently pulled out their homework---yes, even Longbottom hadn't forgotten his. His luggage had been packed by his grandmother, after all--there was zero chance of anything missing.

Only Lucifer...

It was as if lightning had struck him. He sat frozen in place for several long seconds. He hadn't completed half of each and every subject, scheduled for the last holiday.

Professor McGonagall was making her rounds, collecting parchment after parchment, until she finally stopped at his desk. Her eyes swept over the utterly empty tabletop and she asked, perplexed:

"Mr. Morningstar, where is your homework?"

"Professor McGonagall," Lucifer forced out a very forced smile, "I haven't quite adjusted back from funeral 'Veela mode' yet. Maybe... give me two more days? Once I'm fully back to normal, I'll hand it in to you?"

He'd completely forgotten. To make Hermione's holiday a little less stressful, he had taken it upon himself to write both their assignments over the break. Hers was put away first, but Lucifer's own---- it was to be done on the day Hermione returned, or make her do some.

But the moment he'd landed in France, every single second had been filled with Veela sisters and enchanting distractions.

Homework? What homework?

Not just Transfiguration--he hadn't completed a single subject.

This was, frankly, karma. It had been nearly a whole term since he'd last done any school-work properly. The habit was long gone.

McGonagall gave him a gracious smile, "Thank you, Mr. Morningstar. I do believe that's a brand-new excuse I've never heard before."

What happens when the top student in the entire year doesn't hand in their homework?

Well, Lucifer wasn't sure about the other subjects, but in Transfiguration, everyone was treated the same.

Predictably, McGonagall gave him a light punishment--five points from Gryffindor', and an ultimatum: the homework must be on her desk by tomorrow. For every day it was late, another 'five points' would be docked.

Honestly, she was going easy on him. His well-established image as a "good boy" probably, or Gryffindor' being closing in on House Cup saved him.

If it had been Ron, or Malfoy? Points deduction would've been just the start---detention would've been guaranteed.

Although... come to think of it, those two---plus Harry-were already serving detention for that brawl on the last day of previous term.

Lucifer gave a sincere apology, which seemed to cool McGonagall's temper a little, and she launched into today's lesson.

The assignment was to transfigure a stone into a wooden smoking pipe-one that had to include elegant carvings, no less.

Transfiguration was one of the hardest subjects at Hogwarts. Even after a whole term, most students hadn't even scratched the surface. What they turned out was often bizarre and completely off the mark.

Dean Thomas, for instance, somehow managed to transform his stone into an 'elephant's trunk'. It flailed about the classroom, sparking screams.

Neville... well, Neville turned his stone into... another stone?

Slightly altered in shape, it frankly looked like Kappa perhaps, but the material remained entirely unchanged.

McGonagall could only shake her head in quiet despair. She quickly turned to Lucifer and Hermione's desks to check their work---and only then did she feel a sliver of relief.

Otherwise, after decades of dedicated teaching, even a professor like her might've started doubting her own abilities.

After class, he slipped into a corner to ask Hermione's help in fixing his homework problem, she 'gently' declined while patting his shoulder.

Then, mouthed a "thank you" for doing hers so well, she had to have the "sweetest smile" while saying it, he ever saw on the girl, where was young's innocence?

He mmediately darted off to find Professor Flitwick and explain his situation.

Compared to McGonagall's stern standards, Flitwick was far more lenient--- No point deduction, no homework resubmission---he merely asked Lucifer to make the ribbons on the table perform a short tap-dance.

Naturally, this little test didn't faze Lucifer one bit. He passed with flying colors. Next up: Herbology.

Professor Sprout was just as understanding. She simply had him help fertilize a group of pitcher plants, and dropped the subject of homework entirely.

The rest of the classes? Not important.

Professor Binns didn't even 'grade notes!' Lucifer just copied a segment each from a few classmates and stitched them together.

As for Quirrell... he wasn't even worth wasting parchment on, man put up a desk outside his class to collect.

---Besides Lucifer had other questions to ask in a proper hour, so he waited for scheduled lectures. But the most troublesome professor of all---That had to be Snape.

At precisely 4 p.m., he knocked on the door of Snape's office.

"Enter."

The voice from within was low and cold.

Lucifer pushed open the door. When Snape saw who it was, he didn't look surprised. After all, aside from other professors and Filch, this boy was probably the only student who dared approach his office voluntarily.

"Professor, I didn't do the Potions homework."

"Detention."

Snape didn't even look up from his book.

"Nope. That's a waste of time. Give me something else."

"Then prepare the toad corpses."

"Disgusting. I would likely earn Neville's eternal wrath."

'Smack!'

Snape slammed his book shut and looked up with icy eyes. "You're getting picky now?" Then he let out a mirthless chuckle. "Fine. You don't want detention? Midnight. Quidditch pitch. And 'you're not allowed' to use that disgusting doorboard of yours."

"No problem."

Lucifer agreed so quickly that it caught Snape off guard. Before the man could even process the reply, he had already vanished.

xxxxx

That night, he spent several hours completing the Transfiguration homework. Well--technically, it was 'Grindelwald' who wrote it inside the pocket dimension of Nurmengard's prison bar.

Lucifer just copied it word for word, made a few edits, and called it a day. It wasn't that he didn't want to write it himself---McGonagall had assigned an obscene amount of work. Writing it properly would've taken a full three hours, even with his speed enhanced.

He wasn't about to waste that much time, so poor Gellert had to bear the brunt of it. The "Darkest Wizard of 19th and 20th Century," now reduced to ghostwriting for a first-year student....

---Makima, watching from the side, wanted to laugh but didn't dare to. If the human wizard refused next time, Lord Lucifer might come knocking on her door instead.

Lucifer finished copying the last essay just in time, then bolted from common room and slipped through the castle toward Quidditch pitch.

Snape stood alone on the grassy field. When he saw the boy, he didn't bother with words--he simply raised his wand.

But Lucifer wasn't rushing. He held up a hand.

"Professor, we're clear on the rules--no matter what happens here, the matter of my holiday homework is considered resolved."

Snape gave him a mocking smirk, "Didn't ask, Morningstar. But--you're not allowed to use any of your bizarre little trinkets."

"Relax. I won't even use Transfiguration."

The smile vanished from Snape's face. Frost returned to his expression.

The last time they dueled, Lucifer's transfiguration skills had caused no end of trouble. And now--after just one holiday--the boy thought he could do even more damage?

Snape could sense Lucifer's change in aura, but still didn't believe a mere couple of weeks could bring that much improvement. 'No--this boy had simply grown cocky.' Perfect. This would cool Morningstar's arrogance and remind him: there's always someone stronger, always a sky higher than the one you see.

Snape raised his wand with a flick, launching the first spell to start the duel.

Lucifer strolled aside as if taking a walk in the park, easily dodging the curse. A sizzling red burst of magic erupted from his wand in reply--powerful and explosive. The 'ShieldCharm' managed to block it, but the sheer force behind the spell sent Snape skidding back several steps.

Once steady, Snape stared at him in disbelief. It was just a basic Depulso. Why had it hit like a darn Blasting Curse?'

"Professor, just one holiday and your skills have already rusted? That's disappointing."

Lucifer's voice carried across the field, smooth and teasing. But before Snape could respond, another wave of spells flew at him--'Expelliarmus, Stupefy, Impedimenta'---textbook charms, but each one packed with aggression, relentless and sharp-edged.

Snape found himself entirely on the defensive, struggling to keep up with the flurry. He could only just manage to deflect Lucifer's onslaught.

At this point, Lucifer really wanted to shout that timeless classic: "Three decades east of the river, three decades west." But... it had only been two weeks. Still a little early for that kind of drama.

From the top of the tallest tower, Albus Dumbledore stood at the window, his eyes trained on the Quidditch pitch.

With the aid of 'Hawk-Eye', he could see every detail of the duel between Snape and Lucifer.

"That pressure... Merlin's aura?"

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed. As perhaps the most learned wizard alive, he could spot magical anomalies others would miss. He hadn't noticed anything off about Lucifer the previous day---because he had already fully been enveloped with "Divine bloodline."

-----If he hadn't fought Snape, even Dumbledore wouldn't have detected it. But now, as soon as the spells clashed and Lucifer's power surged from miniscule to slowly form one percent, the truth revealed itself.

You mind, there'a huge jump in power between each percentage.

The question remained: had Lucifer merged with a magical creature or finally awakened Merlin's dormant bloodline....?

Dumbledore leaned more toward the latter. Fusion was rare and dangerous---and usually came with changes in physical appearance. Lucifer, on the other hand, looked perfectly normal.

The Dumbledore family itself carried "phoenix" blood. He knew better than most what to expect from a first-generation hybrid.

The duel raged on. Lucifer was utterly dominating-erasing all trace of his previous almost loss. His 'offensive' was fierce, his rhythm tight, his spellwork seamless. It left Snape no room to counterattack-----

Did Snape have a way to break out of this? Oh yes. He had 'nine' different methods.

But he couldn't use any of them-not here, not now. Most of those methods involved... 'less-than-legal magic.'

To cast dark curses on a student? That'd be a career-ending move. And even if Snape didn't care about that, the old man watching from the tower certainly would.

So, within the bounds of a formal, rule-abiding duel... there really wasn't much Snape could do.

To make matters worse, Lucifer's raw magical power had clearly grown. His reflexes were razor-sharp, his body fast and flexible, dodging like a greased Niffler, 'unlike before, when his movements... he attempted to make, but clumsily messed up, like boy wasn't used to his own body.'

Snape, meanwhile... well, too many years behind a desk had done their damage. He was basically a stationary turret.

Back in the Headmaster's Office, Dumbledore's face remained unreadable even after discovering Lucifer's Merlin bloodline---but now, his brow furrowed.

Each of Lucifer's spells came with unwavering confidence, with force, speed, and precision that left no doubt. No hesitation, no wasted movement.

That combat style.....

Dumbledore couldn't help but see shades of Grindelwald in it. 'Which made no sense. It had to be my imagination... right?'

Another five minutes passed. Snape was sweating profusely. Finally, he raised a hand and called off the duel.

Lucifer pretended he didn't hear him. For a moment, he considered pressing on--avenging his humiliation from last time. But in the end, he decided to let it go. It never hurt to leave Snape with some dignity. After all, it'd be easier to ask him for favors later.

Snape stormed off in fury. But he wasn't angry at Lucifer--he was angry at himself. He'd just been thoroughly beaten by a student.

The authority he held as a professor? Gone. And after this, Lucifer definitely wouldn't take him seriously anymore.

'Not that he ever reallydid.' But no---Snape shook himself. He had grown complacent over the years. He might never reach Voldemort's level, but he wasn't about to give up. 'At the very least... I had to delay Morningstar's rise for as long as I could!'

Lucifer, unaware that he had just lit a fire under Snape's ambition, would've probably demanded tuition fees for the motivation boost.

Once Snape left, he returned to the castle right away, Dumbledore was gazing down on them after all, No need to detour toward 'the Forbidden Forest....' Man had given him Flamel's letters, Lucifer would keep the Headmaster's face.

He slept soundly. But elsewhere, two men were tossing and turning.

In the dim sleeping quarters attached to Potions office, Snape jolted upright in bed.

"No. How---how was Morningstar this strong already?"

Meanwhile, in the Headmaster's Office, Dumbledore sighed as he paced in front of the window. 'Grindelwald's dueling style? No. That couldn't be. I had to be imagining things...'

xxxxxx

1 Extra Chapter - 200 Power Stone's!