Since that humiliating defeat, the Gryffindor team had completely lost its spirit.
Oliver, in particular, was in a terrible state, often spending entire days in a daze. It was as if all their desire to win had been sucked out of them by the Dementors.
But amidst all this, Harry alone remained energetic, practicing diligently and using any free time he could find to learn the Patronus Charm under Lupin's guidance.
He knew there was no hope for Gryffindor. If Slytherin lost to another team, there might still be a chance, but unfortunately, Harry knew that Mirabel was the last person who would ever lose.
No matter who the opponent was, he couldn't imagine her losing or kneeling down.
She would definitely win.
Without breaking that infuriating composure, she would overwhelm them, as if it had always been meant to be, and claim the crown of victory.
And that was fine with him.
She had defeated them so completely that he didn't want her to lose to anyone else so easily. He wanted her to remain an invincible being, an absolute victor, reigning supreme forever.
That was the only way it made sense.
"How about this? Um, in 1396, a griffin injured a witch but was acquitted... Oh, no. That's because the witch herself was the griffin's owner and asked for its acquittal."
"I can't find anything here either. I guess it's impossible to acquit a hippogriff..."
Christmas was over, and the school was beginning to buzz with activity again. Harry, Hermione, and Edith were gathered in the library, discussing the matter.
They were trying to clear the Hippogriff, Buckbeak, who had injured Malfoy, by investigating past incidents, but none of them seemed promising.
"Wait, Edith. Are you saying it's okay for innocent Buckbeak to be executed?"
"I didn't say that, but realistically, no matter how much we investigate past cases, it's going to be tough unless we somehow deal with the Malfoy family's power."
"Ugh... I guess you're right..."
Listening to Hermione and Edith's exchange, Harry felt the difficulty of saving the Hippogriff.
It was obvious to anyone that there was no justification for the Hippogriff's execution. Even if they don't let students off scot-free after hurting them, the death penalty was excessive. But the reality was that they were still pushing through with the execution by force.
So wasn't it obvious that nothing would work unless they did something about the Malfoy family's power, which was the root cause of this?
"What I'm trying to say is that maybe the conventional approach just won't work anymore. If it were something we could handle, Dumbledore would have already done something about it. Even with Dumbledore's power, all he could do was get Hagrid acquitted..."
"So what's the alternative? Kill all the Ministry officials who came here?"
"That's probably too much... Maybe someone like Mirabel could do it..."
Harry listened to the conversation and thought.
Surely she could... Mirabel could find a way out of this predicament. When they talked at the villa, she said she would even change the laws of the wizarding world. Then she must be able to do it.
It certainly wasn't a legitimate means, but right now, he just envied her power.
"What would Beresford do? She would do something, right?"
"Hmm... Yeah, I guess so. First of all, I don't think she'd use her power to crush them. She said the Malfoy family has more influence. But I'm sure she'd find a way. She's Mirabel, after all."
Edith's words were filled with unconditional trust.
"Mirabel can do it." Those words contained a conviction that had no basis in reality.
If Mirabel used all her power for the right cause, they wouldn't even be in this predicament, he thought. She would have easily proven the Hippogriff's innocence and captured Sirius Black without a hitch.
To realize the gap between her and him even here was a truly unpleasant thought.
"The walls are so high..."
"Huh?"
Hermione reacted to the words he had muttered without thinking, but he dismissed it as nothing.
Really, I'm such a fool for choosing such a terrifying rival. Of course, she's only my rival in Quidditch. I don't mind losing in other areas, but it still stings.
The wall I need to overcome is just too high.
Once again, the end-of-term exams that send students into a frenzy had arrived.
In Transfiguration, the test involved turning a teapot into a land tortoise, followed by Charms. This involved casting an "energy-boosting spell," which caused so many students to laugh uncontrollably that they couldn't stop. Edith also cast it a bit too strongly, nearly causing Malfoy to laugh himself to death.
Finally, they took the History of Magic exam, and the first day was over. Most students who didn't pay attention in Professor Binz's History of Magic class stumbled here. In other words, 90% of the students stumbled.
The second day consisted of Magical Creature Care, Potions, and Astronomy.
Magical Creature Care was easy... or rather, it was so easy it didn't even qualify as a test. After all, as long as your lettuce-eating bug survived until the end of the exam, you passed. (Lettuce-eating bugs thrive on their own, so anyone can pass.) There was no doubt that this class alone was artificially inflating the average score.
After that, there were Potions and Astronomy, and the second day was over.
On the third day, there were Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and an elective class called Muggle Studies. This elective varied by student, with some taking Divination, but according to Mirabel, it was a waste of time.
This was because the teacher in charge of this class, Sybil Trelawney, was a fraud who didn't realize her own power. She had the potential. She truly possessed the prophetic ability to see the future as a genuine fortune-teller. However, she herself was unaware of this, making her a wasted talent, and in her everyday life, Trelawney was completely incompetent.
Mirabel found her the hardest person to evaluate. What can you do when someone has real power but is incompetent?
Well, either way, she wasn't the kind of person who could teach a proper class. Even if it was for the sake of keeping her prophetic powers under control, Dumbledore was quite the sly old fox for making her a teacher.
"Ah, it's over. The feeling of relief when a test is over is great, isn't it?"
"I don't know. I can't relate to that feeling."
"Is that so... Well, you have nothing to worry about, do you?"
After the test, Edith and Mirabel walked back to the Slytherin dormitory.
No matter when it was, tests were always nerve-wracking, and the sense of relief when they were over was a welcome one. If the answers they received back were better than expected, there was nothing to complain about, but the uncertainty until then was the hardest part.
"You're probably going to be at the top of the class again this year, aren't you?"
"Who knows? Granger seemed to be working extra hard this year."
"Really? What did she do?"
"She was taking multiple classes at the same time. I'm sure she used a Time-Turner."
A Time-Turner was the most powerful magical device that allowed one to travel back in time. Due to its extreme danger, it required permission from the Ministry of Magic to use, and it wasn't something an ordinary student could obtain.
Probably McGonagall went out of her way to get permission for Hermione because she was so fond of her. Just as Dumbledore loved Harry like his own son, McGonagall tended to spoil Hermione a bit too much.
As they were talking, the red-haired girl they'd been discussing came running over. But her face was pale, and she looked anxious.
"E-Edith!"
"Hermione? What's wrong?"
"I-I just got a letter from Hagrid... We lost the appeal..."
Hearing those words, Edith gasped, but Mirabel showed no reaction at all.
To her, a Hippogriff or two were of no concern. She thought it was a shame to reduce the number of precious magical creatures for the sake of someone like Malfoy's self-satisfaction, but that was all. Whether the Hippogriffs were executed or survived didn't matter to Mirabel.
"Harry?"
"I already know. So, we're thinking of going to Hagrid's place... Will you come with us?"
"Of course!"
While listening to Hermione and Edith's exchange, Mirabel thought to herself with a cold mind that things had turned out rather odd.
Last year, as a result of her own actions, Ronald Weasley had disappeared, and Edith had taken his place among them. It was as if she had filled the role that had been lost, taking the position that should have been Ron's.
Originally, Edith had a quiet disposition for a Slytherin student, but now it seemed as though she had joined the wrong dormitory.
"Mirabel!"
"I'm not going. Why should I get involved in the life or death of a mere animal?"
"Right?"
Mirabel was an incredibly reliable ally when she was on your side. That's why Edith called out to her, but as expected, the response she got was completely disinterested.
Yeah, I knew it. I knew this friend of mine was the type to go her own way, Edith thought, slumping her shoulders.
"Well, I'm going to go."
"Yeah. But you're all crazy."
After seeing Edith and Hermione off, Mirabel headed straight for the Slytherin dormitory.
She could have gone with them, but there was no one she needed to defeat this time, and there was nothing she could do even if she went. There were no enemies like Quirrell from two years ago or Tom Riddle from last year.
Of course, she could have killed Wormtail.
For Mirabel, who had turned all the rats in the castle into her familiars, it would have been easy to track Wormtail's movements while he was disguised as a rat. Wormtail never seemed to notice, but he had always been under Mirabel's surveillance.
However, Mirabel did not act because killing him here would prevent Voldemort from being resurrected.
For Mirabel, Voldemort must be resurrected.
And she must fight him in his prime and kill him with her own hands for it to have meaning. That was Mirabel's pride.
Preventing his resurrection was easy. It would be easy to continue fighting Dumbledore alone without bringing Voldemort back. But even if she managed to avoid the Dark Lord and succeed in ruling the magical world, could she truly be proud of that? Could she honestly claim to have eliminated the old pure-blood supremacists? Would that truly be "victory"?
...No.
Such a victory would have no value.
Even if I were to dominate the magical world through such means, the fear of "that man" would linger in the hearts of the people. His existence would be deified, remembered as an absolute entity.
Therefore, I must resurrect him. I must crush him with my own hands, Mirabel Beresford's hands, twist him, trample him, and utterly destroy him!
We must secure a clear "victory" that all the people who fear the emperor can understand, expose his remains, and declare it triumphantly. That is victory. Only then will the fear of the emperor be eradicated from the hearts of the people, and in its place, my absolute existence will be etched into their minds.
Voldemort and Dumbledore must be killed by Mirabel's hand in their prime!
Therefore, I will not allow them to remain as the weak, powerless ghosts they are now. I will not acknowledge them as worthless insects deserving of death. What I seek to kill is the 'Dark Emperor.' There is no meaning in eliminating a helpless insect.
That is why I spared Wormtail. For the sake of the Emperor's resurrection, I deliberately spared that filthy rat.
The preparations for battle are nearly complete. Soon, I will achieve complete immortality and become an absolute transcendent being beyond all others.
Then, all that remains is to fight. Which of us is the truly superior being? Which of us deserves to rule the magical world? I will make them realize this and then completely annihilate them.
That is the complete victory, the complete domination that Mirabel Beresford envisions!
So for now, I wait. Until the time is right.
Of course, sitting idly by is not my style. Fortunately, this school has no shortage of places to kill time and accumulate knowledge.
Mirabel headed to the eighth floor and stood before an empty wall, focusing her mind on the words "the place where all things are hidden."
Then a door appeared, and Mirabel stepped inside.
This was the "Room of Requirement," a place known only to a select few in the school. It read the desires of those who entered and changed its form according to their needs.
And what Mirabel desired was the room where those who had used this room before had hidden various things, a room of guilty secrets. There were various magical tools and forbidden books, which satisfied Mirabel.
"...Hm?"
Mirabel narrowed her eyes and picked up a hairpin lying on a nearby wooden box.
The hairpin gave off an eerie, ominous aura. Additionally, it seemed to have a psychic effect, making it quite annoying. However, it was not strong enough to shake Mirabel's resilient self-control; it was merely unpleasant.
In fact, this hair ornament had been there for a while, but it had always been an eyesore. Every time she came here, it distracted her and disrupted her concentration.
"..."
This is a nuisance.
Having made up her mind, Mirabel picked up the tiara for the first time, intending to remove it from the room.
Instantly, she felt an evil intent trying to influence her mind. Of course, it didn't shake Mirabel; instead, her brave resistance led her to the truth.
Her lips curled into a smile, as if she had found something she had been searching for, and she was filled with joy.
"So that's how it is! You bastard, Voldemort... No wonder you were so weak and miserable."
Why didn't Voldemort die when he was defeated by Harry? Mirabel had already suspected that the reason lay in the "Horcrux."
The diary of Tom Riddle that appeared last year. That was it.
Mirabel had once thought that the diary was the reason Voldemort was immortal. However, even after the diary was destroyed, Voldemort did not die, and he continued to appear in the story as "knowledge."
From this, Mirabel began to suspect that he was using some other means besides the Horcruxes. But no! The secret to Voldemort's immortality was indeed the Horcruxes! And that man had gone so far as to create multiple Horcruxes!
That was why the Voldemort they had encountered in their first year had become such a pitiful, ghost-like existence.
This point also puzzled Mirabel. Even if one loses their physical body, their soul does not weaken. However, the Voldemort Mirabel had actually encountered was a worthless insect that could not move properly without parasitizing others, and his soul was pitifully small and weak.
But if one considers that multiple Horcruxes are the cause, it makes sense.
"I see, that's why he's weak... If you split your soul into multiple parts, it makes sense that he'd end up like that..."
There are multiple Horcruxes. This is now a certainty.
Then how many are there? How many did that fool create? And where are those Horcruxes now?
Unfortunately, the answer to that question is not in "knowledge." However, the clue is right here in my hands.
This tiara, which is a Horcrux! What criteria were used to select it as a Horcrux? If I can figure that out, I can predict the location and existence of the other Soul Vessels!
"I've got you, Voldemort... the secret to your immortality..."
Now I know how to kill that man.
Mirabel felt more certain than ever that she had reached her future victory.
The end-of-year party, held as usual, ended in disappointment for all students except those in Slytherin.
Even Dumbledore couldn't secure a victory for Gryffindor this time, and the House Cup once again returned to Slytherin.
Harry and the others had performed exceptionally well, deserving over 100 points, but their actions of freeing the innocent Sirius Black and the Hippogriff that was supposed to be executed were things that, if made public, would only lead to their arrest.
In the end, the Quidditch results were reflected directly, and with Mirabel once again dominating, Slytherin maintained its lead.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the entire school's fear was focused on Mirabel, who single-handedly led Slytherin to victory.
To make matters worse, Remus Lupin, who was beloved by the students, also resigned, further depressing the students.
On the other hand, Slytherin House was in a frenzy, with excitement reaching its peak. The Quidditch team members were surrounded by other students, basking in their glory, while Marcus kept thanking Mirabel repeatedly.
Snape was in a good mood, enjoying his meal, and occasionally flashing a smug smile at Gryffindor as if he had just remembered something.
Meanwhile, Mirabel, the heroine of the victory, had been awarded the Magic Excellence Award for her outstanding abilities, but she seemed uninterested as she tasted the food.
"Hm... So Black remains a criminal after all."
"Yeah. Harry was really disappointed."
Edith replied sadly to Mirabel, who was listening to the story while cutting the beef steak.
From what she heard, it seemed that things had turned out rather odd without Ron. Apparently, Wormtail, cornered, had revealed himself to Harry and tried to kill him. Edith had been knocked out by Wormtail and fainted.
After that, Edith only heard about it secondhand, but Sirius Black and Remus Lupin arrived just in time to subdue and capture Wormtail. However, Lupin ended up transforming into a werewolf midway through, and the rest happened as Mirabel already knew.
"Wait, Mirabel, you actually believe that Black isn't a murderer? I was pretty surprised."
"Well, now that you mention it, I guess it makes sense."
"Huh?"
"My pet is a rat, after all... I knew from the start that the Weasleys' rat was an Animagus."
"Wait... Why didn't you tell the Weasleys that?!"
She skewered a piece of meat with a fork, put it in her mouth, and chewed.
The meat juices and sweet-and-spicy sauce melted in her mouth, and the rice she took next complemented them perfectly. She let the excess sauce drip onto the rice and ate it, then ate the rice soaked in sauce. This endless cycle had a certain similarity to yakiniku.
After all, white rice is the best accompaniment for meat. She couldn't help but feel that her Japanese sensibilities from her "past life" were carried over into such trivial details, but delicious food was delicious, so there was nothing she could do about it.
"That guy who didn't notice is an idiot. How can you stand living with a mouse that's been around for over 12 years? Even my Pyotr died four days ago from old age."
"Pyotr was the big black mouse Mirabel used to keep, right?"
"Yeah. When I returned to the dorm after the exam, he was dead near my bed. Fortunately, he left behind dozens of offspring, so we won't be inconvenienced as pets."
Pyotr, whom Mirabel had bought before entering the school and who had helped subdue the other mice in the school, was, after all, just a mouse. His sudden death the other day left her a bit speechless.
Still, it seems he showed enough loyalty to leave behind an heir before dying, so at least she wouldn't have to go through the trouble of buying a new pet.
"But the problem is, where is Wormtail now? I'm sure he's not in the castle... What do you think, Mirabel?"
"...Well, I don't know. The whereabouts of a sewer rat are none of my concern."
Mirabel said indifferently, poking at her potato with a fork.
Of course, he's probably heading to Voldemort's lair, but there's no need to tell Edith that. She's currently in what the original story calls the "Ron position."
Giving her unnecessary knowledge, especially knowledge that could affect the bigger picture, could have unpredictable consequences.
"I see. ...Hey, Mirabel."
"What is it?"
"About that 'offensive guardian spirit' thing. Could you teach me next year?"
"I've been thinking about it lately."
"I've already taught you guardian spirit magic. You're not ready for that yet."
"...Yeah, I know, but..."
Edith's hesitant words made Mirabel narrow her eyes.
Edith had asked her to teach her guardian spirit magic at the beginning of her third year as well. So she had briefly taught her the basic guardian spirit magic, but now she sensed a different kind of urgency in her.
"Are you worried about being knocked unconscious?"
"Yeah... This time, I couldn't do anything... In the end, Harry and Hermione solved everything, and I'm just so frustrated..."
Mirabel took a sip of tea, swallowed slowly, and looked at Edith.
So, she was feeling frustrated with her own lack of power. Indeed, after facing the basilisk last year and Wormtail this year, it was only natural that she would want more power.
"This is going to be tough."
"I know."
"Alright. Then..."
Mirabel pulled a piece of paper from her pocket, tossed it in front of Edith, and snapped her fingers. The blank paper began to fill with text, revealing the address of Magnolia Crescent. A hand mirror then appeared in a puff of smoke and landed on the table.
"Those are the coordinates for my vacation home. If you're serious about this, come there during summer break. As for communication, don't use the owl. Use that hand mirror."
"What's this?"
"It's a 'two-way mirror.' It's far more reliable than owl messengers."
A two-way mirror was a set of two mirrors that only worked together for communication. By speaking into one mirror, you could communicate with the other mirror. Unlike owl-delivered letters, it didn't take time, and Mirabel found it extremely useful. That's one reason she refused to use an owl.
"Is that okay? It's expensive, isn't it?"
"It's fine. Keep it."
Two-way mirrors were convenient, but their absolute number was extremely limited. This was because they were so convenient that the Ministry of Magic had restricted their use.
This item, which allowed communication in places beyond the Ministry's control, was the ultimate tool for those on the dark side. In the past, several dark wizards used it to deceive the Ministry and communicate with each other, leaving a dark stain on history.
As a result, only a select few privileged individuals and limited wizards trusted by the Ministry were permitted to possess it. The price... well, you can imagine.
"If you need me, speak to the mirror."
"Got it."
Edith carefully tucked the mirror away into her cloak. She was probably wondering how much it would cost if she broke it. That's so typical of a commoner.
Watching her, Mirabel thought that her days as an "ordinary student" were numbered.
If things proceeded as expected, next year would bring a turning point in her destiny. Her peaceful student life would come to an end, and an era of turmoil engulfing the entire magical world would begin.
One year until Voldemort's return.
***
Authors note:
What a cliffhanger!
So, this time, I really didn't do anything.
Actually, I originally planned to have Harry, Hermione, Edith, and Mirabel form a party of four. However, when the Dementors appeared, they were all wiped out, and as a result, the Time-Turner event was canceled.
Buckbeak was executed, and Harry didn't master his Patronus. It was a disaster. So, I had no choice but to make Mirabel a background character.
Next time, as a special episode, we'll bring you a Wormtail event with Edith making a brief appearance. Well, she won't be doing much, though... Edith's combat strength is only average for her age, after all.
***
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