The soft murmur of music and the clinking of crystal glasses could already be heard as they made their way up to the upper floors.
Aurelian Gaunt walked through the dimly lit corridors, flanked by the most beautiful witches in the castle, Hestia and Flora. They were heading toward the Potions professor's office to attend the exclusive, traditional, and somewhat ostentatious Christmas party of Horace Slughorn's "Slug Club."
Honestly, Aurelian didn't have the slightest desire to attend. His current mood was a far cry from the festive spirit of the occasion or the desire to endure hours of small talk. He knew his professor and the dynamics of those gatherings all too well. He was more than certain that the moment he set foot inside the hall, both Professor Slughorn and his swarm of "distinguished guests"—whom he had surely brought from the Ministry and high society—would swarm all over him like flies. They would want favors, they would want to partner with Gauntcorp, or simply strut around in front of their acquaintances claiming they'd struck up a conversation with the genius behind the Arcane Patterns.
Yet here he was, wearing an impeccable, tailor-made black silk robe. The reason? Hestia and Flora had insisted, with adorable pouts and pleading looks he simply couldn't resist. The twins wanted to show off their stunning new ball gowns in front of everyone, and above all, they wanted to rub it in the face of any prim and proper girl present just how perfect a couple they made with the most powerful Lord at Hogwarts.
Aurelian let out a small, discreet sigh, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. He almost never said no to them when they asked for something, and he certainly wasn't going to deny them the whim of going to a simple party if that made them happy.
But as they walked, Aurelian's mind began to process the situation from a much broader perspective. To see beyond the superficiality of the event. If he analyzed it carefully, attending this kind of event could indeed serve his future plans.
The wizards and witches who attended and orbited around these kinds of events orchestrated by Slughorn were not mere citizens. Typically, they were opinion leaders, heirs to fortunes, and future politicians—in short, the people who moved with the greatest ease and influence through the upper echelons of British and international wizarding society, depending on the individual.
If his new, colossal goal was to terraform Mars and ensure that absolutely everyone in the magical world, without exception, left Earth forever, he needed more than just brute force and his money. He needed... devotion. The entire world had to begin to see him almost as a messiah, a savior who would pull them out of the shadows and lead them, literally and figuratively, to new heights.
And to achieve that, beginning to cultivate public opinion and the favor of influential people would be of incalculable help.
His current reputation was that of a prodigy, someone to be feared, a ruthless Lord, and the young and mysterious owner of an ever-expanding empire. But if he began to make himself seen in these social circles, if people began to get to know him firsthand as someone charismatic, kind, and open to dialogue, his image would transform and the transition would be much smoother. He wanted them to follow him for his vision, not just out of fear of his titles or the crushing weight of Gauntcorp.
Because Aurelian wasn't a fool. He knew perfectly well that getting entire societies to want to abandon absolutely everything they knew to travel into the void of space in search of something new was a titanic, nearly impossible task. In this, or in any situation involving radical changes, the opinion of the masses was everything.
He couldn't, nor did he want to, become a tyrant who simply forced them to say goodbye at the point of a wand. Forcing people to abandon their deep-rooted, millennia-old traditions, to leave behind their ancestral homes, their family businesses, the lands that had belonged not only to them but also to their parents before them, and their grandparents before them, and so on for countless generations, would require an unprecedented effort at persuasion.
It would be an incredibly difficult path, a political, social, and magical game that would take years of meticulous execution. But as he glanced sideways at the two beautiful women walking beside him, Aurelian clenched his jaw with determination. He had to do it. He would do it, for the future, the safety, and the happiness of his family... and as a secondary benefit, he would save the rest of the magical world from being devoured by Muggles if they stayed.
Finally, they reached the elegant entrance to the party, adorned with thick garlands, mistletoe, and crystal orbs floating in the air, emitting a soft light.
Before crossing the threshold, Hestia and Flora moved a little closer to him. They embraced him possessively, each taking one of his arms and intertwining it with their own. Hestia wore a deep blue dress that set off her eyes, and Flora wore an emerald-colored dress that echoed her house. Both were dazzling; their choices for the party perfectly showcased their figures and pale skin. In short, they were the most beautiful girls in the entire world.
Aurelian relaxed his shoulders, lifted his chin, and adopted the persona of the perfect, charismatic, and kind Lord Gaunt.
With a smile that would surely enchant Professor Slughorn, the future savior of the magical race and the Carrow sisters set out to enter the party, ready to begin weaving the threads of the new world.
The moment they stepped into the hall, Aurelian's prediction came true to a tee.
No sooner had the doors closed behind them than Professor Slughorn's high-pitched, cheerful voice cut through the general murmur.
"Ah, by Merlin's beard! But it's the guest of honor! Aurelian, my boy, come in, come in!"
Slughorn, dressed in an extravagant plum-colored robe, practically ran toward them, dragging a small swarm of wizards and witches in his wake. They were, without a doubt, the "friends" from the Ministry and high society that the professor so loved to show off.
Without missing a beat, Aurelian greeted them all with a dazzling smile and offered each a firm, confident handshake. For the next twenty minutes, he navigated the conversation with grace. He listened to their compliments, answered their questions about Gauntcorp's future with humility, and made sure to leave them all with the impression that he was a young man who was not only brilliant, but also approachable and visionary.
When he finally felt that the seeds of his new image had been planted, he excused himself politely and, taking the twins by the waist, managed to slip away into the party to enjoy the atmosphere.
It didn't take them long to spot a familiar face. Near a punch fountain stood Neville Longbottom, and beside him, in a salmon-colored dress, was Susan Bones.
Aurelian, Hestia, and Flora approached to greet them. While the twins exchanged a few tense but polite words with Amelia Bones's niece, Aurelian took advantage of Susan distracting them for a moment with the snack table to subtly pull Neville aside.
Seeing that they were alone, Aurelian leaned in and whispered a couple of rather clever and subtly persuasive suggestions and tricks into his ear—about what to say and how to act to get a little closer to Susan that night and leave her enchanted.
As Aurelian told him the details of how to seduce the girl, Neville's face began to change color, shifting from a pale pink to a bright scarlet red that rivaled the color of his house.
Aurelian stepped back, raising a glass to his lips, and could only laugh at his loyal friend's shy reaction. Seeing Neville so nervous, Aurelian thought of his own relationship. He had never needed to resort to such games or tricks of courtship with Hestia and Flora; the twins' love had always been fierce, direct, and absolute from day one. But he was sure that for a boy as noble as Neville, that advice would serve him wonderfully.
After patting his friend on the back to encourage him, Aurelian headed to the bar and returned to his fiancées, handing each of them a pair of glasses.
Hestia took her glass, glanced at him sideways, and raised an eyebrow.
"May I ask what you were whispering to Longbottom that left him in such a pitiful state, my love?" Hestia asked curiously. "He looked like he was about to explode."
Aurelian smiled, taking a small sip of his own drink.
"I just gave him a couple of useful tips to help him with his date. I thought he might need them," he replied calmly.
Flora, who was standing on his other side, narrowed her eyes. She stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and cupped his face in her delicate hands. She forced him to look her straight in the eyes.
"You'd better hope those tricks and whispers were just to help Longbottom, my dear Aurelian," Flora warned him in a low voice, brushing his lips. "Because you are solely and exclusively ours. No one else's. Now and forever."
Far from being intimidated, Aurelian's heart beat faster at this intense display of jealousy. He smiled against his girlfriend's palms, leaning in slightly to plant a gentle kiss on the tip of Flora's nose.
"I know that perfectly well, my love," he assured her.
Hestia, seeing the interaction, furrowed her brow into an adorable pout and tugged at the collar of his tunic, kissing him quickly and possessively on the lips.
"Don't leave me out of this," Hestia demanded, her eyes shining with the same intensity as her sister's.
Aurelian let out a soft chuckle, wrapped his arms around both of their waists, and kissed them tenderly, making it very clear to both of them that there was no one else in the world for him.
The rest of the evening went perfectly. They continued strolling through the elegant hall, eating the exquisite canapés and drinking mead. Aurelian didn't let his guard down. He was extremely kind and charming to anyone who dared to approach his small circle, cementing in everyone's mind the image of the leader the magical world would soon need.
At the end of the night, when the music began to fade and most of the guests started to leave, Aurelian stepped out of the professor's office. Hestia and Flora were clinging to him. The twins, who didn't usually drink very often, were a little tipsy. Their cheeks were flushed, they giggled at everything, and they clung affectionately to Aurelian's arms as they walked through the hallways back to the dungeons.
When they finally reached the warmth of their room in Slytherin, Aurelian helped them undress carefully, taking off their dresses and putting them in something comfortable to sleep in.
He laid them down on the bed, and the moment he lay down between them, Hestia and Flora pounced on him. They hugged him with tremendous force, wrapping their legs and arms around his body.
"We love you… we love you so much, Aurelian," Flora stammered, rubbing her face against his chest.
"We'd do anything for you… we'd kill anyone…" Hestia echoed, her words slurring slightly from the alcohol.
Aurelian wrapped his arms around them both, pulling them close and kissing their foreheads tenderly, shielding them from the outside world.
"I love you too," he whispered to them in the dim light of the room. "I love you with all my heart."
Upon hearing his words, the fearsome and bloodthirsty Carrow sisters let out a sound that closely resembled the happy purring of a pair of cats who had gotten what they wanted. Little by little, the twins' breathing grew deeper, and they fell completely asleep on his chest.
Feeling the warm, comforting weight of his family upon him, Aurelian closed his eyes, his mind relaxed and his spirit renewed. As he drifted off to sleep, he couldn't help but smile in the darkness. It had definitely been a very good party.
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