Facing Glenda Chittock's inquiry, Audrey shook her head. "Miss Chittock, I have to take my O.W.L.s this year. I'm busy to death and have no time for rehearsals."
Glenda's look instantly became strange; it was a mix of banter and amusement, doubt and speechlessness.
"But Miss Astley, I heard that you were exempted from eight courses. Of the remaining four, you applied for exemption for three of them. The only one you actively didn't want to be exempted from was Herbology... I heard that seeds often inexplicably disappear from the greenhouse."
Glenda looked confident.
"Being able to propose exemption shows you are very confident in yourself. The O.W.L.s exams seem to be just a piece of cake for you."
'Holy crap!'
'Glenda has a spy inside Hogwarts!'
"Ahem, even if I can pass the O.W.L.s, I'm still very busy! I have a lot of things to research! After all, this is only my first year of enrollment!"
Glenda's all-knowing gaze made Audrey feel like she was sitting on pins and needles. This woman knew her too well; she didn't know where Glenda got this information.
"Alright," Glenda didn't delve deeper and said with a smile, "Although Miss Astley is very busy, I wonder if you could spare some time from your busy schedule to prepare three songs?"
Audrey was about to refuse again, but Glenda beat her to it. "One thousand Galleons per song. How about it?"
Audrey tried hard to persuade herself in her mind: 'It's only three thousand Galleons, which is just fifteen thousand pounds. It's not as good as staying in bed reading Flying Three Thousand Miles on a Broomstick!'
But her mouth seemed to answer uncontrollably in a split second: "Sure, no problem!"
'Damn it!'
'Why did I agree?'
'Is this some advanced Imperius Curse?'
Glenda smiled. "Great, then see you on Halloween night. There are four days left until Halloween. Miss Astley, please prepare the song list as soon as possible and mail it to me so I can let the band get familiar with it."
Audrey asked doubtfully, "Don't I need to rehearse?"
Glenda adjusted her glasses and looked straight at Audrey. "I trust your singing ability. Besides, don't you still have a lot of things to research?"
For no reason, Audrey suddenly felt that the woman in front of her was an old fox. Why were her style and methods so similar to that old man Dumbledore!
Could it be Dumbledore using Polyjuice Potion?
No, Dumbledore wouldn't use Galleons to pave the way, but this woman would.
Sure enough, no one who could get onto a Chocolate Frog Card was a simple character.
...
Gray Manor.
Selenis sat listlessly at the head of the conference table, with only two or three small kittens sitting on either side.
The experience of the past two months had been like hell; she didn't know how she had survived it.
First, the vault was robbed again, and the family's savings from the past five years vanished into thin air; then came the massacre of the family by a mysterious powerhouse.
That night, she had hidden trembling in the stairwell used for storing sundries, listening to the screams and shrieks inside the mansion, helpless.
Although she didn't know why that person suddenly retreated and didn't kill everyone, the current Gray family was not much different from being exterminated.
The core members were almost completely wiped out. The branch lines scattered in various industries were still intact, creating a situation where the branches were strong and the trunk was weak.
If she didn't come up with a solution soon, those guys from the branch families were going to rebel!
"Say something! What should we do now?"
Selenis asked, almost roaring.
The five people sitting on both sides lowered their heads, daring not to look up.
What solution could they have?
Silence, still silence.
The grandfather clock faithfully struck eight o'clock in the evening. Sorrow rose from within Selenis; she buried her head in her hands, letting her long hair scatter over her face.
"Heh heh heh," a cold voice came. "It seems that after I left, you haven't been doing very well. Any Tom, Dick, or Harry can bully their way to your door."
Everyone raised their heads. This familiar voice...
Bode Gray, dressed in long robes, floated down from the ceiling.
"Selenis, do you know why the Gray family has become like this?"
With her hair disheveled, Selenis shook her head. Even though she had once been tortured to the brink of death by Bode, she couldn't muster any hatred at this moment. After all, the blow of nearly being exterminated was too great for her.
"Power!"
Bode said loudly.
"What you lack is power!"
Selenis and those few clansmen muttered, "Power?"
"Exactly, power!"
Bode stood beside Selenis and waved his hand. Selenis stood up and gave up her seat. Bode sat heavily in the main seat and spoke.
"Five years ago, you must have blamed me for wasting a large amount of funds on research, right?"
A chorus of "We wouldn't dare" came from below.
"What's there not to dare?"
"What's done is done. What is there not to dare to admit?"
Bode took off his hood. "You didn't know what I was doing, so questioning was normal!"
Bode revealed his hands, one holding ice, the other holding lightning. "Now I'm not afraid to tell you, I was researching Ancient Magic!"
"Ancient Magic?"
"Yes! Powerfully destructive Ancient Magic! It can call the wind and summon the rain, move mountains and drain seas!"
Bode flicked his left hand, and cold air froze the grandfather clock. He flicked his right hand again, and lightning blasted the grandfather clock into slag; not even a single shard could be found—this was an effect that Diffindo and Confringo couldn't achieve, and the speed was far beyond ordinary spells.
The Grays gasped, and then their eyes became fervent.
Bode nodded with satisfaction. "When we possess power, will tragedies like those that happened before happen again? Selenis?"
Selenis shook her head. Never mind them possessing power; if Bode had been in the manor that day, the result wouldn't have been like this.
"I can teach you Ancient Magic," Bode leaned back in his chair. "But what can you give in return?"
Immediately, a Gray spoke up, "We welcome your return, Head of the House!"
Bode looked at Selenis. "My good niece, what do you say?"
Selenis gave a bitter smile and immediately said respectfully, "Uncle, you are the Head of the House again now."
Bode was very satisfied with their performance. Although the number of people in the main Gray family was indeed small now, as long as they suppressed the branch families, the foundation of the Gray family was still there. At least they were much more useful than that mob of his "Water Snake's Fang."
"I remember Amy's son is attending Hogwarts now?"
"Yes, Head of the House."
"What's his name?"
"Alan Ash."
"Contact him. I need him as an insider."
"Does the Head of the House intend to enter Hogwarts?"
"Yes. There is a student named Audrey Astley who is the key figure to deciphering the Ancient Magic ruins. I must capture her!"
Selenis responded, "Yes, I will contact Alan Ash right away."
"In addition," Bode said, "this mansion is too empty, which is not good. I happen to have a group of subordinates. Make arrangements and let them move in."
"Yes, Head of the House."
...
Having accepted Glenda Chittock's commission, Audrey returned to her dormitory.
Since she was going to perform, she had to bring out the real deal and show that vixen what a superstar was!
"Song selection, song selection..."
Audrey rummaged through her pouch. She was looking for the tunes popular in her past life that she had organized before.
"I remember putting it here?"
Ever since she learned the Undetectable Extension Charm, she immediately expanded the capacity of the pouch. It was much more convenient, but with more things, it inevitably got messy.
"Is it this book?"
Audrey dug out a few booklets from the pouch.
"Tsk, not this one!"
She casually threw the booklet on the bed. Just as she was about to search again, her peripheral vision caught a few large words on the cover of the booklet.
They were written in Runes.
Introduction to Ancient Magic, Author: Percival Rackham.
Audrey froze for a moment, then immediately remembered.
This was a book she had looted from the Gray family vault. Because she didn't know Ancient Runes or Old English at the time, she had shelved it.
However now... she was a little expert exempted from Ancient Runes class!
Percival Rackham, wasn't this the big shot from Hogwarts Legacy??
Why was this book in the hands of the Gray family before?
With questions in mind, Audrey opened the booklet.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]