Facing Glenda Chittock's request, Audrey shook her head.
"Miss Chittock, I'm taking my O.W.L.s this year. I'm swamped—no time to rehearse."
Glenda's eyes flickered with a strange mixture of amusement, disbelief, and a teasing edge.
"But Miss Astley," Glenda said knowingly, "I hear you've been exempted from eight classes, and for the remaining four, you requested exemptions from three. The only one you willingly chose to attend—Herbology—I hear the greenhouses often lose a few seeds mysteriously…"
She said it like a fact, confident in her observation.
"Exemptions mean you trust your own abilities. For you, the O.W.L.s must be a piece of cake."
Audrey nearly choked. Glenda had an informant inside Hogwarts!
"Well… even if I could ace the O.W.L.s, I'm still very busy," Audrey protested. "There's so much I need to study! After all, I'm just a first-year!"
Glenda's all-seeing gaze made Audrey squirm. This woman knew far too much about her—where had she learned it all?
"Very well," Glenda said, letting it go with a smile. "Even though you're busy, could you manage to prepare three songs?"
Audrey opened her mouth to refuse—but Glenda beat her to it.
"One thousand Galleons per song. How about it?"
Audrey's mind raced. Only three thousand Galleons? That's barely seven thousand pounds—less than what she'd earn lounging in bed watching Flying Three Thousand Miles on a Broomstick!
Yet her mouth betrayed her. "Sure! No problem!"
Curse it! How did she agree so quickly? Was this some advanced soul-binding curse?
Glenda laughed. "Excellent. See you on Halloween night. Four days from now. Prepare your setlist and send it to me, so the band can familiarize themselves."
"Do I… need to rehearse?" Audrey asked.
Glenda adjusted her glasses and fixed her gaze on Audrey. "I trust your singing. Besides, don't you have plenty of research to do?"
Audrey blinked. This woman was old-school, clever, and bold—her methods were eerily reminiscent of Dumbledore. Could he have brewed some kind of influence potion?
No—Dumbledore wouldn't bribe with Galleons. But this woman would. Truly, those worthy of Chocolate Frog cards were never simpletons.
The Grey Manor
Serenith sat at the head of the conference table, eyes empty, flanked by a few younger family members.
The last two months had been hell. First, the vault was robbed—five years of family savings vanished. Then mysterious assassins slaughtered the family.
That night, she'd huddled in a storage stairwell, listening to screams echo through the mansion, helpless.
Though the assailants had not wiped out every last person, the core members were nearly gone. The distant branches of the family remained intact, creating a situation of "weak core, strong branches." If they didn't act fast, the branches might rebel.
"Speak! What are we to do?" Serenith shouted, almost in tears.
The five seated members lowered their heads, silent. What could they possibly do?
At eight o'clock, the grandfather clock tolled. Serenith buried her face in her hands, hair cascading around her.
A cold, familiar voice rang out.
"Hmph. Seems life's been rough since I left. Every stray cat and dog dared to intrude."
Heads lifted. The voice…
Bord Grey descended from the ceiling in a flowing robe.
"Serenith, do you know why the Grey family is in this state?"
Serenith shook her head, hair disheveled. Despite having nearly died under Bord's torment in the past, she felt no hatred. This near-obliteration had left her numb.
"Power!" Bord bellowed. "What you lack is power!"
"Power?" Serenith and the others murmured.
"Yes, power!" Bord gestured. Serenith rose, making way as he seated himself at the head.
"Five years ago, you blamed me for wasting funds on my research, didn't you?"
Below, murmurs of "We dare not…"
"Why dare not? Doing it is doing it. What's there to fear?"
Bord removed his hood. "You doubted me because you didn't know what I was doing. That's natural."
He raised his hands—one icy, one crackling with lightning. "Now I will tell you. I am studying ancient magic!"
"Ancient magic?"
"Yes! Power beyond imagination—control the weather, move mountains, fill seas!"
A sweep of his left hand froze the grandfather clock; a wave of his right hand shattered it completely into dust, faster and more thorough than any spell could achieve.
The Grey family gasped, then stared with renewed fervor.
"Once we possess power, will these tragedies still occur? Serenith?" Bord asked.
She shook her head. Even if he had been in the manor that day, none of this would have happened.
"I can teach you ancient magic," Bord leaned back, "but what are you willing to give in return?"
A family member spoke immediately. "We welcome your return, Master!"
Bord turned to Serenith. "And you, my niece?"
She forced a smile and bowed. "Uncle, you are now the head of the family again."
Bord nodded in approval. Though the Grey family was diminished, with the branches kept in check, the core still had strength—far more useful than his previous 'Water Serpent's Tooth' misfits.
"I believe Amy's son is at Hogwarts?"
"Yes, Master."
"His name?"
"Alan Ash."
"Contact him. I need him as an inside man."
"Do you intend to enter Hogwarts, Master?"
"Yes. There's a student, Audrey Astley, key to unlocking ancient magical relics. I must capture her."
"Yes, Master. I will contact Alan Ash immediately."
"Also," Bord added, "the manor is too empty. I have some of my men. Arrange for them to stay here."
"Yes, Master."
Returning to her dorm after Glenda Chittock's request, Audrey got to work.
If she was performing, she'd do it properly. Time to show that fox exactly what a superstar could do.
"Song selection… song selection…"
She rifled through her enchanted pouch, now expanded with her Invisible Extension Charm, hunting for her collection of pre-Muggle-world hits.
"Wasn't it here?"
Books were everywhere. She tossed some aside in frustration, then her eye caught the title of one volume.
In ancient runes, it read: Introduction to Ancient Magic by Percival Rackham.
Audrey paused, then recalled—it had been looted from the Grey family vault. Back then, she'd ignored it due to her ignorance of ancient runes and Old English.
Now, however… she was a mini-expert in Ancient Runes.
Percival Rackham—the big name from Hogwarts' Legacy! Why had this book ended up in the Grey family's hands?
With curiosity piqued, Audrey opened the book.