Chapter 118: Year End, Platform Talk, Servant Meets The Master (1/2)

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The link is also in the synopsis.

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[The chapter is edited by my Editor: Alan_Loo/AlanL]

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Quinn entered the Great Hall with a newspaper tucked under his arms and walked towards the Ravenclaw table to get himself a seat. He found an empty area at the table, so he sat down on the seating bench. He put the newspaper on the table.

”Let's see what does this say,” said Quinn and picked up one of the newspapers from the left stack. He started to look for what he was looking for. ”As expected, it's on the down-low now. They pushed it down to the sixth page.”

Quinn's eyes read the article that interested him. Right after, he reached the end of the page and turned to the instructed page to read the article's continuation.

As Quinn continued to read the newspaper, Ravenclaw students walked by, saw him, and went to sit to another spot on the bench. No one sat near Quinn.

The Hogwarts students sat down at Great Hall thrice a day for meals, and because of that, the students from the same house knew about the groups and cliques that existed. As such, everyone knew not to sit adjacent to Quinn if he was sitting in a certain spot.

”Excellent, there's nothing at all” smiled Quinn as he folded the newspaper and placed it below the plate in front of him.

Both Quinn and George knew that this incident would go viral. The newspapers, magazines, and any other form of media would definitely want to publish that story, so George had to silence any mentions of Quinn's name in any published articles.

Most articles outright omitted there ever being someone else other than the Aurors and Accionites at the scene and only specified that the Aurors freed Harry Potter from the kidnappers. The few that mentioned there being someone else on the scene termed Quinn as an unidentified Hogwarts student, and even then, Quinn's role was disguised as a bystander.

Quinn would check the newspapers daily to see if someone published his name and, in the following weeks, his name didn't come up even once.

The people in Hogwarts who knew about the incident were instructed not to talk about the incident. This essentially placed a gag order in regards to the kidnapping incident.

Thus, the general public ended up without knowing his identity, which ensured Quinn's anonymity. It was something he appreciated. Quinn was glad Hogwarts students who wanted to know what happened hadn't crowded him.

Just when Quinn finished reading through the newspaper, he felt a tap on his shoulder and a soft pat on his head.

He looked to the sides to see Eddie's hand on his shoulder and Luna on his other side, who had patted him on his head.

Quinn looked at his front and smiled at Marcus, who sat down opposite to him. The newspaper stack was in front of him.

”Good morning. Ready to go home?” said Quinn.

Today was their last day at Hogwarts, and after eating breakfast, everyone would head to the Hogsmeade station, board the train, and go home.

”Of course, I can't wait to get home,” said Eddie and questioned back. ”What about you? Are you happy to be free from the daily detentions?”

Quinn had been serving detentions every day for weeks. Yesterday had been his last detention session.

As the faculty had to mask Quinn's participation, another reason for his detention was required. The faculty and Quinn discussed it and decided to make Snape catch Quinn out of the dorm after hours and because Snape was Snape, he'd dish out severe detention to him.

Snape's bad reputation among the students had finally come to use, as after Quinn told everyone that Snape caught him, everyone instantly accepted he had to serve detention without question.

Quinn had been a little miffed that his perfect record of not being caught while breaking curfew was tainted. To boot, he hadn't even been caught while breaking curfew.

”Come on, my detentions haven't been that bad,” smiled Quinn. ”I've had a lot of fun hanging out with the Professors. Even Filch is fun to hang out with; that man knows a whole lot about the castle.”

Quinn's detentions rotated among the faculty. Within his detention period, he had spent time with all the faculty members, including Poppy and Filch.

”Your standard of fun is weird,” said Marcus, shaking his head as he piled up food on his plate.

”Weird, yes.” nodded Luna fervently in agreement. She had had several talks with Quinn where he had tried to tell her what he thought of as fun and interesting.

”Well, my definition is wide and refined. It's not my fault you don't understand it,” humphed Quinn with a smile.

Quinn looked around the Great Hall and thought about the recent events that happened.

His eyes turned to Draco Malfoy, who was laughing with his friends. He then thought about Buckbeak, and about the Hippogriff case, where Lucius Malfoy had tried to push for Buckbeak to be put down.

But the case had been thrown out of Wizengamot. Unlike the canon, Hagrid and Buckbeak had the full support of the Light faction.

The Light faction, in fact, had used this case to introduce Sirius Black to the Wizengamot as the holder of the Black seat. Sirius Black, and consequently the House of Black, had officially joined the Light faction. To commemorate that moment, they allowed Sirius to lead the opposition. He smoothly handled the case.

It was decided that Buckbeak wouldn't be executed, although the third-year students wouldn't be allowed to interact with the Hippogriff. The only thing that Lucius Malfoy was able to achieve was light-slapping Hagrid and the Hogwarts administration.

'From the looks of it, Draco doesn't seem to be bothered with it,' thought Quinn. 'Well, it wasn't a big deal.'

Quinn then looked at the High Table. He noticed the entire staff was present.

He looked at Remus and thought about the talk he and the Lycanthrope had had during one of his detentions.

...

Quinn was seated in Remus Lupin's office as he helped him grade Lupin's students— except the fifth and seventh year for record purposes.

”I'm leaving Hogwarts,” said Remus, suddenly.

Quinn stopped writing grades onto the parchment and looked up at Lupin.

”I don't think your identity as a Werewolf ever came up in any of the Accionite trials,” stated Quinn. ”Those four Accionites did talk about a Werewolf but, well, no one believed them.”

The Wizengamot had dismissed the talk about a Werewolf. It was thought the four Accionites were trying to waste time, and the Auror prosecution did a fine job of keeping things on track.

”James and Sirius omitted me being in the Shack in their reports,” spoke Remus, looking down. ”They had to lie while being on duty because of me. I can't stay here. It might bite them in the future.”

Quinn looked at Remus to see if he was making a pun with the 'bite'. But he didn't seem to, so Quinn continued the conversation.

”Well, I also got out of the entire situation without anyone knowing. I don't really blame those two for helping you out,” replied Quinn. ”But I guess you're right about this backfiring if you stay here. I figured out your identity, and the longer you stay, the greater the chance of someone else finding out.”

Both Quinn and Remus knew that the longer he stayed, the more familiar the students would get with him. So it wouldn't be long until someone noticed.

”That's true. I'm sure that if I stay for another year, Severus will get more agitated and angry. I wouldn't be surprised if he directly told the students,” spoke Remus.

”I guess you're right,” chuckled Quinn. ”Given Professor Snape's desire for the Defense of Dark Arts position, his attempts to out you will get more direct.”

Remus nodded, and his mind wandered to his school days and the relationship he had had with Severus Snape. Snape had been the first student outside of his friends who had known he was a Werewolf, and he had kept that secret for more than a decade. Remus knew that if he had come to Hogwarts, Snape would have never tried something like this.

Remus Lupin, a Gryffindor, saw himself thinking about his school years, and he realized how much of a coward he had been. The friendship he had with James and Sirius also led him to not stop their bullying of other students. A most notable example being Snape. But Remus had been terrified of losing them, so he didn't do anything to stop them, something that he regretted to this day.

”I only agreed to attend Hogwarts as a Professor for a year,” said Remus. ”I'll get back my previous job. It's better this way.”

”Your previous job? What did you do before this?” asked Quinn. The canon Remus Lupin lived a disorderly life. He could only manage to work for short periods of time, so he was curious about what this version did for a living.

”I'm a woodworker. I make furniture, sculptures, joinery, and cabinetmaking. When you have magic on your side, you can create things quite easily,” replied Remus with a wide smile. ”I sell to both muggles and wizardkind. I have Squib associates who run shops in the muggle world and sell my creations for me.”

Remus used magic to create intricate pieces of woodwork. With the help of James and Sirius, he had figured out a way to build woodworks that would be considered of excellent quality in the muggle world but were within the confines of wizarding laws of secrecy.

Remus liked the job because he felt peaceful, level-headed, and calm while working. He could do it with his condition because it didn't take long to create things with magic, and he could rest for the period after he transformed.

”Oh my, now, that's an excellent job. Great idea, turning the non-magical world into a stable asset. I respect that,” nodded Quinn.

...

Remus had revealed what he was about to do next year, which was to return to his previous job.

'Well, at least this will keep the canon timeline more or less the same. At least, I hope so,' hoped Quinn.

It was to his benefit that the timeline had remained more or less the same. As long as the major events were more or less the same, Quinn would continue to have information beneficial to him; he would know the future.

'Next year is where it all starts,' thought Quinn.

The first three canon years had been just the opening act. An innocent world. Just magic and the golden trio, who got up to all sorts of mischief while they tried to solve the mysteries and its surrounding problems.

But then, things changed. As the main characters grew older, the problems got heavier and the world got darker. That world of magical enjoyment became quite different.

The Goblet of Fire had been the turning point. It had been the transition from the magical world of fantasy to a more complex world. And this complex social world came into play, and with that came new dynamics in the relationships between the characters. And because of that, jarring shifts happened as a result of those new relationships.

'Not to mention The Goblet of Fire is the book where Voldemort returns. Not as a specter, parasite or a mind-controlling soul fragment, but a magical entity with a body that had his soul, this leading to him returning to his previous power.'

Quinn knew what that meant. He realized what the return of Voldemort signified and how it would affect the future.

'It will reintroduce a magical powerhouse to the playing field. And not just any powerhouse; a powerhouse with the backing of an entire political faction and the capability of changing political circles and converting others.'

After Voldemort returned in the canon timeline, the Dark Faction acquired the leader the greedy and distrusting Dark Faction members were lacking. They got what they needed to come together under the same banner.

Quinn turned his attention to Albus Dumbledore, who was conversing with other Professors.

'If Albus Dumbledore is the Light Faction's backing, then Voldemort is the Dark Faction's backing,' thought Quinn.

Even though magical power wasn't needed to gain political power, the wizarding community considered magic as might. Lots of magical species considered themselves to be better than the non-magical kin because they had magic. And when one of their kind mastered the magic to a level considered impossible to others, they gained respect and standing.

That was one of the reasons both Albus Dumbledore and Voldemort were at the top of their groups-slash-factions. They had the skills to lead and the magical ability to back it up.

Quinn turned his eye to the Slytherin table and focused his vision on Daphne and Astoria Greengrass.

'I wonder whether Jacob and Sophie Greengrass will manage to keep the Grey Faction together,' sighed Quinn. 'I hope their efforts over this year will allow them to maintain firm control over the Grey Faction.'

The Grey Faction was a cooperative group and, while the Greengrass family acted as the leaders, they weren't leaders like Albus Dumbledore and Voldemort. The Greengrass couple, in fact, were more managers than leaders, and with the times that were ahead, managing the Grey Faction would become harder.

”Hey, why are you brooding? Get some food; we have to leave soon.”

Quinn snapped out of his thoughts from Eddie's voice.

”Yeah, let's eat.”

He collected himself and left his thoughts for a later time.

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- (Scene Break) -

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Quinn deboarded the Hogwarts Express at Kings Cross Station and stepped on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

As every year, there were groups of parents and guardians waiting for their children, eager to meet them after months of separation.

”Now, where's my family?” murmured Quinn to himself while looking around.

While looking around, Quinn noticed a familiar figure.

”Oh my, someone's flirting with her,” smiled Quinn as he watched a man try to hit on his sister, Lia West.

A man was trying to talk to her but Lia stood there without bothering to show the man any attention. She even looked bored.

”Now, what should I do? Well, let's help her out,” sighed Quinn, and as he walked towards her, he called out. ”Lia! I'm back!”

Lia West, who was tuning out whatever the man beside her was spewing, turned back when she heard her name and saw her precious baby brother walking towards her.

”Quinn,” smiled Lia. She went towards her brother without even bothering to give the man a single glance.

Quinn and Lia hugged for a moment. Then Quinn walked up to the man that had been talking to Lia and was now leering at her.

”Hey,” smiled Quinn and beckoned the man to lean down a little. ”Do you want to know a secret?” Quinn gave a discreet glance over his shoulder towards Lia.

The man nodded and leaned down to Quinn's height level.

Quinn calmly raised his head. Then, a barely visible mist of pink escaped his fingers and went into the man's forehead. The man's eyes glazed over and he became unaware of the current situation.

”Walk, walk away. Walk, and keep walking,” whispered Quinn into the ear of the man before leaning away and walking to Lia.

As Quinn walked towards Lia, the man stood up straight and started to walk away, just as Quinn had told him.

”What did you do?” asked Lia as she watched the man walk away on the Platform.

”A little Confundus charm, nothing major,” smiled Quinn.

”And what did you ask him to do?” asked Lia, knowing what the Confundus charm did.

”I simply asked him to walk.”

”Mhm, walking is easy enough to accomplish. No wonder he obeyed so easily,” nodded Lia.

”I could've asked him to strip, given his mood. It would have taken just a little more magic, but I could have made him do all sorts of things,” said Quinn. He then asked, ”And why were you standing there without bothering to talk to him?”

”I had him as a white noise machine. Also, it kept others away,” shrugged Lia.

”You could have used magic as I did. See how easy it was. He walked away without saying a word,” replied Quinn. He especially knew how easy it was to influence people's minds temporarily. ”That man will probably wonder what he did after he snaps out, but then, after just a bit, he will continue on with his life, as simple as that.”

Lia ruffled Quinn's hair but then lightly gripped his head and rocked his head.

”You got in trouble once again,” said Lia in a somewhat strict voice. ”This time, it was a kidnapping.”

Quinn raised his hand and a finger. ”First of all, I wasn't the one being kidnapped. Second, I wasn't planning to be a part of that thing.”

”You just stumbled into it,” finished Lia. ”Still, it was dangerous to confront that Accionite and beat him up. You could've gotten seriously injured.”

Quinn wanted to tell her that he was in no danger but didn't say anything, as then, the conversation would ensue and Lia would get angry with him.

He gave her a look of silent apology, and that seemed to do the trick, as she released his head, and she smiled.

”Alright, let's get going. The others are waiting.”