Chapter 223: DA Files: Familys Black Sheep (2/2)
”The choice here is yours. If you're willing to leave the life of comfort you have been living till now, change your lifestyle, which will probably degrade a lot because you won't have your father paying for everything, and you'll need to pay for yourself. Hell, you've two years, if you work hard, you can improve your skills, both hard and soft, and that will get you a better starting job which in turn will pay you more.”
This wasn't even Quinn doing him a favor. His father had set up the recruitment drives every year at Beauxbatons, and that cooperation between his family business and the school continued to this day. Even if Lia never went to Beauxbatons, the West family still would've picked up students from the school. Quinn could do the same and set up something similar in Hogwarts — picking up talent when they were young and nurturing them to be a part of the company community was good for any business.
He didn't even need to immediately set up something concrete. If Quinn simply offered the jobs to people like he did to Nott, he could probably pick up a good majority of the best people from Hogwarts, except those who had something particular in mind like Weasley twins who wanted to open shop or those who had the dream to get a job in the Ministry or those who wanted to be Aurors or a particular niche.
”Are you sure you can do that?” asked Nott.
”Providing you with an opportunity is simple enough,” said Quinn shrugging, ”if you're able to convert it into something good is all up to you.”
”So, I just need to work hard?” asked Nott.
”Yeah, find out what you're passionate about; see if there's a demand for it; if it's something you can make money doing; how to get good at it. Then come to me to tell me, and I will set you up with a job. If it's something you can't do without further training, then we can sign a contract where we can provide you with training in exchange for you working a number of yours for us.. . education or, more specifically, gaining useful skills can open many doors for you, Nott. You just need to look for them.”
Then Quinn got up, prompting Nott to do the same.
”Feel free to come to me if you've anything you want to talk about, and I will sort you out. You don't have to worry, Nott. You're future isn't set in stone; your future still remains firm in your grasp for you to shape it in any way you like.”
”Y-Yes,” said Nott, his voice cracking with emotion. It felt a rock had been lifted off his chest. ”I'll work hard.”
Quinn nodded with a smile and then saw Nott off. He watched in thought as the Slytherin walked away.
'The child of an inner circle Death Eater,' thought Quinn, 'an important asset if used correctly.'
Quinn was willing to provide Theodore Nott with an escape. But there was rarely free lunch in the world — the thing was to see if the future would allow Theodore to gain a free lunch, or he would have to pay something in return after all.
'Only time will tell,' thought Quinn, 'I wish the fates are on your side, Nott.'
Quinn looked out of the corridor towards the pale half-moon shining in the night sky and wondered what was the key player responsible for Theodore's worries was doing right now.
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In a room lit with burning candles and the blazing fireplace, the Dark Lord, the one with multiple lives, the one who sought immortality, the one who had instilled so much terror in the minds of people in this country that people didn't dare utter his name and addressed him as You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named behind his back. Those loyal to him bowed their heads and kissed the edge of robes to show the subservience. The resurrected Dark Lord Voldemort sat in a chair, staring at the fire in the fireplace.
His thoughts were interrupted when there was a knock on the room's door.
”Enter,” he said.
The door creaked open, and Lucius Malfoy entered the room, his head bowed.
”My Master,” said Malfoy Sr.
”I hope you bring good news, Lucius,” said Voldemort, not removing his eyes from the fire.
”.. . I apologize, Master, but the news is not good,” said Lucius Malfoy.
”What went wrong?”
”Broderick Bode successfully entered the Prophecy hall without any problem, but when he picked it up.. . the defensive around it was triggered, and he suffered from mental damage.. . he seems to think that he's a teapot.”
”So, even an Unspeakable can't touch the prophecy,” said Voldemort in a low pondering voice.
Broderick Bode was an Unspeakable working in the British Ministry of Magic's Department of Mysteries. Lucius Malfoy, Voldemort's spies at the Ministry, placed Bode under the Imperius curse to force him to attempt the same theft.
”He seemed to be strangely resistant to the Imperius curse,” said Lucius pointing his observations, ”I suppose it could have been because Bode, being an Unspeakable, knew what would happen if he tried to remove one of the Prophecies and tried to resist.”
”How's the news of his condition being taken at the Ministry?”
”They believe that Bode had simply been injured in a workplace accident, he was taken to St Mungo's for treatment, but it seems his injuries seem to irreparable, and as such, he was moved to the Spell Damage ward. From what I have heard, he's comatose most of the time, and those times he was awake, he was mumbling and staring at the ceiling.”
”Hmm.. . leave him there, but keep an eye on him to see if he gets better,” said Voldemort, ”he resisted the Imperius curse, there might be a chance that he might have identified you.. . if he gets his mental facilities back, it might turn problematic for you, Lucius.. . the word of an Unspeakables hold a weight that even you can't shrug off.”
”Your concerns are wasted on me, Master,” said Lucius, bowing, ”I'll put some people to keep an eye on Bode.”
”Hmm.. .” was all Voldemort said in reply, and because he hadn't dismissed Lucius, Malfoy Sr. could only stand in his spot waiting for the next order.
Voldemort hadn't removed his eyes from the fireplace once, and he continued to observe the flames as they licked the wood for food. Voldemort knew that only those related to the Prophecy could retrieve it, but he had hoped that an Unspeakable would be able to get it for him, but that plan had failed.
The next option was Harry Potter, the Brat-Who-Got-Lucky, but Potter's Occlumency shields were good enough that Voldemort couldn't send him anything through their mysterious connections.
'If only I could get my hand on Potter, I would rip his shields apart one shred at a time.' It displeased Voldemort that he wasn't able to get into Harry's mind.
The next person was Dumbledore, but that wasn't an option. The old man avoided the Prophecy like the plague. So, the only remaining person was himself, but he had been avoiding that, but now with no choices, things had to change.
”Lucius.”
”Yes, Master.”
”Get things ready; it's time to get our old friends back.”
Lucius knew what Voldemort was talking about, and he wasn't really thrilled about it. ”Master.. . would that be wise?” he said carefully.
”You should be happy about it, Lucius,” said Voldemort with a rare chuckle in his voice, ”your wife would be happy to have her sister back.”
Lucius could only stiffly nod his agreement even though it was the last thing he wanted.
”I will make preparations,” he said.
”Good.”
It was time to bring home his most loyal followers, those who wouldn't hesitate a bit to give their lives for him.
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Quinn West - MC - Slowly collecting assets.
Theodore Nott - Slytherin - Now looking towards a new hope.
Voldemort - Dark Lord - Time to bring his favorites back.
Lucius Malfoy - Death Eater - Needs to prepare for a jailbreak.
Broderick Bode - Unspeakable - I'm a teapot; would you like some tea?
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