HP: Spirit Talker

The evening and the night didn't go by — they flew by with the preparations. I literally had to drag some people over for a conversation or a briefing, and it took an awful lot of time. The worst part was talking to Maggie and her niece Rachel. My offer was not immediately to their liking, if I had a wider choice I would not have agonized, but so I had to literally cajole, almost beg, to explain their own benefits.

I heard a few times "jokes" Maggie and Rachel on the subject of "find a rich groom", that is, this young hunter and did not think about any love, only about profit, convenience, and when I proposed a real option — stammered.

It made me unrealistically angry, but meditative techniques allowed me to hold back and continue this rough processing, which eventually paid off: I got her approval. Well, it's nothing, my revenge will be sweeter when they both realize my perfidy, but it will be too late. They'll all get screwed, but they'll be grateful.

Getting my mother out with Maia and Nanao was no problem, as I came to an agreement with them quickly and easily. I'll leave out the tanuki for now, as they are an unknown quantity at this point, I haven't discussed their current interest with them, so there could be danger from them.

No, not this time. Contacting Xenophilius, getting him to take Luna out of school and bring her to me, to London, was difficult but doable. I simply promised the man to show me something no one in Britain had ever seen, but I also added that I needed his daughter's help with a ritual. I don't know if it was trust or exploratory adventurism, but by four in the morning the father and daughter were at my place.

Using a group meditation technique, I was able to bind myself, Mother, Mayu, Nanao, Luna, and Afiri into a circle and pull them to the edge of the spirit world and the dream world. This method helps people rest very quickly, gain strength, and tune in to cooperate with each other. It's just a pity that for the 'leader', and this time it's me, the effect of such a meditation is much weaker than for everyone else, but what can you do when you get such a chance?

Narcissa Malfoy arrived at eight in the morning without even sending a Patronus. It was a shame that so little meditation had been done, but at least it was something. The woman held her ground, confident, but she couldn't hide the tiredness in her eyes. I didn't bother her, I just told her the price and the conditions I would work on, and I also gave her a magical contract with the same conditions.

The woman studied the text of the contract in silence, sighed in despair, but agreed without haggling. I could not even resist asking her if she would agree to become my official mistress, and Narcissa said that she was in a magical marriage with Lucius, but if necessary she would pay for her son's future with her present.

I did not torture the woman any further, but informed her of the time we would arrive and that she and her husband should prepare a guard that would deter even Dumbledore himself. The woman left silently, accompanied by two masked bodyguards.

At ten o'clock in the morning, we used the Portkey to get into the garden of Malfoy Manor, where everything I'd ordered had been prepared. Lucius looked a little rumpled, but I paid him little mind. The men who had come with me stayed where they were and I went to my hosts.

— Lord Malfoy, Lady Malfoy. — Nods of greeting. — Lucius, has your wife told you of my terms? — The man gave a displeased look, but nodded in agreement. — As head of the Malfoy family, do you agree to these terms?

— I don't understand the betrothal clause. — The blond man spoke as dryly as he could. — Why do we need this girl when we have much more promising options for Draco? — and he grimaced again, looking at the mulatto Rachel.

— All British purebloods, even those of younger bloodlines, are cursed from head to toe. The Wrights are purebloods, and they have been cleansed of even minor curses over time.

— In which generation are they purebloods? — The doubt in the man's voice was unmistakable.

— Third.

— That's not enough! — Lucius flared, but Narcissa only coughed once and the man abruptly subsided.

— It's enough to preserve your one and only gift, and it will thin the blood, for you are all already related. — I could see in the eyes of both men that they had something to say, but both remained silent. After a moment's hesitation, Lucius signed the contract with a trembling hand, glaring at me with a terribly displeased look, so that once I had fulfilled all the obligations agreed upon, the payment would be automatic. — Good, now send the guards away, they shall see no more.

Lucius walked away from the group of mages in tight leather suits, over which they wore wide robes, spoke to them, and they walked away in the direction of the front gate — the main and only entrance to the manor, hidden in the fold of space. I sent the Skillful Hands fighters after them. When the guards were gone, I waved, waved to my assistants, and immediately introduced everyone to everyone.

Apparently the owners didn't like my helpers, but the Malfoys were silent, watching as I set up the tent where the girls and women were changing with a few strokes of my wand. I didn't waste any time either — I began to set up the grounds, and after a while Lucius and Narcissa joined me. From the prepared planks, we quickly created a level surface, on which one can safely walk barefoot (special grinding spells), in the middle of the stone bowl I created on the islands, but somehow there was no reason to use.

Then, again together with the Malfoys, the wood was used to create a small height, one and a half meters wide, a platform ring around the bowl, which was even higher. The spouses had prepared the torch stands and now arranged them with the help of magic. Eight stone pillars, each three meters high, were placed at equal intervals around the ring, which I later covered with a rope shimenawa.

Bowls and incense were placed after the full circle of the eight trigrams had been marked out by the joint efforts of my assistants, symbols and totems of mystical beasts-guardians of the sides of the world had been installed.

 It is worth noting that Luna and Afiri looked very unusual in traditional miko robes, as each added something different. For example, Luna wore a wreath and a necklace made of shells and smooth multicolored stones. Afiri wore her hair in a high bun with a massive gold barrette with a relief of some scene, and on her chest hung a gold ankh on a gold chain.

In her right hand she held a staff Uas, about one meter eighty centimeters high, with a top in the shape of the black head of one of the "dogs" and a heel in the shape of an oval "claw". Behind Afiri's belt was a short wooden scepter with three crossed discs with a rich pattern of ears — Jed. Massive gold rings, earrings and bracelets all bear ritual signs and symbols of Egyptian culture.

By the way, the staff and scepter the girl made herself the other day, I only gave her the materials, the rest, as it turned out, the girl had in a small bag on a gold belt with powerful expansion charms. Once everyone had changed, including myself and the Malfoy couple, it was time for a little briefing.

— I'll explain the roles and responsibilities. — The people listened quietly and attentively. — Xenophilius, Elizabeth, you stand by the column with the white hieroglyph, if it starts to fade, you will feed it with your magic. — The aforementioned nodded in agreement. — Good. Luna, your task is to keep curious spirits from interfering. Can you do that?

— No problem, — the girl waved her hand in the air, and behind her there was a wisp of trembling air, almost as thick as water. — My birds will help...

Luna put a whole flock of spirit birds into the talisman I had given her (dragon's claw). The size of a sparrow, colorful, surprisingly strong and noisy, and there are a lot of them — a whole flock. Where she found them I do not know, for I did not see them at the feast.

— Keep them out of the circle, too, because they could hurt us and them, okay?

— Okay.

— Maya, Nanao, you're in charge of the Kagura dance. — The one-tailed kitsune smiled broadly, her honey-colored eyes flashing with joy and determination; the bakeneko shook herself awake, shaking off her lazy sleepiness, her yellow-green eyes shining, squinting slightly. — Kurumi, — the two-tailed kitsune's hair trembled, but the girl didn't show her ears. — Will you play your flute for us? — As if by magic, the instrument appeared in the girl's hands. It looked simple, but it was only the appearance and her trademark "fox" smile that made the sharp, white-tipped ears appear from her hair.

— Fae... — The Malfoys exhaled in amazement, not taking their eyes off the pleased fox.

Nanao tilted her head slightly to her shoulder, showing her gray ears and wagging her spotted tail playfully (or boastfully?). The cat's face was almost unaffected by this mischief, but the Bakeneko was extremely pleased with the effect. Well, what can I say? Cat. Maya let out her ears as well, but pressed them to her head and lowered her eyes to the ground.

Kurumi's and Mai's ears were different colors, but I've never seen a red or yellow kitsune before, and I've never seen a red or yellow kitsune before.

— Mr. Malfoy, Mrs. Malfoy, — he distracted the couple from looking at the ayakashi and the oblique glances at his mother and Afiri. — Take your places at Draco's head and feet when he's delivered. You will maintain the stabilizing charms and control the flow of your birthing magic. Aphiri, — the girl, who had been studying the circle of trigrams, turned her eyes to me. — First you will protect them, — she nodded at the Malfoys. — Then, when the time comes, you will strengthen the effect of the blessing, and in the end, if there is any strength left, you will support my strike.

— Yes, Master. — A slight, respectful half-bow. None of us spoke aloud about the fact that we each had drives ready to go, and the staff of a dark-skinned woman is a serious thing in itself. — Rachel, Megan, you wait with the child's parents. You know your role. — I couldn't say that Rachel was happy, but I didn't feel any harsh negativity either; as for her aunt, she hadn't made a final decision yet, she had about an hour and a half left, so she was pensive.

Confusion and haste — I'm so sick of it, really! Why does everyone manage to plan and live according to their plans? What is wrong with me? I seem to have plans and little ideas, but it still turns out like this. If Mom hadn't come with the "guards," how would I have done it? Would I have danced the Kagura by myself? It's possible, but it's even worse than that.

Now we were preparing like crazy, gathering, it's good that in the Miyazaki clan in my training I didn't miss the local rituals of sacrifice, blessing, fertility, otherwise I would be powerless, because to calculate the ritual and prepare everything overnight is simply unrealistic. And I'm not kidding: it's absolutely impossible to calculate a lot of variables, starting with materials and ending with participants, without a prepared computer. And let's not forget the authorities.

Oh, that side of the world pisses me off, because if I were on the side of the powers-that-be, I would "tighten the screws" even more, but here, on my side, I want freedom of action. I resent prohibitions and the need to ask some clerk for permission. He can't even dream of what I take for granted, but he's in a "warm" place and "commands"...by the way, I have to do something about Umbridge, because that pink toad is a real bastard.

I wonder if the Malfoys have bothered to inform the Ministry that we're going to perform this ritual? Otherwise, the Men in Grey will come in and start breaking down the Manor's defenses... and there'll be people from Skillful Hands, good people, not bastards, people who'll get into a fight, and maybe some of them will get seriously hurt.

I wouldn't want that. Eh, there's still so much to do for a peaceful life! My mother is obviously up to something, it's obvious, but she's so quiet and submissive. Does she think she's going to charge me for my help? And what, with her clan rules, it could very well be: as I have noticed, the clans have such a peculiarity, specific, incomprehensible to ordinary people. Okay, now we have to think about business!

— No questions. — I toss them all at the same time, and amidst interested glances, I go to one of the three points of the isosceles triangle inside the circle.

I spread out a sheet of paper with drawn figures and symbols, print out one of the bodies, activate the seal, and go to the next point. No one will be able to recognize them now, for the Lestrange trio are tightly wrapped in robes, bound and gagged. This ritual will break the potions and seals of subjugation/binding, so this is the only way to do it, and besides, I don't trust the Malfoys at all, so the Lestranges will stay dead as long as possible.

In the ritual they will be "guests/witnesses", but in such magical events nothing happens "just like that", i.e. even those who are just standing on the sidelines gain/lose something in the course of the ritual. It can't be otherwise. Even those who are outside the circle of action, but close enough, fall under its influence, albeit in a very limited way. In the case of the Lestrange, my signets will amplify the positive effects without two-way interaction, which is crucial. Now we can begin.

— Kurumi...

Sharp ears twitched in my direction, the kitsune nodded and the first notes of a wonderful flute filled the air. The first synchronized step on the platform was accompanied by the ringing of the bells on Mai and Nanao's anklets. The girls' fluid, mesmerizing movements caught everyone's attention.

A graceful mirrored turn, a sweep of the ritual fans, and a clap with a loud chime that sent a visible wave of slight magic disturbance through the air. A soft, warm breeze washed over his skin. Wizards and wizards alike could not take their eyes off the dance, and even Draco felt noticeably lighter. The dark rain clouds in the sky seemed to freeze in indecision....