NOVEL NEXT Chapter -015.
Chapter 15
“So, I need to boost Bellatrix’s favorability towards me to over seventy percent to get another unique character summoning card?” Theodore muttered to himself, rubbing his temples as he read the details in the box about Bellatrix. He felt a bit of a headache coming on.
It’s not that he didn’t feel confident—after all, he had already racked up almost fifty points in favorability in just one day! She even gave him a peck on the cheek! But he realized that sweet words alone wouldn’t be enough to win her over completely. He needed to show her through his actions that he was truly deserving of her favor.
“Ugh, this is getting complicated right from the start,” he sighed, scrolling further down the system panel. He couldn’t shake the feeling that his life was about to get a lot more chaotic because of the system. But then again, he thought, it was better to let some people in and add a little excitement to his life rather than being lonely.
Plus, if things started to get too messy, he could always snap his fingers to bring back some balance. So, he didn’t want to worry too much about that. As he continued scrolling, something interesting caught his eye.
**Character Summoning Card:** You can get a summoning card by doing certain things that might affect the wizarding world or the plot of the world itself. The card's durability can change depending on how your actions impact things.
Theodore glanced at the description next to the character summoning card and thought, "This seems pretty easy!" He felt it was simpler than earning a card by boosting favorability. Plus, since he was familiar with the plot of this world, he figured he could use that knowledge to his advantage when trying to get a summoning character card.
After mulling it over for a bit, Theodore decided to close the system panel. He realized he wasn’t going to find anything else useful there, and besides, it was time for lunch! With his stomach rumbling, he hurried down the stairs to the dining room.
...
“Thanks for the meal, Kreacher!” Theodore polished off his plate, leaving it spotless as usual. He appreciated the house elf’s efforts, which always seemed to boost his likability in Kreacher’s eyes. When he noticed Kreacher flashing a quirky toothy smile at him, he turned to Bellatrix, who was still enjoying her food with her usual grace. “I’m heading out tonight for some work. Want to join me?”
“Work? I thought you were planning to buy that magic lantern tomorrow. Did your plans change?” Bellatrix asked, wiping her lips with a cloth, her curiosity piqued. Theodore didn’t seem like a guy to change his plans on a whim.
“Haha, no, not at all! It’s something different. I just thought you might get bored sitting alone in your room. So, what do you say?” Theodore had a little scheme in mind—he wanted to see what kind of ripples he could create in the calm waters of this world. If Bella came along, he could guide her toward a certain path and see if she still had any lingering feelings that might pull her back to the dark side.
But her response was a bit of a letdown. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m not really in the mood to go out right now.” No worries, though! He figured what he was planning would reach her eventually, so he just smiled and nodded, letting her know he understood.
Time passed, and soon evening rolled around. Theodore was ready to head out, dressed in his regular wizarding robes, with some sneaky gear tucked away in his pocket thanks to a little enchantment.
Not wanting to deal with any aftereffects directly, he decided to skip the Floo Network. Instead, he made his way down the stairs and out the front door, where Kreacher saw him off with a polite bow. “Young sir, when you return, just call Kreacher’s name, and I’ll open the door for you.”
“Alright!” Theodore replied, picking up his pace. Once he reached a quiet spot away from any Muggles, he closed his eyes and focused on his destination before apparating.
*Bang!*
A loud sound echoed around him, and in an instant, Theodore vanished, reappearing a few minutes later in a familiar alley.
“Ugh, that still makes me feel queasy. I could really use a strong drink,” he groaned, feeling like his insides were twisted. He headed into the Leaky Cauldron to shake off that feeling.
As usual, the moment he opened the door, the lively atmosphere greeted him. This was exactly the scene he wanted to blend into. With a smile on his face, he approached Tom, the bar owner. “Hey, Tom! Can I get something strong?”
Tom looked up from cleaning a beer glass, recognized Theodore, and grinned. “What’s up, mate? Did your fiancée kick you out without a proper goodbye?”
'Wait, does my face look like that?' Theodore raised an eyebrow in confusion at Tom’s comment. But he decided to roll with it, using the opportunity to down drinks like a pro. After all, he was trying to wash away the earlier feeling, so it wasn’t a big deal.
“Hic! I think I might have had a bit too much,” Theodore said, pretending to wobble as he got up from his seat. “Hey, Tom, can you point me to the lavatory?”
Just as he had hoped, everyone in the tavern was aware of his presence now.
After stirring up a bit of chaos for the Aurors and a few others, he figured he’d get pulled into the action himself if things went as planned. This way, he could see how his little antics would ripple through the higher-ups and how the Ministry, which seemed to be snoozing, would react. Either way, he was feeling pretty good about what he was about to do!
With Tom pointing him in the right direction, he headed to the restroom. In just a few seconds, he changed his robes and cast a reliable Disillusionment Charm on himself. Then, he made his way to the back of the tavern, looking for a spot that would grab the most attention and maybe even help him snag a cool summoning character card.
After tapping his wand on the right bricks, Theodore stepped into Diagon Alley, which was nice and quiet now—just how he wanted it. Too many people would have thrown a wrench in his plans.
“Alright, looks like no one’s paying attention to this secret pathway opening up,” Theodore said with a grin. He then raised his wand to the sky and muttered an incantation, feeling hopeful since he had gotten pretty good much affinity toward the dark magic.
As he expected, a moment later, a small green aura started to glow from the tip of his wand.
Before he knew it, a massive skull made of what looked like emerald stars appeared, with a serpent sticking out like a tongue. It rose higher and higher, surrounded by a swirling green smoke, creating a striking image against the dark sky—almost like a new constellation. Meanwhile, Theodore, who had just cast the Dark Mark, was sitting in front of Tom, pretending to be a bit tipsy for a few minutes before making his exit.