Harry Potter: Ero World

Chapter 146 – Rumors!

{Great Hall, Dungeons, Hogwarts}

{17th Oct 1991} 

{3rd person POV}

Rigel was aware of the rumors, the eyes that followed his every move as he walked toward the Slytherin table for dinner. It hadn't been this bad in the morning, even though whispers had followed him throughout the day; by now, everyone had become quite familiar with Evelyn's new abilities and her new enhanced figure. 

Both Daphne and Tracy were furiously whispering among themselves as he settled down in front of them. His arrival signified the end of their talks. 

"So, how was it?" It was Blaise who was the most curious, something that he hadn't foreseen.

"How was what?" Rigel asked.

"Grabbing onto those," he tilted his head toward Evelyn, who was at the center of attention at the other end of the table.

Rigel maintained eye contact with his only male friend for a moment before he nodded, "Quite good, honestly."

*Cough*

Daphne cleared her throat as she coughed, his words likely catching her off guard.

"So you did the ritual?" Daphne asked, "How did it feel?"

"Quite a peculiar sensation, I must say. It felt weird to be aware of another person's magic so intimately..." Rigel commented.

Blaise hummed at that. He looked around at somewhere in the Ravenclaw table and spoke, "I need to make arrangements for the ritual as well."

That caught Rigel's interest; he was aware that it was quite a famous ritual, especially among the purebloods, but he hadn't really considered the competition he would have to deal with his peers.

"So, who are you going for?" Rigel asked. He was curious to see who Blaise had selected and to make sure that he didn't have his sights set on anyone important.

"You know, Amora Kinsey. She's a second-year Ravenclaw. Her family's Italian as well, so hopefully, I won't be laughed away." Blaise replied that Rigel was totally unfamiliar with the name.

"Hmm, a second year, why not go for a first year?" Rigel asked as he looked in the direction Blaise was looking at moments ago. He found her among a herd of girls, giggling at something amongst themselves. Her back was toward him, so he could only make out her blond hair.

"And explain that I'm not asking for their soul in return for the ritual." Blaise scoffed. He took another bite before he continued, "...you truly did help me, though. Because of your stunt, rumors about the ritual had spread throughout the castle, making my job a lot easier. A lot of people are curious about the ritual."

"Hmm..." Rigel hummed in acknowledgment. He could see how that made sense. 

They returned to their meals with unasked questions left aside. Daphne already knew that he was going through the ritual with Evelyn, and although she didn't like it, she had no opinion on the matter. Tracy was Daphne's friend, so she would definitely take her side. Their small group thus remained silent even though rumors continued to spread throughout the castle.

...

Rigel was the first one to excuse himself as he walked away after a simple apology. He could feel several eyes on him as he walked out of the great hall, but he was surprised that someone had decided to follow him.

"Hey, Susan," Rigel greeted as he smiled at the young redhead.

She had a small blush on her face as she nodded and greeted back, "Hi, Rigel..." After a moment, as Rigel continued to stare at him, she continued, "Aunty asked me to talk to you about the trial of Peter Pettigrew."

A serious visage replaced her cheerful demeanor. Rigel stopped and looked around; this was not really an ideal place for a conversation like this, so he asked her, "Let's talk in the Library; it should be quite empty right now."

Susan bobbed her head as they changed directions. Her eyes held back questions for a moment, but after enduring a couple of minutes of silence, she finally asked, "So you did the Core expansion Ritual with Evelyn Rowle?" 

There was a hint of distaste when she said Evelyn's surname. It seems like political differences have managed to seep into Hogwarts.

"Well, yeah. We made a deal when I first arrived. I had to honor that promise." Rigel replied, not admitting to the hidden message in her tone.

"You know that her father was accused of being a Death Eater, right?" Susan spoke, and there was a harsh look on her face.

"And my father was a confirmed Death Eater, but that doesn't mean I'm one, right?" Rigel replied. His words caught her off guard; for whatever reason, she hadn't been ready for that argument.

"You really can't judge her based on her family name, you know. In the same way, I would hope others would not judge me." His words were met with silence as Susan stared straight ahead, her face frowning as she thought about his words.

Rigel didn't disturb her thought process. He liked her. Upon closer look, she had a brighter personality than most, but then again, he might have gotten accustomed to the Slytherin ways. Daphne and the other Slytherins shared a common trait: they were quite submissive after they got accustomed to something; even Pansy, who had a lot of fights in the beginning, had just become passive after a few weeks.

"I'm sorry, I was insensitive. It's just Aunty talking to me about the bills and votes that are presented in the Winzengamot, and the Rowle are such staunch supporters of Pureblood that they believe that it is a little difficult to separate some of the frustrations," Susan admitted with a sigh.

"Of course. I'm not saying her father isn't scum. I'm just saying that marginalizing children of death eaters for them being ones makes them further away from the truths of society, isn't it? If you segregate all Slytherin as evil. Then why do you expect them to listen to you after facing discrimination for 7 years?" Rigel lectured. His words caused the pretty redhead to stop once again.

"What are you saying?" She asked, with visible confusion on her face.

'Why am I even teaching her about psychology instead of seducing her?'

...