Lord Greengrass rubbed his temple.
He had expected tonight to be a simple discussion about a business partnership or an opportunity for his family. But he never imagined that instead, he would find himself entangled in a conspiracy—one so staggering in scale that it aimed to reshape everything, the very fabric of the wizarding world itself.
He let out a sigh and looked up at the young man, and saw not an ounce of doubt in his eyes. He just sat there, perfectly at ease, as if he had just outlined a simple business expansion rather than the controlled collapse of an entire society.
Was this just another power-hungry fool like Grindelwald and Voldemort—whom, once they gained power, believed they could change everything simply because they wanted to?
Or was this young man truly a visionary?
Either way, did he have the choice to walk away? He thought not. He didn't even want to find out. But there were some things he needed to know now.
"All of it..." he finally asked. "It all hinges on whether or not you can take that lunatic down... after he, supposedly, resurrects. How certain are you that you can kill him..."
"As certain as I am of ending you right here and now, if I wanted to."
Lord Greengrass squirmed uncomfortably at the chilling response, but at least it sounded more confident, so he pressed on with his next concern.
"And what about the consequences of his resurrection? Civilian casualties... something I'm certain that madman will cause. Surely you don't expect him to come and engage you in some civilized duel for all to see?"
Maverick let out a low exhale. Lord Greengrass wasn't wrong about that last bit.
First of all, Maverick was certain he could end Voldemort without much effort by the time he resurrected, and it wasn't because he would be on par with the Dark Lord in rank, or due to Maverick's superior control over magic, or even his unique Archmage ability.
No, he was confident—now more than ever—because of his recent discovery about the system's new capability. The Extraordinary Characteristics not only allowed him to copy unique magical powers, but also to replicate abilities outside of magic, including extraordinary powers from the many high-level items and technologies from the Marvel universe.
And there are so many he could choose from that would make him uniquely overpowered, capable of bringing an instant end to someone at the level of Voldemort.
But that still didn't mean Voldemort wouldn't harm innocent people after his resurrection. The Dark Lord, with his twisted, racist nature, would surely cause chaos. Unless, of course, Maverick could execute the plan he had in mind—one that would allow him to achieve his goals without any innocent lives being lost.
He turned to the old wizard, who was waiting expectantly for an answer. He took a breath, then began to explain the final phase of his plan.
---
Time passed slowly, each minute stretching longer than the last, and it took Maverick over an hour to lay out the entire plan. During which time, Lord Greengrass's expression had under gone through a spectrum of emotions.
He was initially shocked, and as the explanation continued, the shock gradually turned to disbelief.
The audacity of the plan was staggering, and at times, he wondered if Maverick was simply telling an elaborate fantasy. But after hearing the plan in its entirety, it became clear that this young man had considered every angle, every possibility, and had thought it through meticulously.
It was clearly not something one could come up with on a whim.
By the end of the long recounting, Lord Greengrass was both amazed and horrified. Maverick's plan would reduce the terrifying Dark Lord to nothing more than a pawn. Voldemort's resurrection, along with his subsequent actions, would all serve as pieces in a grand scheme to expose magic to the world.
It was a bold, dangerous move, and Greengrass couldn't help but marvel at the sheer audacity of it—so much so that he almost felt pity for the Dark Lord. Almost.
And then, as the pieces fell into place, a sense of relief also washed over him. If all went according to plan—and that was a big "if"—Voldemort would be dead, no innocent lives would be lost, and the world would finally learn the truth about magic. The ultimate goal of tearing down the Statute of Secrecy would be achieved.
And most importantly, he, the Greengrasses family and his allies would be in control of the British magical government.
Yes, there would be unrest, of course. After all, a thousand-year-old system wouldn't crumble without a fight, and there would certainly be chaos in the beginning. But Lord Greengrass could see the potential.
They would be able to manage it, control it, and guide it in the right direction—into a new world full of opportunities, where their kind would no longer be forced to hide in the shadows.
The thought settled in Greengrass's mind as he looked at Maverick, a mix of awe and cautious optimism crossing his face. "You've thought of everything, haven't you?"
Maverick met his gaze without hesitation. "It's the only way for everything to look like a series of coincidences. I don't mind my actions behind the scenes being exposed later, once everything has settled, after both worlds—the magical and the non-magical—have integrated into one."
He paused, then added, "But in the initial stages, when there's unrest everywhere in the magical communities, I don't want all the attention on me, with everyone targeting me as the cause of it. It would affect my family... and that's one of the main reasons I chose Voldemort to be the scapegoat."
Lord Greengrass nodded in understanding. "Very well..." he said, then paused before asking, "What happens after that? I mean, are you truly certain that the two worlds can integrate into one?"
Maverick leaned back and exhaled slowly. "Yes," he said firmly. "They have to. Because this world will soon face far more terrifying forces, forces that will make Voldemort seem insignificant. Forces that will seek to outright destroy it. And when that happens, there will be no room for infighting."
"The magical and non-magical sides would have to work together. And that, ultimately, is why I am tearing down the Statute of Secrecy. If it all happens suddenly, the consequences would be unimaginable."
"Wait, what are you on about now? What forces—" Lord Greengrass asked, but he was cut off with a raised hand from Maverick.
"You don't need to know now. In due time, I'll explain. For now, let's get back to our initial topic." Maverick narrowed his eyes.
Lord Greengrass sighed. Once again, this young man had blurted out some inexplicable things that made no sense to him. And this time, it seemed there would be no explanations forthcoming.
He took a moment to gather his thoughts. It was time to make his stance clear. But, truth be told, he had little choice. There was no way he would be left alone after all that talk. At least an Obliviate was guaranteed, but he wasn't going to actively ask for one.
Besides, submitting to this man—possibly the youngest Archmage ever to live, the youngest Master Alchemist ever to live—who, judging from what he had managed to figure out about him until now, was not an outright villain, didn't sound like such a bad idea.
And the advantages to him and his family appeared immense, provided everything fell into place.
Finally, he raised his wand and spoke the oath of submission, and Mother Magic became the holder of the contract.
...
The long, drawn-out meeting had lasted for hours, and by the time Maverick left the Greengrass estate, it was almost midnight. But before leaving, he gave the older man some crucial instructions regarding the immediate actions he needed to take.
One of these instructions was to get the key members of his faction in line, and start working to gradually secure more power within the Ministry.
And as a gesture of support, Maverick also provided him with a considerable sum of gold—enough to make even the old patriarch of the ancient family blink in surprise.
Along with the gold, he gave the older man a special ring he had crafted, similar to his own. This ring would allow Lord Greengrass to summon him should the need arise.
Before leaving, Maverick made one last demand. He ordered the man to keep everything discussed in the meeting a secret, compelling him to take a second, far more intricate magical oath. The oath carried severe consequences set by magic itself, along with a stern personal warning from him to never break his word.
...
Time passed swiftly, and in what seemed like the blink of an eye, the last week of snowy December came to an end. For Maverick, the days drifted by quietly.
Between Christmas and the week after New Year's, Maverick found comfort in Isabella's company, enjoying the peace that came with spending time together. And the time he wasn't with her was spent with family, surrounded by the warmth and comfort of home.
It was a brief moment of peace, one that he treasured, knowing that soon the demands of school and the challenges ahead would pull him back into the whirlwind of his responsibilities.
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Author's Note:
I may have gotten a little carried away with the explanations in this arc. I couldn't help it, guys. It was tough getting everything that was in my head out!
For the plans I have in mind, I needed Maverick to get his claws into the Ministry of Magic sooner rather than later, and the Greengrass family was the way to do it. But I couldn't just have the MC overpower them with magic and force them to submit, right?
I wanted there to be more of an understanding, not outright submission—a win-win situation where the noble lord would choose to work for the cause instead of being forced into it. I hope I expressed that well, but I apologize if it didn't come across the way I intended. I'll try to do better in the future and avoid such long conversations.
We all learn from our mistakes, and I get the best inspiration from your feedback. 😊
Next up, there's going to be a big time skip. In the next chapter, I'll focus on the key events that are important to the plot for the early months of the second semester. And I won't go into detail on the second round of Quidditch games either, as I want to wrap up the events of the first book in the next 10 chapters or so.
If you have any thoughts or ideas, feel free to share. I listen. 😊
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for all your support!
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Just a quick update — up to Chapter 155 is already available on P AT r30n!
PAT r30n [.] com / RyanFic