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Severus Snape, the Second Task – Hogwarts.

“What?”

A single word, apparently innocent, but filled with such overwhelming power that Severus could not help but shudder simply upon hearing it.

“Lord Potter, no one will get hurt! The lake is quite safe and…” Ludo Bagman tried to speak, but it was obvious that Harry Potter was in no mood for any kind of game.

The powerful and terrifying two-toned gaze of Lily’s son focused on Ludo Bagman for an instant, at the same time as a golden radiance enveloped the man’s body, dazzling not only Severus, but all the judges and spectators of the Second Task of the tournament.

The Potions professor did not know what kind of magic he was using, but when the golden light completely disappeared, Ludo Bagman’s body had vanished, replaced by…

“A trout?” Minerva said, completely stunned and… interested in the transformation Lord Potter had performed.

The pathetic creature jumped in the same spot again and again, before the incredulous gazes of all the spectators, and although Severus would never say it aloud, he was greatly enjoying watching Albus’s face, his eyes wide open, opening and closing his mouth without saying a single word.

“What a precision… I can see even the tiniest scales, even the eyes! By Merlin! What a talent!” said the Transfiguration professor, making a titanic effort not to approach and touch the body of the pathetic fish.

“If the lake is safe, then you can live out the rest of your pathetic life,” the Potter Lord said before making a lazy gesture, throwing the trout toward the cold and black waters of the Black Lake.

The three Headmasters stared in stunned disbelief at the… questionable actions of the young Lord. Technically, it had not been murder… but even so, the faces of everyone present displayed terror.

“Lord Potter!” Dumbledore shouted, completely shocked, but Lily’s son’s response was simply to roll his eyes and answer.

“Keep your opinions and sermons to yourself, Headmaster, for someone who cares about them. That man forfeited his right to his physical integrity the moment he decided it would be a good idea to put my sister at the bottom of a fucking lake. What kind of professors are you to authorize such monumental stupidity?” the Lord replied, releasing his… frankly monstrous and terrifying power around him.

Karkaroff and Maxime shuddered, taking a couple of steps backward and averting their gazes, unable to look Lord Potter in the face, and although Albus did not retreat, the Potions professor observed with evident pleasure as both of the Headmaster’s hands seemed to… tremble uncontrollably.

The old man was terrified, of that he had no doubt, although Severus could not blame him if he was honest with himself.

Lily’s son was… terrifying. There was no other word to describe him.

Without deigning to say another word, he turned toward the enormous stands that had been prepared for the event, his cold eyes scanning each of the faces present with precision. Severus could not say that he understood what was going through that head of his, but he was certain that he was not impressed with the witches and wizards who had attended the tournament.

A moment later, Lord Potter released a barely concealed snort of contempt before looking at the rest of the champions, who were watching him with… curious expressions on their faces.

Diggory watched the young Lord with extreme caution, even fear, something quite understandable considering the… questionable decisions the young Hufflepuff’s grandfather had made regarding the Potter lands, and although the repercussions against House Diggory had been much less severe, it was rumored that Amos Diggory had given a considerable amount of gold to avoid Lord Potter’s wrath.

Although they were only rumors, of course.

Krum remained with his brow furrowed and arms crossed, keeping silent and at a healthy distance from the Lord, something Snape could respect, and as for the young Delacour, the less said about her the better. The Potions professor snorted to himself, as she could not stop looking at the young Lord in the same way Lily had looked at the damn James Potter during their final year.

However, Severus’s thoughts were interrupted by Lord Potter’s cold and firm voice.

“This circus has gone too far. I will not put innocent lives in danger for this damn circus,” he snapped, and without waiting for an answer, pointed his hand toward the calm and freezing waters of the lake.

For several seconds, Severus and company held their breath. He had not the slightest idea what the son of James Potter was doing, but the professor doubted it was anything good.

At least not for him.

And then… when the professors and judges began moving uneasily, considering whether or not to intervene…

It happened.

“THE LAKE!!!” shouted one of the Aurors assigned to protect the event, pointing with his trembling hand toward the waters of the Black Lake, which, to Severus’s absolute astonishment, began to tremble.

A golden aura manifested around Harry Potter’s body, while a monstrous and terrifying magical power made the entire lake tremble around the wooden platforms constructed for the task.

Instantly, screams filled the task area, the brats completely terrified as they watched the waters of the lake begin to split down the middle, as if it were a fucking egg.

“By Merlin!” Minerva shouted as she placed a hand over her chest and took a couple of steps backward, completely overwhelmed as she watched the opening in the lake slowly grow larger.

For several seconds, everyone present stared in stunned disbelief as, within seconds, the lakebed became completely visible to all the visitors, and in the process, the Merpeople village became fully visible before the eyes of the public.

And with it, the four hostages who had been selected for the task, who quickly flew at full speed from the depths of the lake directly toward the task platform, at the same time as the lake returned to normal with a powerful boom.

“Harry!” Miss Potter shouted, completely soaked and terrified, trembling from the cold, the same situation the rest of the hostages were in. Apparently, young Dalia’s words broke the spell over the rest of those present, because with those words, the absolute silence from moments before was completely shattered.

The champions, the judges, professors, and spectators all shouted at the same time, cries of dark magic, Dark Lord, and more nonsense invading Severus’s ears, and he could only snort with barely concealed annoyance before watching Dumbledore and the rest of the judges walk directly toward Lord Potter with their brows furrowed.

This will be good, Snape thought to himself, taking a step forward, prepared to hear what would clearly be an intense conversation.

“Lord Potter! What does this mean? You must… AHHHG—”

Bartemius Crouch’s words died in his mouth when the powerful wizard made another gesture with his hand, transforming not only Bartemius, but the three judges, powerful witches and wizards of considerable power…

Into goats.

The action paralyzed everyone, including Severus, who had never thought he would witness the great Albus Dumbledore… being turned into a fucking goat.

“Morgana! What talent!” Minerva exclaimed, observing the precision with which Lord Potter had transformed the four remaining judges. However, the arrogant but powerful son of James Potter apparently was not finished.

“You had the audacity to play with the physical integrity of four people, two of them extremely close to me, and although there was no malice on the part of any of you, it is an offense that cannot go unanswered, therefore, I condemn you to remain in these forms for four days, one for each student you placed in danger. So be it,” he declared firmly, causing a sensation of power to pass through everyone present, making it clear that the Lord’s decree was final.

The damn goats would not stop bleating, walking around like mad across the entire platform, while Lord Potter disappeared from the area with complete naturalness, accompanied by Lily, young Dalia, Miss Delacour, and the one Severus believed was his little sister.

The Potions professor silently watched as the strange group passed through some kind of… golden portal, disappearing instantly and leaving Severus with a headache to deal with.

The four damn sheep would not stop bleating, moving desperately and making Severus’s nerves nearly snap, so with determination, he looked toward the Transfiguration professor.

“Minerva, what are we going to do with…”

However, to Severus’s disbelief, Minerva was no longer at his side. She had already begun coordinating the students’ return to the castle, assisted by Filius and Pomona.

“Come on, students! The task is over. Everyone return to the castle,” the stern woman said, completely ignoring Severus… or the damn goats that had thrown themselves into the fucking lake.

“Damn you, Potter,” Severus whispered to himself before drawing his wand and levitating the foul-smelling animals out of the water, then preparing to return to the castle, with a feeling that his headaches had only just begun.

And evidently, he was not wrong.

Cirilla Fiona Ellen Rianon, Freya’s Grove – Midgard.

“Thank you very much,” she said politely as she watched the sorceress Freya place a bowl of stew in front of the hungry Princess of Cintra.

The brown-haired woman smiled at Ciri’s manners before nodding gently and taking a seat on the other side of the table, while Malenia remained standing, eating gently from her own meal and looking through the window toward the beautiful river that crossed the witch’s courtyard.

“It is nothing. I do not receive many visitors, even fewer with divine blood, although considering that both of you smell of foreign magic, it is obvious that neither of you belongs to Midgard, correct?” Freya asked softly.

Ciri nodded slowly, releasing a sigh of pleasure as she ate the exquisite bite of whatever Freya had cooked before answering.

“Aye, we are exploring the World in the name of the Golden Lion. Not long ago, we had a problem with the Lord of the Hanged, we…”

“Enough, young Cirilla,” Malenia said in a soft but firm voice, making the young ash-haired princess fall silent instantly, as both Ciri and Freya turned their attention toward the enormous woman.

Freya noticed the tension in Malenia and responded.

“The Lord of the Hanged you speak of, I know him. An ambitious, cruel, and cunning God. How did you find this place?” she asked curiously.

Ciri silently watched as Malenia moved her head, no longer looking toward the beautiful moorland and instead focusing her entire attention on Freya, as though she were considering her answer.

“The God in question repeatedly made incursions into our home, at least until my Lord intervened. The forces of Leyndell tore apart the souls of his army of the Dead, while I personally took care of putting the insignificant blond nuisance in her place. The Golden Lion spoke with the old man in question, who declared that he wanted no kind of trouble with Leyndell. We tracked the remnant of his magic to this place, to this dying and decaying Tree,” the redhead said as she elegantly and femininely walked toward the table, taking a seat and crossing her enormous and powerful legs with elegance.

Freya could only nod, observing the imposing warrior with curiosity.

“The enemy you seek… is not someone you should underestimate. He has not only an army of the dead, but beasts and Gods entirely at his disposal, a vast network that gives him eyes across the Nine Realms. If you plan to fight the All-Father, you will need assistance, and I can help you with that,” the witch said calmly, leaning forward and looking intensely at Malenia.

Ciri remained silent as she watched Malenia slowly lean forward, looking directly at the impassive Freya, who returned the gaze without a trace of fear or hesitation.

Both women, both powerful and dangerous, looked at each other, having an entire conversation with nothing but their eyes, a conversation in which Ciri was evidently not included.

Being honest with herself, the Princess of Cintra felt… completely out of her element. She had always considered herself competent with the sword. In her mind, she had always been a strong and skilled woman.

But… beside Malenia…

There was not even a point of comparison. It was as if Dandelion wanted to fight Eredin and the entire Wild Hunt. They simply operated on completely different levels of power.

After several seconds of silence, Malenia returned to her original position. She seemed pleased with whatever she had been looking for, and answered.

“Then my King will be interested in speaking with you. The debt is with the Lord of the Hanged, and I am certain he can help you with your… little problem,” the redhead said softly, making Ciri look at her in surprise, while Lady Freya frowned, evidently not pleased at all with Malenia’s words.

“So… you also possess magical prowess. You have a great deal of confidence in your King, in this… Golden Lion. Do you believe his magic is capable of overcoming the cunning and cruelty of the All-Father?” Freya challenged softly, leaning forward.

Malenia did not hesitate. She simply nodded her head and answered.

“I do not believe it. I can assure you. The blessings of the Erdtree are vast. Undoing your… foul curse will not be a problem at all,” Malenia said at the same time as she frowned and looked toward the window again, narrowing her eyes for some strange reason.

Freya remained silent for several seconds, lost in her thoughts, before sighing heavily and looking at Malenia with determination.

“Then… I have a meeting pending with this… Golden Lion, apparently, I…”

BOOOOOOM!

However, the witch’s words were interrupted by a titanic boom, so powerful that the skies lit up completely at the same time as the most colossal and terrifying thunder Ciri had ever seen in her entire life manifested in the sky, followed by a guttural, deep, and terrifying laugh.

“HAHAHAHA YES!! MORE! I WANT MORE POWER!” shouted a voice so powerful that it shook the entire hut.

Ciri and Malenia immediately stood up, completely alert at the titanic battle taking place not far from where they were. However, the young lioness noticed something… peculiar about her hostess.

Resignation and… fury.

“I assume you know who that is,” Ciri stated softly, making Freya sigh heavily and nod gently.

“Aye, I do. One of the most powerful Gods in Odin’s ranks, his own son, one of the Elder Gods of Asgard,” the witch answered softly.

And then, Malenia intervened.

“And one of our enemies. If he is fighting, it means we have another potential ally nearby,” the redhead said at the same time as she manifested her crimson blade in her hand, her golden armor appearing around her body and preparing herself for battle.

Much to the witch’s obvious alarm.

“Wait… you are going to face him? Just like that?” Freya asked incredulously, making Malenia, now clad in her golden armor, look at her impassively.

“The magic of this God is… similar to that of the warrior of the Lord of the Hanged whom I defeated in Leyndell, much wilder and more powerful. He will be a worthy rival for my blade. Besides… our intervention will make it much easier to recruit the warrior he is fighting,” Malenia said as she left the hut with determination, a pair of crimson wings made of magic appearing behind her.

“Ciri, stay with Freya. I will go face this God and, if possible, cut off his head as quickly as possible. This God sounds like someone important to our enemy. If we can eliminate him from the board quickly, we could have a considerable tactical advantage.”

And with those words, a golden glow enveloped Malenia’s body, and she shot away like an arrow toward where the bloody battle was taking place, leaving a golden trail behind her.

As well as an annoyed Ciri and a worried Freya. Although the princess was not stupid, she had not the slightest idea who the hell was responsible for such powerful magic, but she was clear that, at least for the moment, Ciri was no match for him.

So, much to her displeasure, she remained here with her improvised ally, who seemed incredulous at Malenia’s recklessness.

“In all my life… such arrogance,” Freya sighed with disappointment, making Ciri snort and respond.

“Hey, Malenia is a tough nut to crack. Only the Golden Lion is more powerful than her, and from what I have seen, he has killed several Gods throughout his life. She will be fine,” the princess said softly, making the witch sigh and shake her head.

“Let us go inside. I will need to prepare some potions for after the fight. Goddess or not, Thor is quite serious business and…”

However, Freya’s words were interrupted by another voice. It was male, but more nasal and infinitely less powerful and intimidating than the voice she had heard a moment ago.

“Frigg!!” the stranger shouted, with… interesting results, at least in Ciri’s opinion.

At that name, her hostess frowned with tremendous fury before focusing her gaze on the silhouette of a man, right at the edge of the wards surrounding Freya’s clearing.

He was fat, ugly, and foul-smelling, with long brown hair and a long beard with braids. He carried a metal shield and a strange mace that crackled with a magical electrical aura. His eyes were blue and glowed with considerable magical power.

He was not the most powerful man Ciri had ever seen in her life, but he was not a weakling either, that much was clear.

And now… the stranger was looking at Freya and, most importantly, at Ciri, with curiosity and Malice.

“Who the fuck are you?” he asked, looking the Lioness of Cintra up and down, the desire on his fat face more than evident.

Ciri did not answer. She simply placed her hand around Zirael to try to calm herself. It was obvious that this man was not welcome in Freya’s clearing.

And judging by the witch’s face, things had become considerably more complicated.

She was not wrong.