I'm back, friends. I haven't done much during this time, but here's what I have. I'll try to write more over the next few days, but I can't promise anything—I don't want to lose my weekend.
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By night, Viktor's room in the Slytherin dungeons had been transformed into a makeshift library annex. Stacks of books on alchemy were piled on his desk and the floor. The air smelled of old parchment, dust, and ink, creating an atmosphere of secret knowledge and diligent study.
Daphne Greengrass stood by the desk, arms crossed over her chest. Her face, usually calm and composed, showed a hint of bewilderment. She stared at the mountains of books, trying to grasp the scale of Viktor's request. "This is all they let us take. Each student took three books," she explained hastily, as if expecting his displeasure.
Viktor, without looking up from one of the books, simply nodded. "Don't worry. This is enough for now." His words were spoken with such confidence that Daphne was left to wonder again. Why did he need all this? And was he really going to read it all? Had the Sorting Hat made a mistake? Maybe he belonged in Ravenclaw, not Slytherin? These thoughts swirled in her head, but she didn't voice them.
Then, she got to the point. "Professor Snape asked to see you tomorrow morning."
Viktor looked up, his gaze thoughtful. "Tomorrow is Saturday. Why does he need me on a weekend?"
Daphne shrugged. "I don't know. And also... Gemma asked me to arrange a meeting. She wants to discuss something with you."
Viktor put the book down, and a sly smile appeared on his lips. He glanced over the spines of the books and asked, "What do you think? Are they ready to give up?"
Daphne looked at him. "I'm not sure. Although she doesn't really hold pure-blood opinions, I doubt she would go against all the pure-bloods. She values her influence too much."
Viktor grunted. "So, she'll try to intimidate me." His smile then widened even more, and a mischievous glint lit up his eyes. "Or maybe they'll set a trap for me to get revenge. I wouldn't mind falling into their trap, but now isn't the right time. Snape is already displeased." He thought for a moment. "Alright, neither them nor us. Tell her that if she wants to talk, I'll be waiting for her here... alone. Without prying eyes."
Daphne nodded. "I'll tell her. But I think she wants a more formal meeting. You scared them a lot."
Viktor frowned. He didn't like when someone else set the terms. "Fine, forget it. I'll figure out what Snape wants from me tomorrow, and then I'll think about it. You can go now."
Daphne nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her. Viktor returned to the books, his gaze once again serious. He surveyed the mountains of parchment volumes and said to himself, "Right, I'll study alchemy. What was I thinking? People spend years just to learn the basics, and I decided I would figure out how the Sorcerer's Stone works by the end of the school year." He sighed. "Well, Edward could do it, and so can I." He began to read the first book, titled "Alchemy for Beginners." He became truly engrossed in the reading, immersing himself in the secrets of the ancient science, making notes in his notebook, trying to extract the main points from each page.
Morning found him on the floor, sleepy and rumpled, surrounded by unfurled scrolls and open books. He heard the first cries of owls outside the window, and then rustling outside the door. Looking up, he saw that it was already dawn. He looked at the three books he had skimmed through the night, lay down on the floor, stared at the ceiling, and whispered, "Kill me." Then he got up and, without undressing, collapsed onto his bed, sinking into a serene sleep, almost forgetting the time.
His peace was disturbed. A rhythmic knocking on his door, first soft, then more persistent, echoed in his head, slowly pulling him from the embrace of Morpheus. Viktor groaned heavily, trying to ignore the annoying sound, but the knocking didn't stop, becoming louder and more demanding. It seemed that whoever was on the other side had no intention of leaving until they got what they wanted.
Finally, with a grim expression, Viktor reluctantly got out of bed. He went to the door and, with a cold face that seemed to reflect his inner irritation, yanked it open. A small, chubby boy, one of the first-years, stood on the threshold with a sleepy face and unkempt hair. Seeing Viktor, who looked disheveled but also frighteningly serious and even threatening, as if he were ready to tear apart anyone who dared to disturb his peace, the boy flinched. His cheeks paled, and his eyes widened in fright. He stammered, trying to force out the words: "P-professor S-Snape... is w-waiting for you... in his o-office... right now, he said..." His voice trembled, and he nervously fidgeted with the edge of his robe.
Viktor didn't answer. His gaze swept over the boy's frightened face, but there was no sympathy or condescension in it. He simply slammed the door in his face with the same stony expression. The boy let out a sigh of relief, as if he had escaped mortal danger. He quickly said, addressing the closed door, "Well, I delivered the message..." and, without wasting a second, ran away, trying to disappear from view as quickly as possible.
Viktor turned away from the door, trying to control his rising irritation. He quickly got dressed in his everyday school uniform, trying to look composed and tidy. Then his stomach rumbled, and he said to himself, "I don't think Snape is waiting that urgently." Then, nodding to himself, he added, "Yes, war is war, but breakfast should be on schedule." He quickly went down to the Great Hall, grabbed a couple of toasts and a mug of pumpkin juice, swallowed them on the go, trying not to attract attention, and headed to the dungeons.
Snape's office always felt like a place devoid of sunlight and joy. It was a dark, damp room where a sharp, acrid smell of potions constantly lingered, having permeated the walls and furniture. A barely perceptible light from a single magical lamp illuminated the central table, which was covered in jars and flasks. It was quiet outside the door, but inside the room, the sound of a bubbling liquid from a cauldron standing on the stone floor could be heard.
Viktor stopped in front of the massive oak door and slightly pushed it open. The hinges groaned mournfully. He entered, and the door silently closed behind him, cutting him off from the outside world.
"You called for me, Professor?" Viktor asked.
Snape slowly raised his eyes to him. His black eyes, like two pieces of obsidian, seemed to absorb all the light in the room. He stood with his hands down along his black, flowing cloak, and his lips were tightly pressed together. "Yes, Mr. Moss. I wanted to discuss the explosion incident." There was a serpentine hiss in his voice.
"What explosion are you talking about? If you mean the explosion in Slytherin, it wasn't me. You have no proof, and I have plenty of witnesses," Viktor replied with an innocent look, but a playful mischief sparkled in his eyes.
Snape sighed wearily, but a steely glint flashed in his eyes. "Viktor, enough. Although I don't understand how you did it, I know you did. You've landed in a very tragic situation. The Hat sent you to a house that isn't the best for you, and I see that you've been discriminated against. But what you're doing won't help you. They're all from influential families. They won't touch you at school now, but do you understand what will happen to you when you leave school?" The last phrase was said in a quiet, chilling voice that held a hidden threat.
Viktor just looked at him with a smile. The smile was eerie, empty. "Professor, do you think I'm afraid of them? Do you want me to tell you a story? I'm sure you've already heard about how I lived before the mental hospital, but now listen from the source. When I was taken from the orphanage, I was truly happy. Well, who doesn't dream of a family? And even though they were a strange, unsightly couple, it seemed like a real paradise to me."
He laughed, and the laugh was cold, devoid of any joy.
"But it wasn't a paradise at all. I fell into hell. For two years I was subjected to tortures I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. They starved me, fed me slop, and when I managed to cry out to them, I only saw laughter on their faces. I cried, I begged for mercy, and they only enjoyed my pain more. And at some point, I broke. Something inside me snapped, and my soul died. The only thing I dreamed of was a real death. But it didn't come, and I couldn't do anything to myself. I felt that I wasn't in this world for no reason... I had to accomplish something. For a whole year, I felt nothing. Nothing.
Then, somehow, I heard that they wanted to have some fun with the neighbors, who had a little daughter. I often saw her playing outside through the window. I envied her, but at that moment, I didn't want anything to happen to her. And something clicked in me. Something woke up, and there I was, standing with a knife in my hands, slitting their throats. When the warm splashes of blood stained my face, I was truly happy. No one helped me. I did it all myself. I was forging my own destiny. Then, as you know, I ended up in a mental hospital, where they 'cured' me, supposedly. But what died in me then never came back to life. And since then, I'm not afraid of pain or anyone. Fear died in me. And so you know that the Hat didn't make a mistake, my place is in Slytherin." Viktor involuntarily released his aura. The air in the office became thick and heavy, and the flame in the magical lamp danced. It seemed to Snape that a huge, deadly snake was staring at him from behind Viktor's back, its eyes burning with a sinister light.
"Professor, it's not me who should be afraid of them, but they who should tremble. For I am the Ghost Rider. I will punish them for their sins."
Although Snape didn't understand what a "Ghost Rider" was, he didn't ask. He felt the dark, primal power emanating from the boy and knew that he couldn't be intimidated. With a sigh, he replied, "You are free to go."
Viktor's demeanor changed abruptly. A sunny smile appeared on his face, his eyes shining with joy. "Yes, Professor," he replied. He was about to leave when Snape said, "Mr. Moss, just don't go too far. And know that if I catch you causing chaos in my house, you will be severely punished."
Viktor looked at him and replied, "Don't worry. Now Slytherin is my home too, and as one of the Slytherin students, I'll try not to do too much harm. And as for 'going too far'... as the saying goes, a soldier doesn't harm a child." He laughed and, turning around, left the office, leaving Snape alone with his thoughts and bad premonitions.