Succubus System At Hogwarts

After returning to the castle, Ian led Hermione and the others to the Room of Requirement.

The Room of Requirement was located on the 7th floor, directly opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy being clubbed by a troll.

To access it, one had to focus on what they needed, walk past the wall three times, and a smooth door would appear, allowing entry into the hidden space.

Ian had "coincidentally" and "reasonably" discovered this room just a few days ago.

"Ian, why did you bring us to the 7th floor?" Draco grumbled, crossing his arms. "I don't want to go to the Gryffindor common room just to have a conversation."

Ian smirked mysteriously. "Who said I was taking you to the Gryffindor common room?"

With that, Ian led them to the blank wall opposite the tapestry.

"But isn't this just a wall with a tapestry?" Harry asked, scratching his head. "Ian, where are you taking us?"

"Don't worry, you'll understand in a second," Ian assured them.

Focusing on the Room of Requirement, Ian walked back and forth three times in front of the wall.

Suddenly, where there was once only a blank surface, a smooth door appeared.

"What the—?" Hermione gasped, staring at the door in surprise. "When did this get here?"

Ian reached out and pinched Hermione's cheek playfully before explaining, "A few days ago, I was thinking about where we could meet in private. I happened to walk by here, and that's when I found this room."

"I call it the Room of Requirement. As long as you focus on what you need, the room will change to fit your imagination."

"Really?" Draco was skeptical. "Then I wonder… can it turn into a room filled with chocolate frogs?"

Hearing this, Ian slapped Draco on the back of the head without hesitation.

"Can you think of something serious for once?"

Draco covered his head where he'd been hit and shut his mouth with a wronged expression.

"Alright, let's go in," Ian said, pushing open the door to the Room of Requirement.

One by one, the group entered, with Harry being the last to step inside. The moment he entered, the door behind him vanished, replaced by a plain wall.

"Wow!" Harry gasped, staring in amazement at the extravagant room before him.

The room was decorated in silver-green and gold-red, blending the two distinct styles of Slytherin and Gryffindor surprisingly well.

At the center stood a large round table, surrounded by several plush, inviting sofas that looked incredibly comfortable.

"This is amazing!" Cassandra couldn't help but exclaim.

Hermione, of course, didn't even try to hide her excitement—her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

"This room is designed based on all of our preferences," Ian explained. He then gestured toward a large bookshelf on one side of the room. "Hermione, Cassandra, I know you two love reading, so I made sure to add a bookshelf just for you."

"Ian, you're the best!" Hermione exclaimed, hugging Ian emotionally.

Cassandra nodded, arms crossed, looking pleased. "Very good."

"As long as you like it," Ian said with a smile before pulling both Hermione and Cassandra to sit on the sofa. "Alright, let's talk business."

Draco and Harry also gathered around, taking their seats as everyone turned their attention to Ian, looking serious.

"We all know that the shadow from yesterday was Voldemort," Ian said solemnly. "And his target is the Philosopher's Stone!"

At the mention of Voldemort's name, Draco visibly shuddered.

For Draco, Voldemort was a nightmare.

His face had turned pale. "Ian, Voldemort... The Dark Lord... he's really still… still alive…?"

"Do you think Firenze and I were joking that night?" Ian rolled his eyes. "That guy was 100% Voldemort!"

"He's really… still alive," Draco muttered to himself, his voice trembling.

"Voldemort… You-Know-Who," Cassandra murmured, pressing her lips together. "He must be in terrible shape—he's incredibly weak, otherwise, he wouldn't need to drink unicorn blood to survive."

"Hey! Everyone! We've been wrong this whole time!" Harry suddenly spoke up.

"We thought Snape was trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone for himself, but what if he's actually doing it for Voldemort?!" Harry's eyes widened. "What if he's planning to use the Elixir of Life to restore Voldemort's strength?"

"It's only you and Ron who say that about Snape and yeah, the dark lord might want to use that to restore his strength." Cassandra pointed out.

"Is… You-Know-Who coming back?" Ron's forehead broke out in a cold sweat. "Ian, Harry… will he try to kill you?"

"Ron, if Ian hadn't pushed me away—if Voldemort had gotten his chance—I'd already be dead." Harry forced a strained smile.

"It's not just the two of us, Harry." Ian's gaze shifted toward Draco.

"Draco, do you remember that out-of-control broomstick at the start of the school year?"

Draco blinked, confused. "Of course, I remember… but what about it?"

Ian's next words dropped like a bombshell.

"Voldemort wants to kill you too."

"WHAT?! That was not any other death eater but the dark lord himself..."

Draco shot up from the sofa, his face filled with pure panic.

"That doesn't make sense! Ian, you and Harry are the so-called saviors—of course, he'd want you dead! But me?! Why me?!"

Ian didn't let him finish.

"As I have said earlier, Draco, don't forget—the Malfoy family used to be Death Eaters. Your father was one of Voldemort's most loyal followers."

Draco's breath hitched.

"After Voldemort fell, your father, Lucius Malfoy, claimed he was under the Imperius Curse and donated a large sum of gold Galleons to the Ministry of Magic to avoid trial."

"To Voldemort, your family are nothing but traitors." Ian's voice was cold, his words sharp as a blade. "Do you really think he'll spare you—the only heir to the Malfoy family?"

Draco stumbled backward, collapsing onto the sofa, his entire body trembling.

"I..." Draco opened his mouth but couldn't form a single word.

Harry patted Draco on the shoulder. "Draco, Ian's not trying to scare you. He just wants you to understand how serious this is."

Draco let out a bitter laugh. "I know… I just… can't accept it all at once."

"Reality is cruel, Draco," Ian sighed. "What we need to do now is stick together and figure out a way to deal with Voldemort."

"Ian, you…" Draco's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Voldemort's ambition isn't just killing a few of us," Ian said firmly. "He wants the entire wizarding world to kneel at his feet. Draco, following someone like that won't lead you anywhere."

Damn it, just believe me already! Let's get through this ridiculous first year and move on to the next level of Dumbledore's bullshit trials!

Starting next year, I'm taking down one Horcrux per year!

That bastard! The bastard who dared to be jealous of his handsome face!

Voldemort, don't think this will be easy!

At the thought of it, Ian subconsciously touched his right cheek.

Feeling the tiny scar that hadn't fully healed yet, his anger flared up again, and he intensified his persuasion toward Draco.

"Draco, we have to work together—to protect the people we care about, to protect our families and friends."

Ian's expression was grave and resolute.

"Right now, Voldemort is so weak he has to rely on unicorn blood just to survive. But if he gets his hands on the Philosopher's Stone, it will be a disaster. A nightmare."

Draco remained silent for a long time before he finally exhaled and spoke slowly.

"Ian… you're right. We should unite and fight back against that monster."

"Very good, Draco."

Ian patted Draco on the shoulder. "Don't worry, you won't lose if you stick with me. Trust me, you'll be the best Malfoy family head in history."

Draco, despite the tension, managed to joke. "Hey, Ian, why are you only making me decide? Cassandra's here too—why don't you ask her?"

"No need."

Ian glanced at Cassandra beside him and smiled. "Cassandra will always choose me."

Besides, the Vole family was neutral—they had never been Death Eaters to begin with.

Cassandra didn't say a word, but she lifted her chin proudly. However, the red tint on her ears completely gave her away.

Hermione huffed and grabbed Ian's sleeve. "I will always choose you too!"

"Of course, Hermione, I never doubted you," Ian said, ruffling her hair with a gentle smile.

Harry and Ron exchanged glances, both seeing the same helpless expression in the other's eyes.

Great. We're background characters again.

"Alright," Ian coughed lightly, steering the conversation back on track. "Since we've all reached an agreement, let's figure out how to deal with Voldemort."

"If we want to stop Voldemort, the most important thing is to make sure he never gets his hands on the Philosopher's Stone!" Harry said, clenching his fists. "We have to protect it!"

Hermione nodded. "That's right! As long as Voldemort can't get the Philosopher's Stone, he won't be able to regain his strength. And that means… it'll be easier for us to defeat him."

"But how do we protect the Philosopher's Stone?" Ron scratched his head. "We can't just camp out in the third-floor corridor forever, can we?"

"Everyone, don't forget—who is the only wizard that Voldemort truly fears?" Hermione suddenly reminded them.

Realization dawned on everyone's faces.

"Professor Dumbledore!"

Cassandra blurted out, "The one person the Dark Lord fears… is Professor Dumbledore!"

"That's right! It's Professor Dumbledore!"

Hermione smiled knowingly. "Professor Dumbledore is the only wizard Voldemort has ever feared."

"As long as Professor Dumbledore is around, Voldemort won't dare to act rashly!" Hermione said firmly. "Besides, didn't Hagrid mention that the professors have set up traps? It won't be easy for Voldemort to get the Philosopher's Stone."

Cassandra took a deep breath, calming herself. "We just need to reinforce our defenses and make sure Voldemort doesn't find an opportunity to slip through."

"That's right!" Harry nodded. "As long as we stand together, we can definitely protect the Philosopher's Stone!"

Everyone's gaze burned with determination.

Everyone nodded in agreement—they had to protect the Philosopher's Stone.

They couldn't let Voldemort win.

_________

Read 12 chapters ahead:

Patreon: Dragonel