Y7Ch57: The Final “Battle”
*sigh*
Ok, let’s talk about this disaster.
Ah, yes. Because everyone knows that as soon as Dumbledore is not at Hogwarts, the faculty becomes totally incapable of doing anything – including people like Minerva Badass McGonagall or Filius Former-Duelling-Champion Flitwick. Yes, of course.
Funny that you say that, Jae. I’ll actually come back to it a little later.
You know what? No. Rowan would cry at least for a week straight if they knew how fucking stupid everyone is at this point.
All right, that might be my biggest problem with this whole “battle” because… WHY?? Why do we even care whether or not they get to Hogwarts? Minnie alone would kick their asses in under a minute – and quite frankly, I’d love to see it. Just let them through!
WHY THE FUCK DO WE CARE?!
Ok, so it’s never really explained who’s exactly Perry’s target here. Sure, we’re told it’s about an adult Legilimens, and MC deduced that both Dumbledore and Snape are adult Legilmenses. Still, it’s never addressed directly again, and it kinda bothers me. But whatever, I guess. Apparently, we’re supposed to assume that it’s indeed Snape who’s Perry’s target. But like… if there’s anyone at Hogwarts fully capable of defending themselves... IT’S SNAPE. Like… just imagine this encounter.
Perry: Severus Snape? I have a proposition for you that--
Snape: *lazily waves his wand*
Perry: *flies over the Black Lake, slightly smoking because of the impact of Snape’s spell that hit him*
Or…
Perry: Severus Snape? I’m Peregrine Lastname, I’m the father of MC and Jacob. I--
Snape: Sectumsempra!
Perry: AAAAAAAAAA!
Snape: I suffered years because of your two spawns.
Perry: Help! I’m bleeding out!
Snape: Yes, that’s a very accurate description of my suffering.
Seriously, why do we care?! I swear, this fucking “battle” has no stakes whatsoever, and I just don’t understand why it even exists.
Another absurd: why the fuck Verucca wants to kill Peregrine?
Ok, so at least it’s clear that Verucca is indeed a Snyde because apparently, all the Snydes are stupid bitches. If Verucca thought just for a moment, she’d realise that the Ministry focusing on Peregrine meant they’re focusing less on her. And that means she can do whatever she wants more freely. But whatever, I guess.
And here’s another stupidity. If Verucca wants to lead R, all she has to do is to convince other members that Perry is insane and that she’d be better for the whole organisation. Like, it should be super easy after he fucked up with the recent mind control test. And who fucking cares that he ruined R’s name or whatever? Rebel people against Perry, lay low for some time, change the name of the organisation, and enjoy your fucking profit! What would Perry do when left alone??
Because I’m gonna do it myself!
A friendly reminder that Verucca is also Merula’s mother’s sister (according to Y5Ch28) which means it’s quite likely Merula’s parents are cousins – which is not rare among pureblood families, after all :)
I know, it’s really disappointing.
Also, the Circle of Khanna behind us, especially Ben and Corey (and especially if you chose to ban Merula from the Circle a couple of chapters ago):
No, really, it’s just… so pathetic, considering that the vast majority of the Circle never cared about Merula and Merula never cared about them.
I… I’m…
HOW EVERYTHING ABOUT IT IS SO BAD??
Also, WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS FIRE?!?!?! How anyone at JC looked at this and was like: “Yeah, that’s good enough”?! I swear we had dragon fire animations before better than this abomination…
Ok, but Ben’s utter disappointment in this scene is the only good thing in this damn chapter. I can even say I actually enjoyed it.
I mean… Yeah, there were 17 of you and 7 of them, so… By the way, I talked more more about the fighting alone in this post.
Ok, but does anyone remember that R is supposed to be an international organisation? Was it simply retconned or are we supposed to believe that an international organisation has like… 14 members? Am I counting it correctly? Perry, 7 idiots he brought with him, Verucca, Merula, Shiratori, Burke, Zenith Xeep, and Rakepick. Right?
I don’t know how it’s possible, but this whole situation gets more and more pathetic the more I think about it.
Also, I mentioned in the post linked above that I felt more threatened by Mrs Norris in Y1. But you know what else had more tension than this damn “battle”? Our very first trip to Knockturn Alley. Remember this?
Now, let’s compare those situations.
Honestly, it’s just so upsetting that this game used to be created by people who actually could create tension for one simple event that doesn’t even matter that much in the great picture, and now we’re getting… THIS. The final “battle” with R had literally no stakes. There was no logic and therefore also no threats. I felt absolutely nothing, and I’m truly baffled remembering how many emotions this story could give me back in Y5.
Unfortunately, it all changed with the extremely stupid end of Y5, and it was getting only worse ever since. It’s like JC’s greatest ambition is making things worse than Y5Ch31 was.
But let’s move on because I’m not done.
MC’s reaction is about as emotional as I felt during this whole chapter. It’s just hilarious, sorry not sorry.
Ok, so at first, I wanted to leave this part because JC clearly doesn’t know what they’re doing anymore. But you know what? I’m gonna rant. Because no, Rowan’s sacrifice was not honoured. And quite frankly, you keep desecrating it by still using it at this point.
Learning the truth was something very important for Rowan. I mean, this is our conversation from the end of Y1:
By the end of Y7, I’m pretty sure we didn’t solve a single mystery of the story. And what’s the worst is that we didn’t solve the mystery of Rowan’s death. Sure, Peregrine told us that Rakepick went rogue or whatever. But it still makes no fucking sense.
First of all, only an idiot would believe in anything Peregrine says. But more importantly, we actually know about things suggesting that Peregrine lies. In the insane route, Rakepick in Azkaban is absolutely terrified of R, so how she’d go rogue if that’s the case? On top of that, we saw in Olivia’s memories that Rakepick talked with someone from R about Duncan brewing his potion. Yet, Peregrine claimed that R didn’t get involved with the Cursed Vaults until Jacob went missing. You know what it means? It means that Perry fucking lied. And if he lied about something this important, why should we believe him about anything else?
Moreover, we still don’t know why Rowan died. Rakepick told us in Azkaban that it wasn’t Rowan who was supposed to die that night. Then who? Ben? Why? Sure, Rakepick herself claimed in the Forest that she wanted to kill MC. And sure, you can say it makes sense if she saw MC as her competition – except it makes no sense! Why? Because it only made things harder for her. And the game even addressed that!
Why would Rakepick make things so much harder for herself just to get rid of her competition? Especially since she should’ve known where the Sunken Vault is because we know that R was there before (thanks to the note from the Weird Sisters TLSQ). But even if she didn’t know… it still would be more reasonable to not draw attention to herself and simply use it to work on getting to the Vault before MC.
You didn’t honour Rowan’s sacrifice. You ignored about 95% of things that ever happened in the game.
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“It's time to stand up -- stand up!
Show me what you're made of!
Hands up, hands up!
Fight the fear...fight the fear!
Rise up from the ground --
Gonna make you a believer!”
~”The Fear” by the Score
x~x~x~x
a sincere thank you to @catohphm, @jackies-ear69, @hphm-jeniferltheman, and @ariparri for brainstorming about MC’s friends’ boggarts with me!
x~x~x~x
The year she took on the task of teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, Patricia Rakepick soon became many students’ favorite professor. Scholarly sorts like Rowan Khanna appreciated her extensive knowledge of the subject, while more avant-garde sorts like Jae Kim and Nymphadora Tonks liked her dry sense of humor. This didn’t even touch aspiring Cursebreakers Bill Weasley and Merula Snyde, both of whom Rakepick had a pointed interest in and greatly esteemed Rakepick for her skills.
There were students who didn’t take to Rakepick as well as others, though. Ben Copper could never completely relax around Rakepick, thanks in large part to how critically her eye always seemed to fall on him. Even serial rulebreaker Tulip Karasu got bad vibes from Rakepick, suspecting ulterior motives to the professor’s seemingly more kindly actions.
And of course there was the last student Rakepick had taken a targeted liking to, and arguably the strongest liking at that -- Hogwarts’ infamous Cursebreaker, Carewyn Cromwell.
Carewyn had distrusted Rakepick from the moment she first arrived at Hogwarts the previous year to supposedly help deal with the Cursed Vaults, and Carewyn’s opinion hadn’t softened toward Gringotts’s Head Cursebreaker anymore now that she was a professor. Even when Rakepick ended up saving Carewyn from an Imperiused Ben the previous school year, it only served to make Carewyn all the more wary of Rakepick’s intentions. After all, Carewyn couldn’t help but think, how was it that Rakepick caught up with her and Ben so fast, that night? Had she been keeping tabs on her? However concerned Rakepick had seemed for Carewyn, the Cursebreaker still left her, Bill, Charlie, Hagrid, and Torvus to deal with the Forest Vault, rather than going with them or dealing with it herself. Even now that Rakepick was a professor, she kept trying to get Carewyn, Bill, and Merula to work “with her” (read: under her leadership) to reach the next Cursed Vault. Admittedly Carewyn planned on searching for the next Vault and rescuing Jacob with or without help...but she couldn’t help but agree with Tulip that Rakepick clearly had her own motives. The Head Cursebreaker had even said herself that she intended to find the Cursed Vaults and “reveal their secrets” -- therefore Rakepick was mainly interested in retrieving the Vaults’ so-called “treasure”...something Carewyn didn’t give a damn about, in the face of finding and saving her brother.
Carewyn’s distrust of her didn’t seem to bother Rakepick in the slightest, though. If anything, the professor only seemed to expect more from Carewyn and single her out in class more because of it.
Once Rakepick quizzed the entire class on protective wards, only to insist that Carewyn tell her the difference between Protego Diabolica and Protego Horribilis. (Carewyn correctly explained that the first was a Dark curse intended to kill any enemies who tried to cross the boundary, while the second was a strong form of the Shield Charm specifically intended to protect against Dark curses, and Rakepick awarded Slytherin ten points before moving on.)
Another time, when Rakepick brought an entire swarm of pixies for the fifth-year class to defend themselves against, the professor insisted that Carewyn use a spell other than Immobulus, the spell they’d been actively studying, to stop them -- apparently Rakepick knew Carewyn had gotten help with the spell from her ex-Prefect, Felix Rosier, in the past and she thought that the assignment would be too easy for her on its own. (Carewyn responded to the challenge by using Impedimenta to slow down each pixie enough that she could levitate them one by one back into their cage with a Locomotion Charm before closing it -- a solution that brought a satisfied smirk to Rakepick’s face.)
It was therefore no surprise in late October when Rakepick decided to give her fifth-years a proper review on boggarts, the Cursebreaker-turned-professor had Carewyn come up to the front of the class first to deal with the creature.
Carewyn was a bit startled despite herself.
Rakepick’s lips turned up in a smirk.
Carewyn frowned deeply at Rakepick.
“Of course not,” she said with a faint huff.
She glanced over her shoulder at the rest of her class with a grimmer look, her jaw setting as she rose to her feet.
“...I should let you know, though,” she spoke very clearly despite her eyes being averted and her voice being low, “my boggart is You-Know-Who.”
A few of her classmates exchanged glances. Rakepick’s eyebrows raised.
“That is not an uncommon fear, Miss Cromwell,” said the professor.
Carewyn’s eyes narrowed a bit without looking up.
“I know,” she said curtly. Her gaze lingered on the desk she’d been sharing with Badeea. “That’s why I want to make sure everyone knows it -- I don’t want to scare them.”
Rakepick’s confident look seemed to darken, becoming a bit grimmer as well. “You won’t have to, Miss Cromwell. The boggart will do a good enough job of that -- your classmates may as well just accept it.”
Carewyn looked up at last, her eyes narrowing a bit more, as Rakepick indicated the box to the side of her desk with a clipped nod.
“You may begin when ready. Though I’d advise you not to keep me waiting -- I only have so much time allotted to me for this lesson.”
Carewyn pursed her lips. Walking purposefully around her and Badeea’s desk, she shot a glance back behind her. Her eyes glided over Rowan, Ben and Charlie quickly before finding Talbott; when Carewyn made eye contact with him, the Ravenclaw straightened up a bit, his hawk-like eyes narrowing a bit upon her face as he nodded.
I’m okay, his look seemed to tell her.
Carewyn inhaled quietly through her nose, giving him a very short nod in return, before she faced the wardrobe, her wand held high.
“...Alohomora.”
With a shriek of the hinges, the box’s lid was thrown open, and a huge, black mass erupted out of it. The huge black cloak was accompanied by skull-white, spider-like hands and the face of a monstrous man -- one tall and pale with heartless red slits for eyes.
A couple of people in the class inhaled sharply despite themselves, seeing the Dark Lord Voldemort standing before their classmate. Rakepick, however, spoke to them with dry reassurance.
“Don’t you, Miss Cromwell?”
Carewyn kept her focus solely on her boggart rather than respond. Raising her wand, she pointed it right at her target and bellowed,
“Riddikulus!”
CRACK.
In an instant, Voldemort was seated at a full dining table of Mrs. Weasley’s home cooking with a red and white checkered napkin comically tied around his neck, looking completely bewildered.
Charlie laughed loudly, but louder still was Barnaby, who actually got up from his seat.
“It’s just like I said!” he said excitedly through his laughter. “It must be impossible for You-Know-Who to enjoy any good food without a nose!”
Others started to laugh too -- even Talbott had to chuckle. Carewyn bit her lip as she grinned in amusement too.
“Quite good, Miss Cromwell,” said Rakepick, very pleased. “All right, now, class, prepare yourselves -- when I call you up, you shall come forth and face your boggart. When you see your fear, think up a way to turn it into something humorous -- then cast Riddikulus to defeat it. Ready now...Mr. Lee!”
Barnaby eagerly scampered around the desk, raising his wand.
“I’m ready for this!” he told Carewyn brightly. “I’ve been thinking about it ever since we went into the Fear Vault...”
Boggart Voldemort shifted his gaze over to Barnaby, his red eyes flashing --
CRACK.
The boggart had become a clown -- a rather menacing, fanged, Voldemort-looking clown, but still a clown.
“Riddikulus!” said Barnaby.
CRACK.
A bucket of water appeared over the demonic clown’s head, before turning over and splashing all over it -- it sputtered in confusion as all of its face paint was washed off and its curly red hair lay like flat curtains around its face.
Barnaby gave a fist pump. “Yes!”
“Good job, Barnaby,” Carewyn said, beaming proudly.
“Miss Tonks!” said Rakepick.
Tonks darted forward just as eagerly. The sopping wet clown shifted his gaze over to her -- then, with another CRACK, it had become herself, only with mousy brown hair and eyes, colorless, friendless, and insecure --
Tonks, without her Metamorphagus abilities.
“Riddikulus!” laughed Tonks.
CRACK.
Boggart Tonks had shifted into Tulip, holding up a bottle of hair dye potion and laughing as loudly as Tonks herself. The real Tulip was also laughing from her own desk.
“Disguising yourself as someone and wigging them out -- that is a good idea for a prank, Tonks!” Tulip called out with a wicked grin.
“Mr. Winger!”
Talbott leapt up onto his feet, sweeping across the room with the grace of a bird coming in for a landing.
CRACK.
Boggart Tulip had transformed into a black-hooded figure holding a wand alight with acid green, the Dark Mark glowing in the sky over his head -- a Death Eater set to kill him like they had his parents --
“Riddikulus!” Talbott spat out with venom.
CRACK.
The Death Eater’s cloak seemed to expand into strips of fabric that lashed around it in strips, wrapping the frantically wriggling figure up tightly like a mummy.
“See, Andre?” said Talbott with a cool smirk over his shoulder. “I told you long cloaks only get in your way.”
Andre crossed his arms, his face appearing rather sassy. “A stylish person knows how to wear a cloak properly...and also doesn’t consider wearing American-style cowboy hats unironically in public -- ”
“Mr. Weasley!” Rakepick cut off the two Ravenclaws’ debate at the legs.
Charlie hopped nimbly right over his desk and zipped up to the front.
CRACK.
The boggart had become a very official-looking desk piled high with paperwork stamped with the purple seal of the Ministry of Magic.
“Being stuck working in an office for the rest of my life,” Charlie explained helpfully to Carewyn, and he gave a shudder. “Still reckon Mum wants me to go that way, like Dad did...”
Carewyn offered him a sympathetic smile. “You’ll never belong in an office, Charlie.”
Charlie grinned as he faced the boggart. “Yeah -- I guess it is pretty ‘Riddikulus!’”
CRACK.
The desk chair was suddenly filled by Charlie’s brother Percy, who’d organized all of the paperwork perfectly -- only for his younger twin brothers Fred and George to barrel on through on their brooms and send the tall stacks of papers flying.
“Miss Haywood!”
Penny, as devil-may-care as she usually was, hesitated just a bit before running up to the front. Her face hardened with focus and determination, even as her wand hand trembled.
CRACK.
The boggart had transformed into a hulking, furry werewolf, its fangs dripping with blood as it growled ferociously.
Carewyn shot a quick look over at Chiara. Her face had gone very white as she shrank back in her seat.
“RIDDIKULUS!” Penny shouted as loudly as she could, even as her voice cracked.
CRACK. The werewolf became a giant stuffed toy, which flopped down to the floor face-first.
“Mr. Caplan!”
Diego had been ready a good five minutes ago -- he slid right in front of Penny with the grace of a dancer, his wand raised.
CRACK. The boggart became a wrinkled, hunched-over old woman in ragged clothes with a face shaped like Diego’s. She clearly wasn’t human, though -- she smelled horribly, like rotten eggs and petrol, she grunted and groaned like a zombie, and her eyes bulged unnaturally out of their sockets.
“That’s La Tunda!” said Rowan. “Tundas are shapeshifting creatures that make themselves look like your loved ones in order to lure you in, trap you, and then drain you of your blood.”
“Take five points to Slytherin for anticipating one of my future lessons, Miss Khanna,” Rakepick said very lightly.
Diego’s hand clenched that little bit more tightly around his wand, murmuring something very quietly under his breath before pointing his wand at the boggart.
“Riddikulus!”
CRACK.
In an instant, a flock of monarch butterflies flew out of Diego’s wand, attacking the Tunda and knocking it backward off their feet. The rest of the class laughed, though Diego gave a slightly weaker laugh himself.
“Sorry, Abuela,” he said sheepishly. “I don’t like the butterflies anymore than you do...”
“Miss Murk!” said Rakepick.
CRACK. The boggart became four people, all of whom looked very clean-cut and uptight -- the youngest of them, a girl who looked identical to the older sister standing beside her -- had Ismelda’s face.
“Riddikulus!” Ismelda cried, her mouth spread into an almost manic smirk.
CRACK. The four people were all splashed with mud, and the other three members of the family ran off in disgust and humiliation as Boggart Ismelda splashed happily in the mud puddle by herself.
“Mr. Kim!”
CRACK. The boggart became a cold, empty house with no furniture and barren cabinets with no blankets, clothes, or food.
“Riddikulus!” shouted Jae.
CRACK. The house fell apart like a movie set, revealing a bunch of TV crew shouting at each other in Korean about the poor craftsmanship.
“Miss Lobosca!”
CRACK. The boggart became a rather pretty girl with curly brown hair, curled up in a ball in the corner and her wide, terrified eyes streaming with tears.
“Get off of me!” she screamed. “Get away from me -- !”
Selina, Carewyn realized in horror.
Chiara’s face had lost all of its color, but she faced Boggart Selina with a very strained, strangely gentle expression.
“Riddikulus,” she whispered.
CRACK. Selina became Tonks, doubled over in fits of laughter from a Tickling Charm.
“All right!” she choked through her laughter. “All right, you win -- you’re better at the Tickling Charm than I am!”
The real Tonks laughed too. “Oh come on, Chiara -- no need to rub it in!”
Chiara gave both Boggart Tonks and the real Tonks a very small smile before looking up at Carewyn. Seeing the concern in her friend’s face, Chiara gave her her best reassuring smile.
“Are you -- ?” started Carewyn, but before she could finish, Rakepick had already called up that one Gryffindor boy who was terrible at Wingardium Leviosa to take his turn.
CRACK. A laughing crowd of students became a surprise birthday party.
CRACK. A mirror reflection turning invisible became an incomplete portrait being painted by an admirer.
CRACK. A demonic-looking Merula Snyde was suddenly decked out in bright pink and ribbons, crowing about loving lollypops and unicorns. (This one in particular prompted Merula to take out her wand and threaten to hex both Tulip and Carewyn in the face for how hard they were laughing.)
“Miss Khanna!” barked Rakepick, so as to put a stop to the escalating fight.
Rowan dutifully came up to the front of the room, her shoulders locked beside her head and her wand held high with determination.
CRACK.
Whatever Rowan or anyone else had been expecting, it wasn’t what the boggart became. Instead, it transformed into the spitting image of Carewyn.
The class looked from the fake Carewyn to the real one, incredibly taken back. Rowan faltered.
“Carewyn?” she said.
Boggart Carewyn, however, didn’t answer. Instead she merely turned on her heel and started to walk away.
“Carewyn!” said Rowan.
Forgetting herself, she reached out as if to grab Boggart Carewyn’s shoulder, only for her hand to get knocked out of the way. A fake Charlie Weasley had appeared out of nowhere wrapped his arm around Boggart Carewyn’s shoulder and was steering her away.
“Come on, Carey -- let’s go play Quidditch!”
Rowan flinched. Out of nowhere also appeared a fake Bill, wrapping his other arm around Carewyn and continuing to steer her away.
“Now, Charlie, don’t forget, Carey and I still have to deal with the Vaults -- ”
“Hey, Cursebreaker!” a fake Andre’s voice called out in the distance. “Still up for a midnight broom ride tonight?”
“Carewyn!” called another voice in the distance that almost sounded like Barnaby’s. “Carewyn, you just gotta see this new Mooncalf at the Magical Creature Preserve -- ”
“Carewyn, I just finished listening to the CD you sent me over break -- ” said a voice vaguely like Chiara’s.
“I don’t suppose you have any time to give this a read, Carewyn?” said a voice like Talbott’s.
Soon the voices were all piling up on each other. One kind of like Liz’s -- one kind of like Tonks’s -- kind of like Orion Amari’s -- one like Rosmerta’s, and Hagrid’s, and Rakepick’s --
Rowan’s dark eyes had become very wide behind her glasses. She’d gone very quiet and her wand hand had fallen slack at her side. Carewyn looked from the boggart to Rowan, her concern giving way to alarm, as she dashed forward -- Rakepick, however, stopped her, sweeping in front of Rowan first.
“Step back and collect yourself, Miss Khanna,” she said brusquely. “I don’t need Miss Cromwell throwing herself in front of you to protect you.”
Rowan blinked rapidly, awareness and then shame flooding her face, as Rakepick tossed her hair to look over her shoulder.
“Mr. Copper!” the professor said sharply. “You next!”
Ben looked as if he wanted nothing less than to leave his desk. Still, knowing he had no choice, he swallowed back the lump in his throat and -- raising his wand -- stumbled forward.
Boggart Carewyn -- still flanked by the fake Charlie and Bill -- turned to look over her shoulder at Ben, her blue eyes oddly blank and penetrating. Then, in a moment, the shapes all seemed to contort together, morphing and twisting --
CRACK.
The boggart disappeared completely. The entire class stiffened, staring at the spot where the creature had been. The silence dragged. Then, suddenly...
Attack.
A voice filled the room. It was a cold male voice that dripped through everyone’s ears with the softness of silk and the frigidness of icy water -- a voice that made Ben crumple in on himself like a piece of paper.
“No,” he whispered.
Attack. Again. Attack.
“No -- no, no -- ”
The boggart Carewyn had reappeared -- but this time, she wasn’t the least bit nonchalant. This time she was crumpled up on the ground, her eyes very wide as spells from nowhere rained down on her, cutting at her face and clothes and blasting her wand out of her hand.
The real Carewyn moved forward. “Ben -- !”
Once again, though, Rakepick stopped her, this time by actually taking hold of her arm.
“You can’t save your friends from their own demons, Miss Cromwell,” she said very lowly.
Do it, said the voice filling the room. Finish her. Kill h --
“DEPULSO!” Ben screamed.
BAM.
The boggart Carewyn was blasted backwards. It seemed to flicker, for an instant becoming Merula, and then the clown, and then the werewolf, before hitting the wall. Ben, however, had not lowered his wand -- his brown eyes were wide with terror as he pointed it at the boggart again.
“STUPEFY!”
The stunning spell knocked the boggart right back into the open trunk with so much force that it lost consciousness. Then Ben pointed his wand at the trunk and cast “Colloportus!” to lock it.
Breathing hard, Ben looked up at Rakepick, who was frowning deeply as she released Carewyn, crossing her arms.
“I don’t believe I said anything about locking that boggart back in its cabinet, Mr. Copper,” said the professor very coldly.
Ben bowed his head in shame.
“...No, professor,” he said very quietly.
“And yet you did it,” Rakepick challenged him.
Ben swallowed. “I...didn’t know how to make the Imperius Curse funny, professor.”
Rakepick’s eyes narrowed as her eyebrows rose. “Your lack of creativity doesn’t excuse not following the assignment.”
Carewyn was outraged.
“Ben used quite a bit of creativity,” she defended her friend fiercely. “He knew he couldn’t defeat his boggart with laughter like the others did, but he still came up a way to defend himself and everyone else from it. If that isn’t ‘Defense Against the Dark Arts,’ I don’t know what is.”
“If you truly knew all that Defense Against the Dark Arts encompasses, then you would not be a student sitting in my classroom, Miss Cromwell,” Rakepick reminded her very coolly. “Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Copper, for putting an end to our lesson early by stunning and re-trapping our boggart without direction. Mr. Copper and Miss Khanna, you shall face your boggarts again next week with Messrs. Hayden and Egwu and Misses Ali, Tuttle, and Snyde -- and in that class, I expect a proper demonstration of Riddikulus.”
Merula shot a scornful look over at Ben as he sat back down next to Charlie, who patted his shoulder reassuringly. Rowan slunk back down into her seat too, her head bowed in shame.
“...Yes, ma’am.”
Carewyn looked from Ben to Rowan, her blue eyes rippling with pain. Then, shooting a venomous look at Rakepick, she -- rather than returning to her seat next to Badeea at the front of the class -- switched seats so as to sit down next to Rowan in the second row.
Rowan looked up at Carewyn, startled. The red-haired Prefect didn’t look at her, instead keeping her hard gaze up on Rakepick at the front of the classroom, but she lightly pressed her shoulder up against her friend’s.
That boggart isn’t true, Carewyn prayed Rowan would understand. I won’t leave you -- please don’t believe that...
Rowan, however, couldn’t meet Carewyn’s eye. Instead she shifted away and started to quickly pack her books into her bag.
Carewyn’s heart clenched.
“Rowan -- ”
“Miss Cromwell,” said Rakepick curtly. “A quick word, after class.”
Carewyn looked up from the desk to glare at Rakepick. Then, glancing at Rowan reluctantly, she rose from her seat and approached Rakepick in front of her desk.
Once the rest of the class had filed out, Rakepick spoke again.
“I’m sure you think I was quite unfair to your friends just now,” she said seriously. “Undoubtedly because you yourself probably feel some trace of responsibility, for the forms their boggarts took in the first place.”
Carewyn’s eyes flashed, but she tried not to let the pain show on her face. She did not want Rakepick to have any inkling of just how spot-on her guess was.
“But you will not always be able to protect them from harm, Miss Cromwell,” said Rakepick. “On the contrary -- it is likely you will be forced by circumstance to solely focus on your own survival. Ben Copper’s attack of you this last spring is more than enough proof of that.”
“And yet you still act like Ben was a villain in that whole affair,” Carewyn challenged her. “Even after seeing visible proof that his greatest fear was being controlled by the Imperius Curse, like when he attacked me, you still take pot shots at him.”
“I’m not the only one in your circle who harbors doubts about Mr. Copper’s story,” Rakepick said very quietly. “Just as I’m certain you’re not the only person in my class that harbors doubts about me.”
Justifiably so, Carewyn thought resentfully, and her eyes narrowed.
“However much you may doubt my intentions, Miss Cromwell,” said Rakepick, “I am here to instruct you and your class in how best to defend yourselves. And however much potential you possess, both as a leader and a protector, I do not want you sacrificing yourself for people incapable of doing the same. You deserve allies strong enough to protect you just as much as you protect them -- ”
“I don’t want my friends to sacrifice themselves for me, Rakepick,” Carewyn snapped. “And I will not have you advise me on which people deserve my loyalty -- only I have the right to do that.”
Carewyn turned on her heel and prepared to leave. Rakepick didn’t stop her, but once Carewyn reached the door, the professor made the Prefect pause when she spoke again.
“I know you intend to go to Knockturn Alley. Mr. Kim is an admirable choice of back-up -- but if you intend to get there, you’ll need a fireplace connected to the Floo Network: something not easy to find, inside the castle walls. Meet me outside Dumbledore’s office on Monday, and I can get you inside.”
Carewyn cocked her eyebrow suspiciously. “And get both Jae and me caught on our way back to Dumbledore’s office and be banned from Hogsmeade for the rest of our school careers? No, thank you.”
“I have no interest in you being hindered from finding the Cursed Vaults, Miss Cromwell,” Rakepick said lightly. “Nor do I have any interest in Mr. Kim being prevented from moving as he pleases -- he does Gryffindor house proud, and as I said, his knowledge of Knockturn Alley makes him useful.”
Rakepick’s Niffler, Sickleworth, scampered up her arm to curl up on her shoulder. Rakepick scratched under his neck idly.
“My interest is in you succeeding in your undertaking, Miss Cromwell,” she said levelly. “Your success will bring both of us closer to the Cursed Vaults -- so it’s only right that I ensure that outcome by giving you the means to succeed.”
Carewyn crossed her arms, the suspicion not shifting from her face. Then, after a long moment, she said,
“...Fine. Jae and I will meet you outside Dumbledore’s office on Monday. But we have our own way back into school -- so don’t bother tipping Filch off to when a pair of shady-looking students might be popping up back through Dumbledore’s fireplace.”
Rakepick smiled wryly as Carewyn left the room, closing the door with a sharp snap behind her.
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Undeserving
HPHM Cardverse Masterlist | Blog Masterlist
The Hogwarts Mystery Cardverse is an AU that takes place in a fantasy land called Cinderhaven. There are five regions, four of them representing a suit of cards; Spades, Clubs, Hearts, Diamonds. The final region representing the Jokers.
Here it is, finally! Rakepick's backstory and motive! I kept this one short since I didn’t plan to make her backstory too long, just a good enough description on why she’s the way she is. To put things simply, she’s mad because the newer official role holders are all younger than her and some were literally handed their positions on silver platters while she worked her damn butt off to get her position.
In the illustrious Country of Spades, where work flowed like the rivers and power lay in the hands of a select few, Patricia Rakepick was born into the esteemed House of Rakepick. From her earliest years, she was immersed in a world of privilege and expectation, the weight of her family's legacy pressing down upon her young shoulders like a suffocating cloak.
Raised within the imposing walls of her family's estate, Patricia's childhood was marked with rigorous education and training. Her parents, stern and unyielding, demanded nothing short of perfection from their daughter, instilling in her a relentless drive for excellence that burned bright within her.
But it was in the hallowed halls of the military academy that Patricia truly found her calling. She excelled in her studies, displaying an insatiable hunger for knowledge and a keen intellect that set her apart from her peers. Improving her skills in combat and strategy, driven by a burning desire to prove herself worthy of her family's legacy.
As she ascended through the ranks, Patricia's ambition knew no bounds. She set her sights on the coveted position of Ace of Spades, the highest rank in the country’s military hierarchy, a title reserved for only the most skilled commanders. Her prowess on the battlefield became legendary, her name whispered in awe and fear by those who knew of her exploits. But even as she carved out her place among the country’s elite soldiers, a shadow of resentment lingered in her heart.
Unlike Patricia Rakepick, who had clawed her way to the top through sheer force and will, Duncan Ashe had been handed his position on a silver platter, his ascent to becoming the next Jack of Spades was swift and seemingly effortless. Under the watchful eye of his mentor, Ulrich Scheller, the mastermind behind the country’s intricate web of finances and policies, Duncan had risen through the ranks with alarming speed, his youth and charm masking a cunning intellect that belied his years.
Even as he was still attending university, Duncan's influence within Ulrich's cabinet was already felt far and wide. His reports and recommendations were eagerly awaited by those in power, his insights and analysis proving invaluable in guiding the country through troubled times.
As Duncan was appointed the new Jack of Spades, another figure emerged from the shadows: Coby McQuaid, the king who never truly sought the crown. Coby's ascension to the throne was a twist of fate orchestrated by his closest friend and confidant, Duncan Ashe. Coby McQuaid never envisioned himself wearing the crown. His days were filled with adventure and laughter, not with the weighty responsibilities of rulership. Despite his initial reservations, Coby embraced his newfound position with characteristic optimism. He may not have been well-versed in the intricacies of governance, but he possessed a deep love for his people and a genuine desire to see them thrive.
As Patricia Rakepick's thirst for power intensified, so too did the darkness that lurked within her soul. Fueled by resentment and driven by ambition, she became a formidable force to be reckoned with in the Country of Spades. Overhearing the conversation between King Coby and Duncan about the possibility of adding Veruca McQuaid, Coby's sister, to the council only served to stoke the flames of Patricia's anger. In her eyes, it was yet another example of undeserving individuals being handed positions of power without earning them.
Determined to prove herself superior to Coby and Duncan, Patricia's ambition twisted into something darker and more insidious. She became ruthless and cunning, willing to cross any line to achieve her goals, no matter the cost. With each passing day, Patricia's thirst for power grew, consuming her from within like a relentless hunger. She manipulated events and people with calculated precision, leaving a trail of destruction in her wake.
But as she climbed the ladder of success, leaving a path of devastation in her wake, Patricia's grip on reality began to slip. The lines between right and wrong blurred, and she found herself teetering on the edge of madness. Yet, even as the darkness threatened to consume her, Patricia remained determined to claim her rightful place among the elite of Spades. For in a country where power was the ultimate currency and ambition the driving force behind every action, she would stop at nothing to emerge victorious.
As Patricia Rakepick's fame as a war hero grew, so did her influence within the Country of Spades. Leveraging her reputation and military prowess, she capitalized on the dissatisfaction brewing among the people regarding King Coby's laid-back nature and perceived ineffectiveness as a ruler.
With a shrewd understanding of political maneuvering, Patricia exploited Coby's relaxed style of governance as a potent weapon against him. She paid off news reporters to spread gossip about Coby's extravagant spending habits, painting him as out of touch with the needs of the common folk. The whispers of discontent among the council members and the general populace provided fertile ground for Patricia to sow seeds of dissent. As she positioned herself as a strong and decisive leader, contrasting sharply with Coby's perceived weaknesses, she garnered widespread support among the disillusioned masses.
Patricia's promise of swift and decisive action resonated with many, particularly those who longed for a return to old-school traditions and values. Veterans, in particular, rallied behind her banner, viewing her as a champion of stability and order in a time of uncertainty. Under Patricia's leadership, she demanded absolute loyalty from her supporters, particularly from her military forces. Those who dared to question her authority or stray from her path were swiftly dealt with, sent off to the metaphorical "gulag" as a warning to others.
While some embraced Coby’s vision for the future of Spades, others clung stubbornly to the past, resisting change and viewing Coby's carefree demeanor as a sign of weakness. Yet, as the winds of political upheaval swept through the country, it became increasingly clear that the days of Coby's reign were numbered, and the era of Patricia Rakepick's iron-fisted rule was on the horizon.
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