The Last Hunter
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Legacy of Evil: En Pointe
🕑 Added 2024-04-11 01:53:42 +0000 UTCThe first week together was a slow one.
Natya didn't know me, nor did she know what to think of me. All she knew was that 'Anton' was a friend of her brother, who worked in a rather gray and violent area of the law per se. So, for the first week, I simply familiarized myself with the area. I cleaned her house when she was at work, I took out her trash, I de-gnomed her garden area and got to know her neighborhood, a glimpse of life for the wizarding world in this era.
Aside from the magic, things were more or less much the same as their nomaj neighbors. Luxuries were disregarded, a sense of shame driven into those who seemed to have more. This was incredibly pointed, the day I first went grocery shopping and bought ham, a sack of potatoes and salt and pepper-ordinary supplies back home, that were far more cherished here as accusing eyes followed me from the neighbors.
Owls were as much family pets as they were messengers, cared for through several generations. The same for wands, more akin to heirlooms as I found out the reason why.
I had alluded in my memoirs the mention of Stalin purging the magicals. It had been a violent surprise for them, as time had long since passed the era of burning people at the stake and wild guesses. Technology had marched on and the advent of WWII had only increased it; bombs that cared nothing for illusion spells, radio waves that enabled on-the-spot communication, weapons of mass destruction that could fling iron in the blink of an eye-all done by a man, who saw magic and was determined his people would not be controlled by it, not in his vision of Russia.
I had always thought the story was strange myself. Stalin if anything, had magical aide but whether it was the Thule Society or something else, it was currently beyond my knowledge. All that was pertinent to me now, was the effect it had on people. Russian wizards and witches were incredibly paranoid, and any new person was liable to be an agent, a killer, someone to band against.
So, it wasn't long before someone sicced the Ministry of Russia's aurors on me, blowing the whistle... Just as I had been hoping for.
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It was in the middle of the second week, and I was indulging in a promise to myself as I used my wand and adjusted my clothing. I made it neater, fancier and cleaner. My beard was trimmed and scented, a small white rose placed itself in my lapel and I looked like a Westerner yes, but a Westerner with money to burn which I find, forgives most sins even here. It suited me at least, as I flashed a ticket and entered-cane in hand with a basilisk head carved in black obsidian, with ruby-inlaid eyes. My own work, partially out of grim amusement.
What can I say, Jason Issac really made that cane work for him and a small part of me growing up, had wanted one like it too.
At any rate, tonight was one of partial rest and relaxation as I stared out at the visage of the Bolshoi Theatre, one of Moscow's national treasures in my mind.
Consumed by fire multiple times, damaged by a bomb in WWII, the theater stood not only as a monument to the arts, but also, I liked to think to the tenacity of the human spirit. We were stubborn that way and glancing at my ticket, I made my way to my private box.
It was crowded tonight, Moscow's elite-Nomaj and wizard, both united by their love of the stage, the intrigue that came with it or some other reason, take your pick. I myself, was just happy to take a small holiday as I found myself in my seat. A program was set down for my perusal and as I read it, a house elf popped into being as he bowed and squeaked in Russian.
"Will sir be wanting any snacks or drinks tonight?"
"Lemon water and some garlic bread for now." I replied idly, the house elf bowing and vanishing. My eyes flicked to the stage, as I hummed to myself. I waited and waited, and then as the lights dimmed and the opening to the show began?
The door to my box opened, as I sat calmly and a few moments later someone took a seat beside me. A gorgeous looking woman, dressed in a white dress and a mink coat as she glanced at me. Her hair was done up tastefully, she wore little makeup but she was striking to behold. My eyes flicked to her silver pin she wore on her shoulder-that of a bear, rearing upwards and my eyes flicked to her own. As I felt the familiar touch of Legilimency, I spoke aloud if courteously.
"Madame. We have just met; do not sour first meetings with such a crude manner, its rude."
The sensation stopped and she raised an eyebrow as she spoke in her husky accent.
"You have a disciplined mind, Tom Riddle. Few can boast of sensing my attempts."
"I am not most men." I replied back, comfortable as my snacks arrived and I casually checked both for any sort of poison or potion before chuckling as my result came back positive. One bite or sip and I'd be asleep, as I added lazily.
"A waste of good refreshments as well. Are you trying to insult me?"
She chuckled aloud, looking back at the stage as she spoke. "Oh no Mr. Riddle. But the attempt had to be made." Her voice became harder, more used to command as she called out over her shoulder.
"Leave us."
The bodyguards she brought obeyed, leaving the box as they closed the door behind them and as they did, she asked.
"Do you know who I am?"
In response, I shook my head as I said simply. "I know you're a witch of some power. I saw you in the background of a newspaper, as your minister shook hands with Krushchev. Beyond that, you've ties to the Russian Ministry and I'm willing to bet, many of the old families as well. But the true key is that pin." I nodded to her as I added.
"Koldovstoretz. Russia's school of magic. Which makes you either a headmistress or deputy headmistress. Though what someone like you is doing, with an auror escort is beyond me."
She nodded once. "Clever as the old bat said. You are right. I am the Headmistress of Koldovstoretz school of witchcraft and wizardry. I am also a patriot, a traitor, a pureblood, an enemy or a friend. I am all of these things; I could be none of them at all."
She took out one of those old cigarette holders, about to light up with her wand and I snapped my fingers, producing a flame and she paused, her eyes flicking to mine at the display of wandless magic before she puffed, and the scent of the smoke filled our box before she introduced herself.
"I am Louhi. And I know who you are very well, Mr. Tom Marvelo Riddle."
The dancers spun on stage, but I paid no attention to them as I blinked and spoke. "You were one of Dumbledores friends. Alongside others, during the war."
She nodded, puffing away in an elegant matter as a house elf produced an ash tray and vanished. Finally, she spoke.
"I am. We keep up correspondence, as best we can. For our respective ministries sake as much as anything else. Today, I am merely an old woman, seeking out a friends golden protégé from that awfully named school of his. Tomorrow? I might be someone else."
I held back a sigh. Politics. I drew on all of Tom's charm and wit, as I said simply. "We're all someone different, at the end of the day. Changing, always learning, never the same as we were before." Her response was to snort as she tapped the ashes into the tray.
"With words like that, I can well believe you did learn from Dumbledore. Why have you come to Russia?"
I shrug once and speak lightly, as the music rises in a crescendo down below. "A friend of mine is under a dangerous curse. I was hoping to find records, spells, things of that nature to aid my research."
For a moment, my vision blurred, and I rubbed my eye discreetly as she laughed quietly. "Noble. Far nobler than I expected from one of your reputations. Unfortunately, you will find nothing of the sort here. Stalin during his reign, made sure to burn as much information as he could. Guided by the one who supported his aims and ensured he was protected from magical means. It was the war you see." She added conversationally as she continued to smoke.
"His supporter saw what magic could do to the world, the arrogance of her kind over the nomaj. There's always so much more of them, than there are of us. And they're increasing every day, far more than wizardkind."
"Is that so bad?" I asked as I added. "We're all of us human. Do we not bleed as they do, feel as they do? What does the ability to flick a stick have to do, with the innate nobility everyone has the chance to ascend to? This theater for example." I gestured all around as I added. "Made by nomaj, without magic."
Her expression didn't change. But there was a brief sensation of sorrow, as she seemed to look at me, before she finally breathed out. "You really think that." I blinked and my vision swam again, as alarm bells rang in my head. I focused harder and this time, I felt the quiet probe against my mind as my eyes flicked to the cigarette I had lit for her. Fury rose in me, and before I could draw my wand I was hit with a non-verbal full body bind. Louhi sighed, put out her smoke and spoke soberly.
"Your cause is just. But you do not know the powers you will unlock, with your meddling. For the first time in ages, Russia-both the magical and mundane is healing. And I cannot brook a wildcard such as you, to ruin it. For what it is worth?" She turned to me, kissed my forehead and murmured aloud.
"You might have had the potential to become something truly great. You just had the misfortune to be born in this era. Goodbye, Mr. Riddle." She took the wand from my holster within my coat, snapping it in half as she turned to leave. As the doors opened, I heard her call out idly.
"Take him with my compliments."
My rage grew to incandescent levels. My finger twitched.
And the spell washed off as I rose up, to the shock of the people in the doorway as I turned to face them. Louhi was standing with four other wizards, also dressed for the ballet as I took up the lemon water and flicked my hand.
My wand appeared in a flash, to the horror of Louhi as I said quietly.
"Let's make this as quiet as we can. Its only polite."
Five spells came flying my way, repelled by my shield charm as I angled it to bounce them back. One of the suited wizards fall to a stunner, Louhi waved her wand as she prepared to counter.
I flung the lemon water, waved my wand and converted it into a mist as I swirled it around them. I felt a grim sense of satisfaction as hacking coughs and the thud of bodies were heard. As I dispelled the mist, I would almost get a bolt to my face for the trouble as Louhi, with a bubble head charm over her head blasted me as I countered and we moved our duel to the hallway, the door closing behind me.
For a moment we paused, looking at each other before I flicked my wand up in a duelist salute, my voice a sardonic drawl as I bowed from the waist.
"Headmistress. There is still time to walk away."
She laughed, a little on edge as she spoke. "I'm afraid I cannot do that." And then she said the words that shocked me, as she raised her wand in a duelist salute back and spoke grimly.
"Dumbledore may be fooled. But to prevent the rise of a monster such as Voldemort, I will fight to the bitter end."
Shock filled me as I spoke. "Wait, what-?!"
By that time however, I was fighting to defend myself, keep the duel in the hallway and all to the crescendo sounds of the ballet I was missing out. Right. That was it.
No more holidays for me, for a while.
