Loki's reasoning for setting up all of what he did and revealing the identity of Mr. Error to Walburga wasn't a fluke.
It was all aningless or sothing Loki did purely out of his bond with Walburga.
He had done it to set up his advancent ritual for Sequence 3.
'Well now's not the ti to think about all of that…'
Entering the Great Hall, Loki found its usual end-of-the-year decorations missing. The banners for Gryffindor or Slytherin winning were missing. In their place was a dark black banner covering the tall walls of the hall reminding Loki of his loss.
The asure and tone of the hall were sombre. All the students observed silence. Even the sounds of spoons hitting the plates or goblets being placed on the table were muffled and almost inaudible.
The students from Beauxbatons and Drumstrang were all wearing black robes to add to the atmosphere of mourning that had settled in the hall.
Loki walked over to Astoria who had decided to remain at the castle for the end-of-the-year feast. He gave her a comforting hug before he sat down beside her and tried to lift her mood up by cracking a silly joke.
"Did you know?"
"What?"
"I heard a rumour that all the Hogwarts goblets are made from the students who successfully turned rats into goblets in the end-of-the-year test that Professor McGonagall set up."
But it didn't quite land. The usual cheery Astoria was missing. In her place was one whose eyes had lost their shine and lips that had started to tremble under the weight placed over them.
But Astoria tried…
"Is that why everything I drink out of them tastes so terrible?"
Loki gave her an awkward smile before deciding that it was best for him to not speak anymore.
Astoria was of the sa mind since for the rest of the feast she said nothing to anyone and silently ate her food.
At the end of the feast, Dumbledore stood up from his seat at the head of the table and spoke calmly.
"The year gone by has been one filled with surprises and danger for all of us.-"
"-Yet each of us stands proud here after having bested them with the help of each other.-"
Dumbledore gave a soft pause before looking at Astoria whose eyes were trembling and teary.
"Of course, as you may know, one of us has most unfortunately been left behind…but we must rember, rember their most noble and courageous sacrifices! Their sacrifice is sothing the world will always let live alongside us in our mories of who we thought they were."
Astoria grabbed Loki's hand to stop herself from trembling too much and he gave her hand a warm squeeze to reassure her that she had nothing to worry about.
Dumbledore maintained a soft silence after those words which everyone showed solidarity with by raising their wands lit at the ends with the simple lumos charm.
The hall was silent and comforting.
It gave a much-needed sense of closure to Astoria who had suddenly been torn away from soone that she considered her other half.
But Dumbledore's speech didn't end there.
"To all those who understand the sacrifice that the older generation has made to end the last war, I want to remind all of you that another war is coming towards us.-"
Everyone in the hall looked at Dumbledore with full focus. Even Fred and George who were generally cheery looked at him with furrowed brows.
Being the centre of attention wasn't sothing new to Dumbledore however and so he calmly continued to speak as if he was talking about his breakfast and lunch.
There was much less severity to his voice which made Loki wonder if it was intentional or if he was just so used to wars that he didn't take it as seriously as he probably would've liked to anymore.
"-And in this coming war, I hope that each one of you will give your full support to everyone who stands ahead of you, protecting your freedom to live, protecting your freedom to love. I hope you always rember that those giving their lives to protect yours are sacrificing much of their own."
The words sent ripples across the hall, especially since Loki easily noticed that Dumbledore had ssed with the Collective Sea of Subconscious to plant a subconscious hint in everyone's body at once. A hint that would make them subconsciously want them to support him.
Seeing this Loki's hair stood on end.
Not in fear or even awe of Dumbledore's abilities.
But since, it clearly indicated that Dumbledore was afraid of losing support. So much so that he clearly wanted to morph the views of innocent children into helping him.
Loki almost frowned when he realised this, but he held it in sohow since this wasn't the place to be discussing such things.
'Things are going to get troubleso…'
'Much more than I imagined…'
'My prediction wasn't too wrong after all.'
'But why is 'Adam' 'afraid' of losing support?'
Loki frowned for a few seconds since he knew that Dumbledore wasn't really scared of anything, especially not of so random fools sitting in the ministry.
But he didn't have to think for long since his mind spat back several answers faster than he could think casually.
'The Black Emperor pathway…they're taking sides and supporting Voldemort?'
'No…if that was the case the people inside the ministry would rebel and 'Adam' would've been more explicit with his claims against them.'
''Adam' is trying to push them into a corner? But why?'
'Because of the Nobles? Because most of the nobles support Blady-Voldey under the status of normalcy? He wants to rat them all out and find a reason to get rid of them by making everyone else rebel against them since he can't do it himself as the 'White Lord'?'
'I see…so 'Adam's' going for a rebelling the for the next chapter of his book? He wants Harry to beco a rebel?'
'....sothing big is going to happen next year.'
Loki shook his head and kept his thoughts at bay, not wanting to let 'Adam' know that he'd realised his intentions.
After packing his luggage, Loki walked back to his silent compartnt on the train beside the prefects' compartnt with no one disturbing him during his return.
Though it might've had a little sothing to do with Loki planting a subconscious thought around himself to make people who arrived there to walk away when they ca near him.
Loki stared blankly at the sky as he thought about everything that had happened this year.
'This has been the busiest year…'
'It feels like such a long ti has passed.'
'I almost feel older than fourteen.'
Loki laughed at himself for a while before focusing on his current issue.
'I need to get Laura's husband back from the Abyss…'
'That ans I'm going to be sending a puppet in there this year…'
'Hopefully 'She' doesn't realise.'
'That would be the best case scenario…but I can't depend on that.'
'I need to have a weapon prepared just in case so 'She' can't pull off so bullshit against even though I'm just sending in an alchemical puppet.'
Loki then opened his palm and looked at the ring he'd taken from the spirit that was parasitising the Black Family.
'I need to absorb the Beyonder Characteristics in this thing too…'
'So that I can make stronger Avatars when I get to Sequence 2.'
'I need a way to gather several Beyonder Characteristics of the Error Pathway too…'
'If I want to be independent and make my own believers, I need several Avatars of my own.'
'...difficult.'
But then Loki smiled when his thoughts reached there.
'I'm starting to enjoy it a little I think…all this Beyonder stuff…it's making tingle like back when I read the book.'
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