the seven devils [completed]

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖊𝖓

Hello! My first author note! First of all, thank you so much for reading my book, commenting, and voting. No matter of how you have supported it, just know it encourages me to write and I appreciate it a lot.

Secondly, someone has taken the time to make a trailer for this story, and I have to say it is perfect! They even predicted some scenes that I have written in future chapters, which I found funny. Please watch it, it is quite amazing!

I am quite excited for how the plot will continue from this chapter, as tension starts bubbling and secrets get exposed, so if you have found the last few chapters dull, just know I have a lot up my sleeve. Also, every creature or story that is part of this book belongs to Eastern European folklore, and it is insane how much is tied to Hogwarts.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER TEN

Varya smiled as she watched Alphard Black send a string of ornamental spiders towards his girlfriend, Ivy Trouche, as they helped decorate the Great Hall for the upcoming Halloween feast. The sandy-haired girl screamed, thrashing around with her hands as to get them off, then threw her boyfriend a scowl she did not quite mean.

"Merlin, you are so noisy," came the cry of Elladora Selwyn, her flaming hair covering her annoyed grimace as she brought in a box full of golden candles. She set it on the Slytherin table, then flicked her wand, making them soar above their heads. They floated like grandiose birds, white and bright in their calming nature, and the castle's ghosts slithered around them hauntingly.

"Are you bitter, Selwyn?" teased Black, before his girlfriend could let out a few colorful words.

"Of course, the one boy she has been interested in does not acknowledge her," answered Ivy, a scoff leaving her lips. Elladora narrowed her eyes, a silent warning towards the Slytherin prefect.

"You fancy someone, Ella?" asked Varya, stunned at the information. She had never seen the girl as much as glance towards any of their classmates. Elladora turned to her, a forced smile on her face.

"Do not listen to Ivy, my dear, she has been drinking too much butterbeer at Hogsmeade," she said politely, eyes widened in faux concern, "You were greatly missed on the trip, by the way. I hope you will join us next time."

Varya sat on the table, dangling her feet over the edge as she swung her wand around, arranging pumpkins in the alcoves of the room. She hummed silently, knowing well that she would probably not be attending any of their short escapades. It seemed futile in the grand scheme of things, for she had not been sent to Hogwarts to chatter with the students. The girl was on a mission—she had one goal in mind, and that was to obey Dumbledore's instructions. And even though she discerned that there was no harm in fraternizing with her classmates, Petrov knew that it was more of a hassle than anything. She had always been rather secluded, her time at Scholomance having her focus on her sorcery and her curriculum more than anything, and that made her rather awkward when it came to socialization.

"Ah, Icarus would not stop with the saddened eyes," Alphard snickered, his eyebrows turning in mock distress. "Oh, will my dear Varya be lonely in that gloomy, freezing castle?"

Ivy laughed, playing along while making her voice an octave deeper, seemingly to imitate the Lestrange descendant, "Should I buy her this trinket? Would she relish it?".

Varya rolled her eyes at their dramaticism, knowing very well that Icarus was not the character that would spend his day agonizing over a girl. Although she had noticed his attention, she could not picture the prankster ever having any profound sentiment.