Chapter 16
Crowley nodded understanding. “Ah... I believe, I understand the situation. You are resistant to the idea of apologizing, but unable to devise any other method to get the housewarden to remove the collar.”
“Yeah, pretty much” Ace said.
“I see. If you and the housewarden are truly unable to reconcile, you could always transfer. However, this is the dorm that the Dark Mirror chose for you based on the essence of your being. Any attempt to relocate would necessitate quite a burdensome process, as well as a new ritual.” Crowley said.
Funny, you can change houses in this school ? Hogwarts doesn’t have that. It’s nice to see something different once in a while. Roxana thought.
“A transfer, huh...? That'd make me feel like I was running away with my tail between my legs.” Ace frowned.
Crowley looked at him. “Hmm. Then it sounds like you should challenge Mr. Rosehearts for leadership of the dorm.”
Deuce, Grim, and Ace eyes grew out of their socket. “WHAAAAAT?!”
“Lower your voices! This is a library!” Crowley screamed/whispered at them.
Ace looked at him like he grew another head. “But what you said was...insane!”
Crowley deadpanned. “There is nothing remotely "insane" about it. After all, that's how Mr. Rosehearts got the position.”
“What exactly is the process by which housewardens are selected at Night Raven College?” Deuce asked.
Grim turned to look at Deuce. “Trey, said that Riddle became housewarden within his first week as a student here.”
Crowley nodded at that. “There are several ways. You could be appointed by the previous housewarden, for example, or duel the current warden and win. A duel is certainly one of the simpler methods.”
Ace looked a bit confused before he asked the question. “But isn't fighting with magic against the rules?”
“In general, yes. A duel initiated through a formal procedure and conducted in the presence of the headmage is another matter entirely.” Crowley explained.
Trey turned to Ace. “I'm pretty sure the duel rules don't allow for preemptively handicapping your opponent...So this could be a way to force Riddle to remove your collar without apologizing. That said...”
“The right to challenge a housewarden is bestowed upon all students when enrolling at Night Raven. So what do you say, Mr. Trappola? Will you challenge Mr. Rosehearts?” Crowley smiled.
Ace shrugged. “Sure, I'll give it a shot!”
“Then I will too.” Deuce said with determination.
“Me three!” Grim said.
Roxana grabbed him by his ribbon. “No you are not, you do not belong to Heartslabyul, you belong to Slytherin, in other words Stay. Out. Of things that are not your business and I mean it when I say to stay out of it”
“You didn’t have to say it twice…” Grim ears flattened on his head.
Crowley nodded at what Roxana said. “I'm afraid that Roxana is right. You cannot challenge a housewarden of a dorm to which you do not belong. Especially now that … Slytherin will become an official dorm ahem”
Crowley was never going to tell anyone that Roxana paid a good amount of money for that to happen, he will keep that to himself, yep, yep. -Even tho the money came from suspicious place, but money is money, and he will ignore the sus part-
Roxana just smiled at that.
And the others decided not to ask because although they were curious it was not in their right to ask the headmaster about this.
Trey looked worried. “Are you sure about this? I certainly didn't expect you to throw your hat in the ring, Deuce.”
Deuce looked at him. “You didn't? I think every man's gotta make a grab for glory at least once in his lifetime. And if we're teaming up to take him down, ya better believe I'm running the show!”
“Oh man, here we go again.” Ace sighed.
Deuce frowned at him. “Huh? What'd you say?”
Crowley smiled. “Then I'll get started on the paperwork !”
“Hmm. Hard to imagine we can beat Riddle with straightforward magic. A solid left hook, on the other hand...” Deuce didn’t finish his sentence, but it was obvious what he was going to say.
Grim nodded. “Yeah, that guy looks like a pushover!”
Roxana smiled. “Magicians are useless without their magic if they don’t train their bodies, and Riddle doesn’t look like the type who trains his muscles, but oh~ this is a mage versus mage, it’s going to be a magical duel”
Crowley hit his fist on the palm of his hand like he remembered something. “Ah ! I forget to mention that detail ! These duels are to be fought solely with magic. Like she said”
Deuce was taken aback by that “What?!”
“Hahaha! Nothing beats a good, civilized duel!” Crowley smiled. “Now, the paperwork should be prepared and filed on the morrow, and the duel scheduled accordingly.”
“Alright, let's do this! I may not be the world's greatest mage, but...I'll figure something out!” Ace said.
Deuce smiled. “That's the spirit!”
“Don't mess this up!” Grim shouted at them.
Trey did not look too confident about this. “You guys...”
Ace grinned. “When I'm housewarden, I'm gonna make Riddle fess up to being' wrong. I'll make him apologize, too! And no one in the dorm is gonna have to live by any crazy rules ever again!”
Roxana shook her head, Crowley noticed this and turned to look at her.
“You don't believe in them” Crowley said.
“Nor do you, both you and I know what Riddle is capable off, he will take off that collar and put it back on the moment he gets the green light without them even throwing the first spell” Roxana said.
“And why didn’t you tell them that ? You are waiting for them to fail, didn’t take you for being the fake friend” Crowley said.
“Fake friend ? You misunderstood my relationship with those two, they are nothing but entertainment to me, I find their stupidity amusing, and besides, I want to watch people struggle while climbing the hills only for them to repeatedly trip and fall into the pit of failures” Roxana gave a small sadistic smirk. “It hilarious”
“You are sadistic” Crowley said, his laid back, and calm personality nowhere in sight, just an emotionless look on his face.
“Don’t act like you are not like me, because you yourself wouldn’t care if someone of your students died unless they affect the school reputation” Roxana said before she walked away leaving Crowley alone in the library.
Crowley gave a small chuckle to himself. “Interesting”