Eat Me CH16

I turned a page in my potions text when a change in scenery distracted me. The 10th and final juvenile school appeared out the window as we turned down a bumpy, poorly kept road. Grey walls and barred windows framed the place as what it was, a placeholder for prison. Once the children here were of age, they would undoubtedly become lost within the penal system. So what I planned to do to them was not only mercy but a gift. Though this was my 10thcorrectional facility today, I’ve been to many over the year.

“Welcome home, Mr. Potter.” Severus Snape said in his tired drawl.

“Says the member of a revolutionary army. Keep to the plan; this is the last one today.” I said.

“You should be focusing on your studies rather than manipulating muggles, Mr. Potter. Your strides through years of curriculum have proven your dedication. But don’t mistake that for intelligence. I can’t see a future where this doesn’t blow up in your face.” Severus said.

“This is for their own good,” I said.

“Forcing them to make something of themselves even if they believe it's by their own choice is tyranny. Your father would be proud he enjoyed beating lesser wizards into compliance in school. He was such a good boy the phoenixes often let him choose their next victims.” Severus said.

“They are here because society doesn’t want them, but I do. With just a little adjusting, they can be useful to society and bring humanity forward.” I said.

“Everything has a cost with this sort of thing. What will they pay for their new dedication?” Severus asked.

We approached the guard, and he waved us through already under the thrall of phoenix song. I swept through the kids and altered their terminal goals. I took their hardwired need to reproduce and propagate from each of them. They would have a maddening urge to become doctors, bioengineers, and researchers in exchange. After doing this for a couple days a week, I began to affect a large-scale change. While they would each gain a passion for a field of study beyond what any normal person could feel, I took away their biological need for sex. All of them would be forever different.

“I’m done check them for any permanent brain damage,” I said.

The black-cloaked wizard grumbled before he used legilimency to inspect my work. “Your touch has become less of a battering realm and more of a warhammer. Their minds won’t turn to mush like yours.” Severus said.

Nimrod drove us back home. “I expect 11inches of parchment on the dangers of untrained legilimency has on muggle minds. I’m sure you have many anecdotes on the subject.” Severus said before leaving for his room.

It had been 6 months since my deal with Tom. Shortly after the immortal left, Severus Snape became my tutor. Besides his hate for my father and me, he didn’t have much to say outside of lessons. The only reason I had him start checking my work was the stream of unexpected strokes simultaneously. I might have written it off if not for the child porn found in the deceased’s homes. But, as it turns out, it’s a good thing; I practiced on them first. My original attempts had been a little too hard on their minds.

I sat down on the couch, and Cinder quickly hopped into my lap. “Are you excited it's going to be on soon?” Cinder said.

She turned the channel, and another news broadcast announced my new company Phoenix Down. Besides the on the nose final fantasy reference, it was cancer research and a pharmaceutical firm. We also sell cancer-preventing vitamins that are really over the counter with watered-down phoenix tears added to their production.

After six months of hypnotizing members of the house of commons into passing along a few cancer research grants our way, we had the funds to really get started. Once again, we abused hypnosis to steal the best and brightest from other firms and help wiggle real geniuses out of their contracts. Muggles really had few defenses from magical business espionage. Then, of course, there were a few companies with anti-flaming wards. My flock of phoenixes avoided those as best they could.

“I can’t believe it's actually happening. We have a chance to change things for the better.” Cinder said.

“Now, if only I could get done with my magical studies so I can work on something actually important,” I growled.

“Hey, you said you had fun learning. Most wizards see school as the best part of life.” Cinder said.

I wondered if that was just idealizing the past with member berries or if phoenix song made a wizard’s school years feel ideal. Being high for years must feel great.

“My workshop only became comfortable a month ago,” I muttered.

“How is your project coming along that flying thingy?” Cinder said.

“The orbital drone is going as well as can be expected with only so many wizards assisting me. I need Astrophysicists; unfortunately, they will be in short supply compared to the numbers I need for a few years. It’s a very niche concept and hard to implement. Hopefully, in a few years, I will be ready to harvest this crop I planted today.” I said.

“You aren’t going to steal their memories, are you?” Cinder asked.

“No, I’m just going to introduce magic to them and make use of their talents. Even with mind control, I want to be as above board as possible.” I said.

“You’re walking a fine line between savior and monster. On the one hand, you want to stop a war and open new worlds to everyone. But on the other, you wouldn’t mind using another alien race as a devil if it smooths the road forward.” Cinder said.

“I could be wrong, and the hate may cool with distance and new lands to settle. Time and distance might not cure all wounds, but they can help. Let’s say we thread the needle and discover an alternative to wizard brains and open mars to colonize simultaneously. Do you think a planet’s worth of free land is enough for people to forget about revenge?” I asked.

Jim walked into the room. “Would you forgive them if you woke and found out your life was a lie? If you learned you were food for a predator you thought was your friend, what would you do?” Jim asked.

“I would kill until I felt better, then kill some more for good measure,” I said.

“Like always, we are completely different,” Jim said.