Orphan

My name is Natasha Romanovich I'm an orphan.

I stood in front of a red colored train heading for Hogwarts as a first year with my twin brother Nathaniel. This is our first mission after graduating from the orphanage. Me, my brother, along with some of my fellow orphans taken in by the master had to enter Hogwarts, thus we currently have to pretend to not know each other and avoid messing up our faked identities. I have to give it my all and be useful to the master to repay for everything he's given to me and my friends.

The master is very powerful and is most capable. He fed thousands upon thousands of children every day. Grow children into adults within five to seven years. Gave us names and numbers. He is even able give us memories about many things such as magic and hand to hand combat.

He also trained us to sharpen the skills from those memories preparing us for the road up ahead when we have to do our jobs which is mainly on observing people, planting observation wards, making rumours, finding things, looking for hidden places, and many sneaky stuff that sometimes involve violence to retain the secretive nature of our job. He always warns everyone that our job is very dangerous and asks us to always be careful. He is such a caring man. I wish to be the same as the master. We go through it all for the master and the household.

The master made sure no children will ever have to beg, starve, or feel the cold by welcoming us into his family. That is why everyone loves and respect the master very much. I don't really know the master's plan but I know that some of my friends are placed somewhere else to do their own assignments.

"Make the master proud."

It was my overseer named Karl who pat my back to encourage me for this mission. Karl is now tall with beautiful face and golden hair and eyes, his long ears hidden by his enchanted golden earrings, he is wearing a luxurious looking black suit. Which makes the unaware females blush as they steal glances at him which makes me smile even more. He didn't initially look like that. He was as tall as a five year old child when I was taken in. Long nose, wide pointy ears, and wrinkly bald skin, now he looks like some pretty boy main character from the movies my master allowed us to watch.

I'm one of the first batches to be deployed and the master spared nothing to support our mission's success even going so far as to sending one of his precious elves to oversee us. My master loved his first creations very much I can only do my best to be worthy of master's love and trust.

.........

Golie the elf POV

My name is Golie. A high elf with golden hair and golden eyes. The first of my kind. Head Guardian of the Krum household.

I am most grateful for the opportunity given to me by fate in coming to the service of the young master. I have watched him grow and have followed him for the longest time.

I can say that the master is indeed cold, detached, and ruthless, but that is aimed towards his enemies. In fact, the master never really killed without purpose or harmed others for no reason at all. He would even sometimes help those who he deem worthy of his help succeed in life.

The master will go to all lengths for his people.

After studying us for quite a long time, the master found us to be under some sort of genetic curse that makes us look more like goblins than the beautiful elves of old, it sealed most of our magic abilities and made us reliant on leeching from the magic of human wizards sealing our fates to becoming their slaves.

The young master assumed that the curse was most probably written in our gene by the powerful ancient wizards and was made to be inherited by the future generations of elves for them to suffer the fate of their ancestors. As generations upon generations began to replace each other, the knowledge of such enslavement slowly vanished in history as no one would pay attention to an already defeated slave race making it a secret unknown to many.

It took the master quite a long time to make a counter curse even with the help of the thing he calls 'virtual intelligence'. He says it is perfectly normal for he can't be careless about it as a simple mistake will be very fatal to the survival of our specie. Well, the master succeeded once and again in releasing us from the ropes of slavery from our defeated ancestors, and here we are, freed at last.

Why do we believe every single thing the master says?

It's because the master is ALWAYS right.

No one will ever again look down on us elves.

Although most of the elves are now sworn to the Krum name, there are still brothers and sisters out there being mistreated and enslaved by their masters. It has been my sworn duty to free them and lead them to our one true lord, the young master of the Krum household, Viktor Draconov Krum.

...........

"Sit down Viktor. Do you want some tea?"

Professor Edward led Viktor to a chair and sat on one in the opposite side.

"Yes please..... Thank you professor."

A hot pot of tea appeared and poured a cup full of tea which floated in front of Viktor.

"Ahhh nonononono I'd be more comfortable if you called me Ed instead. I have considered your situation and decided to ask you to help me create something of importance. But this task will require more than transfiguration and I need see what you know about Alchemy before we proceed."

Edward's eyes looked straight to Viktor's without flinching as if studying a rare specimen under a microscope with maximum attention.

"Alright professor Ed. What level would you like me to be in?"

"Creating artificial souls."

"Hahahahahaha surely you jest. How can an eleven year old child such as myself dub in such a dangerous and forbidden area of research such as the soul? Irregardless of that, what would you want to make if I ever did have the skill set you ask for?"

Viktor was expressionless like a marble figurehead as he gave his stance. He is indeed at that level in Alchemy, but no one needs to know about it when there's no benifits to be gained involved.

"Stop pretending already. You are definitely eleven years old in body, but your mind is something else. An eleven years old wouldn't be capable of threatening me with their eyes alone. Do you know what the philosopher stone is?"

Edward barked impatiently while smiling. (ironic? Idk how to put it)

"Hahaha please forgive me for that, and thank you for pointing it out. I rarely get to talk to people who aren't my people if you know what I mean, so my practice is very little. To answer your question, yes I do indeed know about it, but why would I waste my time on such a defective product as that stone?"

"So you do know something. As you may already know, the Flammels didn't really create a philosopher's stone but something else inferior that the ancient records called 'blood stone' through a dark ritual that requires lots of magical and muggle sacrifice."

"You mean to create the perfect and true philosopher's stone? You do know that this will cost millions of lives at the very least correct? The whole Sahara wasn't even enough to make a philosopher's stone the size of a teardrop and you want a complete one. You are a greedy man Mr. Alrick. Greedy and dangerous. Just the way I like it. So what do you propose?"

"We will have to make an unbreakable vow before we proceed further. Are you willing?"

Asked the golden haired professor.

"Sure. I'm already here anyway. Might as well."

Came Viktor's immediate and almost nonchalant reply.

"I, Edward Alrick. Solemnly swear that I will keep what I learn in this meeting as secret and to not antagonise or betray the trust of my partner Viktor Krum. Let my betrayal shred my heart to thousands of pieces. Effective immediately after the other party recites their own oath."

"I, Viktor Draconov Krum, first to my name, Master of House Krum, hereby takes the oath of confidentiality imposed upon by Edward Alrick. Let my betrayal shred my heart to thousands of pieces."

A thread of magic was born from their oath and gripped their hearts a small tug makes both of them feel a squeeze reminded both parties to take their oaths seriously.

"I have a way to make the required sacrifice without affecting the realm and thus avoiding its wrath, I can't do it alone though as I am in dire need of many things and the time is drawing near."

"Wait, let me first be clear. What will I get from helping you out in your little quest?"

"The amount of sacrifice will be enough to make at least two pieces of philosopher's stone, one of those will belong to you and one for me. If more than two are produced then we can just split it evenly, somehow, but the chances of this happening is highly unlikely."

"Alright. The plan."

"I have discovered a secret passage to an ancient world ruin filled to the brim with evil spirits. I need an artificial evil soul to blend in and infiltrate. I need funds to support the whole project, and lastly, I need a failsafe just in case it fails like my previous attempt."

"So you have tried it before huh you are older than you look Mr. Professor. How long do we have before the realm reopens?"

"Five years. We only have five years and a window of three months to complete the whole process or the realm closes once more and traps us inside of we take too long. I have already calculated and we should have time to spare if things work out as it should, but there are countermeasures taken in the event that things don't go according to plan."

"The things you want. I can provide. But I can't just shake your hand and seal the deal. I'll need proper details about this project of yours. I will see you again tomorrow at this hour. Maybe a little late as I have prior arrangements. Good night to you Professor Ed."

Viktor calmly stated, stood up from his seat and said his goodbye to the dazed midget.

'An artificial evil soul isn't easy to make, he says he has it now? It took me what? Ten years to make the one I used before only to end in failure. Such a shame. I lost my whole inheritance due to that. Shame, I was just about to ask him to provide the artificial soul but he beat me to it and claimed the whole list of requirements. Oh well, I guess this does makes things simpler and much more convenient. I hope he has enough money though.'

When he came out of his stupor, Viktor was already gone, once again puzzling him.