Shadows Of Allegiance (A Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery Fanfic)

Unfolding Elsewhere #4: 'Earning Respect'

The tavern was a place of both solace and torment for her. The girl's beauty, once admired, had now become a curse that subjected her to constant disrespect and lewd advances.

She worked there as a waitress, and was subjected every single day to customers who gambled, gossiped, smoked and drank to their hearts content.

The customer experience was far more lifted, due to this specific waiter. They were harsh and rude to her, and every bit of consciousness left in them were dirty thoughts towards her.

As this particular evening wore on, the raucous laughter and drunken banter filled the air. The girl weaved through the crowded room, carrying trays of drinks and serving plates of food with practiced ease.

The patrons paid little attention to her, their eyes lingering on her appearance rather than acknowledging her as a person.

Among the crowd was a notorious troublemaker known for his predatory behavior towards women. He had set his sights on her, believing her vulnerability made her an easy target. As he approached, his intentions clear, the girl's heart filled with a mix of fear and anger.

"Marcus," a heavy voice barked, "I ain't got time for this bullshit you are getting involved into."

Marcus made his hands project the tallest finger outward, the rest folding into a fist.

The other man sighed and returning to his game. In the process, he mumbled, "Marcus, —", he drew a deep breath, sighed, "Fine. You'll have to pay one day."

"I'm waiting for that one." was the prompt reply.

As the girl dutifully placed a fresh round of drinks, she felt a hand spank her hard. Anger started building up in her, and she found this very new. Her body had not reacted like this. Yet.

She turned and her eyes filled with a mix of fear, frustration and anger, and hands instinctively covering her torso.

She could see Marcus had red eyes and his hands were frantically pulling at her patched apron.

Her hands were the saviour though. The tied strings came loose but the entire apron didn't fall.

Enraged, Marcus came even closer to her. She inched backward and her long legs hit the table.

She realized that the entire room was looking at her. She wanted to plead for help, but she knew there was no saviour. Everyone witnessed this scene everyday. This was routine to them, torment to her. There was no specific law that could be enforced here. High ranking colleagues were bought by this bastards, that she knew.

She felt an unusual energy rushing through her. It was not adrenaline, not any love hormones.

The energy ran across her entire length and in an instant, fear was washed over by hatred, anger and determination to gain the long lost respect for her.

The energy needed an outlet, and her thoughts provided that. She felt seering pain shoot at her temples, and her eyes screwed shut. Her hands clenched into a fist, her nails biting her palm.

She jerked her hands forward, her eyes still closed, when she heard the chattering crowd go silent.

She opened her eyes and Marcus was floating up in the air, upside down, his jaw dropped open and his hands pleading to be free.

She couldn't believe it. She thought it was a dream, until someone from the crowd placed a hand on her in an attempt to stop her. The touch reminded her it was happening, for real.

And then the unthinkable happened: the guy who wanted to stop her also rose in a similar fashion, hung midair, dangling as he recounted his decisions.

Fear spread. Ironic.

People scrambled for the door, but to their dismay it was sealed shut. They banged on the door in despair for they felt frustration, fear and impeding death.

She realized that was her very thought. No one escapes. She felt power. Power.

"Don't."
Her voice echoed through the dusty room.

She knew her newfound courage had made her wild. Mad. She also knew that she didn't care.

At the same time, she realized she didn't know how to get the man down. Her boon – or her curse had left her confused.

(695 words)
(Originally published on Friday, 05/01/2024)

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Hmm...
I actually went a bit far than what I did as an experiment.
I don't know how this would actually work. Do comment on this point.
Enjoy.
Happy New Year, 2024!