A Hogwarts Love Story

Chapter 9 : Bloodline of Slytherin

Jisoo woke with a sharp gasp, her breath ragged and uneven as she bolted upright in the darkness of the Chamber of Secrets. The air around her felt different—thick, almost heavy, as if the very atmosphere was laden with the power she had just invoked. She winced, feeling a deep ache in her chest, as though the magic had ripped something vital from her.

Her body was trembling, covered in a cold sweat, the intense sensation of the ritual still pulsing through her veins. For a moment, she just sat there in the dim light, trying to steady herself, her mind reeling from the aftermath of the ancient magic she had unleashed.

Salazar Slytherin's voice echoed through the chamber before he even appeared. His presence was always imposing, but today, it felt more distant, as though his very essence were watching her from the shadows.

"You've done it, Jisoo," he said, his voice calm but laced with an underlying intensity. "The magic has been bound to you. The contract has been broken. The path is now open. All you need to do is beat Chaeyoung in a duel physically and you will be free."

Jisoo felt a rush of relief and exhaustion flood through her at his words. She had done it. She had used the Serpent's Pact, and it had worked. The contract that had bound her to Chaeyoung was gone, shattered by her own hand, and the shackles of her family's legacy had loosened.

But before she could fully revel in her success, Salazar's tone shifted, his next words cutting through the moment like a cold knife.

"However," he continued, stepping closer, his eyes narrowing slightly, "there are... consequences."

Jisoo frowned, a sharp pain coursing through her as she tried to stand. Her legs felt weak beneath her, and she stumbled, catching herself against one of the stone walls of the chamber. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

Salazar regarded her with a mixture of sternness and something close to pity. "Your magic is now more than it was before. It is ancient, bound to the bloodline of Slytherin. But this power... it demands more from you than you may have realized. Your wand no longer accepts you, Jisoo."

Her eyes widened, her hand instinctively reaching for the wand that had been with her since her first year at Hogwarts. She drew it out, but the familiar warmth she once felt when it was in her hand was gone. The wand felt foreign, cold, as if it were rejecting her touch.

"No... it can't be," she whispered, panic rising in her chest. This was her wand, her connection to the magic she had known for years. How could it refuse her now?

Salazar's gaze was unreadable. "The magic you've invoked transcends the bonds you once shared with your wand. You will need a new one. A wand that can channel this ancient power, one that aligns with your bloodline and your newfound magic."

Jisoo's mind was reeling, the weight of her decision crashing down on her. She had broken the marriage contract, yes, but in doing so, she had severed something far deeper—her connection to everything she had known before. Now, she was forced to start over, and the path ahead felt uncertain, even more dangerous than before.

Salazar spoke again, his voice quiet but firm. "You will need to go to Ollivanders. Only there will you find the wand that can wield the magic that now runs through you."

Jisoo nodded, her expression determined, even as her heart thudded in her chest. "I'll do whatever it takes."

The night was cold, and the air around Jisoo felt charged with something she couldn't quite place. Her heart raced in anticipation, but there was a knot of unease in her chest. Her old wand—her trusted companion since the beginning of her magical education—no longer accepted her. It had rejected her, a sharp and undeniable coldness that had rippled through her every time she tried to wield it.