Chapter 148: Grace
Tamara's hand froze in midair.
At this critical moment, with Dumbledore having just left and the situation still unclear, if she suddenly burst into tears and hugged Ginny in the Great Hall, the image she had painstakingly crafted would be completely ruined.
"You despicable... piece of trash."
Tamara let out a desperate roar in her heart.
"Can't you see? This isn't a blessing at all! This is harassment! This is coercion!"
"She is trying to force a huge piece of greasy rubbish down my throat! In any civilised society, this should be considered assault!"
However, the System's mechanical electronic voice echoed in her mind with righteous confidence, carrying an impeccable logical loop.
[Logical self consistency check in progress... Check passed.]
[Host, please note that this System's judgment logic is entirely based on your previous behavioural patterns.]
[Reviewing historical data: In previous interactions, you successfully explained your sarcasm, mental suppression, and disregard toward Miss Weasley as tough love, strict teaching to strengthen her heart, and frustration education to cultivate independence.]
[The System has fully adopted this logic.]
[Therefore, according to the principle of reciprocity in emotional interaction:]
[Since you are playing the role of a well meaning strict teacher, Miss Weasley's current behaviour is naturally interpreted by the System as...]
[The most passionate, unreserved, and slightly clumsy sincere reciprocation from a student moved by your great love!]
[This is ironclad proof of your educational success! A preview of a world filled with devoted students!]
[Please do not underestimate yourself, Host. With a heart full of relief and emotion, consume this fruit of education in large bites!]
Tamara looked at the sandwich in front of her, still steaming and reeking of grease, then at Ginny's smiling face, which practically screamed, eat it or I will make a scene.
She had no choice.
"...Just this once."
Tamara squeezed the words out from between her teeth.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the humiliation and nausea in her heart, and reached out with her pale, slender hand to take the massive sandwich.
Then, under Ginny's maternal gaze, she took a stiff bite.
"Is it good?" Ginny asked with a smile, reaching out to wipe nonexistent sauce from the corner of Tamara's mouth.
"...It's terrible. Don't touch me."
Tamara chewed expressionlessly, feeling as if what she was chewing was not beef, but Ginny Weasley's flesh.
"Then I'll bring you something else tomorrow!"
Ginny was not discouraged at all. Instead, she nodded in satisfaction, patted Tamara's shoulder affectionately, then hummed a song as she turned and left the Slytherin table like a victor.
It was not until that red figure disappeared through the entrance of the Great Hall that the room, which seemed to have been under a Body Bind Curse, finally came back to life, erupting into a buzz of incredulous discussion.
Especially at the Gryffindor table.
Fred and George's forks were suspended in midair, their identical faces wearing the same dazed expression.
"George, was that Ginny just now?" Fred rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "I mean, was that our sister? She actually dared to go to the Slytherin table by herself? And she even fed that Riddle a sandwich."
"If there's nothing wrong with my eyes, then yes, Fred." George turned his head mechanically to look at his brother.
They looked at each other.
Although they had a decent impression of Tamara Riddle, after all, she had stayed at The Burrow during the summer, they had seen her giving dark little speeches by the lake alone, and they knew their mother spoke highly of the poor girl.
But where was that?
That was the Slytherin table.
How did Ginny dare charge in there alone?
The brothers' mouths hung open, seemingly unable to recover from the absurd scene just now.
"This is truly outrageous."
Percy Weasley, sitting not far away, frowned and set down his pumpkin juice heavily, letting out a huff of strong disapproval.
He reached up to straighten the polished prefect badge on his chest and spoke seriously to his two dazed younger brothers.
"While Mum does like that Riddle and even let her stay over, that is no excuse for Ginny to ignore the school rules!"
Percy pushed up his glasses, his tone full of bureaucratic distress.
"Intruding upon another House's table without permission? Publicly pushing classmates? And making such... such an unseemly gesture in public!"
"This is simply bringing shame to Gryffindor! This sort of impolite behaviour might even result in points being deducted!"
He even assumed the air of an elder brother acting as a father, rambling on.
"The situation is so tense right now, yet instead of thinking about how to maintain order, she runs off to the Slytherin side to cause trouble... As a prefect, I have a responsibility to remind her..."
"Give it a rest, Percy."
Fred rolled his eyes, unceremoniously interrupting his long speech about propriety.
"You're just jealous that Ginny had the guts to run wild on Slytherin turf."
George immediately picked up the thread, adding with a mischievous grin,
"And you? Dear Mr Prefect, every time you see Snape, you don't even dare breathe loudly. You're too busy bowing and scraping like a grovelling worm."
"That is respect for a professor!" Percy retorted, his face turning red.
On the other side, the reaction at the Slytherin table was entirely different.
"Merlin's beard..."
Pansy Parkinson, sitting nearby, covered her mouth and looked at Tamara with a face full of shock, her eyes filled with disbelief and admiration.
"Tamara, you're simply incredible..."
"...What?"
Tamara swallowed that hard to swallow bite of beef and gave her a cold glance.
"That Weasley... that girl from the blood traitor family!"
Pansy lowered her voice, her tone trembling with excitement.
"She was like a monster when she pushed Goyle aside just now! But in front of you... she's as obedient as a house elf!"
"She even took the initiative to bring you food and wanted to wipe your mouth!"
Draco also leaned in, his face wearing an expression of sudden realisation.
"I see... Tamara, you did this on purpose, didn't you?"
"You're taming her!"
Tamara: "?"
Draco looked at the sandwich in Tamara's hand, his eyes full of admiration.
"Making a Gryffindor, especially one of the Weasleys, betray her own House to serve a Slytherin... this is the highest level of humiliation and conquest!"
"No wonder you're willing to eat that thing. So it's all part of your method for training that country bumpkin!"
"As expected of you, Tamara! Such methods would even make my father admit defeat!"
Hearing the waves of praise around her and seeing those admiring gazes, Tamara's hand holding the sandwich trembled slightly.
She looked at Draco's self righteous face and really wanted to stuff the remaining half of the sandwich into his nostrils.
Which eye did these idiots use to see her taming Ginny?
This was clearly blatant humiliation.
But she could not say it.
And so, Tamara Riddle, the future ruler of the Wizarding World, could only endure the grief and indignation in her heart at this moment, maintaining that profound false smile beneath those blindly worshipful gazes.
"Heh."
She gave a cold laugh and threw the sandwich with one bite taken out of it back onto the plate.
"As long as they are obedient, I don't mind granting those lowly people a little... grace."
.....
[Check Out My Patreon For Advance Chapters On All My Fanfics!]
[[email protected]/Eldryx]