Chapter One: The Obsession
Please leave me a review to let me know what you think. This and all chapter s have now been edited to fix any errors or mistakes.
A huge thank you to DemonKira for editing this story for me.
True unadulterated loyalty could quickly become love, which in turn, could just as quickly become an obsession. There is a fine line, which is often crossed more than necessary. Brought on by the sting of unrequited love. Love of any kind leads one down a tremulous road, a road that often ends in ruin. Mistaken for love, lust can take a hold and fool one into believing true feelings exist, when they don't. Leaving one in a hopeless romance, destined for failure.
The road to hell is often paved with good intentions, while the road to heaven is paved with the righteous unjust. Does one choose the deceptive road to eternal salvation, or the road of good intentions that inevitably bore unjust downfall? Neither road held much appeal. Why welcome the arms of death, when one can simply live forever? Why choose heaven or hell, when there is a third choice? Eternal nothingness.
Hadrian Snow knew that better than anyone, after all. He was an orphan, and a proclaimed 'Mudblood' living in a world ruled by lord Voldemort. A dark lord, blood supremacist, who gained control of wizarding Britain 14 year ago. He reigned with an iron fist, he was cruel, yet held the affection of the masses. He instilled fear and awe wherever he went. He had armies that were loyal to no end. A law enforcement, built of his original followers, the death eaters. He was a true force to be reckoned with. He defeated the great Albus Dumbledore, who remained alive, but had long since fell from his pedestal. Locked away with none other than the previous dark lord, that he was praised for defeating. It was a humiliating end to the leader of the light.
A prophecy had been made predicting the downfall of lord Voldemort at the hands of a mere child, with the death of said child- one Neville Longbottom, Dumbledore was caught off guard. The old man went to investigate the scene, he was truck behind while staring down at baby Neville's still warm corpse. Then he was taken captive by Voldemort himself, magically bound, and left to rot in Nurmengard with Gellert Grindelwald. A few weeks later, Voldemort had managed to take down the ministry. Any resistance that was left, either got killed, imprisoned, or fled to hide out. Forced to live a life on the run. Captured children of the resistance was taken and titled as blood-traitors.
Orphaned blood traitors and Mudbloods all lived in the same place. Mudbloods were taken from their home as soon as they were discovered, their families made to forget about them, and all were sent to live in an orphanage of sorts, only for "their kind". Hadrian had always been an orphan himself, it wasn't until he was seven years old that he was discovered by the wizarding world. He remembered rather clearly. He'd been taken from one hell in the muggle world, to be placed in another in the wizarding world, after all.
Mudbloods and blood traitors were the lowest of the low. Only house elves, squibs, and muggles were beneath them. For the latter two, it was just barely. They were only allowed to be a part of the wizarding world because all magical blood was sacred, according to Lord Voldemort. The second a Muggleborn showed the tiniest bit of power, they were whisked away never to return to the muggle world again. They were then placed in the 'Home of the Unworthy'. Where they would live and educated on the world, and what was expected of them. Told how pitiful and disgusting their very existence was at least twice daily.
At the age of eleven, just like any other witch and wizard, they were granted entrance into Hogwarts to study. But make no mistake, they were by no means equals. They were allowed to learn, but it was limited, their every move was watched for any sign of rebellion against the dark lord. Blood traitors were watched most closely, due to their family. Mudbloods were the dirt beneath all Pureblood, and most Halfbloods feet. A Mudblood wasn't allowed to be smarter than a pureblood, not really. Technically they could, however it was a personal insult to most of the purebloods. If a Mudblood did better in school, it would lead to accusations of cheating. Accusations that were almost always false, yet somehow proven true. Cheating was a horrible offence, punishment for it was severe. This was Hadrian's Caste in life. The role he was forced to live…But he was more, so much more….
After being taken in the middle of the night, Hadrian was brought to the wizarding world. The matron of the new 'orphanage' greeted him with sneers, and told him exactly what he was, and just how lucky he was to even be allowed to live in the world of her precious dark lord. She told him that this was where he would have to stay from now on, and that returning to the muggle world would result in his death, or loss of magic. He was to live with the rest of the 'filth' that was his kind of wizard and witches till he was of age. If he was lucky enough he would be graciously given a job and wouldn't be forced onto the street, or into slave labor for a place to live. Like most of 'his kind' would.
When he asked what the difference was between 'his kind of Wizard' and Katrina's (The matron), she pointed her wand at him, he then fell on the floor in excruciating pain. Pain unlike any Hadrian had felt before. She told him he was a disgusting Mudblood and to never compare himself to herself or any Pureblood again. Later on he found out just what had caused such pain. It was a torture curse. Before Voldemort won the war, it was illegal to perform, and even known as an unforgivable. The cruciatus curse was now very much legal, only if used on anyone below a half blood, or by the dark lord and his death eaters (the law enforcement). It was a suitable punishment for Mudbloods. That first time was by no means the last time Hadrian had fallen victim to that curse.
Mudbloods had very little rights, and were considered lucky to be alive, let alone given the opportunity to study magic. Hadrian hated it. He hated it all. There were dozens of other children that lived in the home with him, and since that young age of seven, Hadrian had been better. He was better than them all, more powerful, smarter. Of course he quickly adapted to his lease in life and played dumb, he hid his power, so as not to draw attention to himself. He read every book he could, took any and all knowledge he could gather. Practiced every spell he saw- or felt- cast. He did it all without a wand. Mudbloods didn't get a wand until a week before they left for Hogwarts, they were given no advantages. Forced to go through the gruelling lessons of history and etiquette, and what would be expected of them. But were taught no magic until Hogwarts, while all others could learn as soon as they wanted. There were many laws of what they could and could not do as Mudbloods.
Hadrian had always known he was special, always had a control, of sorts, over his power. Not only that, but he was also very manipulative, found it easy to control people. Due to his blood status, it was much harder in the wizarding world. He still, however, managed to convince the Katrina to leave him alone most of the time. She ignored him, which was how he managed to sneak books away and learn spells. Wandless magic was practically unheard of, very few could do it. But Hadrian had no other choice really, so he honed in on the small amount of control he had, and went to work. Wandless magic was much harder, and took a lot more power. It would never be as easy as using a wand, but Hadrian practiced a little bit every day.
He forced his will into it, he wanted to learn, wanted to be powerful. He would put everyone who ever looked down on him in their rightful place. Every spell he saw cast, every spell cast upon him and those around him, he copied. Learned them all wandlessly and took time but, he mastered every spell so far. His memory was near perfect, there wasn't much he didn't remember. Every movement and detail imbedded into his brain, making it just a little bit easier to copy the spells he saw. If he ever got caught, he could claim accidental magic. No one would believe a Mudblood capable of wandless magic. Yes Hadrian read any and every book he could, he learned of the wizarding world, old and new, and of the dark lord and how he came to be in power.
If Voldemort wasn't an enigma Hadrian didn't know what he was. The ravens thirst for knowledge bled a grudging respect and fascination for the ruler, the man to which he would never be anything more than a pile of dirt. That made Hadrian want to be more, he wanted to be something. Show his worth as something more than a filthy Mudblood. For Hadrian despised his connection with muggles, with the people who neglected and abused him as a small child. He loathed being a Mudblood, his very own kind, it sickened him. He wanted to prove himself to the dark lord. For he would be better than any person or death eater that stood at Lord Voldemort's side. He was no mere Mudblood. Hadrian Snow was better.
An obsession was born.
That brings us back to now, on the 14th anniversary of the dark lord reign. Hadrian was a 4th year at Hogwarts, and the only Mudblood in many years, to have been placed in the house of Slytherin. Most of the Mudbloods and blood traitors were sorted into Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and on the rare occasion Ravenclaw, but never Slytherin. Hadrian's life was hell. How dare he sully the name of Slytherin with his filthy blood? However a sorting was a sorting, it couldn't and wouldn't be undone, that was one thing the dark lord didn't change. Despite his house placement, Hadrian was still the lowest of the low. An embarrassment, seen as nothing more than a sickeningly average wizard. Barely more than a squib. Only thing non average about him were his looks, and his name.
Slytherin house hated Hadrian, so he was always pushed to the end of the table, below even the first years. He was Slytherin, therefore his house couldn't do him harm in public, and could do little beyond closed doors (without reason). The others went out of their way to create reason, but didn't push it. It would cause am outrage among the Mudbloods, blood traitors, and their sympathizers on principal. The dark lord didn't want anyone questioning him, so Hadrian as well as other like him, were mostly left be. That didn't mean that Slytherin house liked it, they would just rather not face the dark lords wrath over a snivelling Mudblood of no importance. Hadrian had a room to himself, because others refused to be in his disgusting presence. He was an outlaw even to other Mudbloods and the blood traitors. Every single student and teacher steered clear of the Slytherin Mudblood. It all worked out in Hadrian's favor, really.
Hadrian had ample time to practice magic now that he was at Hogwarts. Everyone avoided him, bar a few in his house that liked to try to create reasons to attack him. He managed to stay so far under the radar, few even acknowledged his existence. Little did anyone know, Hadrian had a spell repertoire that could rival the average fully grown wizard. His magic levels far above most seventh years. He was a genius, a prodigy, but he kept it all carefully masked and hidden. He reigned in his magic and kept a barrier around his core. To most he had very little magic reserves, and wasn't far from being a squib. He was scum and should have neverbeen brought to the wizarding world. Even the other Mudbloods agreed to that.
He took full advantage of it all, spent most of his free time in the library, or in his carefully warded room. It wasn't always easy, his first year was rough. The raven was watched heavily, as no one could believe anyone so…plain…would be sorted into Slytherin, but he proved them wrong. Or did He? They left him alone from then on. In his second year Hadrian found the room of requirements, it only got easier from there. No one suspected that there was anything more to him, well one person did, his fellow Mudblood Hermione granger. She was smart, incredibly so. She also saw right through Hadrian, or at least partially. She was taken to 'the home' the same day as Hadrian was. She never trusted him, always watched him with suspicious eyes.
She was a Gryffindor and good friends with blood traitor Ron Weasley, who also lived at 'the home', he had since birth. The red head thought she was delusional for thinking there was anything more to the average, cowardly Snow boy. No one believed her. In a way it was funny. Mudbloods were so beneath the general populace that no one believed them, not even when there were right. It wasn't like Hadrian was a threat, no, he just wanted to prove himself to the dark lord that was all. He wanted everyone to see he was more than a Mudblood. He was better than anyone the wizarding world had to offer.
He would prove himself to them all, Hadrian would show Lord Voldemort that he was the others equal. That they could rule the world, together. If not Hadrian would defeat the dark lord, and he would rule alone. For as much as he respected, and was enamoured with Voldemort, Hadrian would always put himself first. Everyone who looks down on him, would bow down to him.
Hadrian would make them bow.
Please review, let me know what you think.