Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters
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Snake With a Lion's Heart
They sky above London was dark and brooding as a quiet wind swept across the deserted streets. Blankets of rain fell in many parts of the city soon to land and come trickling down side alleys where they pooled around abandoned,
unwashed garbage clinging like dirt to the dark, cramped corners of the city. It may have been rainy but it was a far cry from twenty years previous. The London streets remained relatively quiet and no more did the news frequently report kidnappings and killings. On a night much like this, nearly twenty years ago the chaos had suddenly ceased. The muggles had no idea what had
happened on that night so many years ago, all that they knew was that their troubles seemed to have ended almost as suddenly as it had come, but there were others, others that knew the real secret, but they kept in hiding and remained to themselves.
You see the London streets, as well as almost any street in the world had seen things… unexplained phenomenon. A person appearing out of mid air or flying on what seemed to be an ordinary broomstick; in every corner of the world it was to be assured that the city around you could be deceiving as it hid it's dark secrets within the it's depths, but in this case the city was hiding something far more surprising… an entire community living just out of sight, but always there.
The wizarding world had remained in the shadowy folds of history almost since its founding, but that had never stopped any of its inhabitance from going about their business. As a matter of fact, at that very moment Diagon Alley was alive with students and their parents as they began to prepare for the new school year. There were books to be bought as well as wands and caldrons. Everyone was excited about the new school year; of course there was one boy in particular.
Far across the rain washed streets and dark side alleys of London amidst the dark and foreboding apartments of awizarding community there sat a house. Number 13 BlackendCorner: it was a tall elegant building all be it with dark windows and a rusty gate. It was an old building that spoke of times past obviously having seen much. And there the boy was, pale face staring out from a top floor window impatiently tapping his fingers against the glass.
Lucas Ari was eleven years old. He was slightly skinny and drawn as if he had spent much of his life in the dark. His hair was as white as snow and his eyes that were such a light grey they were almost clear. He didn't really go out much… his mother wouldn't let him. She didn't like it when the neighbors talked. He wished she wouldn't worry so much, but there was nothing he could ever do to dissuade her.
The reason he was waiting all alone in the dark foreboding house, quite simple, he was waiting for an owl, or more accurately he was waiting for an owl from Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. As was custom at the age of eleven, he would soon be allowed to attend, but first he needed that letter.
He was becoming worried that it would not come. He had been waiting here for days, and a small part of him wondered if they had forgotten him while another part of him wondered if he wasn't considered magical enough to go to school, but that made no sense. In fact, he had preformed a lot of magic since turning seven. In fact his magic, or at least this is what he told himself, must be very potent even at his age. Unlike a lot of kids from magical families he had preformed magic so powerful that it had left a lasting mark, of course that might not have been a good thing in his case.
It had been a week after he had turned seven. His father happened to work in the ministry's department for the control of dangerous creatures. His father had always had a fascination with that kind of thing, but it was when he brought his work home that things turned bad. This time he had done it again. As a seven year old Lucas had still been pale, but with dark brown hair as well as a curiosity that made life for him very dangerous, and that's when things had turned wrong.
His father had brought home a box and shut and locked it in a bedroom specifically stating that he was not to go anywhere near it, but of course curiosity got the better of him and he had snuck in for just one little peek. To this day he still wasn't sure what it was, all he knew was that it had been big and scary.
It had leaped out at him spewing a dark mist that soon began to fill the room with blackness. The monster had charged straight at him teeth poised to attack. Lucas had screamed in terror, and the monster had exploded. It took Lucas days to get over the ordeal, but the magic had not only killed the monster, but it had stripped all of the color from his once dark hair and eyes. His mother had been furious, and his father had never brought his work home again.
And now it was four years later and he was beginning to lose all hope that he would ever get the letter, but just then he looked up to see a dark shape winging its way towards him through the darkened sky. He reached out and threw open the window just in time for the large black owl to soar through and land on his desk.
The boy turned just as the owl dropped the letter into his outstretched hands. Without a backwards glance the bird took off again leaving the letter clutched in the boy's pale hands.
Lucas looked down at the letter having the sudden horrifying through that his name would not be on the letter.
Lucas Drake Ari
The attic
Number 13, Blackend Corner
He breathed a momentary sigh of relief and then rushed out the door and down the stairs nearly colliding with the old house elf Mud, but he was able to vault over the creature just in time.
"Sorry, Mud." Lucas called over his shoulder
"Young master mustn't apologize." The house elf squeaked
But the boy was already out of hearing range at that point. The portraits on the walls turned to watch him run as he skidded around a corner and into the dark dingy kitchen. "Mom, I've got it, I've got it."
The woman standing at the table turned slowly to face him her dark hair falling around her thin, pale face and down past her narrow chest and waist. Persephone Ari was pretty in a sort of dark foreboding kind of way with dark piercing eyes and a shrewd manner.
"Well, bring it here boy, and let me see." However, she did not wait for him to take a step forward but merely flicked herwand and the letter soared out of his hands and into her pail grasping fingers. She regarded the letter coldly until a small smile flickered across her lips. "Good, I had begun to worry… no matter. No son of mine could have possibly been a squib." The woman sliced open the letter with her wand and Lucas watched slightly disappointed that he wouldn't be the first to read it.
"Well this settles it. We pick up your things first thing tomorrow. I have a need to visit Borgin and Burkes at any rate." The woman smiled coldly walking over to Lucas to stroke her hand through is hair. "Another talented, proud son to add to the noble house of Slytherin"
Lucas's smile fell slightly. 'But how can you be sure I'm inSlytherin."
His mother stopped abruptly and turned to him a horror struck look on her face. "You foolish boy, do not say such things. Of course you will be in Slytherin." She held out her hands theatrically. "Of course I was from the noble house ofSlytherin descended from a long line of pure blood families." She sank back into a chair behind her and put her hand to her forehead. "If you, my only son, were to end up in a house other than Slytherin… I could not bear the shame." She stayed in that pose for a moment then looked up at him sharply. "But of course you will be in Slytherin."
She turned back to her work and Lucas let his smile drop. He wasn't really sure about all of this, from what his mother had told him about Slytherin qualities he had begun to feel like he just didn't fit, but he had to. If he didn't his mother would disown him, or worse… he would have no place to go.
His mother turned to him again with a dramatic flick of her hair. "Well, don't just stand there. Go up to bed. We have a long day tomorrow."
Lucas nodded and without another word he turned up towards his bedroom feeling his empty palms and thinking about the letter still clutched tightly in his mother's hands. He hadn't even gotten to read it.
Back up the stairs he passed the house elf trying to reach a box on the top shelf of a closet, but with little success.
Lucas walked over reaching over the elf's head to pull down the box. "Mom should really get out a stepladder." Lucas commented as he handed the box to the house elf.
The house elf didn't seem to notice the comment bat was too busy bowing. "Thank you, thank you. Young master is so kind to Mud. So kind"
Lucas shrugged. "It was just a box; anyway, I'll see you tomorrow." He turned a trotted back up the stairs.
A few of the pictures cheered as he passed spouting out comments like. "Slytherin will have gained a great honor." And "There he goes to add a good name to the noble Slytherinhouse."
But instead of feeling pride at the comments Lucas only felt his stomach clench. There they went again, more people who would be disappointed if he didn't make it into Slytherin… Oh how he wished they would be quiet.
Back up in his bedroom he was glad to finally have peace and quiet… but he had a feeling that he would not be sleeping tonight
The next morning, Lucas walked side by side with his mother trying to keep up with her as she swept down the crowded streets of Diagon Alley. It was stifling hot inside his long black jacket buttoned all the way up his throat as well asthe long black cloak the interior lined with Emerald green silk. Even the boots he wore were uncomfortable. They came to his mid calf and were lined with silver clips and buckles of pure silver. He had protested to the clothing at first when his mother had shoved them at him, but he had closed his mouth at once when she pointed out that she wanted him to look as much aSlytherin as he possibly could.
The first place they had stopped was Ollivanders, who had long since recovered from his kidnapping almost twenty years ago. One look at Persephone and he muttered, "Hawthorn ten inches dragon heart string." Then turning to look at Lucas his eyes furrowed. "Hmmm… difficult." He muttered to himself shuffling back into his shop.
Minutes later he came out with a stack of wands, but each time he handed one to Lucas, he quickly snatched it away muttering strings of incoherent words under his breath. They had gone through the entire stack of wands and Lucas could feel his face growing redder and redder by the moment. Then Ollivandercame back holding a single wand. "Difficult." He muttered to himself as he passed it over to Lucas. Once the wand made contact with his hand it was as if his entire body grew warm. Gold and red sparks issued from the tip of the wand for a moment before growing still.
"Willow eleven and a quarter inches, phoenix feather core,powerful… odd."
Lucas turned to his mother noting a little worried that she seemed to be glaring at his new wand as if it had offended her in some way, but she said nothing turning back to Ollivander to pay him.
"Come Lucas, we get your books next." She said sweeping out of the room.
They went through the net few shops quickly purchasing his books; caldron, ingredients, quills, and parchment all before heading towards a shop whose windows were full of cages. "No need for you to get an owl." His mother said. "You can use Pluto the family owl."
Lucas nodded as they walked through the door. His mother's eyes were instantly drawn to a slim black cat sitting in an arrogant pose on the counter. Lucas, however, ventured further in admiring the variety of animals. Halfway through the shop Lucas felt something land lightly on his shoulder, and turning he came face to face with the bright green eyes of a short furred, gold and rust colored cat. It regarded him with a curious stair before walking to the other shoulder where it sat licking a paw.
Just then the shop owner walked up to him. "I see you have attracted the attention of one of the cats. That's always a good sign boy, who knows that particular cat may have magical qualities."
Lucas nodded shifting a little at the narrow- eyed stair of his mother, but he knew how to play to her good side. "To bad you're not allowed snakes." He said.
The comment seemed to work, and soon he was walking out with the gold and rust cat curled quietly inside the cage he held in his arms. The cat was probably his favorite purchase of the day, beside his wand.
"Now to find your robes, then I have business in Knockturnalley."
Lucas kept quiet, but his mood was considerably improved although it was considerably dampened when his mother requested that all his robes be lined in green and silver.
Just as Madam Malkin began fitting his robes the door was shoved open and two people walked into the room. Both of them had the same white blond hair and pale pointed faces and both carried themselves in a way that Lucas instantly recognized as making them Slytherin.
Madam Malkin left Lucas standing there so she could go over and greet her new customers.
Lucas didn't hear much of the conversation, but soon thepale- faced boy was standing a few feet away from him as Madam Malkin shuffled off to find him some robes.
Just then Lucas watched as his mother turned to the man who had just entered the shop. "Ahhh Draco, what a pleasant surprise."
The man nodded. "And to you as well Persephone."
Lucas didn't catch the rest of the conversation as the other boy turned to him regarding him with a cold appraising stare. "Haven't seen you before, are you new?"
Lucas nodded. "First year."
The other boy smiled thinly and held out a hand. "ScorpiusMalfoy, and you are?"
"Lucas Ari…" he said hesitantly taking the other boy's hand
The other boy nodded then, "I'm a second year… What house are you going to be in?" as if he thought that everyone should know. He eyed Lucas coldly and he had a feeling that there was really only one answer he could make in front of this boy.
"Slytherin." He said shortly.
"That's good, better than all of the other houses anyway. Believe me; it's not even worth coming if you're not inSlytherin-"
The boy continued to babble on about how Slytherin was so much better, but Lucas wasn't really paying attention; all he wanted to do was get out of there as fast as he could. Luckily for him their one sided conversation was cut short when his mother dragged him out of the shop informing him that she needed to attend to other appointments.
Later than night, Lucas lay wide awake on his bead hand stroking slowly up and down the fur of his new cat. An animal he had decided to name Apollo, due to its sun- like gold and red coloring. He just hoped that tomorrow he would be able to make his mother proud… he could only fear what might happen if he didn't.