"Talking"
"Thinking"
"Ability"
"Author Note / disembodied speech"
Book 1 – Philosopher's Stone
Chapter 1 – Spinner's End Meeting
The place you live in is an embodiment of your soul, perhaps even more than your body. An organized space or a big mess, a ton of books and crammed up place or a bare room of necessities… Or perhaps, something out of ordinary.
Just wasting time, sitting on the rubbish-strewn riverbank and looking at an equally dirty river. To look at the unkempt relic of an ominous and shadowy mill blurred by the chilly mist. In a town made up of identical brick, terraced, houses; where the sincerest sound of life is the whisper of the water and a scrawny fox about to kick the bucket.
This town, Cokeworth, has been his house for the last week; and nothing fits him better. Because his vision is blurry, his days are identical and he is losing strength. His red eyes are blurry as sleep overcomes him; an hour later a nightmare saves his life and he is on a run.
Severus Snape was never an embodiment of health, sallow skin, yellow, uneven teeth and perhaps he was too thin for his own good. He had a large, hooked nose, shoulder-length greasy black hair and dark, penetrating eyes. He lived in this very town, in the house at the very end of the Spinner's End Street; in fact he was just heading there.
Cokeworth was never a particularly magical place; so when creatures, such as ghouls, began lurking in this part of the city Snape noticed right away. It was an anomaly, to the point where it looked almost like the creatures were lured by something, or someone.
Still Snape was more than content with letting the Ministry deal with the matter. At least he believed he'd just leave the matters to them; and he would have, if he didn't hear something crashing near him in a blind alley. He turned around more out of instinct and saw it.
The ghoul was attacking a child, no, not only attacking, it was already above it and ready to strike. Even as unusual as ghoul being violent was, it was threatening to a child so he clearly had no choice.
Snape reached out for his wand, but what he saw next froze him on spot. A black orb appeared above the child's palm, crashed into the ghoul's abdomen. The ghoul separated from the ground and was pushed straight into the wall behind it, a wall about four meters away from the child. The impact knocked the ghoul out, yet the day was far from over. As if this had no effect on it, the child just stood up.
"Geez what's with all these animals…?" He sounded more puzzled than anything else. The boy rubbed the side of his head as he looked at the knocked out creature in front of him. A sudden pain made him flinch when he tried to move his right arm again. "Yep, still hurts. Awesome."
Why in the world was a child taking this so calmly? That's the first thing Snape found strange. The second was the clear usage of Dark Arts even he had never seen before. Finally the child's appearance was another mystery, from what he could tell the child had pure white hair.
"Hey." The child turned around, completely aware of Snape standing behind him. "Sorry if that was your pet or something. Can you tell me what that thing was? I've been seeing creatures like that ever since I came here last week." Red eyes with slit pupils made Snape's heart skip a beat and then there was a scar, lightning-shaped one; however unlike the famous lightning bolt on another boy this one was horrendous. It wasn't a lightning bolt, it was a lightning, like the one that flashed through the sky when there was a storm, and it was spread all over the right side of the boy's face.
Furthermore, he was just casually asking him about the ghoul, such a child-like thing to do but in a not so child-like way.
The calm demeanor was broken by a sudden gust of wind that wheezed through the town. It made the boy shiver. It was summer, yet the weather was somewhat chilly, but not to the point of shivering like the boy just did. The eyes showed fatigue, one that didn't fit a child that just blasted a ghoul into a wall.
Even if Snape accepted the fact that a child could produce a black orb and knock out a ghoul, without a wand mind you, most children would be scared and not as straight-forward as this one. In conclusion this child was most likely an idiot… On the other hand most children wouldn't look as tired as he was.
"So… do you plan on saying anything?" Yet he was an impatient child.
Snape couldn't just leave the brat here. It would be too inconvenient to let him wander around. "Come with me." He urged the boy and pulled out a wand. When the red eyes brightened in curiosity he felt his heart skip a beat again. "Mobilicorpus." With a simply word the ghoul's body was raised into the air.
Boy watched the levitating body for a few moments and then grinned confidently. "Sure, but you have to tell me how you did that."
At that time Severus Snape had no idea just who he was taking along to his house; but he knew that he should notify Dumbledore.
Snape led the boy directly into a tiny sitting room; the walls were completely covered in book, most of them bound in old leather. The rest of the furniture was rather scarce, a rickety table, an old sofa and an armchair. Overall the place had an air of neglect to it.
Snape motioned the boy to sit on the sofa and disappeared into a kitchen. Boy observed the ghoul that was left lying on the floor; it was still knocked out but Snape bound it by somehow creating a rope. The creaking of the doors made the boy look at Snape once again.
"Drink this." Snape offered him a cup and the child looked at the liquid.
"You expect me to trust you?" Boy questioned, showing for the first time a small amount of mistrust.
"No." Boy grinned at the honest response. He stepped over his own display of mistrust and downed the drink.
"Why did you drink it?" Snape asked.
"I don't care if it kills me." For a moment boy's eyes widened. He didn't mean to say that, yet he did, he said the truth when he'd just say he'd taken the chance with it. "What did you give me?" He asked.
The man sat in the armchair and despite looking somewhat relaxed he had the demeanor of power, a kind of aura that demanded respect. "Veritaserum, a potion that makes you tell truth." Snape saw no reason to lie to the child.
"Heh, handy stuff." Child commented, clearly amused by his own naivety.
"What is your name?" The question was direct; there was no need to waste time.
"Vergil Leonidas. Yours?" Vergil asked.
"Severus Snape. How old are you?"
"Eleven."
"Do you know what this is?" Snape pulled out his wand.
Vergil looked puzzled by the question. "A stick." Well he clearly didn't know what it was. It put the man at ease.
"What did you use to knock out the ghoul?" Snape asked.
"That thing over there?" He pointed at the ghoul and then looked back at Snape. "Darkness Orb." Vergil answered.
"Do names such as Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort, Albus Dumbledore or Potter mean anything to you?" The answer was already clear from the way Vergil's face remained blank.
"Nope, never heard of them." His voice was still as calm as it was back in that blind alley.
"Do you know what a muggle is?"
"No."
"Where did you come from?"
"Epystras." For all the years he lived Snape never heard of such a place.
There was something nostalgic in Vergil's eyes as he thought back to that place; yet underneath that nostalgia Snape could easily see the traces of anger.
"Why did you come along?" It was a question he wanted to ask despite part of him knowing the answer.
"Even if it was a trap I don't care. I'd put up a fight though." Vergil said, the thoughts of Epystras vanished from his mind and took the anger from his eyes along.
Snape remained silent for a moment. "That's all. You are to stay here." He ordered.
"Why do you think I'd listen to you?" Vergil questioned.
"You don't care, do you?"
"Heh, fair enough."
Snape allowed Vergil to use the bathroom. There wasn't really a need to ask for something as trivial as that, but the boy did so regardless. Vergil cupped some water and splashed his face with it. He let the drops drip down from his face and the bangs of his white hair. The dripping sound calmed him down, even rhythm, like a heartbeat… He took a deep breath and took the towel to wipe his face off.
As long as he was in the house Snape was fine with wherever he remained; he decided to occupy the room Snape offered him, after all he was yet to feel comfortable around the man.
He lied down on the bed and look at the ceiling. "It really happened… It's been a week and no one came…" He muttered and buried his face into the pillow. He tightly closed his eyes, fighting back his emotions. The shaky sigh escaped his lips as he let the sleep consume him.
He was standing in a room filled with weapons, fighting gear and supplies. He was watching as the man he owed his life prepared to go through with the plan.
"Sorry about this. This is goodbye Verge." The black haired man, barely in his late twenties said. His golden eyes were filled with determination as he ruffled Vergil's hair.
The man's eyes narrowed when he noticed the expression on Vergil's face. "Don't close your eyes. Do not lose sight of what's important. Decide for yourself what you want and protect it." Vergil reluctantly nodded. "You are my pride. Don't ever forget that."
Vergil sat up, he was breathing heavily, a nightmare, again, every single night, every single time he slept, ever since he came here a week ago.
"And where is this boy you told me of, Severus?" Someone was in the house. Someone other than Snape.
"In the bedroom, sleeping." Snape replied, his voice even from what Vergil could hear.
"That You-Know-Who incarnate can't be allowed to walk around freely." Well that certainly made him curious.
"What are you basing that… statement on?" He recognized Snape's voice yet again. It seemed like the man was often making small pauses when he spoke.
"As you have just told us Snape, he has red eyes, pale skin, white hair and he's clearly using dark arts." It sounded like a lot of reasons to Vergil, but if there was one thing he was certain of it was the fact that he was clearly not an incarnate.
"Now, I understand your worry Cornelius. Nonetheless we should consider taking him in and teaching him at Hogwarts; he clearly showcased that he's capable of magic." An elderly sounding voice stated. Magic? Was that what Snape used?
"Even if he is not You-Know-Who's incarnate he is clearly born with a power that is too dangerous!" This Cornelius guy, at least Vergil guessed so, exclaimed.
"It is not what you are born as that matters, but who you grow up to be." Came the counter argument in his favor.
"I demand that he is put under strict surveillance."
Vergil contemplated coming out but his grand entry and possibly freaking the hell out of the man that already sounded like a panicking idiot was ruined by most likely the said man marching out of the house.
"And that ruins it." He muttered as he entered the room.
Immediately Vergil felt the eyes carefully inspecting him. He turned to the tall and thin old wizard with silver long hair and beard that had taken his side and calmly stood as man's piercing blue eyes clashed with his blood red ones.
"Ah, I believe it does ruin it." The elderly man agreed with him making Vergil grin at the light-hearted tone.
"Was this why you told me to stay?" Vergil turned to Snape.
"Yes." Straightforward and honest, Vergil found that he liked that.
"Mr. Leonidas would you mind showing us what you referred to as darkness orb?"
"How about you tell me your name first? It is a bit selfish for you to ask without at the very least introducing yourself." Vergil pointed out thus making the man chuckle again. Snape had to admit he found the kid's temperament to be somewhat amusing.
"Of course. My name is Albus Dumbledore." Dumbledore introduced himself.
"Vergil Leonidas, though you already know that." Vergil grinned and raised his palm. In merely a second a black orb formed in front of it. "It's a bit destructive so I'm not going to fire it." Vergil explained.
"Go ahead." Snape urged him.
"Are you sure?" Vergil asked.
Snape pointed at the armchair by the side. "Do it."
"If you say so." Vergil shot it and it collided with the chair thus shattering it.
"Quite intriguing I must say." Dumbledore commented, but Vergil already knew that neither the older man nor Snape for that matter were intrigued by the ability. They were intrigued by the red eyes. Eyes that were supposed to be yellow judging by the ability Vergil just showcased.
"Reparo." Snape said and the chair was back to the state it was in just before the impact.
"I sure know how to stumble on people…" Vergil sighed, it was always a bad habit of his, stumbling into people that would in one way or another really affect his life. It seemed to be something that he inherited from his mother…
He decided to get to the point that interested him at the moment and as this part of conversation seemed to end he just decided to strike a new one. "So why was that other one here anyways?" Vergil asked referring to Fudge and making the older wizard chuckle.
"Do not worry yourself with it Mr. Leonidas." Dumbledore assured him. There was no need for Vergil to know that it was merely a coincidence. People were called to take the ghoul; Cornelius Fudge got the word of it and wanted to be the good Minister… "Severus, I believe I can leave the young Mr. Leonidas in your care, yes?"
Well it's not like the child had anywhere else to go. "Yes, Headmaster."
"Mr. Leonidas, it was a pleasure to meet you." Dumbledore disappeared into thin air leaving Vergil dumbfounded.
"That's magic, right?" Vergil assumed.
"Yes." And Snape confirmed his assumptions.
"Cool."
"You never said what exactly are you?" Snape suddenly asked. The boy looked at him, clearly not buying the supposed lack of mostly correct guess Snape and Dumbledore had.
"The last of my kind. That's all I'll tell you." Vergil suddenly had a very grim look on his face, way too serious for his age. "You can already guess what I am, correct?"
There was nothing childish or innocent in the way Vergil's eyes became cold as ice, or the way his body tensed.
A few mornings later Snape placed an envelope in front of Vergil. The boy now had a bandage covering the right side of his face. He was already 'You-Know-Who incarnate' in Fudge's eyes, a lightning scar was the last thing he needed publicly shown.
Vergil glanced at the yellowish envelope, clearly addressed to Severus' house where he currently resided. He turned his gaze to the potions master, sending him a questioning look. "Well, whatever happens…" He thought and opened the letter.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Leonidas,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
Vergil folded the letter and closed his eye. "Even though I'm supposedly 'Whoever-that-is incarnate'?"
Severus made a small pause and then. "…Yes."
The light from the candles above them flickered slightly and they heard a distinct sound of thunder rumbling in the distance.
"The hell?" White haired boy was absolutely baffled. And then another thought came to his mind. "My owl?"
"Yes, an owl." Snape deadpanned.
"Can I just refuse?" Vergil had to ask. He knew he was hoping for one hell of a miracle, he knew it was a wasted breath to even ask… But he just had to.
"No." Of course not…
"What in the world did I get myself into…?" White haired boy had to ask the question he didn't expect an answer to.
And that's it. I believe that by the time Voldemort went to kill James and Lily his eyes were at the very least turning red or that his pupils were starting to become more slit-like. Horcruxes weren't the only kind of Dark Magic that he practiced and experimented with so I believe the change would happen.
Some time ago I received quite an eye opening critique (on another story) concerning my overall writing. So I decided to revisit my previously published chapters to try and improve, at the moment I am in the process of doing that, so I will get to writing chapter 7 once I'm done with these chapters. I really want to get better, to make this story more enjoyable to you as readers; as such I would be very thankful if anyone was willing to provide any constructive criticism on what I can improve in my writing.
Next Chapter – Diagon Alley