Bruce Wayne and the Sorcerer's Stone
Chapter Four: Questions
Bruce looked at Granger. Granger looked at Bruce. Granger looked at Potter and Weasley. Potter and Weasley looked at Bruce. None of them were quite sure what to say. It looked like Granger was finally going to speak when the door to the bathroom swung open and in came Professors McGonagall, Quirrell and Snape. As McGonagall started to give the students the third degree, Bruce immediately began to think of a good excuse, ranging from seeing the troll barge in, to saying that he had gotten the group turned around when suddenly he heard a small voice.
"Professor - they were looking for me." Hermione Granger then proceeded to completely and totally lie about her desire to catch the troll herself, how Potter, Weasley and Bruce had gone after her and how she would probably be dead now if it hadn't been for their timely intervention. Bruce had to give the girl credit - she was a very good liar. McGonagall took five points from Gryffindor for Granger's actions and then gave Potter and Weasley five points each for their courage. She then looked at Bruce, and after a quick glance at Snape, who had an interesting scowl on his face, gave five points to Slytherin for Bruce's bravery. While he outwardly showed little emotion, inwardly Bruce allowed himself a very satisfied feeling. He had not expected to wear down McGonagall this quickly. The Gryffindors were dismissed, but before he left, Bruce caught Snape giving him a very odd look. The young Slytherin simply turned his face to stone and returned to the dormitory, where he began contemplating the appropriate response for when the bigoted members of his house decided to make an issue out of his heroics. He may have to break someone's arm after all.
The incident came the next day, as Bruce was in the halls, getting back from another research session in the library. He found himself faced by none other than Crabbe, Goyle, and their weasel-faced boss. Bruce got his wand ready.
"So, you fancy yourself some great hero that rescues idiot mudbloods?" Draco sneered.
"No, I'm not a hero, just a human being. Which is more than can be said about you Malfoy." Bruce kept his voice perfectly monotone as he replied.
"I should have known someone of your type would cause trouble. It's the only thing you can expect from someone with filthy mudblood parents." Looking back upon the incident, Draco Malfoy would regret that last sentence. He never even saw it coming, and before he knew what was happening, the Malfoy heir was on the floor clutching his stomach. Crabbe and Goyle moved for their wands, but were stopped dead in their tracks by a murderous glare from Bruce. By the time they realized that they were risking Malfoy's wrath by not getting involved, it was too late. Bruce had already cast 'Stupefy' upon the two bodyguards. Hurling Malfoy against the wall, Bruce began speaking in a very low, very dangerous tone of voice:
"Consider this your first and only warning Malfoy. Don't make me repeat myself." To ram his point home, Bruce punched the boy in the gut yet again before throwing him against the wall in the most painful way he could. Malfoy would probably require many more such "reminders" in the future, but this should give Bruce some breathing room for the time being. The heir to the Wayne fortune composed himself and returned on his way back to the dormitory, leaving a whimpering pure-blood in his wake.
After this, Bruce's life returned to the quiet solitude he had enjoyed early in the year. He once again threw himself into his investigation of the dog and other matters and continued to comb the library, book by book, looking for something resembling a lead. Truth be told, it was getting incredibly frustrating for the boy. He felt sure that the information he wanted was there, he simply wasn't able to properly connect it. His pursuit gobbled up his free time, especially since it was coupled with his already grueling study habits, that when the members of his house acted grumpier than usual, he had no idea that it was because Potter had dealt them a crushing blow at the Quidditch match. Initially, he took no real notice of these events, aside from giving Malfoy a death glare when it looked like the boy was going to take out his frustrations about the game on Bruce. It was when he heard that some Gryffindors talking about Potter's broom being hexed during the match that Bruce's curiosity was piqued. First suspect was Malfoy, but then Bruce remembered that it takes especially dark magic to interfere on that scale, which ruled Malfoy out. Still, between this, the troll, and the dog, Bruce couldn't help but think that there was a larger picture being woven around him and he simply didn't have the right perspective to see it. Such thoughts irritated him to no end. Bruce felt sure that someone had let the troll inside, so it raised an eyebrow from him when he saw Professor Snape limping around right after Halloween. He wasn't sure if there was a connection or not, so he simply filed it under the 'interesting facts' section of his brain. As a result of all of this, Bruce was beginning to question whether or not you could trust anything about this school.
Continuing the string of interesting occurrences, Granger had been prowling the library lately, as well. Careful to keep out of sight, Bruce noticed that she seemed very intent on finding something. While he had his attention split in various directions while performing his research, she seemed very focused on a single objective. It seemed to Bruce that while she knew what she was looking for, the girl didn't know where it was hidden. Could it have something to do with Potter's broom? She had become quite close to the other two Gryffindors after the troll incident. Once, Bruce had mused over the fact that they had yet to speak with him or thank him for his help, but then thought better of it. In addition to being a 'nasty Slytherin' which prompted everyone to continually second-guess his motives, there was also the fact that Bruce was not an easy person to get ahold of. He was rarely where people would expect a normal first year to be, and he made a point of finding places in the library where people would not think to look for him. And even if they did finally corner him, Bruce's rude disposition made any conversation difficult. Not even his fellow Slytherins tried speaking to him, though they certainly whispered about him behind his back, especially after the troll incident. It was really quite expectable that he would receive no communication from them, and if anything it made his life less complicated.
However, Bruce could not help but remember one near-encounter in the first potions class after the troll incident. He was already sitting down and was preparing his materials for Snape's latest attempt at teaching when he saw none other than Hermione Granger herself walking towards him. Bruce waited for her to arrive, and once she reached him, she looked ready to speak. He maintained his usual blank expression, but was secretly curious as to what she would say. In the end, his curiosity was forced to go without this knowledge, as she was then called to the other side of the room by Potter and Weasley. She did not try to make contact with him again, and Bruce could not help but assume that the girl had been warned off by her fellow Gryffindors.
Time passed as the holidays came ever closer and closer. Bruce went to class like any regular student and continued to make himself go as unnoticed as possible. Defense Against the Dark Arts was embarrassingly easy, and Quirrell had to be the single most incompetent teacher in the school. Assuming that one could actually decipher his lectures through all the stuttering emanating from his mouth, what they were being taught seemed to be incredibly mediocre material. What was the point of learning about a troll's feeding habits if they were not going to taught how to defend themselves from one? Especially after the Halloween disaster.
Charms was something of an interesting diversion, if only for the novelty of it. Transfiguration was somewhat trying, though not because of the actual material. Instead, it was due to the fact that McGonagall had decided to keep an eye on him, and he realized it. Were inter-house relations really so bad that one simply act of decency on his part would warrant this much attention from a teacher? Nevertheless, he would sometimes catch her hovering over him, as if trying to scrutinize his motives. Bruce had a sneaking suspicion that she realized he was holding back during class. There was one incident where she nearly called him on it. He was sitting there, doing his lesson, when she walked over to him and began speaking.
"Have everything well in hand, Mr. Wayne?" He looked around and saw that, thankfully, none of the other Slytherins were aware of what was going on.
"Yes, Professor."
"You do know that I have no prejudice against giving points to Slytherin." She was obviously prodding him.
"Yes, Professor."
He was extremely thankful when that particular class came to an end.
Surprisingly enough, Professor Snape did not even seem to register Bruce's existence. That was the one teacher Bruce had expected to speak to him, if only to warn him about associating with the 'hated' Gryffindors. Yet, day in and day out, the boy would attend class in the dungeon and be almost completely ignored. He would have thought that the fact that he was the only person there who consistently was not partnered with anyone (no one could stand him) would have resulted in at least some sort of remark. There was a surprising sense of relief in relation to that. Perhaps the potions master simply realized that some people prefer to be left alone.
Before the break for the holidays, one last thing that became of interest to the young boy. He had become quite good at navigating the halls at night during his sojourns, learning to recognize the soft, scratching sound made by Ms. Norris as she prowled the halls, so getting caught by Filch was steadily becoming less of a danger to his mind. Peeves was still a problem that had to be dealt with, but one that seemed more like a simple annoyance rather than a pressing concern as time went by. It was during one of these late-night journeys that Bruce had stumbled across something quite wondrous. It was just before the holiday break. Bruce had owled Alfred that he wanted to spend Christmas in Wayne Manor, and the Butler responded that he would see to it. As such, Bruce wanted to get in one last bit of wandering before returning to his ancestral home when he found it. It was near the library, identified by a suit of armor outside, and located in what seemed to be a long-unused classroom. It had writing on the top of it and stood as high as the ceiling. When he looked into it, Bruce felt his heart break. There were his parents, looking just as he remembered them before……well, before. Bruce knew it was a trick, a spell of some kind, but he could not look away. He just could not look away from what had been the primary source of joy and life and love and hope and courage and kindness and…….
He sat there for the rest of the night, just slipping away before dawn.
He was in something of a daze for the next few days. He barely registered the fact that he was on his way to the train station at Hogwarts. On the train home, he was completely unaware of the fact that Granger was attempting to talk to him, only to give up and return to her car. The vision in the mirror completely and totally occupied his thoughts. He knew he should research it, find out what magic it was using, see if it could affect his mind somehow. Yet, he knew he would not, because he had to see them again before he could do anything in regards to that mirror.
Arriving at King's Cross, he found Alfred waiting for him, looking quite pleased to see the boy.
"Welcome back, Master Bruce. Enjoying school so far?"
"Yes Alfred. It's fine." The butler, however, was far from convinced.
"Are you sure, Master Bruce. You seem a little...distratcted." Bruce did not even look at the longtime family friend.
"I'm fine Alfred. Really." Yet, he remained in this state all through the drive to airport and all through the plane ride back to Gotham.
Over the break, he tried to forget the mirror by losing himself in the memories conjured by being back in the Manor and for a time he managed to succeed. Yet, Alfred could not help but notice that the boy would get this far-away look in his eyes, as if he were a world away. Bruce returned to the school a day early, and quickly made his way to the room that had engaged his thoughts, only to find it empty. As empty as his soul. For a moment, Bruce was about to do something he had sworn he would never do again. He was about to cry. He desperately fought back the tears that wanted to force their way down his cheeks. It looked like the battle would be decided one way or the other when Bruce heard a voice behind him.
"It seems that another of my students has discovered the allure of the Mirror of Erised. I must confess, I was expecting to see another here." Bruce couldn't find it within himself to look at the Headmaster, he was so ashamed. Dumbledore walked over to the boy.
"Do not be hard on yourself, dear boy. Many grown men, trained in the ways of the world, have fallen prey to the mirror. I expect that you have deduced why." Bruce nodded, or at least he tried to.
"It…..it shows what you want….." the boy tried to say.
"In a way, dear boy. The mirror can only show the deepest desire within your heart. You had your parents cruelly taken from you, and it is your fondest wish to have them back. Therefore, that is what the mirror will show you. I have seen a similar case just recently." Bruce finally summoned the willpower to look at the Headmaster and was comforted by the understanding he saw in the old man's eyes. The wizard continued.
"However, the mirror could not show you any truth or knowledge, and men have wasted their lives watching it. Some have even gone mad, tortured by the thought that their deepest desires could become reality. I have moved the mirror someplace out of reach and I ask you not to look for it. I know how angry you feel, and the loneliness that comes from it, but you must seek happiness by living your life, not hiding from it in a dusty room. Now, it is a beautiful day today, one that asks to be lived properly. Perhaps you would like to do so?" Bruce smiled at that and fought the urge to hug the man.
"I think I would, Headmaster. Thank you….for everything." And with that, the boy exited the room, pondering the experience with the enigmatic wizard. What truly caught Bruce's interest was line Dumbledore had dropped about expecting another student. Who could that be?
After this, life once again settled into the routine Bruce had become accustomed to while at Hogwarts. While he still devoted time to the mystery surrounding the dog, this took up increasingly little amounts of his time as he began to focus more on his schoolwork. He was showing a talent in both Potions and Defense against the Dark Arts, and Snape seemed to notice this, though he said nothing to the boy about it. He seemed preoccupied by harassing the Gryffindors. However, the potions master did continue to give Bruce that odd look he had first seen on Halloween. Quirrell however, continued to be afraid of his own shadow, oblivious to everything else, leading Bruce again to wonder why someone as clever as Dumbledore tolerated the man. Granger was still spending time searching the library, sometimes accompanied by her two friends, and sometimes not. Whatever it was she was looking for, her frustration over a lack of success was becoming obvious to Bruce, though it might not be so for less observant members of the school. At one time he considered approaching her about it, as a way of pooling resources. The more he thought about it, however, the more he became convinced it would result in too many needless complications. Besides, he did not need or want anyone's help. He was perfectly capable of finding answers on his own. Instead, he resolved merely to keep an eye on her and to watch for anything that could be indicative of advancement on her part.
In time, his decision to keep Granger monitored paid off. Suddenly, she stopped scouring the library and during Potions class, she seemed quite pre-occupied with something. While this would be normal for most students, Bruce knew for a fact that when a brain such as Hermione Granger was pre-occupied to the point that she was not totally and completely absorbed in her work, there had to be something important going on. A look at Weasley and Potter showed them to be similarly excited about something, though they did their best to hide it, considering they were in Snape's class, after all. Bruce knew he would not get anything by watching them here - they would not dare speak of anything that might be overheard by the head of Slytherin house. The boy resolved to shadow the trio until he learned what had gotten them so excited. Could it have something to do with the dog? The boy doubted that they would have forgotten the experience. Energized by the possibilities of some genuine answers, or at the least some fresh leads, Bruce was determined keep the trio carefully watched and if they made any sort of move, he would know about it. It would be extremely difficult, but Bruce Wayne was not one to back down from a challenge.
Notes:
Well, here's part four, and like I said in the last chapter, the quality is starting to go down. Again, I promise that I have taken steps to fix this in the upcoming Bruce Wayne and the Chamber of Secrets, so don't lynch me yet. Also, things do pick up when our hero learns gets more information about the Socerer's Stone, which will be next chapter.
Also, a bit of clarification on Bruce's connections to the wizarding world - he doesn't have any. In this story he is the only member of his family within memory (recent or otherwise) to display any sort of magical aptitude. Therefore, the Wayne family doesn't have any sort of prestige or influence in the wizarding world, especiallywhen compared to the muggle world. This is a deliberate decision on my part because Bruce's status as a "mudblood" is going to be an important plot point at various stages of the stories I have planned. As a side effect of this, no one has yet to connect the anti-social Slytherin with the "Prince of Gotham". Of course, the situation is not going to stay that way, and I've got plans for how Bruce's status as richer than God will affect the various cast members.
