Thanks to kmoaton for betaing! Enjoy!
A few mornings later Heinrich rolled over in bed. He had slept in later than normal because his training with Saskia had gone later than normal. Like he did every morning, he cast the moon tracking charm and sighed when he discovered that tonight there would be a full moon.
He wondered what Fenrir had in mind for him this month. He couldn't go back to the cottage because that had burned and turned to ashes last month.
Unbeknownst to the boy, Fenrir hadn't made any plans. Instead, he would let Saskia make the decisions. She had voiced concern earlier on in the month about his plans and didn't seem to think that he could protect the boy. Since she was pretending to be his mother, Fenrir didn't really have another choice than to let her make her own plans. The boy wasn't a werewolf, so Fenrir couldn't control him like he did with the rest of the pack. Plus there was the annoying little fact that a mother's wishes about the unbitten children trumped whatever the alpha wished.
Fenrir really needed to find away around that rule. That rule was part of the reason why he had started going after the children of wizards and witches that had wronged him. If he bit them early, before parents even started thinking about what they wanted for their children in the future, he could get control over them. Once bitten, there weren't many children that had escaped his clutches.
After lunch, Saskia led Heinrich away from the manor.
"I wish you could stay on the manor grounds," she said as they walked away. "But it's too dangerous. There will be at least a dozen werewolves on the ground and I'm not confident that repelling charms will be able to keep that many away. Maybe one or two but not over a dozen."
"Where am I going instead?"
Saskia's expression was unreadable.
"You'll be staying with an old friend," she said.
"What sort of friend?" Heinrich wanted to know. Saskia barely held in the growl that formed in her throat.
'That's not your concern," she snapped. "Just know that it's a safe place and no one but me and him will know that you're there."
"So it's a male friend?"
"It's not your father, if that's what you're wondering," Saskia growled. She would never deal with that man again.
His brother on the other hand…
She knew that she could trust him to stay silent about the boy's true identity. If she told him that the boy's name was Heinrich Beltz, her son's uncle would go to his grave claiming that the boy was Heinrich Beltz. He wouldn't tell any other Death Eater or Order of the Phoenix member that Harry Potter was staying at his home.
Once outside of the manor grounds, Saskia apparated them away.
"When will I learn how to do that?" Heinrich questioned her. The more he was apparated, the easier the sensation became on his stomach. He was able to stay on his feet now as well.
"Once you turn seventeen," Saskia said. "You still have some time before that happens."
"But I'll become a Death Eater before then," Heinrich protested. "Shouldn't I know how to apparated before then?"
"What makes you think that you'll become a Death Eater before you come of age?" Saskia demanded in a sharp voice. Heinrich looked taken aback by her tone.
"Because I was about to become one before I went to the Ministry and got imprisoned," he said. "At least according to my journals. That was supposed to be my final test."
Saskia had forgotten about that. She didn't respond to his silent question, instead rapping on the door to the house in front of her.
"Antonin," she said, relieved at seeing a familiar face. She knew that the man hadn't seen the teen behind her, which allowed her some time to explain.
"Saskia," the man said in a curt voice. "What do you want?"
"I, and Fenrir, were hoping that you could take in my son Heinrich for the next few nights, until the full moon has passed. He's not bitten yet and last month he got into a bit of trouble. I trust that you'll be able to keep him out of trouble."
"Heinrich?" The man's brow had furrowed in confusion. Clearly he had heard about the letter the Ministry of Magic had sent. Saskia nodded and stepped aside to reveal the green-eyed teen.
Instantly Antonin's brown eyes flicked up to the scare on the boy's forehead. Saskia could see his hands twitching toward his wand. Instead of growling she asked, "Please? Fenrir and I really have no choice and we felt that you might be a decent option. Besides, Heinrich is still interested in becoming a Death Eater and you would be able to tell him more about such things than I ever could.
Antonin's hand stopped twitching in faint surprise.
"A Death Eater?" he asked the teen. "Are you certain?"
Heinrich nodded. "As certain as I can be right now."
"Keep him safe and secret," Saskia whispered as Antonin stepped back to let the boy inside his house. "He was nearly killed during the last full moon and he can't be allowed to die. We have plans for him."
Antonin gave Saskia a thin smile.
"Don't worry," he said. "No one will know that he's here. However, you should fill me in on these plans sometime. I'm dying to know about them." His brown eyes flickered toward the teen.
"Fenrir knows more than I do," Saskia said coldly. "Treat him like you've always treated my son because that's who he believes he is."
"He believes that he's Heinrich?" Antonin asked. Saskia nodded.
"A potion," she explained. "I'll be back in a few days." The female werewolf apparated away, leaving the two males alone.
"Who are you?" Heinrich asked as he looked around the house. "My mother didn't say and I can't remember if I met you before or not."
The older man smiled. So what Saskia had said was true. The boy had no idea who he really was.
"My name is Antonin Dolohov," he said. "Tell me, Heinrich. What do you want to know about being a Death Eater?"
Heinrich stared at the man for a few seconds before replying.
"Can you teach me to apparate?" he asked. "I haven't learned how yet and my mother won't teach me. I doubt any of the others in the pack will teach me."
"Is that all you want to know?" Antonin Dolohov wasn't sure how he was supposed to react to that. Heinrich shrugged.
"Well, everyone else has been teaching me spells and curses and how to duel," he said. "The only thing I haven't really learned are potions and how to make them but I don't think there's much of a demand for making them."
"Not unless you're interested in becoming a healer or a master of the art," Dolohov agreed. "Which you've never had much of a knack of."
Heinrich's green eyes blinked in surprise.
"Really?" he asked. "Then how did I—" He stopped and looked slightly embarrassed.
"How did you what?" Dolohov pushed. Heinrich shuffled his feet.
"Apparently I took a potion to erase my memories," he muttered. "If I didn't have the talent for making potions, how did I get my hands on it? I doubt I had money to buy one."
"That will just have to remain a mystery," Antonin replied. "So apparation is what you're willing to learn? I'm not a certified instructor but I'll try and teach you."
Heinrich grinned in relief.
"If we have time, do you think you could teach me some of the more useful spells that a Death Eater uses?" he asked. "I have a feeling that I haven't learned many of them."
"With Saskia teaching you?" Dolohov nearly laughed in disbelief. "No, you wouldn't have learned a fraction of them. She's not a Death Eater. She never had the stomach or personality for it."
"Aldrich has been teaching me as well," Heinrich admitted. "Isn't he a Death Eater?"
"Not a very good one," Dolohov muttered. "I don't know what Fenrir has planned for you but I think he'd want you to become more than a lower-ranked Death Eater. He'd probably want you in the inner circle with him and I."
"The inner circle?" Heinrich didn't fully understand what that meant but it sounded prestigious. "How does one get into the inner circle?"
A cruel smile crept onto Antonin Dolohov's face.
"The Dark Lord makes that decision," he said. "But don't worry. Between Fenrir and I, you can be certain that the Dark Lord will be impressed by you."
If Heinrich had thought that his training sessions with Aldrich and Saskia were difficult and tiring, it was nothing compared to his lessons with Dolohov. The man didn't hold back and Heinrich could be certain that if he didn't block or dodge the spells, he could count on the consequence of his mistakes to be painful.
Still, it encouraged him to do better, unlike with his other teachers. Now that Heinrich knew that he was working with an inner circle Death Eater, he wanted to prove what he was capable of and was willing to push himself what he believed that he was capable of. He mastered apparating within one night. By the time the second night of the full moon had passed, he had mastered twenty new spells and could use them in a duel. When the morning after the third night of the full moon had come around, Heinrich could proudly say that he was able to hold his own against another Death Eater. He still lost quite frequently but it took a few minutes compared to the mere seconds it had taken when he first arrived.
Saskia knocked on the door quietly. She didn't hear any movement inside the house but she knew that Antonin would be awake. After a moment, the door opened.
"Well?" she asked.
"The boy's eating breakfast," Antonin said calmly. "He's been up since dawn."
"On his own accord?" Dolohov shook his head and Saskia's dark eyes narrowed. "Have you been training him, Antonin?" she asked.
"Only what he's asked me to teach him. Really, Saskia. Your skills as a teacher are lacking. The boy's a quick learner if you can encourage him right."
"I've had more success than Aldrich has had," Saskia growled.
"But you've been teaching him light spells," Dolohov interrupted. "Spells that no future Death Eater should be using. It's like you don't want him to become a Death Eater."
"And what have you taught him?" Saskia demanded.
"Just the necessities," Antonin replied coldly. "The things he needs to know before the Dark Lord marks him. It would be pointless if he couldn't get through the initiation ceremony."
"There is no initiation ceremony," Saskia said.
"Not for the average Death Eater," Antonin responded with a smirk. "But if he wants to make more of himself than that, he'll have to duel for his place and I doubt the Dark Lord would be impressed with him stupefying and disarming his opponents."
"You want him to become a part of the inner circle," Saskia whispered. Dolohov nodded.
"You should too, if you wanted what was best for him," he said. "Unless you want the boy to be destined for a life of mediocrity?"
Saskia didn't respond. She didn't have the chance to as the pair of them heard a dish fall to the ground and break, shortly followed by a large object, much like a body.
The female werewolf pushed past Dolohov and rushed into the kitchen. Her dark eyes widened as she saw Heinrich on the ground, his limbs shaking and twisting into painful positions. In the corner of his mouth, Saskia spotted a glimpse of bloody foam.
Antonin Dolohov whispered a spell as Saskia attempted to get the boy to stay still. The food on the ground turned green.
"Poison," he announced. "Hemlock."
Saskia cursed and Dolohov whistled in appreciation at the words she used. He hadn't expected his brother's former lover to know such words.
"Get out of the way," Saskia ordered as she lifted the seizing teen into her arms, using the strength that only a werewolf could be capable of. "I need to get him to a healer."
Antonin nodded and stepped aside, allowing the woman to apparate out of his home.
Saskia had dealt with healers before. Not many of them were willing to treat werewolves but there were a few. Luckily the ones she knew of were sworn to the Dark Lord. She wouldn't have to worry about the boy falling into the Order's grasp.
The dark-haired woman apparated straight into the female healer's office, not caring if she would be with a patient. The woman looked surprised to see her.
"Saskia?" she asked. "What's going on?"
The female werewolf dropped the green-eyed teen on the small cot in the room.
"He's been poisoned with hemlock," she explained. "I need an antidote urgently."
The healer hadn't seemed to hear her. Instead, she was staring at the scar on the boy's forehead. "Is that Harry Potter?"
Saskia growled.
"Yes it is and everything will be explained later. However, I need the antidote for hemlock poisoning now and if word gets out beyond this office about the boy, I'll rip you from limb to limb myself."
The healer let out a terrified squeak and went to fetch the necessary antidote. Saskia glared at her as she left before trying to flatten the boy's dark hair down to hide the scar. She didn't need someone to walk in and spot the scar. She had been sloppy. She should have put a glamour on the boy before taking him here.
"Damn you," she whispered to the boy. "Don't you dare die and ruin our plans."
This was the second time in two months that there had been an attempt on the boy's life. Saskia needed to find out who was behind this. She had already lost her son. She wasn't going to allow this boy to die as well.
The healer rushed into the room, a small vial in her hand.
"Does he just need to take the potion?" Saskia demanded. The healer gave a timid nod.
"And bed rest for a few days," she said.
"Remember what I said," Saskia growled, grabbing the potion. She uncorked the vial and dumped its contents down the boy's throat, covering his mouth and nostrils with one hand and rubbing his throat with the other to get the contents down his throat. After a few seconds, the seizure had stopped and the boy was beginning to breathe easier. "Remember, if any word about him gets out of this room, you'll die."
She didn't wait for a response. Once Saskia was sure that the seizures wouldn't start again, she had apparated away, bringing the teen with her.
The manor was silent was Saskia carried the boy inside. Everyone was still sleeping, which was fine by her. She didn't need any of the other pack members to know that the boy was still alive. If Fenrir's suspicions were right and another werewolf had tried to kill Heinrich during that first month, they could very well be a member of the pack and responsible for this second attempt.
Saskia set the boy down on his bed and arranged the covers around him. She wiped the foam and vomit off of his face with the edge of one of the sheets. The boy was unconscious and probably would remain so for another few hours. Saskia sighed and looked around the rooms. She spotted her son's journals that the boy had been reading a few weeks ago.
Well, she had nothing better to do.
Saskia picked up the thin stack of journals and carried them over to the trunk at the foot of the bed. She sat on top of the trunk, grabbing a spare blanket, and began to read.
Heinrich still hadn't woken up when Fenrir came looking for her. The alpha werewolf spotted the vomit on the sheets and growled in irritation.
"What happened now?" he demanded. Saskia set aside the journals and stared at him with dull eyes.
"A poison attempt," she explained. "He'll be fine in a few days."
"Antonin Dolohov caught me after the meeting this afternoon," Fenrir growled. "The boy stayed with him?" Saskia nodded.
"I knew that he wouldn't say anything to other Death Eaters," she said. "He's kept my secrets before."
"He thinks that the boy is ready to become a Death Eater."
Saskia froze for a second before bowing her head.
"If you both think he's ready, then he must be," she said. "I suppose you'll bring him before the Dark Lord soon?"
"I had planned to tomorrow but now I see that those plans are no longer possible," Fenrir confirmed. "However, as soon as he's ready and can hold his own in a duel again, I'll arrange a meeting."
"So you want him to be more than a Death Eater," Saskia said in an emotionless tone.
"Of course I do," Fenrir snapped. "What would be the point in putting in all this effort if the boy was just going to be an average Death Eater?"
"It's only been two months," Saskia pointed out.
"I don't care. In case you've forgotten, this is the boy that defeated the Dark Lord when he was only an infant and again when he was only eleven. I think two months is more than enough time."
"I'll keep you updated on his progress, then," Saskia said. "When he starts coming down for meals again, you can take him to the Dark Lord."
"Good," Fenrir growled before stalking out of the room and slamming the door shut behind him.
It was nearly three days before Heinrich was ready to come down for meals. Saskia tried to delay as much as she could, not quite ready to lose another boy to the Dark Lord, but even she could fight the boy's restlessness.
Three days after the full moon had passed, Heinrich and Saskia entered the kitchen for lunch. A thin grin crept onto Fenrir's lips, a grin that seemed malicious to Saskia.
"Finally," he said. "I'll be back around dinner time. Gunther, Heinrich, I'll be taking you to the Dark Lord after dinner. Be prepared."
Heinrich's green eyes widened in shock but he nodded, silently pleased. He didn't look over toward Gunther, who seemed unsurprised by the announcement. A feeling of dread started to form in Saskia's stomach. She didn't trust Gunther around Heinrich. Not after hearing what he and her son had done against her wishes.
For anyone that's interested, I've created a Facebook page, where I'll be posting not only my updates, but also questions, polls, statuses about my writing, update schedules, milestones, new story ideas, and basically anything writing related I feel like posting. I would love to interact with my readers so feel free to post on the page. Search Cheyla in the Facebook search bar and you should be able to find it. The page's profile picture is a black and white baby dragon so you know you've found the right page.
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