Chapter 9
Lucius was reminded of a few days ago when his brother spoke to him. It was the first time Nick had sought him out to talk alone. He had asked when his real birthday had been. They had told him he wasn't born on July 31st but not when his birthday really was. It wasn't like they didn't know or were trying to hide something from him, they just had so much else with him on their mind. Nick's birthday fell in August, a few days after what he thought his birthday to be. They planned to have a small birthday for him but they had been unsure of when to have it. But just as his name, Nick reminded them he was not born on July 31st and didn't want to continue. The twins would be able to be back by then for it. For now his new teachers were the main focus for him and the potion Severus was bringing.
The timing was planned so both of his new teachers would arrive on the same day. They hoped they would be able to help or offer some type of explanation. Lucius was reminded they needed to speak to his brother about it before the two arrived.
Lucius came into the library where his brother was finishing with a letter. "To the twins?"
Nick looked towards his voice. "Yes, I can't really write to anyone else can I?"
Lucius sat down next to him. "Hopefully with time we will be able to let you have contact with others."
Nick sealed the envelope, he had a quick quill pen so he could write without help. "How do we even know any of them would want to hear?"
Lucius squeezed his hand. "I know you have your doubts but the twins assured you about your quidditch buddies. "
Nick knew the twins would not lie just to pick up his spirits. "I just hope others as well."
From what the twins had told him Ron had been spying on him. They were not sure but they doubted any of their family knew the truth. Bill had said the same thing, that his parents hadn't known he was a decoy, though they had known other parts. He prayed his friends like Hermione were still loyal and were still his friends or would be when they knew the truth. He knew they couldn't know it until the war was over. The world had to rally behind the real Harry and Nick prayed the kid had what it would take to win the war.
Lucius looked at the letter and back at his brother. He noticed Talis was with Nick which had become a regular thing. He had heard of muggles having seeing eye dogs but they could not literally see through their eyes. He wondered if something similar could be done for his brother.
Nick seemed to know something was up. "Is something wrong?"
Lucius knew he just had to do it. "Nick there is something I need to discuss before your new teachers come. It is about your visions."
Nick was confused. "I thought they were coming to help Fleur with me."
Lucius agreed but he explained what they suspected about Talis, and perhaps an elemental. "Severus is bringing a potion with him."
Nick was surprised. "I didn't know elementals even existed. Do we know what element?"
Lucius told his brother no. The snake and the cat were throwing them off a bit. They were not quite certain what element could be connected to so many different animals as Nick. There was a chance he was was an Earth element, as they had a link to animals and plants. Some were thought to be natural healers. They were sure they ruled out a water element, as Voldemort if he was an element, surely was one. Salazar was believed to have been one in his time. Water elements were known for their abilities in legimency, and Voldemort of course was an expert. It would explain how he used the marks, he was able to link to their minds through it. They were still not certain how Nick got visions, since he had no real scar.
Nick had to ask. "We're not heirs though right? I mean I pulled the sword of Gryffindor, but all the Malfoys and Blacks were Slytherins."
Lucius sighed. "There were rumors the Potters might be, why they were attacked. Unfortunately if we are heirs, our father never told me."
Nick pet Talis on the head. "Did he have any of the powers? You were around him, I wasn't."
Lucius looked at Talis. "As he got sick, he used to talk to that cat all the time. To be honest I thought he was losing his mind."
Nick was reminded their dad had died of the pox and been ill for months. "People talk to cats, Mrs. Fig talks to hers all the time."
Lucius agreed. "But it was different, and I think he tried to tell me but I'd not listen. I thought he was so sick, and none of it made sense."
He wished for his brother's sake he had listened. But between the grief over the death of his husband and missing baby, and the fever, Lucius thought it was too much for the old man. He could see the pain in Nick's face and knew Nick was blaming himself for it. He held his brother and reminded him it wasn't his fault, he hadn't run away, he had been kidnapped as a baby.
Viktor's came from the door. "You will have to take a potion, but there is a good chance you're a founder's heir like me and Adrian."
Nick turned towards their voices. "You are founder's heirs?"
Adrian answered. "Our families have hid the secret for a long time. We thought Harry Potter was the other heir, we could be wrong."
Lucius was confused. "If my brother is the third, then you must be wrong. We're not related to the Potters."
Victor sat down. "There is a rumor that Voldemort was never the true heir of Slytherin, that his Uncle had a child."
If it was true it might explain why both Harry and Nick could speak to snakes. There was no telling which of them might be the heir of Slytherin though. Lucius assumed it was likely Harry, and Voldemort went after him to kill the true heir to his title. But he may just have been targeting any of the heirs to the founders. There was no telling until Nick took a potion and showed some powers.
Severus had the potion in hand. "Well then it is a good thing I came prepared. We should find out soon if and which heir you might be."
Hermione stood looking at Fred and his words confused her. It wasn't that she had not heard them before but when and where. It was the response she had been expecting from Harry when she asked about Sirius. Sirius had told her she was the brightest witch of her age before he had taken off on Buckbeak. She and the man may never have been close but that was a great compliment she always remembered. And Harry had repeated it more than once since his godfather had used it. She was reminded the twins were closer to him than even Ron.
Fred watched her and somehow was not surprised how quickly she had picked it up. Nick had thought the same thing that like Luna she was not to be fooled too easily. Fred had promised not to tell her out right, but he could give her a nudge in the right direction he thought.
Hermione looked at him. "You know something."
Fred shrugged. "I know a lot but probably wouldn't impress a book smart like you."
Hermione was not buying it for a moment. "There is something different about Harry and you know what it is."
Fred perched on the desk. "He seemed like the same little brother last time I saw him."
Hermione sunk down onto the bed. "Potions wouldn't act that fast, and he didn't know what Sirius spoke about that night."
Fred flipped through the book which was the journal disguised to look like Moby Dick. "Appearances can be very deceiving Hermione."
Hermione watched him for a moment. "Fred you know I'm going to find out. There is a reason you and George came home, I know it."
Fred stood to leave the room but he tossed the book at her. "Appearances Hermione, appearances. Never took Harry for a classics fan."
Alone in the room Hermione looked down at the book in her lap. No, she had not in fact known Harry to be much of a reader at all. He would have chosen something far more exciting than Moby Dick if he was bored. Maybe it was the only thing he had access to, but she wasn't sure. She ran a spell over the book, able to do magic as they were in a magic household, and she realized it was disguised. She found it was a two way journal and she found someone named Travis had recently written back in it.
Before she could read she heard someone clear their throat and looked up. Harry was standing in the door, and before she could act, he had summoned the book from her lap. He put the concealment charm back on it.
Harry shook his head. "And here I thought Ron was the one I had to worry about snooping Mione."
Hermione stood. "Since when do you call me Mione? Ron calls me that, not you."
Harry brushed it off and put the book back on the desk. "Hermione as I said before, it has been a rough summer."
She put a hand on his arm to stop him from leaving. "I know my best friend, and this is more than grief over Sirius. I know my best friend."
Harry eyed her up and down for a moment. "Perhaps you don't as well as you think."
Hermione watched him leave the room and she tried to open the book. This time she could not lift the concealment charm, it was warded. She had no idea who Travis was or what was with this journal. She didn't think her and Harry had any secrets from each other. She knew he may have spoken about things to Luna or Neville, the twins and not to her, but nothing like this. Something was so off.
She found a few others downstairs when she went down for lunch. It was a week nearly to Harry's birthday, but Luna had come over. She was of course friends with Ginny since little and lived down the road.
Luna came into the house and she kissed Harry on the cheek. "No mistletoe this time. No infestations."
Harry returned the kiss and shrugged. "I don't think we need a reason, besides I haven't worried about cooties since I was little."
Luna had an odd look at her face as she watched him go to the table. "I meant knargles. He forgot."
Hermione had been by her side. "Luna we don't all remember your wild stories."
Luna turned to look at her with hurt in her eyes. "I know you think they are stupid fantasies, but Harry always remembered."
Hermione watched as the blonde sunk down at the table. Luna was right, Harry might not believe her wild stories either, but he remembered them. Harry knew what it was like to be bullied, and he would never pick on someone. If it had just been Luna she would have let it slip, but the events of the bedroom ran through her mind as well. Something was just not right about all of this.
George touched her on the shoulder as they were sitting down for lunch. "Bread, Hermione?"
Author note: so this is not a founder's heirs take on Voldie story. Harry is the BWL and he will take on the man himself. The others may play a minor role in war but not that.
