Sirius
Snivellus' face hovered above his simmering cauldron, illuminated by the luminescent purple surface that bubbled, popped and frothed, threatening to flow over the edges of the black cauldron. His black greasy hair glimmered in that same purple light. Sirius felt disgusted by the sight – the boy's lack of personal hygiene was not the main reason he felt that way either; after all, he did spend an inordinate amount of time around Peter and spent many nights running around the forest as a dog. Rather, it was the fact that Snape was as deeply engrossed in the dark arts as he was repulsed by them – and the greasy boy was completely unrepentant for it.
"Look at the greasy git," muttered James from besides him as he stirred his brewing potion, a rather sickly shade of yellow at the current time. "How did he even get this good at potions? He was no better than us at the start of the first year."
Sirius saw it, plain as day – Snape had a rather unhealthy fixation on Lily, a fixation that he was determined to stamp out; Lily should be with James, not some greasy Death Eater worshipper.
"Lily," was Sirius' simple answer to his friend; he knew that he wouldn't be able to get in a word edgeways after he said her name so he didn't bother.
"Pah! As if he has a chance with her! If he thinks that'll impress her, then he's very much mistaken. I mean, if I haven't impressed her yet how will he? I'm quidditch captain, and an animagi! Although, I guess she doesn't know that. Hey, do you think we should tell her?"
"Please don't. Be sensible, James," Remus chided.
"Oh, right, yeah, then we'd have to say about you. But still, he's a greasy git, thinking that potions will impress her. Probably trying to cook up a love potion, the pervert," muttered James. Sirius gave a bemused grin – he enjoyed listening to James' rants. He did agree, though. Lily deserved James, he was much better for her than Snivellus.
"Now, class, leave behind your fire protection potions at the end of the lesson, and I'll give you your marks tomorrow," Slughorn asked as he strode around the dungeon only to stop by Snape's now perfect crimson potion – and lean past to whisper a word into Lily's ear. Sirius did not miss the disappointment on Snape's face, or how his eyes watched Lily intently.
As they shuffled out of the class, the four boys hung back slightly, waiting for one individual in particular. It had been James' idea; Remus was uncomfortable, it appeared, but still went along with it. Peter on the other hand, just seemed very close to running away.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, James? We'll get into a lot of trouble," murmured Remus.
"Come off it, Moony, you know he's had it coming. Did you hear what he said to Mary the other day? 'Watch your back, mudblood.' He's a git," Sirius said with a roll of his eyes.
"W-well, he did only say that because Mary had been making fun of him," Peter chipped in before he became subdued when Sirius shot him a glare.
"Here he comes," whispered James ostentatiously.
"Lily, I found that starting to stir clockwise before adding the powder works better," Snape said, his voice unusually courteous.
"But the instructions say that – oh no. James, what are you doing?" Lily stopped in her tracks, holding an arm out in front of Snape who had already drawn his wand, an action James had no need for - his wand already outstretched in his hand.
"Please move, Lily, the git's been asking for it all week," James said, an almost pleading tone in his voice.
"Git? That's rich coming from you, Potter. Attacked any more Slytherins two years below you?" Snape sneered over Lily's shoulder, his pallid features drawn tight over his thin face.
"Severus, don't. And James, just back off, alright?"
"No, I'm sorry Lily, but this can't be-"
"Can't? You're so immature! Just leave him alone, he hasn't even looked at you today!"
"Fine! Have it your way, but don't come crying to me when he ends up stabbing you in the back!" James' hands were shaking as he turned to walk away, but his entire body jerked and went still as he heard Snape's voice behind him.
"Look at you, running away again, Potter."
Sirius cursed, and turned before James had, but was promptly disarmed by Lily whose wand was outstretched – her green eyes wide with shock. Yet, she was too slow to stop James.
"Reducto!" cried James as the dungeon wall behind Snape exploded, shrapnel and dust raining down on the ducking Snape and Lily. Sirius had grabbed his wand, and soon sent off a silent curse towards Snape, not a word uttered as yellow light shone through the dust homing in on Snape's calm features.
"Protego."
The white flash caused Sirius to wince in discomfort, his brows drawn as he entered a state of focus that was very quickly disrupted.
"What do you lot think you are doing?"
"Run!" shouted James, the Maraurders not hesitating as they turned and began to sprint away from the approaching form of Slughorn.
Harry
1st September, 1992, The Atlantic
The warmth of the cabin was a stark contrast to the turbulent weather outside. Even with the array of charms placed upon the ship it still shook and groaned under the stress. It had gotten to the point where they all huddled together on the same stretch of couch, like penguins conserving heat.
"Do you think that they're gonna fix the charms on the ship when we get there?" Harry asked.
"Doubt it. This thing hasn't been fixed up in something like a hundred years," Elise said, arms wrapped around her knees which she had managed to pull up to her chest for a place to rest her head. She looked tired – as if she had struggled to find a night's sleep over the summer.
Harry looked to the ornate box in the corner, a deep frown set upon his face. "Do you think Nachash will be alright?"
"Of course he will. He's a snake, not a tea set," Draco said with an air of derision. "Besides, if you're worried, why not just ask him?"
Harry blinked – it was a valid point. However, he had started to find it perturbing to be holding two separate conversations simultaneously; his god father had been the one to highlight this quality after they had returned from the Malfoys. "I don't know. Would you two be comfortable with it?"
Elise shrugged, "Why would we? Just don't tell it to attack us."
"It's not an it, Elise. It's a he," Draco corrected.
"But you just called it an it too?" Elise said as her voice raised in pitch, a single eyebrow arched.
Harry gave a sigh, electing to focus upon his companion instead for the time being as their bickering faded into the background. "Are you alright?"
There was a moment of awkward hesitation as Harry waited for a reply, something that Harry had observed to be a rather frustrating trait with the snake. He would wait a long time before answering, Harry had wanted to ask why, but thought it could be rude.
"I'm fine, hatchling. I'm not unused to a storm, or this infernal box."
Harry grinned, although internally he pondered for a few moments as to how the snake had come to weather storms in the past; he made a mental note to ask him later.
"Corvus, is Draco a hypocrite or not?" Elise challenged, eyebrows drawn in a defiant look that almost dared Harry to disagree with her. He smirked as he imagined her expression if he did disagree – disbelief, frustration and shock all in one.
"Draco, as much as I love you, you are a bit of a hypocrite." Draco scowled deeply as Elise just arched an eyebrow as the start of a smirk began to creep across her face.
"You love Draco, huh?" It was Harry's turn to scowl.
"You know what I meant. We're brothers, practically." Harry said, gesturing to his 'brother'. Draco gave a nod of agreement, and simply raised his hand to show off the scar that was a result of their friendship. Elise shrugged and simply threw a lock of her hair over her shoulder in a display of nonchalance.
They settled in for the long haul, remaining quiet as the journey dragged on; they were content to simply be in each other's company again after such a long time apart. Harry found it felt like he had finally been given a jug of water after months stranded in the desert. It reinvigorated him – and he could have sworn he weighed less with the pressure of choice and expectation from the Malfoys surrounding him. He wasn't completely oblivious – he was acutely aware of the fact that his god father and Lucius Malfoy were playing a game of chess with him and Draco as the queen and king. He had expected to be angry once he figured it out but instead, Harry felt almost empty, hollow. Or, at least, he had until they had all reunited. Once again, a warmth spread through his core. Back where he belonged, in the place where he excelled and was able to be normal.
He smiled, and turned to look at Elise who had fallen asleep on his shoulder. Waking her up would be fun, he thought. It was queer, he thought, how even a year ago he was just meeting this girl who he now saw as almost an extension of himself – indeed, the same could be said for the boy on his right.
He gave a shrug, and Elise woke in a startled flutter, looking around very much like the birds outside of Harry's window back at 12 Grimmauld Place. The birds would build their nests on his windowsill, laying their eggs and going to sleep at night just as Harry would, and upon waking up would snap their heads around, eyes scanning the environment for danger – and when they saw Harry, they would relax, for they knew he was not going to hurt them. Harry had always felt too much empathy for the eggs.
"Sorry, was I out long?" Elise asked in a daze.
Harry shook his head, "Not for long."
"And it should not be much longer until we have to get off, so we'd best make certain we're dressed well," Draco chimed in over the top of his book: Why we use Latin for spells.
"Interesting book, Draco?" asked Harry, who was grabbed by the title – why did they use Latin for spells? He remembered vaguely how his father had mentioned they focused his emotion, but why not English?
"Yes. Apparently, when magic started we used ancient Greek and Chinese. I'll lend it to you once I'm done, if you want."
"Sure, thanks." Harry grinned at his friend before frowning as he realized that Elise was no longer next to him – and caught his eye on her bare back as she changed into a different set of clothes. He rolled his eyes and looked away. "You know, might want to give me some warning next time, Elise."
"Why? Judging by how much time you spend with your boyfriend there, you probably wouldn't be too bothered by what I have to offer anyway," Elise said, her face still hidden to Harry – but the sharp, quick reply was laced with droll wit.
Harry blew air out of his nose as he quickly tried to scramble together a retort, "And what of the time we spend with you? Besides, how sad would it be if the only two boys you're with are gay?" His retort fell flat, and Harry was more than aware on how borderline homophobic it was. As he felt a sharp pain flare through his ribs, Harry winced and groaned as Draco shook his head with a scowl.
"Why would that be a bad thing?" asked Elise in a probing, inquisitive manner.
"It isn't, just couldn't think of anything better."
"Not exactly a first from you then, is it, Corvus?" Draco chimed in, a smirk starting to tug at his lips. Harry opened his mouth to retort, before he closed it with a snap. He knew that if he messed it up it'd lead to even more teasing – it made more sense to just stay quiet. However, the action seemed to only prompt more loud sniggers from the pair of them.
"Come on you two, get changed," Elise scolded after a moment. Harry grumbled as he got up, wondering when Elise had become the boss of them.
"Stay in your rooms," came the familiar voice of their Magical Theory teacher, Dimitri. He didn't linger – instead he carried on down the impossibly long hallway of the magical ship.
"I guess they rotate the teacher who comes out to fetch us then," commented Draco idly as he pulled on a gray, silken shirt over his pale, bare chest. It surprised Harry how Draco was never able to bring anything that cost under five galleons with him. It wasn't like Harry wasn't well off himself, and he still had some muggle clothing from the local shop that cost the equivalent of a couple of sickles.
"Yeah, he didn't sound all that happy though, did he?" pondered Harry aloud as he cast his eyes towards the door whilst pulling on his black and gold surcoat over his white shirt.
"Would you, if you had to be out here?" asked Elise with a cocked brow.
"I certainly would not. These second years are right cretins. Apart from that Malfoy, he's alright," said Draco aloud smugly.
"Really? I heard everyone thinks he's a right tosser," retorted Harry with a grin.
"At least that tosser knows how to use a comb."
"That tosser spends more time with his comb than his wand – probably why he can barely cast a spell."
Elise gave a roll of her eyes before she started to speak, "Come on let's shut up."
Draco and Harry both rounded on her, speaking in unison: "And who made you the boss?"
"The fact that you were too distracted to noticed I'd drawn my wand does." Elise swiftly gave a flourish of her wand as she locked Harry into place with a single spell, "Petrificus Totalus." Draco had drawn his wand, but was too slow to dodge Elise's second spell that sent him crashing over, frozen just as Harry had been. Elise gave a smirk, and wandered over until she was knelt in between the two petrified bodies, their eyes tracking her. "I win."
Harry tried to plead with her, if only through the use of his eyes; his efforts were in vain. She stood up, sheathing her wand and sitting on the plush couch patiently as she waited.
It turned out that they didn't have to wait long; Dimitri poked his head through the doorway with an expression of bemused surprise at the sight of the two unconscious boys and the innocently humming Elise sat upon their sofa. Harry tried to wriggle, but the effort was in vain.
"I take it their incessant noise got to you, Miss Vulchanova?" asked the young teacher with a grin.
"Yup, to put it lightly."
"Well, I suggest we allow them to return to action, how did you beat them anyway?" Dimitri wore an expression that twisted his scars, turning even his light hearted curious expression into something that seemed darker that could scare those unfamiliar with the professor. But it had no such effect on any of them.
"Well, whilst they were busy arguing I had already taken out my wand." Elise looked to her professor with a grin, expecting approval, however, all she received was a roll of the eyes.
"Guess we need to teach them how to draw their wands quicker then, hm?" Dimitri finally gave a wave of his wand, silently undoing the invisible bindings upon their bodies. Harry sat up quickly, clenching his fingers into balled fists over and over.
"You know, you can be a right ass sometimes, Elise."
"Definitely. Seriously, that went too far. Do you have any idea how it feels being trapped for ten minutes like that?" Draco's voice was scathing to say the least – and Harry couldn't help but agree. It was a horrible experience, you were trapped inside your own body. No control, but full awareness – your body could try to move, but never could. It was like being stuck inside an invisible coffin that was exactly your size.
"Come on, boys, you probably deserved it. Anyway, you all need to get outside, we'll be heading into the institute soon." Dimitri left the room at that, heading towards the other rooms. They looked at each other, blank expressions upon their faces before shuffling outside. It surprised Harry that Dimitri thought they deserved it – the man seemed off as a whole, he thought to himself.
Outside the typical Nordic breeze met them and sent them into shivers as they tried to hug themselves in an attempt to keep warm: it made little difference. Harry noted that there were more students outside than there had been the last year; it looked as if the entire school was gathered.
"Alright! Listen up!" Dimitri's magically enhanced voice carried over the muttering and laughter of the school, carrying the authority that no other teacher seemed to possess.
"Where's Karkaroff?" asked one student that Harry recognized to be a fourth year – was it the headmaster that met the older students and led them inside?
"That's a bloody good question, frankly, and one I do not hold the answer for," answered Dimitri. The crowd went wild, muttering to one another – a sense of dread began to rise up through his core. Sirius had told him some time ago that Karkaroff was a death eater, and if Voldemort had returned – well, he knew how to get to Durmstrang, and how to lead him there. Yet, at the presence of a familiar hand, he felt himself calm down; Krum was next to him, hands on his two youngest chasers.
"Corvus, Draco, we were looking for you. Stick close to us, things may get ugly." Krum's voice reminded Harry of Dimitri. He gave a nod of affirmation, leaning in to repeat the message to Elise who blinked in surprise.
"He went to join You-Know-Who!" cried someone from the back, and the crowd went silent all at once, looking to Dimitri for an answer. Harry froze, his fingers pulling his wand out of his pocket, ready.
"As I said, I do not kn-" Dimitri was cut off by the crowd's shouting, but one voice rang out above the rest: a seventh year, tall, stocky and very well built. Harry recognized him from blue team.
"So he's a coward then, like the rest of those Death Eater cunts?"
"Watch your bloody mouth, Christoffer!" roared back another student Harry didn't recognize.
"Shut it!" yelled Dimitri, but it was too late – he had lost control.
"Oi! That's Malfoy, his father did in my uncle!" yelled a sixth year, the keeper for Blue Team. Draco looked startled – but it wasn't long before Krum had grabbed him and pulled him into the middle of red team.
Harry heard a crunch somewhere to his left – another second year had hit the ground, blood spurting from his nose. He looked to his right again, and noticed the Blue Team's keeper storming towards Malfoy before stopping as Brandon stepped in front of him.
"Yeah, I wouldn't recommend getting any closer," Brandon said to the keeper, staring him down only to receive a snarl in return.
"Or what are you gonna do?"
There was an explosion, and suddenly Dimitri's voice cracked like a whip against the crowd. "Stop, now! Any student who doesn't shut up and start following me will be whipped!" The threat worked, every student went silent and were now helping up fallen students. Harry felt Krum's hand on his shoulder still. "We'll walk you back safely, don't leave your rooms tonight. Eat breakfast with us, you too Elise."
"I'll make sure Elise gets back safely," Ash said, holding a hand over her heart, and sending another smirk at Harry, but he wasn't in the mood to blush – he knew that Durmstrang was no longer safe.
2nd September, 1992, Durmstrang Institute
"Wait, it's that bad?" Elise asked Krum over the table; he nodded gravely, placing his hands down flat against the table.
"Yes. The British always forget that whilst You-Know-Who acted inside their country, his influence reached most of Europe. I am surprised you did not hear about this from your family?"
"Well, they are too self-involved to care, I bet."
Krum arched a brow, but did not question further. Miranda frowned as she stabbed at her bacon, "So, Bulgaria is having sightings of Death Eaters again, and Malfoy's dad felt his mark burn. He's really back then?"
"Yes. My father wouldn't be wrong," confirmed Draco. "Not about this, anyway."
Harry was surprised – he did not often hear Draco ever even hint at any flaws of his father; he wondered what caused the sudden loss of confidence; or if it was as sudden as he thought. He took a stab at his sausage, frowning as he dragged it through the beans.
Krum's brow was furrowed deep as he spoke, "The school's divided. If it's anything like what my dad says about Grindelwald after he got expelled, it could get violent."
"That's what Draco's dad said. Why, though?" asked Harry.
"You-Know-Who's supporters have always been violent. Most supporters of the Dark Arts are – they tend to be the ones who care the most about blood status, other nonsense like that. And when you care a lot about an opinion, you defend that opinion."
"Well, it kind of does matter where you come from, Krum," Ash said, pouting slightly, "I mean, after all, it's about culture. Muggles don't understand it or try to."
"Come on, Ash, you don't believe that nonsense. You can't generalize an entire people." Brandon sighed.
"She's not entirely wrong though," Draco said with a roll of his eyes. "I mean, come on – most end up sticking to their old lives. Some even stay living with muggles, apparently."
Brandon gave a shrug, "That's their choice though, right?"
"An inconsiderate one."
"It's not our place to say-"Brandon started before being cut off.
"Then whose is it? Because I can't think of anyone better than us. We created our world," Ash argued, flipping a strand of blonde hair behind her ears. Krum looked on passively, a blank expression upon his face; Harry was curious, he wanted to know what was going on in his head. Who did he agree with?
"Oh come on guys," Alex finally chimed in, looking up from his plate, "Are we really gonna argue about this at breakfast?"
"When else, Alex? Besides, it's not like you care. You're too busy sleeping and jerking off to give a shit about politics," Brandon said with a grin upon his face – Alex simply made a face and raised his middle finger in retort.
"I don't like the idea of us just sitting by and letting muggleborns change our society to suit their needs. They came into our society, not the other way around. They adopt our ways." Draco's voice was impassioned despite his calm features. Harry knew he had always felt strongly about these issues – and it surprised him how Elise, the other extreme of the issue, was neglecting to speak her mind thus far. She just sat there, quietly watching.
And yet, it was not Harry that asked for her voice, but Krum. "Elise, what do you think?"
She hesitated as she looked at the faces that had now turned to her. She took a deep breath before speaking. "I think, that, well, we need to compromise. It's not right for either side to dominate our society. They're not any more inferior than we are; and besides, a lot of our culture is shared. Shakespeare, King Arthur, Beowulf."
Krum nodded at her words, seemingly in agreement. Draco and Ash shook their heads whilst Brandon flashed her a grin. Miranda didn't seem to care much and just gave a shrug. Harry didn't know how he should react, after all – she wasn't exactly wrong, but it ignored some of the more pressing issues. He gave a sigh and looked to Krum who had begun to speak.
"Either way, I will not allow anyone in this team to fight for a side. You pick a side, you're off this team. Dimitri's agreed – and on top of that, you protect the rest of the team, no matter who it is, or what side they agree with. Your pride isn't as important as each other, understood?"
They all nodded and murmured a kind of agreement but for Elise who simply looked at Draco with a degree of concern in her features. Harry thought it peculiar, but didn't bother to question it.
"Attention!" cried out a voice from the stairs – a very recognizable, and flamboyant one. It was their dark arts teacher, Alexi Nokarl. "I have some horrible news! And some great news, so it evens itself out in the end." The room remained silent as he spoke, eager to learn what exactly the news was.
"As some of you may have figured out after last night, Karkaroff has fled Durmstrang. We have no idea where he is – and so, he was removed from his position as Headmaster. We are doing our best to relocate him and remove his memories of Durmstrang's defences. However, his vacancy meant that we had to appoint a new headmaster, and thus I will be the new headmaster of the school from now on." There was a brief moment of shock before polite applause broke out across the room, receding after a few moments. "Thank you. Anyway, taking over the Dark Arts will be Dimitri, who is no longer teaching Magical Theory – instead, that responsibility belongs to a Rosaline Harrow. I am sure you will welcome them into their new positions."
Applause broke out around the hall, and then the whispering began – some of it at their own table.
"Dimitri's teaching the Dark Arts now? Does this mean he's in charge of the duelling club?" Harry asked, eyes wide with shock.
"I guess so," answered Krum with a pensive expression, "but what I think is more important is the fact that Alexi is now running the school. We might start to see some changes – he's always been a fan of fighting out your problems."
They didn't need to be told what that meant – Durmstrang was even more dangerous than they had previously thought. A chill went down Harry's spine; he remembered the last time he had been victim to an attack at the school all too well. He had felt powerless, emasculated and fearful for the next few weeks. And James, the boy who had attacked him, was still at large.
"Draco, you remember James?" muttered Harry, drawing the attention of a few of the members. "If he attacked me before… I think, we need to send a message. Win one fight, and the rest to come all at once, you know?"
Draco nodded – but Krum didn't seem exactly supportive, "You want to attack him? How does that make you any better? It'll also mark you out as being on the opposing side to whatever James will choose."
"He has a point, Viktor," Miranda said, "if he was attacked before; what's to stop him being attacked by them again?"
"Us. We would," answered Brandon.
"Corvus can't hide behind us forever, nor can Draco. They need to set a precedent. We all do," replied Ash. Krum sighed in response.
"Fine, whatever. But do not do it from the shadows. I won't have my team be called cowards, understand?" dictated Krum.
"Of course. Humiliating someone is far more fun anyway," Draco pointed out with a grin – a grin that Harry happily returned. He felt safe with Draco by his side; he knew nothing could go wrong.
And yet, Elise's face was one of concern, and horror.
19th September, 1992, Durmstrang Institute
Harry, Draco and Elise were all seated near the stairs out of the dining hall, but none of them were eating. Instead, they were all watching the form of James Kreak. His tall, strong silhouette was imposing – and to say that he felt no fear would be a lie. Harry gulped before he stood up, striding towards the stairs that James was approaching with two of his cronies on either side.
James stopped, looking at Harry who stood directly in front of him, looking up at the older boy through his glasses. "What do you think you're doing, Black? Get out of the way."
"Not happening. Take out your wand, I don't want to beat you unarmed." Harry was defiant, his pale aspen wand clutched tight in his grip, held like the handle of a sword. Draco had soon stepped to the side of him, wand drawn as well.
"Come off it, really? You want to get publically beaten now? Tell your boyfriend to fuck off, and we can do this properly."
The entire hall was silent, paying rapt attention to the events that unfolded in front of them – everyone stood sat down which left only Harry and James opposite of each other. They bowed.
"Scared, Black?"
"You wish."
They turned, took two steps back – and then turned with a slash of their wands.
"Stupefy!" they cried, simultaneously dodging to their rights to avoid the red flash of light.
"Ruptura!" yelled James, to aghast mutters throughout the hall. Harry managed to deflect it towards the ceiling, but gave a grimace; it was clear that James wasn't in a mood to take prisoners. He stepped forwards as he whipped his wand through the air.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry incanted, the white light missing James by an inch. Harry's grip tightened;
"Not on top of your game, are you, Black? Reducto!" The spell caused the railing it hit to explode into dust and fragments, but Harry was too focused on advancing towards James to care.
"Depulso!" His wand cut through the air towards the older boy, and this time – it caught him, but to little effect. James went stumbling back, sending off a flurry of stunning spells as quickly as he could incant them. They all missed, fizzling into the air. Harry was only a few feet from James now – so close. "Not so cocky now, are you?" Harry jeered.
"Glacius!" The floor beneath Harry began to frost, rapidly turning into what seemed like a puddle of ice. His footing slipped, his form starting to fall apart as he could no longer keep himself positioned to the side; and James was aware of this, sending a banishing spell into Harry who went flying back, skidding along the ice with a splutter. "Incarcerous!"
Ropes came flying out at Harry, almost faster than he could react – almost. "Incendio!" Harry yelled with such anger and desperation that they were turned into ash before they even reached him – the flames causing the ice to melt away into a shallow puddle of water. Harry got himself up just in time to deflect a bat-bogey hex away which narrowly avoided a first year.
"Densaugeo!" James' hex seemed almost tame, but Harry knew more than well enough to allow it to hit him – he ducked under it, and ran forwards as fast as he could towards James who launched off a multitude of disarming and stunning spells in the few seconds he had, but none hit Harry; as he got close, he could see the brief confusion in James' eyes before Harry's fist slammed into the older boy, knocking him to the floor.
"Stupefy!" Harry yelled, his right hand aimed at the spot where James had been but a moment ago. James' stinging hex hit him as soon as he heard the words, and Harry fell to a knee, levelling his wand towards the boy who was trying to roll away and get to his feet. "Occulistio!"
James let out a scream as his eyes turned red, blinded and, Harry presumed from the scream, in some deal of pain.
"My eyes! What did you do to my eyes- oof!" Harry interrupted James with a savage kick to his ribs, sending the boy sprawling as he whined in pain.
"I think that's enough, Corvus," advised Hans, the charms teacher. Harry disagreed, and sent another kick into James' side eliciting another loud yell and starting a coughing fit. Hans had soon grabbed Harry and pulled him away, shaking his head. "I said enough. Did you not hear?"
"I heard. I disagreed," muttered Harry in response. Hans swatted him around the head roughly as soon as they were out of sight.
"Have you taken leave of your senses?!"
"He started it, a year ago!"
"And it was dealt with. What you have just done is delivered the first blow. Do you understand that, boy?" Hans said, his form leant over Harry who was reduced to looking up at his teacher, blinking as he slowly came to the realization.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, that since James was very, very publically against You-Know-Who, you will have set an example of attacking those who agree with him!" There was silence, and Harry just frowned.
"W-wait, I did this so nobody would try to attack me in future."
"Well it won't bloody work! Now his friends will want revenge. An eye for an eye and the entire world goes blind, haven't you ever heard of that before?"
"I-, no. What should I do?"
"Grab your friends and head to your room. In the morning, you should be fine." Harry turned to leave, obeying before the scarred hand of Dimitri was rested upon his shoulder.
"You should be proud of how you fought. Most people are afraid to get dirty; had you only used magic, he'd have beaten you. You won on your terms. Well done."
Harry turned to leave, and behind him he could hear Hans berating his younger peer: "What do you think you're doing, encouraging him?"
He never heard Dimitri's justification, but he expected he had a good one; Dimitri always had a reason to everything he did. And, Harry supposed, so did he. But sometimes he didn't think ahead – was he responsible for the start of an internal conflict in the most hidden place in the wizarding world? He realized that the only reason Hans didn't punish him, was because Harry had unwittingly already punished himself. And as he whispered what had happened into Elise and Draco's ears, they realized too.
"We fucked up, didn't we?" Draco muttered; Harry was grateful that he said 'we', when in reality it was entirely his own mistake. It was the small things Draco did that made Harry appreciate his friendship.
"You know, we might be able to get protection from the ones who support You-Know-Who. It's not something I agree with, but may-"
"It wouldn't work, Elise. We can't take sides, remember? I've set a precedent. Merlin, I'm so stupid." Harry slapped his head, squeezing his eyes together tightly as if it would mean that he would never have to see the consequences of what he had done.
"Well, at least we have the rest of the team," Draco said.
"Yeah. I think someone will pop round later and see how we're doing."
"'Pop round'? Honestly, Corvus. You're too British," Elise criticized with a smirk. Harry stuck his tongue out at her. Harry let out a snort of laughter.
"And you're too Swedish." Draco's retort was simple, and harmless. It was exactly what they needed right now.
"Too Swedish? You mean the home of tall beautiful women? Thank you, Draco," Elise did a mock curtsy from where she was standing, to which Draco replied by tipping an imaginary hat.
"Also the home of Vikings. I think you're more of a Viking – when do you think your beard will start growing, eh?" Harry gave a grin as it was Elise's turn to stick her tongue out at him.
"In all seriousness though, what should we do?" Draco asked, smile fading from his face as he spoke – his grey eyes were severe.
"Lay low, it's that or get put back into an even bigger spotlight," Harry sighed as he spoke and leant into his palm, elbow propped upon his leg. "When do you think Krum and the others will get here?"
"I don't know, do I look like a seer?" Elise answered with a wave of indignation. Harry couldn't resist the grin that returned to his face.
"Well, you are just as insane as one…" Harry was soon leapt upon, being pinned against the bed as Draco let out a noise of surprised mirth and dove away. As soon as Harry's arms were pinned down, the door opened and in walked Krum, Brandon and Miranda. They stopped as soon as they spotted Harry and Elise's wrestling.
"So young…" Brandon said, whistling innocently as Miranda swatted at their heads, Elise toppling away from Harry immediately as their cheeks flushed.
"You're a pervert, Brandon," Krum chided, who was doing his best to hide the grin that slowly crept across his face. Harry was doing his best to think of something that could get rid of the awkwardness that ensued – to put Brandon back in the hot seat. He was coming up blank.
"And proud. Seriously though, that looked weird. Especially since I couldn't see Draco."
"We were just playing around," Elise said sternly.
"That was literally the exact excuse I used when I first did it," replied Brandon and Krum coughed loudly as Miranda cracked up laughing. Even Harry couldn't help the smirk upon his face and soon Elise had joined in the laughter.
An hour later and they were all huddled around and upon the bed, talking. Most of the topics had been mundane – however entertaining – and it was only towards the end of the hour that they began to figure out a plan.
"Well, we know that Corvus and Draco can deal with anyone their year and below – maybe a year above."
"Definitely a year above," Draco muttered in response to Krum's statement.
"However," Krum said, ignoring Draco, "they're the ones least likely to get violent. They'll be too afraid of the older students. And when it comes to them, that's harder."
"Whatever side Aiken picks is going to be at an advantage," muttered Miranda quietly.
"Aiken? That's a British name," Harry pointed out.
"He's a British student who moved to the school on a permanent basis for refuge," Brandon explained.
"Refuge, what did he do?" Elise asked.
"Killed another kid in a duel. Didn't use an unforgivable or anything, he was just too savage. He's the best duellist in the school by some distance – luckily he'll be gone next year."
"Why didn't they refuse him shelter?" Harry asked, confused by Brandon's revelation.
Krum sighed, "His case was a particularly… controversial one. Most thought him too young to have meant the killing, and said he should be helped not punished, including Durmstrang. Britain wanted him arrested, and so he came here."
"Did he mean it?" Harry's brows were drawn in concern.
"I don't know," rang the voices of the three older students in unison.
"What will we do if he comes after us?" asked Elise, hands wrapped around herself.
"Well, we'll be there to help. I don't think that's a concern however; he hasn't targeted children before." Krum's voice was assured – he truly believed what he said, or at least, he did until his last sentence Harry noted.
"Before." Draco's voice was quiet but carried the weight of their collective concerns.
"There's not much else we can do but hope, Draco," Miranda explained gently.
"Well, if he comes after me, or any of us, I'll make certain he won't get a second chance," Harry said, his voice full of confidence. As he spoke, Nachash slithered to his feet eliciting a yelp from Krum. Harry lifted his scaled companion to his shoulders.
"You know, hatchling, that I am venomous?"
"I know. I counted on it." Krum winced as Harry hissed back in response to his snake, and Harry took solace in the fact nobody understand what he was saying to his snake; he knew that they would condemn him for it. Yet, he felt it necessary. He'd watched enough of his god father to realize sometimes you needed to make a distasteful move.
Dumbledore
20th September, 1992, Hogwarts
Dumbledore mulled over the letter he held in his hands – its contents were intriguing to say the very least. A new contact at Durmstrang, and one with a much greater amount of influence and freedom within the school than any he had before. He was tempted to call up Severus, but Remus was still eating his meal and he knew that Severus would only spoil the mood. And besides; Remus' unfiltered opinion had always been invaluable.
"You've been looking at that letter for the past few minutes, Albus. News of Voldemort?"
Dumbledore looked up, and smiled sadly. "No, Remus, nothing on Voldemort." He was glad that Remus called the Dark Lord by his name, it irked him that so many were afraid. Although, nowadays they had right to be even if Voldemort had not made his renewed presence known. "More to do with his followers – it's from a teacher at Durmstrang."
Remus arched an eyebrow as he rested his knife and fork together upon the empty plate. "Oh? I would have thought you'd be the last one someone at Durmstrang would contact."
"The school is not that bad, its reputation is far overblown in all honesty, my friend. This teacher – a Dimitri Korvak – He'd like some advice, and offers his service."
"Why?" Remus' question was blunt, and Dumbledore was not unable to detect the surprise in his tone.
"Well, he believes that we all need to help one another in times like this. A man after my own heart," Dumbledore said with a smile. Remus gave a slight chuckle.
"I suppose that's good, then. Yet, you haven't explained the situation too well." Dumbledore inclined his head – Remus was right.
"A fight broke out yesterday, between Corvus Black and a public muggle-supporter named James Kreak." As soon as Dumbledore had spoken, Remus' eyes were wide.
"Black? So, it could have been Harry? But why would he-… is he supporting Voldemort? No, that's absurd. I guess this confirms that it isn't Harry then, right?"
Dumbledore let his fingers tap against the desk idly as he thought, stroking his beard. "Perhaps. Perhaps not, remember, we do not have all the context."
"We know that Black is friends with Malfoy – it's not likely he'd be a muggle rights advocate."
"Stranger friendships have happened," Dumbledore said pointedly, look over his half-moon glasses towards Remus. "Either way, this Dimitri says that there will undoubtedly be an internal war at Durmstrang. Since I was around when Voldemort last rose to power, he wanted advice."
"Sensible man. How come we had not heard of him before now?"
Dumbledore avoided the question; there was no satisfactory answer to it. "I'll send him a letter back, and ask after Black."
The door opened, and Severus emerged along with McGonagall who greeted Remus by name before she headed over to Dumbledore. Severus was only a step behind. "Alastor is in St Mungo's, Albus. He was caught in the manor. They're going to put him on trial as soon as he has recovered," McGonagall wasted no time, and was very clearly flustered.
"Sit down, Minerva. Calm yourself; if he is recovering, then he will be safe for now. Was he injured?"
"Badly. Malfoy took the blame, but Alastor told Samuel the nurse to tell us 'I found Black,' could it be true, Albus?"
Dumbledore was shocked – and also very much worried. He trusted Moody enough to believe him. "Lucius Malfoy isn't a fool, they'll find no evidence of Black and he has taken responsibility, yes?" Dumbledore's demeanour was changed; no longer was it the calm, smiling face of a teacher and friend but the assertive confidence of a leader.
"He has. They found his claims matched with all evidence obtained including the last spells cast by his wand," Snape explained.
"You have to give him credit for being quick thinking," muttered Remus disgustedly.
"That you do, Remus. What of Narcissa? Do they have any visible wounds?"
"No, three very capable fighters against an aged Alastor, Albus? We should be glad he isn't dead," Minerva said; her voice as keen as a knife's edge.
Dumbledore found himself at a loss – no evidence, no leads bar the Malfoys themselves, and no new information; only confirmations of old speculation. It was tiring, in truth, he thought to himself. It was twelve years since the last war had ended and he had forgotten the rigors, the intrigue and dangers it presented; and it would only get worse.