Disclaimer: All standard disclaimers apply
Monday morning's breakfast brought both excitement and sadness for with the end of breakfast would bring the beginning of classes. And as thought that thought had triggered something the heads of house got up and started to hand out the schedules. Reactions like always where a mixed bag.
One such instance was with the first year puffs. Toph and Hadrian had pulled out their wands and said the incantation that Flitwick had taught them and as soon as the first line was read they where groaning with the rest of the first year 'puffs: DoublePotions:Gryffindor & Hufflepuff.
Upon arrival to class the houses went to different sides of the classroom. The exception to this being the blind badgers and the two outcast-ed lions who always sat together when they could and pulled out their books and prepared for class. The moment the clock struck 8 the door slammed open and Professor Snape strode in barking out orders in a voice that the gryffindors knew all too well.
"Open your textbooks to page 287. We will be working on a mild pain relieving potion, you have until the end of the lesson to complete it, begin." And with a swish of his wand he unlocked the ingredients' cabinet and went to observe the class.
At the integrated table Hermione went to the ingredient cabinet and got the required things for the group while the others set up the cauldrons. Bypassing Ron and his friends, Hermione arrived just in time to hear Toph singsonging, "looks like someone didn't have their coffee this morning." Snickering amongst themselves they got to work; Neville being in just as much awe as Hermione had been last semester at how well Toph and Hadrian seemed to get along in the class. By the end of class everyone at the table had a passable drought.
Their next class was transfiguration and sadly it was that class and not potions that set the pace for most of the remaining classes. Review and busy work, both known favorites of teachers. The one exception was Defense Against the Dark Arts.
The first class back they had a pretest on the material they would be covering which most passed. However halfway through the class Hadrian felt a slight prickling centered around his old lightning bolt scar. At first it was a slight irritation but as time progressed so did the pain. And then when class ended and they where back in the hall the oddest thing happened, the pain stopped and not just ebbing off but all at once like it wasn't even there. Brushing it off he kept step with Toph and headed to the library meeting with Hermione and Neville along the way.
When 5:30 rolled they packed up and started to head down to the great hall for dinner. On the way down they walked passed Professor Quirrell, who was talking to one of the older years, and Hadrian let out a gasp as a pain his lightning bolt scar like the element it represented. And just as quickly as it came the pain vanished though it still took some fast talking to keep Hermione from dragging him up to Madam Pomfrey.
The following day was much like the last few and once again it wasn't really until Defense that there was any problem. This time it was as soon as he entered the classroom that his head started to hurt. Again he tried to ignore it but all to soon the pain was intense enough to remind him of some of the beatings he got from his uncle.
About halfway through class Hadrian set his head on his textbook to try and get rid of his headache. It seemed to be working up until Professor Quirrell came to check up on him.
"Ah..ah..are you alright ma..ma..mister Ba..Bei F..fong?" He managed to stutter out while leaning closer to the young lad and placing his hand on on the desk knowingly sending out more vibrations for Hadrian to read.
Hadrian for his part felt his head explode with a vengeance as his migraine returned worse than before. It was because of that, that he missed the brief echo of a face on the back of the mans head. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he spoke with a voice laced with enough pain to make Toph concerned. "I'm sorry sir, but I seem to have a really bad headache and I can not seem to concentrate well enough to make the reading charm work."
"Tha..that is al..alright la..lad, wh..why don't ya..you head up ta..to Mah..madam Pa..Pomfrey? Miss Ba..bei Fa..fong pah..please escort him." Nodding her head Toph packed up their bags before grabbing Hadrian's arm and draping over her shoulder so she could lead him out.
The walk up was in silence the only sound being their echoing footsteps. Upon arrival their noses where assaulted by the strong smell of disinfectant making Hadrian's headache worse and Toph to scrunch up her nose. Setting Hadrian down in one of the empty beds Toph went to locate Madam Pomfrey.
Inside her office said martin was just sitting down to enjoy a cup of tea when her perimeter alarm went off letting her know that there was someone in the wing. Shortly after there was a small knock upon the door. Upon opening it she saw a young girl that she had only seen once before and almost immediately the girl started to talk.
"Sorry to disturb you ma'am but my friend isn't feeling so well could you please take a look at him?" Toph spoke still sounding worried.
"He will be alright child, but you might as well head back to class while I take care of him he will need his rest." came the kind but firm directive of the healer.
Toph looked at the martin with her sightless eyes, unnerving the poor lady slightly before walking over to the bed where she left Hadrian. Picking up her bag Toph whispered softly to him knowing he would hear her, "I'll meet you at Professor Snape's office tonight. Madam Pomfrey is kicking me out," an equally quiet "ok" was her reply. As she walked out the healer came over and started her work.
Closing the hospital wing doors behind her Toph started to wander the halls. Knowing that she didn't want to go back to class she went along aimlessly loosing herself in thought. Heaving a sigh she soon found herself in one of the abandoned parts of the castle.
Coming to a complete stop a little while later she found herself in one of the many hallways where the dust seemed extra thick, making for soft footing but blurry vision. Deciding to nose around thinking that it might help take her mind off things for a bit she pushed open a nearby door and walked in.
Closing the door behind her she started tapping her foot in a steady cadence to get he lay of the land so to speak. By doing this she found that unlike most unused classrooms she had been in, where everything was in place should the rooms be needed, this one had everything stacked off to the side. And unlike the hallway the dust had been cleared as if someone had been in here recently; most likely it was whoever had placed a large object against the far wall.
Unable to hold back her curiosity Toph walked up to said object and placed her hands on its surface. By the feel of it it was some sort of glass, moving her hands further along it he eventually came across the wooden frame. Closer inspection showed that it was ornately carved and inscribed, following along that path she found the back of the thing as well so continued her investigation.
Frowning slightly she returned to the front and stared at it for a moment or so longer. She was about to leave when the sudden urge to touch it again hit her with an almost overwhelming intensity. This time though, when her fingers touched the glass she felt it rise and contour to show her the image it had been reflecting to her.
Running her hands across the contours she felt the familiar bone structure of Hadrian's face except it felt different to her as well. Running hands over it again while trying to puzzle it out she realized the face felt older, longer and leaner than it currently was.
Almost as if they had a mind of their own her hands kept moving, ghosting over the image's neck, shoulders, and torso. Feeling familiar scars here and there, following the one along his shoulder she found his arm, easily twice the size it was now, and followed that down to his hand where she found his hand cradling another, this one far fairer than his.
Following this arm she found what she knew to be a marriage circlet around the girls wrist. Continuing up the arm she found the girl's shoulders, her neck which was arched gracefully, and finally her face. Oddly enough this face felt familiar to her as well. Running her fingers along her nose she jumped back from from the glass in shock letting out a yelp of surprise, while falling quite gracelessly on her butt.
It was her. The woman in the mirror was her. Was that glass showing her the future? Did that mean she was still going to marry Hadrian even in this new place? It wasn't that she was against the idea, she was actually quite pleased with the arrangement when her father told her all those years ago. It was just seeing it solidified in that image that was unnerving her. Standing up from where she was sitting she left the room where she without another thought.
When she arrived an hour later in the great hall she took her normal spot at the table. Without preamble she promptly stated picking at her food unable to get the image to leave her mind. Susan seeing how distracted she was came and sat down next to her.
"Hello there, I wrote down the assignment for you." Susan said as she slid over a piece of parchment.
"Thank you, I'm sorry I don't seem to recall your name at the moment." Toph said with a half smile.
"That's ok, you seem a a bit distracted at the moment. But my name is Susan Bones. So how's your friend doing?"
With a sigh Toph pushed away her food, "the names Toph but you probability know that. And I don't know Madam Pomfrey kicked me out." The rest of dinner was a quiet affair and when 6:50 rolled around Toph excused herself and made a be-line for Snape's office.
Arriving at the office she felt Hadrian leaning against the wall with one shoulder. Relief flooding her system she walked over to him with a slight spring in her step and promptly punched him in the shoulder.
Laughing while rubbing his shoulder he asked, "so did you miss me?"
Remembering the image from earlier she blushed and replied with a short but firm "No."
Sensing the acceleration of her heartbeat he took on a playful note. "Someone is lying to me." This of course earned him a harder punch to the arm and a raspberry with a follow up dark chuckle.
When Snape opened the door at 7 he was a little shocked to see the normally serious preteens laughing almost hysterically. With a sad smile he realized that they wouldn't be laughing like that for some time after he told him what he planed to this evening. After letting them settle into chuckles he spoke up. "If you two are quite finished we have things we need to discuss."
With chuckles turning into snickers they followed their professor through his office and into his study. After directing them to sit he poured out tea for the three of them, knowing by now how the two preteens preferred theirs.
Handing them each a cup he took a sip out of his before starting up. "I hope you two don't mind if I postpone your defense lesson tonight I have something of importance to discuss with you both. Though this involves Mr. Bei Fong than it does you Miss Bei Fong."
"Of course Sir, I am quite curious as to what you would believe to be more important than our schooling." Hadrian replied.
"As I said Mr. Bei Fong this mostly concerns you, however I realize that Miss Bei Fong will need to know this as well. I also know that you will not like some of what I am going to tell you. All I am asking is that you do not trash my study like you did with my office."
"Yes sir," was coursed back by both children.
"Good. Now Hadrian I know the name you use is not the name you where given at birth. Please do not interrupt me. I know this because of the nature of the spell that brought you here. I also know that the Bei Fongs' are not your biological parents." Pausing because of the confused looks he was getting he stated, "they did not give birth to you, or not your parents by blood Hadrian."
Seeing them nod in understanding he was about to start again when it looked like Hadrian wanted to say something more on the subject but seemed hesitant to do so. Taking a not so wild stab in the dark he spoke once more to ease them. "The headmaster knows nothing of what is being said tonight or any other night for that matter."
Nodding his head in acceptance Hadrian told Snape at least part of the truth. "You are sir, they took me in after Toph found my on deaths doorstep in their backyard many years ago. When I awoke I spoke with Toph's father who decided to help me. He gave me my name but what you must understand sir is that I never knew my last name. And as I was to take over a noble house they switched my name to reflect that while keeping the first name my parents gave me as a nickname. I owe them my life."
"He sounds like a wise man, however there is more to tell you before the night is over. When I was younger I knew your biological parents. Your mother was my best friend growing up, her name was Lily Evens Potter, while your fathers name was James Potter and was at times a bit of a bully but I will leave that in the past. Your birth name Hadrian, was Harry James Potter. A bit of advise though, if I where you I would stick with Bei Fong."
"May I inquire as to why that is Professor?" Hadrian asked even thought he had no intention of saying that he was in the pottery trade.
"Well Hadrian there is both a certain fame and stigma that comes with the family name. And you are the most famous of all." Severus said with a slight frown.
"My family is famous? Why?" Hadrian asked both awed and confused with the news.
"Before I answer that let me ask you this, do you know how your parents died?"
Thinking back to a time he'd rather not, Hadrian dug up one of the many painful memories repeating what his uncle told him all those years ago before cuffing him in the head. "I was told that my father was a no good drunk that got into a wreck with my mother and myself in the car and leaving me as the soul survivor. Though judging by the acceleration of your heartbeat I take it that they lied, which really doesn't surprise me at all." He spoke with an air of detachment.
Toph sensing that Hadrian was about to loose control grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze just as Snape started talking again. "Hadrian I can assure you that your father was not a good for nothing drunk and he would never of put you or your mother in danger. As I said earlier I didn't like him but I refuse to make up lies about him. Now your parents did not die in an accident, they were murdered." Seeing their faces go paler than they already were and Hadrian's hand tighten around Toph's, Severus paused to refill their tea, pulling out a vile he uncorked it and poured in the liquid, "this s a calming drought. I'm mixing it in with your tea and I want you to drink it. It will dampen your emotions for a few hours allowing some time to sort through your thoughts and emotions without them overwhelming you."
After that they drank their drugged tea and sat avidly for the remainder of the impromptu history lesson. Snape looked over at the portrait of Lily, who to him looked beyond pissed and then turned back to the children across from him and continued.
"Alright you two, as history tells it 10 years ago was a dark time for many of the wizarding world. We where in the middle of a civil war and no one knew who to trust or who would be attacked next. Now at the heart of this war stood two pillars one of light and one of dark each in charge of the two factions."
" Keeping this in mind your parents where strictly on the light side and both were powerful in the own right, powerful enough to garner the attention of the Dark Lord himself. Soon enough the Dark Lord started to come after them, three times in fact. Shortly after their third escape your mother found out that she was with pregnant with you and shortly after your birth they went into hiding. Sadly they trusted the wrong person with their location and they where hunted down by the Dark Lord and killed, from what I understand though when he cornered your mother it was in front of your crib. She pleaded with him to spare you and take her instead, he killed her and when he turned his wand upon you something happened and his power was broken, at least for the time being. No one really knows what happened to him, some say he disappeared, others believe him dead, and others like the headmaster and myself believe him to be biding his time until he can come back."
After a moment of digesting this Hadrian spoke , "so what you are saying is that my family is famous for their skills while I am famous for someones failed attempt at murder. And most likely my family, more over my mother, is forgotten about in light of my continued existence."
With a sigh Snape answered. "That is about the way of it, at least mostly. I will forever remember the friend I was unable to save."
Sensing that this was a tender topic Toph spoke up for the first time that night. "Professor, what about this dark lord, why did he start this civil war and what was his name? Every history book we've come across it just says You-Know-Who, or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I've gotta tell ya since no I do not who who, its kind of confusing."
"You do realize Miss Bei Fong that this isn't a subject for school children." Snape said to mostly to gauge her reaction.
"With all do respect Professor, where we grew up the nations had been at war for many years and we knew what they were capable of. Tales of the horrors where brought and told far and wide. We heard enough in our quiet estate to know that a lot of what the soldiers would do to villages, the children. So go on professor try us, I'm not asking for their dirty details sir. I'm just curious as to what he stood for or did stand for." Toph said imitating her fathers cool and logical tone almost perfectly, this of course got Hadrian's attention.
Snape seeing her point took a moment to organize his thoughts. "Alright I can deal with that, you know you both would have done well in Slytherin." He said with a smirk before continuing, " Lets see first off the Dark Lord's name is Voldemort, which is an anagram for his true name Tom Marvolo Riddle. His original aims where to change the wizarding world for the better, start up a magical orphanage, and to separate us completely from the people who would wish us harm."
This of course caught their attention and caused Toph to speak up once again. "Those sound like decent ideals but you said those were his original goals so what happened? I mean you are calling him the Dark Lord so that tells me that whatever his goals changed to weren't great."
"You are correct in that assumption Miss Bei Fong. When the Dark Lord started out he used what many deemed dark magic and believed him evil for it, but still many flocked to him not for power but for a chance to no longer hide what they were and for what he stood for. I was one of them, I saw the oppression and abuse that many who came from the non magical world suffered. But as time went on the Dark Lord started dabbling in the Black Arts which is the true corrupter. Slowly the man who was leading the revolution went insane. The black magic twisted him into something that wasn't even human anymore and those who he was trying to help ended up being those he took pleasure in destroying. Then his goals shifted to taking over the world as opposed to making it better like he had originally envisioned."
"That's kind of sad," Hadrian started releasing a small sigh before Toph cut in and finished the sentence, "this Dark Lord had some good goals."
Snape let out a dark chuckle before cutting them both off. "Yes he did, however one must be careful who you speak to about your beliefs as well as thoughts. But two things I want you to remember from tonight: one, power corrupts so always think before you act, and two history is always written by the victor take everything you learn with a grain of salt and make your own conclusions and opinions."
"Well sir you can rest assured that I will not be learning the pottery trade anytime soon and so such will not be taking the surname 'Potter' anytime soon." Hadrian said in a drawling tone that mimicked Snape's almost exactly.
Cracking a smirk Snape spoke in exactly the same tone, "Mr. Bei Fong, your attempt at wit astounds me in its simplicity." You could almost hear his eyes roll.
Toph couldn't help but smile and chime in herself, "ah sarcasm our only true defense against stupidity. Now why exactly did you tell us the story of the Potters'?"
"A precaution, you never know if information such as Hadrian's last name will get out. I wouldn't put it past the Headmaster to try to leak a rumor or two.
At that Hadrian smirked, "he does seem the type doesn't he? Hey Toph how sad do you think he will be when he finds out he no longer has access to the Potter vaults?"
Somewhat shocked at that Snape asked, "what did you do?"
Laughing at that Hadrian answered, and if he had eyes you could of bet that they would have been sparkling. "Well you see Professor, when Professor McGonagall took us to get our supplies we had to stop at Gringotts and with everyone insisting I was the Potter heir I ended up taking a blood identification test. Needless to say it came back positive and after that the goblin asked me if I wanted to continue donating a monthly stipend of 200 galleons to the headmaster and other families, said it was approved by me 10 years ago. I told the manager 'no offense meant sir, but there was no logical way a human child of one could be able to write such a letter or sign an approval document.' So now not only is he band from my accounts but all his accounts are frozen pending investigation. I also changed the names on the vaults to Bei Fong and legally changed my name as well."
Laughing almost maniacally Snape replied. "You are correct in that he will not be pleased and knowing the goblins code they will make sure every knut is returned. Now before you two take your leave I have someone I want you to meet. She is no longer of this realm and therefore only a shadow of her former self inside a portrait."
"So this person's spirit has already passed on but the portrait has retained the memories and personality of the person up until the picture was painted, right?" Hadrian asked trying to recall what one of the older portraits had told him when he asked.
"Close, there is a spell that will update the memories up to when the spell was cast. In this instance the portrait was updated shortly before their death."* Snape said as he walked over to where they sat and held out his hands to guide them over to his mantel where Lily sat looking on expectantly. Clearing his throat he spoke once more. "Toph, Hadrian, I would like you to meet Lily Potter. Lily, I would like you to officially met your son and his friend."
Smiling Lily finally spoke to her little boy. "Thank you Severus, hello both of you it's a pleasure to be introduced. And Harry I must say that you have grown since I last saw you."
That did it. Even with the calming drought it was too much, his senses where going haywire at the sound of his mothers voice. The once sturdy room started to tilt and the last thing he heard was Toph saying something he couldn't quite make out before everything stopped and his head hit the stone floor. Thankfully he was already unconscious by that time.
* - I forgot which fanfic I read this in but it is not my idea and I do not plan to take credit for it
A/N: Ok so a friend that I don't get to talk to much anymore do to conflicting schedules said that it was a mistake to attempt to humanize the Dark Lord I would like some opinions on this because I do not have any intention of making him a good guy. corruption is kind of an absolute thing in my opinion but you guys might think different. Now I'm sure by now that you've noticed that Snape is more of a male role modal for them and I plan to keep it that way which is why I had him say everything that he did this chapter.