"Speak"
'Thoughts'
111scence change111
Chapter 11: School
"Who am I when I go back to Hogwarts?" Kieran asked.
Kieran and Ashlynn stood in their father's study. They departed to Hogwarts the next morning and wanted to have the story straight. They were deciding how to introduce themselves when they were there. Dumbledore had probably noticed him gone but there was no mention of him missing in the Prophet, and no search that they notice when they went to get school books.
Tom stood looking out his window and into the dark night. "You'll be Harry Potter until Severus can find a way to remove the glamour on the both of you."
"Oh and remember that I'm Isabella when we go. Isabella Cornelia." Ashlynn said.
Tom nodded his head. "That's right, you must remember to call each other by the correct names. You must keep up appearances for the world. When Severus finds the potion you can decide if you want to be announced as my children or not."
"I do," they answered in unison.
Tom smiled. "Okay you two get your stuff ready and go to sleep."
They nodded and left to wait for the next day.
0000000
When Ashlynn came down the next morning with blood auburn hair everyone looked at Kieran. Kieran held his hands up in defense.
"I had nothing to do with it this time I swear." He said.
Everyone looked skeptical until Ashlynn spoke up. "He's telling the truth, I did it this time. If we're both going to school and we're going to be hanging around each other a lot, if we look some much alike then people will begin to wonder and that wouldn't be good. I mean the old Headmaster will know anyways, might as well draw as little attention from others as possible."
"Ah yes, speaking of you two hanging together. There will be a resorting this year, for all fourth years and above." Lucius said.
"Really? Guess I get to be in Slytherin now." Kieran said. Everyone looked at him confused. "I had a choice first year and I choose Gryffindor over Slytherin. I won't do it this time."
"Why would you pick Gryffindor over Slytherin?" Blaise asked as if it were a foreign concept.
"I met Draco," Kieran said simply with a shrug.
"Oh I can see the headlines now. 'Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived, in Slytherin. Has our savior gone dark?'" Draco drawled as everyone else but Kieran, who glared, laughed.
Kieran groaned. "And it'll be that bloody Seeker woman too."
"Language," Tom said over his morning paper.
They all shared another laugh at the dark prince's expense. They all said their last farewells till Winter hols and the teens got in a limo to be driven to the train station. On the way a thought occurred to Kieran.
'What will I do about Ron and Hermione?' he wondered. He knew his red headed friend wouldn't easily accept him being in Slytherin, if at all. Hermione would be the most likely to accept him still, but he was unsure since he had changed so much.
Iridesa moved to rest her head on his shoulder. He automatically stroked her scales.
^What troublesss you massster?^ she asked. Kieran was surprised she had noticed him lost in thought. But then again she was his familiar.
^Nothing to worry about Iri.^ he hissed.
^For now or at all?^ Ashlynn asked.
Kieran paused. ^For now.^
"Ok as cool as that is its rather annoying having you two have a secret conversations in front of us." Pansy huffed.
^Bite me Pansy dear,^ Kieran said with a smirk, looking at her so she knew he was talking to her.
Ashlynn busted out laughing, Pansy and Blaise stared in confusion, and Draco shuddered in -desire? Or discomfort? 'Probably discomfort. Couldn't be desire most everyone finds parseltongue creepy. Plus it was all just a joke of him liking me. There's no way in hell something works out like that for me. I mean too much good has happened already.' Kieran thought.
"We're here." Blaise said. They all got out and got their stuff on a cart.
They hurried through the barrier to platform 9 ¾. Once through their mask were on and they didn't looked hurried. Rather than standing on the platform and encounter his friends they got on the train and found a compartment all the way in the back. Slytherin territory. Crabbe and Goyle showed up just as they were putting their trunks away.
"Granger and Weasley are looking for the Dark Prince," Crabbe said. All death eater children knew of Kieran and how to treat him and Ashlynn. When they noticed them in the compartment they fell to their knee.
"My Lord and Mistress." they said their heads bowed.
"Up," Ashlynn commanded.
They were on their feet quickly. "Now for that little issue, stand at the door and don't let them in if they try. Knock if someone other than them comes and let us know."
"Yes Mistress," they said and left closing the door.
"You could have asked if that was what I wanted." Kieran said in mock anger as he sat down on the seat with Pansy.
Ashlynn flopped down on the same seat her head in Pansy's lap her feet in Kieran's. Arian jumped on her stomach a moment later. "If you had wanted to talk to them you wouldn't have come straight on and you know it," she said with no remorse as Pansy ran her hands through her hair and she purred lightly.
"Whatever. What are you going to do about your young wolf?" Kieran asked changing the subject.
"Make him look like a cat of course, and invisible for classes." She replied no one said anything about the classes part, she wanted him there he would be there even if they tried to dissuade her. "You?"
"Just invisible all the time." He said back.
"Oh yeah, almost forgot about the winner of the prank war. The winner is K-" Pansy started.
"Move Crabbe, you too Goyle," a loud frustrated voice shouted outside the door.
"Sounds like Weasel is here. To be honest I didn't think he would come all the way back here in our territory." Draco drawled. Kieran didn't say anything about the 'Weasel' comment. Not until he knew how that was going to go.
There was a grunt then Hermione shouted. "Ron. Don't hit them. We need to get in and speak to Malfoy."
They all looked at Draco. He just shrugged. "Probably think I have you in here, kidnapped or something."
Then there were two quick calls of Petrificus Totalus. Ashlynn and Kieran had their wands out quick placing many sophisticated, and in some cases dark, locking and warding charms on the door. The shared a small smile.
A low 'Alohamora' was said. Then Hermione spoke. "I think this was done by one of the Professors or the Headmaster. I don't think we're allowed in there."
"Then where the bloody hell is Harry?" Ron said his voice fading as the left.
Ashlynn waited a moment before opening the door and unbinding the two boys on the floor.
"Thank you boys now just knock if anyone else comes." she closed the door before they could even get up and came back to her spot.
"As I was saying the winner is-" Pansy started again.
"Draco should win. And since you were about to name me I pass it to him. He had one last brilliant prank." Kieran interrupted. Ashlynn looked at Draco sharply. Draco just smiled and accepted his new status as the winner.
The rest of the ride was uneventful. They got up when they were ten minutes away and put on their robes and were ready when the train stopped. They all got in a carriage without meeting Ron and Hermione again. They parted when they got to the Great Hall because they still had to sit with their current houses.
"Harry!" His friends shouted as they saw him at the Gryffindor table.
"Where have you been mate?" Ron asked.
Before he was forced to answer Dumbledore stood. Everything got quiet. "Here we are for yet another year. As some of you know there will be a resorting this year. We will go by years." The resorting seemed to take forever.
"Isabella Cornelia," McGonagall called.
Whispers broke out as she walked gracefully to the stool. Kieran's face was blank as he watched for Dumbledore's reaction. The old Headmaster looked less than his usually pleasant twinkle eyed self as he watch the girl sit on the stool. His gaze flick briefly to Kieran and the Headmaster looked surprised to see him staring back. Kieran didn't bother smiling at the old man. The old man probably already knew where he had been or at least one of the people he was with because of Ashlynn's recent appearance.
"SLYTHERIN!" the sorting hat yelled.
Half the school gasped and the Slytherin's cheered loudly. Ashlynn smirked as she got up and walked to her table and sat in the middle of the table to wait for the rest of them to get over there.
Kieran drifted in his own thoughts until McGonagall called his name. Kieran walked up and sat on the stool. The hat fell on his head but unlike first year it didn't cover his eyes.
"Ah Mr. Potter or would you prefer Mr. Riddle?" the sorting hat asked.
"Kieran is fine," he responded not at all surprised by the hat knowing.
"Kieran it is then. I see you have discovered your origins and more embrace your Slytherin side now. So you shouldn't have a problem with me placing you where I believed you belonged from the beginning of your schooling." The hat inquired.
"Not this time. I've been cleared of that bias. I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't tell our dear Headmaster of my recent…discovery." Kieran requested.
"Of course. I hope you enjoy your final year in, SLYTHERIN!" the hat yelled the last word.
The entire school went quiet until the Slytherins started clapping lightly to not raise to much suspicion or make their Lord feel unwelcome. Kieran walked over calmly and sat near Ashlynn and Draco.
Kieran looked around to find his friends looking shocked beyond belief. Kieran distantly wondered if their hearts had stopped. He was pulled out of his thoughts as Draco asked him something. Kieran tried to act like he would have acted as 'Harry Potter' if he got switched into his most hated house. Be he had fun and he didn't care.
Every time Kieran looked up to the Gryffindor table they were watching him with growing worry and pity. Hermione caught his eye when he looked up again.
'We're going to help you.' she mouthed to him.
'Help me what?' he asked.
'Help get you out of there,' she replied.
'Why?' he asked.
She looked shocked then turned away. Obviously the thought of him wanting to stay in Slytherin hadn't occurred to her. But then he couldn't blame her, if someone had told him last year he would be resorted into Slytherin and be happy about it he would have sent them to St. Mungo's. He went back to talking and eating his dessert.
Dumbledore stood a short while later and everything went quiet again. "Now that we are feed and watered let us retire for the night. Tomorrow is the first day of classes and we all want to be prepared."
Perfects got up and began directing the first years around. The seventh year Slytherins sat and watched the chaos for a while before making their way to the dungeons. Kieran studied his surroundings to make sure he never got lost on the way to the common room.
The portrait to the commons was of a silver snake. Kieran rolled his eyes at the obvious. "Pride," Draco said softly and Kieran had the urged to smack his forehead. They all walked in and let the door close behind them.
The common room was huge. There were two giant fireplaces on either side of the room. There were silver sconces on the wall every few feet, illuminating the room. There was a mix of black and dark green couches throughout the room. You would think the grey stone would make it look dark and dreary but it had a comfortable feel to it. It was actually more soothing to Kieran then the Gryffindor common rooms had ever been. Their group moved to a sitting area closest to the fireplace.
They sat in a semi-circle. Ashlynn and Pansy sat on a loveseat across from where Kieran and Draco sat. Blaise laid out on a couch all to himself and Crabbe and Goyle sat in two armchairs off to the side. Many seventh years came to bow before the Dark Prince and Princess and offer their service if it was needed through the year.
"So what was going on between you and Granger?" Blaise asked.
"She was saying they would help me get out of here. I asked her why and she looked like the idea that I would want to stay had never crossed her mind as a possibility. And most all possibilities cross Hermione's mind when she's planning." Kieran explained as he stoked Iridesa as she coil up on his lap.
Professor Snape came in to give his start of term speech a while later. "Hello my Slytherins. We have lost none of our numbers and gained a few more. You are Slytherins and the whole school sees that as something bad. So you must all stick together. Even if you hate each other never show it outside of here because they will use that weakness against you. Protect your own and act accordingly." He said. He looked at Kieran and Ashlynn and gave a small bow of his head, they nodded in acknowledgement, and he left.
"It probably never occurred to Granger honestly. But I think Granger will get over it and stay your friend but Weasel won't." Draco.
"We'll see what happens and deal with it then." Kieran said as he leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes.
When Kieran closed his eyes Ashlynn stared at Draco intensely. He fidgeted at the gaze then stopped when Kieran leaned his head on him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking at Ashlynn.
'What the hell happened? What last minute prank did you pull?' she mouthed.
'It's no big deal.' Draco said back.
'It's no big deal if I say it's not. Now tell.' she demanded.
Draco sighed there was no fighting her. 'He thought me telling him I liked him was a prank and since he laughed it off as impossible I went along with it.'
Ashlynn looked at him incredulously then stood up.
Kieran opened one eye and looked at her questioningly. She waved him off and got up and moved toward the archway near the fireplace. They were on the right side of the room and closer to the girls section. The boy's archway was all the way on the other side of the room close to the other fireplace.
Kieran decided it would be best to retire as well and stood up stretching with a yawn. "How do I know which room I'm in?"
"We have enough rooms to share rooms with only one other person so down the hall you'll find a silver plate with your name on it. Actually we all should head to bed now." Blaise said.
The others got up and headed to their rooms after saying goodnight to Pansy. The seventh year rooms were closest to the common room so it didn't take long to find their rooms. Blaise was the fifth door on the left his roommate was Theodore Knott. Kieran's was the seventh door on the right and his roommate was Draco Malfoy. The boys smiled at each other, Draco's being underlined with sadness that Kieran took for tiredness, and walked in.
The room was a good size with the same color scheme as the common rooms. There were two large four poster beds with green hangings and their trunks sat at the end of them. There were two night tables on either side of each bed. In the corners were a wardrobe and in the other a desk, one on each side of the room for both boys. Kieran moved to run his hand over the cool black silk sheets with a smile.
"These rooms are nothing like the Gryffindor ones." he said.
"Is it true you guys were packed in there like six to a room?"
"Actually it was five but you get the idea," he said as he began to strip to his boxers, his back to Draco.
Draco stared at the tan skin that was revealed to him. He licked his lips to moisten them then turned away with a blush. Draco proceeded to undress as well and slipped into bed.
"Night Dray," Kieran said as he waved his hand and turned out the lights.
"Night Kier," Draco whispered sadly as he ignored the thought of how much sweet torture this would be for the entire year.
