Hi guys! What with me getting ready for, and being on, holidays I've been a little distracted so I can't remember who I replied to and who I didn't. So I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who reviewed!
Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter 10
...
{Enochian Prophecies}
...
Sasha sat on his bed, mindlessly turning the small vial of the Expiscor Intentus in his hand. He had yet to use it but the time was drawing near. There had been a great many things happening lately. Things that disturbed him, frightened him and intrigued him.
Strange things had been happening since he returned to Hogwarts and as he had no answers for these and no one to confide it, they continued to circulate in his head again and again. It was a constant loop of questions and insecurities.
He had been back at Hogwarts for a month now. Classes had resumed, friendships and rivalries were like they had been before the break. And Sasha was distracted.
He needed to find the Philosopher's Stone soon. He wanted out of this place. He needed to breathe. He couldn't remember the last time he had.
It had all started two weeks ago.
...
{Enochian Prophecies}
...
[Two weeks previous]
...
Sasha had just finished eating breakfast.
He was bored.
As usual, his friends were around him, happily chatting about all of the occurrences over the holidays. Sasha played his part dutifully, nodding and laughing and responding when necessary. He supposed that he must look like the ideal friend; never any trouble, always happy, level-headed and ready to have fun. The rest of Hogwarts seemed to think so. Sasha was surprised to find out that he was quite popular among the student body, and similarly among the staff.
Sasha really was turning into the model student. He hoped Voldemort appreciated what he had done for him. This was turning into a bigger sacrifice than he had imagined.
"Sasha?"
Sasha looked up. "Sorry?" He asked, surprised that he had let his mind wander.
Hermione smiled, "Tired?" She asked empathetically.
He gave a nod. "Yeah, I suppose I am. Just thinking about that potion we had to brew yesterday."
"Ugh, don't remind me." Ron grimaced.
Sasha sometimes felt pity for Ron. The boy wasn't anything special. Certainly not at potions anyway. He had no particular abilities—although he was picked for the Quiddich team—but his worst area had to be potions. Snape almost rejoiced in reminding the Weasley son of this fact. Something which Sasha silently appreciated. Ron could go the most interesting shade of tomato when he was embarrassed. It was fascinating to watch.
"But you did really well, Sasha—even Snape said so." Hermione reminded him, resting her chin on her hand.
She was wrong anyway. He had done adequately—and Snape had said so. It was true that technically, apart from one or two minor hitches, Sash had successfully brewed the potion. But he had been hindered by his secret identity.
Sasha understood the way of potions. He knew that if he added a little more of this and a pinch more of that he could have the perfect potion, one that was stronger, better and longer lasting then the others. Voldemort had taught him to do this perfectly. The potion he wanted to make would have been perfect. Yet to do so would be risky.
Severus Snape was a smart man. Surprisingly so. And he was a genius at potions. Voledmort would have been a fool to not use him in teaching Sasha just because he didn't trust him. Although Snape didn't know it, Sasha had been learning from him for years.
He had been given the potion master's notes and was left to figure them out at least once a week. As the time progressed, Sasha learned to recognise Snape's style. The quiet flamboyance of subtle ingredients and careful stirring. Snape had style, but it was in his nature to keep it demure.
Sasha had assimilated some of that style, admiring the ability and skill and wishing to grab a piece of the man's passion. The fact that he had to dumb himself down for Snape's class made him agitated. Despite knowing not to care, the thought rattled around Sasha's mind again and again. Which was why, quite unexpectedly, he had mentioned it to Hermione.
Was he now confiding in his friends? Had he really sunk so low?
Bellatrix would be disgusted and what would Voldemort say? Sasha didn't even want to know...
He repressed a shudder as he looked away—and froze.
His eyes had strayed towards the Slytherin table where a small group of girls were chatting animatedly in a huddle. It was the point over the blond head of one Tracey Davis that caught Sasha's eye.
A man was standing there.
Not a student. A man. Not a professor. A man with black hair and black eyes. Tall and handsome with a gravity around him that drew attention his way immediately. A man that was staring straight at him. A man that no other person seemed to be able to see.
Sasha glanced around to see if that was true. No one was looking, no one noticed him. He looked back to where the man had been standing, curiosity prickling his skin.
Nothing.
He was gone.
Shivers ran up Sasha's spine and he shook helplessly. Who was that man? For some reason he instantly thought to the mysterious person described in Lily Potter's journal. Crazy as she seemed, had there been any truth to her insane ramblings?
Suddenly it seemed more likely.
This led to questions though. What did he want? How did he even get in here? Was Hogwarts not supposed to be protected by the strongest wards? If Voldemort could not even break them then how could this man so easily surpass their best efforts? Did anyone even know he was there?
"Sasha?" Neville asked, "Are you alright?"
There was such sincerity in his voice that Sasha would have mentally scoffed had he not been busy with important things. "Yeah." He said distractedly, suddenly standing up, his eyes scanning for another glimpse of that man, "I forgot something back in my room. I'll meet up with you later."
He didn't wait for a reply as he hastily made his exit, unsure what he was going to do but confident he had to do something. He hurried out of the Great Hall and weaved his way through students in the corridors around. He didn't know where he was going, just where he thought the other man might have gone when he left the hall.
Sasha's head whipped around left and right whenever he came to a junction, he was aware that each turn he made took him either nearer or farther away from that man. He wanted to approach him, ask who and what he was. Demand to know how he got through Hogwarts ward and request that he show Sasha the way.
But Sasha wasn't even sure he was going the right way. He could have been running the exact opposite to the man for all he knew. It wasn't until he felt a familiar shiver that he even knew the man was still there.
He spun around, coming face to face with the man.
"What are you?" He hissed, his eyes narrowing.
The man's face changed, his eyes searching Sasha's own. But he didn't reply. He didn't move.
Sasha's jaw tightened with frustration. "Are you following me?" He grit out.
Again, no reply.
"How did you get past Hogwarts' wards?"
Once more, the man stayed silent. Sasha knew he was beginning to look weak and foolish, demanding answers out of a person who was not giving them. "Tell me." He said as he took out his wand and pointed it at the man.
The man still didn't reply, but he took a step forward. Sasha immediately became agitated by the proximity and nervous of the reasons for it. To counter the man's movement, he took a steady step back, raising his wand slightly higher and more threateningly.
He didn't move forward again, choosing instead to stay his ground while he stared at Sasha with eyes that bore through him. Sasha felt like he was a kid again; weak and vulnerable and at the mercy of someone clearly older and stronger than him.
Suddenly, the man's stance changed from stiffly straight to hunched shoulders and a dark look on his face. His features contorted into something that was half a grimace and half a scowl. Looking truly frustrated, he seemed as if he might start growling at any moment.
Then, the stranger turned back around to Sasha, his face pinched in a way that he couldn't describe. The man took one last glance over in his direction and in an instant he disappeared.
Sasha flinched, looking around for the man to appear once more. He waited there for a long time. The man did not reappear. Sasha suspected the stranger had left Hogwarts; he no longer felt the tell-tale shivers that had initially alerted him to the man's presence.
The energy that had prickled his skin quickly dissipated after the disappearance and the corridor returned to being the normal, boring corridor it was. He was alone once more.
Still, it took a while for Sasha to put away his wand and even longer for him to relax his tense body.
He looked around.
What the hell had just happened?
And why did he feel a like he'd met that man before?
...
{Enochian Prophecies}
...
[One week later]
...
After the stranger's initial appearance, Sasha hadn't seen him again. Still, that one glimpse at him was enough to leave Sasha thoroughly distracted. So much so, that he had stopped paying attention to classes and was only giving half an interest in his search for the Philosopher's Stone.
He had taken to wandering through the corridors late at night though; his mind too active to get to sleep. His friends were worried about him, fearing that he might be going through some sort of post-traumatic stress disorder or something.
Sasha sometimes wondered what they thought his past was like. They must have thought it was bad. He was sure he hadn't overplayed his part so their reactions were all due to their overactive imaginings. It wasn't his fault. Either way, he was left to do what he wanted; they all feared for his psychological welfare and what a direct confrontation would bring about. They left him in peace.
That night, Sasha was on his usual wanderings.
He barely even knew where he was or where he was going. His feet just moved, compensating for his busy head. He was frustrated also. Every time he turned a corner in this mission, he seemed to gather more questions and any answers he had became less and less likely to be true. Sasha didn't know why, but he felt that perhaps he was a part of something much bigger than himself. Bigger even than Voldemort's war. It wasn't a welcome feeling.
Turning around a corner, Sasha froze.
He heard footsteps. There was nowhere to hide. The steps were quick and confident, he wouldn't have time to hide without running and by then he would be heard. Sasha sighed. Better to get caught now. How bad could detention really be? The owner of the steps appeared around the corner.
Sasha flinched and stared in shock.
Everything, from the walk to the colour of his eyes, it was all the same.
It was himself. He was walking down the corridor.
Sasha watched as the mirror image of himself travel down the corridor, oblivious to his presence. It wasn't a ghost; the image was slightly transparent, but there were colours there and he didn't float, he walked. What the hell?
As his doppelganger walked past, Sasha reached out his hand to grab his arm. His hand disappeared within the image and then reappeared as the other Sasha moved on, unaffected by his attempts to stop him.
Sasha stared in confusion as the other boy travelled down another corridor.
Quickly snapping himself out of his stupor, Sasha followed his 'ghost' hurriedly, taking long, rapid strides to catch up. He did so with a little effort, pacing behind him about three feet away.
The spectre led him up stairs and corridors until he veered right and lead Sasha to none other than the girl's second floor bathroom. Sasha frowned. Just what was he doing here? He looked around surreptitiously, terrified he was going to be spotted in here. His ghost didn't seem to mind, however, as he walked confidently over to his destination and took out his wand.
He spoke a single word softly, so much so that Sasha only barely caught it. He took a surprised step back when a secret passageway opened loudly and his ghost disappeared through it.
Back in the real, physical world Sasha was standing in the girl's bathroom with no secret passageway in front of him. Shaking his head in disbelief, he took out his wand and copied what he saw his ghost do. Similarly, the secret passageway opened for him.
Sasha, with only a little hesitation, walked through.
What he was led into was a subterranean cavern, all dank and dark and dripping with surplus moisture. Sasha spotted his ghost ahead and jogged to catch up, eager now to see where he was being led. He didn't put his wand away, fearful that this could be a trap, yet too curious to turn his back on the find.
Sasha knew Hogwarts held many secrets; he had spent the last few months trying to find a great many of them. But this was possibly the most interesting one he had stumbled across yet. Sometimes he wondered why Hogwarts needed so many different hidden places, but he supposed a place as old and as drenched in magic as this was bound to have been warped by the power.
They arrived at a door. It was grand and impenetrable by the looks of it. There were snakes engraved on the thick stone and Sasha knew beyond a doubt that they were enchanted. Their purpose, however, was a mystery to Sasha. There were engravings on the door, parseltongue, but Sasha did not speak it and couldn't even begin to comprehend what it meant.
He looked over to his ghost for guidance. The ghost's lips were quirked into a grin, dark amusement on his features.
"Open" He said in a voice that sounded like he was speaking underwater. A ghost version of the door opened, allowing him entrance.
Frowning, Sasha took his ghost's lead and spoke the word, "Open". Again, the door gave way to his command. Sasha's eyes took in every detail as the snakes slithered from their places and granted him access. He would have thought that only a parselmouth would be able to open this door. Yet it yielded to him. Why?
As he stepped through the door, Sasha spied his ghost, standing easily at the end of the chamber having walked up the long walkway in the centre of the room that Sasha was now doing.
Fire lit up on torches on either side of him as he made his way down to where his ghost stood at the small pool in front of a giant statue of an ugly head. Sasha wasn't impressed by the design, but then, he didn't have time to be as another ghost-like figure took his interest. He turned to look at it better.
A giant snake slithered up towards his doppelganger with surprising speed, its long, forked tongue tasting the air around. The ghost version of Sasha didn't seem to be worried. He took a few steps to meet the creature half-way, his hand held out for the thing to taste.
"Basilisk" Sasha muttered upon recognising the species with a little trepidation. His other self seemed acquainted with it though; he smiled and stroked the huge creature's head. Strangely, the basilisk let him.
"Time's up. With you they'll see what I truly am." His ghost said softly to the basilisk, again with the effect of being underwater.
Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the ghost vanished and the basilisk along with it.
Sasha didn't have time to contemplate what he had just seen. His body tensed with a sudden hissing that came from behind. He turned cautiously to see the familiar sight of a basilisk approaching him.
This basilisk was the mirror image of the other one; it was long and thin looking. It was barely an adult. It probably hadn't had a decent meal since it was a hatchling. Still, it was a sight to behold. Sasha copied his ghost and took a few steps forward, holding out his hand—though not with as much confidence.
The basilisk was less friendly than its ghost and Sasha suddenly wondered if perhaps this was the trap. A terrifying notion to be sure. One that Sasha had to dismiss because otherwise it would already be too late for him.
He looked up into the creature's eyes and then looked away, cursing his stupidity. The basilisk could kill him with its gaze, what the hell did he think he was doing? But the urge to raise his gaze was overpowering. Strangely so. And basilisks didn't have to kill people with their look; they could control it. It was only if they considered something a meal or a threat.
Suddenly struck with an idea, Sasha stuffed his free hand into his pocket as he warily watched the basilisk taste his hand. It tickled, but Sasha didn't move. His free hand rummaged around his pocket for sandwich Hermione had stuffed there when he had failed to come down for dinner earlier. He pulled it out of his pocket and with only one hand he loosened the wrapping around it.
Sasha's hand shook slightly as he held it out for the basilisk.
The creature pulled back a bit to regard the offering with a bird-like twitch of its head and an intelligent gaze. It slowly moved its bulky head forward, flicking its prehensile tongue out cautiously.
Then, like the snake it was, it snapped its head forward and the meal was cleanly taken off of his hand. Sasha gasped in relief as he stared at his hand that was mercifully intact.
The basilisk wasn't a full adult. Probably almost there—just on the cusp, but not quite yet. It was perhaps a little skinnier than a growing basilisk should be. But then, Sasha doubted it got much food down here. It probably survived on rats and other straying creatures. He imagined the basilisk as a youngling, wandering into this place on a wet night and making it its nest. Only when it started to grow—and basilisks grew very big very fast—it became too bulky to fit through its entrance. Stuck here, Sasha wondered how many years it had spent in this place.
A nudge to his hand distracted him from his thoughts.
Again, without thinking, he looked up.
The basilisk was staring at him patiently, waiting for him to do something. With a frown of thought, Sasha moved his hand and followed his ghost's lead once more, petting the basilisk's vast head.
If basilisks could purr, Sasha was sure it would have been then.
It had closed its eyes, leaning into the touch eagerly, like a dog that wasn't given enough attention. Sasha frowned in confusion. The creature was acting like a tamed animal. Not at all like a vicious beast— not like had he learned they were.
With you they'll see what I truly am...
His doppelganger had said that. What did it mean? Why was that sentence resounding in his head, echoing within the confines of his mind.
Sasha looked to the docile creature, tamed by mere touch. This was a wild beast, not some house pet. It was ferocious. Strange and dangerous. Feared. It wasn't some pussycat to play with. Sasha caught a glimpse of a few rows of sharp teeth.
If he truly did have control over this creature it could become quite handy.
But what to do?
He had been shown the path to reach this point but now he was at a fork in the road. Possibilities played in his head and Sasha mindlessly stroked the basilisk as he mused on his options.
...
{Enochian Prophecies}
...
Sasha was reading a book in the great hall when Hagrid showed up in front of him. He looked up to see the half-giant half grinning down at him. Unsure as to the reason why, Sasha glanced around.
"Got somethin' to show yeh." Hagrid said quietly, rubbing his hands together and then down on his coat excitedly. "When yeh get a moment, you should drop by my hut."
He left then, leaving Sasha baffled.
Hagrid had taken a liking to him over the months. He noted that Sasha was good with animals and insisted that he look into some sort of job in the area. Problem was, Sasha wasn't going to be graduating any time soon. Still, he agreed that he would do some research. Even though the notion was completely fanciful, Sasha liked to think that he might have had the choice to do something like that if he hadn't been so involved with Voldemort.
But then, if he hadn't been so involved with Voldemort he never would have been introduced to the wizarding world so that was a pointless notion. Sasha sighed and picked up his books, deciding that now was as good a time as any to go down to Hagrid's hut and find out what the half giant was so excited about.
Sasha stood up and left the great hall, travelling out of the main Hogwarts building and onto the lawn that led to Hagrid's hut. He followed the steps down to the small structure with the pumpkins growing outside and arrived at the simple door. He knocked and waited for Hagrid to answer.
It didn't take long for the door to open and Hagrid to appear looking delighted. "Great!" He said as he disappeared for a moment only to come back with a heavy looking bag thrown over his shoulder. "Let's go, then."
He led Sasha into the forbidden forest, deeper then they usually went. "You'll love this." Hagrid told him, "Got her from a Peruvian chap jus' yesterday; a bit grouchy, but I swear I've never seen anythin' like her."
"What is it?" Sasha asked.
Hagrid looked down at him with a grin. "We're almost there."
Dangerous things were always intriguing to Hagrid. He liked any sort of creature, really, but rare and dangerous ones seemed to be his favourite. Considering that Hagrid was positively beaming, Sasha could only imagine the most dangerous of things. He wasn't altogether sure that bode well for him.
They travelled for a very long time, going deeper and deeper into the woods—further in than he should have gone frankly. And had he been a good, rule abiding student, Sasha would not have been this far inside. As it was, however, Sasha thought he might have passed through that way.
Hagrid eventually led him to a small cave. They entered it, Hagrid bending over to fit inside. It was less of a cave than it was a passageway, naturally carved in the indigenous stone. It wasn't a big cave—not in height or length—and they left it after only a minute or two of walking.
When they emerged out into was a small clearing in the forest where the moon clearly shone strong silvery rays down on the ground. The clearing itself was obviously a magical enclosure and the cave was the entrance. Sasha could just about feel the magical energy that was made to contain even the strongest of creatures; the only way out was through the cave and that too was warded substantially. But Sasha didn't spend long on that. Instead, his attention was swiftly demanded by the creature in the centre.
Sasha's breath caught in his chest.
"She's a beauty, ain't she?" Hagrid said.
He didn't even register the noise as words. Sasha's attention was completely on the creature in front of him. It had been prowling like a caged tiger back and forth behind invisible bars in the centre of the enclosure, but it had stopped and focused in on them with a startling intensity.
Sasha took slow, purposeful steps to the edge of the creature's cage.
The creature's dark gold eyes stayed on him and all other stimuli were blotted out as Sasha's attention was commanded by the beast.
He supposed the creature was some sort of feline. Its head looked vaguely like that of a lion's, but the body was much, much bigger. Solid muscle chiselled through the creature's coat, thick, bulky legs and trunk as if it had been on steroids for years. Its fur was a sleek golden colour apart from the long, scraggily Tuscan red hair hanging from under its chin to its stomach and a mane of the same hue running down its neck towards its withers. Stripes ran down the spine and tail and on the front legs, like a tiger's but shorter and only in those areas.
It was about Sasha's size and three times his width. Sasha imagined that it would be a horrific thing to see this creature run towards you. But she was not charging. She was standing behind her bars, mere feet away from Sasha, studying him as intently as he was studying her.
Behind those golden eyes, there was so much wisdom and comprehension that Sasha was certain beyond a doubt this creature was sentient. She was beautiful. The more he looked at her the more he noticed about her.
He could hear the air 'whoosing' from her giant lungs, in and out, forced through natural airways. It reminded him of the sound he heard when he put a seashell next to his ear at the beach. Sasha suddenly got a sense that there was more to this creature than merely what he could see. There was something... profound about her. If he was asked, he might have even said this creature was some deity. There was a sense of goodness and 'right' and strangely enough, kinship, from this being.
He knew that if he closed his eyes, he would feel its presence, understand its intentions, react to its essence. And when he did, he experienced all of those things. And more.
He felt the air hum with a quiet power that may have always been there but was now so amplified that it felt like sound to his ears. Like voiceless whispers. Intent laced the words as if they were trying to contact him, speaking through the creature. Almost as if it was the planet's voice using this being to be heard.
"A ngen," Hagrid said, "That's what the Peruvian chap said she was."
Sasha's eyes flickered over to Hagrid. "She's beautiful." He said softly.
Hagrid beamed with pride and joy. "I know, innit?"
"Whatever you paid for her, Hagrid," Sasha muttered, his attention going back to the ngen, "It was a steal."
Hagrid responded to Sasha's statement, but he did not register the words. Sasha was gazing at the ngen once more. Feeling a very slight disturbance in the air, Sasha closed his eyes again and concentrated. Barely audible, mostly out of his earshot, he could just about hear them. Whispers. Not from a human tongue.
"Ain't much information on 'em." Hagrid said suddenly, knocking Sasha out of his concentration, "But they're s'posed to be guardians of nature or sommit like that. Least, that's what the muggles who worshipped 'em used ta think."
Sasha would have scowled at Hagrid for interrupting his thoughts, but the man's interjection had been valid. In truth, Hagrid's statement had struck a chord with Sasha. "Guardian?" He muttered softly.
The ngen's ears twitched and her bulky body adjusted itself in attentiveness. Sasha noted the change but didn't voice it. "Does Dumbledore know you have her?" He asked instead.
Hagrid looked sheepish. "Reckon he'll find out sooner or later." He said.
Unable to resist, Sasha gave a half-grin. "Perhaps it's best to keep this one quiet; it'd be a shame if you had to give her away."
Nodding, Hagrid replied, "Figured that much meself."
Sasha glanced back to the ngen. "Can I go in?" He asked suddenly.
"To the ngen?" Hagrid said, rubbing his arm regretfully, "I dunno, haven't really got much of a feel fer her yet; could be dangerous."
Instinctively, Sasha knew the ngen wouldn't attack him. He didn't know how he knew this, but he was as sure of it as he was his name or age. Still, he didn't want to push Hagrid; if he appeared too eager, it could cause him trouble. And what if she was aggressive to everyone but him? That would draw attention—and that was not something Sasha needed. Especially not now. Not with his plans so close to completion.
"I understand." Sasha said, though it pained him to do so.
They didn't stay much longer. There was so little knowledge about ngens that Hagrid didn't have much to say on the subject. He spent most of their time there trying to think of a suitable name for his newest acquisition. Sasha hadn't been able to help in the process any, but he had faith in Hagrid to conjure up some ludicrous name for the poor creature.
As they went to leave through the cave, Sasha gave one last glance to the ngen. It watched him leave, almost mournfully, and he found himself forcing the steps away from her. Behind him, the ngen gave a melancholy half-growl, half-howl as he left.
He didn't understand why the sound compelled him to look back.
He probably never would.
...
{Enochian Prophecies}
...
[One week later—present]
...
With his cloak pulled taut for warmth, Sasha stalked through the Forbidden Forest, plan in mind and eager to carry it out. It was all ready now, his thoughts had been completely focused and he had worked tirelessly the last few days to formulate his plan. Everything was set. Everything was ready. Now was the time to change it from hypothetical to reality.
Sasha wasn't bothered by anything as he followed the invisible trails through the forest, one of them leading to the sanctuary of the centaurs. Sasha wasn't exactly ecstatic about having to ask for help—from anyone—but this was necessary. He would not get another chance to do this and it was vital for his own sanity that he did.
He travelled a long time; the centaurs didn't live near the edges of the forest, instead the preferred the safety and the peace of the depths. Not many creatures would mess with a herd of centaurs and certainly not on their own grounds; Sasha was certain that the majority of beings in this forest would not venture that far. The fact that he had not encountered anything else was hint enough for him that he was heading in the right direction.
The forest grew darker. Sasha shivered as the temperature dropped further. His footsteps crunched as he disrupted the frosted ground. There had been a recent cold snap and snow and ice were everywhere the last few days and even here, isolated from the rest of the world, there was evidence of this. Sasha watched his breath come out foggy as he travelled.
"What do you want?"
He turned to face the centaur who had spoken. He was large, even for a centaur; all muscle and height and imposing power that was easily used for intimidation. Sasha had a basic knowledge of centaurs; there were different castes within them. There were scouts and leaders like Nessus and then there were ones like this one. This one was a warrior, a guardian when there were no wars between herds. It was obviously a time of peace now because this centaur was clearly acting as a guardian to their home.
"I need to speak with Nessus." Sasha informed the centaur.
"Nessus doesn't take social visits from humans." The guardian replied coldly.
Sasha sighed; obviously this centaur had not been with the others during their last meeting. "Tell him Sasha Kamenev is here. We've met before."
Still, the guardian resisted. "We don't accept the presence of humans on our lands."
"Then tell him to come out!" Sasha snapped, "I don't have all day; get moving."
The centaur regarded Sasha warily. No human blatantly challenged a centaur. Slowly he brought his hand up to his lips and whistled through his fingers. The sound travelled easily and it was soon answered. A scout appeared, looking between Sasha and the guardian with confusion, his eyes resting on the other centaur questioningly.
"Tell Nessus there is a Sasha Kamenev here."
The centaur nodded and ran off, soon returning looking flushed as he clearly sprinted back. Sasha found himself quickly ushered through the centaur's lands and was led straight to the leader of the herd; Nessus.
When they met once more, Nessus looked down at him pointedly. "What we have is a truce, not a friendship, Sasha Kamenev; such a thing does not allow for trespassing on our lands."
Sasha did not reply to Nessus' words. "I need your help." He said instead, hard enough as it was for him to admit it.
Nessus arched a brow. He said nothing.
Sasha sneered resentfully, hating that he was in a position of needing assistance. Nessus seemed to sense that and was enjoying the little power he had over him. "I would rather not be here," Sasha announced softly, "but there's nowhere else I can go."
"Hmm, why should I aid you?"
Sasha shook his head. "I have no reason," He admitted, "other than that I am in need of help and it is in both of our interests to stay in good relations."
Nessus burst into laughter, "You have a dangerous mind, young one, and if I was any less a leader I would agree, but relations work both ways. I now know how this interaction will benefit you... but how will it benefit my people?"
He had nothing to bargain with. There was nothing he had in his power to do that the centaurs would be interested in.
"I have nothing to bargain with." He confessed, dejected.
But Nessus smiled. "You do." He assured Sasha,
Sasha racked his brains. What did he have that the centaurs would want? He didn't have anything—nothing at all. Why then, did Nessus think he did? "What is it?" Sasha wondered aloud.
Nessus snorted. "You don't know your own power, little one," He informed Sasha," If you did, you wouldn't need to ask."
"If I did," Sasha replied, "I wouldn't be here."
Understanding suddenly, Nessus nodded his head. "You're planning on using the Expiscor Intentus, are you not?"
"I've waited long enough; I can't do it any longer." Sasha said to the centaur, "What do you want me to do?"
Nessus' jaw tightened, "We have Seen a great deal," He said, "there will be danger in our forests soon. We wish for you to stand with us if the time calls for it."
A frown marred Sasha's features as he thought through the implications of what the centaur was telling him. "You want me to fight for you." He clarified.
"Yes," Nessus replied.
"What kind of danger?"
Nessus' eyes glazed over momentarily as he thought back to what he had Seen, "There will be a great war soon; it will reach all peoples, all creatures. There will be no sanctuary—not even here. I suspect we will need your help if we are to survive."
"Have you Seen that too?"
"Yes."
Sasha mused on Nessus' vision. "There will be a great war," he said eventually, "But I promise it will not come to what you Saw."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I'm the one that will start that war. I will be the one to control what happens and when. I already gave my word to you that I would not attack you or your people. You don't need to worry."
Even still, Nessus looked doubtful. "That being said, I would feel better if you would do this for us; it will guarantee your safety while you recover from the Expiscor Intentus."
Sasha couldn't help himself. He smiled grudgingly. "I promise to fight with you should the war reach your lands."
Nessus beamed with satisfaction. "Then our deal is done; you will find sanctuary here. Take your potion and your recovery time; we will grant you protection in our lands."
Sasha thanked him. "I appreciate this."
"Tell me," Nessus said, "won't you be missed from Hogwarts?"
"Hogwarts is about to have a lot more to worry about than the disappearance of one measly student." He said.
"I'm sure I don't know what that means."
"It's better if you don't." Sasha said dismissively, wanting to change the subject and get down to business, "Where can I go? I need somewhere quiet, where I won't be disturbed."
Nessus understood Sasha's itchiness to take the potion. He didn't take insult in the boy's dismissal of him. He nodded, "Follow me."
Sasha did as he was told. His fingers tightened around the bottle of Expiscor Intentus in his pocket. It would feel strangely hollow without the potion once he was done with it. He had gotten into the habit of holding it for comfort or when he was in deep thought.
"You know you could die from this." Nessus warned him.
Sasha did know. He knew all too well. "I know. I won't let that happen."
"Even still, it will take a few days for you to recover."
"I know. I'll be out of your home as soon as I can."
Nessus looked down at him as they walked, "That is not what I meant." He said, "This potion will hurt you more than anything you have ever experienced; you won't just walk away from this as if nothing happened. It will weaken you greatly for quite some time."
"I understand this. I have seen what it does, I have researched everything. I am ready."
While his confidence was admirable, Nessus thought it might have been a little naive. "I hope you are." He muttered softly as he led the way.