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Chapter 13 – Four years
The Hogwarts Express, 1. September 1996
Hadrian sat in one of the many compartments at the Hogwarts Express. It was still early, about ten fifteen and just a few early comers where at the platform and Express. Hadrian had been there since ten o'clock, relaxing before the rest of the students started to bombard the train and people wanting his company.
He was starting sixth year, soon the deal he had made with Voldemort would partly dissolve. The silence clause of five years was almost up, just three months left, and after that the Wizarding World might be in a civil war again.
But Hadrian did not care, he had gone through his Magical Maturity on his sixteenth birthday, and had once more accepted his place as the Lord of Light. His own internal magical energy was stronger than ever, and his connection with the external magical currents and energies was stronger than last time.
He used a lot of his time since his birthday, to meditate and 'becomes one' with the energy, since magic was a force no one could control he needed to find the best way to conduct the magic he was allowed to use.
Sitting with closed eyes he concentrated on his breath, letting everything else become a hum in the back of his consciousness. He could feel the energy traveling/moving inside his body creating a warm feeling and a sense of rightness.
His exercise was interrupted by his compartment door being opened.
Hadrian had made a ward that made it impossible to penetrate if you were not included in the waving. And the only ones Hadrian included where those that was a part of his 'Court'. Opening his eyes he looked at Draco Malfoy.
Draco had changed since they were eleven. He stood 1'7 high; with a well trained body from all the Quidditch he had played since second year. His blond hair was cut short but in a 'just out of bed' look, which suited him very well and had the many girls of Hogwarts and others turn when he walked passed them. His clothes, as always, was immaculate and on his breast pocked there was a Prefect badge. He had an aura of confidence and power around him.
"Hadrian." Draco acknowledged with a nod. "How have you been?"
"Very well, Draco. And you? How is your family? Everyone is in good health I hope?"
"I am fine, and Mother and Father are in good health. Mother wanted me to send her good wishes to you."
They looked at each other for a moment not breaking the air of formality before they both started to laugh. To them this greeting was a game and a mockery of the formality that the 'Higher Society' deemed necessary. This greeting was the traditional greeting at every Magical Tradition and Customs Class and of course at formal gatherings.
Hadrian and Draco were bored to sleep because they did not see the need for it, after all it was more of a 'how to be nice to everyone even those you do not like' kind of thing. And that you could do in many different ways, not just the standard one.
"Truly Draco, did you have a good summer? How was France?"
"Mostly boring, you know how it is Hadrian. Formal meetings, Father with his 'business partners' and Mother with her 'tea friends', I tried to be as much away as possible. Of course I got some interesting tidbits but they can wait till later. How was your summer?"
"Interesting, I finished some of my research, quit my job, and did some business. The last of it I haven't read through yet, got the paperwork from my lawyer just before I left."
"I saw Neville at the platform, surrounded by the usual crowd. I can't understand how he is able to stand them. They are so common, loud and many."
"Neville is used to them. After all, he has grown up with the 'Light' and the Weasleys are some of the most supposed 'light' family there is. And the Mudblood grows on you."
"How? She just nags and nags. Talking about classes and whatever she have read in some book and always think she is better than everyone else."
"You learn to shut her out, all the unimportant goes in one ear and out the other while all the important facts is registered and that is good training for the adult life, especially in politics were there is a lot of useless chatter."
Draco nodded. "But don't you miss some important detail that way? After all the details are the most important."
"That is why listening to the Mudblood is good training. You learn to look interested when you are not, and you get a good review of all tests and classes while just halfway listening. Anyway since Neville is with them already I probably won't be seeing him during the trip."
In that moment the train gave a whistle and started to move.
Draco and Hadrian looked out the window. Draco sneered at the waving parents while Hadrian looked emotionless at them.
A moment later the platform had disappeared behind them and Draco sighed. "I have to go Hadrian, prefect meeting and patrol of the hallways." Then he opened the door again and left, leaving Hadrian alone again.
Flora stuck her head out of his coat and hissed: "Was that the white dragon?"
"Yes." He hissed back at her. There were a knock on the door before it opened to let in Luna Lovegood, a fifth year Ravenclaw and one of Hadrian's friends.
"Hello, 'Rian. I had a nice summer this year. Father and I went looking for Tengu" She settled down in the empty seat across for Hadrian.
"Did you find any?" Hadrian liked to hear about Luna's creatures because you never knew when something suddenly made sense in the talk that most looked upon as craziness.
"No. But Father thinks we looked in the wrong country again, so we will try again next year." She turned from the window, which she had been looking out of, and gave a small smile to Hadrian. "I Saw that you got great results for your OWLs. Outstanding in all subjects was it not?"
Hadrian nodded.
"You surprised most of the Professors, you know. Most of them did not think you would be able to keep up with doing all subjects and pass them all with perfect score. You even got extra credit in DADA, with the patronus and everything. They thought you would do the same as Granger and drop some subjects after a while and get a more normal timetable."
Hadrian just smirked.
"Which subjects are you continuing Hadrian?"
"I am dropping Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Astronomy and Herbology. That means I will continue with Transfiguration, Charms, DADA, Potions, History of Magic, Runes and Arithmancy."
"A very busy schedule. And for the future? What are you to do? Live of your Houses Fortunes?"
Hadrian sent her a look. "Sometimes your true insight are irritating Luna dear."
"I know, but it is also one of the reasons why you keep me around, is it not My Lord?"
Hadrian sighed and once more tried to reassure Luna's insecurities. "Of course your usefulness as a Seer, and a very powerful at that, are important to me. But it is not the reason of our friendship. I want to be your friend because you are you, someone who doesn't care that you are different from the crowd. And the fact that you are one of mine solidifies matters."
Luna starts to slowly pink during his speech and smiles at the end and slowly nods. "Yes, I am one of yours My Lord. One of the members of your Court, the White Courts Seer, I am."
"That you are pretty one."
They settled down, Luna bringing forth the latest issue of the Quibbler, Hadrian took up his Runes book. They sat in silence for a few hours, during that time people walked back and forth outside their door, making noise and acting childish. Hadrian even heard Draco yelling at some third years to settle down. Chuckling at his good fortune to not have been chosen as the Slytherin male prefect, Hadrian enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere before the chaos that is Hogwarts.
Luna just looked at him over the edge of her paper with an amused glint in her eyes. "I don't understand why you like the quiet so much when your power is about chaos, My Lord."
"I may be the Light Lord, meaning my powers are better suited for chaos than the control of the Dark, but that does not mean I don't like to relax without chaos around me."
"Speaking of chaos," Luna continued. "The Twins asked me to send along their regards and inform you that their business is booming. If it continues like it does now they will soon have Zonko out of business and having to open more shops. They are thinking of opening the next one in Hogsmeade if they start to expand."
"Good news then. And how long will it take them?"
"Zonko will shut down sometime the next three months and should have sold everything they have before December. They will sell their store in Hogsmeade at the end of October to a very good prize, for us I mean."
"Good, I will write a letter to the Twins about buying then and a letter to Eric about making the contract."
"Mr. Yorkie is a gem in legal matters, being Muggle or Magical he knows or finds a way to make it as you want is. Without his help the Twins would have had it more difficult to make their store."
"I knew already when Eric started his education in Law that he would be great, and he proved it by graduating the best of his class and then passing the Magical Law Examination within two months after the Muggle examination."
"Well, The Twins have done a good job too. They opened their store 'Weasley Wizarding Wheezes' at the start of this summer, and are already talking about expanding. That is a true achievement."
Hadrian nodded.
The mechanical voice informing the incoming students that they are soon to be arriving in Hogsmeade comes calling, ending with the usual message of leaving their luggage at the train as it would be taken up to the school later.
Luna let her mask of lunacy settle over her, she liked to be thought of as a little crazy, because then no one would look deeper to actually see her real talent. If the Hogwarts populace would had not labeled her creatures and other thing she spoke of as 'insane ramblings' they would have known her to be a true Seer. Now she was mostly left alone, especially after Hadrian took her under his influence, and being called Luna the Lunatic (which both Hadrian and she found quite funny).
She smiled her characteristic 'not-all-there' smile to Hadrian, commenting: "I look forward to meet the Thestrals again. To see how the younglings have grown since spring."
"I am sure they look forward to see you again themselves. If you will excuse me, Luna, I have to go find Susan and Hannah."
"Go; get your gossip, M Lord. And do not worry about the Wards, they will welcome you."
"Thank you Luna, I will see you later."
Hadrian managed to catch the carriage up to the castle with Susan Bones and Hannah Abbot, just like he had wanted.
Susan and Hannah, fellow sixth years from Hufflepuff, was two of the four gossip Keepers at the school currently. They together with Pansy Parkinson from Slytherin and Parvati Patil from Gryffindor where the Keepers of Gossip, meaning that they kept track of and maintained the spreading of gossip throughout the school population.
Pansy and Parvati was the visible gossip Queens of the castle, but Susan and Hannah was the silent keepers that most did not know about. They were quiet and did more listening than gossiping, therefore most people disregarded them, without knowing that they were actually listening to how the gossip spread and that the actual message in the gossip did not change to much from the original. If the message did change to much they would get in contact with Pansy or Parvati, or both, for a way to right it again.
The four girls met regularly once a week in the kitchens to discuss the current gossip and new gossip, always keeping themselves updated on the latest news and interest going on inside the school. In fact they where the closest to a spy network you could get. And it was not enough with the gossip inside the castle, they also kept themselves updated on the latest gossip, news and direction going on outside the school to, and where therefore some of the most informed people you could find inside the school.
Hadrian knew that information was one of the most important things there was, those that controlled what information people got they could decide how people should think and act. This was also why he now sat with the two girls on the trip up to the castle. This way he would get the latest gossip and rumors going on in the wizarding world, and also the basis of what was the important for the incoming students, keeping up with the trends.
"Susan, Hannah, did you have a nice summer." He addressed them with a small polite bow from his seat opposite of them in the carriage. The two girls answered with smiles and nods in greeting. "The summer have been very nice, we both stayed at Aunt Amelia's House the whole summer since Hannah's parents needed to travel and they would not be back before the new term started."
"How nice of her, and she is in good health?"
"Yes, thank you."
"What did you do this summer? I do hope you did something more than sit inside your Aunts house the whole time, if you had then your lovely skin tone would not have been as it is."
"You are so silly sometimes, Hadrian." Hannah answered with a small giggle. "Of course we sun bathed, did some shopping and attended a few of the not to formal gatherings this summer."
Susan leant forward and spoke in a whisper: "You know the gatherings are normally very formal and those in attendance have to be invited no one without their name on an invitation is welcome. Well sometimes they have a few not so formal gatherings where the heirs, heiresses and the eligible sons and daughters are attending. There they get some training for the real thing when it's their turn and meet potential suitors and brides." Susan sat back in her seat with a small smile in the corner of her mouth. "There are rumors going that Cho Chang is engaged to some Chinese royal but that she is not interested in him, she wants to be with Cedric Diggory."
"But Cedric is not good enough for her bloodline. After all, his Father is just an English lower class Noble, and only got the title trough marriage some four generations ago." Hannah piped in.
"I see."
"But that drama was not the most fascinating this summer." Both Susan and Hannah giggled with small blushes on their cheeks.
"My Ladies what have you so flushed?"
They both turned a glare at Hadrian, and he raised his hand in a placating gesture.
"You know it is not good manners to point out a lady's state, Hadrian." Susan said with an upturned nose, showing her displeasure.
"I apologize, My Ladies. It is just you got me interested."
They both looked at him, and with twin sighs and an air about them saying "boys!" forgave him for his breach of etiquette.
This time Hannah leant forward making it seem like she was sharing a secret. "This year there was a new face amongst the Elite. In truth he is not new, but he usually doesn't attend the gatherings at all and therefore it was quite a spectacle when he suddenly appeared back at the scene this year. His name is Augustus Marcus Valerius and no one outside of the Circles knows what his Lordship or Lordships are, just that he is high in the International Hierarchy."
Susan took over: "He used the whole summer to make profitable alliances, doing business and listening to the discussions, but even though most of the women and daughters almost threw themselves at him, he showed no interest."
"But he was really hansom. Dark hair, dark brown eyes almost red in some light, white skin, thin but a good build and high somewhere between 1'85 and 1'90. And he had this aura around him that just brought you closer, but not too close. You could get this feeling that he was waiting for something… or perhaps someone." Hannah finished their observation of the mystery man of the summer and they both giggled again with a small blush.
Hadrian nodded. So this was the new face and identity of Lord Voldemort. It sounded like he, Hadrian, had something to look forward to when he entered high society this coming Winter Season. Sitting comfortable in his seat Hadrian felt the moment they crossed the wards into Hogwarts grounds as a sudden wall of magic hitting him, acknowledging him and welcoming him home with a feeling of warmth of the magic settling around him.
Hadrian continued to listen to Susan and Hannah gossiping the latest gathering and rumors of different betrothals and courtships with half his attention, the rest was towards the magic of the school that were trying to speak with him in fast pictures and strong feelings. The Castle magic was telling him something and Hadrian was trying to find out what it wanted.
And before they came to a stop at the Entrance Doors he knew he needed to get to the Room of Requirement as soon as possible without getting seen or caught by anyone, as per the Castle Magic command.