A/N: This is the fastest chapter i've ever written in awhile. Kudos for me.
AnimeHarryPotterFreak: I'm so sorry for posting this chapter before you can even check it out but i did send to you the chapter and you haven't been replying at all. If you do read this please contact me as we seem to not be able to exchange chapters with ease. But i still appreciate all the help.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Chapter 21 A Sordid Act
The walk up to Dumbledore's office was done in silence, both Vampyres caught up in their own thoughts and consternations to make casual conversation to make light of the situation. Severus had been watching his son silently from the corner of his eye and saw how the boy held himself in utmost resolve, if only his hands did not shake as they were now. As he saw all of this, a large part of him wanted nothing more than to pull his son away from all this madness, his son who had suffered enough under Dumbledore's firm control. And now that they had freed him at last, here they were again sending him back to the Alpha wolf. Once again he cursed Dumbledore for forcing their hands.
At long last the pair arrived outside the stone gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office.
"Liquorice Wands." uttered Severus disdainfully. The gargoyle moved aside to reveal the staircase that would lead them up. Severus gestured for Haeden to move on ahead but he was instead met with wary eyes. The boy was silently pleading to him not to take him up and he could do nothing about it. They were far too close to Dumbledore for him to say anything to his son so as to reassure him that he would not let anything happen. His growing hatred for the wizened wizard grew tenfold at what he had to say next to protect their cover. He knew Haeden knew of the character he had to portray whilst at Hogwarts, but it did not make it any easier for him to do. As a matter of fact, it made it all the much more difficult.
"Don't be such a baby, Potter! Get up there now before I have to drag you up by your ears!" snapped Severus in full bastard mode. His words immediately got the boy's attention and a look of loathing flashed before him.
"What are you waiting for Potter, the welcome party from the press? Well I'm sorry to burst your bubble, you are a mere student here and you do not keep the Headmaster waiting, what ever your status may be in the public."
"Snuff it, Snape!" cried Haeden in incense, pushing pass Severus to get to the spiralling staircase.
The dizzying ride did not last long and soon they were standing outside the door that led to the Headmaster's office. Severus went for the griffin knocker and banged it three times before the Headmaster's gentile voice echoed throughout the antechamber.
"Ah, Severus my boy, do come in." rang Dumbledore's voice.
But instead of doing what the voice had said, Severus walked back to where his son was silently standing, clearly trying to clear his mind from any unwanted thoughts. Severus, after much internal deliberation, placed a tentative hand on Haeden's shoulder. When, to his relief, his hand wasn't shoved away like before, he gave his son a comforting squeeze. The moment however was cut short when at that instant the door to the office opened. Severus' hand immediately flew from Haeden's shoulder and he walked stoically towards the brightly lit circular office.
"Albus," Severus greeted with a noncommittal jerk of his head.
"Severus," replied the old man in turn. "Where is Harry?" Both men turned to look at the door and found said boy standing timidly boy the door.
"Harry, my boy," exclaimed Dumbledore fondly, walking towards Haeden. "Come in child, you are no stranger to these walls after all."
Haeden allowed himself to be dragged into the room, all the while desperately trying to maintain a hold over his bodily reactions. The deep subconscious part of him kept relaying image after image of a dark cell that held nothing but pure darkness. He wanted to run, his Vampyric senses were screaming at him to turn away from the one that had imprisoned it for years. But he couldn't run, an unnamed forced had planted him right where he was; he was stuck.
"Child, Harry, is anything the matter?" It was Dumbledore's voice that ultimately brought him back to the present and he willed for all of his control to come to him so as not to lash out at his former mentor.
"I… I…" he stuttered, grasping for the right words to say without revealing anything. "I'm sorry, sir." He tried to look positively contrite.
"What ever for, child?" asked Dumbledore, his twinkling blue eyes staring at him.
"For running off," mumbled Haeden softly, his head appropriately bowed down.
"You should be!" exclaimed Severus
"Severus," intoned Dumbledore, sending a warning look towards his faculty, "I'm sure Mr. Potter has a viable explanation for what he has done."
Severus forced out a sneer. "I'm sure he does."
"I do!" said Haeden stoutly, taking the Potion's Master aback. He then turned green eyes to face blue. "Sir, please forgive me. I just wanted to get away… away from it all."
His hands gestured wildly around to further emphasize his point.
At his ardent show of helplessness, Dumbledore placed what was supposed to be a comforting hand on his shoulder and he fought hard not to flinch.
"Harry, no need to explain yourself, I understand perfectly what you did. You were affected greatly by the death a great man, unlike some of us here." Dumbledore turned to eye his Potions Master briefly. "However, that does not mean I condone your actions. It was very foolish of you child, to run away like that."
"I know sir and I'm really sorry for all the trouble I've caused." said Haeden. "I wasn't thinking straight." At this Dumbledore gestured for him to take a seat.
"Have a seat, child, and tell us where you have been all this time."
Haeden gingerly took the offered seat and watched as his professor came to stand just a way off behind him, his expression unreadable. Before him the Headmaster sat behind his desk and he was looking expectantly at him through his half moon glass. He tried not to look directly at the twinkling blue eyes as he told his cover story.
"Well after the incident last June, I wanted to get away from anything that would remind me of him, it just go too much you see, so I took the Muggle bus and went to London. I'd saved money over the years and so I used that to get a room in the city. I basically went from one place to another; it wasn't that hard to convince the Muggles that I was old enough to be on my own. I just didn't want to be found before I was ready to face everyone again." The story was something they'd worked on for days and in the end they'd decided that staying in the Muggle part of London was more logical if he was indeed trying to get away from the death of his godfather. Plus Muggle London was considerably bigger than wizarding London and Haeden could easily claim he was staying in an inn in the heart of the city. The whole story was plausible, not too grand and overly complicated, and now all that remained was for the old man to believe it.
"Do you mean to tell us that you have been gallivanting around Muggle London all the while we were risking our necks looking for you?" voiced Severus, his arms crossed before his black robes.
"I was not gallivanting around Muggle London, as you put it, Professor." replied Haeden, barely keeping his temper in-check. He knew Snape had to maintain his cover, but could the man tone down the nastiness just a bit? Image be damned, he glared subtly at the older Vampyre. The man was not helping his control!
"Yes that is quite enough Severus," said Dumbledore in slight chastisement. "But Harry, are you certain you only stayed with the Muggles? You did not thread into the wizarding world, not even once?"
"No, sir." replied Haeden shaking his head. "I'm truly sorry, Professor."
Dumbledore waved a casual hand into the air and said, "Oh Harry, what is done is done. All that matters now is that you have returned to us safely. I'm sure the others will forgive you of the trouble you've caused, after all Sirius meant the world to you, and to have lost him in such a manner... I can scarcely imagine your grief. There is nothing more to apologize about, child."
"Thank you sir," smiled Haeden poignantly.
Then suddenly Dumbledore turned his attention towards Severus, a mysterious twinkle in his eyes that did not bode well at all. "Now Severus, I know I have kept you here long enough. I'm sure you're students must be wondering where you've gone and why you have not yet delivered the speech I know you tell your first years every year."
Severus shifted his weight from one leg to another, unease bubbling just by the surface. "I have informed Mr. Malfoy of my lateness, he will be orienting the first years on my behalf."
"Be that as it may, Severus, but you have a transfer student in your House this year. As capable as I find young Mr. Malfoy to be, I'm sure Ms. Freighter would be put much more at ease at your attendance to her." said Dumbledore.
"I'm fairly certain Draco can handle Ms. Freighter. Furthermore Albus, it is nearly curfew and loathe as I may to be in the company of a Gryffindor, Mr. Potter is still a student of this castle and thus his safety still falls under his teachers. And that last time I check I am still under your employment as an educator." drawled Severus, looking at the boy carefully. He could see the anxiety of being left alone buried under his mask of contrition.
"How gracious of you Severus, but you need not worry of Harry's safety; I have just the professor to take him back if he be kept here after curfew." replied Dumbledore, a edge on his voice that told them his decision was final.
Severus feared that if he pressed the issue of remaining in the office further the Headmaster would get suspicious and since he had no more excuse to deem his presence wanted, he begrudgingly consented defeat. He would have to find another way to keep an eye on his son.
"Very well Albus, I shall take my leave." Severus tilted his head to the Headmaster and in the process he nearly failed to see the surprise that flashed briefly on his son's face.
Almost as soon as the door shut behind the older Vampyre, Haeden felt the full attention of Dumbledore's gaze land on him and he couldn't help but recoil slightly in his seat at the sudden absence of twinkle in the Headmaster's eyes.
"Professor Dumbledore, is there anything else you wish to tell me?" Haeden asked uncertainly, not liking the gravity of the old man's eyes on him.
With his chin resting atop his interlocked fingers, Dumbledore was the visage of doting grandfather surveying his grandson. But Haeden knew better. "Now that Severus is out of the way," began the Headmaster. "I want you to tell me the truth Harry."
"I don't know what you mean, Professor Dumbledore." replied Haeden warily, leaning further into his seat.
Dumbledore leaned closer to his desk so that they were now a few inches from each other. "I know how intimidating Professor Snape can be, especially towards you, and now that he is gone, you may tell me what you do not want him to hear. I am always here for you Harry; you can tell me anything without ever fearing the repercussions." If Haeden had still been Harry, he was sure he would have instantly been drawn in by the older wizard's convincing words. But as it was, he now held more Magyck than a wizard like the Headmaster could ever dream of and he could just as easily drain the old man of his life with one swift strike and no one would be the wiser of who had done the heinous act. Yet despite his Magyck, hate he was to admit it, a part of him still feared the dark cell he could return to the moment the Headmaster realizes he was more than the shell he had created fifteen years ago.
And so he did nothing, for he could do nothing until his fear of his past lingers within him.
"I really don't know what you mean, sir." said Haeden timidly. "I told you I hid in Muggle London. Sir, if you are still mad at me for running away…"
"Harry, Harry…" said Dumbledore, leaning back into the comforts of his high backed chair, his fingers still interlocked before his chest. "I am not mad. I can never get mad at you child."
"Then sir, what is it that you want from me?" Haeden wondered, his voice shaking for the first time.
"However I must confess myself disappointed at you, child." continued Dumbledore as if the youth before him had not spoken. "You have learnt to lie to me."
"Lie?!" exclaim Haeden, refraining from bolting out of his chair. "I have never lied to you Professor."
"You have not lied to me of your forays for the last month?" questioned Dumbledore, a definite edge now on his voice.
"I have hidden from the Order under my better judgement, but that is all." cried Haeden, wishing for the first time that the dour Potions Master could be in the room with him. He was feeling extremely unravelled.
"But I find it exceptionally difficult to think that you could evade my men by simply lurking with the Muggles. Something is missing that you are not telling me, Harry, and I am very very disappointed." intoned the Headmaster in a voice Haeden had never heard before.
"I'm not hiding anything, sir. I was really just with the Muggles." said Haeden desperately. He had to get out of here, he didn't know for how long he could subdue his instincts anymore.
"But you do not associate well with Muggles, Harry. You're relatives weren't much of a role model, now were they?" said Dumbledore.
"No sir, they weren't." agreed Haeden. "I'm truly sorry for disregarding my safety and everything but I do not regret what I did, sir."
Dumbledore closed his eyes for a moment and Haeden chance a look around, looking for the quickest route to get away from the office when the opportunity presented itself. "I'm sure you don't." said the Headmaster after awhile. "But I still cannot get from my mind that you are somehow hiding something from me, Harry."
Haeden stood and took a cautious step forward and laid his hands on top of the Headmaster's desk. He made sure that Dumbledore's eyes were on him before he spoke in the most sincere voice he could muster. "I swear to you sir, I am not hiding anything from you. I'm sorry for ever causing you such distress."
A gentle smile etched itself on the Headmaster's ancient visage and Haeden couldn't help but feel a slight tinge of relief surge through him. His relief however was shattered when a dangerous glint passed through the twinkling blue eyes. "We shall have to see then."
Haeden felt the force hit him but he never anticipated being thrown across the room and landing heaving on a spindly table that held all sorts of metallic trinkets. A figure was walking towards him but his vision was so blurred up he could not make out who it was. Then all of a sudden his head pounded with such intense pain he thought he would die. But after awhile he realized that the pain was centralized in his frontal lobe and something in him kicked in, telling him to remain conscious until the pain dissipated.
It was the last thing he knew before everything else went blank.
sSsSsSsSsSsSsSsSs
His head hurt, that was the first thing that registered in his befuddled mind. He ran a hand over his head and hissed in pain as he felt a reasonable lump just over the side of his head. He then opened one bleary eye and found that he was still in the headmaster's office.
'Odd,' he thought, getting slowly to his feet.
"Harry," said a voice from behind him causing him to jerk around in surprise.
"Headmaster!" he gasped out at seeing who had called his name. "What am I still doing here?"
"My boy, you've had an exhausting day and you fell asleep right there on my couch." Dumbledore pointed at the lounge he had just vacated.
"I fell asleep?" repeated Haeden, his brows knitting in confusion.
"Indeed you did, my boy. You were so peaceful; I had not the heart to disturb your slumber. But as it is very late I think you need to get back to your House." said Dumbledore, a maddening twinkle in his already maddening eyes.
"Yeah… yeah, I'd better go." said Haeden absentmindedly, trying to piece out the events of the evening. He could not recall ever falling asleep, especially not in the old man's presence.
"Ah Harry, you need an escort before you leave. We don't want Mr. Filch catching you all alone in the corridors at this time, do we now?" Dumbledore turned towards his fireplace and scooped up a handful of powder in his hands. Haeden nodded at the Headmaster's suggestion and he barely heard the name that was uttered in the flames. No sooner had the Headmaster tossed the Floo Powder in the grate, a well-built man with short brown hair stepped out of the flames.
"Harry, I want you to meet Professor Monroe, he's the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor and he shall be escorting you back to your dorm." said Dumbledore, gesturing at the new comer.
"A pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Potter," said a deep voice that came from the new Professor.
"You too, Professor," replied Haden, with nothing else on his mind but to get out of the office as quickly as possible. Something was telling him that something had happened to him, he just could not pin point what it was.
"You two should get going now, you both have an early day tomorrow," Dumbledore ushered them out of his office and soon Haeden was left in the company of the unknown Professor.
They were about two corridors away from the Gryffindor common room when the brown haired Professor began conversing with him. "I have heard many great things about you, Mr. Potter."
"Who hasn't?" growled Haeden. The pain in his head was diminishing but now it was extremely evident in his mood that he needed to get some sleep.
"Some, I must say, I find very difficult to believe." said the man in an amicable manner.
"You must not read too much into things, Professor. Some of them are just fabricated to bring more colour into my already messed up life." drawled Haeden, allowing his feet to drag him into the familiar corridor that led up to the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Like perhaps the one where you fought Death Eaters in the Ministry?" Haeden stopped in his tracks at once and turned his attention for the first time on the young professor.
"That one they think is fabricated. But it's not. I was there, I fought them." Haeden's voice had taken a steady tone as he said all that.
"I don't know what to make of you anymore, Mr. Potter." said the professor once they'd started walking again.
"I don't really care what others think of me, Professor. All I know is that I'm telling the truth." said Haeden flatly. "We'll here's my stop. Thank you for the company Professor."
"My pleasure Mr. Potter." said Monroe. "I'll be seeing you in class."
Haeden watched the tall man as he rounded the corner before entering the Common Room, Ron having told him of the password during the Feast. The common room was eerily silent by the time he stepped through the portrait hole and dying embers now replaced the roaring fires of the Gryffindor common room. He'd barely taken a step into the room when a figure suddenly stood before him and he staggered back in surprise.
"Haeden," the figure whispered harshly.
"Selene?" cried Haeden, squinting through the dark. The girl had a frazzled look upon her and she wore a robe over her night dress "What are you doing here?"
"Father left ahead of you and when after an hour you were still up there with the old man, we started getting worried. Are you alright?" Selene grabbed him by the elbows and helped him land comfortable in one of the couches by the fireplace.
"How'd you get in?" he asked.
"A friend." replied Selene vaguely. "Are you okay?"
"I'm tired and my head still hurts," said Haeden, reclining his head on the headrest of the couch. He felt Selene slump down beside him.
"Do you recall who I am and who you are?" asked Selene, her hands gripping his worriedly.
"You're Selene, my annoying, bossy sister. And I'm Haeden, a Sedaire, as you say." he recited with his eyes close and his head leaning backwards.
Selene gave out an audible sigh of relief and said, "That's good, at least you still remember."
Haeden sat upright at her words and exclaimed softly, "How is that good?"
"I don't know." admitted the female Vampyre, rising from her seat to walk up towards the fireplace. "But you said your head hurts."
"Yeah," mumbled Haeden, staring after his sister. "He said I fell asleep in his office. I highly doubt that's what really happened. I can only remember up until the time he sent Snape away."
"I'm calling for father." said Selene at once, and for once Haeden had nothing to say about it. As she was about to pull out the rune engraved ring that hung in a chain around her neck, robes rustled in the darkness, acquiring the attention of the two Vampyres.
"Who's there?" demanded Haeden, rising from his seat, his wand drawn. And at the same time Selene placed a hand on his raised arm and said, "Calm down Haeden, she's with us. Seaea valythu deree, Airu."
Haeden's eyes turned towards the older Vampyre as she started speaking in Ancient Rumnic, the language of the Clandestines. His Rumnic was basic at best, not having enough time during the summer to actually learn the language, and all that he understood from the girl was come and show; not at all helpful in aiding him to understand the conversation.
"Tay. Quea gueri fue saeri huriea." said the mysterious other person in the room, her voice indistinguishable in the Rumnic's smooth and airy tones.
Her hand still on the younger Vampyre, Selene nodded in acceptance at the third Clandestine in the room and spoke, this time in English. "Very well, it is your choice. But what is it that you've got to tell us."
"My Lord is on his way," said the hidden figure. Haeden tried to see where the person was hiding but it seems that like Selene, the person knew how to conceal herself, much to his annoyance.
"He knows then," said Selene, releasing her hold on Haeden and returning to her seat. "Sit down Haeden, father's on his way."
As Haeden allowed himself to be pulled down to sit beside the female Vampyre, his mind still wandered at the dark recesses of the room, searching in futility for the mysterious Clandestine. When finally he could find neither head nor hind of the person, he turned to Selene, filled to burst with questions. Selene however beat him to his question.
"Yes, she's a Clandestine." said Selene to Haeden's unspoken question.
"Who is she?" asked Haeden, his eyes wandering hopelessly around the room.
"That is for her to tell you. You will just have to wait for her to introduce herself to you," answered Selene, her eyes seeming to know where the person was located. Haeden followed her gaze.
"Is she a Gryffindor? How come I never knew there was one like you in the tower?" said Haeden in quick successions.
Selene looked straight at the curious green eyes and said, "Haeden, all you need to know for now is that we're not the only Clandestines in the castle. They've been stationed here for sometime now and their identities are better left unknown for their own safety and ours."
Haeden would have asked more question at that moment had the portrait hole not open to reveal the stoic form of their Potion's Master.
"Father!" cried Selene, walking up to stand beside the older man. "Do you know…?"
"Yes, I know what happened," said Severus promptly, pacifying his daughter at once.
"You do?!" exclaimed Haeden, bolting out of his seat. "How? He sent you out."
"Calm down, Haeden. There is no use waking up the whole House." said Severus, walking up towards his agitated son. "Tell me exactly all that you remember."
"I can't it hurts. All that I recall is up from the time he forced you to leave." said Haeden, placing a hand over the tender spot on his head.
"No sense at all of what happened? No fuzzy images or …" questioned the older man further, annoying the tired Vampyre.
"I don't recall anything, alright!" Haeden all but hissed at the man. "Will you just tell me what the hell went on up there, because I honestly have no clue?"
"Haeden," admonished his father for the first time, clearly shocking the boy in place. "That is enough. I have tolerated your anger long enough but I will not be addressed in such a manner, especially not from my own son."
Haeden's nose flared in irritation but kept his silence. Severus spoke again once he was certain his son would not interrupt him again. "I was there, though not in the manner you are thinking. The moment Dumbledore quite craftily sent me out, I knew he was up to something and so I stayed long enough outside the door to penetrate your mind."
"You went in my head?" said Haeden incredulously.
"I apologize for that, but that is the only way I could view what was happening and still have little control of the situation. And since we are connected by more than blood, the intrusion was easy enough that you were left unaware of it." explained Severus.
Haeden did not know whether to get mad at the professor for invading his mind or to be glad that the mad had not left him alone with the manipulative old wizard. But at least now he knew that the man standing before him would not leave him for death, regardless of the contradicting image he still held of the man from his past.
"He did not believe our tale…" continued Severus. "And so he questioned you relentlessly over and over to tell him the truth. At one point I'd thought that you'd managed to convince him, for I must applaud your convincing act, but I was mistaken. He had a plan under his sleeve all along to test whether your trip away had made you waver in your loyalty."
"Why is it that I don't recall any of this?" mumbled Haeden, running a hand once more over the sore spot on his head. It took awhile before Severus responded to the inquiry and at that time asked for them to take a seat. Fear mounted within Haeden.
"Why don't I recall any of this?" repeated Haeden in distress.
Severus knew better than try to offer the boy comfort when he was in such a state, but still, as a parent, it hurt not to be able to comfort your own son. "Haeden, believe me when I say that had I known he would do what he did, I would have protested greatly of leaving you alone with him."
"What did he do to me?" cried Haeden, no longer able unable to keep his voice down.
"Father, what happened?" asked Selene, she did not like seeing the look of hesitation in her father's eyes.
"Son, he attacked you before roughly forcing himself into your mental barriers," At this Severus' face turned a disgusted shade as his mind relived through all that he had seen. "He ravaged through your mind like an animal and with such vigour that had I not thought to enter your mind earlier, he would have gained access to your real memories."
As he stood outside the door that separated him from his son, he knew that Dumbledore was up to something and he would not leave his son alone with the man, not after he had sworn to do all he could to protect him. Severus quickly went through his options in his head and decided that the best way to remain with his son without the old man finding out was to somehow connect with the boy's mind. He was a Master Occlumence as well as a Master Legilimens, he could easily pull the feat off, and the fact that Haeden was his own flesh and blood made it all the more easy to form a connection.
If he was to do this he had to find a secluded classroom and so he dashed as fast as he could to the nearest empty classroom he could find. Once inside the dark room Severus immediately went inward into his mind and searched for the connection that linked him to his son. It didn't take long and at last he was looking at Dumbledore's through his son's unclouded eyes.
Dumbledore was sitting omnisciently behind his desk, his hands propped up before him. "But I still cannot get from my mind that you are somehow hiding something from me, Harry."
Severus growled angrily at the old wizard, knowing that while he was inside his son's head no one could hear him. The next thing he knew however was that he was approaching the damned wizard – no, his son was the one approaching the Headmaster. The older Vampyre cried out to his son, telling him not to get close, but all of his words went to nought. The boy could not hear him.
"I swear to you sir, I am not hiding anything from you. I'm sorry for ever causing you such distress." said Haeden. That was when Severus saw the glint in the Headmaster's eyes and he knew that if he did not act soon his son would be imprisoned in his own head again. They were both flung across the room by a force so strong Severus knew it was once again stolen by Dumbledore from an unsuspecting Clandestine. Severus tried to get the both of them rising but Haeden's body had taken the brunt of the impact whilst his body was safely hidden away in a dark classroom.
Dumbledore slowly made his way towards his son's body and once he had bent down to the boy's level, the old man brandished his wand and pointed it straight to Haeden's head, all the while a maniac glint in his twinkling blue eyes. Severus could do nothing as all the wind was knocked out of him and he felt as if his head was about to explode, though he knew this was only a fraction of the pain his son was currently feeling. Severus grabbed at all the threads connecting him to his son and forced all of his will through the threads; his son needed to stay conscious.
He witnessed as ribbon after ribbon of memories were shredded by Dumbledore. The act was so savagely done that Severus knew in an instant that Dumbledore cared not if he rendered the child a mangled waste after this. Severus fought with every ounce of his strength to remain inside Haeden's mind, he had to make sure that Dumbledore did not tear down anymore than the fake memories they'd created. But even with Severus' help, Dumbledore's forceful entry had weakened both Haeden's body and mind and there was only so much Severus could do without being in the same room as his son.
And then when Severus thought that Dumbledore would continue his mental ravage of Haeden's mind, the pressure in his head ceased and Dumbledore's form started to disappear from the myriad of destroyed memories. Severus rose to his feet, he had to heal all of the damages Dumbledore had inflicted on his son's mind if he wanted the boy to remain sane after all of this. There were glistening strands of shredded ribbons of memory everywhere and as he was about to mend the strands that were littering dangerously close to his son's real mental shields, he felt his son struggling to remain conscious.
"Headmaster, please…" slurred the boy.
"Forgive me, Harry, but I will not have your image of me tarnished by my moment of weakness and paranoia. I must do this for the greater good of the wizarding world." Dumbledore raised his wand at Haeden for a second time and all that Severus remembered before being forcefully cast out of his son's mind was the flash of a brilliant white light.
"Obliviate specifico!"
Haeden's features paled at the though of his mind being harassed like that. Even though he had no recollection of the event, he could visualize it enough that it made him sick to the stomach. Pulling his legs closer to his chest into a protective embrace, he spoke in a small voice. "What is that supposed to mean? You make it sound like metal rape or something…"
Someone in the darkness gasped but no one fought to disagree with him.
When Selene could no longer take the heavy silence that had enveloped them, she turned to her father. "And then what happened?"
Severus had been utterly repulsed at the level Dumbledore could descend upon so as to maintain the control he needed over his people. Was this how it had always been? The knowledge of playing blind to his son's plight added more to his sins towards the child. It was only at Selene's voice did he emerge from his self-loathing. He looked to his right and saw his son looking younger that he really was. The boy was frightened and Severus berated himself some more for not having seen this before. All those times in the past that Potter was alone with the Headmaster, the old coot could have been doing the very same thing to reassure himself of the boy's loyalty. Not even the Dark Lord did that to his followers, and that sickened Severus even more.
"He wiped your memory." said Severus, barely containing his anger. "And he did a pretty damn good job at it too; I could barely see the traces of attack in your mind." Severus placed a tentative hand on his son's hand. "Haeden please talk to us. Had we known earlier that this was what he was doing to you when you are alone with him, we would have intervened at once, regardless of our cover."
Haeden tried to smile at the man to show him that he did not blame him, but all that came out was a pained look.
"I think I'd always known." he mumbled softly, staring at the dying embers.
"What do you mean?" questioned Selene. Severus sat all straighter as well at the proclamation.
"When I had… you know… my Release… I had this out-of-body experience with my former self. I was pulled into this dark plane and my former self was confronted by my current self. Do you get me?" He turned to look at his sister and … professor.
"We do, child. Go on." Severus responded, prompting Haeden to speak.
"So basically I confronted my old self. It's rather confusing now come to think of it…" He knew he was starting to babble, but he just somehow could not get his thoughts sorted out. "And then my current self showed my former self memories I had never seen before. In most of them I was alone with Dumbledore and he had a wand pointed at me. When I was finally let free, I didn't think deeper into those memories I'd shown myself because somehow I'd proven to myself that Dumbledore never really did nor care about me, I was just his pawn, and I didn't want to go thinking like that considering how messed up I was back then."
Haeden never noticed the long arms that now enveloped his shoulders. "So I guess I'd always known what he was doing that to me. I wouldn't have shown it to my former self if I hadn't known, right? And I still allowed him to do it…"
"Shush Haeden; you are not to blame for that man's madness. Perhaps your subconscious knew but you were none the wiser of it, none of us were. But I swear to you I won't let it happen again. We'll come up with something else to keep Dumbledore oblivious, but you will not be subjected to that man's – attacks – again. I swear child, I swear." said Severus vehemently, pleased that the boy had yet to remove his hold on him. He needed to comfort his son like this.
Silence reigned over the three of them again, each lost in their own thoughts on how to best put an end to the Headmaster's vice-like infatuation with Clandestines. Soon however Haeden became aware of his surroundings once more and he stared at the hand that had wrapped itself around him, suddenly feeling something warm flaming inside him.
"I'm tired, I'm going to bed." he said, slowly unfurling himself.
"Yeah, we should go and rest. It's almost three." said Selene, rising as well from her position on his other side. "Will you be alright?"
"I'll be fine," Haeden tried to smile at them.
"We'll have to talk more of this tomorrow, Haeden." said Severus, eyeing his son critically.
"Whatever," replied Haeden flatly, now making his way up towards the boy's dormitories. "G'night."
Severus and Selene watched him until the door to the boy's dormitory closed behind him and then Severus made to get back to his quarters as well. "You should head back down as well, child."
"In awhile, sir." said Selene, wrapping her robes closer to her person so as to ward of the cold.
"Very well," Severus walked up towards her daughter and she instinctively leaned in to the kiss he'd placed on her forehead. "Goodnight, and be safe young one."
"Goodnight, father,"
The moment she was all alone in the dark Gryffindor common room, she turned once more towards the corned that she knew still concealed her friend. And as she'd expected, the Clandestine walked out from behind a hidden nook by the bookshelves.
"Will you watch over him for me whilst he is here in the tower?" asked the female Vampyre of the other Clandestine.
"Of course, Selene." replied the other girl in earnest. "You should really follow the professor back to the dungeons; the wards will not hide your presence here forever."
"You're right, goodnight my friend." said Selene with a small inclination of her head.
"Goodnight to you too." said the girl, retuning the gesture.
Selene headed for the portrait hole while the mysterious Clandestine walked back up to the girl's dormitory. Tomorrow they would deal with this new revelation, but for now, a good night's sleep was what they all needed.
A/N: There you go, now we all know what Dumbledore had been doing to poor old Harry to make sure he is always under his influence. Don't you just want to stranggle the man??!!! Well anyway, i've used a few "foreign" words in this fic. BAsically i made them up to bring in a more realistic feel that Severus and the others are different from the others and come from a different world.
To help you understand the story more, here are the translations of the Rumnic words i've created.
Seaea valythu deree, Airu – Come show yourself, Airu
Tay. Quea gueri fue saeri huriea – No. I need to stay hidden
Sedaire – a Dark Child/Cursed child. Descendents of Grindenwald that have been cursed by the council to fight in the war. Lily Evans and Lord Voldemort are a few of the know Sedaires.
gaidar – home
Taie – (can't say yet, kinda ruins the suspense)
Airu – (same thing here)
Though take not that the last two titles, are important to the story and you shoukd take note their various appearances in the chapters... hint hint... wink wink...
'til next post.
read and review...
dan4eva