Staros saw Harry enter the Great Hall for the leaving feast, a misnomer since it was hardly the last meal they would have at Hogwarts since end of term grades wouldn't come out until later that week, but whatever. It wasn't hard to spot him as he was one of the last to enter. He didn't look happy at the décor, seeing as Slytherin was tops on House Points. But Staros wasn't the only one to notice Harry's entrance.
All across the hall, people took notice of the Boy-Who-Lived and for a moment, silence reigned. That moment must have been one of the most painful the shy, quiet Harry had ever endured as the entire student body was focused on him. Then the moment broke and everyone went back to their noisy, not quite as whispered as they thought conversations, many of which were still about the many rumors surrounding the last week's events, but just as many were the normal end of school conversations about grades, dating, friends visiting friends over the summer, or jobs to be sought by those leaving the school. All perfectly normal.
Staros caught Harry's eyes for just a second and nodded to him before Harry went and joined Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table. He seemed to try and shrink in between his fellows, afraid of what he would see if he looked around at the others. Considering some people were craning their necks or almost standing to take a last look at the poor boy, Staros thought hiding was probably the best choice for now. Too much attention and people might notice their Hero was only a boy.
A tapping of a glass signaled for silence as Dumbledore stood at his seat.
"Another year gone!" Dumbledore began cheerfully. "And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were… you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts…"
Several students, not just Slytherin, groaned aloud at the thought of next year, especially those who would be entering their fifth or seventh years after seeing this year's crop of stressed and exam ridden psychos with their heads buried in books.
"Now, as I understand it, the House Cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus. In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points. In third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two. Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."
Several of the younger Slytherins broke out in cheers. Some were banging their cups on the table in a most unseemly manner. Daphne noted with disgust that the cheering students were mainly those who had little to do with their point gains, namely Draco, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle. 'At least Nott has a reason to be happy about it…' she thought.
"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin," Dumbledore was saying. "However, recent events must be taken into account."
The cheering died almost as fast as it arose. Staros smirked at Blaise who smiled back. They both knew the shoe was about to drop and why. Daphne and Tracey simply looked bored with the whole affair, although Tracey couldn't keep her lips from tugging upwards, fighting the urge to smile herself. They had all heard from Staros much of the truth of what happened to Harry and company. While they didn't buy into the hype about the Boy-Who-Lived, they did think Harry was a bit more Gryffindor than was healthy and obviously a magnet for trouble.
"Ahem," Dumbledore continued. "I have a few last-minute points to be dish out. Let me see. Yes… Ronald Weasley…"
Ron looked to be about to choke or suffer a fit by the look on his face. Many would remember that this was probably the only day in his school career that Ron would actually earn points.
"…for the best played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."
Cheers erupted form the House of the Brave as several students immediately nearest congratulated Ron on the points. Even as far away as they were, the Slytherins could hear Percy saying, "My brother, you know! Youngest of us all! Beat McGonagall's chess set!"
Again the tapping of a glass for attention quieted the hall.
"Second, Ms. Hermione Granger, for the cool use of logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points."
Hermione buried her head in her arms, looking for all the world to try and hide form the congratulations and attention she was getting form the once again cheering Gryffindors. One of the Twins called out, "Brilliant but scary is how Ron tells it!"
More tapping. Staros was wishing he had something to throw at that damned glass Dumbledore was using. The repeated tingy sound was really getting on his nerves.
"Third… to Mr. Harry Potter…" The silence was absolute. "… for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points."
Gryffindor was now tied with Slytherin. The noise form the students, not just at those two tables, was deafening as people were counting up and shouting answers to questions back and forth. Dumbledore again tapped his glass while Staros ground his teeth. The room slowly quieted down, thankfully before Staros injured himself.
"There are all kinds of courage," Dumbledore was saying. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand in the face of one's enemies, but even more to stand up to one's friends. I therefor award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."
Daphne just sighed while Tracey shook her head. They had taken quite a bit to pull out of Hermione the part where she had stun, bound, and left Neville on the couch in the Gryffindor common room after he tried to stop the others from sneaking out. They assured the distraught girl that it really had been for Neville's own good as she had likely saved the poor boy from a beating that Ron would likely have given him. And they pointed out, she did apologize and Neville did forgive her, so all was well.
Draco looked like he was going to be sick. Staros and Blaise both tipped their hands to the Twins and Staros held his fingers up in the 'money soon' gesture known world-wide. The Twins looked none too happy about the bet they had just lost, but didn't let that stop them from enjoying the fact that Gryffindor had won the House Cup. Neville was like a rabbit trying to decide where to bolt from all the attention he was being given. Dumbledore's careful planning had assured that everyone was saying Neville won the House Cup, not Harry. A nice political move, if one only the Slytherins, well the actually cunning ones anyway, would understand.
"Which means," Dumbledore drawled, 'we need a change of decoration."
He clapped his hands and just as quickly, the Slytherin greens and silvers changed to Gryffindor red and gold. Professors Snape and McGonagall were shaking hands, though Snape looked like he had swallowed a lemon while she looked like a cat that ate the canary, and then drank the cream before finding a warm sunlit spot to nap and fell asleep.
Everyone enjoyed the feast, one rivaled only by the start of term for variety and quality. A few days later, the exam results for normal classes were in, NEWT and OWL results coming out a bit later as they were graded by the Ministry. Everyone of Harry's year had managed to pass, some by the skin of their teeth. Ron's marks, for example, were only just better than Pansy's. The bigger surprise was that Crabbe and Goyle had both managed to grade just this side of failure. How was anyone's guess.
The same day, end of term notices were being passed around by the Heads of the Houses. For some years, it was the papers for selecting electives the next year, for others just the admonishments about using magic during the summer. Staros smirked at Professor Snape when he opened that one.
"I do believe that this does not apply, Professor, but I shall remember it in case I have visitors who are not of age to my home," Staros said, handing the notice back.
Professor Snape looked down at the notice, then back up to the cocky student in front of him. With a slight twist of his eyebrow, he conveyed all manner of disappointment in Staros' behavior. Staros read the look accurately, but also knew it was true and held his ground. A moment of silent stares and Snape said, "Indeed," before stalking off to the next victim of his ire. Staros wasn't sure, but he thought he'd just passed a test of some sort.
Several days later, two before the train took the first and second generation, or students who lacked any other means to travel, back to London, Staros requested to speak with Dumbledore. Once again mounting the stairs to the Headmaster's office, Staros was again struck with the absurdity of the gargoyle door and weird escalator-like spiral steps, but at least this time he had the password, Butterfinger. Who knew that crazy old wizards craved mundane candies?
Staros stepped into the office, this time wearing robes of a different cut than the last time he'd been. The robes he wore this time were not the formal attire for the Wizengamot, but instead the cloaked robe of the peerage who might attend the Court and had drawn more than a few comments during his walk to the Headmaster's office. Done in a deep blue, his shirt was pressed and stitched with the Marcus coat of arms. Black pants with a deep red stripe down the sides topped a pair of fine black boots. He wore a sleeved very dark blue cloak that most would take for a robe, but with a roped clasp of silver and blue rather than the traditional hook clasp at the shoulder. This allowed for the cloak to be thrown over one arm if needed. The ensemble included a fine dagger at the belt as well. In short, he looked like most people's idea of a prince.
Dumbledore, if he was surprised by this getup, hid it well, merely gesturing for Staros to sit, which he did. He spared only a moment's glance to Carcerous, standing behind his young master in his usual semi-formal outfit.
"To what do I owe the honor of this visit, Mr. Marcus?" Dumbledore asked.
"Please, for this meeting, I must insist on Lord Marcus," Staros said, raising his hand. "I am here in regards to matters above the interests of a student."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, but no other indication of his mood was forthcoming. Instead, he shoved some papers that had lay in front of him to one side and settled back in his chair.
"As you will, Lord Marcus. What can this old man do for the Queen this evening?"
"As you may have guessed, or found out otherwise, I am attending Hogwarts as a condition of my assumption of the Marcus family titles here in Britain. As such, I am also under certain obligations to Her Majesty and my family. One of those obligations required that I report the recent events of the third floor to Her Majesty. She sent a reply that I received just this morning. To say She is displeased would most likely understate things a tad."
"How much do you know about the events surrounding Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore asked with some concern. His mind was racing through the possible consequences of the Queen becoming involved directly in the affairs of magical Britain. Unlike the muggle world, magical Britain was, is and most likely would always be tied to the oaths sworn to the Crown. Oaths bound by magic. Direct rule by the Crown had not been enforced since the Treaty of Separation in 1587 and was even less known since the establishment of the Statue of Secrecy in 1692. Dumbledore wasn't sure the existing regime could deal with their reigning monarch returning to power.
"I know enough to ask this simple question, one I am sure will be of great concern to Her Majesty. Is Voldemort dead or not?" Staros looked Dumbledore directly in the eyes as he asked this.
Dumbledore stared at the young boy before him. So young, with so many things that should not be his concern for many years. And yet, there was a tiredness in the boy's eyes. A sadness that spoke of things that should not be known to the young.
'How much to say? How much do I reveal? Was this boy the other magical signature he'd found in the room?' These thoughts dominated the mind of the Headmaster. With a deep sigh, he made his decisions.
"Tell Her Majesty that we should prepare for war. Not today, maybe not tomorrow, but I do believe that Voldemort shall rise again. For now, it seems that whatever providence protected young Harry that sad night in nineteen eighty-one has protected us once again. But evil is elusive. It is crafty. It wears many guises and speaks many promises. He will find a way back."
"I shall inform Her Majesty of your concerns, Headmaster." With this statement, Staros rose from his seat and bid Dumbledore a good night. It seemed that things were going to get horribly complicated after all. Just as Staros was getting ready to close the door, Dumbledore called out.
"Mr. Marcus… Staros, if I may ask, what was it you said in the Mirror of Erised?"
Staros paused. Standing in the doorway, he half turned back to the Headmaster and he said quietly, "I had a dog," before walking out and pulling the door shut behind him.
Dumbledore sat back in his chair and thought over the somewhat enigmatic answer. Nothing really seemed right about the boy's reaction that night and this answer until he considered his own answer to Harry. Remembering a pair of woolen socks and how they might relate to a dog, Dumbledore sat in silence as a single tear fell down his cheek.