Author's Note: Here is the awaited chapter i promised! Nice and long! I hope everyone enjoys it and can understand it. The next chapter hasn't been started yet... but hopefully that will change soon! Please leave a review!!!! If you do i might put you in the next chapter (or an upcoming one)! Please!!! Review!!!!
And of course, enjoy!
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Chapter Thirty-Four: Through the Looking Glass
Valora sighed as she threw herself on her bed, her bag falling out of her hands to crumple on her mahogany floor. "Today is not my day", she breathed before she reached under her pillow and pulled out a well-worn, black leather book. Her gaze traveled across its cover, the black fading and cracked in places, before she closed her eyes. How this book knew her deepest secrets, her most heartfelt visions and emotions…it was closer to her than any living being…
Suddenly Valora flipped over, grabbed the spare quill that was lying under her pillow and opened the book with a flourish. The quill began to glide across its surface as Valora's emerald hues disappeared to its eerily white companion.
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"You do not want me as your enemy Quirrel." Severus' silky voice flooded through the darkness.
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"Hermione, are you okay?" Damien asked as they sat down at the Slytherin table for dinner. Hermione looked up at her friend, startled. "Of course I am Damien. Why do you ask?"
Damien looked at her for a few minutes, "Because you just jumped for no reason…" Hermione hid the blush that was rising up by swinging her head back to her plate. "I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't jump…"
Damien watched as she began eating, oblivious to the fact that he was staring at her. Finally, he turned back to his empty plate and began to fill it with assorted foods. This all happened directly in front of Draco, who was watching them with narrowed eyes as he cradled his hand to him underneath the table.
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The door to Severus' rooms slammed open and Damien ran inside, his blonde hair flying behind him.
"Uncle Severus, Quirrel is trying to steal the stone!"
Severus, who stood up upon seeing his godson enter, walked over to him. "Damien, first off, calm down." His hands wrapped around his shoulders causing Damien to stop and look in his eyes. "Now explain yourself."
"Ron saw Professor Quirrel heading to the third floor corridor, the one that's forbidden…he thinks he's going to try and get past Hagrid's three-headed dog Fluffy…you have to stop him." By the end of Damien's explanation he had an edge of hysteria in his voice.
Severus wrapped Damien in his arms as he spoke, "Don't act like this Piccolo Principe. I promise I won't let him get the stone. Just promise me that you won't go looking for it, whatever you do, don't go looking for the stone. Don't try to stop him, let me handle it."
Slowly Severus' words stopped and he eased away from Damien. "Now go back to your dormitory… I'm sure you still have an essay or two to finish." Damien looked at his godfather before nodding slightly. "Yes uncle Severus… just don't let him get the stone…I have the strangest feeling he's working for somebody…"
If Severus was surprised by his godson's words he didn't let the emotion cloud his face.
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Severus pulled Damien aside to whisper in his ear while one hands rested protectively over his cloak pocket.
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The Great Hall broke out into cheers as the Slytherins were awarded the House Cup.
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Damien smiled at Hermione before giving her a brief, but strong hug. "Owl me when you can Mione, and remember, you're welcome to come by the Manor if you get bored."
Hermione smiled at her best friend. "Me, bored? Have you forgot who your talking to Damien?" He smiled semi-sheepishly in reply. "I'll keep it in mind. Have a great summer." She finished with a smile. She looked over at Draco, and while she thought better than to give him a hug, she did wish him a good summer as well. Draco simply nodded back in return.
Moments later the train pulled to a stop and the group of Slytherins and their two lion friends separated once aboard platform 9 ¾.
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"Hey Damien! Damien I've saved us a compartment!" Damien's blonde head turned around at the noise and saw Ron standing halfway out of a compartment, a few ways down the train corridor.
Damien waved at him before leading the group down to the awaiting compartment. Once they arrived Damien was the first to enter and thus missed the look that crossed Ron's face when Draco followed after him, but Draco didn't.
He glared right back before taking the seat next to his brother while Hermione took the spot on Damien's other side. Once Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle entered and were seated Ron turned to face Damien. "I want you to meet my little sister Ginny." He said as he pointed to the corner of their compartment.
Everyone turned to look at the little girl they had all overlooked. Her fire-red hair shone against her obvious second-hand robes, and when she looked up at them her chocolate brown eyes were alive with life. A small blush appeared on her freckled face as she locked eyes with Damien. "Hi,"
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"Harry, my dear boy! It's such a pleasure to meet you!" A tall man with curly blonde hair said as soon as Damien, Hermione, and Ron entered their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Damien, who was so startled by the man's appearance, honestly what man will voluntarily wear pink robes?, that he bumped into Hermione's shoulder.
"Now now my dear boy, there's no need for that! Just because I've won Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award five times in a row is no reason to get all flustered around me." By this point the man's smile was sure to make his cheeks bleed, and his teeth were surely trying to blind the trio.
Hermione, who knew who he was from looking at their schedule before they entered the classroom, eased Damien off her shoulder and smile sweetly at him. "Hello Professor Lockheart, how are you this morning?"
The golden haired man shifted his gaze down to her and gave her a smile. "Why hello there young lady, are you Harry's friend?"
Hermione continued to smile sweetly at her professor even though she was getting slightly lightheaded from the cologne pouring off of him. "I have no clue as to who Harry is professor. In fact, there isn't even a Harry in our year here."
Professor Lockheart's expression was priceless. A curl seemed to deflate as he looked between her and Damien, obviously trying to figure out how she was able to say such a statement when Harry Potter was standing beside her.
"Come on Damien, Ron, we need to get our seats…" Hermione said before leading them around their shocked Professor, who was still standing in place well into the first ten minutes of class, trying to figure out if he had just been insulted or not.
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"So, what do you think you're going to find in my library?" Lucius asked as he walked over to Severus.
Severus, who was currently on break from Hogwarts, looked up from the book in front of him. "The answer that Valora desires. Why she is a seer and why no potion alleviates her pain."
Narcissa spoke from the doorway, "You've been searching our library for this answer for almost four and a half years…have you not found anything out yet?"
Severus looked over his shoulder to gaze at his friend. "Not yet."
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"I'll see you tomorrow Colin." Ginny said as she waved goodbye to her friend before walking up to the Gryffindor's girl dormitory, her backpack sliding off her shoulder slightly.
"Alright Ginny! See you later!" Back down in the common room a little boy with mousy brown hair shouted back, his black cloak hanging limping around his small form.
Ginny smiled before she entered the room that she had somehow managed to get all to herself and walked over to her desk. She had just finished her first day of classes and was exhausted.
She took a seat and pulled her backpack around so she could get her charms textbook out to start on her essay when something caught her eye. Ginny's hand froze when she realized there was an extra book on her desk that she didn't remember placing there.
Slowly she removed her hand from her backpack and reached for the strange object. Her fingers glided over its surface and she felt a jolt go through her; but instead of getting scared, her curiosity took over.
Ginny brought the book to eye level and was able to see its beautiful glossy surface. She carefully flipped it open and was surprised to see blank pages…all throughout the book. Why would someone leave a blank diary in her room?
With a shrug Ginny grabbed a quill and began writing,
'Dear Diary, I simply LOVE Hogwarts! It's everything my brothers told me about and more. I was sorted into Gryffindor, which is to be expected since my entire family has been in Gryffindor. My brother Ron is a year ahead of me and he has a really cute friend named Damien. I hope he will talk to me tomorrow.
I have to go now. –Ginny-'
Ginny closed the diary with a flourish and slid it into her backpack before she started writing her charms essay.
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Ginny placed her backpack down next to one of the desks in the common room and pulled out her diary. She flipped past the first page and started a new entry,
'Ron is driving me mad! He tells me to talk to Damien, but then glares at me when I walk over to them. How am I suppose to talk to him when I feel unwelcome?'
Ginny's quill paused as she thought up more to add when, right before her eyes, her entire entry disappeared. Ginny's eyes grew wide. Why had that just happened?
Slowly, ink began to fill the page 'Hello Ginny.'
Fear gripped at her but for some reason she couldn't slam the diary closed. Instead she lifted her quill and wrote back, 'Who is this?' Just like before her words disappeared to be replaced with 'A friend.'
A small smile began to form on Ginny's face until she and her new friend were talking with one another, her quill moving furiously across the pages.
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"Flint! This is our practice time! We got up specially! You can clear off now!" Oliver Wood called out as the Slytherin Quidditch team walked onto the field.
"Ah," Flint, a boy much larger than Wood and resembled a troll, said. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape. 'I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker.'"
Oliver's ears perked up, "You've got a new Seeker? Where?"
From behind the six large figures before the Gryffindor team came a seventh, smaller boy. Damien had to hold in a smirk as his brother stepped out from behind Marcus.
"Finally let you on the team did they?" Damien asked as he stepped over to Draco.
"Yes, well considering the gift father gave the team, Madam Hooch changed her mind about my flying ability real quick." Draco said in a whisper, not wanting the Gryffindors to hear how he managed to get onto the team.
While Damien and Draco were talking Flint noticed Ron and Hermione walking over to them. "Oh, look, a field invasion."
"What's happening?" Ron asked as he reached Damien's side. "Why aren't you playing? And what's he doing here?" He was looking at Draco, taking in his Slytherin Quidditch robes.
"I'm the new Slytherin Seeker Weasley," Draco said smugly, not likely the look on the redhead's face in the slightest. "Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my father's bought our team."
Ron gaped, open-mouthed, at the seven superb Nimbus Two Thousand and One's gleaming in front of him.
Damien held in a smirk at the look on his friend's face. It wasn't everyday Draco was able to stun Ron into silence.
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"Damien, what does the word 'Mudblood' mean?" Hermione asked as they were walking back up to the castle.
Damien stopped walking instantly and stared at his friend. "Where did you hear that word from Hermione?"
Hermione paused, looking over her shoulder at him, "When you and Draco were talking right before we left. One of the Slytherins said it to me when I walked past him."
Damien's emerald eyes grew alight with flames as he turned his head to stare at the airborne Slytherin team. "Which one?" Hermione, having noticed the drastic change, wisely forgot which boy it was. "I'm not sure Damien…. But, I don't even know what that word means…it must be bad though if it has you acting like this…"
His head whipped back around to stare at her. "It's an insult Hermione. Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born- you know, non-magic parents. There are some people who think they're better than everyone else because… well because they're what people call pure-bloods…"
Hermione's eyes dawned with realization. "So… I'm a mudblood while you're a pure-blood? That's horrible." If Hermione had any doubt about Damien's friendship then she would have run up to Gryffindor tower, but as it was she stayed standing there and waited on him to speak.
"Don't ever say that Hermione. I don't think of you any differently just because you're Muggle-born. You're my best friend." The intensity in Damien's eyes was enough to convince Hermione that he was telling the truth.
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Damien shot out of his bed, sweat dripping off of him. He turned his head left and right, terror written all over his stark white face.
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Suddenly Damien stopped walking, causing Hermione and Ron to run into his back.
"Damien, what're you---?"
"It's that voice again--- shut up for a minute--" Damien said as he waved distractedly back at Ron.
"…so hungry…for so long…"
"Listen!" said Damien urgently, and Ron and Hermione froze in place, watching as he moved his head from left to right.
"…kill…time to kill…"
The voice was growing fainter. Without a word Damien shot off down the corridor following the mysterious voice…why weren't Ron and Hermione as freaked out as he was?
"…I smell blood…I SMELL BLOOD!"
Damien's stomach lurched. "Whatever it is…it's going to kill someone!" he shouted, ignoring Ron's and Hermione's bewildered faces as he ran up another flight of stairs three at a time, trying to listen over his own pounding footsteps---
"Damien, what's going on? I couldn't hear anything…" Ron gasped out as he caught up with his friend, who was looking around in confusion.
"LOOK!" Hermione whispered in fright, pointing down the corridor.
Something was shining on the wall ahead. The trio approached slowly, Damien's hair drenched in sweat once more from his internal terror, and squinted through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.
THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.
ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.
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"Face your partners!" called Lockheart, back on the platform behind Damien and Draco. "And bow!"
Damien and his brother barely inclined their heads to one another, not taking their eyes off each other.
"Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockheart. Damien smirked at his brother, boy this professor was really asking for it by teaming them against one another. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents-only to disarm them- we don't want any accidents-one…two…three-"
Damien, who was quite use to his brother's dueling method, stepped to the side quickly once Lockheart reached 'two', barely missing the Rictusempra Draco had aimed at him.
"Tarantallegra!" Damien shouted, knowing he couldn't use any higher spells to harm his brother with. He didn't want word getting back to Dumbledore about how much magic he already knew.
Draco ducked the spell before he raised his wand and bellowed "SERPENSORTIA!"
The end of his wand exploded, and Damien watched as a long black snake shot out of it, and fell to the floor with a thud.
From his spot behind Draco Severus' eyes grew wide before he stepped in front of his godson. "Let me take care of it…" Damien gladly stepped away from the approaching snake and waited for his godfather to get rid of it when Lockheart jumped in, "Allow me Severus."
He said something that was so far from a spell that it made Damien laugh. The made-up spell only caused the snake to fly into the air and land back on the ground with a loud bang.
Severus sneered before he whispered the correct spell. Instantly the snake began to burn from the inside out until there was nothing but ash on the ground. Damien stared at the spot for several minutes before Draco approached him, the duel forgotten.
"I'm sorry 'mein."
Damien looked at his brother briefly. "You almost ratted my gift out to the entire school Draco. I'm sure mother and father will love that."
Draco grimaced as Seifer stuck one of his heads out from underneath Damien's shirt collar.
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"Valora, are you listening to me?" Valora's head shot up, the drool that had escaped her mouth disappeared with a thought.
"Of course I am Eris, why would you think I wasn't?"
Eris's caramel eyes stared at the innocent looking eleven-year-old girl. "Because I've repeated myself seven times, that's why."
Now knowing she was caught Valora's skin deepened into a blush. "Sorry Eris… I just haven't been getting a lot of sleep."
Instantly Eris looked concerned, her annoyance with Valora gone in the moment she mentioned not getting enough rest. "Oh Valora, I'm sorry. Do you need me to leave you alone? Come back later?"
Valora really didn't want her friend to leave, but…she really needed to get some sleep. "If you don't mind?... I mean, you can stay here and do your homework if you want, but I'm afraid I won't be much company."
Eris shook her hand in dismissal. "No no it's fine Valora, I'll leave you to your privacy. I think I heard Geoffrey saying that he would be free after his afternoon class today… I'll just make sure he gets his homework done." She said as she stood from Valora's bed and grabbed her bag from the floor.
"Get some rest." And the next thing Valora knew she was alone in her bedroom once more, the pillows behind her taunting her. She rolled her eyes before she laid down in their embrace, and waited…knowing that despite what she told Eris, she wouldn't get peaceful sleep until well into the night.
Just as Valora felt the edges of slumber brushing against her eyelids, everything went black. With a soundless sigh she was pulled back into a stream of unending visions.
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Ginny ran into a girls bathroom, black diary in hand before she rushed over to one of the stalls and threw it inside. With a sigh that seemed to shake her little body she nodded before turning and fleeing the room.
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A darkly lit room bloomed into view. A lone figure occupied a desk in the corner, his hand flying furiously across the parchment in front of him. Suddenly he crumpled it up before pulling a new, crisp piece of parchment towards him. He dipped his quill into the inkwell in front of him and started his letter once more.
He pushed his black hair out of his eyes as his train of thought quickened, his quill moving across the surface as if it had a mind of its own.
"Mister Sirius, dinner is being served in five minutes. Madam Malfoy wishes for you to get ready now."
The black head of hair shot up at the sound that filled the room before turning around to see Wendy, one of the Malfoy's kitchen elves standing at the opened door.
"Thank you Wendy. Tell your Mistress that I will arrive momentarily." Wendy nodded, her large ears flapping wildly, before she disapparated with a low crack.
Sirius sighed before he tucked his unfinished letter into his cloak pocket and stood from the desk, thoughts still racing in his head.
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Damien's head pulled away from Hermione's quickly. The brunette girl looked at him with a question clear in her eyes, wondering why he had ended their conversation so abruptly. Without a word Damien stared straight ahead. As Hermione formed words on her tongue a voice sounded from their right.
"Hey Damien, Hermione… you two busy?" It was Ron.
Hermione and Damien turned to face their friend with smiles, while inside Hermione was even more confused.
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"Sirius what do you mean? You can't possibly want to see him." Damien said, throwing his hands down in anger.
Sirius shook his head, crumpled in his left hand was a well-read letter. "I need to Damien."
Damien snorted. "Need to? You don't need to see that wolf Sirius and you know it. He abandoned you. He wanted you to die in Azkaban!"
The soft look that had been on his godfather's face disappeared. "That's enough Damien. I'm an adult and I can make my own decisions. I am choosing to go see Remus and listen to what he has to say. There's nothing left to discuss."
Damien watched in shock as his godfather walked away without another word. That was the first fight they had ever had and Damien couldn't help but feel like it was all his fault.
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"Lucius, Narcissa, I have something I'd like to say." Sirius said, placing his spoon back down. Lucius and Narcissa, along with Draco, Damien, and Valora turned to look at him.
"First off, I'd like to thank you for your generosity by letting me stay here, no strings attached." Lucius and Narcissa inclined their heads. "It was no problem Sirius."
Sirius nodded and gave his cousin a small smile. "Well, I think that I've overstayed my welcome. Tomorrow I will be moving back into my home."
This was not what the family was expecting to hear. The siblings gaped at their godfather while Lucius and Narcissa looked at him critically.
"You're leaving us?" The owner of the voice surprised Sirius. He turned to face Valora. "I'm not leaving you sweetie, I'm still your godfather."
Valora stared at him, "You are too leaving us. Just because Remus wants to be your friend again you think you're too good for us now."
"That's not true Valora!" Sirius said, slamming his fist on the table. Silence rang around the room before Valora stood from the table and left, Damien following closely behind her.
"Stay away from my sister." Draco hissed out before pushing his chair back and leaving after his upset siblings.
Lucius and Narcissa stood from the table as well. "I'll make sure that Tippy and Wendy help you with your belongings tomorrow." Without another word they left the dining room.
Sirius sat in shock, why did he just push away the people closest to him?
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Valora and Draco clutched at their stomachs as Damien looked up from his cauldron covering in slimly green goo. Suddenly his cauldron sparked and smoke began to pour out of it, causing Damien to duck under his table sending Valora and Draco deeper into their fit of laughter.
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"You're not even my real brother!" Draco yelled out, causing people to stop and stare at the two thirteen year old boys in shock and curiosity.
Damien straightened up, his cloak ripped at the collar where Draco had grabbed him, and stared his brother in the eye. Draco's face contorted into a sneer as he watched his brother walk away without a word.
"What the hell was that about Draco?" Hermione asked, her shock replaced with anger.
Draco turned to face her and stuck up his nose, "None of your business, you fility mudblood."
Now it was Hermione's turn to look like she had been slapped. She didn't say a word to him. She simply turned and followed Damien's path up to the castle, her brown hair flying in the wind.
"Draco, what in Merlin's name was that?" Pansy asked as she looked at her friend in wonder.
"Nothing Pansy. Let's finish our homework now."
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"I don't know what's gotten into him Valora, but I can tell it's something bad."
Valora's green eyes furrowed on the opposite side of the mirror, "Damien, repeat to me exactly what happened."
Damien rubbed between his eyes before he told his sister exactly what had been happening between him and Draco for the past 3 months, leading right up to the incident earlier.
"He's become aloof with me and Hermione, glaring at us at random moments, not wanting us to eat lunch with him anymore…. And today he told me I wasn't even his real brother…then he called Hermione a mudblood for no reason…"
Once Damien finished Valora had a calculating look in her eyes. "Don't worry about a thing brother. I promise everything will get settled."
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Valora felt the ground materialize underneath her before her surroundings came into focus, causing a very awkward feeling.
"I hate traveling like that." She muttered before she walked up the pathway she was on and came to a stop at a large gate, two winged boars sat atop it on either side. After raising an eyebrow at the…medieval-ness of it all, she pushed the gates open and began walking up to the enormous castle in front of her.
Back in the Great Hall lunch was a tensed affair between the Slytherins and two semi-outcast lions. Just as Draco glared at his brother from across the Hall the doors to the Hall slammed open and a small figure clad in pale blue stood at the threshold.
Valora brushed her blonde hair out of her hair as she searched for a certain someone. Upon seeing Damien and Hermione seated next to, who she supposed was, Ron and his sister Ginny she shifted her gaze over to the Slytherin table. Her brother stuck out like a sore claw, his white-blonde hair shinning in the light.
Taking a deep breath Valora began walking over to him. Draco, who had looked away from his brother when the doors opened, stood to greet her. "Valora, what are you doin…"
-SLAP-
The sound vibrated around the Hall as Valora reared back to strike her brother once more. "What in Merlin's name is wrong with you?" Draco cried out, one hand going to cover his cheek protectively.
"You, Draconis, are being the biggest git I've ever known! How dare you treat Damien like that!"
Understanding dawned on Draco and he had to stifle his rising glare. "Like what Valora?"
"Like he's not part of our family! A nobody!"
Draco leaned in close to her to reply, "But 'lora, he's not even our real brother."
Fortunately this time Valora let him finish talking before she reared further back and slapped him so hard he stumbled backwards.
"NEITHER AM I!" She turned away from him, leaving him in shock as she walked out of the Great Hall, Damien following her closely. Draco watched as she neared the doors with his brother in tow and didn't turn back around, her head held up high. As her hands grasped onto the door handles something in Draco snapped.
Draco took a few steps away from the Slytherin table as the doors clicked closed behind them before he took a few more. Within seconds he was full out running towards the large double doors. As he passed by the Gryffindor table he heard Ron's distinctive voice call out, " Had a tiff with your girlfriend Malfoy?", the mockery clear.
Draco stilled immediately and turned to face the smirking redhead. "Be glad your Damien's friend Weasley." Without another word Draco left the Hall in search of his siblings, and found them moments later crossing the castle grounds.
"Valora! Damien, wait!"
His cried fell on deaf ears as his siblings continued to walk away, not a step wavered in pace.
"Please! Please stop!" Draco cried out, his voice breaking. Surprisingly Valora and Damien stopped, more out of shock and wanting to. Please is one word that Draco never says unless he's forced to, and the sheer fact that he had say it twice, willingly, was enough to warrant some time for an apology.
Ever so slowly Damien and Valora turned around to gaze at their brother. "I'm sorry…I… I really can't explain why I've been acting like this… it just seems like I was in a fog… I felt a growing hatred and loathing for you and Hermione…oh god…" Draco paused his broken up apology to cover his mouth.
"I can't believe I called her that…oh god…" Draco seemed to get lost in his sorrow, his eyes closing shut harshly. Damien watched for several minutes as his brother drowned in his regret before walking over to him and grabbing his arm. Draco looked up, his eyes growing bloodshot.
"Apologize to her. She will forgive you." The soft- spoken words seemed to comfort Draco, who turned his blue eyes up on Damien.
"I'm sorry Damien. I've hurt you so much this year…can you ever forgive me?"
Valora watched, fascinated, as Damien didn't reply. Instead he reared back and punched Draco square in the face. From her spot slightly behind him, she was still able to hear the bones in Draco's nose break before she saw the blood dripping from it.
Damien pulled his hand away and looked at the damage he did, Draco's eyes closed as his hands cradled his broken nose. "All is forgiven. Now, I don't want you to get that fixed until after Valora leaves, understand?"
Draco looked up at his brother, and through the pain, managed to nod his head. He didn't complain, he was quite sure that Damien could have done worse things to him than simply breaking his nose… he shuddered at the thought. Yes, a broken nose was by far the nicest thing Damien could have done.
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"Mister Malfoy, stay after class."
Damien closed his eyes. Why did this have to happen? He had figured it might, but, for once, couldn't he be wrong?
"Yes Professor."
When the bell rang signally the end of the period Damien waved Hermione and Ron on while he waited for his professor to start talking.
"Mister Malfoy, I just wanted to tell you that Sirius is sorry. He never meant to hurt you or your family."
Damien didn't look up as he was approached. "Professor, does this conversation have anything to do with my performance in this class?" It seemed his question shocked his professor, who began to stutter, "No…no it doesn't. I wanted to talk to you about your parents."
Finally Damien looked up, "No. You want to talk to me about Lily and James... maybe how you're sorry for never visiting me… or how you didn't mean to abandon Sirius for eight years as he sat in Azkaban…. But I'm sorry to say Professor Lupin, I don't want to hear it. Lily and James aren't my parents." Damien's voice didn't shake, but his anger was evident. "Now I'm going to my next class. Don't tell me to say behind again unless it's about my grades. I want nothing to do with you or Mr. Black."
The words vibrated around the room long after Damien had left, causing Remus to flee to his office.
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"Bella… Bella dear, are you awake?" Rodolphus' voice asked, the whisper carrying down the corridor smoothly.
Silence met him several minutes afterwards.
"Bella? Darling…"
Still silence greeted him.
"Rodolphus… she's still alive… just…kinda comatose right now." The harsh voice of his brother flooded the corridor.
Rodolphus sat up straighter and while he didn't move closer to the bars his voice carried more feeling. "Rabasten? Can you see her?"
"Yes… she's sitting up, but her eyes are--" Before he could finish a terrifying scream echoed through their cells before Bella's distinct voice escaped from her cell.
"MY SONS! THEY KILLED MY SONS! I'LL KILL THEM!"
!!#!!#!!
"Mother, why are you fussing? I thought you wanted me to be somebody!" Tonks yelled, her hair changing from bright green to an angry, crimson red.
Andromeda stood with her hands on her hips, wand clutched in her right hand. "Nymphadora, I didn't mean for you to become an Auror! Don't you remember what they did?!"
Tonk's eyes grew dark as she took a threatening step towards her mother. "Of course I know what they did. That's why I'm joining the department. To make sure it never happens again."
Andromeda stared at her redheaded daughter in anger. Why was she doing this to her? To their entire family. "If you join them, you can bet our family will hate us."
Tonks glared at her. "They already hate you because you married daddy. So what if they hate me too?"
Andromeda shook her head and tried a different approach. "Don't accept the academy's letter. You have so much potential. You can be anything you want to be darling…. Please."
Tonks stared at her mother before she straightened up, her hair shifting to a bright bubblegum pink. "Thank you mother." Andromeda smiled at her. "But, I've made up my mind. I'm going to be an Auror."
Andromeda felt her world constrict as Tonks turned and left.
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Valora let the quill drop from her hands as the last vision ended. She let out a breath and shuddered as her emotions toyed with her head. She continued to sit there for several minutes before an alarm sounded from her bedside cabinet. She looked at it before she cursed under her breath. It was time for her Spell Casting and Creating exam.
Valora stood from her bed and grabbed her satchel before she ran out of her room, her sitting room, and finally out of her portrait hole. Eris, who was waiting on her, jumped as she ran past her.
"Hey Valora, wait up!" Valora didn't slow down. She wasn't about to be late for the first time just because of some stupid visions. "Valora! Professor Laurent postponed the exam for thirty minutes while she took care of some last minute paperwork. You don't have to rush!"
Valora stopped running to look back at her friend. "Really?" Eris, who had caught up with her, nodded. "Yea…" Valora let out a sigh before she began walking to the class at a more comfortable pace.
"Oh look who it is…. Little seer and her keeper… how sweet!" A voice from behind Valora and Eris said. Immediately they turned around, not surprised to see Stephanie and Amelia standing together, hands on their blue clad hips.
"What do you want Lerfervre, Dubois?" Eris asked after taking a step forward. Stephanie raised one raven eyebrow. "See? Seer can't even stand up for herself."
From her spot slightly behind Eris Valora felt her magic pooling underneath her skin, eagerly waiting to be released.
Suddenly Eris turned back to face Valora and screamed "Watch out!" Valora turned just in time to see Dominique raising her wand behind her. Apparently she had snuck around them while Stephanie and Amelia kept them occupied.
"Too late baby." Dominique said as she finished her spell and sent it flying at Valora's chest. As the red spell drew nearer and nearer Valora remained motionless. Several things happened at once in the next moment. Eris stepped forward to grab Valora's arm, Stephanie and Amelia giggled as Valora made no move to get out the spells way, and three Professors rounded the corner just as the spell reached its target.
No one said a word though as the spell dissipated once it connected with Valora's chest. Shocked gasps filled the hall. How did that happen?
Just as the Professors began approaching the group, Stephanie stepped forward and grabbed Valora's shoulder. "What did you just do Seer?" Valora stared at the tall girl and said nothing. Stephanie's face grew nasty. "Answer me when I'm talking to you, you filthy English baby!" Stephanie's hand came forward to slap Valora, but it stopped inches from her face. Stephanie's eyes grew confused, "Wha…what are you doing?"
Valora didn't say anything. She just continued to stare into the other girl's eyes. Eris watched her friend, slightly worried, as the Professors walked over to them and watched the proceedings with interest. What would the young Miss Malfoy do to the girl?
Suddenly the air around the group began to get thicker. Eris watched in amazement as a pale, golden light began to escape from Valora and surround Stephanie. The prissy raven haired girl grasped at her throat, obviously trying to stop the light from succeeding in choking her. When her face began to change to a pale blue something changed. Valora looked away from her and back to Eris. "We're going to be late to our exam. Let's go."
Eris didn't argue with her friend. Instead she grabbed her hand and pulled her away from a gasping Stephanie and three surprised Professors. They managed to leave without a word being said to them, a miracle in and of itself.
Once Valora and Eris had disappeared into their classroom and Amelia and Dominique took Stephanie to the Infirmary Cassius turned to his companions. "Well? Is that enough potential for you?"
The man next to him didn't say a word; he just turned to look at the woman beside him. "Well Anais? What do you think?"
Anais pulled her scarves away from her face to stare at the two men in front of her. " Cassius is right Keiran, she's the perfect candidate."
Keiran brushed his blonde hair away from his eyes before he finally nodded. "Very well. If you both think she's the one, then I have no objection. I will talk to Olympe and inform her about this new development."
Anais nodded in acceptance before she turned away from her colleagues and walked back to her quarters, her mind racing as she thought back to what she had just witnessed her favorite pupil accomplish.
Yes, she thought as she walked over to her desk and sat down, the next school year was definitely going to be an interesting one.
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Author's Note: I hope everyone enjoyed that chapter... it was just as long as i promised. Please leave a review and stay a loyal reader. Things are about to be getting interesting and much more intense.