I do not own Harry Potter or anything you recognize from the Harry Potter World. I do not own Dorian Gray. I do however own Hazel Gray, Morgan Gray and the idea behind this story.
Morgan decided to be the one to inform Dorian of Hazel's disappearance. Out of the lot of them, he was the most likely to survive. Dumbledore had tried to delay the inevitable, knowing that the Lord Gray of the most Regal and Ancient House of Gray, was likely to kill him once he was made aware. Of course, Morgan just glared at the Headmaster, turned on his heel, and strode directly into the Trickster Room and fire called his uncle.
To say Dorian was shattered didn't even begin to cover what the man went through. He had already lost children, some more violently than others, but to hear that his heir had simply vanished with a scream and into a bright light left the immortal slightly unhinged. Had Morgan and Yaya not been there holding him in the room, it was likely he would have gone and murdered the lot responsible, starting with the Headmaster.
Once he was no longer screaming and sobbing in his grief, Dorian straightened his clothing, waved his hand to clear his face of the evidence, and returned home with an utterance of being at the train station to collect the boys when school was dismissed.
Morgan franticly tried to call him back the second he left, but the floo had already been closed off and no further attempts at contact got through to the man thereafter.
Even Mercury, the steadfast little owl that had loved Hazel dearly, was unable to reach him, never able to even leave the grounds before landing with the letter still clutched in his beak. Hermes had much the same luck, as did everyone else's attempts at owling Dorian. It was as though he simply ceased to exist.
"It's impossible for him to have returned to Sparta without someone of their blood. After that last attack at the beginning, they sealed the gateway so only those who carried Spartan blood could cross." Morgan was poking at a blob of ruined paint potion, the last that Hazel had been brewing, as they worked to back everything up for the return home.
"One of her uncles might have come to retrieve him in that instance. Wasn't she due to return during the weekend?" Severus muttered, reverently packing away the books and scrolls, he couldn't bring himself to touch the potions equipment, hearing her laughter as they experimented being too much so soon.
"Possibly, it's hard to remember much of anything, at this point." Regulus was taking this harder than the rest, his hands shaking as he packed away the sculpting supplies. Rabastan remained quiet, assisting Severus along the walls as there were so many books to pack away in the trunks still.
No one had anything to add, however, as they couldn't even bring themselves to say her name as it was still so raw. As though laying a name to the victim made it all the more real, even having witnessed it themselves.
.:':. ':.:' .:':.
The days leading up to the end of the school year went by in flashes, sitting exams, getting in last-minute studying as they couldn't seem to recall most anything, and finally, Morgan and Severus going to Ravenclaw Tower with Professor Flitwick to finish packing the last of Hazel's things. The two boys were stoic as they worked, not speaking to any of the Ravenclaws, though Pandora did come up to them when they were putting the last of her friend's things in her trunk for Yaya to come and collect.
"So long as there is warmth, there is hope. Even in the haze of vast emptiness, there exists a spark." With a sad smile, she turned and left, not looking back and giving no further explanation.
Though they had no chance to ask her, for the end of the era had at last arrived.
.:':. ':.:' .:':.
The walk to the station was a sober affair, the entire school unable to muster up enough cheer for the usual laughter. There had been a ceremony before graduation, stating what had happened as though looked at through rose-colored spectacles, blurring over the full truth but enough to show that one of their own had been taken much too early.
No one bothered the four boys trudging along the path. They were given a wide berth in respect for their loss, as well as the harsh scowl on Severus' face.
Morgan was fighting back tears, this being the very first time he was without his cousin when in regards to school, and he felt her absence most of all.
Rabastan held his head high but an ache in his chest had his shoulders stiff, fighting off the urge to scream and rage at the unfairness of it all.
Regulus, the youngest of the boys, was a mask of indifference. While he had known all along he would have been returning the following year alone, he was hurting with the loss of his sister in all but blood. She would have been cheering him up, telling him all he had to look forward to. Now, there was only a void where she should have been, and their combined glum mood seemed only to make it grow and fester in sorrow and rage.
Dorian was a statue when they found him, staring sightlessly down the path, as though expecting this to all be a bad joke and his daughter to appear and laugh. Always before there had been a body when his child passed, but this time there was nothing but the witnesses to the crime and the missing vibrancy of the Ravenclaw amongst the Slytherins.
One small change, and yet, everything was now different.
Dorian, with one last look toward the castle, turned on his heel and led the boys away, having already written to their families that he was holding a small, private service for his daughter and wished them to attend as they were her closest friends. Once they reached a place the castle was no longer in view from, he pulled out a bit of rope, already starting to glow blue, and the second the last finger made contact, they vanished, one small teardrop landing where Dorian once stood.
.:':. ':.:' .:':.
"Who all was involved." It was not a request, but a demand the second they were inside the home. Dorian already pacing and flexing his hands in anger.
"All of us were out on the grounds, Potter, Black, Pettigrew, and Lupin came upon us and started a confrontation. Spells started flying, and they all struck Hazel seemingly at once." Severus turned his face away, feeling this was mostly his fault and unable to look his best friend's father in the face for it.
"Potter and my brother were the ones to start it," Regulus spoke up, looking at his feet as he did so.
"Both are wards of House Potter, the other two are not."
"I see," Dorian said nothing more as he turned and strode off, leaving the boys on their own. They weren't sure what to do, but Yaya came upon them before their minds could cause to many issues.
"Come, this way." She waved them, her heavily accented English making them all feel the pain anew.
The boys were led to a small wardrobe, heavily carved with greek imagery, and the remnants of past offerings. Severus and Morgan were the first to realize exactly what this was, and to who it was dedicated.
"This is Hazel's personal shrine to Hades." Severus breathed, seeing what the others couldn't. Seeing the brush strokes that covered the carvings for shades, the style Hazel's alone.
"We should pray, that if she was taken from us so soon, and with us not having a body to do final rites on, that she finds peace, and doesn't suffer on the wrong side of Styx." Morgan offered up, already charming his robes into that of mourning garb and kneeling before the shrine, too afraid to open it up. Though he did take a gold bracelet from his wrist and lay it before the shrine, bowing his head and clasping his hands to offer prayers to the god of the Underworld.
Severus knelt as well, feeling drawn to run his hand along the wood carvings and hissing quietly when a sharp point caught his finger and drew blood. The tiny drop was enough to open the shrine, a soft, otherworldly glow coming from it, though only Severus himself seemed to see it.
"As my own Persephone leaves and returns, the waters rise and fall, time standing still yet flowing on, grief to joy. Fear not, Severus, ward of House Gray, there is still hope regardless of the river's seemingly calm surface." A deep voice spoke, echoing in his head though not to the point of discomfort.
Then, seemingly in a blink and a heartbeat, it was all over, and the shrine sat still and as it was before he touched it, save for a single drop of his blood marring the wood.
.:':. ':.:' .:':.
Once Dorian had time to calm, with Yaya taking several loads of empty bottles of rather expensive drink out of the house as well, he had the boys dress for the trip ahead, intending to handle this situation as quickly as possible before he lost himself fully to his grief and going on a rampage much like he did when his son past away during the Muggle war.
Severus was quiet, his eyes bloodshot and sunken in from lack of sleep and so much crying. Hazel's Spartan wand tucked safely in a hidden pocket of his slacks, pressed tightly against his thigh so he could feel the slightest of warmth coming from the wood. Pandora's words still lingering even with everything else going on.
Rabastan was battling bloodshot eyes as well, though his were due to his own drinking to help process what had happened. He didn't love Hazel, but he respected her and considered her a dear friend, and knew what she meant to her cousin and it was tearing him up inside. All of that work to try and keep her safe, and yet it was from another source entirely that was her undoing, something none of them saw coming and yet was the true threat all along.
Morgan was dressed all in black, they all were, and it was most striking on the Gray males, seeing as they were usually so bright and vibrantly full of life. He was leaning heavily on Rabastan as they waited for the portkey to take them back to England. He was staring intently at the letter from House Potter, his face blank and his eyes dull.
Regulus was the only one to not be joining in, his own portkey in hand as he was to return home.
Dorian didn't wish for the boy to see what he was about to do, it was cruel and the lad didn't deserve that image. Hazel wouldn't have forgiven him for it, though he did clap his hand on the youngest boy's shoulder, nodding his head as he shared in the grief, offering a weak smile before removing his hand and watching him be ported away.
"Rabastan," Dorian couldn't bring himself to turn to the young man, knowing he was moments from falling apart.
"Sir?"
"While I appreciate your willingness to come with me, I think it best you return home."
"What?!" Rabastan took an angry step forward, clenching his hands into tight fists and fighting back his own rage.
"You need to play the part, and if I take you with me it will be considered an ambush instead. I will not budge on this, lad. Besides, I need eyes and ears on the other side, now that they've lost their perceived 'in' with getting me to do the impossible." Dorian at late turned toward the youth, his eyes dark from Occluding to keep from crying. "Please, lad, don't make this harder than it already is."
Despite wanting to protest, even fight him on it, Rabastan inclined his head and turned to leave, clapping Severus' shoulder as he went. Though he didn't leave alone, Morgan joining him as he needed the support.
That left Severus and Dorian alone.
"We shall handle this as quickly as possible, Severus. I apologize for having to take you with me, but as you are an injured party to this entire mess, it is required." The Immortal, despite only appearing to be in his mid-thirties, looked suddenly his true age at that moment.
Severus could only nod, his face was drawn as he worked to control his own emotions, working on his own Occluding to keep a stoic face.
Once both males were ready, Dorian extended his arm, having traveled to this place once before and Severus had not, and with a grim half-smile, Apparated them to the wards of a family they both had reason to despise.
Arriving at the gates of Potter Manor, Severus moved to link his hands behind his back and strode silently behind Dorian as the Lord turned seemingly into an entirely different person. While the Immortal had played the Pureblood before, especially when displeased, this was an entirely new facet to just how cold and nearly cruel his face could be.
"Lord Gray! We weren't expecting you for another ten minutes." Lord Potter sputtered, moving to greet them as with a mere flick of his wand they were through the family words and moving down the walk.
"I found that I was prepared early, and was expecting more resistance from your wards than I encountered, Lord Potter." There was no apology to his words or tone, and Severus did his best not to react, not having known what to expect upon arrival.
"Ah, yes, well..." The man before them, slightly out of breath from his quick strides to greet them properly from the house, wasn't certain how to react to such casual displays of high-level magic casting with so little effort.
"I believe your Lady wife promised tea?" Dorian drawled, still having refused to holster his wand once they were inside. He would continue to do so until they were inside and manners dictated he do so for tea.
"Yes, yes of course. This way, please, Lord Gray." Turning, the sweating lord quickly led the way to his door, his robes sticking to his back from sweat and an odor of fear making the air reek around his person, so thick even Severus was able to pick it up from his position behind his sponsor.
This was going to be something to remember, he could already tell. It also, despite everything else going on, made him wish to learn how to command a presence just like Dorian himself.
A.N.: My last update was Jun 29, 2018, and there is no excuse except for life being cruel to me. Until this past Friday, I hadn't touched this chapter since July of 2019 and it just sat on my laptop staring at me and I couldn't get the words to get through my fingers. This was by far the longest gap, and the hardest chapter to write and I am sorry. The good news is the next chapter only needed like 3 lines and it was finished, so you will for certain have another chapter next week.
Thank you all for taking the time to read this, to those that have recently added me, thank you for keeping hope this story would return. To those that have been with me from the beginning, this is dedicated to you for not giving up on me. I love all of you, and I never stopped smiling when I would get emails about this story, I just couldn't get myself to write.
All of the gratitude to those that read, review, follow and favorite. That is the lifeblood of a writer and has gotten me through some of the worst times these past two years. The next chapter will be out next week. Have a wonderful Easter everyone.
Chapter Pre-Note (2,484)
