Leaving Illusions Behind
Written by Li Cruz
Chapter Nine: Thrice Confrontations
Author Notes:
This is the last full chapter of this huge update. The next one is a chapter preview.
Signing out
Li Cruz (rantermaster@yahoo.com)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Quatre blessed whatever spirits were watching over him. Everyone was too stunned to do anything that night. Well, except for that Mikel kid, the kid glared continuously at him. Quatre shuddered, where he see Mikel before.
While sitting on his dorm bed, he began pondering the mystery that was Mikel. The kid seemed to automatically hate him. People seemed to instantly flocked to him and like them, though he did notice those who like him seemed wary of Mikel. Then there was what the hat told him.
[I think I'd prefer you to that Mikel, he may be in Gryffindor but to be honest he should be in Slytherin...He's a Dark Gryffindor if I ever saw one Something he knew he should know kept escaping his grasp. He sighed. Maybe he'd look in the library for a memory revive spell. It was frustrating not knowing something that felt important. He pulled the covers over his head.
Quatre felt someone over him holding something almost instantly. He instinctively rolled off his bed quickly. Someone swore vehemently. He blinked his eyes to see one of his fellow fourth years trying to regain balance. He fell on his bed, dumping water over himself. The brunette looked at Quatre with angry eyes. Quatre instinctively grabbed his clothes and staff and hightailed it out of there. He did a quick change in the bathroom before rushing down the hall.
Harry, Yugi, and Ron looked up from the fireplace area. It was quite early in the morning and the three had decided to finish their potion essays up. Quatre took one look at them and made an incredible fast turn on his heel. In mere nanoseconds, he disappeared through the portrait hole.
Quatre was one of the first ones in the Great Hall. He sat down at the very end of the table, closest to the teachers and leaned his staff against the wall behind him for easy reach of the staff. He sat there patiently waiting for others to arrive. Most of the staff arrived including the Potion Master and Transfiguration Professor. Then Seto came in. Instead of sitting at the Slytherin Table, he took the seat right across from Quatre. Neither notice the silent exchange between the teachers. Other students trickled in. Most of the students had noticed the pair. Ron began coming down on the pair.
"Why is a Slytherin sitting at the Gryffindor Table?"
Quatre, who by than recover some of his frazzled wits, replied back coolly.
"What Slytherin?"
At this the room went quiet. Ron became flustered and angry.
"He's a bloody Slytherin. You can't trust them." He pointed at Kaiba.
Kaiba reached for his wand, but Quatre placed an reassuring hand on his arm. Kaiba slowly sat back down, his face wary. Quatre than stood up and looked up at the towering redhead.
"You can trust a Slytherin. Slytherins are no different than the other house member. Unlike a Hufflepuff, they only trust those who they deem worthy of trust and like a Hufflepuff, they can give it completely but they need proof that they can trust you." He glanced in the Slytherin's table direction. "They can be as intelligent and logical as a Ravenclaw and just as curious. But the distinction between the Slytherin house and the Gryffindor house is a Slytherin will calculated risks before jumping into a fray."
There was a deafen silence. Ron gaped like an fish out of water. Some people especially teachers were impressed. Quatre continued after the pause.
"Beside I know who I have at my back when it comes to a fight. I know I can trust Seto with my life. Can you trust some of your housemates to do the same?" Quatre looked at Seto before sitting down again.
Seto was flattered. Quatre actually trusted him enough to say that. It was also obvious why he didn't end up in Slytherin. He was standing up for others! Something most Slytherins would probably never do.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared a look. Was Quatre referring to Wormtail? This was something to look into later.
Quatre knew by saying this he probably made enemies of most of his house and the other two houses. He wasn't sure of the Slytherins.
He looked over his schedule. Unlike the others, he couldn't do Charms with a staff. He'd require special classes. He softly sighed. He noticed 6 of his major classes he had were paired with Slytherins. He heard Ron and a half dozen others from both table complain about the new arrangements. Quatre had a feeling, Professor Dumbledore purposely left out the fact of the class change. His shedule read:
Newt Potions Monday, Wednesday
Newt Defense against the Dark Arts Tuesday, Thursday
Newt History of Magic Monday, Wednesday
Newt Herbology Tuesday, Thursday
Newt Care of Magical Creatures Monday, Wednesday
Newt Divination Tuesday, Thursday
Newt Ancient Runes Friday
Newt Arthimithcy Friday
And he saw a note on the bottom.
Mr. Snape,
See each of the teachers for private sessions especially Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall.
Dumbledore
As Quatre looked over his schedule, he didn't notice Hermione reading over his shoulder. She didn't see the note though. She frowned. His schedule lacked Charms and Transfiguration classes and all of them NEWT level despite the fact he was a fourth year. There was something odd about the situation. But what?
Harry and Ron finally sat down after a long day of classes. Yugi was spending time with his Ravenclaw companions and Mikel Owens. Hermione had insisted on going to the library for an odd reason.
"Hey, Harry?"
"Yeah."
"What's a fourth year doing in our classes?"
"Dunno. Kinda weird."
"'Mione said he had a heavier class load than she does. And all of them NEWT Level."
"..."
Hermione came in, breathing hard. Harry and Ron were surprised. She puffed out a few words.
"He's the next headmaster."
"Huh?" The two boys said.
"He's being trained as the next headmaster. It all fits. The staff, his power, the classes. The reason the hat took so long." She was rambling.
"What do you mean he's the next headmaster. He's a demon!"
"It doesn't matter. The school has chosen its next headmaster."
Harry shook his head. "What does this have to do with the hat."
"The hat was being very careful when it was choosing what house to put him in. According to the book, Traditions of Hogwarts, the hat when it finds someone to be the next headmaster, it takes its time about it."
"So, a Snape will replace Dumbledore as Headmaster!" Ron exclaimed angrily. Luckily the room was empty.
"The hat has only chosen about five times before Quatre Snape. It wouldn't do it unless the situation required it. And according to this, Quatre's might be the longest time it has ever taken to sort someone."
"Who were among the chosen headmasters?" Harry asked.
"Dumbledore, a grandson of Godrics - Ivan something, and three other whose name are unreadable..."
At that point Quatre walked in, his staff missing. Ron glared at Quatre openly. Quatre, hualing a tall stack of books, blinked owlishly. He took a seat at another table. He began doing his homework.
Hermione walked slowly up to him. Quatre looked through the false glasses he wore up at her. She took a look at some of the books. Some of them were the normal NEWT course text, others were about Angimagis and various magic arts that were no longer practiced. When Quatre fidgeted with a robe sleeve, Hermione caught a glimpse of some sort of manacle. Hermione swallowed her fear and asked a question.
"Why are you in fourth year while taking NEWT level courses?"
Quatre looked straight at her. She took a step back. He considered the question.
"Age. Full two years younger than you."
Hermione frowned at the reply. He sounded a bit cold to her. His tone had been flat. But when she looked at his eyes, she swore she saw tension and apprehension. He returned to his work. It was an apparent dismissal.
The next few weeks, it was always the same. Quatre would avoid many folk's pranks during the course of the day. Go to class and come back to the room at curfew and do his homework for about an hour before heading to bed. On weekends, he'd spent a few hours with Seto and surprisingly Neville Longbottom before disappearing elsewhere. He was correct about making enemies with most of the school, but what he didn't expect were the Slytherins. They would simply ignored him and he was grateful that they did. He didn't think he could survive the school year.
It was a week or two before Halloween when Quatre found himself back into a corner with most of the three houses breathing down his back so to say. Then the hexes rain down on him. It actually hurt and it took all his control not to blast everyone with reach magically. This went on for about five or six minutes before they stopped. He opened a wary eye. No one was there. He was in too much pain currently to move much. He muttered Infinta Incantane which took away the physical aspect of the curses but not the pain.
After a few minutes of breathing hard, he dragged himself onto his feet and tried to summon his staff. He nearly passed out from the strain. It didn't come. He limped, using the walls for support towards a main hallway.
When he reached the hall, he heard voices distantly and fuzzily. He automatically tensed up. Wrong move, the pain increased fivefold. Before he hit the floor, he felt someone grab him. He gave a very weak smile as he passed out.
When he woke up, he found himself in the Infirmary. There was a din of noises and smells. He winced as he opened an eye. He could see his guardian, sleeping in one of the chair. The pain had returned but it was dull this time.
It allowed him to take stock of his guardian. Something suggested he had been sitting there for quite a while. Quatre could see that Severus's hair was slightly dishevel. His face twisted in sleep with worry. There was an untouched tray next to his chair and the food was completely cold and the bread was a night old. Quatre wondered loosely how he knew all this, but his headache started to pick up force.
Also he was feeling funny as if his body's center of gravity was off. He tried sitting up. He accidentally moaned when a sharp pain went up his spine. He heard something drop off the bed.
Severus was on his feet immediately. Quatre felt the professor push him back down as he called for Profrey. He was aware of a twitching and pain. Madam Ppmfrey came in and cluck as she picked up his tail off the floor. Quatre did a mental double take as he stared at the tail.
Pomfrey and Severus tried catching the young man's attention. He looked like he was going into shock. He did look at them. They unconsciously took a step back. His eyes were intense as he looked at them. Pomfrey coughed a bit before speaking.
"You had a bad reaction to several spells, Mr. Snape. We're not sure of the total damage yet."
Quatre sighed as he closed his eyes. Pomfrey continued.
"Some of your bones also cracked under all that magical pressure, so you'll be in pain a few days more."
Quatre sighed and nodded, half listening to Madam Pomfrey list off his injuries.
After reassuring the Potion Master he would be fine and Madam Pomfrey finished her examinations, Quatre settled into a catnap. Quatre suddenly heard the Infirmary door open. He tensed slightly, aggravating his injuries a bit. He kept his eyes closed and purposely slowed his breath as about two sets of footsteps walked around the room.
Someone said something in a low tone before leaving. Cracking an eye open, he looked right at Draco. Draco looked back uneasy. Quatre snorted in amusement.
"Never think I'd see you unhinged."
Draco was now staring. He blurted out. "I've been, ur, kind of kicked out of my House. For helping you."
Quatre nodded. "For that I thank you."
"Seto said I should see you?" Draco asked hopefully.
Quatre gave Draco one of his accessing looks. Draco wasn't wearing any masks now. Draco squirmed under Quatre's gaze. Quatre sighed and closed his eyes.
"You do have a good heart. Too bad you let your angry and your family's teaching control you."
Draco looked shocked. Quatre could hear the quick intake of breath. He grinned.
"Now if you are willing to give some Muggleborns and a klutz of a wizard a chance, you might find yourself."
Draco smiled broadly as if someone handed him a lifetime supply of candy.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Next on Leaving Illusion Behind:
Chapter Ten: What Has Been Found Will Be Lost.
Written by Li Cruz
Chapter Nine: Thrice Confrontations
Author Notes:
This is the last full chapter of this huge update. The next one is a chapter preview.
Signing out
Li Cruz (rantermaster@yahoo.com)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Quatre blessed whatever spirits were watching over him. Everyone was too stunned to do anything that night. Well, except for that Mikel kid, the kid glared continuously at him. Quatre shuddered, where he see Mikel before.
While sitting on his dorm bed, he began pondering the mystery that was Mikel. The kid seemed to automatically hate him. People seemed to instantly flocked to him and like them, though he did notice those who like him seemed wary of Mikel. Then there was what the hat told him.
[I think I'd prefer you to that Mikel, he may be in Gryffindor but to be honest he should be in Slytherin...He's a Dark Gryffindor if I ever saw one Something he knew he should know kept escaping his grasp. He sighed. Maybe he'd look in the library for a memory revive spell. It was frustrating not knowing something that felt important. He pulled the covers over his head.
Quatre felt someone over him holding something almost instantly. He instinctively rolled off his bed quickly. Someone swore vehemently. He blinked his eyes to see one of his fellow fourth years trying to regain balance. He fell on his bed, dumping water over himself. The brunette looked at Quatre with angry eyes. Quatre instinctively grabbed his clothes and staff and hightailed it out of there. He did a quick change in the bathroom before rushing down the hall.
Harry, Yugi, and Ron looked up from the fireplace area. It was quite early in the morning and the three had decided to finish their potion essays up. Quatre took one look at them and made an incredible fast turn on his heel. In mere nanoseconds, he disappeared through the portrait hole.
Quatre was one of the first ones in the Great Hall. He sat down at the very end of the table, closest to the teachers and leaned his staff against the wall behind him for easy reach of the staff. He sat there patiently waiting for others to arrive. Most of the staff arrived including the Potion Master and Transfiguration Professor. Then Seto came in. Instead of sitting at the Slytherin Table, he took the seat right across from Quatre. Neither notice the silent exchange between the teachers. Other students trickled in. Most of the students had noticed the pair. Ron began coming down on the pair.
"Why is a Slytherin sitting at the Gryffindor Table?"
Quatre, who by than recover some of his frazzled wits, replied back coolly.
"What Slytherin?"
At this the room went quiet. Ron became flustered and angry.
"He's a bloody Slytherin. You can't trust them." He pointed at Kaiba.
Kaiba reached for his wand, but Quatre placed an reassuring hand on his arm. Kaiba slowly sat back down, his face wary. Quatre than stood up and looked up at the towering redhead.
"You can trust a Slytherin. Slytherins are no different than the other house member. Unlike a Hufflepuff, they only trust those who they deem worthy of trust and like a Hufflepuff, they can give it completely but they need proof that they can trust you." He glanced in the Slytherin's table direction. "They can be as intelligent and logical as a Ravenclaw and just as curious. But the distinction between the Slytherin house and the Gryffindor house is a Slytherin will calculated risks before jumping into a fray."
There was a deafen silence. Ron gaped like an fish out of water. Some people especially teachers were impressed. Quatre continued after the pause.
"Beside I know who I have at my back when it comes to a fight. I know I can trust Seto with my life. Can you trust some of your housemates to do the same?" Quatre looked at Seto before sitting down again.
Seto was flattered. Quatre actually trusted him enough to say that. It was also obvious why he didn't end up in Slytherin. He was standing up for others! Something most Slytherins would probably never do.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared a look. Was Quatre referring to Wormtail? This was something to look into later.
Quatre knew by saying this he probably made enemies of most of his house and the other two houses. He wasn't sure of the Slytherins.
He looked over his schedule. Unlike the others, he couldn't do Charms with a staff. He'd require special classes. He softly sighed. He noticed 6 of his major classes he had were paired with Slytherins. He heard Ron and a half dozen others from both table complain about the new arrangements. Quatre had a feeling, Professor Dumbledore purposely left out the fact of the class change. His shedule read:
Newt Potions Monday, Wednesday
Newt Defense against the Dark Arts Tuesday, Thursday
Newt History of Magic Monday, Wednesday
Newt Herbology Tuesday, Thursday
Newt Care of Magical Creatures Monday, Wednesday
Newt Divination Tuesday, Thursday
Newt Ancient Runes Friday
Newt Arthimithcy Friday
And he saw a note on the bottom.
Mr. Snape,
See each of the teachers for private sessions especially Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall.
Dumbledore
As Quatre looked over his schedule, he didn't notice Hermione reading over his shoulder. She didn't see the note though. She frowned. His schedule lacked Charms and Transfiguration classes and all of them NEWT level despite the fact he was a fourth year. There was something odd about the situation. But what?
Harry and Ron finally sat down after a long day of classes. Yugi was spending time with his Ravenclaw companions and Mikel Owens. Hermione had insisted on going to the library for an odd reason.
"Hey, Harry?"
"Yeah."
"What's a fourth year doing in our classes?"
"Dunno. Kinda weird."
"'Mione said he had a heavier class load than she does. And all of them NEWT Level."
"..."
Hermione came in, breathing hard. Harry and Ron were surprised. She puffed out a few words.
"He's the next headmaster."
"Huh?" The two boys said.
"He's being trained as the next headmaster. It all fits. The staff, his power, the classes. The reason the hat took so long." She was rambling.
"What do you mean he's the next headmaster. He's a demon!"
"It doesn't matter. The school has chosen its next headmaster."
Harry shook his head. "What does this have to do with the hat."
"The hat was being very careful when it was choosing what house to put him in. According to the book, Traditions of Hogwarts, the hat when it finds someone to be the next headmaster, it takes its time about it."
"So, a Snape will replace Dumbledore as Headmaster!" Ron exclaimed angrily. Luckily the room was empty.
"The hat has only chosen about five times before Quatre Snape. It wouldn't do it unless the situation required it. And according to this, Quatre's might be the longest time it has ever taken to sort someone."
"Who were among the chosen headmasters?" Harry asked.
"Dumbledore, a grandson of Godrics - Ivan something, and three other whose name are unreadable..."
At that point Quatre walked in, his staff missing. Ron glared at Quatre openly. Quatre, hualing a tall stack of books, blinked owlishly. He took a seat at another table. He began doing his homework.
Hermione walked slowly up to him. Quatre looked through the false glasses he wore up at her. She took a look at some of the books. Some of them were the normal NEWT course text, others were about Angimagis and various magic arts that were no longer practiced. When Quatre fidgeted with a robe sleeve, Hermione caught a glimpse of some sort of manacle. Hermione swallowed her fear and asked a question.
"Why are you in fourth year while taking NEWT level courses?"
Quatre looked straight at her. She took a step back. He considered the question.
"Age. Full two years younger than you."
Hermione frowned at the reply. He sounded a bit cold to her. His tone had been flat. But when she looked at his eyes, she swore she saw tension and apprehension. He returned to his work. It was an apparent dismissal.
The next few weeks, it was always the same. Quatre would avoid many folk's pranks during the course of the day. Go to class and come back to the room at curfew and do his homework for about an hour before heading to bed. On weekends, he'd spent a few hours with Seto and surprisingly Neville Longbottom before disappearing elsewhere. He was correct about making enemies with most of the school, but what he didn't expect were the Slytherins. They would simply ignored him and he was grateful that they did. He didn't think he could survive the school year.
It was a week or two before Halloween when Quatre found himself back into a corner with most of the three houses breathing down his back so to say. Then the hexes rain down on him. It actually hurt and it took all his control not to blast everyone with reach magically. This went on for about five or six minutes before they stopped. He opened a wary eye. No one was there. He was in too much pain currently to move much. He muttered Infinta Incantane which took away the physical aspect of the curses but not the pain.
After a few minutes of breathing hard, he dragged himself onto his feet and tried to summon his staff. He nearly passed out from the strain. It didn't come. He limped, using the walls for support towards a main hallway.
When he reached the hall, he heard voices distantly and fuzzily. He automatically tensed up. Wrong move, the pain increased fivefold. Before he hit the floor, he felt someone grab him. He gave a very weak smile as he passed out.
When he woke up, he found himself in the Infirmary. There was a din of noises and smells. He winced as he opened an eye. He could see his guardian, sleeping in one of the chair. The pain had returned but it was dull this time.
It allowed him to take stock of his guardian. Something suggested he had been sitting there for quite a while. Quatre could see that Severus's hair was slightly dishevel. His face twisted in sleep with worry. There was an untouched tray next to his chair and the food was completely cold and the bread was a night old. Quatre wondered loosely how he knew all this, but his headache started to pick up force.
Also he was feeling funny as if his body's center of gravity was off. He tried sitting up. He accidentally moaned when a sharp pain went up his spine. He heard something drop off the bed.
Severus was on his feet immediately. Quatre felt the professor push him back down as he called for Profrey. He was aware of a twitching and pain. Madam Ppmfrey came in and cluck as she picked up his tail off the floor. Quatre did a mental double take as he stared at the tail.
Pomfrey and Severus tried catching the young man's attention. He looked like he was going into shock. He did look at them. They unconsciously took a step back. His eyes were intense as he looked at them. Pomfrey coughed a bit before speaking.
"You had a bad reaction to several spells, Mr. Snape. We're not sure of the total damage yet."
Quatre sighed as he closed his eyes. Pomfrey continued.
"Some of your bones also cracked under all that magical pressure, so you'll be in pain a few days more."
Quatre sighed and nodded, half listening to Madam Pomfrey list off his injuries.
After reassuring the Potion Master he would be fine and Madam Pomfrey finished her examinations, Quatre settled into a catnap. Quatre suddenly heard the Infirmary door open. He tensed slightly, aggravating his injuries a bit. He kept his eyes closed and purposely slowed his breath as about two sets of footsteps walked around the room.
Someone said something in a low tone before leaving. Cracking an eye open, he looked right at Draco. Draco looked back uneasy. Quatre snorted in amusement.
"Never think I'd see you unhinged."
Draco was now staring. He blurted out. "I've been, ur, kind of kicked out of my House. For helping you."
Quatre nodded. "For that I thank you."
"Seto said I should see you?" Draco asked hopefully.
Quatre gave Draco one of his accessing looks. Draco wasn't wearing any masks now. Draco squirmed under Quatre's gaze. Quatre sighed and closed his eyes.
"You do have a good heart. Too bad you let your angry and your family's teaching control you."
Draco looked shocked. Quatre could hear the quick intake of breath. He grinned.
"Now if you are willing to give some Muggleborns and a klutz of a wizard a chance, you might find yourself."
Draco smiled broadly as if someone handed him a lifetime supply of candy.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Next on Leaving Illusion Behind:
Chapter Ten: What Has Been Found Will Be Lost.
