Its all jk's.....
Chapter Six
Unexpected
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. ~ Anonymous
"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go around making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." ~ Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (Philosopher's, take your pick, really) Stone ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'Wait! No, no, tell them you made a mistake!' Cesare silently begged the Sorting Hat. He could have sworn he heard low laughter in his ear, as McGonagall whipped the hat off his head.
"Go SIT down, Mr. Jalil," she said, sternly pointing at the Gryffindor table, ignoring the desperate look in his eyes.
I am dead, he thought remembering his uncle's words. He slid off the stool and then saw a scarier sight. The Gryffindor table. Was he supposed to go sit down with Harry Potter and his friends? He remembered the day in Diagon Alley with an uneasy feeling in his stomach, and he recognized Harry Potter and the three other students who had been with him at the time. They probably hated him by now and he didn't blame them one bit. Well, at least he preferred being a loner.
Cesare slowly walked towards the other Gryffindor sixth years, wondering if this is what he felt like to face a pack of Dementors all fighting to kiss you. He took the only seat, across from the boy with fiery red hair, and in between a pretty girl with a dark plait and another boy. He tried to keep his eyes focused towards the front, to avoid meeting the curious gazes of the other Gryffindors. He couldn't imagine a more uncomfortable position than he was in now, except perhaps sitting in the company of his uncle's Death Eater friends. He caught Draco's sympathetic and shocked gaze from across the room. The blond boy mouthed, "WHAT?" Cesare only shrugged.
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The seventh year, Jeremy McDermott was being Sorted into Slytherin. The tall, strapping seventeen year old from Australia had sandy blond hair and was wearing a slightly dismayed expression at learning which house he was in.
Dumbledore stood up again and smiled warmly. "I trust you shall all do your best to welcome your new fellow students. And now for one last announcement. Just one more," he added, his kind blue eyes twinkling with a knowing look. "And then the feast may begin." He swept his right arm towards the staff table and beckoned someone to stand.
A black-haired witch stood up and Harry was surprised he hadn't noticed her before. She looked fairly young compared to most of the other teachers. She was wearing dark turquoise robes and instead of pointed hat, sheer gold silk draped over her hair, held in place by sparkling gold ring around her head.
"Please also welcome Professor Mehrunnisa bint Jan Almari, our new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. She will be replacing Professor Umbridge, who kindly elected not to return." Dumbledore didn't even bother to disguise his delighted grin.
This was greeted with enthusiastic cheers from most of the student body, excluding a good deal of the Slytherin table who looked grim at the news. From beside him, Cesare heard Parvati sigh to Lavender, "Ooo, look at her headdress. Simply classy. Sooooo much more stylish than Umbridge." Lavender giggled.
The new professor smiled a slight incongruous smile, her eyes sweeping the Great Hall in an appraising manner. She sat down and Cesare glanced at the other staff members. One in particular caught his eye. The man had a sallow complexion and greasy black hair. He was studying the new professor intently, a strange expression on his unpleasant face. 'Odd,' Cesare thought.
After Dumbledore finished speaking, the plates suddenly filled with food, weighing down the tables with countless dishes and courses. Everyone eagerly dug into the feast, which filled the Great Hall with a pleasing smell. Cesare studied the platter in front of him as if it was an exotic, yet dangerous creature. He had absolutely no idea what it was. It appeared to be some sort of round dish comprised of a crispy crust, lumpy gray sauce, and bits of meat. It seemed to be quite popular; the other students were all spooning it out onto their plates. He looked up and down the table for anything resembling pasta, falafel, or the Mediterranean fare he was accustomed too. No luck. He decided he would be safe with a turkey drumstick and bread. He continued to keep his eyes downcast, hoping to deter anyone looking to start a conversation.
The Gryffindor sixth years were unusually quiet. The dark-haired, silent stranger made them feel like they shouldn't talk, Finally Dean couldn't stand it. "So....uh Che........Ched.......Chedder........ how DO you say your name?" he asked exasperated.
Cesare gave him an odd look, pretty sure he'd just been called a type of cheese. "CHEH-ZAH-RAY," he corrected.
"A jail?" Seamus offered helpfully.
He was mystified for a moment. "What? Oh, yeah. Close enough," he muttered, assuming that was a twisted form of his last name.
"THAT doesn't sound very Italian," a bold voice commented.
Cesare looked up to see a pretty girl with thick brown hair looking at him expectantly. He made the connection instantly. The "mudblood," as Draco had called her, from Diagon Alley. Slightly surprised at her observation, "Ah.... it's not. My family is originally from Egypt," he explained. He decided to leave out the part where his great-grandparents were exiled by the Egyptian Ministry of Magic for bewitching the sands around the pyramids to swallow Muggles. He was pretty sure the Slytherin table would have gotten a good laugh out of that, but he wasn't AT the Slytherin table, now was he? He started to pour himself some pumpkin juice, hoping the conversation was over.
"What school did you go to?" she asked, an interested expression on her face.
What was this? An interrogation? "Anksenum Wizarding Academy."
Her brown eyes lit up, but the rest of the table looked clueless. Cesare noticed more people looking his way, wondering about the two foreign students in their midst. The other new Gryffindor from Nigeria, Asad Ademi was uproariously laughing with younger students down the table. Well, at least somebody was happy.
Twenty Questions wasn't over. Hermione had grown intrigued by the reference to Anksenum. "Ohh! Anksenum is supposed to be fascinating! I hear the students do very in-depth research about ancient Egyptian wizards and that they get a lot of field work in the pyramids. And there are supposed to be some wonderful, haunted castles in Italy. I read that almost a fourth of all European hauntings occur there."
Ron rolled his eyes; did the girl do anything but study?! But Cesare had resigned himself to the conversation. He looked up at Hermione and she blinked. Harry was right! He did look eerily familiar. Particularly the eyes.
"Yes, they are." He pushed his hair from his face. "I live in one that has ..." he trailed off when he saw the girl's startled expression. His hand immediately flew to the bruise on the side of his face. Damn, he had forgotten to cover it!
Hermione only noticed Cesare's bruise when he tried to cover it. She had been startled about how familiar he looked. She grimaced, "That looks painful. Did you hurt yourself?"
"Um ... yes. I ... ah ... fell down some stairs," he lied, slowly pulling his sleeve down to cover the marks on his arm.
Hermione stuck her hand out across the table and Cesare stared at it for a second, confused.
"Hermione Granger," she said smartly and he shook her hand. Harry was watching her, slightly surprised that she was being so friendly with Malfoy's friend. The others took that as a cue to introduce themselves.
"Parvati Patil," she batted her eyelashes at him and Lavender Brown gave him an alluring smile. Ron was still staring at Cesare suspiciously. "Ron Weasley," he muttered with a trace of hostility evident in his voice.
Harry sighed, deciding maybe he should try Hermione's route instead of Ron's. He offered his hand. "I'm Harry Pot-,"
"I know who you are," Cesare said, quickly interrupting him. He didn't shake his hand. He tried to tear his gaze away from the scar on Harry's forehead. Years of his uncle's life spent cursing Harry Potter came to his mind. He found it hard to believe the he was sitting at the same table as the only person who had ever bested Voldemort.
Harry looked surprised and this tense encounter didn't go unnoticed by some of the Gryffindors. Ron was now openly glaring at him and Cesare quickly became quiet again, hoping he could stay so for the rest of the feast.
The other students were chatting among themselves now and Cesare was perfectly happy to be ignored. Suddenly he felt a strange, prickly sensation, like he was being watched, and turned around. He looked in the direction of the staff table. He suddenly realized the pale, greasy haired professor who had been watching Professor Almari was glaring at him with a look of pure hatred. It didn't even fade when Snape saw the boy notice.
"Who's that?" he asked, startled out of his silence.
Hermione turned around to look and got a shock. Snape was giving Cesare a nastier look than he even gave Harry! "That's Snape. He teaches Potions. He certainly doesn't like you," she added, raising an eyebrow.
Harry looked up towards the staff table. Snape was staring at Professor Almari again. He suddenly looked slightly overwhelmed (a very un-Snape-like emotion) and stood. Only Dumbledore appeared to notice when Snape quickly slipped out of the Great Hall.
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Draco caught up with Cesare as he was exciting through the Great Hall's massive double doors. He grabbed his forearm and pulled him out of the jostling crowd of black-robed students. Cesare sighed. He already knew what this was about and didn't feel like dealing with it right now. They stopped in front of a painting of a vain witch furiously fanning herself with a pink frilly contraption. Draco looked awestruck, his gray eyes wide in the panel of moonlight streaming in through a high, small window.
"How-HOW did you get put into GRYFFINDOR?" he demanded in disbelief.
Cesare shrugged, but looked dismayed. "That......ah.......what was it......the Sorting Hat," he spit out the hated words, "told me I didn't have enough ambition for Slytherin or something like that," said Cesare lightly, not wanting to go into his whole conversation with the Sorting Hat.
Draco gaped, a nasty expression disfiguring his handsome face. "How dare a piece of a ratty piece of FABRIC tell you that you don't belong in Slytherin. You! Of all people!
Cesare thought Draco seemed to be taking this rather hard, considering it basically had nothing to do with him. He leaned against the shadowed old wall and watched his Slytherin friend pace back and forth, an angry look carved into his pale, pointed features, muttering to himself.
".......wasn't supposed to happen like this........reasonable assumption that he would be in Slytherin of course........"
"Draco? When you're done having a deep conversation with yourself, would you mind telling me where the hell I'm supposed to go?" he joked, trying to get his friend to calm down.
Malfoy stopped pacing and looked up at him, as Cesare was quite a bit taller. "The Gryffindor dormitory," he scowled. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I know where you can get in. Come on." He led the way through the dark interior of the school. He was silent as they walked and then suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked very thoughtfully at the worn stone floor
"This might not be such a horrible thing," he said, seemingly a bit gleeful.
"Nice that you think so. You're not the one that gets to deal my uncle," Cesare sarcastically replied. He didn't like the tone in Draco's voice
Draco was barely listening to him, His whole face had lit up like a neon bar sign and he appeared positively delighted. "Think about it! You'll be sharing a room with Harry Potter! Breaking bread with the enemy! All the information you could glean from them....." Now he was near manic with exhilaration.
"You want me to be a spy?" Cesare interrupted, incredulous. "Are you MAD?!" Lucius was definitely making a big impact in his son's life, noted Cesare wryly.
The other boy turned to face him, and determinedly lifted his chin. "I thought you would be a little more eager at this opportunity to serve our cause," he coldly snapped.
Cesare actually laughed. "Draco, don't be ridiculous. You want me to go around with a notebook and camera in Gryffindor? Maybe wear a disguise and go incognito, no? For 'our cause?' Don't be so stupid. You sound like your father when you say things like that."
Draco didn't look at all amused. Instead his eyes flashed in anger. "Apparently I was very wrong about you. My...." he drawled, "Less than two hours in Gryffindor and you're already forgetting who you really are. Have fun finding your dorm," he added, his voice dripping with cool sarcasm. And with that, he whirled away in a swish of dark robes.
"Bastard," Cesare muttered, as he watched Malfoy stalk away. First the Sorting Hat lectures him on losing his "true self" and then Draco blasts him for forgetting who he was. Did this school teach magic or self- realization? And he had no idea where to go and the corridors were deserted.
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The Gryffindors were led back to their common rooms and the sixth year boys headed up the tower to their room. The room looked familiar except for the addition of a sixth canopied bed and dresser. Their trunks were at the end of each bed. Neville walked in while the other four were talking about their summers and new classes. He looked at the sixth bed with a moment of confusion before realization dawned on him. His eyes glanced around the room curiously. "Hey, where's Cesare?"
Harry looked up in surprise at Neville's observance. He was so used to it just being the five of them that the thought of the new student hadn't even entered his mind. "I don't know," (and really don't care, Harry thought privately, remembering what had happened when Harry introduced himself to the exchange student.) "Maybe in the common room?"
"It's gonna be kinda strange, y'know, having someone else here," Dean remarked looking pensive.
"Yeah, especially considering how friendly he is," Ron sarcastically added. "He's got the look of a Slytherin, if you ask me."
"Then I better wear my Gryffindor tie all the time, no?"
Ron jumped like he'd eaten a Filibuster firework at the accented voice from behind him. Cesare was fingering the gold and crimson tie lying on top of the unclaimed trunk. No one had even heard him come in. A red flush crept into Ron's face, but he didn't look one bit remorseful. "Sounds like a plan," he muttered and went back to rummaging in his trunk.
An uncomfortable silence filled the room and all five wordlessly changed and got into bed.
Cesare waited until the others were snoring and crept to the window. Damn Draco, he thought for the hundredth time. Cesare had wandered the halls for quite a long time until the idea of asking the paintings for help had occurred to him. Thank God it had, because if had been wandering around a bit longer, he'd have found the SLYTHERIN common room and let Malfoy know exactly what he thought of his twisted plan........
He tried to push the pleasant thoughts of hexing Draco away. Maybe being at Hogwarts would help him figure out his past. He reflected on what he did know about his parents. He didn't know if had been meeting the clerk from the Owl Emporium or simply arriving at Hogwarts, but an insatiable thirst for knowledge about them was coursing through him. He realized how ridiculous it was that a person should know so little about their own family. He knew his mother had been an al-Jalil and attended Anksenum before running off to Britain with his father, who might have had Muggle parents. Now he also knew his father had gone to Hogwart's and may or may not be dead. His mother had worked at the Owl Emporium before she died, when he was about two. Shortly after, his uncle had been declared his guardian. Cesare only knew that his father had been declared unfit, because "his kind weren't trusted," his uncle had said once. Whatever THAT meant.
Cesare stared out at the moon, sprinkling twinkling light across the dewy grounds. It would be full tomorrow. This sent a shiver down his spine. For some reason the nightmares were always the worst at this time of the month. Another cold feeling crept throughout his skin and he started to shake. Damn this English weather. It would have been almost eighty degrees back home. Even hotter in Egypt. With a sigh, he sat back on his bed and laid down, still staring at the silvery moon.
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Cesare woke up early the next morning before the other Gryffindors. He washed and then quietly opened his trunk. Inside were new Hogwarts robes with the Gryffindor crest, along with his tie, he noticed with an amused smile. He got dressed and checked the mirror above his dresser. The bruise was still a sick shade of bluish-black, running across the left side of his face. He took out his wand and pointed it at his face. "Ayutate." The bruise slowly faded into his skin. He examined his skin closely before deciding he was satisfied with his work. It was too bad the spell only worked on faces. He grabbed his books, wand, and other school things before heading down to breakfast.
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After breakfast, the Gryffindor sixth years had Advanced Transfigurations with Professor McGonagall. Cesare arrived last and took the only empty seat, next to Hermione. He pulled his chair as far away as possible from the girl, hoping her bold friendly attitude wouldn't manifest itself towards him today.
"This year is very important." The professor started, "As stated on your classes list, this is an advanced course and an introduction to human transformation. You are all sitting here because you have demonstrated a certain level of skill in this subject and expect you to stay at that level." She eyed them sternly and Neville gulped.
"Many you may remember when we studied Animagi in your third year. This year, if you wish, it is possible to begin researching your ability to be an Animagus. I must emphasis that this task is NOT to be taken lightly. Becoming an Animagus is a long and arduous process. Only certain people are able to do it. Please make an appointment with me if you're interested and we can take steps to discover whether or not you have the ability."
Harry could keep the grin of anticipation off his face. Animagi! McGonagall could sign him right up. He whispered excitedly to Ron, who had an identical look of anticipation on his freckled face. "Excellent," he whispered.
McGonagall turned and waved her wand at the word and started lecturing on turning furniture into chimpanzees. The class began taking notes. Hermione took a sheet of parchment from her desk, bumping Cesare's arm in the process. She noticed his small grimace of pain and looked down at his exposed arm.
"Oh, my gosh," she whispered staring at the finger marks. "What happened?"
"It's nothing," Cesare whispered back furiously. "Mind your own business," he said pulling down the sleeve of his robe.
"Mr. Jalil, perhaps you're volunteering to demonstrate?" McGonagall asked, the irritation obvious in her voice
"Um, ah.." he struggled for words.
"Yes," she forcefully suggested. "Stand up. Let's see if not paying attention will help you turn this armoire into a chimpanzee. Saciosa chimichanga," she said.
Cesare pulled his wand out and waved it at the tall piece of furniture. "SaciOSa chimiCHANga!" he incanted. The cupboard was immediately replaced by a orangy brown hairy ape. It looked around, yelled loudly and leapt up onto McGonagall's desk. The students burst into whispers throwing curious glances at the black-haired newcomer,
"Silence, class!" she shouted, scaring them all out of talking again. "Very good, Mr. Jalil. Surprisingly. The class continued to unsuccessfully try to turn desks, armoires, and beds into chimpanzees until the end of the period, with Hermione occasionally throwing Cesare jealous looks after her chimpanzee was still made of solid wood.
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The first day flew by, along with his Advanced Arithmancy and Charms classes. He was slightly displeased to realize Hermione was in both those classes with him as well. She glowered at him, apparently still smarting from his "mind your own business" remark. Before he knew it, it was night again. Ron and Harry were whispering about something and Cesare heard the word "potions" brought up. He realized with a small jolt that he had that class tomorrow morning with greasy-haired professor who seemed to have taken an immediate disliking to him.
The boys eventually fell asleep, again with exception of Cesare. He went to the window again and stared at the now full moon. He poured himself a glass of water and took a sip. He thought back to McGonagall's class. He'd have to speak to her about trying to become an Animagus. He'd always been interested in doing that. He imagined what sort of an animal he might become. An image suddenly popped into his mind. A sleek black wolf racing through a tall green forest under a dark sky, twinkling with stars. Odd, he thought, he'd never seen a wolf before yet the vision was clear. The forest looked unlike anything he'd have been near in Italy, and certainly not Egypt. He closed his eyes and willed the image to come back to him, the silvery rays of moonlight bouncing off his closed lids.
Suddenly a sharp pain shot through him that nearly drove him to his knees. It was followed by what he could only describe as a painful assault on his senses. Everything seemed louder; he could hear crickets from across the school ground and beyond. And the smells! In an instant he knew what every sleeping boy had eaten for breakfast. His eyes flew open in shock and he could see every detail in the dark room perfectly well, as if it was a bright sunny day. His couldn't take the sounds; he clasped his hands to his ears and stumbled back, dropping the glass. It shattered, yet remarkably, no one woke up. Cesare didn't even notice. The pain was indescribable. His body was still racked with torment as he tried to climb to his feet, pulling himself up on a dresser. He caught sight of his face in the mirror and cried out. His eyes had turned a wild yellow color. Only this time the nearest sleeper woke up at his cry: Harry.
Harry woke up with a start at a strange yell. He looked around blurry-eyed and saw a figure next to his dresser. "Who's there?" he asked and reached for his glasses. He put them on and studied the other student. He gasped at the change in Cesare's eyes and drew back. "Cesare? Wha-what are you doing? Is there--?"
Cesare's hands once again flew to his ears, hearing Harry's voice magnified a hundredth fold. "No, don't say anything!" he gasped, gritting his teeth.
Harry didn't understand what he was talking about and quickly got up. "Are you ill? You want me to get Madam--," he was silenced, when Cesare suddenly darted from the room and down the stairs, unable to deal with Harry's booming voice any longer.
Harry sighed, grabbed his wand, and followed him slowly. He might not be friends with the new student, but if there was something seriously wrong with him, he needed help.
Cesare reached the fireplace and collapsed into an armchair. Calm down, calm down, calm down! He told himself. Slowly his senses returned to normal, leaving a gasping, confused young man behind.
Harry reached the common room and saw Cesare, trembling and staring into the fire. What the hell had happened? "Are you okay? What happened?" he asked. Then he remembered the full moon and for some crazy reason blurted out, "Are you a werewolf?"
Cesare's very wide brown eyes met his, and the feeling that Harry was looking at someone he'd seen before returned. Surprise mingled in with the fear in his gaze. Surprise at the concerned look on Harry's face. The fire lit up the room, sending red, dancing waves of light over the walls and Cesare's features. "No," he started slowly, "I think it's something else."
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Hey, guys I'll post the next chapter soon if anyone is reading this, lol. Please, PLEASE review and tell me your input and if this story is worth keeping up! And thanks to those who did review! I love ya!
Chapter Six
Unexpected
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. ~ Anonymous
"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go around making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." ~ Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (Philosopher's, take your pick, really) Stone ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
'Wait! No, no, tell them you made a mistake!' Cesare silently begged the Sorting Hat. He could have sworn he heard low laughter in his ear, as McGonagall whipped the hat off his head.
"Go SIT down, Mr. Jalil," she said, sternly pointing at the Gryffindor table, ignoring the desperate look in his eyes.
I am dead, he thought remembering his uncle's words. He slid off the stool and then saw a scarier sight. The Gryffindor table. Was he supposed to go sit down with Harry Potter and his friends? He remembered the day in Diagon Alley with an uneasy feeling in his stomach, and he recognized Harry Potter and the three other students who had been with him at the time. They probably hated him by now and he didn't blame them one bit. Well, at least he preferred being a loner.
Cesare slowly walked towards the other Gryffindor sixth years, wondering if this is what he felt like to face a pack of Dementors all fighting to kiss you. He took the only seat, across from the boy with fiery red hair, and in between a pretty girl with a dark plait and another boy. He tried to keep his eyes focused towards the front, to avoid meeting the curious gazes of the other Gryffindors. He couldn't imagine a more uncomfortable position than he was in now, except perhaps sitting in the company of his uncle's Death Eater friends. He caught Draco's sympathetic and shocked gaze from across the room. The blond boy mouthed, "WHAT?" Cesare only shrugged.
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The seventh year, Jeremy McDermott was being Sorted into Slytherin. The tall, strapping seventeen year old from Australia had sandy blond hair and was wearing a slightly dismayed expression at learning which house he was in.
Dumbledore stood up again and smiled warmly. "I trust you shall all do your best to welcome your new fellow students. And now for one last announcement. Just one more," he added, his kind blue eyes twinkling with a knowing look. "And then the feast may begin." He swept his right arm towards the staff table and beckoned someone to stand.
A black-haired witch stood up and Harry was surprised he hadn't noticed her before. She looked fairly young compared to most of the other teachers. She was wearing dark turquoise robes and instead of pointed hat, sheer gold silk draped over her hair, held in place by sparkling gold ring around her head.
"Please also welcome Professor Mehrunnisa bint Jan Almari, our new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. She will be replacing Professor Umbridge, who kindly elected not to return." Dumbledore didn't even bother to disguise his delighted grin.
This was greeted with enthusiastic cheers from most of the student body, excluding a good deal of the Slytherin table who looked grim at the news. From beside him, Cesare heard Parvati sigh to Lavender, "Ooo, look at her headdress. Simply classy. Sooooo much more stylish than Umbridge." Lavender giggled.
The new professor smiled a slight incongruous smile, her eyes sweeping the Great Hall in an appraising manner. She sat down and Cesare glanced at the other staff members. One in particular caught his eye. The man had a sallow complexion and greasy black hair. He was studying the new professor intently, a strange expression on his unpleasant face. 'Odd,' Cesare thought.
After Dumbledore finished speaking, the plates suddenly filled with food, weighing down the tables with countless dishes and courses. Everyone eagerly dug into the feast, which filled the Great Hall with a pleasing smell. Cesare studied the platter in front of him as if it was an exotic, yet dangerous creature. He had absolutely no idea what it was. It appeared to be some sort of round dish comprised of a crispy crust, lumpy gray sauce, and bits of meat. It seemed to be quite popular; the other students were all spooning it out onto their plates. He looked up and down the table for anything resembling pasta, falafel, or the Mediterranean fare he was accustomed too. No luck. He decided he would be safe with a turkey drumstick and bread. He continued to keep his eyes downcast, hoping to deter anyone looking to start a conversation.
The Gryffindor sixth years were unusually quiet. The dark-haired, silent stranger made them feel like they shouldn't talk, Finally Dean couldn't stand it. "So....uh Che........Ched.......Chedder........ how DO you say your name?" he asked exasperated.
Cesare gave him an odd look, pretty sure he'd just been called a type of cheese. "CHEH-ZAH-RAY," he corrected.
"A jail?" Seamus offered helpfully.
He was mystified for a moment. "What? Oh, yeah. Close enough," he muttered, assuming that was a twisted form of his last name.
"THAT doesn't sound very Italian," a bold voice commented.
Cesare looked up to see a pretty girl with thick brown hair looking at him expectantly. He made the connection instantly. The "mudblood," as Draco had called her, from Diagon Alley. Slightly surprised at her observation, "Ah.... it's not. My family is originally from Egypt," he explained. He decided to leave out the part where his great-grandparents were exiled by the Egyptian Ministry of Magic for bewitching the sands around the pyramids to swallow Muggles. He was pretty sure the Slytherin table would have gotten a good laugh out of that, but he wasn't AT the Slytherin table, now was he? He started to pour himself some pumpkin juice, hoping the conversation was over.
"What school did you go to?" she asked, an interested expression on her face.
What was this? An interrogation? "Anksenum Wizarding Academy."
Her brown eyes lit up, but the rest of the table looked clueless. Cesare noticed more people looking his way, wondering about the two foreign students in their midst. The other new Gryffindor from Nigeria, Asad Ademi was uproariously laughing with younger students down the table. Well, at least somebody was happy.
Twenty Questions wasn't over. Hermione had grown intrigued by the reference to Anksenum. "Ohh! Anksenum is supposed to be fascinating! I hear the students do very in-depth research about ancient Egyptian wizards and that they get a lot of field work in the pyramids. And there are supposed to be some wonderful, haunted castles in Italy. I read that almost a fourth of all European hauntings occur there."
Ron rolled his eyes; did the girl do anything but study?! But Cesare had resigned himself to the conversation. He looked up at Hermione and she blinked. Harry was right! He did look eerily familiar. Particularly the eyes.
"Yes, they are." He pushed his hair from his face. "I live in one that has ..." he trailed off when he saw the girl's startled expression. His hand immediately flew to the bruise on the side of his face. Damn, he had forgotten to cover it!
Hermione only noticed Cesare's bruise when he tried to cover it. She had been startled about how familiar he looked. She grimaced, "That looks painful. Did you hurt yourself?"
"Um ... yes. I ... ah ... fell down some stairs," he lied, slowly pulling his sleeve down to cover the marks on his arm.
Hermione stuck her hand out across the table and Cesare stared at it for a second, confused.
"Hermione Granger," she said smartly and he shook her hand. Harry was watching her, slightly surprised that she was being so friendly with Malfoy's friend. The others took that as a cue to introduce themselves.
"Parvati Patil," she batted her eyelashes at him and Lavender Brown gave him an alluring smile. Ron was still staring at Cesare suspiciously. "Ron Weasley," he muttered with a trace of hostility evident in his voice.
Harry sighed, deciding maybe he should try Hermione's route instead of Ron's. He offered his hand. "I'm Harry Pot-,"
"I know who you are," Cesare said, quickly interrupting him. He didn't shake his hand. He tried to tear his gaze away from the scar on Harry's forehead. Years of his uncle's life spent cursing Harry Potter came to his mind. He found it hard to believe the he was sitting at the same table as the only person who had ever bested Voldemort.
Harry looked surprised and this tense encounter didn't go unnoticed by some of the Gryffindors. Ron was now openly glaring at him and Cesare quickly became quiet again, hoping he could stay so for the rest of the feast.
The other students were chatting among themselves now and Cesare was perfectly happy to be ignored. Suddenly he felt a strange, prickly sensation, like he was being watched, and turned around. He looked in the direction of the staff table. He suddenly realized the pale, greasy haired professor who had been watching Professor Almari was glaring at him with a look of pure hatred. It didn't even fade when Snape saw the boy notice.
"Who's that?" he asked, startled out of his silence.
Hermione turned around to look and got a shock. Snape was giving Cesare a nastier look than he even gave Harry! "That's Snape. He teaches Potions. He certainly doesn't like you," she added, raising an eyebrow.
Harry looked up towards the staff table. Snape was staring at Professor Almari again. He suddenly looked slightly overwhelmed (a very un-Snape-like emotion) and stood. Only Dumbledore appeared to notice when Snape quickly slipped out of the Great Hall.
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Draco caught up with Cesare as he was exciting through the Great Hall's massive double doors. He grabbed his forearm and pulled him out of the jostling crowd of black-robed students. Cesare sighed. He already knew what this was about and didn't feel like dealing with it right now. They stopped in front of a painting of a vain witch furiously fanning herself with a pink frilly contraption. Draco looked awestruck, his gray eyes wide in the panel of moonlight streaming in through a high, small window.
"How-HOW did you get put into GRYFFINDOR?" he demanded in disbelief.
Cesare shrugged, but looked dismayed. "That......ah.......what was it......the Sorting Hat," he spit out the hated words, "told me I didn't have enough ambition for Slytherin or something like that," said Cesare lightly, not wanting to go into his whole conversation with the Sorting Hat.
Draco gaped, a nasty expression disfiguring his handsome face. "How dare a piece of a ratty piece of FABRIC tell you that you don't belong in Slytherin. You! Of all people!
Cesare thought Draco seemed to be taking this rather hard, considering it basically had nothing to do with him. He leaned against the shadowed old wall and watched his Slytherin friend pace back and forth, an angry look carved into his pale, pointed features, muttering to himself.
".......wasn't supposed to happen like this........reasonable assumption that he would be in Slytherin of course........"
"Draco? When you're done having a deep conversation with yourself, would you mind telling me where the hell I'm supposed to go?" he joked, trying to get his friend to calm down.
Malfoy stopped pacing and looked up at him, as Cesare was quite a bit taller. "The Gryffindor dormitory," he scowled. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I know where you can get in. Come on." He led the way through the dark interior of the school. He was silent as they walked and then suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked very thoughtfully at the worn stone floor
"This might not be such a horrible thing," he said, seemingly a bit gleeful.
"Nice that you think so. You're not the one that gets to deal my uncle," Cesare sarcastically replied. He didn't like the tone in Draco's voice
Draco was barely listening to him, His whole face had lit up like a neon bar sign and he appeared positively delighted. "Think about it! You'll be sharing a room with Harry Potter! Breaking bread with the enemy! All the information you could glean from them....." Now he was near manic with exhilaration.
"You want me to be a spy?" Cesare interrupted, incredulous. "Are you MAD?!" Lucius was definitely making a big impact in his son's life, noted Cesare wryly.
The other boy turned to face him, and determinedly lifted his chin. "I thought you would be a little more eager at this opportunity to serve our cause," he coldly snapped.
Cesare actually laughed. "Draco, don't be ridiculous. You want me to go around with a notebook and camera in Gryffindor? Maybe wear a disguise and go incognito, no? For 'our cause?' Don't be so stupid. You sound like your father when you say things like that."
Draco didn't look at all amused. Instead his eyes flashed in anger. "Apparently I was very wrong about you. My...." he drawled, "Less than two hours in Gryffindor and you're already forgetting who you really are. Have fun finding your dorm," he added, his voice dripping with cool sarcasm. And with that, he whirled away in a swish of dark robes.
"Bastard," Cesare muttered, as he watched Malfoy stalk away. First the Sorting Hat lectures him on losing his "true self" and then Draco blasts him for forgetting who he was. Did this school teach magic or self- realization? And he had no idea where to go and the corridors were deserted.
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The Gryffindors were led back to their common rooms and the sixth year boys headed up the tower to their room. The room looked familiar except for the addition of a sixth canopied bed and dresser. Their trunks were at the end of each bed. Neville walked in while the other four were talking about their summers and new classes. He looked at the sixth bed with a moment of confusion before realization dawned on him. His eyes glanced around the room curiously. "Hey, where's Cesare?"
Harry looked up in surprise at Neville's observance. He was so used to it just being the five of them that the thought of the new student hadn't even entered his mind. "I don't know," (and really don't care, Harry thought privately, remembering what had happened when Harry introduced himself to the exchange student.) "Maybe in the common room?"
"It's gonna be kinda strange, y'know, having someone else here," Dean remarked looking pensive.
"Yeah, especially considering how friendly he is," Ron sarcastically added. "He's got the look of a Slytherin, if you ask me."
"Then I better wear my Gryffindor tie all the time, no?"
Ron jumped like he'd eaten a Filibuster firework at the accented voice from behind him. Cesare was fingering the gold and crimson tie lying on top of the unclaimed trunk. No one had even heard him come in. A red flush crept into Ron's face, but he didn't look one bit remorseful. "Sounds like a plan," he muttered and went back to rummaging in his trunk.
An uncomfortable silence filled the room and all five wordlessly changed and got into bed.
Cesare waited until the others were snoring and crept to the window. Damn Draco, he thought for the hundredth time. Cesare had wandered the halls for quite a long time until the idea of asking the paintings for help had occurred to him. Thank God it had, because if had been wandering around a bit longer, he'd have found the SLYTHERIN common room and let Malfoy know exactly what he thought of his twisted plan........
He tried to push the pleasant thoughts of hexing Draco away. Maybe being at Hogwarts would help him figure out his past. He reflected on what he did know about his parents. He didn't know if had been meeting the clerk from the Owl Emporium or simply arriving at Hogwarts, but an insatiable thirst for knowledge about them was coursing through him. He realized how ridiculous it was that a person should know so little about their own family. He knew his mother had been an al-Jalil and attended Anksenum before running off to Britain with his father, who might have had Muggle parents. Now he also knew his father had gone to Hogwart's and may or may not be dead. His mother had worked at the Owl Emporium before she died, when he was about two. Shortly after, his uncle had been declared his guardian. Cesare only knew that his father had been declared unfit, because "his kind weren't trusted," his uncle had said once. Whatever THAT meant.
Cesare stared out at the moon, sprinkling twinkling light across the dewy grounds. It would be full tomorrow. This sent a shiver down his spine. For some reason the nightmares were always the worst at this time of the month. Another cold feeling crept throughout his skin and he started to shake. Damn this English weather. It would have been almost eighty degrees back home. Even hotter in Egypt. With a sigh, he sat back on his bed and laid down, still staring at the silvery moon.
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Cesare woke up early the next morning before the other Gryffindors. He washed and then quietly opened his trunk. Inside were new Hogwarts robes with the Gryffindor crest, along with his tie, he noticed with an amused smile. He got dressed and checked the mirror above his dresser. The bruise was still a sick shade of bluish-black, running across the left side of his face. He took out his wand and pointed it at his face. "Ayutate." The bruise slowly faded into his skin. He examined his skin closely before deciding he was satisfied with his work. It was too bad the spell only worked on faces. He grabbed his books, wand, and other school things before heading down to breakfast.
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After breakfast, the Gryffindor sixth years had Advanced Transfigurations with Professor McGonagall. Cesare arrived last and took the only empty seat, next to Hermione. He pulled his chair as far away as possible from the girl, hoping her bold friendly attitude wouldn't manifest itself towards him today.
"This year is very important." The professor started, "As stated on your classes list, this is an advanced course and an introduction to human transformation. You are all sitting here because you have demonstrated a certain level of skill in this subject and expect you to stay at that level." She eyed them sternly and Neville gulped.
"Many you may remember when we studied Animagi in your third year. This year, if you wish, it is possible to begin researching your ability to be an Animagus. I must emphasis that this task is NOT to be taken lightly. Becoming an Animagus is a long and arduous process. Only certain people are able to do it. Please make an appointment with me if you're interested and we can take steps to discover whether or not you have the ability."
Harry could keep the grin of anticipation off his face. Animagi! McGonagall could sign him right up. He whispered excitedly to Ron, who had an identical look of anticipation on his freckled face. "Excellent," he whispered.
McGonagall turned and waved her wand at the word and started lecturing on turning furniture into chimpanzees. The class began taking notes. Hermione took a sheet of parchment from her desk, bumping Cesare's arm in the process. She noticed his small grimace of pain and looked down at his exposed arm.
"Oh, my gosh," she whispered staring at the finger marks. "What happened?"
"It's nothing," Cesare whispered back furiously. "Mind your own business," he said pulling down the sleeve of his robe.
"Mr. Jalil, perhaps you're volunteering to demonstrate?" McGonagall asked, the irritation obvious in her voice
"Um, ah.." he struggled for words.
"Yes," she forcefully suggested. "Stand up. Let's see if not paying attention will help you turn this armoire into a chimpanzee. Saciosa chimichanga," she said.
Cesare pulled his wand out and waved it at the tall piece of furniture. "SaciOSa chimiCHANga!" he incanted. The cupboard was immediately replaced by a orangy brown hairy ape. It looked around, yelled loudly and leapt up onto McGonagall's desk. The students burst into whispers throwing curious glances at the black-haired newcomer,
"Silence, class!" she shouted, scaring them all out of talking again. "Very good, Mr. Jalil. Surprisingly. The class continued to unsuccessfully try to turn desks, armoires, and beds into chimpanzees until the end of the period, with Hermione occasionally throwing Cesare jealous looks after her chimpanzee was still made of solid wood.
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The first day flew by, along with his Advanced Arithmancy and Charms classes. He was slightly displeased to realize Hermione was in both those classes with him as well. She glowered at him, apparently still smarting from his "mind your own business" remark. Before he knew it, it was night again. Ron and Harry were whispering about something and Cesare heard the word "potions" brought up. He realized with a small jolt that he had that class tomorrow morning with greasy-haired professor who seemed to have taken an immediate disliking to him.
The boys eventually fell asleep, again with exception of Cesare. He went to the window again and stared at the now full moon. He poured himself a glass of water and took a sip. He thought back to McGonagall's class. He'd have to speak to her about trying to become an Animagus. He'd always been interested in doing that. He imagined what sort of an animal he might become. An image suddenly popped into his mind. A sleek black wolf racing through a tall green forest under a dark sky, twinkling with stars. Odd, he thought, he'd never seen a wolf before yet the vision was clear. The forest looked unlike anything he'd have been near in Italy, and certainly not Egypt. He closed his eyes and willed the image to come back to him, the silvery rays of moonlight bouncing off his closed lids.
Suddenly a sharp pain shot through him that nearly drove him to his knees. It was followed by what he could only describe as a painful assault on his senses. Everything seemed louder; he could hear crickets from across the school ground and beyond. And the smells! In an instant he knew what every sleeping boy had eaten for breakfast. His eyes flew open in shock and he could see every detail in the dark room perfectly well, as if it was a bright sunny day. His couldn't take the sounds; he clasped his hands to his ears and stumbled back, dropping the glass. It shattered, yet remarkably, no one woke up. Cesare didn't even notice. The pain was indescribable. His body was still racked with torment as he tried to climb to his feet, pulling himself up on a dresser. He caught sight of his face in the mirror and cried out. His eyes had turned a wild yellow color. Only this time the nearest sleeper woke up at his cry: Harry.
Harry woke up with a start at a strange yell. He looked around blurry-eyed and saw a figure next to his dresser. "Who's there?" he asked and reached for his glasses. He put them on and studied the other student. He gasped at the change in Cesare's eyes and drew back. "Cesare? Wha-what are you doing? Is there--?"
Cesare's hands once again flew to his ears, hearing Harry's voice magnified a hundredth fold. "No, don't say anything!" he gasped, gritting his teeth.
Harry didn't understand what he was talking about and quickly got up. "Are you ill? You want me to get Madam--," he was silenced, when Cesare suddenly darted from the room and down the stairs, unable to deal with Harry's booming voice any longer.
Harry sighed, grabbed his wand, and followed him slowly. He might not be friends with the new student, but if there was something seriously wrong with him, he needed help.
Cesare reached the fireplace and collapsed into an armchair. Calm down, calm down, calm down! He told himself. Slowly his senses returned to normal, leaving a gasping, confused young man behind.
Harry reached the common room and saw Cesare, trembling and staring into the fire. What the hell had happened? "Are you okay? What happened?" he asked. Then he remembered the full moon and for some crazy reason blurted out, "Are you a werewolf?"
Cesare's very wide brown eyes met his, and the feeling that Harry was looking at someone he'd seen before returned. Surprise mingled in with the fear in his gaze. Surprise at the concerned look on Harry's face. The fire lit up the room, sending red, dancing waves of light over the walls and Cesare's features. "No," he started slowly, "I think it's something else."
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Hey, guys I'll post the next chapter soon if anyone is reading this, lol. Please, PLEASE review and tell me your input and if this story is worth keeping up! And thanks to those who did review! I love ya!
