A.N Name pronunciation. You don't need one for DEVLIN, sounds just as it is. I'll give on for the sister though.

Deirdre: DARE-dra or DEER-dra. Pick whichever you like.

Did I spell Slytherin, correct?
I hope I haven't skipped too much time. I am addicted to cliff hangers; forgive me. I have acutely 10 pages written, but page 5 seemed better to end with. Don't hate me, you'll see the next chapter in the morning most likely.

Spring break this week for me, so I suspect I'll either get lots posted, or very few. We'll see if any of my other friends have lives planned this week.


Tell me how you think I portrayed Devlin? I made him eight because of how many years he would have till Hogwars. Nine seemed to old, and seven to young. Tell me what you think.




Molly Morrison: Yeah, I kind of guessed that was why you were asking, I was just making sure you understood. I hope I did a good job on this chapter, seeing as its so important. Thank you.



Ossini: -GASP- HE VANISHED! Thanks for reviewing, I couldn't resist responding to your review that way.



Relative1983: Epps! Did I say a few weeks in that author note? Ah, it will be a bit more. Um, answering your next question, yes he does have all of those memory's. I suppose it would be troublesome. Poor Harry/Devlin. He was 15 in the beginning. Thanks for your review.


Me: Thank you.


Honeyduck: Oh yeah? Read Reunited, then see were I came from. Thank you for the compliment, and your probably fine.


Smile =): Your the first one to call my story wicked, thank you.



Wiccan PussyKat: Glad your happy about the name being revealed. Devlin, yes it is a less used name. It means brave or fierce. I liked the name, really, but it also matched on word in Godric's house. Yes, I wanted to show that he wanted to start fresh.
Godric, yes I kind of Imagine him as a wise, but humorous man. I liked the way he revealed himself also. Ah, don't see that, although; I could have a flash back, if you like. It would be fun to write.
That bird plays a bigger role then Dumbledore's shows, he is weird. And he seems...I don't know. Thank you.



Machewitt : Thank you, and I agree, I have skipped ahead a while.



Bonnie4: Thank you.


Athenakitty: All in due time (soon time).


Silvercrystal77: Thank you, he vanished. I'll be explaining it soon in the story.


Wytil: You called me different, thank you. It is my goal to stand out. Doom and gloom get tiring after a while, and soon do not hold onto there meant to be panic.


Eric2: thank you.


Black Katana: Thank you, hope your eyes didn't start to hurt. Skip, well then, I have granted your wish. Devlin, I just always liked the name. Its from a novel I'm writing.


Gaul1: Thank you.


Cataclysmic: I must be giving you a headache. We'll see what happens. Thank you for your review.


Mikito: Thank you.




ON WITH THE STORY.










The sky was black, and what little light the moon was offering was slowly slipping away. At a wooden outside table, dinner was being prepared, the porch light illuminating only that small portion of the backyard. And off to a bit from adults, a small girl was swinging on a play set.


But these's people are not of our focus; for, in a corner, were it was shadowed by a tree, and were no eyes would have seen anything but a small child's shadow. Devlin sat, perhaps to still for a normal eight year old.



He was well aware of were his parents were, and, of were his sister, Deirdre, was. He had convinced her to stop following him, and now he searched for the small animal she had scared off. It had frightened him that she had gotten so close to it.


For to long he had worried, Devlin had decided a few weeks ago, if he had paid his debts back.


It was nerve racking for him, to think that he was living in peace, when he given nothing for it.
Had he defeated Tom Riddle, or had he left his first home to die? Had he saved her? She had saved him once, had he fulfilled his promise, to save her also? Had he saved the man who had died to save both her and he? Had he saved Cedric, the boy who had died because of his own mistake?


He could not be sure, and if he had not, he could not live with himself.



Devlin would find every ounce of fear he felt, sneak up on him, and eat at his soul with a gnawing sort of hunger, clenching an icy fist around his throat and daring him to scream. But he could not scream, he could not seem depressed either. If this planned were to work, then he needed it to seem an accident.


Slowly, he edged up from his sitting position, and crawled around the tree trunk. He had thought at first that it would come back out if he were still enough, he guessed not. Something hissed near one of his hands, so he moved back a bit.


Down on the ground was a small snake, its beady black eyes staring unmercifully up at him, and its light pink tongue flickering out to smell him.

Something filled him then, bubbling up from a part of his mind he had locked and keyed years ago; Magic. He could feel it wave off the small animal. And, in the darkness of that chamber of his mind, a language leapt to his tongue.


Something must have stopped the animal from biting him, for his wrist was close to its jaw. It was a rare snake; one even Voldemort would save been proud to have at his side. A magical snake, to the whole.


Devlin could recall little of its history, but he seemed to remember it only lived were Magic was strong in the air. Yet it hated crowds.


"Hello, dear friend. I ask a favor." That sensation filled him again, and he found himself hesitating while at the same time wanting to use the language again. He had told himself in second year, that he would be nothing, have no similarities, like Voldemort. That had been broken though, so he had promised himself the next best thing, to be no more then needed, like the man.


It had taken him weeks to get this tiny snake here. There were hardly any snakes in Ireland, so that meant finding Wizards owls. That had been difficult, in itself taking a week, but he had found one.


What he had asked it to do, he was sure, it had never been asked before. Catch a snake from London, and bring it back alive, a magical snake no less. That had taken three days, for the owl had given the job to another. A peregrine falcon, the falcon had been happy enough to fetch the thing for him.


He had even told him to find a snake, in his own words, "that humans are not allowed to handle, a very poisonous one." It had hesitated then, but Devlin had convinced it. Indeed, Devlin was grateful the bird had been so bright.



As he had watched it soar off into the sky, he had suddenly missed his owl, Hedwig. She would have gotten him that snake to, she would not even have hesitated.

Her amber eyes, and snow white feathers had flashed before his eyes, but he had distanced it from his mind by the end of the hour. Perhaps he could see her again, sometime. He had told himself, as he had begun to push his sister on her swing.



The next weeks had passed in worry, a slight angst was always tightening in his chest. He was glade he had chosen to do this over summer, for he was sure he would be failing school if he had not.


Now that the snake was here, all he had to gain was its trust. What I am doing, Devlin thought, will cost me my life if it is done wrong.

It was true, his plan was complex, and counted on mere trust, trust with an animal.


'A talking human, how intriguing.' It whispered, raising its head up slightly. For a moment it lifted into a patch of moon light that was filtering through the trees leaves, and for that second Devlin could see the runes on its scales.

Indeed, he could remember; the runes on its side told its name. If anyone could see one up close that long without being killed.


'I had no clue you humans could speak, you seem so unintelligent.'


 Devlin held his temper, and smiled. Yes, well I am different, it is my talent. I ask a favor, will you trust me? I brought you here, because I am in trouble. I will give you anything you please, if you do what I tell you.'


The tiny tongue flickered, and the beady eyes seemed to study him for a moment. The gift of anything he wanted, of payment, he knew that was the only thing stopping the little critter from running away. How Slytherin.

'You are a Wizard. Very well, I will do your bidding, if you in turn place a spell on me.'


Frowning for moment, Devlin nodded. 'A heating spell, so I can hunt at night. So I will never have to have the sun to live.' Devlin smiled at this, for it was so simple.


How he had begun to even worry, he had no idea. No snake would wish for something that was to big for him to do; even if he didn't have wand.


'I will, now listen closely to me.' The thing bobbed its head. 'I want you to bite me, just enough to get the Auror's here, so they think I am in danger.'


'I will be captured.' It hissed, fire jumping to it's eyes, but Devlin shook his head; quelling that anger.


'I will place a temporary invisibility spell on you, and you can run away. Into the night, and never have to pause.'

Devlin glanced around him, making sure his parents still thought he was reading the book, and that his sister was still on the swing. They were.


'I can smell your truth, I shall, now were?'

 'Were do you often bite, I want it to look real.'
It shook its tail for moment, then answered.

'Your wrist, you almost stepped on me before.'
So Devlin held out his wrist, and it closed its jaw around his flesh.