Paradise Found

Soul Dust

Disclaimer: see before! Darcorn belongs to Saerry Snape from Not Myself. And the magical coral snakes are from Luna the Moonmonster's Amulet of Time, with some changes.

Summary: see before!

Chapter 9: A Life of Lies

Freedom is mine. The earth is still.

I feel the wind. I breathe again.

And the sky clears

The world is waking.

Drink from the pool. How clean the taste.

Never forget the years, the waste.

Nor forgive them

For what they've done.

They are the guilty-everyone.

The day begins...

And now let's see

What this new world

Will do for me!

-'The Libretto' Les Miserablés

A lopsided sign stood on the archway, on it, in an almost illegible spidery scrawl, were the words:

Knockturn Alley.

"Yes, Shiera, this is exactly where we want to be." A soft hiss was heard from underneath a thick dark hood. A tall brooding figure stepped into the dingy cobbled street and glanced around with mild curiosity. The Alley was full of dark corners and sinister shadows, lurking by the shops and windows, waiting for their prey. It was the robe shops which first caught his attention. Here in the dark recesses of a place where the darkest of the darks roam, fashion designs, as it is, are merchandises of such exquisiteness to behold for mere mortal eyes. Perhaps it is to uphold the reputations of pure-blooded families, the aristocrats of this hidden magical society. Yes, this is where Daedalus Caerulé Snape, will acquire his newest attires, things that will be worthy of an ancient family. Eyeing his own hand-me-down jeans and t-shirts with distaste, the boy thought: and these will definitely not do.

A harsh and unmelodic bell twanged as the dark hooded figure stepped into the shop's interior, eyeing the many items with mild curiosity. Poking a head out of the rotting counter was an ancient looking haggish creature, her bloodshot eyes held a mocking quality as they took in his clothing and appearance. Baring her yellow teeth, she smiled in a sinister greeting: "Well hello young man, what brings you to my humble abode?"

"To be fitted with more...fitting attires of an old wizarding family of course." He replied, pointing at his own rags, handing some galleons onto the counter.

Her smile widened at the glinting gold, and motioned him into the back with her gnarling hands.

"Well Sir, you better come this way."

After two hour of boredom, he now has a complete wardrobe of casual and former wear, including some variations of the Hogwarts Uniform itself. The packages were shrunk at his request, and is now tucked safely inside his new coat pocket. In his new attire, Daedalus walked deeper into the lank streets of the dark Alley. After acquiring several rather interesting volumes for himself (which was mostly Dark Arts and Potions and lay shrunk in his various pockets), he turned a corner of the street, and a shop with silver letterings caught his attention as it reflected the last remnants of the rays of the setting sun. It wasn't a big shop, but the décor isn't all blood and gore like the rest of them. However, the thing that caught his attention is the name:

Arx Anguis

"Hmm, Arx Anguis, Snake's Keep. Sounds interesting enough. What do you say we have a look Shiera?" hearing a soft hiss of approval, the hooded figure strode into the shop. It turns out that this is actually a pet shop, for snake supplies. Turning to the shop keeper, he said politely: "Good morning sir, I was wondering if you can have a look over my snake. You know, check for injuries and that kind."

The small man turned a beady black eye to this figure in front of him, and the snake draped comfortably around his neck. His eyes widened and bulged as he recognised the breed of that particular snake.

"Bloody Merlin's drawers! Tha' a magical coral snake tha'! Where the 'ell didya ge' summa' li' tha' aye!? Their suppos'a bloo'y wortha woarld! Na te saey mistrus'ful as 'ell!"

"Yes, I am aware of her breeding. And where I acquired her will be my own business Mr..." glancing at the bulging man's chest, he read off a little plaque and continued in his most dangerous and no-nonsense voice: "Mr Stolkin. And I really don't think Merlin will be pleased to hear you talking about his undergarments. Meanwhile I would like you to check Shiera for any sign of injuries whilst I have a look around your shop." After hissing to Shiera, his snake to inform her of the coming events, he left her in the cares of a gob smacked and stuttering shopkeeper.

"Y-Y-Yeah," gulping, the man spluttered, quailing under his cold piercing gaze. "O' c-c-course y'un sir, 'mediately s-s-sir." Taking the black cobra carefully into his hands, he started to examine the gleaming scales.

Wandering around the shop, Daedalus found a leather holster which magically adjusts to the size of the snake so that it can travel securely and comfortably in broom/floo travel, or apparating. Inspecting the various other corners of the dingy shop, he bought a few other rather...interesting accessories.

"S-S-Sir? Er...Ah-Ah'm finished y-y-y'un' Sir." Stammered the pathetic little man.

"Very well, I wish to purchase these items, and this is the reward for your service." Handing over the desired items and a handful of galleons, Daedalus was about to turn and leave the shop when the little man asked him another thing, oh the nerve!

"Er Sir, d-d-d'ya...ah...w-w-wanna buy a g-g-gui' of 'ow te care f-f-for 'em snakes?"

One glare set the man gulping of course.

"Mr Stolkin, I am perfectly capable of communicating with my snake. Therefore do you really think that the so-called advise of some pompous humans would know better than the snake itself?" smirking widely at the man's silence ("truly pathetic he is, a disgrace to the human kind" hissed the snake), he finished with a nod of his head. "Thought not. Good day, Mr Stolkin."

With a liquid swirl of his newly acquired robes, the teen was out of the shop, and he thought he caught the sound of a body hitting the floor. This only brought an amused smirk to his pale complexions, but is soon wiped off as he saw a familiar person searching the dark ways of the Alley coming towards him from the distance.

Dear Gods, Remus is looking for him! But...so soon?

Thanking the Gods for his new perfect eyesight, he pulled the folded materials of a silvery cloak out of his pocket, and threw it around him. He even had to crouch slightly, for his new body was considerably taller than the scrawny and under-grown boy that was Harry Potter. The werewolf came hurtling down the street, only to stop in front of a blank wall and cast an unfamiliar spell. Immediately the wall turned into a live map of the whole area, the centre being a small black dot, labelled most revealingly as Daedalus Caerulé Snape.

Holy shit.

Clambering up the nearest tree and hiding between the branches, Daedalus clutched his f...James' invisibility cloak tighter about him whilst wondering if James ever knew. Below him, Remus Lupin was gazing into the crooks and corners of the street, sniffing all the time. After what felt like an eternity of useless searching, the werewolf finally stopped, looking around him hopelessly. For even his werewolf senses of smell has failed him-a work of Daedalus' new attires which were woven with numerous obscure protection spells, and they work, seemingly.

"Harry, I know you're out there, the spell doesn't lie." The werewolf spoke into the air around him, his voice laced with sadness. "But know this, your father truly wants you back, and your sister too." Galloping Gargoyles, I have a sister!? "The headmaster is with them now, sorting out legalities. Severus really wanted to come, instead of me, but for fear of his safety, we didn't dare. Please Harry, come home to us."

And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving one Harry Potter, or Daedalus Snape, with his swirling maelstrom of thoughts.

Softly he murmured to himself, not knowing that Remus' sharp werewolf's ears heard every word he spoke.

"Did you know Remus? Did father know? Or James? Or the great Albus Dumbledore?"

Out in the next Alley, the footsteps of the man ceased at the bitter words.

"Or was it just another truth I was denied, hidden amongst countless others to wait till I'm older?" a soft sigh. "How long will you wait? Don't you know with how much pain it was accompanied by at discovering each hidden secret? Don't you understand what this is like for me? My Life was just another Lie..." the voice has dropped to barely a whisper, and Remus strained to hear it even with his superhuman sense of hearing.

"...and the reason for another innocent man to die..."

His blood stilled at these whispered words, seeing the pain and an almost childish innocence behind them. Without thinking, he whispered to himself: "No, we didn't know Harry. And we didn't understand."

Vestiges of wind lifted a corner of a silvery substance. Bright emerald green eyes shone with glittering unshed tears. A street apart, Remus thought he caught a whisper in the breeze, or perhaps it was merely the rustling of leaves.

"Do not fear, I shall return when I'm ready to face the unknown."

And in the remote parts of the Scotland, a father kissed his daughter goodnight, and blown out the flickering candles, a loving smile graced his lips.

tbc

Soul-Dust

A/N: I've started to put a little verse or two at the beginning of the chapter which closely relates to what this chapter will be about, like this one, its all about Harry having a new 'freedom' at gaining a new identity, it is also a new world. He will forget the past years, and how others have wronged him: 'they are the guilty-everyone'. I just loves doing this cos I love poetry and song lyrics. Most of them are from a musical I particularly like: Les Miserablés!

Asha Ice: A Darcorn is like a unicorn but black, they're rumoured to be dark creatures but not really. Go read Saerry Snape's Not Myself, I borrowed the creature from her fic!!

A Reader: Yeah, aint he cute? I love cute Snape fics.

Thanks for your supports and patience!

Cha! ;-)

Soul-Dust