Kerwin sat demurely on Draco's bed. MacMurrough and Ashbourne had gone with Mr. Sullivan to buy some new dress robes in preparation for the Death Eater meeting which would ensue that evening. Kerwin watched as Draco pulled out a set of exquisite robes patterned with snakes around the hem and cuffs. There were also two serpents sewn in silver on each side of two silver buckles, which went down the middle of the collar area. Each snake comprised one ruby eye which faced the one opposite; they had elaborate scale configurations, and covered the whole chest area. The back was also embellished, but contained only one cold-blooded reptile, and it stared outward with two ruby eyes. The snake on the back had the same extensive designs as the ones on the front. There was a cloak too, but this had the Malfoy family crest on it; the motto read:
---If You Are Strong, You Live; If You Are Weak, You Die---
"Nice, dunna ye think yer over doin' it wit' the snake motif? I like the motto, though, short an' t' the point." Kerwin acknowledged a bit warily.
"Well, we are quite blunt and forward, no use skirting around the issue. As for the snake thing; Father did it to impress the Master. I have another set of dress robes, family apparel. If I wore them, though, father would surely suffer an apoplectic fit and disown me outright for the humiliation." Draco explained as he hung the garment on the hook of his walk-in closet door. The blonde continued, his voice muffled by clothing infested space. "I know your father doesn't think much of you and he didn't take you shopping for dress robes. Well, I guess what I mean is, would you like to borrow one of my old dress robes? Not the family ones, just some regular ones?" Draco asked haltingly with his back still turned to Kerwin. It was clear that Draco was unused to having something close to a friend, or maybe it was the sharing bit.
"I would appreciate tha' very much." Kerwin accepted firmly. The only dress robes he had were from long ago and would surely draw undue attention to himself if he wore them.
x
Draco disappeared farther into the closet and emerged seconds later holding a plain black set of dress robes which were devoid of any designs.
"They're not much to look at, but they will do, I suppose." Draco handed them to Kerwin as he spoke offhandedly.
"Na, they're perfect, I dunna think it e'en matters, I'll be wearin' a cloak o'er it anywhey." Kerwin held the robes up to his clothed body. "These are just me size too!"
"They're pretty old, from a few years ago." Draco said by way of explanation.
"Tha's fine, it woulda been worse if they were new, then they'd be far t' long." Kerwin smiled slightly behind his cloak. He limped over to the mirror that hung on the inside of Draco's closet and looked into it while holding the dress robes in front of him.
"Take off that obscuring rag! You look like a hoodlum!" the mirror cried in an appalled screech. Kerwin ignored the mirror, to which he heard it mutter about barbarian children, and turned to Draco, "This'll do fine."
Kerwin entered the sitting room clothed in Draco's old dress robes and the best cloak he owned. MacMurrough and Ashbourne were already there bedecked in their pristine new clothes. They resembled each other and their garments had a similar pattern of snakes following Draco's, except theirs were nowhere near as decorative or expensive. Mr. Sullivan glared down at Kerwin for his untimely entrance and raised an eyebrow at his attire. Kerwin awaited the questions that would surely come, and closed his eyes under his hood. Silence reigned. Kerwin reopened his eyes to notice the Malfoys were present and both Lucius and Rossier wore black robes and bone white masks. It didn't take long for the meeting to get underway as the Death Eaters arrived in waves and soon the manor was brimming with Voldemort followers. The only person who seemed to be missing was the guest of honor, one Voldemort to be precise.
-------
It was approaching dark; the other Death Eaters were assembling themselves in a fashion to greet their Master and conversing in low voices. It was almost to the point where Kerwin could distinctly hear several Death Eaters murmuring their uncertainty when there was a large sound like an explosion. All present turned to the door where an immensely tall, dark clad figure, undoubtedly the Master, stood.
"My Lord, I humbly welcome you to my home and entrust..." Lucius began in a silken voice but Voldemort stopped him in mid-sentence with a flick of the wrist.
"Silence." Voldemort hissed angrily.
"Is there something amiss, My Lord?" questioned one of the few female Death Eaters with simpering concern.
"Of course not, it is only that my idiotic servant was found by the ministry and that bastard, Sirius Black, is free from all charges against him. Then there's the fact that it will be twice as difficult to kill that foul Potter with that overgrown, overprotective bastard working at Hogwarts as a teacher. Problem? WHAT PROBLEM!" Voldemort ended his tirade in a scream and the woman visibly quailed under the bloody stare.
"Surely, My Lord, there is a way to get him before the school term starts?" Mr. Malfoy suggested unflinchingly.
"No, I can't! That bumbling old fool, Dumbledore, has put a protection over the house, and that prat, Potter, and his bloody scar act as a warning. One little sting and he'll have the ministry's Aurors swarming his muggle place." Voldemort explained in a deadly voice almost devoid of any emotion as if explaining to a dull witted toddler the fundamentals of walking.
"I apologize for my ignorance, M'Lord." Lucius whispered firmly showing none of his fear as he bowed and bared the fragile nape of his neck.
"Be sure it doesn't happen again. What have we here?" Voldemort just caught sight of the four boys backed against the wall.
"My Lord, I'm sure you recall my son Draco. The three other boys are Rossier's sons." Lucius explained quickly.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure they will all be wonderful additions to my supporters, their parents being who they are." Voldemort waved his hand negligently. Lucius and Rossier positively preened at the compliment given them by their master.
x
MacMurrough huffed angrily as Voldemort walked away to convene with his henchmen.
"Did you see that, he just dismissed us like, like..."
"Like you were children?" a boy who just walked up to them offered deadpan. "That's all we are to him...that is...until we prove ourselves men. We won't be regarded with any importance until we are Death Eaters ourselves and confirm our loyalty to him." the boy then shrugged. Kerwin looked to the new boy and smiled, though no one could see.
"So, Voldemort called in yer folks too did he, Derek?"
"What, you know him?" Draco asked suspiciously, eyeing the new boy. He stood five foot three inches with a frame complimentary to his place as a beater on the Qudditch pitch. He had short black hair (military style), hazel eyes, and tanned skin indicating the amount of time he spent outdoors. His robes were a dark blue color with silver lining that clearly went against all protocol in a Death Eater meeting. On the back of his robes was a large snake impaled on a sword. This was clearly a demonstration of his rebellious teenage phase in the eyes of Voldemort.
"I attended Debarach de Domine with Kerwin and his brothers. I'm Derek Owynn." Derek replied shortly as he held out a hand to Draco.
"Will you be going to Hogwarts this September as well?" Draco cocked his head as he studied the unknown boy without acknowledging the proffered hand. The relatively short boy lowered his hand in an apathetic manner at Draco's social slight.
"Yeah, I'm sort of barred against attending Debarach de Domine after a slight incident involving some bludgers and my bat," Derek crossed his arms and leaned casually against the wall, "I put a seeker in the hospital…indefinitely. Of course, they would never give that reason to Dumbledore; I'm officially attending Hogwarts per my parents' request." Derek explained cryptically.
"Well, we might as well go to our rooms; they'll discuss their plans and such until late. Then Voldemort will apparate out and the others will leave likewise." Draco suddenly suggested looking around at the now empty room.
"I will prove myself to him. After next year I'll be able to join his Death Eaters and show him." MacMurrough growled confidently, clearly with his mind else where, and stalked off. Ashbourne followed his brother wistfully without saying anything. Draco turned to Kerwin and Derek with a very jaded look.
"You want to go play some Exploding Snap?"
"Sure, beats standing around." Derek agreed and the three boys made their way by mutual consent to Draco's room.
-------
"What house do you think you'll be in?" Draco looked up from the stack of cards they were building on while asking the idle question.
"To tell ye the truth, I'll probably be in Slytherin." Kerwin answered from across Draco on the large expanse of silken sheets, the fluffy comforter having been turned down for convenience to play the game. While reclining on his side facing Draco, Kerwin's hand hovered momentarily above the tower of cards before he set his selection onto it.
"I thought you said you weren't going to be in Slytherin." Draco shoved the cards, which had just exploded, off the bed in order for him to lie down while they talked.
"I dunna really want t' go in Slytherin, but I think I may 'ave the most traits in common with tha' 'ouse." Kerwin could not meet Draco's eye as he told only the half-truth.
"Why don't you want to be in Slytherin, aside from being away from your oaf of a brother, that is? Don't tell me you believe all that shite about all Slytherin's being evil." Draco's lips curled into a sneer and his eyes flashed with contemptuous anger.
"Na, me reasons're far more personal then tha'." Kerwin assured his friend as he surveyed Draco lying comfortably with his hands stacked behind his head. The silver blond strands of Draco's hair fanned out beneath him and glinted in the bright magical lighting from above. Draco seemed to accept Kerwin's answer and merely shrugged, crossing his legs which were stretched before him as he did so.
"Well, if you do get in Slytherin, at least you'll be with me, right? How about you, Derek?"
"I don't care, really. Anything but Hufflepuff; I'm not really the empathetic type." Derek wasn't on the bed with the two smaller boys but rather leaned with his arms crossed over his chest against the bedpost nearest the two.
"Sure, we'll all be co-conspirators." Kerwin suggested with an impish smile of mischief.
"We can pull pranks on Potty and his side kicks." Draco sounded hopeful. Kerwin frowned and eyed Draco narrowly.
"So, ye really dunna like 'arry Potter?"
"Who, the Boy-Who-Wouldn't-Bloody-Well-Die? Of course I don't like him. He's a complete prick who always gets away with breaking rules and fooling around. Perfect Potter, always saving the world, always being everyone's friend who isn't in Slytherin, always getting the snitch; everyone caters to his every whim. He's everyone's golden boy. Not to mention his two lapdogs Weasel and the mudblood. The hot tempered red head and the bookworm are a complete pain in my arse." Draco effused passionately.
"Draco, I honestly dunna see 'ow bein' good at things, bein' loyal, an' bein' smart are strikes against someone."
"They are when my father expects me to beat Potter in Qudditch and to be the number one student in school!" Draco's eyes flamed with anger though there resided in their grey depths a startling pain. Therein lay the reason for Draco's hatred. Lucius Malfoy was a born aristocrat, twice as vicious as the muggle variety because he lived with the notion that pure-bloods were inherently better than muggles, not only in breeding but everything else. If Draco could not defeat a half-blood in Quidditch nor surpass a muggle-born in magical studies—subjects which are endemic to and a derivation from wizards—than Lucius would no doubt hold Draco responsible. Lucius would feel Draco had not put forth enough effort, a correlation soon drawn to laziness; the consequences of such must have been harsh.
x
Kerwin dropped the subject after that and the three talked about their previous years of schooling. Potter and his friends cropped up quite a bit in Draco's recounts and always seemed to rob him of something, from simple pleasure, to the House Cup in first year. Kerwin gained great insight about the teachers and the students of Hogwarts. He actually looked forward to seeing his new school and attending classes.
---Next day---
Kerwin and Draco sat at the table eating their poached eggs and toast after their usual bout of dueling with their fathers.
"Father, may I take Kerwin with me to buy my school supplies? His brothers bought theirs yesterday while shopping for their new robes." Draco kept his voice respectful with a sever lack of anticipation or excitement. Lucius regarded his pale son for a moment before returning his gaze to his own plate.
"If Rossier approves then your request is granted. Though, I warn you that they are leaving this evening, so do not dawdle." Lucius informed firmly.
"Do we have your permission, Mr. Sullivan?"
"Well, I suppose." Mr. Sullivan sighed in annoyance. Just then the sound of a loud yawn punctuated the dining room as MacMurrough sauntered in. Lucius' expression turned to one of slight disgust at such a blatant lack of manners. Rossier missed his host's displeasure as he bid his eldest son a good morning.
"Thank ye, sir, an' Mr. Malfoy." Kerwin murmured politely and nodded to the two men who paid little to no attention to him. Kerwin and Draco quickly finished their meals and headed out of the dining area to the sitting room. There they each grabbed some floo powder and took turns jumping in the fire and shouting out their destination.
"Diagon Alley!"
-------
The two boys landed in the Leaky Cauldron and stood up brushing soot from their cloaks. Tom, the barkeeper, glanced up and gave a salutary nod in their direction. The other patrons ignored the two boys, after an initial glance, in favor of their drinks. The dingy air smelled of alcohol, smoke, and perfume. Draco ignored everyone likewise and quickly led the way to the back of the pub where he opened the doorway to Diagon Alley.
"Do you have your book list?"
"Aye, we received ours when we were transferred." Kerwin said pulling his list out of his pocket.
Fourth-Year students will require:
1) The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4 by Miranda Goshawk,
2) The Theory of Transfiguration by Feodor Hyde,
3) Exotic Plants and How to Care for Them by Leefseed Strange,
4) Dangerous Beasts You Would Run From by Stuart Little,
5) Ancient Untranslatable Runes by Greg Goobledegook,
6) Precise Potions for the Anal by Agnus Perfectus,
7) Dual Dueling: Muggles vs. Wizards by Quinn Blade,
"We need to stop at Gringotts first to acquire our funds; do you have a key?" Draco looked dubiously at Kerwin.
"I dunna need a key t' get inta me vault; it 'as a special lock tha' on'y I can open." Kerwin looked around at the various stores and barely caught Draco's suggestion that he buy some new robes while they were here.
-------
The two boys soon reached a tall, snowy white building with burnished bronze doors that were guarded by a goblin dressed in a scarlet and gold uniform. Draco and Kerwin walked through those doors and the silver ones following. As they stood at a long counter waiting for a goblin to check over Draco's note from his father, for access to his vault, Draco spotted a group of three standing at a desk a little ways away from them. Draco let out a sniff.
"That damn Potter and his friends." Draco sneered.
"Who, those three people down there?" Kerwin looked to said people who were conversing energetically and laughing.
"Who else?" Draco snatched the proffered key the goblin held out to him and moved away so Kerwin could tell the goblin his vault number.
"Vault number 666." Kerwin stated calmly. The goblin who had been writing in a ledger looked up immediately, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. A moment of the fixed gaze passed before the goblin ordered someone over to take them to their vaults.
"Please pardon us, but we are understaffed today, you'll have to ride with another group." the goblin commented bluntly. Kerwin shrugged, but Draco, upon seeing just who they had to ride with, opened his mouth to protest and likely bring his father's name into it. Kerwin prudently elbowed Draco in the side as Harry Potter and Ron Weasley approached them.
-------
"Not Malfoy!" were the first words out of Ron's mouth. Draco merely looked furious but kept his silence, instilled in him was the idea to completely ignore them both.
"What? No need to condescend and speak to us, Malfoy?" Draco looked tempted to comment on Ron's ability to use a three syllable word, but remained silent.
"Shut up, Ron." Harry grated out looking slightly embarrassed.
"Harry!" Ron looked flabbergasted, but Harry was too busy looking at Kerwin, who stood beside Draco, to notice. Ron realized Harry's object of scrutiny and immediately opened his big mouth.
"Who's this, Malfoy? One of your Death Eater buddies? He sure looks the part." Kerwin was actually surprised when Draco started forward as if to hex the red-head. Quickly he grabbed Draco's arm to prevent Draco from hurting Ron and noticed Harry do likewise with Ron.
"Me name is Kerwin Sullivan; I will be attendin' 'ogwarts as a transfer student. I would appreciate courtesy from ye an' I apologize if me attire causes ye discomfort." Kerwin spoke quietly, barely above a whisper, in a polite voice. "An', I do believe we've suffered this good sir long enough t' wait." Kerwin added with a motion to the annoyed goblin.
--------
The boys were silent as they climbed into the cart. Ron looked sullen, Harry looked relieved, Draco looked superior, and Kerwin simply didn't care enough to display any expression as it couldn't be seen anyway. The cart rolled at an alarming speed down the winding tunnels. They reached Weasley's vault first, Ron blushed scarlet in embarrassment at the pitiable amount of coins in his family's vault, he quickly snatched up the small sum he needed for his supplies and exited. Next was Harry's vault which had considerably more than Weasley's. Draco wore a superior expression when his vault was opened and the green smoke cleared to reveal his family's astounding riches.
"I don't know, how much should I take? After all, we will be going to Hogsmead a few times, I'll need some spending money. How about thirty Galleons, forty Sickles, and fifty Knuts? Sound sufficient enough?" Draco asked in a drawling tone to Kerwin.
"Stop bein' an arse Draco an' get yer money." Kerwin whispered so only Draco could hear. Draco smirked at Ron as he scooped his money into a hand bag and returned to the cart. Ron looked furious and understandably ashamed of his poverty. Kerwin felt compelled to apologize on behalf of Draco but knew Ron would take it the wrong way and be more offended.
--------
After a long cart ride, and the darkening of the atmosphere to enhance the idea that they were deeper under ground, they reached Kerwin's vault.
"Vault six-hundred and sixty-six, all other persons remain in the cart for your own safety." the goblin ordered and nodded to Kerwin. Kerwin exited the cart and walked up to the pitch black door of his vault. Bending down, Kerwin removed a ceremonial knife from a sheath in the leg of his left boot. Using the knife, Kerwin cut the palm of his left hand and laid it against the door while whispering under his breath.
"Draiodoir, manim asthee hu¹." The door that Kerwin's hand laid against opened to reveal yet another door. This time Kerwin simply whispered under his breath, "Open." The door seemed to melt away and the vault was open for all to see. Ron gasped audibly and Harry simply gawked. Draco was surprised, to say the least, but he was guarded enough not to show it. The vault was made of three rooms; a main room with two leading off to the sides. In the main room was a large pile of Galleons, chests of gems, books, and other wizard-ware. The two rooms leading off right and left held Sickles and Knuts respectively. Kerwin stepped in and the three boys remaining in the cart were astonished to see Kerwin's hand heal instantly after crossing the threshold. Kerwin filled his money bag, and then he grabbed a bag already in the vault and put some books from one of the chests in it. The bag was obviously spelled to hold more, and be feather light, from the number of books Kerwin put in it and the ease with which he carried it. Kerwin then left the vault and muttered, "Close."
Oddly enough, Harry thought he heard the hissing sound of a snake, but couldn't make out what it said.
TBC
¹ Gaelic: Magician, my soul is within you.