Chapter 21
"Ah, Shadow. Lemon drop?"
Harry chuckled lightly. "No, Albus. A cup of tea would be nice, a little sugar and milk."
Albus immediately summoned such a drink for the weary Vulcan. "Eventful Jump?"
"Yes. Quite. Seems things are finally falling into perspective for me." Emerald eyes widened as a small black owl suddenly swooped inside. "Ah, yes. Sorry."
Albus shrugged. "The Ministry has no power over you, my boy." Albus had forgotten that the Vulcan's Time Jumps interfered with the wards surrounding the school. And the Ministry kept demanding an answer as to why.
Harry shrugged as he stretched, much like a purring cat. Just before he slipped out ofthe office, a large chessboard caught his attention. Peering closely, he moved a pawn, "Checkmate, I believe."
Albus dropped his tea cup as the Vulcan silently slip out of his office. Fawkes gave a startled trill as the hot liquid splashed at him. Blue eyes stared at the board, "Well, that was interesting." He had been playing this game for weeks. A very close friend would owl him with every move. And it seemed Shadow had allowed his recently departed friend to escape the trap Albus had set just before her, his first beloved's, death. "Most interesting indeed." No one had known about this chessboard, no one. He had warded it carefully. It seemed there was more to the Vulcan than he believed, "Yes, most interesting indeed."
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"Professor?"
Harry twirled to find Head Girl Lily Evans waiting for him at his office. He had completely forgotten that Lily wasn't ready to be deterred in the quest for answers. But also didn't realize he had been that deep in thought. On his way to his office, Harry's mind had wandered over his possible return to his own time. So deep in thought and excitement at the possibility of seeing not only his siblings but his Godfather, Sirius Black, he had entered his office without a care to his surroundings. And he could almost hear King Jupiter raging at his lack of attention to his surroundings, no matter how deeply he had withdrawn into his memories. "Ah, yes. Forgive me, Miss Evans. I had forgotten. Come to me tomorrow. After lunch."
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Lily hadn't forgotten that next day. As a matter of fact, she made sure to visit the House-elves in the kitchen for a picnic lunch, determined to wait him out and making sure he could find any other excuse to delay the much needed conversation. Then she hurried to the Professor's office, politely asking the guardian if she could enter since she had been told to return.
And there she would wait, nibbling on her lunch as she ran over what to say and ask him. Waiting as he had already been detained in the Hogwarts Library.
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"Will you three stop! We need to finish this tonight!"
Frowning, Harry stealthily glided towards the voice, waiting, for what he wasn't sure. But the rising tones were ruining his concentration upon finding new material to surprise his students. "We won't! He's a filthy Slytherin who's just waiting to follow his Master's orders!"
"You don't know that, Sirius!"
Another snorted, "Already a Death Eater, and left in school. He could poison us all, and you know it!"
"Leave him alone!"
"He's got you under a spell doesn't he? Why not? Can't possibly get a girl with those greasy looks."
"Leave him alone!"
Harry had had enough. "Quiet!" His eyes blazed before he realized that he had dropped his permanent glamour. Every time he was angered, it was hard to keep the glamour in place.
"Professor!" The boys were shocked to see a fanged Vulcan. But one seemed gleeful.
"I was right! You're not human!"
Swiftly, Harry warded the small area. He even cast a spell to cause anyone in the library to suddenly forget all about any shouting they had just heard, not willing to air out any of his hidden secrets to everyone. "I am human. I am what is called a Dark Predator, a feline-humanoid."
Sirius snorted, "There's no such thing."
Blazing emerald eyes made the young man suddenly wish he wasn't there. "I assure you, Mr. Black. We are quite real. Now, sit!" The four boys had no problems with obeying. Neither one wanted to anger their Professor further, not when they had no clue what a Dark Predator was nor what they were capable of.
"Very good." But he paused, seeing a very scared Slytherin among the four. Hmmm, seems someone was eager to delay a possible get together. With a single glance to the scattered textbooks, Harry decided to dismiss the young man from a possibly uncomfortable situation, knowing quite well Remus would clean up. "Ah, Mr. Snape, good. I was just looking for you." I guess it is easier to lie to Snape once I'm older. Than again he is my student this time. Nothing wrong with a tiny white lie, "I'm sure Mr. Lupin will fill you in later as the Headmaster requests your presence in his office."
"Yes, Sir."
"The password is still the same. He mentioned revisiting a failed solution to a problem you had."
Three faces lost every bit of color and Severus grew tense. He had already tried to put that certain problem from Fifth Year behind him, especially since his relationship with Remus was doing so well. "Th-thank you." And he fled the library without a backward glance.
"And you three, what happened to friendship and talking over problems? Not that shouting isn't good. Done it myself a few times with my friends."
"It's nothing."
"Nothing, Mr. Lupin? That sounded like something."
Quietly, Remus spoke, not wanting to get into further trouble but knew Madame Pince would be arriving after the Professor left, "They were accusing Severus of poisoning the school."
Harry held up a hand to stop the other two boys from adding their opinions. "Not that I don't care, boys. But I must stress something. To accuse someone of being a Death Eater is to end their life before it can start."
"What? But he's only a Slytherin!"
Emerald eyes glittered dangerously, "Young Severus is dependent upon your not knowing. He doesn't need you shouting that he is a Death Eater. To be a Death Eater is to risk..."
James smirked, "I told you, Remy. He's a filthy Death Eater."
"Fifty points from Gryffindor for accusing a fellow student without proof, Mr. Potter."
"But...but.." His father looked quite confused and stunned. Even his Godfather.
"You did not let me finish. As I was saying to be a Death Eater is to risk imprisonment. But being a spy among Death Eaters is even riskier. Young Severus made a mistake. He had to want to be a Death Eater, for Voldemort can detect lies among his faithful." They swallowed nervously. Only a powerful wizard could easily detect lies without using some type of spell or potion. "All he has to do is capture your eyes and rape your mind," they shuddered in revulsion. "And that is what Severus is risking. Risking his life to bring about the downfall of a very powerful Dark wizard by entering a snake's den and revealing its secrets to another. I would hope that in the future, you will be careful of what you accuse others."
Sirius and James suddenly understood. Especially Sirius. He had come from a family line of Dark wizards and witches. And he turned his back on them. He refused to serve or even support the Dark Lord. For that, he had been disowned and marked for death by his own family, his own blood. And several attempts were almost successful if his friends, as well as the Headmaster, hadn't interfere.
"Do not force your Headmaster to lose such a valuable source."
"But, we're Gryffindors! And he's always trying to recruit people, even Remy!"
"Rivalries are just that, rivalries. But just don't go to extremes. Such as a Fifth Year incident."
"How?"
"I do not betray those of my confidence, Mr. Lupin." Harry's entire being became cold as ice, almost as frozen as one, "I do hope you aren't asking me to breach such a Debt."
"N-no." Remus fell quiet for only a moment, "How did you become a Vulcan?"
"Assassin Vulcan," was the immediate correction. "I was chosen. I was trained by those who chose me. I trained in the Arts of physical, magical, and mental combat. I learned to cause the least amout of damage in the most fatal ways."
Eyes wide, "And the Dark Predator?"
"In Muggle history there are Predators and Preys, such is believed in the Magical world. Like wolves, my animal side relishes the taste of fresh meat, the joy of a bloodthirsty hunt, and the need to be free, in control. I have the abilities, the senses, of a predatorial feline. And because I am an Assassin Vulcan, I have more control over the beast in me, but even all the magic in the world can't keep such a creature trapped. A cornered animal will fight to the death to be free. And in such a way, I must find ways to appease the creature in me, should I wish to keep the control."