Felix nodded. "Thought so, I need to find what I'm looking for, but I'll be in touch sir", Felix gave Norman one more scratch before making to leave.
"I played right into their hands, didn't I?" Professor Hudson sounded remorseful and sad.
"Not you, your trauma did, that's the lens from within you see the world, sir. The best thing you can do to defeat them isn't to duel and kill them. No, it is to seek the help that will allow you to move on."
"I don't want to forget Betchy."
"I don't want you to either sir. But speaking from personal experience…you can remember Betchy without reliving her death every single time you do remember her. Without the guilt and the anger and the self-loathing."
Hudson looked at him for a moment before nodding. "I guess I have better undo the edicts, then…"
"Not yet, sir. Don't change anything yet, not your behaviour not the edicts, nothing. If the Governors believe you are of no use to them anymore you will be fired and most likely murdered soon after."
"I ain't that easy to kill…but I get your point. Fine, I'll play along for now. Why are you helping me out, Mr. Burton? I've not exactly been kind to you or your friends."
"Me, sir? You can search my post and past purchases. I did not get Norman for you, sir…but if I may make a hypothesis?" Professor Hudson nodded with an eyeroll and the faintest of smiles. The kind that makes you wonder if you really saw it in the first place. "Whoever is behind this perhaps they tried the stick unifying the studentship against you, the pranks and so on, and now they are offering you a carrot. Or as a saying goes "you can catch more bees with honey than vinegar and sourness", sir."
"I see…I will deny it if asked but…I'm sorry for the grief I've caused you and…"
"Grief sir? I am the son of Cillian Gaunt, descendant of Voldemort and Delphini, half-brother to Azrail and Ernaline Gaunt. You've seen the torment that keeps me up at night. My siblings murdered my best friend and cousin and my mother. You haven't caused me grief, merely some nuisance sir…with all due respect and all that."
"Yeah, I guess your childhood is even more…colourful than mine", Professor Hudson tried to chuckle.
"That's one way of putting it, sir. I'll leave you get better acquainted with Norman", Felix left for his first class of the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts where they learned about stabilization charms, advanced binding charmwork and cursework to produce cohesive results.
Felix stayed behind after class ended, his friends stayed out of curiosity as well.
"Mr. Burton? Our tutoring isn't for a few hours yet…?" Professor Jordan inquired perplexed.
"Yes, sir. I wanted me to face the Boggart again…I think its shapeshift of my fear may have changed."
"By all means…" Professor Jordan motioned the Boggart cupboard with his right hand from behind his desk.
Felix stood in front of it a few paces away and opened its door with a flick of his wand. His friends stood diagonally behind him where they could see without being close enough to influence the Boggart to shapeshift to their fears.
The Boggart came out spinning for a while. "Come on, show me what I fear the most and do not even know it…" Felix muttered under his breath.
A few spins later the Boggart changed to a Θ surrounded by two wings and encased in flames burning bright.
"Azrail's symbol? No, Azrail stole it from the Old Gods…but why would the Old Gods have that for a symbol?" Felix said louder.
"The answer is simple if you allow it to be", Socrates told him serenely.
"An item that is not an item?"
"No, simple. It is a matter of Perception."
"Perception? Redikulus", the fire vanished leaving behind the symbol. "Those aren't wings! We've had it wrong, Azrail has it wrong! Its leaves and upright symbol of eternity, not a Θ!" Felix exclaimed.
"Leaves and eternity, the answer is simple if you allow it to be."
"But that's two and so far, Lethargos and the other two have been all about three of everything", Felix mused.
"Ah, you still do not see the full picture, you limit your understanding for no reason. We will talk again when you stop limiting yourself", Socrates left.
"Well, okay then…"
"I say this with the knowledge I am Felix Burton's Professor and I've seen things, weird things, amazing things, things that have scared me to my very core, but…he takes the cake with ease on unique", Professor Jordan shook his head in disbelief.
"Oh, he is unique alright", Uriel snorted.
"Yeah, but he always has something in mind and usually knows more than he's letting on, so what am I missing? Two leaves and the eternity symbol…is it three because it's two leaves? No, too easy."
"I'd like my classroom back, please. Oh and Felix this Friday you've been exempt from Herbology, it is last day of term before Christmas anyway. We're going to Gringotts and we need to discuss some things with the Headmistress regarding Christmas break as well."
"Yes, sir", Felix nodded and left for the Potions classroom.
"This you not being upset going to Potions is upsetting me, I don't like sudden changes in character", Ethel teased him.
"Why would I be upset? Because a Professor has elected to behave unprofessionally? She understands not she is not causing me any harm she is only digging her own grave and the powers that be have taken notice and are waiting for events to unfold in such a manner that'll allow them to fire her", Felix shrugged carefree.
"Yeah, definitely unsettling, especially you knowing a lot more than we do", Uriel agreed with Ethel.
"There are worse fates in this world", Felix always enjoyed these dialogues with his friends walking down corridors from one class to the next.
A few minutes later they entered the Potions classroom taking their seats as Professor Marvey started her lesson on cheese-based potions.
"Any "improvements", Mr. Burton?"
"No, ma'am none yet", Felix fluttered his eye lashes with a sly grin.
"Aaaand this class is off to a grand start", Emerick whispered containing his laughter.
"Ah, I prefer feta to yellow cheese, less stomach acids after", Socrates added at some point as the lecture continued.
"Yes, thank you for that addition, Mr. Aetomaxos. Five points from Ravenclaw."
"Ma'am? Sorry, do you have a dog? Ever had one?" A Ravenclaw girl interrupted her lecture a few minutes later.
A freight train smashing on to her would have had less of an effect on Professor Marvey than this question did.
She looked pale and angry, the kind of angry one tries to hide because they can't explain the source of the anger, nor do they want to have to explain because they are the ones being wrong.
She took a deep breath to compose herself before answering. "No, Mrs. Payright, I don't own any dogs, why is this important during my lesson?"
"Oh, nothing no reason ma'am. My parents got a crup puppy and mailed me to decide on names, does Betchy sound like a good female crup puppy name?" Confusion and anger swirled around in Professor Marvey's eyes like battling serpents threatening to devour her.
"A weird name for a dog, Mrs. Payright", the innocence displayed in Robin Payright's face made it difficult for Professor Marvey to conclude without a doubt if she was acting on someone's orders or not.
"Should be ok for a loner though, I think?" A Slytherin boy asked.
"Hm? What did you ask me?" Professor Marvey turned her back against the nearest wall she could find, fear adding to the confusion and anger.
"I just said, ma'am that it'd probably be okay for a loner boy."
"I wouldn't know, Mr. Bartysome, I was never a loner or a boy", her eyes scanned the room and each and every single one of them for any sign or clue as to where this was headed.
"What about you, Mr. Burton? Any thoughts to add to the conversation?" She asked with the tone of a lynx ready to pounce at the slightest ounce of increased irritation.
Felix finished writing what he was writing before setting down his quill and looking at her with a neutral face. "In cheese-based potions, must the cheese be added raw or cooked, Professor?"
Their eyes locked. "Raw."
"Thank you, Professor", Felix tried to get back to taking notes.
"And have you anything to add to this conversation?" She insisted. He looked up, this time with resolute eyes.
"I care if I must."
"And must you?"
"Only very recently did I realize just how much, Professor. I loathe bullies who lack empathy. I absolutely do."
"That is unfortunate."
Felix shrugged getting back to his notes.
Professor Marvey tried to get back to her lesson but to no large success as paranoia settled in for the first time since her arrival as a Professor in Hogwarts where every student's raised hand was accusatory and every stare judging her in silence. Things only became worse for her when she not once but twice spilled over her cauldron showcasing how they should prepare cheese-based potions. None of the sixth-year students were able to restraint themselves from laughing out loud.
And with news and rumours spreading across the school of someone having gifted Professor Hudson a puppy and how it had mellowed him, in one fell swoop Felix had turned the tables on Morgana and her Governor friends, digging their graves beneath their feet.
He knew Morgana would try to get back at him, to make his life miserable but he also knew there were not many things she could do if she didn't want to end up in Azkaban.
"Admit it, you can't help yourself you just must declare war on everyone", Uriel teased him.
"Not everyone, just bullies and the unjust", Felix corrected him. "And yes, I absolutely draw a line in the sand with those arseholes."
"If only she knew what you are searching for in regard to her Masters…" Emerick whispered.
"Perhaps she'd kill me and spare Azrail the trouble", Felix joked grimly. "Let's get to Transfiguration, I think you guys will appreciate the subtlety of my strategy to her and the Governors."
He had taken their weapon and turned it against them, and yet they knew not he had.
"You buying that crup for him was a stroke of genius", Ethel exclaimed after the Transfiguration class was finished.
"Me? I have no idea what you are talking about? What proof have you got?" He mocked anger.
That night while his dormmates slept, Felix sat on his bed's edge watching the snow fall outside in its chaotic slow dance towards the ground. Part of him wanted to grab his things and leave without telling anyone where he's going, he could see what was coming his way, the storm that would soon make landfall he knew he was called to weather it but part of him did not want to, or complete his Prophesy, he knew what he had to do for it to be fulfilled and for the first time in his life he did not feel the readiness to accept death.
He had friends, he was having fun and if it wasn't for Azrail he would be looking forward to his adult years.
No, he did not want this storm to make landfall, but inexorably it would.