Three weeks later the school still buzzed at Slytherin's crushing defeat to Hufflepuff, students shaking Felix's hand or congratulating him on the victory whereas Lisa tried very hard to be invisible, not wanting to be seen or talked to, still very much in shock and denial over what, exactly, had happened.
Felix walked in the Potions Classroom, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. The classroom had been repurposed for the afternoon, with an area in the center made void of all workbenches and desks with a solitary chair attached to the floor. Very much as the Accusation chair in the Wizengamot Chamber in the New Ministry would be, made out of a dark foreboding wood.
Professors Horsewood, Hudson and Jordan stood behind three Aurors, looking gloom and certainly not happy about what they had been ordered to let happen.
"Please, take a seat and give us your wand", one of the Aurors, a short middle-aged man with a nasty scar on the left side of his face, piercing amber eyes and short balding crimson hair told him. "It'll be given back to you after the examination."
Felix gave one of the other two Aurors, a woman in her forties with long black hair and vacant blue eyes and sat in the chair.
The third Auror, a younger-looking woman with shoulder-length brown hair, pressed an open vial on his lips. "Drink", she ordered him tapping once at the chair with her wand and wooden tendrils jumped out of the chair's handles tying Felix to it, hands, and legs
"Crude", Felix opened his mouth without any indication he intended to help her have him drink the contents.
She tilted the vial closing his mouth with her free hand. He swallowed.
Ten seconds later the first Auror stood in front of him.. "Who is your father, Mr. Burton?"
"Asshole Cillian", Felix replied, his pupils dilating. The Auror coughed, having not expected Felix's reply. Professor Jordan did a very good job at restraining a chuckle, discussing it as a cough.
"Who is your best friend?"
"Charles Blake", Felix replied.
"He is dead, who is it, now?" Patience was certainly not one of this Auror's personality trait as he gave a sharp, irritated sigh. The older woman was re-examining Felix's wand as the younger one was observing emotionless, Legilimencing Felix and pulling memories to be examined later in the Pensieve.
"Death is but a physical change, his friendship dies when I do", Felix replied, further annoying the Auror.
"Poetic, who is your girlfriend presently?"
"Claudia Russo."
"Did you try to murder her using the Killing Curse?"
"Yes."
"Were you coerced in any way or was it a willing, knowing decision?"
"I couldn't control what I was doing, I kept trying to resist the bliss and the voice commanding me to hurt people, to find Claudia and kill her."
"Whose voice?"
Felix's eyelashes fluttered rapidly for a blink of a moment. "I do not know, wasn't clear."
"Where are the obj…" Professor Horsewood interjected with speed. "That'll be all for this student, you are not permitted to ask any questions not pertaining to this incident", she said with a tone of finality that even the Aurors knew best not to question.
The man looked at the third Auror who gave Felix a second potion.
"Well, that was an…interesting experience, if I might say so myself", Felix said rubbing his forehead.
The man tapped his wand at the chair releasing his hands before the Auroress gave him back his wand. "Interesting wand you have there", she mentioned with a look of wanting to keep the wand for herself.
"Yes, it is. May I leave?" Felix said hiding the wand up his sleeve.
Felix pivoted around and exited the classroom. "Next student", the man said in a loud voice. A first year Ravenclaw entered, scared out of its wits, and twirling his thumbs together.
Felix headed to the library where he spent the day revising and studying transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts and Alchemy until it was time for dinner.
He sat at the Hufflepuff table, amidst cheers from several Hufflepuff students already eating and chatting.
Claudia sat next to him with a face of tiredness.
"Is it still going on?" Felix asked, serving himself some spinach and bacon Quiche.
"Finished about ten minutes ago", she told him, taking some salad for herself. "They didn't find anyone."
"Unsurprising", Felix took a bite out of his Quiche slice.
"This is another one of your schemes, isn't it?"
"Someone who can cast Imperio, one of the three Unforgivable curses, won't be able to find a way to protect themselves against Veritaserum? There's even a book about it in the Restricted section of the Library, Professor Jordan said so last week during his class."
"Of course there is…whatever, I'm tired of all of these mind games", she said ditching her fork.
"They're not directed at you, or the others…" Felix tried to say but in his effort to ease Claudia's angst he had said the wrong thing as her face darkened with frustration and anger.
"But they affect us! Sometimes we've even been involved in your plans, did you even bother asking us if we wanted to? We are your friends, your girlfriend. Did you ask us? I know that in your way you only wanted to protect us, but we deserved better…" her voice trailed with her eyes watering up.
"You…I…you are right, you did deserve better. I'm sorry", Felix said in a quiet voice.
She nodded playing with her fork and lettuce.
Felix sighed, his heart aching seeing Claudia like that. "There is no reason for schemes anymore…or mind games, is there? Quidditch cup's done, House cup's done…only one thing left to do before my year's over."
"The Dueling Tournament…" Claudia sighed back.
"Yes, two in one. Two weeks will pass by fast, then only the NEWTs are left", Felix said nodding.
"And Graduation Ceremony, can't forget that", Claudia tried to lighten the mood.
"Who would have thought…me Graduating from Hogwarts."
"You made it though, we all did."
Felix tried to smile at her. "I'll find you later, yeah? Gotta go study some more after dinner."
"Yeah", she nodded abandoning any pretend of wanting to eat anymore, she hugged him leaving the Great Hall. She made a bee-line for Professor Jordan's office, knocking on the door.
"Yes? Enter", Professor Jordan's voice echoed from behind the door.
Claudia sat in a chair, wiggling about awkwardly. "Uhm…I guess this might sound a little…inappropriate but something's the matter with Felix and he won't tell me what. So, I thought that you might know more, sir…because of your relationship with…well with his mother?" She asked, her face acquiring a very distinct, deep crimson hue.
"Just a tad inappropriate…but what makes you believe there's something wrong with Felix?" Professor Jordan asked her, almost as if he expected her to know more and asking in a way which made her tell him what she knew, without him telling her what he knew but she may not already know.
"He's been more solemn and sad than usual. I understand he's been through hell and back, and through more s…stuff than anyone can imagine, but even so Azrail, Ernaline and Cillian are all dead, his mum is alive…is it about Charles? Does he carry that around still?"
"Some wounds go deep and never truly heal, but is that all Felix has to worry about?" Professor Jordan asked her, peering into her eyes, setting his quill down.
Claudia thought for a moment. "Yes? I don't know? I mean things are good between him and the Blakes? He's got friends and…me…I mean a girlfriend? He's doing great in his studies and has friends and…oh I don't know…something is wrong I know it, sir."
"Interesting, Year one, which spell was the first one you learned?"
"Wingardium Leviosa, sir?"
"And what's the most important thing to remember with that spell, Mrs. Russo?"
"Switch and flick? Wrist action?"
"Indeed", Professor Jordan said with emphasis. "It is all about his wrists."
"Wrists? His wrists? The Prophesy! But why would that trouble him now? I mean he did the three battles with Azrail, he won, he's dead, the end, no?"
"Azrail was but a small part of the Prophesy, even if the lengthiest part. But…length isn't all that matters, and it wasn't the most important part of the Prophesy. I would place all significance at the end of it, not at the start or middle of it, as with most stories, Mrs. Russo", Professor Jordan replied, with what Claudia could only interpret as an intensely sorrowful voice. "Felix seems to have realized this and its ramifications for him. You, and most thankfully his family, have not as of yet."
"Ramifications? I don't understand…" Claudia's nerves showed her emotional state as she sat there on the verge of tears.
"Ah, but your eyes betray some cognition of what I mean. "When you are ready to meet us as equals and lay all your burden down will the seed find soil and water and take roots", what do we know about the entities known as "The Old Gods"?" He asked her. Whether he wanted her to understand his meaning slowly so she could do so on her own or so the impact of it would come at slower increments she could not tell.
Claudia tried to think on his question, taking a deep breath. "Everything we know, we know because of Felix's published essay last year…"
"Indeed, and what did he write of their customs pertaining to life and death? What had Azrail gotten wrong all along?"
"To them Eternal life is death? Afterlife?" She said with a quivering voice.
"Yes, and in their thirst for power, to conquer nature they forgot they…we are part of it, not apart from it, that the Tree of Life needs a Human component to live. Lay all your burden down and take roots. Do you understand now, Mrs. Russo?"
"No!" She yelled, shooting up, her fists tightly clenched by her side, turning her fingertips white from the pressure.
"it is what it is, Mrs. Russo. But from your reaction I can see that you much like your boyfriend and what I can only think as the son I'll never have, are focusing on the wrong part of the Prophesy, completely disregarding Achronia's warning concerning them", Professor Jordan never had any difficulty asserting his voice over his students, it didn't fail him now.
"You…he is meant to…what?" Claudia stuttered in shock.
"There is something Felix must, eventually do, undoubtedly. But both of you seem to narrow your timeframe for no reason. No reason at all. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got work to do."
"Hmm? Oh, thank you, sir", she left his office in a much worse mood than having entered it and feeling completely lost as to how to proceed or who to tell about this revelation she had just had.
There wasn't a moment in the next two weeks that she did not regret going to Professor Jordan for answers, "Sometimes ignorance is bliss", she thought over and over again and again.
If it hadn't been for that evening's discussion between her and her Professor she'd have agreed with Felix that the two weeks did pass by fast, only for her they had been a waking nightmare as her mind raced over that discussion, what she had learned, what it meant, if she had to let Felix know she knew, if not, having to restraint herself so that he wouldn't understand just by looking at her. It was all overwhelming her.
Then the Day of the Dueling Tournament's final arrived. She stood next to Felix as Anneke got drawn against Alfred for the first game of the evening. Claudia and Emerick gazed worryingly at Felix who looked calm and uninterested, as if no matter what happened it wouldn't matter.
Anneke toyed and humiliated Alfred dragging the game when she could have, easily, defeated him much sooner than she finally did.
Claudia and the others watched Felix expecting him to react and for them to have to firefight. Yet he did nothing, just stood there hands in front of his lap until Professor Jordan declared Anneke or ConflictQueen victorious.
Alfred approached him, crushed and in nigh-tears.
"You did well, Alfred. You'll do better next year and by your Seventh you'll have won a Tournament, I can see it in you", Felix told his cousin making him nod with a smile, all thoughts of his defeat vanished.
"You think so?"
"I know so", Felix patted his shoulder, eyes still forward at the Dueling ring.
Next was Uriel versus a Ravenclaw Seventh year girl. Uriel fought her well but failed to see her tactic of making him defend his stronger side, the one with the uninjured hand, then with a feign she attacked his weaker side sending him off the ring.
"Deathbane Versus Spellweaver", Professor Jordan announced, and Felix climbed up the Dueling Ring standing opposite a Sixth year Gryffindor boy.
They bowed and Professor Jordan lifted his hand indicating the start of the match.
Before the Gryffindor boy could cast anything, Felix transformed into a leopard, twice as big as what his friends had previously seen, and unfolding a pair of six meters wide black and white feathered wings.
With a thundering roar that reverberated across the chamber the Leopard leaped off and above the stunned and terrified boy. He landed behind him and grabbing him by the nape of his neck launched him off the ring.
"Yes…Deathbane wins!" Professor Jordan proclaimed restraining himself from laughing at the state of the Gryffindor and Felix transforming back into human looking bored.
For the final pair of the round a Fifth year Slytherin girl defeated a Sixth year Gryffindor boy albeit with some difficulty and amount of luck at making less mistakes than her opponent.
After a ten minutes break, Professor Jordan called the first contestants up to the ring.
Anneke won with difficulty against the Ravenclaw girl who had defeated Uriel, the match dragging on for more than twenty minutes until panting and gasping Anneke blasted her off the ring.
Felix got on the ring slowly. He turned on his heels standing opposite the Slytherin girl, hands crossed in front of his lap.
"Opponents face and bow", Professor Jordan called out to them. The Slytherin girl faced him and bowed.
"Disaro!" Not a moment had passed after Professor Jordan raised his hand, both Felix and his opponent still bowed over, that Felix drew his wand casting the curse before he had even straightened up, sending the girl clear off the ring.
The students below cheered and yelled their excitement.
Felix slowly descended from the ring, making eye contact with Anneke.
"That was…uneventful…" Professor Jordan seemed almost disappointed by how fast Felix was dispatching his opponents. "Deathbane wins."
"That leaves us with the final, Deathbane versus ConflictQueen. Please rise to the ring, or leave and forfeit", Professor Jordan called Felix and Anneke forth.
"Wait…does this mean that she is…?" Claudia whispered to Emerick who shrugged.
"Either she is…or the traitor lost previously?"
"No, Felix told me, he doesn't care about the trophy, if the traitor lost he'd forfeit and duel them outside of the tournament….Anneke is it…dear lords she was our friend!" Claudia nearly cried.
Felix ascended to the ring facing Professor Jordan and Anneke with a death mask and the Dueling Xiphos in hand, his wand inside it.
"He can't use that!" Anneke pointed at the Xiphos.
"Yes, he can. It is accepted in World Tournaments; it is accepted here. There are no rules or provisions that prohibit it", Professor Jordan told her, lowering his hand between them.
"Don't worry, I'm not wearing the Armour, I won't be needing it", Felix told her making eye contact.
Claudia, Emerick and Uriel saw Professor Jordan's hand rise in slow motion, expecting Felix to Avada Kedavra Anneke, thinking this is what he wanted, to kill her. Instead Felix stunned her, forcing her to stay immobile in place.
With the Xiphos aimed squarely at her he remained silent for a second and the Dueling Club Chamber remained silent with him, as if suspended in time as those who knew what turmoil raged within him hoped his better angels would overcome his demons and those who didn't know awaited his next action.
"Why?" Felix spoke with a croaked voice. "Why did you do it? Why did you betray the Blakes' existence to Azrail, your pen pal?" He accused Anneke who lost all colour in her face.
"I…I didn't…" She stuttered, pale and afraid.
"Don't lie to me, Anneke. We were friends. Why?" He replied with seething rage, his hand quivering.
Claudia noticed Professor Jordan's hand hidden in the other hand's sleeve, clutched around something.
"Friends? FRIENDS! Friends do not mock each other during class! You did in our first year in DADA! Friends do not criticize each other like you did in potions in our First year! You and Professor Turney hated me back then! Friends do not tell each other to shut up as you did also during our first year in the library! Friends do not spend summer together without inviting me over like you did before our second year! And friends do not tell their friends that they behaved badly towards them when they in turn have behaved in such a abhorrible fashion! As much as you did! YES! I told Lord Azrail of Charles Blake! YES I FUCKING TOLD HIM! Why should I be the only one to suffer whilst you, he and the others are having such an amazing time! Now, that you know how I feel you and I can be fri…" Anneke erupted, releasing seven years' worth of bile and misguided anger, then her voice vanished much in the same way it would have if an invisible vice had wrapped around her vocal cords crushing them.
Felix was shaking visibly, the Xiphos still aimed right at her, glowing a vibrant, blinding red hue. Thrice he opened his mouth only to close it again, not trusting himself with casting a spell.
"Y…you have a very distorted, delusional recollection of what -really- happened, and no knowledge of just how much your father allowed Azrail to manipulate you for his needs and wants. Let me show you the error of your beliefs, Anneke", he managed to say, finally, making to cast a nonverbal spell.
"Felix" Professor Jordan said calmly, fatherly-like.
"Oh, have some faith, sir. I'm not about to go to Azkaban for her", Felix replied casting a multicast curse at her.
At first, as Felix removed his wand from the hole in the Xiphos' middle, nothing happened, Anneke remaining frozen as she was. Then in an instant Anneke doubled over, falling on her knees, grasping at her temples with both hands. "NO! No! Noooo….make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!" She cried looking at him with teary eyes.
"I cannot. I do not know how. I invented this as a means of punishment and as a way of doing so without giving battle to the evil within me. There is only one way to break the curse, any other attempt will only intensify its symptoms each time, Learn to forgive yourself. Expulso", Felix blasted her off the ring.
"Deathbane is the school's new Dueling Champion", Professor Jordan announced in a dry yet relieved tone.
His friends joined the audience's cheers, also relieved he had not committed the Killing curse. Alfred run to him high-fiving him.
"By Merlin's hairy arse I'm famished, let's go eat", Felix said, leaving the Dueling Club's chamber before Professor Jordan could award him his gold metal and trophy in the shape of two crossed wands supported by a metal base.
"I thought you could only animagus in either a leopard or an eagle?" Emerick asked him, exiting the room.
"I was divided and in internal conflict. I guess with that out of the way old and new…consolidated into one, I don't feel like I can choose one of the two animals anymore, this is it", he shrugged.