The morning of the choosing ceremony arrives swiftly, with much of the boys time being spent on classes and making new friends from the other schools.
The Slytherins and Ravenclaws seem to be the most welcoming towards the other schools, which brings issues to and benefits Hunter. The Slytherin students whose families aren't Death Eaters make good connections; the Ravenclaws have all the gossip on the other houses and students, a constant flow of information. On the flip side, they need to be wary of the students who are related to Death Eaters. Also, care is required when deciding what topics they go into with the Ravenclaws, as they're almost 'Draco' level of smart.
They have so far managed to avoid any contact with the Weasleys, and most Gryffindors at that. The only student from the 'brave' house they regularly speak to is Parvati Patil, the twin sister of one of their Ravenclaw friends, Padma. Draco thinks its quite a feat that they've managed to lay low for so long, as Parvati informs them that the youngest Weasley son, Ron, apparently nearly wet himself with excitement when he heard the golden trio of the Bulgarian Quidditch team were at Hogwarts.
"Mother wishes us all luck today, and that she will be very disappointed if there is any jealousy," Draco says, walking into Hunter and Viktor's cabin the morning of the ceremony, an apple in his hand, "Well, she said that last part mainly to Hunter and I, so Viktor, by all means, throw a hissy fit if you're not chosen."
Hunter laughs as the perfectly aimed pillow flies past his face, knocking the apple out of his Dragon's hand - Jack scoring a snack as he follows him in. The tension in the air is expected, not for each other - they all know that it is more likely for the moon to turn green than Hunters name not come out of the Goblet - but for how much more complex their task of keeping their identities hidden is about to get.
Blaise, who Hunter has learned comes from a neutral family, and Theodore Nott wait for them just inside the castle's entrance. Their new routine usually started as such, their small group eating breakfast together before going their separate ways. The others would follow later into the Great Hall, being later risers.
The seating plan had changed from the first night, with the three Durmstrang boy's being more comfortable being separated now, with most students getting over their starstruck initial reactions. On this particular morning, they were seated close to a group of Beauxbaton girls, whom Draco was chatting up. Hunter was across from Viktor and between Pansy, neutral, and Theodore.
"Oh Atticus, did you not see the way that Ravenclaw was staring at you!" Pansy started, "Are you really not going to let yourself have some fun while you're here?"
Draco's flirtatious mood was influencing the entire conversation, to Hunter's dismay. This comment brought Draco's attention back, an eyebrow raised ready for his brother's response.
Hunter looked over at the girl she was referring to; he had spoken to her before, her name was Cho as he remembered, Cho Chang. He thought about it for a moment, she was a very pretty girl, her soft features made her look very gentle. There wasn't much else he really thought of her, she was just...pretty.
"Nah, not interested, she's pretty though. Drake's type."
"My type is not just 'pretty', thank you very much."
"Ah, so you're like our Blaise," Theo, who normally stays very quiet and just takes in his surroundings, pipes up, "your very specific criteria is that they must have a heartbeat."
The group goes silent for a second, as Draco stares at Theo and then at Blaise. Theo sips his tea. Draco is the first to laugh, followed by the howling of the usually quiet group. Hunter watches Theo and notices the way his eyes crease when he smiles, showing his mirth even with his cup covering half of his face.
Blaise takes the conversation away from his dating habits and asks everyone's bets for the school Champions. The Slytherins all weigh in on one or the other of their classmates, but when it's the Durmstrangs students who are asked, they all just look towards Hunter, even Katie Petrova and Ivan Aarons, who had were sat a few seats down, stared.
"Impressive Lupin," Theo states, turning towards him, "You've made quite the reputation I suppose."
"The Hogwarts Triwizard Champion is...", Dumbledore shouts, "Cedric Diggory!"
A Hufflepuff he assumes, as a yellow tied student strides confidently up to the front of the room, the table he left behind going crazy with excitement.
"The Beauxbaton Triwizard Champion is... Fleur Delacour!"
The girl that Draco had been speaking to at breakfast this morning gracefully makes her way up to Dumbledore and then follows Cedric to the room at the back.
"And finally, the Triwizard Champion from Durmstrang school is... Atticus Lupin."
The table surrounding him erupts into cheers, as Hunter's eyes go wide and his smile following soon after. He throws an arm around his brother, and a fist in the air which earns another round of cheers. His back starts to hurt with the number of pats he gets walking from the back of the table to the front, away from the Durmstrang students.
A hand grabs his arm before he reaches the end, belonging to Theo. The group of Slytherins they'd become familiar with all congratulated him too before he followed the other champions into the other room.
Hunter introduces himself to both the other champions, taking both of them in as competitors now. Fleur was slight but he could sense the magical power she possessed, bouncing like electricity behind her striking blue eyes. He knew from his Father that the Delacour family had Veela blood running through their veins, and he supposed Fleur had inherited at least some of this gene, as her looks could not be described as anything other than breath-taking.
Cedric, on the other hand, was tall and strong, his power both being of the physical sense and the solid strength of his magic. His dark hair and light eyes, along with a firm jawline, made him too, an attractive person. He was sure that both his opponents would be liked by the audience.
The Headmasters, ministry officials and some Hogwarts staff, one of which being Sev, filled the room once the other students had been dismissed. While Dumbledore listed off the rules once again to the Champions, Hunter allowed himself a peak over Hagen's shoulder at Severus. His Uncle's eyes meet his and he can see the approval in them.
Dumbledore's eyes also keep lingering on Hunter, surveying him more than the others. It puts Hunters teeth on edge.
He knows that he -as Hunter Black- is untraceable to Dumbledore and the Ministry, his Father made sure of that as his last acts in the British Ministry. The world knows that Hunter Black is alive somewhere in the World, no proof could be found otherwise, and his name still shown black and bold on the Black family tapestry. Names fade to a light grey when a person dies, giving hope that The-Boy-Who-Lived is, in fact, still alive. The only way that he could be given away was if someone exposed his secret, or if Dumbledore figured it out himself.
Dumbledore's speech soon came to an end, and he asked if any of them had any questions. When they are at last dismissed, a single person still sat in the Great Hall.
"Master Lupin, I'm almost certain it is past your curfew." Hagen reprimands, although he expected this and has no intention of giving him any trouble.
"My apologies Sir, I just had to make sure my brother was okay."
Hagen just walked past, not giving a second glance.
The Hogwarts library was quiet and cold the next day, a similarity to the school back home. Hunter sat in the back, nestled by a window, head resting on his arms as he devoured a book on defensive spells - one of a few topics that could keep his concentration. In the week they had been at Hogwarts he had taken a liking to spending his free periods there, Rocco by his feet.
He was practising the wand movements of an advanced shield with a pointed finger while also continuing to read the chapter when a movement caught his eye. The movement belonged to a figure dressed in Slytherin robes, who sat himself down at the table.
Hunter had fire-called Severus a couple of times since they arrived, each time enquiring more about the students they were engaging with. The boy sitting in front of him was Theodore, one of the students Sev could not tell him an awful lot about.
Theo's family were of a Korean descent, which was evident in his features, his eyes were dark and mono-lidded, his black hair styled back. He gave off a certain elegance that can't be taught, entwined in his DNA just as the colour of his skin.
His family were not living in the country when the Dark Lord rose to power so they had no associations with the Light or the Dark side of the war. This gave Hunter a sense of relief that he didn't realise he was holding onto, he wouldn't have to worry about any slip-ups causing him or his family their lives.
"You know," Hunter says, sitting up properly, "some might find your behaviour concerning, you know since I'm a celebrity and all."
Theo raises an eyebrow, "Celebrity? And what would it be that you're famous for?"
"Oh didn't you know? I'm an athlete, played in this little match called the Quidditch World Cup not too long ago. You may have heard about it."
"Ah yes, the famous Lupin," He inspects his fingernails casually, "I don't ponder such things as sports, they take away from the things that matter in life."
Hunter leans forward, behind him the weather starts to change, the autumn sun disappearing behind dark storm clouds, "That view intrigues me, maybe one day you'll tell me what goes on behind that pretty-boy face of yours."
"Hmm," a lock of hair fell into Theo's eyes, which were trained on the table where Hunter's hands were back to practising wand movements, "maybe I'll let you pick my brain, but only if you let me pick yours."
The walls that he'd had started to let down were abruptly pushed right back up, leaving Hunter once again feeling alone. No one could ever know exactly what was in his brain. This realisation sends him into a familiar spiral, of which breaking out of is almost impossible.
He often wondered what his life would be like if the war had never happened, and that he grew up with Sirius and Lily Black as his parents. He loved his parents and being a Malfoy, without a doubt, but he couldn't help but wonder what it would have been like not having to hide his identity from everyone in England. The 'what if's consume him like the tide on the shore, drawing his attention back into his head, forgetting that he is in the company of another.
That is until Theo clears his throat and excuses himself, saying he will let 'Atticus' get on with this research. Hunter wants to call him back, for some reason enjoying his company, even if in silence.
He doesn't call him back. He doesn't even acknowledge him leaving. He just watches his retreating form as he leaves the library, fixing the fallen hair on his way.
The draw Hunter feels to Theo is overbearing, almost that he needs to know him, everything about him. One of the first people Hunter had felt an instant connection to since his first year and meeting Viktor.
Maybe he was just so sick of living in secret that he attached to the first person who he clicked with. He decided that that was all it was, he lived a lonely life and he needed to remember why that was. He was a living threat, many people would try to harm him, or even yet try to use the status he could have as The-Boy-Who-Lived in their agenda if anyone found out who he was. The walls around him were thick for a reason, he put anyone around him in danger, so the fewer people in that circle the better.
The days following found Hunter retreating into himself; at meals, he scarcely joined in conversations; any time outside of lessons, he spent by his window in the library, occasionally joined by a concerned Viktor or Draco. Draco knew what Hunter was like when something was bothering him, he would hideout for a few days, think over whatever was on his mind and then, when he was ready, would come back into himself. Sometimes he would tell Draco what was wrong, but mainly he would work through it himself and be back to his usual annoying self in a couple of days.
This time was different. It had been a week since Hunter had become what Draco could only describe as mute. So, when everyone else was heading to dinner he grabbed Hunter back into his room and threw up a silencing charm.
"I will give you this chance to tell me what's wrong, but if you decide you're not in the mood for talking with me," Draco probed, "then you can deal with the wrath of Mother, she'd think it very unjust of you to behave as you have."
Hunter just stared, "There's nothing wrong Draco, I just have a lot to think about right now, there is no need to involve Mother."
"Even Viktor doesn't know what's wrong Hunter, if you don't want to talk about the specifics I get it, okay?" Draco began pacing the room, Jack standing up beside him at the sudden movement, "but keeping everything inside? It isn't going to help you here, Hunter."
"I'm not-" He started.
"Don't fucking lie to me." He stopped and looked Hunter straight in the eye, "Don't lie and tell me everything is okay, I know you're bottling something up and I also know that eventually, all that tension will erupt. We've both seen multiple times what your magic can do under too much pressure."
Hunter takes a pause, "It's not like that."
"I know it is."
"You don't Draco, now just drop it." Hunter was exasperated now, the confrontation wasn't what he wanted to deal with, and it wasn't going to help his argument if he proved Draco right and lost his temper. They stare, unwavering, at each other, until Draco cracks.
"Merlin's beard Hunter, you are so stubborn!" He throws his hands in the air in defeat. Walking over to his brother he places a hand on his shoulder, looking through his lashes with a softer expression, "Whatever it is Hunt, it will work out, I promise."
Hunter gives him a small smile, although they both know it is just for show. Taking a minute to calm down before Hunter shakes himself off and leads the way out of the room and towards the castle. Viktor was waiting just outside the boat, to which Hunter raises an eyebrow.
"I thought you vould need a moment alone," He says with a shrug.
The walk to the Castle wasn't long, but even so, the Great Hall was full. There is so much noise that their late arrival goes unnoticed, except for the Slytherins who had left some seats free for them, even if the food had already disappeared. One seat is right next to Theo, who doesn't look up when they appear, or when Hunter sits down next to him as the other two boys who were ahead of him take the others.
Since their conversation in the library, Hunter had been avoiding Theo, not wanting to go back to thinking about all the things he can't have.
The group's conversation of the evening is speculation of what the First Task is going to be, and Hunter tries to be more involved in the conversation. By the end of it, he's almost convinced himself that he's fine.
When they start to break into smaller conversations Hunter feels something slip into his hand under the table. He glances down in confusion, a treacle tart sits on his palm.
Theo leans over and whispers lowly, "Glad you're back," he leans in further, "I missed that spark in your eye."
Hunter finally looks up, matching his eye level, squinting back in confusion. He's met with a smirk as Theo leans away and starts talking to Blaise who's sitting on the other side of him, putting Hunter in direct sight of Viktor who seems to have watched the whole thing. They both look away.
As Hunter, Draco and Viktor are leaving the Great Hall they're stopped by a red-headed figure shoving his hand in front of Hunter.
"Hi! I'm Ron Weasley," he said, pushing his hand out further, "you lot would be better off with us Gryffindor's rather than those snakes over there, they're the wrong sort."
Hunter raised an eyebrow, looking the other boy up and down, "Thanks, but I'm sure I can tell the wrong sort for my self."
Ron looked put out, "Aw, come on, mate, I was trying to be nice."
"Well then, your first mistake was insulting our choice of acquaintances, but thanks for the offer, mate." He moves past him, hoping that Ron just forgets this conversation and doesn't feel like holding a grudge.
Hunter feels the vibrations of the magic before he hears the hex, spinning around so fast it's doubtful that any of the nearby students even seen it happen. Without even drawing his wand he sends Ron and the group surrounding him to the floor.
The magic of the spell ripples past the group, fluttering throughout the rest of the Hall. If everyone's attention wasn't already on them, it was now; Hunter was a spectacle to behold, the sparks of uncontrolled magic glowing from his eyes for the first time in almost a year.
"C'mon, Atticus," Draco tugs at his sleeve, ushering him to keep moving, "you need to get out of here right now."
Once outside, the fresh air hit Hunter's lungs along with the realisation of what he'd just done.
"Fuck... FUCK!" He threw a 'reducto' at a nearby boulder, shattering it to dust.
Draco and Viktor watched as the group of rocks, once often sat on by students, socialising when the weather was good, turned to nothing but rubble.
They also watched as the anger seeped out of him, one curse at a time, to the point where he fell to the ground among the debris. Only a moment passed before he began to repair the rocks, slowly erasing any evidence of what had happened.
"Feel better?" asked Viktor.
"Yeah, heaps actually," Hunter replied, "shall we go ask Mother how much trouble I've caused?"
The trip back to the boat was quiet, and the closer they got, the bigger the pit in Hunter's stomach got. He truly thought his loss of control was going to have bigger consequences than they considered.
Hunter had just settled down on an armchair in their cabin ready to write to his Mother, Rocco on his lap, when there was a knock at the door. Rocco lept up with his tail wagging, Hunter following suit and opening the door to find his Uncle Sev, who looked fondly down at the dog by his feet but could not give away to anyone that he was familiar with it.
"Mr Lupin, would you accompany me to your Headmaster's office, your behaviour at dinner this evening requires some immediate action."
Hunter looks back towards Viktor.
"You also, Mr Krum."
Once the door closed in Hagen's office, Severus whirled around to face Hunter, "Do you wish to explain to me how when your Mother specifically asks you not to draw attention to yourself," he begins, "you think starting fights with Weasley's, of all people, is a good idea."
Hunter looks behind Severus and eyes Draco looking pointedly at him. 'Traitor' he thinks grimly.
"In the Great Hall at that too," Severus continues, "you really don't realise the much power that you possess, boy. If Dumbledore had suspicions then you've gone ahead and proven him right now."
"What do you mean suspicions?" Hunter questions, drawing his Uncle's attention back on himself.
Severus, who clearly forgot who his lecture was aimed at, looks startled for a moment, then he sighs, "Your Mother wished to be here when I told you this, but I suppose it is essential you know it. I suggest you sit down for this Hunter, and your temper better stay in line too."
Hunter sits down on the couch alongside Draco. Viktor then following suit and sitting on his other side, laying a hand on Hunter's shoulder supportingly.
"I'm going to tell you something the Headmaster told me just prior to the beginning of term." Severus begins, "About The-Boy-Who-Lived, when he'll return, and a Prophecy which foretells it..."