Chapter 4: Confrontations
Terran was sitting at his desk reading a textbook when Harry came in. "Terran! It is so good to see you again!" Harry laughed as the other boy jumped.
"Aeter!" The other boy was grinning. "So, my Master said you were going to be invited to the War Council?"
Harry shrugged. "I didn't know. I don't know what I can tell you."
Terran shook his head. "I'm not asking you to tell me anything. As apprentice to the Master General, I am accustomed to keeping battle and war secrets- and knowing when I am not permitted to know. Aeter, you were always going to be a leader. You're going to need to keep certain secrets from us, and to be honest, this is only the beginning. You have to get used to your leadership role now."
Harry visibly relaxed. "Thanks, Terran. I don't know how Ferraldin is going to take it. He's always a little bit touchy when people compare us. You'll be joining us at Hogwarts though? This will be a very different school year, I think, then any of us expected."
Terran frowned. "I think we're suddenly in for less of a school experience. And, yeah, avoiding Ferraldin for a day or two may be a good idea. He seems more jealous than usual. And, well, an irritable Ferraldin is an insubordinate Ferraldin. Anyway, dinner is downstairs in about 45 minutes, care for a walk to the library before dinner?"
Harry and Terran were walking into the Council's Entrance Hall, toward the Library on the ground floor.
At the end of the hall, in the direction the two were headed, there was a commotion, and a master hurrying toward them, muttering angrily. He and Harry made eye contact, and Harry flinched before executing his bow. "Good afternoon, Master Gray-"
"You! The master shrieked as he crossed the floor in a few long strides. Without warning, his fist connected with Harry's face. Harry, not expecting this, reeled backward. "You think you're so special!" Another fist came careening at Harry, who was still too stunned to do anything, and the punch struck. "I am only glad I got to teach you an important lesson." His rage seemed to be blinding, and he appeared to not have noticed Terran as he approached again, "And your prankster friends provided me the perfect excuse to punish you-"
"What is the meaning of this?" Harry closed his eyes in silent thanks as Master Sterling and another councilmember came storming in. Grey's assault on Harry was stopped, his face an odd mix of paling, though he still smirked.
"Ah, Master Sterling, you dismissed me, so I was just leaving for the day-"
The other master spoke, Harry thought his name was Caleb, though he couldn't be sure. "Silence, Grey! Apprentice, go fetch both of your masters, please. By now you will either find them in their rooms or the auditorium." Turning toward Harry, he conjured a chair for the boy. "Sit, Aeternus." Harry obeyed quickly. Noticing the swelling, the man conjured a bag of ice while they waited.
It turned out they had not long to wait, as Snape, Silverwood, and a huffing Terran came careening into the hall. The two masters took in the scene before them- Sterling with his lethal wand trained on Grey, the bruised and swollen apprentice, and Snape narrowed his eyes.
Sterling looked at the boy, "Aeternus, your testimony, please."
Harry stared. It was always customary to speak to the Master first, especially in matters where there could be a difference in opinion. "Milords," suddenly realizing he'd neglected his salute to the two, he frantically stood.
"For the love of Merlin, sit down, Aeter, and get on with what happened," Snape was clearly not in the mood for decorum.
"Sir, I, it happened so fast, I did the appropriate greeting, and then he- hit me, twice. I am not certain of any infractions-"
"The boy is a liar!" Grey shouted.
"Ah, Grey," Sterling looked deadly calm. "What you failed to notice in your rage was that we entered immediately behind you. Master Caleb and I saw everything. You will, of course, be tried to determine your fate regarding your admission to punishing, brutally, an apprentice for a crime you knew he did not commit. For your unsolicited attack on the boy today, I see it fitting that he and his master determine your punishment."
Snape leaned down to Harry, who sighed. "Sir, you, or the Council may determine his fate as is fitting. I trust you. So long as he and I do not cross paths again. I simply cannot today."
Snape nodded and turned back to Silver. "It will be as Apprentice Aeternus has spoken, Sir, we will defer to the Council."
Sterling nodded. "Master Grey, you are hereby stripped of your status as Senior Master, to a permanent probationary level. You are, henceforth, forbidden from exacting your own punishment on any apprentice, without explicit approval from his master. You will be expected to report back here, one week from today, for your trial. Failure to show will result in immediate expulsion from the Order and some time served. You are dismissed."
"Apprentice Aeternus, are you okay?" Snape looked closely at the boy. "Oh, hold still. Episkey!"
Harry shook his head as he felt the swelling and bruising diminish. "Thank you, Sir. I am okay. Can we just go to dinner?"
Snape rolled his eyes at Silverwood. "Teenage boys and their stomachs," he muttered. "Yes, let's head to dinner."
When they arrived in the Hall, they found the dining room had been set up with one long table. As everybody moved to take a seat, Harry realized the only remaining seats were on either side of Ferraldin. He sighed heavily, but decided to just act normal.
"Hey Ferraldin," Harry greeted the other boy as he sat beside him, and Terran sat on his other side. "How's it going?"
Ferraldin glared at the other boy. "Aeternus. Fine. And you?"
Harry's smile faltered, "I am well, other than Master Grey pummeling me to the ground a few moments ago."
"Shame I didn't get to see it," Ferraldin muttered.
Terran looked outraged. "Ferraldin, you don't mean that! Aeter is lucky that Sterling was there, or it would have turned out a lot worse."
Ferraldin, for his part, at least looked ashamed. "You're right. Sorry. What happened?"
Harry allowed Terran to tell the story as Dumbledore lent over on Harry's other side. "Aeter, how are you feeling?"
Harry smiled, feeling the fraud of his smile. "Headmaster, I'm doing well. When I woke up this morning, I just had no idea that this was going to be what today had in store for me when I woke up this morning. First, the information overload; then, the altercation with Grey? I'm just not sure that anything could make my day any harder."
"You know, Aeter," Dumbledore allowed himself to pause for a moment. "I wasn't sure, when Sterling advised me they were going to pull you in this way, that it was a good idea. You are, after all, only fifteen years old. I wanted you to have your childhood. Sterling and Severus, of course, were quick to point out to me that you have never been a child.
"Beyond that, you proved this afternoon that you are a natural leader, and the student body, and your peers in the Order, will certainly need that leadership in the war to come."
Silverwood, sitting across the table from Dumbledore, quickly agreed. "Aeternus, I've worked with a lot of leaders. There is always a small portion of the Guard, though the full Guard has only become active recently. I've worked with leaders for most of my career. You have what it takes. Your role as Junior Commander is well-earned, and you will make us all proud."
"Junior Commander," Ferraldin appeared to have tuned in to the conversation. "What exactly does that mean? That you have been given yet another position that you haven't earned?"
"Ferraldin," Terran said stiffly from his other side. "Don't say anything you're going to regret."
Ferraldin turned his withering stare to Terran. "Of course you're on his side, Terran. Aeternus has always been perfect, hasn't he? The Boy-Who-Lived, Savior, Chosen One… The Harry Potter? What is there that you haven't done? I do not know how you've weaseled your way into yet another accolade that you haven't earned, Aeter. You're no more special than the rest of us- you get punished just as much, if not more- than the rest of us!"
Harry sighed, trying to decide if he would wait this out, or if he would be excused from shouting back at Ferraldin. He knew, truly, that he would have to handle Ferraldin carefully- they had a full academic year ahead of them yet, and would, naturally be forced to work together. He also knew that he was held to a higher standard than most, and his new role proved that.
Had Harry been looking down the table, he would have noticed Saldor and Snape both about to speak, when Sterling spoke quietly to them. Unhappily, both men glanced at one another before settling back to watch the two boys resolve it.
Harry set his fork down as he looked at Ferral. "Ferraldin, please lay it to rest for a moment. You know I didn't ask for any of this."
"Of course you didn't, because that might mean that you'd earned it!"
Harry frowned. "Any chance we can talk about this later?"
"You'd like that, wouldn't you? A chance for you to cower and hide from yet another difficult moment?"
"Stop, Ferraldin. I am asking you, as your friend, to please lay off. This is neither the time nor the place for this conversation."
"What are you so afraid of?"
Harry growled. "I'm not afraid of anything, but I'm not in the habit of leaving a bad image in front of six Masters- our masters and Master Saldor included- the Headmaster of our school; and three aurors, thank you very much. If you aren't going to think of your image, think of the incredible punishment we will face for having a huge blowout in front of some of the greatest minds of our age?"
Reluctantly, Ferraldin appeared to settle back into an unhappy solitude. "Whatever."
Harry nodded and settled back himself as he began to eat.
"You handled Ferraldin very well," Silverwood said to Harry. After dinner, Harry again found himself in the Sitting Room, this time with a smaller group, with the intention to discuss the academic year.
"I don't think I did," Harry admitted to the other man. "Perhaps if I'd been more firm, I could have stopped him much earlier and avoided the whole embarrassment."
Silverwood shook his head. "Lesson number one of leadership: force doesn't always work with people. You played to the only things that you thought could work with Ferraldin: his image, and punitive retribution. Though, if I know his master at all, I'm pretty sure punishment is still waiting."
"To be honest, in some ways, I expected this a little bit," Saldor shook his head morosely. "Ferraldin has always been headstrong and shows some envy of those who outperform him. He tries to play it down, but… well, he's not very good at it. I'm a bit at a loss of what to do."
Silverwood shook his head, "Honestly, Dominic, I think this is a case where we're all just going to have to accept that Ferraldin is going to have to be dragged into our plans, kicking and screaming. He simply does not have what it takes to have the role that he wishes he could have. When he matures, he'll make a fine Master, but until then, it just can't happen.
"Aeter, you're going to take the brunt of his anger, especially in your role this academic year, and especially given that you, Ferraldin, and Terran will be spending an awful lot of time together. Are you prepared?"
Harry thought for a moment, finally agreeing. "Yes, Sir, I think I'm ready for this."
