Chapter 4
As soon as Lord Peverell walked into the room, Orion's attention was on him. Looking as gorgeous as ever, he was wearing and tanned colored robe with black, comfy looking pants. His hair was half up, leaving part of it hanging down, brushing his shoulders and framing his face.
Orion smiled and walked towards him. He stopped in front of him a bowed, "Lord Peverell, well met." He greeted.
Lord Peverell replied smiling "Well met Lord Black, and please call me Hadrian."
"Then you must call me Orion," he replied smiling at him. Hadrian blushed and looked down, Orion was very handsome after all. But it went unnoticed to Orion because Axabras had followed Orion over to greet the young lord. Axabras greeted him in the same manner Orion did. Hadrian allowed him the use of his first name and Axabras did the same.
This went around the room, the greeting of the new lord and he replied with a greeting and an invitation to use his first name. Everyone made small talk while waiting for the food to be ready , but it was ready before long.
"So," Lord Alexander Avery said while settling down at the table, "Why have you come back to Britain? Surely not just to shock us out of your seats?" The men chuckled a little bit at the man's jest but they all quietened to heard Hadrian's answer.
Hadrian was quiet for a second, preparing the story that Hecate had prepared for him to use. If anyone went back to check the story, the proof that it was real would be there. "Well, my family went into hiding right before Grindelwald rise to power. Mostly because we had heard whispers about his power and my grandfather was a very… cautious man. So we hid. As you might not have known, Grindelwald's symbol was also my family crest, so we could have pressed charges against him, but we didn't. We didn't want to become a target, with me a baby, my grandmother a sickly woman and my mother unable to bear any more children after my birth. But eventually, Grindelwald found us. He killed my family and left, but he missed me, who my mother hid in a basket that was used to keep blankets in. A couple hours later, a friend of my family was scheduled to come over, and he found all of my family dead, except me. He was overcome with grief and anger that he gave me to one of his house elves to take to my mother's sister, a squib."
Everyone cringed but kept quiet wanting to hear the rest of the story. Hadrian took a sip of wine and continued.
"I grew up there and when I was thirteen, my godfather found me and decided to take me in. He died two years later, and I went back to live with my aunt until I was seventeen and left. I have been traveling the world since and now have moved back, to… make a splash in Britain's politics." Hadrian finished.
The rest of the dinner went very well. Axabras bragging slightly about his heir Lucius, that was Head Boy the last year, but he was still friendly and easy to get along with. Hadrian found it ironic that Axabras and him seemed to get along so well, considering how well that had gone with Draco. Axabras was interested in some of the skills and spells he had gained traveling around the world. Lord Avery and Lord Nott turned out to be very interested in the rumors that the Peverell brothers were necromancers.
Orion was… intense, but in a good way. Hadrian got the feeling he might be trying to flirt with him, but he wasn't really sure. He found himself hard to find as interesting and attractive, besides his last name which may be potentially intriguing, but Orion didn't seem too interested in that. But it didn't help that every time Orion said something he blushed faintly because he was that handsome.
Hadrian walks into his 5th year Gryffindor and Slytherins class and immediately starts a practical exercise, practicing aiming colored empty magic lights at targets. Most people were pretty bad, they had a good spell repertoire, but a good spell repertoire without aim is useless he had explained.
After a couple people had gotten hit with real jinx's because of an argument about the Slytherins being slimy dark snakes and the Gryffindors being little light pricks, Hadrian stopped everyone for a theory lesson.
"Who," Hadrian asks, "can tell me the difference between Dark magic and Light magic?" He writes the question on the board, underlining Dark magic and Light magic.
"Anyone?" He asks to the quiet class. Lily Evans raises her hand confidently.
"Yes Miss Evans?" he asks.
"The difference is that Dark magic is more based in causing harm and Light magic is more based in healing and helping." she says.
"Wrong." he says, dropping the jaws of most of the people in the class.
"Wha-what?" Lily stutters. "B-but that we something we learned in first year!"
Hadrian shrugged and said, "Well, that that professor was obviously either a prejudiced prick, or just plain dumb because that isn't correct. Can anyone else take a guess?"
Dead silence, the ones that knew the answer, not saying anything because they wanted to know how he would answer.
Hadrian sighed and said "Magic, is in impartial force. It loves being used, but I doesn't care too much about want it does. For example Magic will not respond for a person that is using it to harm Magic itself. But killing or harming a person? Not really."
"Why? Killing is bad, harming people is bad, why would magic not care for that?" James Potter asked confused.
"Let's put it this way Mr. Potter, you find out that a person decided to air out a secret of your friends or family. This secret is so closely guarded and private and all of a sudden, everyone knows. You might want to hurt that person, punish them make sure they regret hurting your friend. Or another example, someone kills your parents. The people that raise you loved you cared for you since you were born. You would want to revenge, you would want revenge, to harm them, you might want to kill them. That, is a good reason in your mind. But killing your parents might have been justifiable in their minds as well."
"Magic just wants to be used, it is happiest when used. Light and Dark are like two sides of a coin, one cannot exist without each other."
"I don't believe it!" Sirius Black said loudly. The attention of the class was diverted to him. "Why was the Cruciatus Curse invented then? Why were all Unforgivables created? Tell me that!" He smiled victoriously, thinking he had won.
Hadrian just continued smoothly. "Well, the Imperious Curse was originally created by a healer, used to help patients that were not brain responsive to do daily needs, such as using the bathroom, or moving them without having to lug them around. The Cruciatus Curse was also created by a healer trying to heal his wife from a form of torture that made her nerves unresponsive. The curse was used to restart her nerves. The couple lived out the rest of their lives in peace. The Killing Curse was created by a farmer, who was searching for a cleaner and more humane way to kill livestock. So as you can see, there are ways even the apparent 'worst' of dark spells can be used positively."
The class was silent, Sirius Black looked stunned at his question being thrown back at him.
"Magic, is all about intent and purpose. I want you to write me a ten inches on five different Dark curses or conditions that can be used positively and 5 Light spells you can use negatively. You cannot use Unforgivables, as I just listed you some reasons. Class dismissed. Some good spells are in your textbooks for this year, but try to use others."
The bell rang right after.
"And Mr. Snape, stay behind please," he called after them.
James is confused, Dumbledore is a light wizard, but... he's Dumbledore, he a good guy! His parents always had said the same thing as Professor Peverell, but hearing about his father's Auror problems with dark wizards also might have influenced his view. But he does remember hearing about a couple of people using things considered Light magic to do horrific things. Does that mean Dark Magic can be used for good? And if it can, why is it banned?
Sirius is questioning his entire existence. Was his mother wrong and the dark arts could be used for good and not just torturing him and others? Was his father and brother actually sincere in their efforts to reconnect with him? His mother was a bitch, but what about the rest of the family? Uncle Alphard Lucretia and Cygnus were always nice. Pollux as a terrible human being, Aunt Druella was also a bitch, as was Bellatrix. Cassiopeia might be nice, but he hasn't seen her since he was 5. He was torn.
Remus starts to question his existence as well. Dark thing can be good? Werewolf's are dark, so being a werewolf isn't technically a bad thing?! No, this can't be true, he was a monster. He speeds off to the library to read the textbook of DADA to see if he can find proof of what Professor Peverell is saying.
Sirius looked after Remus, worried. He knew Remus had a lot of self-esteem issues, mostly about him being a werewolf. He sped off after Remus, if to do nothing more then to sit next to him and provide emotional support.
Peters family has always been a neutral family, but not Noble or Ancient. His father died when he was young because of an overdosing on alcohol. His mother is sick with a disease that his father had caused her by using Dark magic, a disease that could kill her. They have managed to pay for doctor, but nothing is helping the disease. But the doctors are all trying to use Light magic to heal it. Dark magic can only truly be healed by more Dark magic. That's what Professor Peverell taught the last class. Could Dark magic save his mother where Light magic couldn't?, He thinks. Is it ethical, will she live, is it going to hurt her more if he tries?
Lily is conflicted because her muggle heritage brought her up teaching her Dark was evil, Light is good. She thinks, maybe Professor Peverell was prejudiced? She doubts it because he doesn't seem the type though. She's seen he hate House rivalries throughout the school. She follows Remus to the library going to find more information on the nature of Dark and Light magic.
Severus walks up to Hadrian's desk were he had sat down after class had ended. "You wanted to see me Professor?" He asked politely.
Hadrian smiled up at him and nodded. "I just was curious, but why are you not wearing your heir ring? The Prince house is an Ancient and Noble house."
Severus scowled fiercely down at the table. "I cannot claim it because my grandfather, the last Lord Prince left a will that only a pureblood Price can claim it, or someone already carrying a lordship. He didn't care too much about the continuation of his line, just the purity of the Prince line." He spit out at the end. He had been furious when he had found out, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Hadrian thought for a moment debating whether he should tell him or not. "Come with me." He said deciding, it was his birthright after all, he deserved to know. He walked into his office which is behind the classroom.
Severus follows behind him curious to what his Professor wants to show him. Hadrian grabs a spectacularly colored quill out of his desk drawer. He walked back over to Severus and offers him the quill. "This is a portkey to my home, will you trust me?" He asked Severus.
Severus pauses before grabbing the quill. This teacher had been nothing but fair to him and the rest of Slytherin house for the few weeks he had been here, he didn't have a reason to not trust him.
He felt a familiar tug in his navel and the disorienting experience of landing on a hardwood floor. Thank goodness he had been able to land on his feet, otherwise he might have just died of embarrassment.
Hadrian made his way swiftly to the room reserved family tapestries. Severus following after him quickly, not wanting to invade his professors private home longer or more than he already had. Once he walked in the room his jaw dropped slightly, the room was circular but huge, and very tall, stairs winding up the walls so you could examine the family tree farther up. You could barely see the ceiling because of how high the tapestry went.
"My family, once upon a time, married in with the Ravenclaw line, and our families were very close," Hadrian said as he was walking up the stair to reach an upper level. "As a gift of trust and friendship, we gave each other copies of our family trees and wove them into our own. This friendship went on for centuries until the last heir to the Ravenclaw line was a woman a married into the Prince line under the disguise of a Muggleborn. The knowledge that the Ravenclaw line married into the Prince line was forgotten, but if anyone from the Prince line were to take an inheritance test, the Ravenclaw lordship would show up. Most people do not because they think they know everything they own or have inherited." He traced his hand were the lines were inter joined and were it lead down to, a branch that said 'Severus Tobias Snape'.
Severus inhaled sharply, eyes widening. This could solve everything, get his mother a divorce from his abusive father, buy his mother and him a house, support him while he starts his potions career.
"Would you like to go to Gringotts?" Hadrian asked after pausing to let Severus take everything in. Severus nodded faintly.
Two hours later the Severus Alexander Prince-Ravenclaw walked out of the bank wearing a heir ring and looking to the future without as much worry as before.
Dumbledore screams in rage at what the portrait is telling him. Peverell was teaching what?! No! It took year to brainwash the children into believe him! They need to guide them to the light!
Why couldn't anyone see that it was for the Greater Good?
He needed Peverell out of the school. He needed to get the Board of Governors to fire him. They had taken away his privilege of choosing who taught at the school because of he couldn't find a competent teacher. But he need the children to be moldable and to not know much defense.
A week later the Board of Governors send back a letter that says that they have not heard any complaints from the students about Professor Peverell and he has been teaching the students well. And without any real evidence that Professor Peverell is doing something wrong, he will maintain his post.
Dumbledore is practically foaming at the mouth.