The first of the many letters was delivered to his lap by a servant. It was early in the morning but he instructed them to hand the letter and have him read it when it actually arrived. He was waiting for it for the longgest time. One day and a half felt too long. Hadrian rubbed his eyes and sat up slowly and began reading.
Dear Brother,
I've been sorted to father's house as expected. Hogwarts is a magnificent castle and magic is everywhere. The food is acceptable. The décor is not as grand. It is simply not as opulent as our home, but it has its own charm. There are portraits of different magical people, suits of armors, moving staircases, separate quarters for each house and the great hall.
I believe there is much left to be discovered. I've been told that the castle already existed long before father and the other founders deemed it suitable to become their school. Father hinted on hidden passages, and it will be a challenge to uncover them all. The castle grounds are vast. We have a large lake, the dark forest and a Creaothceann pitch where Swivenhodge is also played. It is such a violent game, and I know you've heard of it, but I'd rather not get your hopes up because father and I will ever allow you to join. I shall not spoil everything for you will see it for yourself eventually.
I have only attended three classes and I already find myself bored. I approached the head of the house in an attempt to switch year levels or at least take more electives. Tomorrow and the day after, I will be taking exams to see if I meet the requirements.
My housemates are all pureblood children, some of which you're already acquainted to. Some have come from other parts of Europe, and they share with me interesting tales and gifts. We must visit Romania this summer. I was told if trained early, dragons can be tamed. I could be wrong.
It appaears some of my fears have been unfounded but some are true.
Mudbloods. Everywhere.
When it is your time to be sorted, I suggest you convince the hat to place you in Slytherin. Every other house has them.
I hope you're doing well, Harry. Make sure you're drinking medicine, eating properly, and sleeping early.
Send my regards to Father.
With Love,
Thomas Slytherin
Hadrian ran out of his room ignoring the maids scurrying after him. He was so excited he found himself in the North Wing in half the time it would have taken him if he was just walking, hissing his father's chambers to "Open". He crossed the sitting room into his father's bed chambers.
He was panting and tried to breathe in and out and opened the door gently. He found Salazar awake, reading from the wizard's paper, with stacks of envelopes overflowing on his bedside table.
Salazar had his white robe open showing his bare chest and lean torso, his usually immaculate black hair in a disarray in a messy braid by one shoulder. He was sitting on the massive bed with his back against the pillows with a soft smile on his face.
"Good morning, Hadrian. What do you have there?"
Hadrian was catching his breath and he found himself inching towards the bed and crawling to his father's lap saying, "Thomas sent a letter."
Hadrian felt a little drowsier when Salazar hugged him and sat him in between his legs. Harry relished the comfort and saw his father smirk as he read what Tom sent.
"We've designed the curriculum to suit the magically uneducated, but I'm sure Rowena will show him preferential treatment. I have no doubt he will get what he wants."
At this, Hadrian tilted his head up so he was looking up at his father's eyes, noting the wistful look there. "Do you miss them, father?"
"Do you mean Rowena and Helga?"
Harry nodded.
"Of course I do. I've been friends with them for so long, but I've said words I shouldn't have and they did the same. It isn't easy to come back after I swore I never will."
Hadrian frowned at this, and said, "Maybe when it's my time to go to Hogwarts, you'll come with us and become a professor once more father?"
Salazar ruffled Hadrian's hair and proceeded to kiss his son's forehead. "I'll consider it."
Harry smiled, and yawned. At this, Salazar cast a tempus and found it to be way too early for the child to be running around.
"It's a weekend, Hadrian, my lovely child. You should sleep some more."
"But the letter?"
"It can wait. There is no need to write your brother so soon. You need all the rest you can have."
The child didn't seem satisfied at the explanation but nodded anyway at Salazar's commanding tone that had no room for disagreement.
Salazar carefully rolled the child over so that he was beside him and lying down. With a wave of a hand, thick blankets covered Harry.
Harry found Tom's letter floating atop him and it landed on his father's other bedside table. He continued reading the paper, and he would have until Harry asked another question, "What are those?"
Harry gestured to the piles of envelopes which were almost half as tall him and some of them have already fallen to the floor.
"Marriage proposals, for me you and Thomas."
Salazar rubbed the bridge of his nose, and began waving his wand. They were separated in three neat piles. The ones on the floor have come to rejoin the stack.
"It is almost absurd that women still send such requests when they know I am already married and I have made announcements that I will never marry gain, " Salazar grumbled.
Harry squeaked when he felt something slither across his body and blinked up at the white snake that was suddenly hissing before his face, "Little hatchling, are you sleeping in my master's bed again?"
"Yes. I think so."
"Good. You will keep me warm then," The snake said and proceeded to curl into a ball around the boy's stomach.
"Sasha, what did I tell you about surprising my son?"
"Not to. Forgive me master. He is very easy to startle, like a little mouse."
Harry pouted at this but began stroking Sasha's scales. The snake seemed to relax further. The child turned to look at his father and in a quiet voice, said, "Can I read the requests for me, father?"
"No. Absolutely not. Some of them have no sense of decorum to even tone down their proposals. I will be the one to read them for you. Trust me on this, Hadrian."
"Alright father. What about Thomas? Do you send him his requests?"
Salazar narrowed his eyes at the tricky question, "Yes, I send them over once I've had a look. He said he was prepared to sift through the contracts himself."
There was a protest at Hadrian's lips and he could see the accusing stare from where he was sitting and sighed, "Thomas can take care of himself and you Hadrian. You are frail, naïve and innocent. I will decide who you marry and that's final."
Hadrian's lip quivered and looked away.
"Okay," came the small voice.
Salazar dropped the paper, and brushed the child's hair away from his forehead.
"If it makes you feel better, you can read them once you reach the age of fourteen. I plan to have you wed by the time you are seventeen, perhaps earlier."
"Why not eleven?"
"Thirteen or not at all."
Hadrian sighed, and looked longingly at the pile of letters, his curiosity not assuaged one bit.
"Okay."
Salazar almost breathed a sigh of relief until inquisitive green eyes blinked up at him.
"So which ones are mine father?"
Salazar pointed at the smallest pile, "These are mine." Harry tried to guess over a hundred letters.
"These are yours," Salazar pointed at the tallest pile in the middle.
The last one was just a little bit more than what Salazar was getting, "Your brother's."
"Why are there so many letters for me, father?"
Salazar gave up then, and put the wizarding paper away. He began to lie down on the bed, careful not to jostle his familiar and wrapped his youngest son in an embrace.
"Don't you know? You're an adorable little creature. You have the features many of our kind would want on their children."
With his will alone, the drapes closed themselves shut so that no light entered his sleeping chambers.
"Sleep tight, Hadrian."
Ruling the Slytherin house was easy but it did not come naturally. His father left his house and it brought about a string of disagreements as to whether or not he was capable.
They bore a grudge towards his father for the two remaining founders never abandoned their respective houses, and even if Godric Gryffindor died a tragic death, he remained with the Gryffindor house until a year before his death. They thought Salazar Slytherin was a traitor, while the others shared his father's sentiments about having only the purest of blood to attend Hogwarts.
His house was divided and at the helm of those rebelling against him, the rightful Heir of Slytherin was a vicious man named Langley Fowl. The seventh year student had his band of followers and made it clear that he was not welcome and his hold on the Slytherin house was not appreciated.
Their head was a dueling master but was also well versed with muggles and the dealings of the Holy Roman Empire of which he came from. He taught both dueling and muggle studies. He was not fluent in English and for this he was not liked well.
It was an irony of ironies to have such a man as the head of Slytherin House, and it was rumored that it was Godric Gryffindor who proposed such a thing. Regardless of his short comings, he was respected for his magical prowess and did his job properly.
Albrecht Hugh, their head simply did not wish to entangle himself with matters within his house.
As such, Thomas found himself on his own against the Fowl's lackeys. Not that it truly mattered when his father had come close to killing him on several occasions of dueling.
Thomas sat himself on the middle couch of the Slytherin common room with his supporters around him. His year mates and a couple from the older years watching the proceedings with concerns.
Five of them against one first year student.
"Yield. Accept that we are your betters, Thomas and we can forgive your transgressions. Surely your father wouldn't like it if you were sent home because you've lost your limbs."
Thomas laughed, "My limbs you say. I'd like to see you try."
At this, one of Langley's friends snarled and attempted to lunge at him like some wild animal. Langley had to restrain him.
"You're testing our patience. We've given you too many chances."
As if to shatter the moment, a snowy white owl suddenly fluttered in the middle of the two parties, landing effectively beside Thomas. It extended a leg that held a letter and hooted at him to take it.
He took it and proceeded to open the letter and read it, despite the growing annoyance of Langley.
Then, a curse was fired at him, missing Hadrian's owl by a hairsbreadth.
Thomas saw red.
The first curse he used was the same curse his father used on his familiar, an overpowered "Diffindo."
And an arm fell on the floor. The very same person who shot the curse was howling in pain, "My arm! Merlin my arm! It hurts-"
That made 4 more people.
A volley of curses were thrown at his way, and Thomas threw a shield charm and glared at his brother's bird to go away but it merely stared at him imploringly, as if confident that he was strong enough to protect it.
'Fine.'
"Crucio."
Thomas felt a delightful high at casting one of his favorite curses. Langley managed to shatter his shield charm with a burning hex, that singed a portion of his hair, and he thought his father would be annoyed. He had to roll on the floor to avoid conjured daggers thrown at him. He sent it back, and saw one scrape another's knee.
He sent a bone shattering curse that hit Langley's legs who promptly fell to the floor but not without shooting another curse behind him.
Thomas summoned Hadrian's bird to him, feeling rage, and fear because the bright yellow acidic curse would have melted his shield and killed Hadrian's familiar. "You foolish bird, just leave!" He cast another wandless non-verbal spell, a sticking charm to everyone's hands and feet, that had them all on the floor, motionless, but not for long.
Thomas watched Hedwig fly off only to stop behind him once more, as if daring him to say another word. He saw one of them getting up and decided to cheat.
"I summon the servants of this house to protect me, and subdue these fools"
Snakes began crawling out of the different crevices of the room from portraits, the stone floor, walls, statues, ceiling and it was pandemonium as the other students who watched the spectacle sought for shelter as hundreds of snakes suddenly materialized to crawl around and start biting the five students before him.
Fowl and his friends tried blasting them away, but more kept coming and he felt himself smile as they started squealing like pigs.
"Impedimienta."
His eyes darkened when he saw one more falter on the floor as the snakes began crawling all over him. Three more idiots to deal with, probably two, since Langley was barely able to move away, all but crawling on the floor with his shattered knees.
"Mors Ignis"
He conjured one of the most dangerous fires his father taught him, and it formed into a massive snake with horns whose breath roared like a dragon's. It began to circle him, like a happy pet, burning all that surrounded him except for the couch that had Hadrian's owl. At this point, his followers and friends have all backed themselves to the wall and some began to escape the common room, running for safety. It did not matter to Thomas because he was already feeling particularly murderous.
He watched dispassionately as slowly, but surely, they were overcome by the house's protections. Such pitiful forms. He brushed aside his hair and winced at the sudden exhaustion he felt.
A part of him thought that he wouldn't have any need of his father's creations if it weren't for Hedwig. It would have taken longer to have them on their knees but he didn't want anything to happen to Hadrian's familiar. Not again.
"Don't let them go. Feast on them until I tell you to stop."
He kept the large fire serpent sustained as a show of power. It began hissing at the five unfortunate souls, "Foolish mortals. You should not have angered my master."
Thomas largely ignored it since it merely echoed his own thoughts. It had an almost uncontrollable urge to burn everything in its path which he reigned in. He allowed it to come close to their faces so he could see them writhe in pain as the smell of burning skin permeated the room.
Sufficiently cowed down, not expecting that a first year could have ever beaten them, they were starting to beg. It was music to his ears.
They could suffer for a while longer for all he cared.
He then sat beside the infuriating owl and proceeded to read the letter in peace.
To my Dearest Brother Thomas,
I'm currently hiding from father. He's hosting a party at home. He said I've become an outcast for only associating with Luna but I love Luna. I don't think I need more friends… but he's introducing me to a lot of other children.
I made friends. I think. One is Neville. His birthday is a day before mine. He's very good with plants. He gave me white lily because I told him I liked them. I visited his house the other day, and he showed me their greenhouse. He has so many plants. He knows what they do, and how to grow them. He told me he was only five when his grandma gave him full reign over the family collection. I think it's amazing.
I also met Ron Prewett and his sister Ginny. Ron likes to fly too but he says he doesn't like the brooms we have right now. He finds them very uncomfortable to sit on. I wonder if brooms will ever improve. Maybe I can make them one day so they're like an actual chair you can sit on? I read about the cushioning charm too. Maybe you and father will let me fly. I miss it so much. Regarding Ron, he told me he has a lot of other brothers. I have not seen them, but he said it's difficult being part of such a large family.
Perhaps you'll see them in Hogwarts? They all look like him with ginger hair, freckles and they're all probably in Gryffindor.
Ron's little sister likes to stare at me and follow me around but whenever I try to talk to her, she doesn't say anything. I almost… want to ask her what's wrong. I don't know what I'm doing wrong but Ron said Ginny likes me enough and she's just weird because she also turns very red whenever she's with me. Like she's mad, but I haven't done anything to upset her. It troubles me. I don't know if she's my friend but since she is Ron's sister, I think it is customary that we at least be amicable towards each other. I find girls weird. Luna is an exception.
Father and I will visit Egypt this coming week to purchase sweets. It's gotten more expensive in Europe. I'll be sending sugar tomorrow, because I heard from father that they don't have it in Hogwarts. I wish I can send you more food, but father said the food in Hogwarts is okay. I think he's lying. We are getting Canisiones from Italy, Hais from Egypt and Tarts from home. Tati will send it over.
Also, when I got your letter I told him I wanted to reply right away, but father said I had to rest. I went to his bedroom that morning and I saw something strange. I saw letters for me! Father said they're marriage proposals or contracts and that I can't read them until I turn thirteen but you can read yours. It feels unfair, but father said he is protecting me. He did not want to tell me, saying I was innocent. Please tell me why. Please. I'm so curious.
I do feel sorry for those who have written them because father merely burns them without even leaving a reply. I think I'd be very sad if someone ever burns my letters.
I'm happy that you're safe. I was worried you wouldn't like Hogwarts. Father received an owl that you are four more subjects. If there are any books you need, father has given the permission for you to order them.
I've been drinking my medicine. I've managed to persuade father to replace Gilbert with another kinder teacher. You'll like her! Her name is Ismelinda. She said she is acquainted with Mr. Hugh, one of your professors.
I love you Thomas. Stay safe and come back home when you don't want to stay there anymore. I miss you a lot. Sasha misses you and Nagini too.
Yours always,
Hadrian Slytherin
At the thought of Hadrian and his brother's kind smile, he felt a semblance of calm. Father always said he was quick to anger, and that he should learn a little patience.
He stood up.
"I hope you've learned your lesson. The owl beside me belongs to my brother. If any of you attempt to curse her again, I will punish you in ways you can never imagine. I find it unbelievably foolish that you would dare challenge me in my father's house. I am Salazar Slytherin's heir, and even if I was not, the difference in the strength of our magic proves I am superior."
With a wave of his wand, the fire serpent dissipated.
"My snakes, you've done well. You may leave now," Tom hissed at the lovely servants.
"It is a pleasure serving you master." "Please call us once more, we will do all you ask." "You are most kind." "We live to serve you."
The small voices muttered their thanks and glee and once they left, there were five crumpled bodies before him.
Thomas circled them, daring them to move or raise a wand against him but they could only groan in pain, and whimper in fear.
"All of your injuries are severe and if they are not treated now, you will not live until tomorrow. I have witnesses that show I am merely protecting myself."
The knowledge of their own very mortal lives and their eventual death had some of them crying.
He stepped forward and tilted Fowl's face with the tip of his boots.
Seeing no resistance, Tom smiled as if all his earlier ire was gone, "You will not die tonight. I am not usually forgiving but since this is your first transgression, I am willing to let it go. I trust that all of you," He spoke to the rest of the students in the common room, nudging Fowl's face away and looking at every other student in the eye, "will keep this delicate matter amongst ourselves. Someone send them to the healers."
He watched as students came forward, helping the fallen five off their feet. The older students who began to cast healing spells, trying to do their job at his unspoken demand to keep them alive.
"You can call me Harry. It is only father and my older relatives who still call me Hadrian," Harry said and smiled at Ginny. His green eyes caught the light of the sun and Ginny blushed.
There was something about Ginny that reminded him of his mother. It was the shape of her face, and maybe even the hair.
It was possible that he liked her, because of that alone.
"Harry," came the small voice and red faced, Ginevra looked away.
They were lying down in a circle on the grass, looking up at the sky with their heads close to each other, holding hands. Harry held Ginny's, and Luna's. Luna held Neville's who held Ron's who completed the circle by holding her sister's hands.
"I wish my brother was here," Harry said wistfully.
"Oh, here you go again with your brother. I thought he hated you," Ron replied.
"It is quite the opposite in fact," Luna murmured dreamily.
Neville chose to stay quiet, hating the thought of arguing. "But the way you talked about him makes me think he acts like such a prat," Ron said.
Luna shook her head and said, "Tom was simply confused."
"It's Thomas, Luna."
"I'm quite sure he won't mind if you call him Tom, Harry," Luna said and twirled a strand of her hair. She began looking at Harry, and then Ginny who looked as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.
"I don't really want to make him mad. He can be scary when he's angry. Just listen to me for once, Luna," Harry tried to imagine his brother's face when he thought of calling him such a plebian name as Tom.
Then, he let go of Luna and Ginny's hands and began reaching for the sky.
The sky was a pretty shade of blue with soft cotton clouds dotting the horizon. He spied a bird flapping its wings and sighed.
"I miss him. Ron, Ginny… since you two have other siblings, do you miss them too?"
Ron laughed and said, "Not the twins no. And Merlin forbid Percy but I do sometimes miss Will and Charlie. Have I told you Charlie handles dragons?"
"Oh, Thomas mentioned we should visit Romania because of dragons."
"Yes, that's where he's working now. They're so small as babies. Charlie once brought one home, and showed us that it could fit in the palm of your hand." He did a rough gesture at how small it was, and continued saying "It does breathe fire already, so when Mum found out, he was royally screwed."
"You know I have an uncle who died battling a dragon. They're terrifying creatures," Neville said.
"Thomas wants to tame one, I think."
"Tell him it'll take years."
"I've never seen one except in paintings. Do they look the same, with ridges, and as big as houses."
"Easily. Maybe one's even bigger than your castle," Ron huffed.
Harry tried to imagine it. Something bigger than their castle was a terrifying sight indeed.
"Luna, would you happen to know what marriage means? Like… what is important about it? I know that it strengthens families but other than that, I haven't found anything."
Luna squeezed Harry's hands and delightedly said, "Marriage is a union where two beings love each other and swear to be together for all eternity. I have heard of marriages between centaurs and wizards, trolls and Goblins."
"Eww, Luna that sounds wrong," Ron felt sick.
"Then, if I love you all, does that mean I want to marry you all? Do I marry Thomas and father too?"
Ginny looked scandalized and shook her head saying, "I don't think it works that way… You can only marry one person. Mother tells me all the time."
"But my father still gets letters, and he says he's already married. Why is that?"
"I don't know," Ginny looked sad but in a moment of pure courage, she blurted out, "but I'd like to marry you Harry!"
Harry felt his heart skip a beat, and looked at her then at Luna who seemed to be enjoying his dilemma, "Like she said, you have to choose."
"I have to choose between all of you? That's very difficult. But if I didn't have to I'll marry you too, Luna!"
Ginny looked heartbroken at the early age of six knowing that Harry wasn't able to choose.
"I… I have something to say," Neville carefully interjected.
"Well, go on," Ron urged. Harry just smiled at how shy Neville was.
"I think. Harry will marry someone from his family. Gran said we all would. She told me again and again I'm to marry my cousin but we have not decided who."
Harry pondered at this, and thought of his many relatives. "Are we not all related to each other?"
"No, Harry. The Prewetts and the Longbottoms come from a different family. The Selwyns are close to the Slytherin family though," Neville continued.
"But why marry at all?" Harry asked, wondering why he can't just ask his father to explain things to him.
"I know that's how babies are made," Ron said and scratched his head, "I heard Fred and George talking about it. Something about why Hogwarts separates the female and male dormitories. Why are you so interested?"
Harry scrunched his eyebrows and pouted, "Father would never let me see the letters. Oh," and a look of sadness came to him, "he also said he would decide who is right for me."
Harry stood up, and stretched. He helped them all up. Then he called, "Tati."
With a pop, the house-elf "What is my master's be needing?"
"Prepare us fresh juice and also prepare a bath for all of us."
"Yes master Hadrian."
Harry cast a wandless tempus, and saw it was getting late, "My father and I will visit Egypt tomorrow. I will get you presents. Ron, what time will your mother come and fetch you?"
Ron began to follow the Slytherin heir, "She said, once the sun is down, she'll apparate to the edge of the wards."
"Neville? Luna?" Harry turned to his two other friends.
"Gran said I can stay the night over if I want to. She likes you a lot, Harry."
"Same here, Harry."
Harry felt really excited, "Then I must tell father! Maybe he'll even let you come with us to Egypt!"
Ginny was looking forlornly at her feet and told Ron, "I want to come too."
"Try convincing mum with that."
Thomas was not sure what to write to his brother as he sat in the private quarters of Salazar's heir. It was a special wing all to himself which at least helped him with his desire for privacy.
The window was getting tapped by a familiar white owl and he let it in.
"Why are you here again?"
Thomas huffed, and saw the owl drop a letter on his table and fly off.
Dear Thomas,
I know you have not had the chance to reply but I could not sleep because tomorrow we're leaving for Egypt. Neville and Luna are sleeping over, and they're coming with me too! I managed to convince Neville's grandmother and Luna's father that they'll be safe with me and father.
We talked about a lot of things like how Ron has a brother who works with dragons, and how Luna is creating a compendium of magical creatures. She told me about Nargles, and how most of the missing stuff in my room have been taken by them.
Also, I learned a bit more about how marriage works. It's when you love someone so much you don't want to live without them. Then I want to marry you, father, Luna and Ron and all my other friends. Ginny said she wants to marry me and I said I would but they all said I have to choose because you can only marry one person.
Why is that?
I don't really understand, but Ron said it's how babies are made but I don't know how babies are made. I want to know about that too.
I've asked father but he did not want to tell me.
Also, I snuck in a sugar cube for you. I could not wait for Tati. You can have it with your tea or munch on it. I stole it away from dinner.
Please write to me soon.
-Harry
The research about marriage and babies have preoccupied Thomas for a day or two and traumatized a few professors but when the knowledge has been gained, he hesitated writing back to his darling little brother, and even though it pained him to physically write it down, the simplest answer was.
I don't know.
In the future, he would take it back and tell Hadrian the real reason. Just like his father, he wanted to preserve his innocence.
His house was his empire now. He was treated like a king, and his closest friends were his vassals.
The Slytherin house showed a united front, and after the incident with Langley Fowl, they have all began to follow a pecking order.
The five have been ostracized and worked hard to return back to his favor, sending him gifts, and praising him whenever he was within earshot.
The five of them received howlers from their respective parents who thought they were idiots, picking on a first year student, and the heir of the most illustrious Salazar Slytherin at that. It was like picking on Wizarding pureblood royalty.
Blasphemy, they said.
It was entertaining to say the least. His best friend Abraxas seemed to think so.
Arithmancy, Runes, and the introduction to Blood Wards proved to be challenging and it let him exercise the mind that he so rarely used while attending classes with his year mates.
If only it wasn't required, he lamented.
The mudbloods were not a problem, and one could say he even had them all charmed, thinking he cared for their wellbeing when he all wanted was to secretly see them dead or otherwise removed from the castle.
Seeing the first years muggleborns adhere to the wizarding lifestyle, correcting their uncouth manners and plebian beliefs was a sport the rest of his pureblood friends seemed to have adopted. Serafina Blanc in particular made it her every day mission. She was separated from their group and was sorted into Ravenclaw.
She frequented the Slytherin table to share stories of how difficult it is to fit in with them and she was almost tempted to ask for a resorting, not that the request has ever been approved.
In his latest rune class, he managed to create a bracelet for his brother, with a stone etched with Elhaz. He tried to pick a shade that matched his eyes, and found one with marbling yellow and green. It was meant to protect him from undue harm.
His little brother was becoming more adventurous without an older brother to fear. Salazar bemoaned that the boy has become more outspoken which was good. Perhaps his little brother would stop being a wall flower after all.
He did not appreciate the boy's new friends. He would rather the boy be within this circle of influence. Abraxas has a brother of Harry's age who the boy was rumored to repeatedly avoid. Blanc had a younger sister as well. It irked him that he could only write letters to Adrianne who didn't seem as enthusiastic when reporting to him.
He trusted her well enough to take care of his health, but he wanted to know more.
He did not know when the protective feelings have begun to surface, but it became an obsession to know that his brother was safe and happy at home.
Perhaps he should have never asked Salazar about his health, then he could be oblivious to Hadrian's curse.
It was exactly because of Hadrian that his weekends were spent in the library, devouring book after book. His professors have remarked his outstandingly studious nature, and Rowena had all but taken him under her wing, sending him presents and bemoaning that he was not sorted in her house instead.
He researched primarily about ways to extend one's life, or achieve immortality. He sent a missive to his father who replied saying…
It will involve Soul magic and Blood magic, the darkest kind. I have made several breakthroughs myself, but I have not completed it. I will share with you my notes and perhaps a children's book, artifacts with which one may cheat death.
Seeing the bundles of notes, Thomas began to understand how knowledgeable Salazar was in comparison to him. Complex spell work, countless experiments and test subjects of every kind was given to him in Parsel script. He put aside the tales of the three brothers, finding them impossibly foolish. He had no time for games.
One that interested him was the incomplete spell with his father's pet basilisk, Forseti. The temperamental basilisk hungered for human flesh, which is why Salazar he forbade him to meet with it.
Theoretically, they could keep Hadrian asleep for all eternity, never aging, and in that sense, stay alive but the problem with that is what if they could not live long enough to find a cure?
Keeping him in stasis only solved one part of the problem, since his curse will continue to wreak havoc on his body while he was awake. It could prolong his life by several hundreds of years, perhaps even thousands if left alone but what if his brother sleeps and only wakes up to die right aftwards?
Was there a way to test it on him?
Safely?
Thomas knew at that point that there wasn't. Salazar's experiments alone rendered three basilisks dead. If they played with Hadrian's life in an effort to find him a cure, they could only end up destroying him and ultimately killing him.
That would be devastating.
The other alternative?
A heinous crime. The kidnapping of one, two or more hapless wizards who shared Hadrian's age and they would be cursed with the same poison Hadrian had ingested. Then, it would involve experiments, countless, until they found a cure.
Torture.
At the thought, Thomas asked himself if it was worth it and after some deliberation, he thought that yes it was. He only had one brother, and he did not care for the lives of many others.
Time was of the essence, now that he knew his utmost desire was to keep his brother alive. He was that precious to him even if he didn't truly understand why.
Or maybe he did.
No one, not even his father, smiled or seemed to love him as much as Hadrian did… and he showered him with affection despite how cruel he was.
It was.
Exquisite. Addicting.
He wanted more.
His other goal was to achieve immortality, or at least a way to mimic it without turning himself into a half wizard. He considered studying vampires and their blood, but the creatures of the night were weary of wizards and have seldom shown themselves for fear of being hunted down.
It was his last option.
Even if they did succeed in applying the same charm that allowed Forseti to sleep, if they were not around, Harry was doomed to sleep for an eternity with no one to wake him up.
It was either they did it or no one else can do it.
It made the search for immortality even more adamant.
The problem with his brother is his body. His mind and soul are both intact. He supposed if there was also a way to tether his brother's body into the living, then they could theoretically have him possess another body once they remove his soul and mind, place it into a healthier one and repair what is left of him but those fall into the realms of advanced soul magic and necromancy.
Necromancy was not a skill his father knew of or practiced.
Thomas brought down his quill at the dangerous thoughts and swept aside the rolls of parchment.
He almost wanted to bite his lip and looked up at the flapping of wings.
Hedwig landed on his head, her claws careful not to scratch his hair, and it was annoying and distracting enough that his violent thoughts have stopped.
She dropped a letter before him and a parcel.
He opened the letter first.
When he spied the name Ginny, he almost crushed it.
'What an annoying little Prewett. I should crush her dreams now and demand for Hadrian's hand myself… but it is best to do it in front of her, so she will know she has no chance of ever being wed to my brother.'
It's been a long three months. In three days, he will return home, just in time for the Winter Solstice and the Slytherin gala.