A silent spring washed over Hogwarts. The war seemed to have come to an abrupt halt, with most significant battles leaving them behind, yet as spring progressed there was an eerie feeling about, as if something was wrong, and would soon drop the other shoe on them.
"We'll get caught! Hurry up!" Emerick whispered.
"This is an art! Gimme a sec!" Dreogan whispered back, his wand making patterns in the air, casting spells. "Keep watch. I won't be but a minute."
They were in the Great Hall, standing next to Slytherin table.
"Quick!" Charles exclaimed. "Someone's coming over."
"Fuck, it's one of Slytherin Prefects, hide!" Emerick said, looking around for a good place to hide all three of them.
"Where? There's nowhere…" Charles was interrupted.
"Latebra!" A female voice's whispered spell came from behind them. "Don't move and don't make a sound."
With hearts beating fast, they saw the Slytherin prefect, a blond boy with very round face and even rounder circumference, pass them by.
All three of them spun on their heels, wanting to see the owner of the voice. Claudia grinned at them, batting her eyelashes, appearing slowly, as if from behind a vanishing mirror.
"What are you doing here?!" Dreogan beamed, surprised.
"Looking after you lot, apparently", she said. "Shame on you, not letting me in, in the fun."
"Uh…we thought you were too serious for pranks", Emerick said, even more surprised than Dreogan.
"Who doesn't like a good prank? Especially when aimed at a table-full of Slytherins!" Claudia rubbed her hands together, smirking evilly.
"Right, we were wrong, now help please? I'm trying to make this dungbomb larger and conceal it without it going kaboom!" He pointed at a dungbomb levitating up in the air, above the Slytherin table.
"Oh, you're using the wrong spell, that's why. May I?" she asked, getting her wand ready.
"By all means!" Dreogan stepped aside.
"There, done", she declared about five minutes later.
"Great, let's get out of here", Dreogan said.
They left the Great Hall and headed to the Library, to study for the upcoming end-of-term exams they knew were incoming.
Dreogan stared at the restricted section.
"Do you wonder? What happened to it?" He whispered, revising Ghouls and imps for Defense against the dark arts.
"It?" Emerick didn't lift his head from his notes on potions.
"The book of leaves. Sometimes I wonder what happened to it, after we found it last year."
"That book's trouble, I wish Headmistress Adams sent it somewhere far away and probably safer", Emerick replied, turning a page.
"What could be safer than Hogwarts?" Claudia wondered, reading her transfiguration notes. "The Ministry isn't, and I doubt Gringotts would bε, even with all the curse-breakers, spellbinders and Goblins about."
"Well Hogwarts might be safe, but the Restricted section in the Library, clearly, wasn't", Emerick shrugged.
"I'd hide it in plain sight, where was it hidden before your brother found it?" Claudia asked Dreogan.
"The Restricted section for four years", Dreogan replied.
"What? How do you know?" Claudia and Emerick lifted their heads from their notes.
"I don't…don't know, I just do?" Dreogan shrugged, his face demonstrating his utter ignorance on the matter.
"Before that?" Charles asked.
"No idea", Dreogan said. "Hey, I'm as perplexed about this as you are", seeing their surprised looks at him.
"Well, no mind. We have homework to finish", Claudia said, lowering her gaze again.
"Potions and Herbology…joy", Dreogan opened his rolls of parchment.
"I wish they'd do something about the lighting in the library, it's dimmed down somehow", Emerick whined, casting Lumos with his wand. It was bright daylight outside.
An hour later and as Dreogan was finishing up his Potions revision and homework assignments Professor Horsewood entered the library.
"Oh god, now what?" Dreogan whispered.
"I'm not even going to pretend to say, "Maybe it's not about you" mate." Dreogan made a guttural laughing noise.
"Maybe it'll be something nice, for a change!"
"Oh, who are we kidding…there's a bigger chance we find sentient extraterrestrial life in the new Mars Colony!" Emerick said.
"Hey! I actually know about this!" Dreogan exclaimed, in a hushed whisper.
"You've been reading muggle news?" Claudia seemed astonished.
"That too! The Daily Prophet had a coverage article about the first non-Earth Magical School that opened up in there, in a location called…Syria Planum?" Dreogan explained, enjoying knowing about the subject.
"Oh yeah! They named the school Celestialis Arcanum…apt!"
"Mr.…Burton?" Professor Horsewood winked at him.
"Not official just yet, but thank you, professor!"
"I'll have to ask you to come with to my office, please", she said, her voice trying to sound normal.
"Uh, ma'am I didn't…"
"I am not about to accuse you of anything, but I will need you to come with me. Your friends can come if they so want."
"Is my mum okay?" Dreogan shot up.
"As far as I know your mother's doing fine in Cornwall with her sister's family. Can you please, just once follow me without questions?" She tried to maintain a calm voice, even though with some effort.
Claudia stifled a laugh. They gathered their things and followed her.
"Please, wait out here", Professor Horsewood told the other three, holding the door to her office open for Dreogan.
Dreogan entered, after a fleeting look at Charles who shrugged.
An Auror was there, an Asian-looking man with high cheekbones, rainbow, short hair and lanky stature, in long black robes and pants.
Another man, dressed in a fine silk brown suit, and pants sat cross-legged next to the Auror. A briefcase stood next to his chair.
"My father. He's dead, isn't he?" Dreogan asked, when Horsewood shut the door behind her.
The Auror looked at Horsewood who nodded.
"Indeed, we found his body…or what was left of it earlier today. My condolences…Mr. Gaunt", the man said. He tried to not look as happy as he was.
"I don't think anyone, anywhere, including me is sorry he's dead", Dreogan replied.
"I took the liberty and called over Mr. Ian McCormack as well, who I believe you have hired as your solicitor?" Professor Horsewood told him, introducing the man in the nice suit.
Dreogan shook his hand. "It is good to see you, in person, soon-to-be-Mr. Felix Burton", The man smiled at him. He looked to be in his mid-forties, with black glistening hair finely combed to fall from one side to the other, going from longer in the front to shorter in the back. Dreogan smiled back, looking into the man's amber eyes and feeling the powerful arm grind his hand during the handshake.
"Likewise, sir."
"The Auror needs your attention, then I will require it", Mr. McCormack told him, sitting back down.
"Your father's body was found in a rather…bad state. He was badly tortured for days if not weeks. Someone within his organization must have…"
"My siblings, they are coming out of the shadows, they no longer require them, or him", Dreogan interrupted him.
"Likely, but we have no proof of it", the Auror said.
"I and others saw it in a dream that wasn't a dream. They forced him to apparate in front of them from a battle in Brazil and began to torture him", Dreogan continued.
"We will need to verify this", The Auror wasn't agreeing with him, but he wasn't getting angry either.
"Take your time, it's not like Azrail and Ernaline are out there, plotting on how to destroy your organization. How did you find him? Can't imagine an Auror was taking a walk through a forest and found him", Dreogan on the other hand was feeling peeved.
"We got an anonymous letter, providing us with the location. It was written in his blood", the Auror told him.
"They wanted him found? Why?" Professor Horsewood spoke.
"Have the attacks stopped as the Daily Prophet says they have?" Dreogan asked.
"Mostly, we also found another two bodies, two of your father's top supporters.", the Auror said.
"Two of his generals, you mean? So, Azrail cleaned house."
"Is there anything else? I'd like a moment alone with my client", McCormack interjected in a calm yet confident voice.
"One final thing. In his mouth there was a note. "Give it to me, or I'll come get it", Do you have any idea what it means?" , the Auror asked, staring straight into Dreogan's eyes.
"Not a clue", Dreogan tried his best to remain completely emotionless in his reply. He looked at professor Horsewood out of the corner of his eye, who shook her head "no".
The Auror nodded and left, making a small bow at Professor Horsewood.
"I'll leave you two alone", Professor Horsewood exited after the Auror, closing the door behind her.
"We have two matters to discuss. First, the issue of you changing your name. It was impossible before due to the fact that your father could not be consulted on the matter…or any matter and he would not consent to it, I believe". Dreogan nodded his head. "Now, though I'm guessing your mother will agree? She is now your legal guardian", McCormack paused.
"Yeah!" Dreogan beamed.
"As to the second matter. It has not been long since you contacted me, asking for my professional aid, so I don't know everything yet, but…I have to ask you to keep this to yourself, for now. Your brother may have spies even in Hogwarts."
"Not even Charles, my friends or mum?" Dreogan asked, taking a seat in one of the empty chairs.
"No one for now, until I can finalize everything on my end. It is imperative for your sake as well as the safety of me, my family and your mother that you don't speak a word of this to anyone, as you may be overheard, and your siblings may find out", McCormack's voice left no room for misinterpretation on if he was being serious.
"Okay…" Dreogan agreed, halfheartedly.
"I'll tell your mother myself, in person as she's going to need to know, being your legal guardian from now on, and owls can be intercepted."
"Can holographic messages be intercepted?" Dreogan grinned.
"That's muggle technology? I suspect it might be. I have a friend in the Ministry who works in the new spells department. She says Azrail's portal spell 'contains' holographic technology…somehow", the lawyer said.
"Okay, I won't tell anyone", Dreogan relented.
Fifteen minutes later he came out of Horsewood's office, looking lost deep in thought.
"What's up?" Claudia asked him. The three of them rising from the bench they sat on.
"Father's dead", Dreogan stated, looking up at them.
They hugged him, in a group hug. "I'm so sorry!" Claudia told him.
"Thanks, but why? I'm not! Now, there's no obstacles to me changing my name and I can live with mum!" Dreogan replied, looking happy.
"Still, he is…was your dad, mate", Charles said.
"No, he gave material to an unwilling woman, then denied me to her and allowed my siblings to torture both of us in different ways. He's a sperm donour, not a father. You have a father who cares, loves you and would die and kill to protect you."
"Perhaps anger will pass with time, we as your friends are sorry for your loss", Emerick said.
"I'm thankful, but loss it is not", Dreogan said. "It's release, now if only Azrail and Ernaline could die off, that'd be great! What class do we have next?" Dreogan asked, disengaging from their hug.
"You sure you want to…" Claudia started saying.
"Absolutely."
"Potions, oh hello Mr. McCormack, sir!" Claudia greeted her father's friend.
"Good morning Claudia, your mother and father often speak of you and your academic achievements," he replied.
Claudia blushed by his words and intense gaze. "Oh, eh…thank you."
"Yes, parents can be embarrassing that way", He chuckled, nodding at Dreogan who nodded back.
The rest of the school day went by uneventful, as news of Cillian's demise had not been made public, and Dreogan and his friends did not hasten the inevitable release of it.
After classes were done Dreogan motioned at them with his head, and in silence walked to the seventh-floor corridor, and inside the room of requirement.
"I need to tell you two things that I don't want anyone overhearing or eavesdropping on and you three have…must swear to me you won't breath to another person. To anyone!" He told them after the room's doors had closed firm behind them.
"I swear, what is it! Don't keep me in agony!" Charles said.
"Give it to me, or I'll come get it", Dreogan paused for a second. "It was written in his blood, in a piece of parchment, stuck in father's mouth when they found him. Ministry either don't know or are not admitting they know what Azrail wants but Professor nodded when I glanced at her."
Emerick and Claudia spoke at the same time. "The Book of leaves."
"So, Azrail sent you a message by alerting the Ministry to the location of your father's body?" Claudia asked.
"Not me, he can tell me anything he wants in those dreams-that-are-not-dreams. This message was meant for the Headmistress. He believes the book is still in Hogwarts."
"Impossible. The Headmistress would have sent it off by now, after last year", Charles exclaimed.
"Nothing's impossible, but yeah you're probably right", Dreogan replied back.
"What's the second thing? You said two things", Claudia asked, clearly anxious.
"McCormack told me to not tell anyone about this, in case Azrail has spies in Hogwarts. He will eventually tell my mum himself so that an owl can't be intercepted but…room of requirement. No one can hear us or eavesdrop on us here. You can't tell anyone about this, not your other friends, not your parents, not even yourselves during your sleep, no one", Dreogan prologued.
"Yes, okay. Out with-it man!" Charles said, on tiptoe.
"I…father left everything to me. I am his sole heir. For legal reasons he left two galleons to Azrail and Ernaline, each. But, everything else is mine…when McCormack finishes with the whole bureaucracy of it all…"
7