Chapter 2: Catching attention
N/A : I think you already figured it but this story will have a heavy homosexual content... As for the pairing, yes, I did not put any for the moment but I have my pairing already decided though i'm still uncertain about some little details. But I did not specify yet who Harry would end up with because it would simply spoil the fun...just expect to witness many twists ^^
I hope you enjoy this 2nd chapter.
If you can't be free, be a mystery.
- Rita Dove.
9, November 1964. Hogwarts. Great Hall.
‡ ‡
The meal ended smoothly. Harry had had to answer many questions. Most of people had been puzzled by his peculiar resemblance with James Potter and he had denied being related to the Gryffindor. The lies had flooded out of his mouth, leaving a bitter taste on his tongue. Every time he spun around to catch a glimpse of his mother, his heart would ache. He thought his mother was beautiful. And his father was a prat. Sirius seemed to glow with pride and happiness, and Remus looked so … alive. They did not wear gaunt, hollow faces. It was something new for Harry. On the other hand, Peter Pettigrew seemed as insignificant as before. But Harry knew that it was only a facade. They all were in their 7th year, surely Peter was already a Death Eater. A traitor, rotten to the core.
Speaking of which, Harry wondered where Snape was. Snape should be a Death Eater too…Where was he? He looked at the Slytherins' table, staring at the faces he knew and quickly looking at the faces he did not know. Snape was not there. Harry shrugged. He probably was in a room, studying or making potions. Why did he care after all?
Harry had been told about Snape's infatuation for Lily. Lily who had married James Potter….Snape's nightmare. He had slowly come to understand the truth. The truth about Snape and Lily Evans. His hatred for the Potion teacher had softened, but his resentment was still here, lingering somewhere in his heart and mind. After all, why did Snape have to hate him? Had Snape hated him because he had James' face? If so, why? Harry was not James. And that was a fact Snape should have seen.
He noticed Lucius Malfoy was looking at him, and he quickly turned around to face once again the Ravenclaw prefect, Elena Rosebury. Had Malfoy seen him staring at the Slytherins? Harry sighed. He could not afford to attract Malfoy's attention. He had already had enough coping with Draco. Bickering with Draco was a thing, but having Lucius as a nemesis would be another…Draco had been rather easy to deal with, he had not as much composure as his father, he showed too much pride and easily fell for tricks. However, during the few times Harry had had the "chance" to see Malfoy Senior, he had noticed that Lucius was much rougher and more pitiless than his son. It would not do good to start a fight with him.
"Harry!" a feminine voice full of exasperation almost exclaimed.
"Yes?" Harry answered without even thinking.
"I'm trying to speak with you… Could you at least listen to me?" Elena said.
"Ah, sorry…I was thinking" Harry replied, an apologetic smile adorning his face.
Elena snorted softly and did not bother to reply. She had seen the new boy looking at the Gryffindors then at the Slytherins. But he had not been looking with mere curiosity, he had been searching for someone, something. As if he knew someone. She could have bet he had stared at the Marauders and Lily Evans. And his eyes had roamed over the Slytherins twice.
She was not a Ravenclaw for nothing. She liked challenges, and she was witty. The boy sitting before her was intriguing. He gave off a strange feeling. Elena's family had some relatives in Russia. Once she had gone to see them and had encountered dark creatures: Vampires, Dark Elves, Salamanders, Thestrals, trolls, demonic hounds….they all gave her the urge to run away. And somehow the boy resembled greatly those dark creatures, in his way of showing a faint smile that did not reach his eyes, in the way he interacted with the other Ravenclaws, never letting them touch him ever so slightly, in the way his eyes seemed to glaze over everything when they weren't boring holes in the person he had taken interest in….everything in him reminded her of those creatures. But she wanted to get close to that boy rather than staying away from him. It was odd.
People tend to know, upon seeing someone for the first time, whether they will get along with that person or not. It is a strange thing. Perhaps it is attraction. Perhaps it is something you determine by observing how that person walks, what clothes that person wears, how that person talks… It is something one cannot but experience even only once in his lifetime. Strange bonds can form anywhere. Any time.
As for Elena, it was the first time she felt such a strong pull towards another person. She had not experienced anything like this before. But she had known, when seeing him for the first time, that she would like to get to know him. It was strange. Strange. It was the only word she could think of to describe this situation.
"Do you know what Ravenclaws are, Harry?" she asked.
"Uh…clever and quiet people?" he replied, a smirk tugging his lips.
"You're almost right. However Ravenclaws are also people who strive hard to be the best, and people who like challenges. You have to show spirit and determination. It is the only thing required."
"Oh. Okay. Your point being…"
"The password for the Common Room. You'll have to find it on your own. If you cannot, you'll have to sleep outside." Elena smirked. Her eyes shone vividly with mischief that was easily noticeable.
Harry laughed softly. His laugh was a bit raspy as if he had not laughed for a long time. Elena decided she liked his laugh. It was not a too deep sound, nor was it too high-pitched. It was pleasant to hear. However Harry's eyes stayed dull and haunted.
It was a disconcerting contrast.
"So I'm going to be asked a question and I have to answer it?"
"No. You'll have to discover the password without any help. It is likely that the portrait on the door will not help you either. You can try as many answers as you want".
"I like it already…Seems fun" Harry replied.
Elena scoffed. She turned to her neighbor and asked the young 2nd year Ravenclaw to give her the jug. She did not talk any longer to Harry.
He didn't seem to be bothered by that fact.
A young Ravenclaw seized this opportunity to talk to him. Harry repressed a smile. Seems like Elena Rosebury intimidated some people…
"Is it true that you're an orphan ?" the young girl asked.
"For someone who didn't dare utter a word before your prefect, you sure have guts… Who told you that?" Harry asked, his voice holding a tinge of threat. Family, especially parents, was a sensitive subject for him.
"Ah…it's…err … I heard Dumbledore talk about it !" she replied hastily.
Harry smiled. However his smile was far from being a joyful one. It was a dark, hollow one. Elena recognized it immediately. It was the smile she had once seen on a vampire's face. It was a sight she would never forget. That night, she had experienced true fear. Only the intervention of her brother had saved her from death. That fateful night, she had understood why dark creatures were feared.
Harry did not really exude such frightening, oppressing aura but that smile….that smile….Oh Merlin…
Lucius squinted his eyes at the new boy. The girl had said something and then, Evans' conduct had dramatically changed. Whereas he could not sense anything coming from the boy earlier, he could now feel very distinctly the threatening waves emanating from Evans. He didn't really need to use his Veela side, he was sure even a mere human could sense the danger. And indeed, he noticed the girl backed away a little.
Truly, the boy was interesting.
"Isn't it that you learnt it through gossiping around with someone going under the name of Kathleen Johnson who was in the infirmary when I was talking with Dumbledore ? Talking about someone's life behind their back ? You expect me to believe you...amazing how humans are always so full of lies" Harry snarled.
The girl didn't dare to reply, and students in the vicinity had also stopped moving. Harry leaned forward until his eyes glinting sharply with hardly repressed fury were a few inches from the young girl's own quivering brownish eyes.
"Should I also go around telling your most private secrets ?" he whispered in a harsh, angry breath.
"Stop it." Elena cut in. Her face was pale, and she had a slight sign of recognition in her eyes though Harry did not know what it meant.
Harry could not use his vampire characteristics right now, but he didn't need them to know that the girl had lied. Even though he hated Dumbledore, he knew the old wizard would not ever talk about such a delicate subject where people could overhear him.
He stared darkly at the young girl, and snorted as he caught sight of her pupils dilated with fear and her trembling lips.
"I would have thought Ravenclaws to be honest" he merely added, reclining back in his chair with a calmness that was everything but reassuring.
"We are. There are some….exceptions" Elena replied, her gaze firmly fixed on the young girl who flinched.
Harry nodded and turned away. He poked at the potato that was in his plate and pouted. He reached out for the jug and drank some pumpkin juice. He mentally scolded himself. How could he lose his temper so easily? He really had to get a grip on himself. Since Aïon's death he had been emotionally unstable.
Aïon's death… He snorted and wished there were some Firewhisky bottles to drown his sorrows. Aïon's death…had been horrible. He still remembered the look Aïon had on his face when he died. It was a serene face. Adorned with a smile. A smile addressed to Harry. A smile…a sad yet very relieved one. Because Harry had survived. Aïon had not.
He shut his eyes and sighed, trying to calm himself.
Elena glanced at him. The other Ravenclaws slowly resumed their dinner and their chatter filled the Great Hall once again. Lucius did not leave Harry out of his sight
5, November 1964. Hogwarts. Ravenclaws' Common Room.
‡ ‡
After the meal, Harry was left alone before the door of the Common Room. He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled loudly. He was now facing the portrait of a young eagle who was looking at him with a sharp eye.
"Wit" Harry said.
The eagle shot him a mocking look. Harry laughed softly. He had seen much more intimidating looks. The eagle croaked.
"Determination"
The eagle croaked again. It held a tinge of mockery and amusement.
"Work"
The eagle stared at him. Harry smiled triumphantly.
"Not quite, young one. Did you think it would be this easy?" the eagle drawled.
Harry's smile dropped. The eagle looked smug.
"Perseverance"
"No, no, no…"
"….Challenge" Harry shot.
"Not at all, young one" the eagle immediately replied, obviously pleased.
"Are you sure you really heard all of the answers I gave you?" Harry tentatively asked.
"I did, young one. Are you insulting me? Now, try thinking a bit and give me the good answer. After all, you're supposed to be a Ravenclaw are you not? Try using that brain of yours, however little it might be. Alas humans are always so ..." the eagle replied.
"…"
Harry stared at the eagle. He really didn't want to stay out of the Common Room.
The eagle made a strange sound that resembled a laugh.
"Spirit?" Harry then said after a few minutes.
The eagle nodded and the door slowly opened. There stood Elena, still wearing her uniform robes. She was smiling.
"You did well Harry. Most of the students would stay out much longer. Some of them even had to stay outside for their first night". She praised him.
"Guess I'm clever then," he replied jokingly.
Elena laughed. Harry merely smiled.
With her hands, she vaguely explained him how the Dorms were organized. Here was the Common Room, on the right there were seven doors, on the left the same number of doors. The rooms on the right were the girls', the boys slept on the left. The prefects had a room of their own in the east wing that was just above the Ravenclaws' Common Room.
"Your room is the 7th one because you're in 7th year. There are 9 other students in our year. You'll share your room with 3 other boys."
"Okay. So I guess you're in 7th year?"
"Yes. I've already told you but if you want to talk to someone I'm here" she offered.
Harry nodded and turned around. Elena sighed. She knew the new student would be hard to approach. He just did not seem the type to be very friendly. Not that he seemed very frightening or withdrawn, but there was just that little distance he put between himself and other people.
She stared at his retreating back then at the door that had closed behind him. She walked out of the Common Room to go back to her own room.
As soon as he closed the door, Harry met with delirious cheers. He blinked.
"Our new friend!" someone exclaimed.
In the obscurity he made out the figures of his room-mates. One of them seemed rather big and muscular. Perhaps a Quidditch player? The other two did not seem to have any distinctive physical traits. One of the boys muttered a 'Lumos'.
Harry could now see them distinctly. The smaller ones were in fact twins. It reminded Harry of Fred and Georges.
"So new student, how do you like our humble room?" one of the twins asked mischievously.
"It's nice."
The twins laughed. Harry blinked. What was it that was so funny?
The tall boy approached him and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry. That happens often. By the way, I'm Theophile Goldsmith."
Harry nodded and swiftly moved a few steps away. He couldn't stand having someone touching him. It was making him uncomfortable. If Theophile noticed it, he did not say anything. The twins soon stopped laughing and got up to properly greet their new room-mate.
"I'm Alexis Peterson but you can call me Alex."
"I'm Alastor Peterson and unfortunately I've got no nicknames except Alas…so call me Alastor"
Harry smiled. Alastor…a name that reminded him of someone else. Fate was strange.
The twins led him to his bed and explained him how they proceeded every morning. Alastor tended to wake up early so he always showered first, then Theophile usually went in the bathroom after him. At 7.00 am, they had to wake Alexis up.
"So Harry do you wake up early or not?" Alexis asked him, with his eyes wide-opened, eagerly waiting for the answer, obviously hoping that someone would finally have more difficulties than him waking up.
"Uh…Yeah. I err…I'm somewhat a bit insomniac so I don't sleep much." Harry replied.
"Oh. Okay." Alexis pouted, clearly disappointed.
The other boys went to sleep whispering a soft "Good night" to which Harry merely grunted in response. He called a house-elf and asked him to bring his trunk which he had left in the infirmary. The house-elf brought it immediately and left.
Harry looked around and sighed. He wouldn't have much privacy here…Perhaps he should sometimes go and sleep in the Requirement Room… He would have to think about it. For now privacy spells around his bed would suffice. He cast a 'Protego', an 'Eremia' (means "solitude" in Greek) and removed the protection spells he had put on his trunk.
The trunk opened and he put out all of the clothes it contained safe for two cloaks, the invisibility cloak from his father, and Aïon's clothes which he had taken with him before stepping into the Temporal portal.
He flicked his wrist and arranged the clothes in the wardrobe that had been put near his bed. There were no robes. Only dark jeans and trousers; carmine, emerald and black shirts, and heavy dark cloaks. He would have to go buy some robes … Troublesome.
He closed the trunk, put on some protection spells, shrunk it and hid it under his bed.
He sprawled on his bed, yawning. He may have recovered from the time-travel but he was still weary. The spell had taken most of his energy.
He dozed off, gently fiddling with his necklace that he had put on.
"Eliel…"
- Who…Are you the one from before?
"Eliel. My beloved."
- Aïon?
"Eliel I shall protect you."
- Where are you Aïon? I ache…so much… so much…
"Do not worry. Eliel. My beloved Eliel. Stay strong."
"…."
"Listen to our Mother, Eliel."
- I don't understand, Aïon.
"Listen well to her voice. She is the Fai…"
- Wait ! Aïon ... !
Harry woke up drenched in sweat and crying, his chest heaving with sorrowful gasps.
6, November 1964. Hogwarts. Great Hall
‡ ‡
It was his first morning as a student. It felt great. He had not forgotten why he had come here but he thought it was nice to be a student again...Without Ron. Without Hermione. Without Draco. It was odd. And at the same time it was very thrilling. He had already met interesting people. Elena, Alexis and Alastor, Theophile, Lucius...
He glanced up as someone sat next to him. He met Elena's smiling eyes.
"Hello Harry. Slept well?"
"Yeah. And you?" he replied.
"Same here"
Elena looked at him. He had somewhat changed since yesterday. He was a bit less...cold. Perhaps his distant behaviour had been due to the fact that he knew no one. Or perhaps he was acting. Acting...She found herself staring at him. She knew nothing of him, yet she did not think he would be acting. Why would he need to ?
"Find me handsome?" Harry jokingly asked, not even bothering to gaze up.
"You're mistaken. I merely find you intriguing" she replied calmly.
Her soft voice reminded Harry of Luna. Sweet, air-headed yet very realistic Luna. Luna who had helped him. Luna who had supported him. Luna who had congratulated him for bonding with Aïon. Sweet, sweet Luna who had died. Killed by Alecto. Slaughtered.
"Malfoy is looking at you, Harry" Elena said, discreetly peering at his reaction.
Harry showed no reaction. He could care less about Malfoy Senior...He needed to find Aïon. His dream had been so vivid...
"Really? Should I feel flattered?" Harry replied in an utterly dispassionate tone.
"Well, it depends on how you see him."
"If you want to know he's far from being my idol" Harry said.
"Figures..."she muttered, though she noticed he seemed to know Lucius even though he had just arrived at Hogwarts…Strange. Although Lucius' father was infamous in the whole wizarding community for being a notorious Death Eater, Lucius himself was never the centre of rumours outside of Hogwarts if only because he was still an underage student.
They were interrupted by the arrival of Harry's roommates. Alexis still looked sleepy and was clinging to Alastor as though he was ready to fall on the floor to resume his sleep. Theophile greeted Elena and Harry and sat in front of the dark-haired wizard.
"You really are up early" Alastor commented.
"Yeah. Couldn't sleep any longer" Harry replied abruptly.
Alastor seemed to sense the tinge of uneasiness Harry's voice held for he did not try to push the question. Harry gulped down a last glass of orange juice and sat up. Elena did the same. Harry stared at her.
"I have to show you the way to your classes" Elena simply said.
"Oh. Yes, of course"
Elena wondered if Harry already knew the way. He was new here, true, but he had seemed rather puzzled and annoyed by her statement. It was yet another mystery to the boy. The two of them walked out of the Great Hall, Lucius' eyes never looking away from them.
The night before, Lucius had opened his father's letter in which Abraxas Malfoy had ordered him to keep an eye on the new student and see if he could be a valuable asset to the Dark side. On the other hand, Abraxas had told his son he would do some research on the Evans family.
Lucius was sure the boy was powerful. And he was sure his name, Evans, was the name of the Pureblood Family, and not the name of a Muggleborn unlike Lily Evans. Lucius' intuition rarely failed him. But he had yet to find tangible proof to confirm his suspicions. He had talked a bit about it with Regulus. The Black Heir had attentively listened to him. His conclusion had been "I'll keep an eye on him too." Neither had talked about it again.
He was once again enthralled by the way the boy moved around. Clear, poised, quiet steps. The boy had a grace and beauty that could certainly match up to Regulus' or Lucius' own manners. He observed the way Evans talked with Rosebury and wondered what they could be discussing about. Evans was talking to Rosebury but would he be giving her orders, Lucius thought, he would look exactly the same. Indeed, Evans' face was totally closed and unreadable as he talked. Almost frighteningly void of any emotion. And Lucius thought that it was very enticing.
"Mother sent me a letter early this morning. She said she had some information concerning the Evans family" Agatha suddenly piped up.
"Good." Lucius replied.
"Rosebury is being extremely interested in the new student don't you think?" Aristide asked Gloria.
The Parkinson heiress looked thoughtfully at the Ravenclaw pair and frowned. Her eyebrows creased, showing her concentration. Their relation seemed indeed peculiar, the Ravenclaw prefect wanting to get closer to the boy who seemed to be staying in an imaginary world of his own.
"I think she's only intrigued by him" Gloria then said.
"She hasn't stopped following him since yesterday. I'm sure she must be head over heels like all the other girls because of his pretty face. Are you sure you aren't interested in him too? " Aristide sneered.
"Always putting everyone on the same level...I'd like you to notice that I'm not head over heels for the new guy. Thanks for sharing your nice thoughts with us once again, Aristide" Gloria growled.
She stood up and walked out of the Great Hall. No one tried to stop her.
"You should stop saying things like that, Aristide. You needlessly hurt people" Agatha said.
"I just said what I was thinking! Besides if you can't handle something like that you should go to Hufflepuff instead of being here." Aristide thoughtlessly replied, his voice dripping with smug self-satisfaction.
"You're horrible, Aristide" Agatha shot back though she did not seem particularly annoyed nor angry "You should reflect on your attitude".
Agatha stood up and went after her friend. Agatha Nott and Gloria Parkinson were childhood friend and had grown up together. Their parents had a strong friendship thus the two girls had always been together. Always. Even when apart, they would send each other letters every day just to make sure that the other was fine.
"Humph! she's always so righteous! She really should be a Hufflepuff! It's annoying…" Aristide said to no one.
"Quiet Aristide. Apologize to Gloria when you see her" Lucius snapped.
Aristide grew silent and nodded.
Regulus had to hide his smirk. He was rather fond of Gloria so seeing her being insulted by Aristide had been quite annoying. However seeing Lucius tell Aristide to keep his mouth shut was like savouring a fine wine. He had always thought Rosier Junior was too high and mighty when actually there were plenty people who were much better than him… Aristide's father, though, was humble and kind. Regulus did not know where Aristide had taken his attitude from.
He glanced back at the young Rosier who was now brooding under the clear, kind eyes of Chrysie.
"Do we have Potions today?" Chrysie asked, her melodious voice snapping Aristide out of his thoughts.
"Yeah. It's going to be fun since Dumbledore put us with the Gryffindors…again." Aristide smiled cheerfully, his mood getting better at the mere thought of whatever torment he could inflict on the Gryffindors.
Chrysie nodded, a little smirk tugging her lips. She was happy that Aristide's annoying but positive mood had not completely abated. Regulus had the urge to sigh. How Chrysie managed to be this kind towards this little prat was something beyond his knowledge. But then again, Chrysie was kind to everyone. Clever and kind. A nice friend indeed. She was not like Gloria who strived to do the best, nor was she like Agatha who always judged everyone's acts. Chrysie was devoted to the others. She had a rather low self-esteem…that was quite a bad trait for a Pureblood. But caring for others made her happy. That was how she was.
Lucius suddenly stood and walked away. Aristide immediately followed as though he was a little puppy. Regulus calmly finished his breakfast without rushing and followed them, along with Chrysie.
6, November 1964. Hogwarts. Dungeons. Potions' class.
‡ ‡
"JAMES POTTER AND SIRIUS BLACK!" Curtis Jacobson, the Potion professor screamed, his face flushing red.
The two boys looked up at him, their eyes wide-open, seemingly innocent. They smiled at him. However that was not the exact reaction Curtis wanted. Damn those boys! They were in 7th year! They were going to graduate soon! And still what were they doing? Bickering and sabotaging the Slytherins' potions, as when they were still 1st years…
He forced himself to relax and stared at the two Gryffindors.
"Mr. Potter. And Mr Black. I want a 2-feet long report on why and how that potion went from blue to green" he said, pointing at the unfortunate Slytherin's potion James had messed up, "and how you would have to proceed if you want to rectify it. And when I say 'how you would have to proceed', I want the names of the ingredients you need to add and the description of how you're going to stir the potion".
"Yes, sir" James and Sirius immediately answered.
Curtis narrowed his eyes at them. "And don't ask Mr Lupin or Miss Evans for the answers", he added.
The two pranksters stared in shock at their professor. The Slytherins snickered elegantly behind dainty hands and curtains of well-maintained hair. The more dignified like Lucius only showed the hint of a condescending smile at the corner of the lips.
"I wasn't intending to help him" Lily said.
"Good." Curtis replied.
"Remus!" Sirius exclaimed, looking at his friend with large watering eyes.
"No. I've got my own homework to do. Sorry" Remus said with a broad smile.
James groaned. Sirius banged his head on the table.
"Oh! Wonderful! You're really brilliant, Mr. Snape! Good work!" Curtis beamed as he looked at Severus' cauldron.
The potion was bright blue, almost shining. Green flecks swirled on the surface, dancing a captivating ballet. It smelled of fresh herb, wet soil and eucalyptus (N/A: Eucalyptus is effective for healing). Severus let out a tiny smile on his face.
"Ha! Snivellus got praised again! Look at him, acting so happy…" James whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear him.
Severus' face darkened and the look in his eyes hardened, becoming much colder. Lily threw a worried glance at her Slytherin friend and snorted at James' silliness.
"Mr Potter. That makes it a 3-feet long report" Curtis said.
"What?"
"Don't talk back or I'll have to keep you in detention tonight. Perhaps I should ask Mr. Filch if the toilets are to be cleaned?" Curtis raised an eyebrow at the boy.
James sighed while Sirius sniggered. Remus rolled his eyes at his best friends' antics. Though they were childish he still liked them nonetheless.
However Severus had not yet forgotten about the incident. In fact he vividly remembered all the times when he had been bullied by the Gryffindors. And he didn't even count the number of times he was injured by the Slytherins… One day he would make them all pay. Because he would be the Dark Lord's trusted Potion Master and the Dark Lord would allow him to torture anyone he wanted. And when that time comes, he will unleash his repressed anger on those who hurt him. He clenched his fists and focused on his potion book. On the first page, he ragingly wrote with his sharp handwriting : The Half-Blood Prince. Oh yes, one day he would be a Prince.
Lucius looked at the quiet Slytherin. Severus' back was straight. He looked very stiff. His shoulder-length hair were untied. He was sitting alone at his table. No one had wanted to work with the outcast. Even the Mudblood was sitting next to the ragged Remus Lupin, leaving her "friend" Severus alone. Lucius found the thought quite amusing. He saw Severus write something on his book. The boy shivered. Lucius elegantly snorted.
A small note landed before him. Lucius looked inquisitively at Chrysie who winked at him. He raised an eyebrow and stretched out long, pale fingers to take the note and unfold it.
Seems like Evans is average. No particular talents.
He turned his head and stared once more at Chrysie, narrowing his eyes. He noticed a small glint of silver. Ah, that was it…Chrysie was a clever girl. Perhaps the most clever girl he knew. In their 3rd year she had transformed mere Galleons into small devices for communicating with someone else. She had put a charm on the pieces as well as a protection spell to make sure no one else saw the medallions. She had given one to Lucius, Regulus, Gloria and Agatha. She had given none to Aristide because Lucius had been afraid the young Rosier would brag about it one day. After all Aristide was not known for his prudence …
Gloria had not taken Potion classes. She did not like Potions. She should currently be in her Divination classes… So that only left Agatha since Aristide had no medallion. Agatha was in her Defense Against the Dark Arts' classes… as surprising as it could be. But that was good. Slytherins needed to assist to the DADA's classes because as one would say, know the enemy you're going to fight with….
He hid the note in his pocket and reminded himself to ask more questions to Agatha at lunch. Was the power he "saw" around the boy a mere illusion?
13, December 1990. Ireland. "The Lair". East Wing. The Sacrifices' Room.
‡ ‡
Vladimir was sitting on the floor. He had left his heavy distinctive robes, that showed he was the Leader, and had put on dark plain clothes that were more fit for combat. However there would be no fight today. Only an easy killing.
The door opened and a vampire stepped in, holding a woman by the arm. Actually the woman wasn't much conscious. She was barely standing on her feet and her eyes were rolling. Seems like seeing a vampire had been too much of a shock. He sneered in disgust as he eyed distastefully the skinny, old woman. He stood and kicked her in the ribs. She moaned in pain, unconsciously clenching her fists. Vladimir snorted.
"You've done well, Nikolas. Get out" He snapped, his eyes staying on the pitiful figure sprawled on the floor.
The vampire closed the door behind him, walking away as silently as a shadow.
Vladimir sighed and ran a hand through his finger. He felt weary and drained of his forces. He took out a small dagger and ran its blade on the wrinkled skin of the woman. Small scarlet droplets began to appear on the skin. It made his nostrils flare. He could have bitten her but biting was a rather intimate act, even for the most ruthless vampires. Biting could be a means to provide your 'meal' some pleasure. It was not something he wanted to do with this…old woman…He pressed the blade a little further into the arm and a thin stream ran down the fingers on the floor. He smirked.
"Well then, dear Petunia…Looks like you managed to be useful to your nephew before dying. That's nice of you" he murmured sarcastically.
Petunia Dursley writhed in her unconscious state, her mind still under the vampire's control though her body definitely felt the pain of being drained of its blood. Vladimir had asked for Petunia Dursley's abduction, and had ordered for her to be put under a mind control so that she would be conscious and try to escape.
His eyes flicked over the large circle he had drawn with some chalk on the ground. He dipped a finger in the pool of blood and meticulously began to redraw the 10 feet-in-diameter circle with blood. The chalk quickly soaked up the blood. In the corner, Petunia Dursley had stopped shivering and her arm was laying, unmoving, on the floor.
He then looked at the book he had found after ten days of research. A book on Time-travels. A book that would help him to protect his young serpent.
Time-travels are not a small matter. Wizards have often tried to perform this but Nature is not to be defied and many of them have been stuck in temporal gaps, floating somewhere between two eras. However those who have succeeded have been able to change what they did not want to happen. It shall be wise to remind, however, that changes are not always for the best and that Time can take its revenge on us. As for us, Vampires, the Time-Travels are as difficult and dangerous as it is for Wizards. Even our stronger constitution and our better mind control are of no help. That, I presume, should be enough to dissuade you to perform this difficult incantation.
If you are, though, desperate and willing to go against the Fates I can all but tell you how to proceed.
First, draw a 10 feet-in-diameter circle and trace its contours with the blood of a person who lives at the time you want to go back to. If you want go back more than ten or twenty years ago, it is likely that you cannot have the blood of a person who lives at that time. In that case, you are to take the blood of this person's descendant or of anyone who has blood ties with this person. However, the closer those people are, the better it will be.
Then, draw a square in the exact middle of the circle. The corners of the square must touch the circle. Of course, you have to draw it with blood.
Be careful not to step on the blood. If you erase even one millimetre of the circle, your incantation could leave you stuck in a temporal gap….
Thirdly, put a dead serpent in the middle of the square and use the serpent's blood to paint the inside of the square. The serpent has to be a royal cobra. It represents the goddess of Time and Destruction Shesha, which comes from India. It will help you to go back in time and destroy your current era, leaving nothing but a blank period that your actions in the past will fill with new consequences. With the serpent's blood you also have to write the name of the person you want to see and your own name.
Lastly, stand before the circle (at any distance you'd like) and repeat this chant:
Time shall flow back to its origin
Let us defy the Fates
For we shall bear responsibility
For any dramatic change that occur
Time shall open itself to us and show us the road
I offer myself to the Fates
My body and Mind shall bow to the Fates.
Vladimir put the book aside and began to draw the square. Then he took out of a cloth a cobra he had tracked down yesterday, and laid it in the middle of the square and used the animal's blood to paint the inside of the square and to write Harry's name. He wondered whether he should just write the first name and the surname or all the names… He chose to write all of them. Slowly the names "Harry Eliel Kreshnik Potter" and "Vladimir Aleksandër Lirim" formed on the ground, the letters shining in deep crimson.
He took a deep breath, even though there was no need to upon considering his vampiric nature, and began to repeat the small chant.
He felt the blood of Petunia Dursley, Harry's aunt react to the spell. He could smell it…The blood was shivering…It recognized the call of Harry's aura. He licked his lips. He would meet Harry very soon. Yes his Kreshnik would soon have to cope with him. Vlad intended to make Kreshnik understand how much he had made Vlad worry….Just wait, you brat!
The serpent's skin seemed to glow. The crimson-painted square was suddenly adorned with strange symbols. Ancient Vampire language. The language only Old Pureblood Vampire Families knew. Vlad was definitely one of those few who could read it. The words made him involuntarily shiver : "Time shall take its revenge upon those who defied them." The two names shone and looked like as though they had been carved into the ground.
Vladimir felt a strong pull and next, he was in a white limitless space. A young female voice echoed. Vladimir saw no one.
- Dēst þū wīllan tō hwæthwegu, mīn bearn? [Do you wish for something, my child?]
- Show yourself !
- Mīn bearn….þū bist andgietléas… [My child…you are foolish…]
The whiteness faded and he hit the ground. He groaned. What had that been? Was it a temporal gap? Had it been the Fates? What had they told him?
He rubbed his head and looked around. It seemed he had landed in the garden of his own manor. He laughed. The past smelt good
6, November 1964. Hogwarts. Great Hall then North Wing.
‡ ‡
Lucius was disappointed. The new student had been sorted in Ravenclaw and thus, could not be observed much for Slytherins were paired with Gryffondors almost all the time. He wanted to be in the same class as Evans to keep an eye on him... He still felt like Agatha had been missing something. As if he himself had not noticed something very important.
Yes, the boy was quite withdrawn and did not attract much attention. Yes, he had not shown any particular magic skills. Yes, there wasn't any rumour about him… But even as Harry Evans wasn't speaking much, Lucius could still feel a strong interest towards the new student. Evans stood up, brushing the walls as he passed by the other students to walk out. Yes, Evans was very quiet and unnoticeable indeed. Almost unnoticeable. For anyone else, Evans might be unworthy of one's attention safe for his pretty face, but for someone as Lucius, even the way Evans walked sparked his interest. Evans walked quietly but each of his steps were very smooth and graceful, commanding and poised, noble and dignified. Even when he walked near the walls. It was ethereal. Lucius had an inkling the boy held secrets. Dark, heavy secrets. His way of staying in the shadows, out of attention, was also too perfect to be natural. The boy did not want to be noticed, and he was rather successful at it.
This time, he noticed, the Ravenclaw prefect was not sticking to the new student. She was not even there. Perhaps talking with a teacher...He decided to use this opportunity and observe the new boy a little longer. He quickly instructed Regulus and Chrysie to keep an eye on Aristide and Gloria who were currently silently glaring at each other, their wands tightly gripped in their fists under the table. Regulus muttered a "No problem" while Chrysie smiled and advised him to quickly go away before the new student could go wander in some remote places.
And there he was, following the boy as if he was a stalker. He quickly cast an invisibility spell on himself and walked a bit faster so that he was only a few steps behind the boy.
Harry repressed his laugh. Here was Malfoy. If someone had said to him few years ago that Malfoy Senior would one day stalk him without intending to kill, he would probably have laughed into their face. He was not able to use his creature-side's power for the potion he had taken had locked his abilities, but after spending nearly 20 years in the middle of a gruesome war, he was quite used to 'feeling' presences. And he knew the person who was walking behind him was Lucius Malfoy. He had seen the glances and, most of all, the stares he had been receiving from the Malfoy heir.
He could not turn around and blow his façade by telling Lucius to go away. After all, only very powerful people had to be able to sense someone else's presence. But he really needed to make the blonde stop following him.
Suddenly, Lucius stopped. In front of him, the dark-haired boy had abruptly stopped walking. The Malfoy heir wondered why Evans had stopped in the middle of the path. He blinked as the boy suddenly ran. Had he been visible, he would not have gaped. Had the boy forgotten something in his room? He realized that he should run after the boy if he did not want to lose track of him. He ran too, turning left just like the smaller boy had a few seconds ago. He then found himself in an empty corridor. His widened eyes turned into narrow slits as he inspected the corridor and its walls. Where could have the boy gone? The doors were all locked and there was no staircase here. It was a dead-end. He was still fuming over this seemingly unsolvable mystery as he stomped away in a manner as dignified as possible despite his inner turmoil, mentally cursing the new student for not making things easier.
Little did he know that Harry Evans was actually looking at him, merrily laughing.
There was a secret passage here. All he had needed was a few seconds, enough to let Malfoy a few steps behind, touch the wall and let the passage close behind him. He was quite satisfied with the way all of this had turned out. However, he soon realized his mistake as he heard some voices.
"I told you…He's here. I definitely saw him on the map!" someone furiously whispered.
"Yeah I know but…"
"He must be somewhere. Perhaps a secret -"
"But he's a new student! He could not know of any passageway!"
"Shh! Quiet, Sirius! Moony, you smell anything?"
"Ummm….uh there's a faint odor. But it's really light. I really don't know -"
"Okay! Let's look!"
"Siriu-"
"Shhh!"
Harry let out a sharp breath. He certainly did not want to attract the Maraudeur's attention…. He waited. And closed his eyes.
"There it is!" he heard Sirius exclaim.
He gripped his own shirt until his knuckles turned white. Through his eyelids he felt the light hit his face. He cursed. A light chuckle made him open his eyes.
"Hey there!" James said, a bright smirk adorning his thin face.
"Yeah…sure…" Harry groaned. Why did he have to be so unlucky?
He walked out of the secret passageway and straightened his clothes, brushing the dirt off his clothes with the back of his hand. He huffed and started walking away when a hand gripped his wrist. He snarled and freed himself.
He met black eyes.
"You're Harry Evans, right? Close up, you really look a lot like James!" Sirius marvelled.
Harry did not answer. He kept his eyes on the wall, desperately wanting to get out of here. He did not know how to face the godfather he had seen die, how to face the father he had never seen…
"Sirius, I think you're scaring him" Remus intervened.
Harry scoffed. As if a young Sirius would ever frighten him! He had seen worse…he had lived with Alecto, he had tried escaping Voldemort for nearly 20 years… he certainly could put up with a pushy Sirius Black.
"He scoffed at me, James!" Sirius whined.
James guffawed, his dark brown eyes closing and his teeth showing. Harry stared at him. That boy was…his father.
"Yeah we look a lot alike but I already asked my dad and he told me there was no one in our family named Harry Evans" James said, still laughing softly "but … err…are you an acquaintance of…Lily?"
James blushed. Harry smirked. His last name had caught James' attention…He decided he should be prudent and wore his best 'I'm innocent' face.
"Lily? Who's that?" he asked in a child-like voice, with a slight lilt.
"Ah! Err…never mind!" James promptly shot back, much to Sirius and Remus' utter amusement.
"But how did you discover this passageway?" Remus asked.
"I…I found it" Harry replied, his face once again cold and impenetrable.
"You were being chased down by Malfoy weren't you? We saw his name on the m-"
"Sirius!" James shot a horrified look at his best friend. The Maraudeurs could not afford to be caught with the map! It was an object that was almost…-almost!- illegal!
"Oops. Sorry" Sirius said with an apologetic smile. Harry though could tell that his godfather wasn't so much sorry…He still wore that little brand smirk of his.
Harry pretended he hadn't noticed the little slip and walked away. This time, no one tried to stop him. He made a few steps then paused. Remus looked at Harry Evans' back, a little puzzled. There was something a little …off about the boy. Not particularly bad, but a bit disconcerting. He did not know what it was but his instincts were telling him to pay attention to the boy.
"By the way…try to be a bit nicer. Perhaps this…Lily will like you much more if you're kind, James" he said cryptically.
He turned his head a little and winked at his father. James merely gaped at him
7, November 1964. Hogwarts. Potions Class.
‡ ‡
"Hello. I'm Harry Evans. I should have come yesterday but I still had not chosen whether I should take Potions Classes or not" Harry swiftly said.
Curtis Jacobson smiled warmly.
"It's okay. The Headmaster already informed me. I'm rather happy in fact. I hope you're good in Potions!" he replied with a soft laugh.
Lucius watched as his new centre of interest bowed his head ever so slightly and showed no particular emotion. The face of a Slytherin. That was what Lucius saw.
"Why don't you sit over there?" Curtis proposed, pointing his finger at the empty place near another Ravenclaw student at the back of the class who smiled brightly at his fellow classmate.
Harry's eyes roamed over the class quickly. He caught sight of a young boy with dark hair who was alone, in the corner of the class, in the first row. He forced himself to smile gently to his professor and showed Severus Snape.
"I think I'll sit here, Professor. My sight is rather poor, I'd prefer to be in the front of the classroom" he said sweetly.
"Oh, okay"
Curtis was a little taken aback. No one ever sat near the young Snape. The Gryffindors hated the young Potion prodigy for Potter and Black loathed him, the Slytherins hated him because he was an "outcast": not classy enough, not handsome enough, no particular aura, … Harry Evans was the first to approach the young Slytherin. But then again, he was new so perhaps he still knew nothing of Severus Snape… Even Lily Evans had stopped trying to befriend the young Snape. Speaking of which, were the Gryffindor prefect and the new student related?
Harry sat next to Severus and took his time to look at the man who had been his Potion Professor. The boy's hair were not greasy, his nose looked quite normal, but his demeanour was totally opposite to the one Harry was used to. While Harry had always been mentally tortured by the "greasy bat" as Ron liked to call him, he had always admired the man for the way he spoke and walked: Severus Snape was supposed to act coldly, firmly, with his back straight, his chin held high and his eyes glinting with hatred. He was not supposed to be a frail boy, all huddled before his table, slouching over his book, his eyes hidden under bangs of hair.
He did not bother to try exchanging friendly words with Snape. He knew that was something the boy would not care for. Severus Snape was someone whose admiration could only be won through your wits and skills.
He eyed the potion and smirked. A piece of cake… The 'Fortis' Potion. One who could make anyone as strong as ten men… He noticed the potion was dark grey and concluded that Snape had just added the crushed tip of the unicorn's horn two or three minutes ago. He took the dragon's scale that was surprisingly thin and began slicing it neatly. He looked with a satisfied smirk at his work. He handed it to Snape.
Severus looked up, a surprised look flashing through his charcoal eyes. The slices were…perfect. He had never seen anyone else pay that much attention to the ingredients. He smirked. Perhaps this new student would not be such a nuisance after all…He took the dragon's scale without a word and tossed it in the cauldron.
Stir twice clockwise. Wait. Stir once counterclockwise. Wait. Add the …mandragora. The new student had already cut it. He eyed the work his classmate had done and slightly nodded. The pieces of the mandragora's root were one inch-long. The perfect size to make a good potion. Pieces that were too big were difficult to heat and dissolve in the liquid. Those that were too small dissolved too quickly and did not have the time to fully impregnate the other ingredients with its fragrance and magical properties.
"Thank you" Severus muttered, half-hoping that the other boy would not hear him, and he took the plate to put the mandragora's root in the potion.
The potion turned pale grey and tiny golden specks appeared on the surface. Harry smiled. He watched Severus as the quiet boy was looking intently at his potion, completely riveted by it.
Lucius quirked an eyebrow as he witnessed the strange complicity that had formed between Severus and the new student. In fact Severus did not even seem to be bothered by the fact that someone was sitting next to him. He looked quite relaxed, sitting on his chair, his shoulders did not seem to be stiff, his legs were dangling in the air, his hand firmly kept the pencil between the fingers but it did not clutch at the pencil. He wondered why. Because Severus was not one to trust people so easily. Especially when he was being bullied every day, everywhere, by anyone.
It was strange. If Severus did not seem conscious of the new presence by his side, he was not really being friendly …That was not surprising. But the new student never made an effort to befriend Severus. The two boys kept a small but very concrete distance between them, always shifting a little away if one of them had to step closer to take an ingredient. Never brushing, never touching, their hands, their robes, everything was kept away from the other. Yet, they both seemed very comfortable with each other. He would have to ask some questions to Severus …
Harry bent his head and, hidden by a bang of hair, smirked. He could feel Malfoy's gaze on his back. Was the blonde still angry at him for their little….encounter? If he had not been in class, Harry would have laughed. The great Malfoy was intrigued by him…How strange how much things could change.
Soon, the professor roamed the classroom, shooting glances left and right to see how the potions were. As he passed by Harry, he stilled. The new student seemed to be doing pretty well and Severus was not bothered by his new classmate.
"Oh! that's great, you two!" Curtis exclaimed "the potion looks perfect. Good work!" he praised them.
Harry nodded stiffly while Severus did not even bother to answer the professor's bright smile. Curtis chuckled. Those two seemed compatible…both quiet and withdrawn. Well at least they were doing more than fine in his class…
7, November 1964. Hogwarts. Library.
‡ ‡
"Severus Snape." he said, his voice sharp.
Severus looked up from his book. Was the boy here to bully him too? He narrowed his eyes but quickly bent his head, offering his pale neck to Harry's eyes. He stayed like this, hoping that the boy would leave. Instead, a deep and cold chuckle echoed in the empty library. Severus immediately tensed, very wary of the smaller boy. He stiffened and waited to see what would happen to him.
Harry sat in front of Severus, noticing the pale boy's surprised look.
"Thought I was going to use you as a target's practice?" Harry said distastefully.
Severus did not answer, his eyes stuck on Harry as if to see if he would do any brusque gesture, hit him or hex him. Harry sighed.
"I aren't in Slytherin am I?" Harry drawled, almost groaning "I just wanted to see what book you're reading."
"You may be in Ravenclaw but you've got the same face as some Slytherins…" Severus shot back, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Aaah…my face? I was told that I look a lot like a certain Gryffindor…" Harry teased him lightly.
Severus suddenly backed a little away, pushing his chair farther from the table.
"Listen, just speak a bit with me" Harry pleaded though his voice was still unwavering.
"…you're pitying me, aren't you? I don't need you-"
"I'm not. But well if I'm bothering you, I think I might be better leaving you" Harry snarled, a flash of annoyance flashing through his eyes.
The new student turned on his heel and walked away. Severus suddenly felt the urge to call out for Evans. The boy had been nice after all…and he was quite good in Potions…
"Evans!" he said.
The boy did not turn back. Evans was reaching for the doorknob…
"Evans! Come back!"he almost shouted.
"Much better" was the reply he received.
Severus glared at him which earned him a low chuckle.
"You're a Slytherin, I knew it" Severus growled though hope was shimmering in his eyes.
"Maybe…maybe not…so what is it that you're reading?"
"Dangers of creating Potions"
"Create? You plan to creation your own potions? nice!" Harry said. Then he smiled. A small smile. A smile that did not reach his eyes. But a smile nonetheless.
"…yeah. Thank you."
Harry did not speak anymore to him after that and merely stayed there, in the chair in front of him, watching Severus read his book. From time to time, Severus would peek above his book at the Ravenclaw. Each time, Harry would stare at him. And inwardly, Severus wondered why Harry seemed to know him. Because he himself had never met Harry before.
"Shouldn't you go and eat?" Severus asked, sounding more annoyed than intended.
"You aren't, are you?" Harry merely replied mischievously.
"I can eat afterwards. I know the way. You'll come with me" the Ravenclaw added after a while.
It was yet another mystery. How did he "know the way"? Wasn't he new here? And what was that way he was speaking about? Severus shrugged and decided it would be too much trouble trying to question the other boy. Might as well not try to pry into Harry's secrets. Everyone had secrets. Severus knew that all too well.
He enjoyed Harry's presence throughout the evening. Neither of them went down to the Great Hall to eat.
Theophile comes from the greek words [theos] and [philos]. It means "one who is loved by the gods".
Theophile Goldsmith does not appear much in this chapter. His name already shows that he usually has luck. You will see that he's very pleasant to be with and he'll become a great friend. He has been gifted with many qualities and somehow always manages to succeed in what he makes.
Alexis comes from the greek first name Alexandros, which itself comes from the greek [Alexein]. It means either "to protect" or "to push back". Here I chose to use the meaning "to protect".
One of the twins is named Alexis. His name means "the one who protects". I think it's a great name. He has always lived with another half, if I dare say, and his twin surely means a lot to him. He is the kind of guy who will make anything to keep his twin brother safe but generally speaking, he kind of tries to protect anyone he likes.
Alastor is a greek word that means "the avenging god"
He is Alexis' twin brother. His name is somewhat a bit opposite to Alexis, holding a much more threatening meaning. However everything is not as it seems to be…I think that protecting someone can sometimes lead you to extreme measures. Alastor is someone who has a great sense of justice. He'll go through many hardships along with his brother and that will be when you'll understand why he is the "avenging god".
Aleksandër is an Albanian version of the name Alexander, which comes from the same name than "Alexis". Alexander is the name that was used for Alexander the Great and usually showed that the man was strong and very skilled in fighting.
Vladimir's status is not for show. He is strong, and somehow, even Aïon, who was the former General of the vampire army (which does not exist any longer) is no match for Vladimir. Till now, none of you has seen Vlad fighting but believe me, this time will come…
Lirim is an Albanian name that means "freedom".
That is Vlad's family name. Vladimir, the prince who reigns with peace, and also the one who is strong in battle…His family name shows that he does not use his power to establish a tyranny over his people. He has, as I already said, a strong sense of justice, love and duty. He loves freedom more than any other vampire.