Chapter 3: Play with the Fates
Books : Harry Potter
Rating: M
Title : Little butterfly and the Fates
Chapter : 3
Status : On-going
Words : 6875
"The man who fights the gods does not live long" Iliad, Book 5, Homer.
"All lies in the lap of the greater gods" Iliad, Book 20, Homer.
7, November 1964. Hogwarts. Gryffindors' Common Room.
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The Gryffindors' Common Room was comfortable and gave off a warm feeling. The walls were draped with heavy and thick tapestries. All of them were either red or yellow. Not a carmine red neither a canary yellow. No, it was a bright red and a sunny yellow.
The colors of Godric Gryffindor. The bright red was very candid. Like the renowned Gryffindors' frankness and lack of thinking. The sun-like yellow was very comforting. The perfect color to match the Gryffindors' kindness.
However there were exceptions. As in everywhere. The Maraudeurs. It was a name every student in Hogwarts had heard of. The code name of the famous pranksters. The ones who had made the hair of all the Slytherins turn red and golden. The ones who had made the professors' clothes turn into pink dresses and pointed bright blue hats. The ones who had hung up Filch's cat in the Great Hall and covered it with purple paint, which had come off only after one week.
The Maraudeurs were famous.
They were entertaining. But sometimes, they did things that could only elicit one's anger and indignation. Like when they bullied the young Severus Snape. They were the Gryffindors' pride and nightmare. It earned the Gryffindors the professors' amusement and kindness as well as it could make them lose a hundred points.
But right now, the Maraudeurs were not up to any prank. They were actively discussing about the new subject of the whole school's gossip. The new student, Harry Evans. Their encounter with the boy had been…odd.
"How do you think he could have known about that passageway?" Sirius asked eagerly.
"Honestly, I don't know" was James' immediate reply.
"What are you three up to?" a feminine voice interrupted.
"LILY!" James shrieked, nearly falling off of his chair.
Remus and Sirius laughed merrily upon seeing their friend blush furiously. Lily towered over them, her eyes roaming over the Maraudeurs. All of them were sitting either on a chair or on the ground, forming a small circle. They had been whispering for a while now and she was worried they had been planning another prank.
She squinted at them, trying to find out what they were up to. She was met with huge grins and light smirks. She sniffed loudly and her nose wrinkled in distaste. She met Remus' eyes and the young boy gave her a gentle smile, silently telling her that nothing was wrong.
"We were talking about the new student" Remus kindly said, finally breaking the heavy atmosphere.
"Harry Evans?" she asked, still a tad bit suspicious about the Maraudeurs.
"Yes. He's …well, a strange one" Sirius added.
"Hmm…I don't know. He seems interesting." Lily replied
That earned her a horrified stare from James and a surprised glance from Remus. Peter quickly looked at her, silently reminding himself to keep an eye on the new boy. After all, the brilliant Mudblood thought he was interesting…. And Peter himself had to acknowledge the powerful and scary aura Harry Evans had around him.
"But! Lily! That boy is….well…he's … you don't know him!" James whined.
"Are you jealous?" Sirius taunted his friend, poking him playfully on the cheek.
"But you have to admit there's something that draws you to him…" Remus countered in a thoughtful voice.
"I-I think I'd rather flee from him!" Peter shrieked.
"Yeah…He seems a bit …well, you know…dangerous?" Sirius nodded firmly.
"I did not sense anything dangerous coming from him" Remus replied "though I clearly smelt his power, he did not emit any murderous intent".
After a moment, the young lycanthrope added : "Plus, he's not in Slytherin". That very remark seemed to gain his friends' approval who all nodded. However, Lily pursed her lips and snorted.
"Yes! Of Course, everyone knows that Slytherins are evil and the Maraudeurs are just oh! so kind! Perhaps I was just hallucinating the other day when I saw you bullying Severus!" she exclaimed angrily.
"But Snivellus is-"
"James Potter! Try finishing your sentence and I'll hex the hell out of you!" Lily snarled, her eyes glinting with fury.
James thought that even though she was yelling at him, Lily was still the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen. Without thinking, he blurted "You're really beautiful. Even when you're angry at me". Sirius guffawed while Remus and Peter cringed, waiting for the girl's reaction.
Lily gaped at him and swiftly spun around, without sparing the Potter heir another glance. The Maraudeurs stared at her retreating back. When the door of the girls' dorm closed behind her, they heard a loud yell "JAMES POTTER, YOU MORON!"
Sirius and Remus laughed out loud while James sighed and dropped his head in defeat.
7, November 1964. Hogwarts. Slytherins' Common Room.
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"You couldn't find him?" Regulus looked at his friend in disbelief.
"No." Lucius ran a delicate hand through his flyaway hair "I looked around but there was no door. Nothing. I don't know where he could have gone. I didn't even smell anything."
Lucius' friends frowned. They all knew the few Veela's characteristics Lucius had inherited from his father -who himself had inherited it from his mother- were flawless. Lucius should have been able to smell the boy's presence.
"No one else was there?" Agatha asked.
"No one."
They remained silent. Eventually, Lucius sighed and turned towards the portrait that adorned the massive door.
"Tell me when Severus Snape comes back" he ordered the cavalryman.
The cavalryman in the picture nodded. Regulus and Gloria shot their friend a curious look, wondering why he would want to talk with the "black sheep", but they knew better than question him. Agatha seemed uninterested by that matter and Aristide refrained himself from asking the Malfoy heir what he wanted to do with the filthy Snape.
"Well, I'm going to bed" Agatha dispassionately said as she stood up and lightly brushed her robes with the back of her hand.
Gloria immediately rose to her feet and flashed a quick smile to her friends.
"I think I'll be going to bed too" she added. She turned around with her childhood friend and they both walked away. The door of their dorm shut behind their backs and Lucius did not hear their voices any longer.
Aristide snorted and pursed his lips. The young Rosier had always thought that this strong relationship the two girls shared was absurd. Why bother with someone else when it was already so hard to shine on your own? Aristide had never felt the urge to become friend with anyone. He was all right by himself.
"He's here" the portrait said.
Lucius slowly got up and made his way to the door.
"But he's not alone. There's a young boy with him"
Lucius shot a surprised glance to the cavalryman.
"Who?"
"I don't know. I've never seen him before" the portrait replied.
"Ah. Could it be he has long dark hair?" Lucius quickly asked, trying to mask his interest.
"Yes. he's a very beautiful boy, if you want to know my opinion." the cavalryman nodded thoughtfully, obviously staring at the boy who was on the other side of the door.
Lucius elegantly sniffed. He opened the door and suppressed a grin as he saw Harry Evans' widening eyes. He noticed Evans had emerald eyes. Not the kind of eyes you see every day… It was a deep, vivid green. There was no other hue in those eyes. There was no touch of blue, no touch of grey…Nothing else but green. A very pure green. It was captivating.
Lucius tore his eyes away from the other boy and glanced at Severus. The two boys were obviously getting along well with each other. It made Lucius uneasy.
"I think I'll be going to my room now" Harry said, casting a swift glance at the blonde boy.
"Okay." was the only reply Severus could think of. He shot his newly made friend a thankful look. "See you tomorrow".
To say that Lucius was surprised would be an euphemism. The lonesome Severus was actually looking forward to seeing once again the new student! It was the first time Severus had shown such an attachment to anyone. And it was even more weird that he would voice his eagerness. Severus would usually keep quiet. "See you tomorrow"…..was Evans so special that he had already broken Severus' shell?
"Yeah. Good night" Harry replied. He did not even bother to say goodbye to Lucius Malfoy. After all, he did not want to speak to him. However it seemed that his utter lack of interest was not reciprocated.
"Why don't you come in, Harry Evans?" Lucius said, a tad bit surprised at his own words.
"I really ought to go." Harry firmly replied, shooting Lucius a cool and warning look.
Lucius shivered. Those eyes…He could see the power emanating from the boy. He could feel it now…Why hadn't he been able to before? It was intoxicating. This power resembled the one the Dark Lord held though it seemed calmer, warmer.
Harry turned on his heels. He had not much time left. The potion was already beginning to wear off. He could feel his magic come out of his body. He did not want Malfoy to notice it. He had to go back to his dorm and take another potion.
A hand grabbed his wrist. He broke free and turned around to snarl at the blonde Malfoy heir. However he was faced with Sirius. He blinked. It was not Sirius. The features were sharper. The eyes smaller. The expression colder. The face, although he loathed to admit it, far more handsome. It was probably Regulus, Sirius' brother.
"Lucius wishes you no harm. He merely wants to talk".
"I don't care. I've got something to do"
"Please come in" Lucius added, wearing a light smirk on his pale face.
Harry gritted his teeth. How could he say no? He was supposed to be an amnesic, new student who therefore had any reason to hate them. He shouldn't know that they were Dark wizards. He shouldn't know that Regulus Black was Sirius Black's brother. He shouldn't know that Lucius Malfoy's father was Voldemort's favorite follower.
He shouldn't know that those guys were dangerous.
He felt the last restraints break against his will as the potion completely wore off, and his power came out. The potion was no longer effective, but Harry had lived as the Boy-Who-Lived: he had been taught how to fight, how to hide his magical power, how to kill… He quickly suppressed the waves of magic that were coming out of his body, though he knew he could not handle all of them.
After having drunk Aïon's blood, his power had drastically grown, and his body wasn't able to keep all of it inside anymore.
Lucius suddenly got goose bumps. He had clearly felt raw magic brush his skin. It made his hair stand on end. Such a delicious feeling. It was almost erotic. It was as though he had touched the skin of the most beautiful woman, the skin of a desirable woman, and at the same time, it felt very nostalgic… as if he knew that woman, as if he had touched a woman who could be his mother. Yes, his mother…
It was exactly what it had felt like. It was as though he had met again with his mother, with the woman who had given him life…the woman who had given him his magical core.
Harry stepped in the Slytherins' common room. Severus shot a worried glance at his "friend". The Ravenclaw did not seem particularly frightened, nor did he seem happy. His face was blank. Totally blank. Like a vast snowy landscape.
It seemed that Lucius was interested in Harry. Severus did not know if it was good or bad news. Surely, Lucius wanted something from Harry. And if Harry did not meet his expectations…then nothing good could come out of it, Severus thought.
"Please, sit" Lucius offered, gesturing towards a comfortable armchair that was near the ash place.
Harry did not reply and merely took the seat that he had been offered. He watched silently as Lucius, Regulus, Severus and other Slytherins he did not know sat around him, either on the floor or on armchairs. He felt like a deer that had been trapped. He almost laughed at the thought…His nature was, however, not one that of a deer. Quite the contrary. He was used to be the predator. Being surrounded by people he knew were dangerous and people he did not know was making uneasy. Even if his powers were now released, he still did not wish to fight with those students.
"I have to thank you for befriending Severus" Lucius finally said, his eyes locked on Harry's lithe figure.
"…You're welcome" Harry merely replied. It was best to stay neutral and not give them any opportunity to strike. He did not need to attract unnecessary attention.
"…Are you perhaps a descendant of the great Pureblood family Evans?" Regulus said, sharing a look with his blonde friend.
"I'm afraid I'm not"
Lucius stared at the Ravenclaw. How could he not be a Pureblood with that power?
Then he felt it. That slight disturbance in his magic. It was very faint, but it was definitely there. The boy's magic was deeply intertwined with someone else's power. Someone who was not a wizard. Someone who was a creature. Was this the source of Harry Evans' power?
Lucius doubted that.
Even if this unknown magic seemed powerful, the boy's own power was obviously great. But it intrigued him. Was the boy a quarter just like him? Was that what he meant when he said that he was not a Pureblood? Or was he really a mere Mudblood gifted with a powerful magic?
Harry felt Lucius' eyes bore a hole in his body. He paid him no heed. Until he felt Malfoy's magic try to make his way into his own magic. He could feel the blonde's magic brushing his magical core. He quickly pushed it away. He looked up and met Lucius Malfoy's eyes. It had been brief but during the short time his magic had touched the blonde's own one, he had noticed the…strangeness of Malfoy's magic.
The blonde was a Veela. Not a full Veela, but a Veela nonetheless. And he knew about his nature….he knew Harry had vampire's blood running in his veins. The situation could not be worse.
"Does it mean that…you're a mix ?" Lucius shot, his eyes silently challenging the boy to answer this question. His silver eyes were shining with excitement.
"…I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean by that. I'm not really familiar with the wizarding world as I have not been properlybrought up " Harry replied defiantly.
"I'm saying that you're no Pureblood, indeed. But you're no Mudblood either, Harry Evans…are you?" Lucius shot back. He felt Regulus' inquisitive gaze on him and Rosier's utter confusion, but he did not heed them any attention.
"My mother was a Muggleborn and my father a Pureblood. I guess that makes me a mix" Harry finally said, his vivid emerald eyes shooting a mocking glare at the blonde.
"Do not play dumb, Harry Evans. You know what I mean by 'mix'..." Lucius warned. Why wouldn't the boy admit that he was a vampire already? He surely knew Lucius was a Veela, so he should know that having creature's blood would not be frowned upon, at least in this room…
The two boys wordlessly observed each other, their gaze slowly assessing each other, their magic brushing …Harry broke the contact as he abruptly stood up. He lowered his eyes and glanced at Severus who had sat on the floor, a few feet away from the little group.
"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow. Good night." Harry turned away and was ready to step out when Lucius broke the heavy atmosphere.
"Did you receive your blood from a Pure one? … from an Ancient ?"
Harry froze. He forced himself not to turn his head and glare at the Malfoy boy. Lucius' voice had sounded so taunting! Harry could still hear the words ringing in his ears. He quickly assessed the situation. He could not deny the facts…Malfoy had let too much information slip out. However he could not say that he was a vampire. It was too risky. And if he gave them an ambiguous answer, Lucius and his friends would more likely try to get more information out of him…Well, perhaps it was the best solution. Still gazing at the door that was facing him, he smiled. A dark, twisted smile.
"What would you know about these things, Lucius Malfoy? Veelas are such fragile creatures...like newborns compared to most, wouldn't you agree ?".
The threat didn't go unnoticed and all Slytherins tensed up, ready to attack him should Lucius give the order. The blonde teenager only stared at the mysterious student's back.
Harry pushed the door and got out of the room, walked a bit, heard the soft thud of the door that was closing, and sighed. He stood there a few seconds, trying to calm down. He needed to go back to his dorm and take a potion. He was easily irked when his vampiric attributes weren't suppressed.
8, November 1964. Hogwarts. Great Hall.
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Harry walked in the Hall. Nobody was up yet. It was a good thing. He tied his hair with a ribbon and sat down at the Ravenclaw table. He wondered if he could call any house elf and tentatively clapped in his hands. A house elf popped instantly in front of him, bowing its head.
"Hello, what's your name?" Harry asked with a small smile, thinking about Hermione.
"I'm Witty, young master"
"Witty, uh? Ah I suppose that's got something to do with your personality, right?"
"Yes, young master"
"Ah good…Could I ask you to bring me some pumpkin juice, please?"
"Yes. Is there anything else, young master?"
"…Could I ask for you exclusively when I am in need of something?"
"I think Headmaster Dumbledore will allow it, young master"
"And stop calling me young master, will you? Call me Harry ! " the young Ravenclaw added cheerfully.
"Yes, young master Harry"
"No ! not that! Call me Harry…just 'Harry'…"
"H-Harry…"
"Much better" Harry smiled.
The house elf disappeared, its head still bowed and Harry let his thoughts wander. He missed his friends…even though they had betrayed him. He had always been in need for love. He had thought his friends would never betray him but they had not hesitated twice doing so… But he did not regret it. Because Aïon was his most important person. His number one.
"Here, young - Harry" Witty said, appearing out of nowhere.
"Ah thank you, Witty!"
Harry took his glass of pumpkin juice and sipped it with delectation. When he was still a regular human he liked this juice, but since he had received Aïon's blood, he had grown quite fond of it. Or rather, he had developed an unseen love for any vegetable juice. He still had not found out why.
He sensed someone approach him and he unconsciously stiffened. He did not like when people tried to talk to him. Since his "friends" had betrayed him, he had not had any human contact. The only people he was used to talk to and touch were Vlad and Aïon.
This new year at Hogwarts was actually a tad bit frightening for him. He felt like he had forgotten how to interact with normal people…with people he did not know. Last night, he had felt very wary of everyone whenever one tried to get closer to him, almost touching him. He was not used being this close to strangers.
"Hello, Harry"
"Hello, Elena Rosebury" he replied smoothly, not even looking at her as she sat next to him.
"Call me Elena" she replied as indifferently as he, asking a house elf to bring her some toasts.
Harry never answered. He put down his glass on the wooden table and stared at the last orange droplets that slid down the glass. He knew the Ravenclaw prefect was staring at him but he chose to ignore it. If she had something to say, she would have to say it by herself…
"You have nightmares too." That was not a question.
Harry shrugged. She was wrong…Actually it was because of the vampiric blood that ran through his veins that he did not need to sleep much. He still needed to rest from time to time but he could easily stay awake for two or three days in a row. But technically she wasn't so far from the truth…
When he would fall asleep, his nightmares about Voldemort would still come to him. Even though he had defeated the "Dark Lord", even though he had found happiness with Aïon. Even though Harry had obtained this love he had longed for, the past never really left him. This night had been no exception.
He had fallen asleep and had seen Voldemort torturing and killing, no, slaughtering, shredding, skinning Muggles and Mudbloods…and then he had woken up, panting heavily, tears in his eyes, his throat dry after screaming too much. He had slept for one mere hour.
"Yes" he replied. After all, one little lie would do no harm…He had already lied so much…
"Are there dead people in them too?"
"…"
"There are in mine. I see my parents. It's gruesome." Elena added. Perhaps Harry would answer her question if she told her some things about her too…Perhaps he had thought that she was only trying to obtain information.
"I don't know if talking about dead people when eating breakfast is a good idea" Harry said.
"You did not answer to my question" Elena stubbornly replied, her gaze firmly planted on Harry's handsome face. She marvelled before his skin that seemed very smooth.
"What do you think, miss Prefect Rosebury?" He said humorously.
"So there are dead people in your nightmares….Your parents? Mine were killed by a vampire. My brother was the one who rescued me"
Harry subtly stiffened.
"A vampire? "
"Yeah. But all of them aren't like that, really ! I have a cousin who's one. And he's really nice !"
She noticed how Harry had tensed. So she wasn't wrong…Harry Potter may very well be a vampire…She had known it since the very moment she had laid her eyes on him. Since the very moment she had felt his cold aura around her, seen his cold glare…
Her thoughts were interrupted as the object of her interest stood up and began walking away.
"Class starts only in 1 hour"
"I know"
She wondered if she should follow him.
"I want to be alone" Harry said, not even bothering to turn around.
Elena slowly nodded though the boy could not see her. She watched as Harry's back got smaller as he strode away until the heavy doors shut behind him.
8, November 1964. Hogwarts. Slytherins' Common Room.
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Lucius sat down in front of the fire, his hand tightly curled around a parchment. Agatha had given it to him the day before. It held crucial information about the Evans family.
He opened it carefully, silently appreciating the softness of the paper.
Evans…Jack…Mary…Peter…Finn…Orion…Grace…Rose…Terence…Ann…Clare…Jane…Icarus….Genievra…Bellatrix - Lucius snorted upon reading the name - Katie … Marcus… Nellie…Caesar - Lucius raised a delicate eyebrow at the name and scoffed elegantly - Helen…Dave…Lyra…Francis…
No boy called Harry. He quickly looked through the parchment once again. There was no mistake. Harry Evans was not part of the ancient Pureblood family that was nearly extinct now. … Who was he then?
He thoughtfully held his chin between his thumb and his forefinger. His gaze skimmed across the parchment once again and he had to suppress an angry snarl. What an enigma…
He stood up, walked up the stairs to his room and strode to his desk. He eyed the quill and took it.
Dear Father,
Agatha presented me a parchment retracing the Pureblood Evans family. However, I have not seen anyone named Harry. But I'm quite sure this boy is powerful. He has Vampire blood.
Your son, Lucius.
He paused. And if…if Harry Evans wasn't his real name? That would certainly explain the lack of information he was faced with. But why would an amnesic boy want to hide his identity?
He took the quill once again and scribbled at the bottom of the page : I have some doubts about his name. Is it his real name?
He nodded, satisfied. He sealed the letter, put on two spells: one to prevent anyone else but his father to read it, another to automatically set the letter on fire once his father would have read it.
As he watched his owl fly away, he continued to ponder on the mystery that was named Harry Evans.
"Nothing on the boy?"
Lucius turned around to face Regulus who had just arrived. The Black heir seemed a little tired. His features looked sharper than usual, his eyes darker.
"No. I think he might have used a fake name"
"That's a possibility"
They stood like that, facing each other and thinking out this enigma.
"Tell the others to keep an eye on him in every class they share with him. If we can't gather any information till the next month, I'll ask Severus to prepare the Genus potion"
Regulus stared at his blonde friend, a little taken aback.
"Genus? We'll need to corner him to make him drink it. Won't it be difficult?"
"No. I'll find a way" Lucius' sharp tone left no argument.
As he was going to go the bathroom, he felt a sharp, stinging pain. He glanced at Regulus and saw that his friend felt it too.
"The Dark Lord…" they both whispered, looking fearfully at the black mark that looked like an ominous ornament on their forearms.
"We can't leave now. It's too early" Regulus whispered, clutching his arm.
"We've got no choice. Let's go out"
"And the others? They must have been summoned too"
"Agatha has a Portkey similar to mine. And Aristide has a Portkey as well. They'll join us afterwards"
Regulus nodded hesitantly. Soon, they were out of the castle, wandering in the Forbidden Forest. Deep in the shadows, no one would see them. Lucius took out a small pendant in the form of a small serpent made of jade. A little tug on the navel, and the two Slytherins were there no longer.
8, November 1964. Specific location unknown. In a forest.
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Soft "plops" were heard as more people arrived, either by apparating or by Portkeying.
Lucius and Regulus had brought their masks and capes before coming. They quickly readjusted the masks and went to complete the half-moon circle. Before his followers, Lord Voldemort stood proudly.
"Good to see that everyone arrived on time" the dark Lord drawled, his ruby eyes briefly skimming over Goyle junior.
Last time, Icturius Goyle, son of Nocturnus Goyle and Lectia Goyle -born Parkinson-, had deemed his dinner to be more important than the dark Lord's meeting. He had shown up five minutes late. Voldemort had practiced his cherished spell -Crucio - on the young boy. No one delayed a meeting with Voldemort.
The dark Lord surveyed his followers with a hawkish stare. The masks couldn't hide their fear. They were all shaking like leaves. Anxiety was coming from their whole bodies, rolling off them in waves. It was intoxicating. He liked feeling this fear. He liked having such a power on people.
"Tomorrow, we'll be going on a raid. Be sure to be there!" he paused a little, for more dramatic effect, taking in his most devoted followers' eagerness and the newest recruits' anxiety.
Surely, some people had appointments but it did not matter. He knew they would cancel all they had to do and that, just to please him. Tomorrow was Saturday. Many people would go to Diagon Alley.
"We're going to attack at 3.00pm. And we'll be at Diagon Alley. We'll apparate in front of Ollivander's shop. The inner circle will take care of all the important places like Ollivander's shop, the Leaky Cauldron, Flourish and Botts, the Potion shop, the Daily Prophet office. The newest recruits will take care of the small shops like the Menagerie, the Ice Parlour, Madam Malkin's clothes shop. Bring back whatever you deem could be useful. The others will stay in the street and fight those who might try to attack. When the inner circle is done, I want them to go out in the Alley and fight. The Aurors won't take much time in arriving. Dumbledore might even come. Is that clear?"
"Yes, my Lord" they chorused, bowing down.
"Now leave. Don't be late. I want the inner circle to stay behind"
The others left, bowing down in front of their Lord as they passed by him. Voldemort spared no glance to any of his followers. He was already focusing on his favourite Death Eaters. The Inner circle stood there, some anxious, others eager.
Voldemort smirked darkly. Even with the masks, he could tell who was who. The long blonde hair gave away Abraxas Malfoy's identity. The crazed eyes laden with bloodlust were Cygnus Black's. The cold stares and stern mouths were Orion and Walburga Black's trademark. The gaunt, darkened features and the stiff posture gave away Tobiah Nott.
"My dear followers…" he drawled. "Did your children report anything ? Orion?"
If any thought it would have been better to directly ask the children while they were still here, nobody said it aloud. As for Voldemort, he certainly preferred asking his Inner Circle rather than their children who were still...impetuous. And loud. It would also be difficult for them if Dumbledore were to notice their absence.
"My Lord, Dumbledore hasn't mentioned the attacks since the beginning of the year. It could be that he doesn't want to frighten the children and their parents" Orion replied, while Walburga slightly nodded, as if to confirm her husband's words.
"Old fool. Tomorrow's attack will be on the first page of the Daily Prophet. He will be forced to face the facts." Tom spat, his brown eyes briefly turning red. "Nott? Malfoy?"
"My Lord, Agatha told me there isn't anything unusual at Hogwarts. However, there is a new student whom she finds rather interesting."
"A new student? How interesting?" The Dark lord shifted a bit to the left, coming closer to the Nott patriarch.
"She didn't give me much details, my Lord. Please forgive me" Tobiah Nott bowed his head.
Voldemort snarled and curled his upper lip in distate.
"Crucio".
The proud Tobiah Nott tensed. His body felt as if it was on fire. His every fibres were set on fire, his muscles were stiff, his skin seemed to burn, his lungs seemed to be exploding and the loud thump in his head wouldn't cease. Finally, he gave in and screamed.
Voldemort watched him writhe on the ground for a few minutes then released him. Tobiah stood up, panting heavily and muttering a low thank you for stopping the spell. Voldemort snorted.
"My Lord, if I may speak, my son has talked about this student too" Abraxas spoke up.
"I hope you have more information to give me"
"The new student is called Harry Evans. He does not seem to be exceptional in any class, but my son insists that he can feel his power"
Tom nodded thoughtfully. His contemplation was interrupted by the loud flapping of an owl's wings. An owl appeared above their heads. The bird immediately went to the head of the Malfoy house, and left a letter in his hands.
Abraxas bowed low, knowing that interrupting the dark Lord's meeting could result in a Crucio.
"It's from my son, my Lord".
At those words, he saw the dark Lord's face shine with curiosity. He sighed with relief. He had just escaped a seance of torture. He opened the letter and quickly let it go as it burnt.
"My Lord, Lucius did some research on the Evans family, and he seems to doubt that Harry Evans is the student's real name. And he says that…the boy has vampire blood"
Voldemort's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Vampire blood? That could certainly be useful. And if the boy was powerful…He had tried to sign an alliance with many Vampire clans, but each of them had refused, not wanting to mingle with the wizards. Why would a vampire be in Hogwarts, when vampires were so prone to stay away from "humans"?
"Did he say has vampire blood or is a vampire?"
"Has vampire blood, my Lord"
Voldemort chuckled. So that was why. The boy was not a vampire. Thus he could be at Hogwarts.
He wasn't a vampire…no, he was even better than that. He was a vampire's Chalice.
"Tell your son to keep a careful eye on that boy. He will be useful to us"
"Yes, my Lord"
"Dismissed"
They bowed with one accord, their capes dancing upon the grounds, as they left.
Voldemort apparated out of the forest and in his manor. He thought about the mysterious boy. He didn't know why that boy was here, but he would be very useful. What would be better than a chalice to force a vampire to do something? If they had the chalice as a hostage, the vampire would do anything. The alliance with the vampires was not a problem anymore.
9, November 1964. Hogwarts. Gryffindor's Dorm.
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"1.00 am…I should sleep" Harry whispered in the dark.
He sighed and shifted in his bed. He was restless since Aïon had…well, since he had seen Aïon for the last time. Last night, he had slept a mere hour, and all he had succeeded to do was to have a nightmare.
Damn Voldemort and Alecto and all those crazy fuckers!
He tossed and turned for the umpteenth time. He reached under his shirt and took out a small pendant Aïon had given him as a gift. He skimmed the cold dark onyx with the tip of his fingers, retracing the outer forms of the small tiger. It was a reminder of his Animagus form.
Vampires had no Animagus form for they were not wizards. They were more ancient beings, they had been gifted by Magic herself. Thus, they could transform in any animal they wanted to. However, some animals were more used than others. Bats, panthers, cats, serpents, owls were the most common transformations. But, like the wizards, they couldn't transform into any magical creatures like unicorns, dragons, basilisks…
The first time Aïon had seen him in his Animagus form, he had laughed. Harry would remember his laugh forever. The deep, low rumble coming from his lover's body had seemed so warm and pleasant that he would have blushed if he hadn't been a tiger at that time. The vampire had told him that he liked his Animagus form. Harry had playfully tackled him, pushing him on the ground with his large paws.
He smiled at the memory and kissed the pendant. Aïon…
Eventually, he fell asleep, his fingers still clutched around the small tiger and his smile still hung on his face.
- Dēst þū wīllan tō hwæthwegu, mīn bearn? [Do you wish for something, my child?]
- …This voice….again…
- Dēst þū wīllan tō hwæthwegu, mīn bearn? [Do you wish for something, my child?]
- ...why- Why won't you tell me…Who are you? What do you want?
- Mīn bearn….þū bist Dryhten… [My child…you will be a prince …]
- ...I don't know. What do you want? Tell me so I can understand! I don't understand…
- Mīn bearn….þū bist Dryhten… [My child…you will be a prince …]
- …Won't you tell me? Where Aïon is? You know where he is, don't you?
- Mīn bearn…tō hwondēst þū wīllan hine ? [My child…why do you want him?]
- Tell me !
- Tō hwon dēst þū wīllan hine nú ēower géosceaft wile folgian þē ? [Why do you want him when your fate will catch you?]
- Please…please…tell me…I know you are important. I know it, deep inside. Just tell me.
- Mīn bearn… forgiet hine…[My child…forget him…]
::Eliel…::
- Aïon?
- Mīn bearn… forgiet hine ! [My child…forget him !]
:::Eliel…Eliel…:::
- Aïon !
- Mīn bearn… forgiet hine ! [My child…forget him !]
:::Eliel…sweet, sweet Eliel… My little angel…:::
- Aïon, where are you?
:::….:::
- Mīn bearn…gehlyst mē… [My child…listen to me…]
- AÏON !
Harry woke up, panting heavily, his hair dripping with sweat and stuck to his forehead.
Again…this voice. It was now the second time. Who was it? It was a feminine voice. So warm, so… Aïon ! That's right! He had heard Aïon !
He woke up and swiftly went in the bathroom without making any noise. He put his head under the tap and washed his face. He looked up in the mirror and suppressed a snort. He did not look good. He had hollow eyes and dark bags under the eyes. He looked drawn.
But this voice…he couldn't be wrong. It was Aïon. It was a sign. Aïon was really here, at this time. He was in Britain. And Harry had to search for him.
As he got back in the room, he was surprised to see an owl on his bed, waiting for him. He blinked. The owl seemed to smirk and the bird slowly disappeared in a blur of forms and smoke to let a tall man appear.
"Vlad!" Harry whispered, clearly astonished.
The older man stifled a laugh and put on a stern face.
"Who are you, human?"
"Huh? Vlad?" Harry tentatively reached out a hand.
Vlad slapped his hand away. He let his fangs out and took a step forward. He could feel Harry's body warmth from where he was and he was tempted to drop the act and hug the boy as tightly as possible.
"Who are you to call me like that, human?"
Harry squinted at him.
"Oh!" the young boy hit his forehead with the palm of his hand.
"I forgot…there's no way the you from now would know me…" he muttered.
"Explain yourself, human"
"Ah um, you see…Lord Vladimir Lirim, I beg you to forgive my impudence. I did not mean to disrespect you" Harry bowed slowly.
He bit his lower lip, anxious to see what the vampire would do. He was surprised when he heard him laugh.
"I really got you there!" Vladimir exclaimed.
"…Vlad?" Harry asked timidly.
"Yes, who do you think I am?"
"But- but how…"
"I saw your letter, you brat! So I defied time, just to retrieve you, you…you crazy boy!"
Vladimir's outburst left place to silence that seemed to weigh more than usual. The vampire stepped closer and cupped Harry's face with one hand.
"You know me. I would never let you do stupid things alone. Unfortunately, it seems time-traveling hasn't changed my tendency to follow your every step..." he trailed, and Harry avoided his piercing gaze, knowing very well what these words really meant.
"So you're the Vlad I know? Not the one from 1964?"
"Right. Now, tell me why you even did this? Do you know how dangerous it is to defy the Fates?"
"I know. But I couldn't stay there and just mourn. I had to find him and kill those who made him suffer"
"Did you find him yet?"
"Not yet. But when I find him, I'll explain everything to him and I'll make sure he remembers me"
"I see" the vampire sighed and closed briefly his eyes "I have not see him since I arrived here. If I remember well, at that time he should be in Germany. I think the I from well...now ... sent him there to solve a rebellion against my cousin"
"Oh. Do you remember when he should come back?"
"Not until next year, I'm afraid"
"Can't you send someone else?"
"You can defy the Fates but the consequences will be dreadful. Let's not try to change more events than needed. "
"But if I could see him before next year, we could all return to our time earlier"
"Things are not so simple, child. I do not know what spell you used to turn back in time, but during the ritual I did, the Fates have clearly warned me. We will not go back unharmed. The Fates do not tolerate rebellion, nor from you, child, neither from me. Humans or vampires…we will all suffer. Fates never give in our desire to change time and crush fools like us who dare to defy them".
Harry stared at the vampire, suddenly feeling lost. It was as if a weight had been thrown on his heart, crushing it.
"What- What do you mean? Is there no way to let Aïon-"
"That's not what I mean, foolish boy. If we go back, Aïon will surely be alive but we will lose something. The Fates do not grant your wish for nought. You have to give something in return. You have to be ready to sacrifice something."
"I hear a voice" Harry blurted out. He did not know why, but he knew the woman speaking to him was related to this matter.
"A voice? What does it say?"
"I don't know. I don't understand what the woman says. She speaks in a language I don't understand"
"A woman?"
Vladimir gave the brunette a hard, long stare. His sea-green eyes seemed to burn a hole through the wizard's body. Harry felt uncomfortable under those hawkish eyes. He fidgeted.
"Harry…the Fates are warning you. You have to understand them if you want to escape their punishment"