Chapter 4: Addiction
Book : Harry Potter
Chapter : 4
Words: 13 947
Rating : M
Characters / Main Pairing : Harry Potter / O.C. (Aïon Ambrozij)
Disclaimer : I certainly do not own Harry Potter. I only own the characters who came from my imagination, namely Aïon, Vlad, and all the other crazy vampires.
"I have absolutely no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so madly indulge. It has not been in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason. It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom."
- Edgar Allan Poe
9, November 1964. Hogwarts. Great Hall.
‡ ‡
"Good morning Harry" Elena said as she sat.
"Good morning Elena"
Harry turned his head towards her and gave her a slight smile. The girl answered with a smile of her own, her pale grey eyes briefly brightening as the corners of her mouth curved upwards.
"Did you sleep well this time?"
Harry gulped a mouthful of scrambled eggs. He poured himself pumpkin juice and sighed. Elena's inquisitive look made him smirk.
"I did"
"Something good happened? Did you have a nice dream?"
"Why?"
"I don't know. You're especially…kind, today" Elena shrugged, tucking a few strands of dark brown hair behind her ears.
"Yeah. I had a very nice dream. Moreover, it seemed so real that I thought I wasn't really dreaming" Harry smirked.
Elena stared at him and eventually chuckled even though Harry was sure she could not have understood what he really was talking about. Her light yet clear laugh hung in the air like Christmas bells. Harry decided he liked it. She was a warm person.
"What are you two laughing about?"
The two wizards turned around to face Alastor. The boy was looking at them curiously. His beige eyes were focused on both of them, glancing at them alternatively.
"Good morning Alastor Peterson" Harry said, in a low voice, not bothering to answer his question.
"Good morning Alastor!" the girl chirped, a smile still grazing her features.
"Good morning. So what were you talking about?"
"Dreams" came the simple answer. Yet to the oblivious boy, Elena's answer was enigmatic.
"Dreams? Did you have bad dreams?"
"Not exact-"
"ALASTOR!"
A mass of black hair threw itself on Alastor who could do nothing but open his arms to receive the bundle. Elena laughed at the scene.
"How could you leave me alone in the dorm?" Alastor's twin whined, lifting his head to gaze up at his brother, his brown eyes shining with fake tears.
"I tried to wake you up at least five times" Alastor replied.
"But-"
"Here, you must be hungry"
Alastor shoved a piece of bread in Alexis' mouth who immediately ceased to grumble. Instead, he grinned and slid off of his twin's lap to sit sluggishly nearby.
"Where's Theo?" he asked while munching on his piece of bread and heaping his plate with bacon and eggs.
"Don't talk with your mouth full!" Alastor quickly reprimanded him.
Alexis stuck his tongue out and scrunched his nose. His twin made a disapproving noise with his throat, while shaking his head. Harry suppressed a laugh. It was good to see two people bicker like that. It reminded him of…of people he shouldn't think about.
A shadow darkened his expression. While the twins kept on squabble, Elena set her grey eyes on the new student. She bit her lower lip. What should she do? He seemed so … tortured. She wanted to help him. But she wasn't sure he would accept. He seemed to be very lonesome.
She tried to reach out as if to put her hand on his shoulder. Harry noticed her movement and stiffened. His reaction did not go unnoticed by the girl. She slowly retracted her hand, until she had curled her fingers into a tight fist.
"Well, I'll see you in class" Harry stood up abruptly and left.
His jaw was clenched, the nerves and the muscles of his neck standing out. Elena sighed. However, two pairs of eyes had observed with great interest the whole scene.
"Still hard to approach, I see" Regulus joked, a smirk making its way on his patrician features.
"Yes. But these people have made some progress. Especially the Prefect" Lucius replied, his eyes still riveted to the place where Harry had stood just a while ago.
"Yes. How are we going to do? Just keep an eye on him during classes and follow him everywhere?"
"No. We're going to talk to him everyday"
"I hope we are not going to have to act as his friends" Regulus slowly uttered, not bothering to hide his repulsion.
"Not his friends. Just…people he'll be accustomed to see in his everyday life" Lucius replied, smirking.
Regulus stared at his friend and snorted, clearly amused.
"I see. Become everyday's background, huh?"
He received no answer, only a light chuckle.
9, November 1964. The Lair.
‡ ‡
Vladimir sat on his throne, in the vast room ablaze with the numerous torches that hung on the wall. His pale face was lit by the fiery red and orange flames that danced every now and then. He was still a bit hazy about his meeting with Harry.
"I hear a voice" Harry's melodious voice chimed.
Yes…They were all going to be punished for defying the Fates. Definitely. And Harry would be the first to suffer.
"My Lord, your guests are here" announced the doorkeeper.
"Let them in"
He had summoned the 9 highest vampires of his clan : the Council. He had to make sure that Alecto and Arioch would stay away from Harry. He also had to ensure Harry's safety considering the time they were in. He knew of Harry's past…no, future…whatever it was, with Voldemort. He didn't want to make Harry die by the hands of a young Voldemort. They didn't come to this time to retrieve Aïon and leave without Harry.
"Thank you all for coming here"
"Well, everyone's not here…Your dear Mágoa and Aïon seem to have left your side." drawled sarcastically Alecto, her black eyes shining with contempt as they swept over the room.
"Yes, thank you for this particularly interesting piece of information, Alecto. Now let the higher-ups talk. Vapula, what are your conclusions on the state of the Smerenie clan?" Vladimir replied, quickly dismissing Alecto's words as if she was nothing but a bug.
Alecto bared her fangs and her dark black eyes threw daggers as she was currently seething with rage, but a warning look from her brother prevented her from getting up and making a ruckus. Vapula Besnik's brown eyes pinned Alecto to her chair. Vapula was the 4th most powerful vampire, thus the 3rd member of the Council. She was deeply intelligent, and liked to immerse herself in books. She was well versed in sciences, philosophy and could almost make anything with her hands. Other vampires used to say about her that she resembled a human, focusing all of her attention on "petty" things such as these, but her knowledge of human and most of all, wizards, had helped the clan more than once.
Even if vampires were a more ancient race than human and wizards, she believed that knowledge was the key of success. She found interest in many things that were discarded by other vampires. She had received Vladimir's support and she respected him dearly for his prudence and wisdom. But the thing she loved most was definitely her private library.
"I arrived there in September and I spent one month and a half with the clan. Their leader, Anmael Luca had put her seven high-trusted Generals on the Dragon cases. As you had foreseen it, my Lord, the dragons they had tried to tame ten years ago had not forgotten about this incident and have been the cause of the numerous deaths that have occurred lately. The children of the Smerenie clan have been sheltered in the Bavarian mountains. Anarell Luca, the sister of Anmael Luca, has accepted to protect them until the problem was solved"
"The Demut clan?"
"Yes, my Lord"
"I thought the Demut clan had a problem of their own…Unless you solved it, Aislinn?"
"Yes, my Lord. The epidemic of fever that was spreading in the Demut clan was in fact due to the presence of rotten dead corpses nearby. There were huge mass graves and I believe it was the result of dark wizards' experiments or tortures. The wounds were clearly not inflicted by vampires nor any other magical creature. We gave the Demut clan samples of our blood everyday to help their magic fight the viruses. We also had to burn some areas in the forest to make sure that the air would be purified"
Aislinn Sofron, the 7th member of the Council and 8th most powerful in the Clan, bowed her head as she finished talking, waiting for her Lord's approval. Her lowered eyelids covered her dark grey eyes, and the weight of her long white hair tied in a braid over her right shoulder was making her hair tilt a bit to the right.
"Well done Aislinn. So, Vapula, how is Anmael Luca coping with the Dragons?"
"She has sent her Generals after the adult Dragons. With my people, I helped the others to capture the young Dragons. The Generals came back with three Dragons that were put to sleep, but the other Dragons had to be killed. As for the young ones, Anmael Luca still hasn't decided whether to keep them or to release them. There is a risk that they would remember this incident, no matter how young they are, and that they would wreak havoc in a few years"
"I see. Releasing them would be the best solution for now. If they keep them, what are they going to do with them? They have no use in keeping Dragons. If the Dragons cause trouble again, we'll send them help"
"Understood. I'll send them a message afterwards"
"Alecto. The Sevastian clan requested our help concerning a rebellion within the lowest Pureblood families. I want you to go there with people you will choose and solve this problem"
"The Sevastian clan? Are you mad? It's in Russia! I'm not going there!" Alecto hysterically exclaimed, brusquely standing up, her dark pupils burning with contempt and disgust.
"You will go. It's an order. And don't even try to wreak havoc in Russia. You will stay there until this rebellion is put down, and then you will go to Poland for six months. The newly formed Siła clan and his ruler, Alojzy Ryszard, want to establish an alliance with us. You will sign the treaty and live with them for six months to help our diplomatic relationships. "
Vladimir didn't bother to wait for his sister's reply. He didn't have time. He had to send Alecto far, very far away from Harry. And after thoroughly thinking…he had to send Arioch with her too.
"Arioch, you will go with Alecto."
"Yes, my Lord" came the neutral reply.
No sarcasm, no contempt, no mellifluous note, but the lack of respect in those three words was palpable. Arioch was strong. He was the 9th most powerful warrior in this clan, the 8th member of this Council…but he had no loyalty towards his leader. He acted only according to his own interests and benefits. Vladimir knew that already too well. He had experienced it. He would not do the same mistake again.
Even though no vampire had really liked Harry, Arioch and Alecto had been the ones to pursue the young wizard, to make his life a mess. They were the only ones who were a real threat to Harry. Sending them abroad would make the task easier.
"This reunion is over. Aislinn, Vapula, you will hand me written reports tomorrow"
"Yes, my Lord" the two women replied in unison.
The members of the Council left one by one. Vladimir watched them walk away.
He turned around and elegantly raised an eyebrow upon seeing his sister.
"What, you haven't left yet?" he asked, trying not to sound too mocking.
"I won't go there" she spat venomously, shaking her head.
"Too bad I'm the leader here. You will go. If you don't do it on your own, I'll make you go there by force. By hook or by crook, you choose"
"I . won't . go . there " she replied challengingly, even daring to snort loudly and turn her head away.
"You will go"
And without any warning, he raised his right index and slowly began to bend it until it formed a tight fist with the other fingers. His gaze was unwavering and fiery, yet very cold. He did not mind making his sister suffer. To vampires, blood ties did not matter. What was important was strength and power. He had not been chosen as the Leader for nothing. He was the strongest out here. And that meant he was the one who had mastered the Blood control technique the most perfectly.
He saw her sister stiffen. At some places, her veins could be seen through her pale skin. He extended all of his fingers, the tips of the fingers pointing at the ceiling and the palm of his right hand facing the figure of the woman. He slowly retracted them, relishing the feeling of his muscles contracting tightly.
Alecto was stifling her grimaces, but she couldn't hold it in any longer, Vladimir knew it. And soon enough, she let herself fall on the ground with a grunt. She was obviously in pain. Vladimir's eyes focused on her arms and he twirled his fingers clockwise. Alecto's arms suddenly twisted until it formed an awkward angle with her shoulders.
He twirled his fingers counterclockwise. The sudden shock from having her muscles so abruptly untwisted made Alecto moan loudly, her face scrunched up with pain. He abruptly stopped and his sister grunted lowly, the sudden gain of control over her blood making her feel as if her limbs were on fire.
"Do we understand each other? Go and take care of this problem" Vladimir growled lowly, the tip of his fangs showing ever slightly under his curled lips.
Alecto eyed warily the hands of his brother and nodded slowly.
"Good"
He turned around, not wanting to look at her face any longer. But, upon seeing that she had no intention to leave, he spun harshly and snarled, exposing his glistening fangs.
"Leave. Now"
She scoffed and shot him a murderous look that didn't affect him. He was rather used to it. He watched her retreating back and let out a deep, tired sigh.
"Kreshnik…" he breathed out.
The murmured name hung slightly in the air before dissipating in the cold, lonesome room.
9, November 1964. Hogwarts. Defense Against the Dark Arts' class (DADA).
‡ ‡
"Today, we will learn about the Patronus charm" said Adam Sollers, "who can explain what the Patronus can be used for?"
He faced the class and smiled softly as he saw several hands raised. It was good to see his students so eager to learn. He spotted Lily Evans and sighed. The girl was too clever for her own good. She was the only one to have chosen both Potion and Muggle studies classes and thus had to alternately follow Potion and Muggle studies.
Monday, Potion. Wednesday Muggle studies. Friday, Potion. And vice-versa.
When she wasn't in Muggle studies class, she asked someone to lend her their notes. When she wasn't in Sollers' class, she did the same. And in the end, she wasn't slowing down the class at all. Whenever Sollers saw her in his class, she had fully understood what they had talked about last time even if she hadn't been there. She was a genius.
"Lily…" he sighed.
"The Patronus charm is cast with the spell 'Expecto Patronum'. Depending on the person, the form of the Patronus will change. The Founders used it to repel any evil thing, but the most common use nowadays is against Dementors" the girl replied swiftly, her green eyes shining with excitement and eagerness.
"Very good, Lily" His gaze roamed over the class, as if to tell the other students they needed to be more like her.
"However" he added with a slight mischievous lilt in his voice "there is another way to use the Patronus. Does anyone know what that could be?"
Lily frowned and her nose scrunched in a cute way as she tried to think of what she could have forgotten. Whatever the professor was talking about, she was sure she hadn't read anything about it. Was it Dark then? No way…the Patronus was a light spell. But why hadn't she found any information on it in the books?
"Ms Evans?" Lily shook her head, disappointed.
"Mr Potter?" James snorted and smirked lightly at his professor who only stared disapprovingly though the Gryffindor's antics were certainly living things up.
"Mr Lupin?"
"I don't know, Professor"
"Ms Laney?"
"Sorry, Professor"
He turned to the Slytherins. The green and silver were certainly not looking at him with warm eyes but that was to be expected. Sometimes he even wondered why they had taken his classes. Perhaps because they wanted to know their enemy…He had not doubts some of his students were already deep in the Dark Arts but there was no way to verify his suspicions.
"Mr Deryl?"
The shy boy shook his head, not even looking up.
"Ms Nott?"
The young girl stared at him challengingly, daring him to say anything about her ignorance about this very matter. Agatha Nott was a prideful one, but he already knew that.
His gaze went to the back of the classroom and he spotted black hair. He smiled. Time to know if the new student was knowledgeable. His first day in DADA hadn't be a memorable one but he hadn't expected the new student to be an astoundingly mage or something of the kind.
"Mr Evans?"
"The Patronus" Harry began and then he paused. He bit his lower lip. Instinctively, his reaction had been to answer. But he should have stayed quiet. Knowing the answer would only bring attention to him. He didn't want that. But yet again, his rash and impulsive nature had won. Spending time with the vampires seemingly didn't manage to change that.
"Go on" Sollers gently urged him, thinking the boy was shy. Harry inwardly smiled. The professor clearly misunderstood him.
"The Patronus can also be used in its corporeal form. Thus the wizard can send letters or more often, packages that can't be sent with a normal owl. Besides, using the Patronus to send something, one can be sure that the letter or the package will certainly not be lost for if someone were to attack the Patronus, the Patronus can defend itself. It is because the Patronus is made of magic itself unlike normal owls we use every day. So if you are in a time of war, sending messages with your Patronus is safer. However, calling your Patronus in its corporeal form takes a lot of energy and only few wizards are able to do it" He ended with a little sigh.
All the other students turned around to look at him in awe and he made his point by not looking back at them. Instead, he stared at the wall behind Sollers that seemed so…interesting. Sollers blinked once, twice, then he smiled.
"Very good. As you said, Patronus can also be used in their corporeal forms as messengers"
Lily pouted but her frown didn't seem to faze the new student who hadn't even looked at her. She sighed, a bit sad that someone knew the answer when she didn't. She would have to talk to him and know where he had found this piece of information.
"So today, we will practice our Patronus spell. Ready, begin!"
All of a sudden, different "Expecto patronum" echoed all around the room. Some people were staring dumbly at their Patronus, others were holding tightly their wand and vigorously shaking it, desperately trying to get something other than thin, hazy and fading silver clouds.
Harry looked his want with dull eyes and instinctively caressed the wood with his fingers, rubbing his knuckles along the wand. The feeling of the familiarly warm wood sent tingles in his spine, and made his magic want to come out. But he couldn't. Not here.
Adam Sollers strolled in the classroom, looking at everyone's Patronus, and occasionally rectifying one's hold over their wand. He faced Harry and smiled.
"Why don't you show me your Patronus Mr Evans?" he asked gently
"I'm sorry Professor but I already practiced it. However it seems it took its toll on my strength" he put on a small smile that, he knew, seemed very sincere and apologetic.
"I see. Too bad. Show me next time!" Sollers replied and he turned around to walk back to his desk.
Harry sighed heavily as he slumped into a chair a little more.
He ran a hand through his hair and let out a fond smile as he remembered the feeling of Aïon's hair. He liked to hold the silver strands in his hand. A habit he had taken ever since their first encounter. He remembered this habit made Aïon chuckle.
"You're like an infant holding his mother's hair" Aïon smiled, looking at his lover.
"Would you prefer to be my mother?" Harry joked.
"I'd be happy to have a child like you"
"I don't want to be your child. You just stay my lover" Harry replied firmly.
"I didn't plan to do otherwise" Aïon simply said.
Harry smiled and stroked the thin strands of silver hair he held between his thumb and his forefinger. He put his head on Aïon's shoulder and closed his eyes. He vaguely felt the vampire run his fingers through his hair. He sighed softly. Aïon's fingers made him relax and he soon fell asleep.
Harry chuckled at the memory. He reached down his waist to hold his own hair and examined it. He had begun to grow it long when Aïon had convinced him he would look good with long hair. He had never cut it since that time. He planned to make it grow till it reached his thighs, just like Aïon.
In the front row, Agatha stood, her head slightly turned to the back of the classroom, not missing one bit of the scene. She had noticed how the boy's magic had lashed out for a brief moment when he had touched his wand.
The boy -the prey- was special. Her lips curled upwards in a delicate manner that still left malice shine through.
9, November 1964. Hogwarts. Great Hall. Lunch.
‡ ‡
"Hey Harry !"
"Hello, Alastor, Alexis" Harry replied, his voice as neutral as ever.
He seemed neither annoyed nor particularly joyful. His face was as unreadable as a blank paper. His eyes betrayed nothing and his posture was that of a Pureblood.
"How were your classes this morning?" Alexis chirped cheerfully.
"Fine"
"DADA wasn't it?" Alastor asked for specific details.
"Yes"
"Cool. I've always wanted to attend this class but they always put it early in the morning…" Alexis whined.
"What did you learn today?" Alastor cut off his twin brother's whining by pushing a mouthful of green peas in his mouth.
Alexis munched happily on the food. Alastor gave him a small smirk, and gently patted his head. Food was perfect to lure Alexis into doing whatever you wanted.
"Patronus" Harry replied with a raspy voice.
He cleared his throat and gulped down some water before resuming his eating.
"Wow, and did you get to see your Patronus? Some students were saying they didn't manage to do it and they only saw silver puffs of smoke" Alastor asked
"I couldn't do it. Only tiny clouds" Harry lied easily, the words rolling on his tongue as if it were sweet truth.
"Oh. Too bad. Well, my dad once told me it didn't matter because with some training you'll be able to it perfectly"
"Yeah I hope so" the brunette replied, a tight smile making its way on his face.
"Oh Harry!" Alexis abruptly intervened "Are you going out this afternoon?"
"We can go outside today?" Harry asked, slightly puzzled. Whenever they wanted to go outside, they had to ask special permission or it had to be a very special day. Was it different in this era?
"Well yeah…" Alexis replied, amused by Harry's question "you know, you can do whatever you want when you have free time. It's just that lately, you should be more cautious when going out because of You-know-You" his voice sinking to a conspiratorial whisper at the end of the sentence.
So Voldemort was already referred to as You Know Who…. Harry thought.
"Oh the dark wizard?" Harry asked, trying to sound as oblivious and innocent as possible. He was supposed to be amnesic after all…
"Yeah. But back to what I was saying…" Alexis grinned widely "how about you hang out with us this afternoon? Alastor and I were planning to go to Diagon Alley and buy some stuff. You know, new quills, books and things like that"
"I was thinking about-"
"Let's all go together then!" Elena cut in, all smiles.
She had the intuition Harry would try to refuse. She had no intention to let him play the loner part. She longed to become friends with him, and she knew that certainly wouldn't happen if she let him lock himself in his room.
"Okay ! That's settled!" Alexis exclaimed and he took off with a big grin.
Alastor chuckled at his twin's excitement and turned towards Harry.
"Then, let's meet at 2.00pm in front of the school's gates"
"Okay" Harry blankly replied.
He had intended to use this free time to contact Vlad. Now, thanks to the girl, his precious time was going to be wasted…
Two pairs of eyes followed the scene with great attention.
Lucius tensed as he felt the boy's magic stir. It was faint but he could feel it. Now that he knew what the boy's magic was like and what the boy himself was, he knew where to search for the magic. He hadn't been able to feel it the first day. In fact, he just had to push a little farther. The boy's magic was hidden deep in the boy's core. It was almost imperceptible. But it was there. Excruciatingly beautiful, raw and unrivalled. The boy, he thought, had taken a potion. His creature side was totally suppressed at the moment and Lucius vaguely wondered what potion Evans used.
Even so, he knew the boy was irked. His veela senses could easily catch on other people's emotions. And he knew this anger was directed at someone, though he knew not who. He didn't know why either.
"Do you think he's going to Diagon Alley this afternoon?" Regulus asked quietly.
Lucius shrugged and his shoulder movement was almost unseen. Regulus only caught it because he had had lots of year to practice reading his friend's reactions. Almost all Purebloods were taught not to display too much emotions and reactions, after all.
"If he's here, what do we do?"
"What we usually do"
"Attack and see" Regulus finished the sentence, a small smirk gracing his handsome features.
"If he proves to be weak, we'll dispose of him. If he can fight back quite well, we'll keep him until He tells us what to do exactly"
"Okay. I hope there's going to be a lot of Hufflepuffs this afternoon…they're the best when it comes to practising spells on moving targets" Regulus darkly joked, and Lucius could see a glint of insanity flashing through his friend's dark orbs.
However, the blonde refrained from making any comments. He wasn't particularly fond of killing, but yes, if their opponents were weak, they were to be killed. It was simple.
It was Nature's law. The weak loses, the strong wins. And if the strong struggles, a strongest one comes in and kills him.
9, November 1964. Diagon Alley. A dark side-alley.
‡ ‡
"Time to go" a velvet voice said, power clearly showing through the tone
"Yes, my Lord"
Hooded and masked figures bowed low before standing up. Clad in black, their identities were completely concealed. However, some were easily recognizable for whoever knew them. For example, blonde platinum hair were the Malfoy's trademark. But it was no mystery for anyone that the Malfoys were a very ancient family of dark wizards. Thus there was no need for them to conceal such a distinctive feature.
The wizards stepped out of the dark alley in which no one ventured, except ill-intentioned ones such as the Death Eaters who were going to wreck havoc on this fine Saturday afternoon. Staying behind a few minutes, the dark Lord, bare-faced, smirked before a small, dry chuckle escaped his lips.
"Time to play, old fool"
As he had asked, his Death Eaters soon took over different places depending on their ranks. He briefly checked that no one was straying from the original plan and he stood in the middle of the alley, confident and powerful.
The people in the Alley had already begun to run frantically, their high-pitched screams resembling sweet sounds and irking him at the same time. He watched them scurry from one side to the other, and did nothing to hide his contempt and disgust.
"Pitiful, disgusting, filthy low-class wizards" he hissed to no one in particular.
His eyes flashed red as he heard the Aurors apparate. They had been quicker than what he had expected. But it did not matter. His followers had already had enough time to kill and torture.
He vaguely saw some Hogwarts students trying to hide. From afar, he could see they were Hufflepuffs. He snorted delicately. Good riddance, he thought as he watched some of the younger recruits kill them mercilessly.
Suddenly, a red light came out of nowhere and the two young Death Eaters who had just killed the Hufflepuffs were shoved on the ground. Voldemort smirked ominously, his red pupils and dark grin looking even more evil than before.
A petite boy with light brown hair came in his line of sight. His wand was drawn out.
"So little kitty is trying to fight back…"he murmured, his eyes alit with interest.
Students hardly fought back. Normally, people would try to fly while waiting for the Aurors to help them. It was pathetic to watch. If the boy was fighting back, perhaps today would be more interesting. He watched intently to assess the boy's potential. However, what he felt made him frown. He could not feel anything coming from this boy. A squib? Impossible.. He had just cast an 'Expelliarmus'.
Harry had reacted before he could think. As soon as he had seen the young Hufflepuffs being killed by the Death Eaters he had quickly glamoured himself, drawn his wand out and thrown an 'Expelliarmus' at the two hooded figures. He didn't even think he should have stayed put and waited for the Aurors like everyone else. Battle was ingrained in his being after years of training with Dumbledore and Aurors, hide-and-seek game with Voldemort, training with Aïon and Vladimir, raw fighting with Alecto and Arioch.
Now that he had acted, he could not withdraw. He would have to fight back. He could not let those people die. Even if they were not his friends, even if he did not know them… he could not let them die, because he had already seen too many people die.
Call it hero complex if you want.
"Well, well…what do we have here? A Ravenclaw?" a third Death Eater stepped in, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I though Ravenclaws did nothing but study? Think you can fight against me?" he continued, his eyes shining through the holes in the mask. He was eyeing Harry with unhidden mockery.
Harry pursed his lips and did not reply. He was going to fight back but he couldn't let too much of his power show through. He did not need any attention, he reminded himself. He had to stay as normal as possible. Put on a brave face that verges on stupid bravery, wait until the Aurors came this way and run away.
He gripped his wand tightly though he did not even need it. But it was all for the show, he reminded himself. No error would be allowed. His mission was at stake. If he drew too much attention on himself, his plans would be disturbed and he would have difficulties to talk with Vlad and search for Aïon without anyone noticing.
"Crucio" the Death eater drawled.
Harry inwardly smirked. No Avada Kedavra, no painful, swift death? So the Death Eater wanted to play, huh? Wrong move, he thought.
"Protego"
"Sectusempra"
"Crucio!" the Death eater exclaimed a little louder than the first time.
The shield moved a bit but did not shatter. Harry smirked. His opponent saw it and snarled. His eyes were a deep dark and it reminded Harry of Sirius' eyes.
"Think you can win this one, little boy?"
The malice-laced interjection reminded him of Bellatrix's contemptuous "poor boy", and suddenly, Harry knew why he was reminded of Sirius. This man was probably a Black.
"Stupefix" Harry muttered.
"Crucio !" the man all but shouted, rage now lacing his voice and conferring more strength to his spell.
The two spells collided, but Harry's was stronger and it hit the Death Eater though its force had been weakened by the "Sectusempra" spell. The Black grunted in pain and fell backwards on the ground with a loud 'thud'.
Voldemort watched the scene with keen interest, his eyes glinting with malign amusement. The boy was quite capable. Stupefix was a weak spell compared to Crucio, but when used by someone powerful, it could attain the power of some higher spells. The Stupefix this boy had cast been powerful. Powerful enough to overpower the Crucio of an angry fourty-five year old man who was a powerful Death Eater and a member of the ancient Black family.
He took a step forward, his eyes never leaving the lithe form of the petite wizard.
Harry was caught in the middle of a battlefield, and spells fused from everywhere. He sighed. From the corner of his eye, he saw a stray spell that was coming his way. Green…didn't bode well.
"Optime protego" he muttered.
A light blue, spherical shield enveloped him and protected him of any attack that could have been aimed at him. He turned around and quickly assessed the situation. People were being slaughtered, some were being tortured, others were already laying dead on the ground…He spotted a group of young children huddled in the corner of a tiny, dark alley. He had to help them. He began to move and suddenly stopped.
That's when he felt him.
He slowly turned his head to his left and then he saw him.
Standing in all his glory, the dark Lord was there, clad in black robes, his red eyes focused on him and his handsome young face distorted by a sick smirk. Very far from the serpentine, slightly haggard face Harry had come to know throughout his short life. But the fine features of Tom Riddle were still heavily toned down by the rampant craziness that shone through his eyes and pierced under his skin at the corner of his lips curled into a predatory smirk.
"Quite an impressive spell you've got there, young boy" Voldemort said slowly, as if silently assessing him.
Now that he was closer, he could clearly see the boy's face. It was more mature than one would have expected for a student. Not the cold beauty like Lucius Malfoy, nor the patrician, dark beauty like Regulus Black. But he had a certain charm that couldn't be denied. He was petite, but well-proportioned. Years of training and experience told him that, under his robes, the student was quite muscular. Lithe but not frail. His grip on his wand was firm but not too strong. His demeanour seemingly relaxed but his wrist ready to cast a spell and his legs ready to jump on the side. Everything that made a good dueller.
Even when he was a few feet away from the mysterious boy, Voldemort still couldn't feel one ounce of magic flowing through his veins. How did the boy manage to hide so well his magic?
He eyed with amusement the student who frowned and didn't care to reply. He chuckled darkly. So he doesn't want to speak?...Fine by me, he thought.
Without any glance for his Death Eater who was still struggling against the Stupefix, he grinned and inched closer to the Ravenclaw. Harry took a step back, though it was not out of fear. Attacking head on was not an option if you wanted to survive against a Dark Lord. On the other hand, never show your back to him either.
But what bothered him the most at the moment, was that Voldemort, the Dark Lord, was eyeing him - Harry Potter - with evident interest. Discretion was needed. Perhaps, he should make his spells appear weaker than usual ? Until the Aurors arrived.
From the corner of his eye, he saw that Death Eaters kept on slaughtering men, women, children.
To hell with discretion. Children didn't deserve to die here by the hands of scum.
"Patronus"
A corporeal stag came out from his wand and bowed his head as Harry absently stroked his head. All the while, Harry's eyes never strayed away from the Dark Lord's face.
"Optime protego" A second blue shield erupted from the tip of his wand and, this time, enveloped the Patronus.
"Take those three away" Harry said, while pointing at the children he had seen earlier.
The stag shook its head and scurried over to the three children. There were two boys and one girl. All of them were about eleven year old. When they saw the stag halt in front of them and slightly bow its neck, they stroked its head, their mouths gaping in awe and climbed on its back without much hesitation: their magic simply knew the stag was there to help them. Soon the three children were squeezed one against another, and the stag ran away.
The corporeal Patronus itself was enveloped in the blue shield Harry had cast and any curse that went in their direction was absorbed by the shield. The Patronus continued to run until they reached a safe area. They were outside the Alley. They were in the muggle world. The Patronus vanished and the three children were left alone, facing the wall of bricks.
"You're quite talented" Voldemort pointed out, purposely sounding bored. He wouldn't say it loud, but he was actually more than impressed by the boy's corporeal Patronus. Such a Patronus required a lot of power and energy. He himself had managed to produce a corporeal Patronus only after graduating from Hogwarts. And in all history, there could have been only less than ten people who could do so.
He would get the boy. He needed more Death Eaters and he needed more powerful ones. Even Abraxas Malfoy and Cygnus Black didn't have a corporeal Patronus.
"Why, thank you" Harry finally replied, his voice laced with sarcasm.
Voldemort narrowed his eyes. No one spoke to him like that. Even if the boy was powerful, he could not win against him. Wandlessly, he whispered a single word, his favourite and also the one he had so beautifully mastered throughout years of experience and anger :
"Crucio"
Harry did not cast a Protego. Instead, he side-rolled and quickly got back on his feet. A sudden flashback to his future-previous battle with Voldemort in the graveyard made him snort at the similarity it held with his present situation.
"Athletic too….Quite an asset you would make, boy. What do you think about it?"
"There is no need for me to kiss the hem of your robes, thank you" Harry repressed the urge to let a deep, raspy chuckle escape his throat. But God! How ironic it was to have the Dark Lord trying to recruit him…
"I'll make you change your decision"
"Crucio" Voldemort continued, his back ramrod straight, his lips pursed in concentration and his eyes solely focused on the petite wizard.
"Diffindo"
"Ignis"
A ball of fire erupted from Voldemort's wand. Harry smirked. He could feel his heart thump loudly and his veins throb with adrenaline. No matter how much he hated seeing people dying, fighting always pumped him up. He had lived all his life fighting. Not fighting made him incomplete.
"Aguamenta"
Voldemort chuckled. He knew the boy would annihilate the spell, but he had a small surprise for him. The fire was only a diversion. With his other hand he had wandlessly cast another spell. Umbrae….Let's see how you can deal with this…
But Harry had seen the dark, ominous, immense shapeless form approach him. He shuddered. The form resembled too much a Dementor for his own liking. Without thinking, he thought : Patronus.
His corporeal stag appeared once more and quickly ran towards the dark creature, battling with it before swiftly impaling it on its horns. The stag remained for a few seconds, hovering above the motionless creature before it disappeared.
"Well …high-level spells, wandless magic and wordless magic? You're so full of surprises, young boy" Voldemort laughed, though his laugh was nothing like the innocent, clear one of Elena, Harry thought.
Harry didn't reply to this taunting. He knew he had made a mistake. But he had had no time to cast another spell with his wand. His instincts and habits had just kicked in.
"Sectusempra"
"Protego" Voldemort smirked. I don't know what kind of spell 'Sectusempra' is, but it is undoubtedly a dark one...So the boy can cast dark magic too.
The Aurors were coming closer. He could hear them. He needed to finish this quickly.
To kill or not to kill? He pondered on the idea a few seconds. The boy seemed really powerful and making him join their cause would be a great thing. But he seemed quite adverse to the idea, and leaving such a person in the hands of the Light could be dangerous for the Dark.
"What is your name, boy?" he asked.
Harry squinted his eyes at the Dark Lord. "I don't think you'd need it"
"Why not? I want to pay you a visit some time…" he replied in a deep voice, his eyes roaming over his face as if searching for something.
"He's here!" someone shouted. Voldemort rolled his eyes. Aurors were never discreet. Shouting like that… did he want to get killed?
"Avada Kedavra" he casually said, his eyes ready to watch the Auror die with utter disinterest.
However, Harry had acted swiftly and the beautiful corporeal stag stood once more, this time in front of the Auror. The body of the stag absorbed the spell before it vanished.
Voldemort raised an elegant eyebrow.
"Saving lives? Quite noble of you….but nothing can stop us, young boy. If you manage to save one person, we will kill two other people. If you want to save someone, we will kill them in front of you. Beside you'll soon run out of energy if you use so much that Patronus of yours, especially since it's in its corporeal form."
"Then I'll just have to try harder" came the answer.
Voldemort chuckled. This boy should have been a Griffyndor, not a Ravenclaw.
"How Gryffindor…" he whispered with a wicked smile.
"Given the situation, I'll take that as a compliment" Harry replied dryly, contempt showing clearly through his words. In the back of his mind, a little voice dryly attempted to joke, reminding him that he could have ended up in Slytherin, if only damned Malfoy had not been so hateful.
He felt thrilled, having Voldemort's attention on him. Even though the Aurors were here, Voldemort's eyes had remained on him. It was just like before….
It may seem strange, but he had missed having such a fight with Voldemort.
Feeling your blood rush to your head, your mind going blank, your feet and your hands moving on their own accord, spells passing through your lips…it was exciting. It made him feel alive. He couldn't live without it. He had learnt to live like that. Dangerously.
And now, he was addicted.
Even with Aïon, he would spar once a day. Fighting with a vampire was even more thrilling. Vampires were unpredictable. They were so much more powerful than normal wizards. They were proud and fought till the very last moment. They were cunning and used every trick to win. But that's what made the game fun.
"Stupefix" two Aurors yelled in unison.
With a lazy wave of the hand, Voldemort countered the spells. He eyed the Ravenclaw and smirked. One student, full of potential…Nine Aurors, capable but foolish. How would this drama unfold?
Voldemort liked to play the role of God and observe how the pawns would react.
"How about we play a game, little Ravenclaw? You" he pointed the tip of his wand towards Harry, "are alone. But you seem to like saving people…Why don't you try keeping every one of these Aurors alive? If you manage to counter every one of my spell, I shall walk away without harming any of you. Try and fight back until the old fool arrives, little Ravenclaw" Voldemort taunted the younger wizard.
"Go and hide somewhere" one Auror quickly yelled at Harry.
"As if letting you fight Voldemort would be a good thing" Harry chortled, his laugh coming out like a clear crystal rain.
Gone were the thoughts of anonymity. He didn't care anymore about not being noticed. Besides, he had taken the precaution to change his appearance before stepping in the fight. Right now, he was a petite boy with short light brown hair, sky blue eyes and tanned skin. And Voldemort had no name to put on that face. He was safe. No one would ever see the resemblance between this mysterious boy and Harry Evans who had long dark hair and vivid green eyes.
Right now, all he wanted was to have a good fight and feel once again the excitement of duelling.
"Confringo" the Aurors shouted all at once.
Harry shook his head and rolled his eyes. These Aurors never learnt. They were nowhere near Voldemort's level. He wasn't pretentious, but he knew he was the only one out there who could stand his ground against the Dark Lord.
He made a little sound of disapproval in the back of his throat when he noticed Voldemort had sent a Crucio at the oldest Auror. That man too never learnt.
The Voldemort from that time was the young Voldemort. He was far more impulsive than the Voldemort Harry knew from his time. But thinking about it, even the old one had been quite reckless a few times…Even so, this young Voldemort was much more dangerous than the old one. He was still quite sane, his physical abilities were superior to that of his older self, and he was at the peak of his glory.
The stag protected once again the Auror. Harry smirked and calmly strode over to the Aurors. He didn't look at them and turned his back to them, facing Voldemort.
"You should run away" he advised the Aurors
"Who are you kidding here? Do you think a mere boy like you could do better tha-"
A red beam was aiming at Harry. He easily annihilated it with a spell of equal force. The Aurors gaped at him. Wandless, wordless magic…
"Who are you?" the oldest Auror asked in a calm yet firm tone. He had been saved by this boy's corporeal Patronus.
"Don't try recruiting me. I'm not interested" Harry replied jokingly in a light manner before he held out his hand, making a soft blue shield appear.
"Proseco" (Dissect) Voldemort said in a murmur, his voice barely heard by the Aurors.
"Dispello" (Dispel/break) Harry muttered, sounding almost bored.
"Torqueo" (=Crucio)
"Deflecto" (Deflect)
The blue spell hit the nearest wall, blowing a hole in it. Harry glanced at it and smirked. How dangerous ! He liked it.
The Aurors were totally stunned and could not move. They hadn't expected a mere student to overpower them like this. And he was doing well against the Dark Lord!
And suddenly, they couldn't even know what was happening. The two wizards had stopped saying out loud their spells and were simply waving their hands. Sometimes they also waved their wands, thus using both hands which made their reactions faster and more unpredictable. Harry especially had extensively trained both hands so that he had become completely ambidextrous. Using only one hand could prove to be a serious handicap in a fight, even more so when battling a brilliant Dark Lord. Very few among the Aurors who were presently there could perform wordless magic, even less wandless one. They didn't know what spells were being cast. But they knew that this duel was quite the sight.
Harry gritted his teeth. The sly bastard had just tried to blow his head with a 'Turgesco' (Expand)! But then again, the guy was a Dark Lord who wanted nothing but to kill any threat….He couldn't expect anything else from Voldemort but deadly spells. He almost wanted to hit himself like Dobby for thinking Voldemort could have been a bit gentler in his choice of spell.
Voldemort grew more and more curious as each minute passed. The boy was good. Very good. He knew advanced spells. He had cast light ones as well as dark ones. He could cast the 'Diffindo', the 'Patronus', the 'Protego', the 'Deflecto', but he could also use the 'Crucio', the 'Sectusempra' – which he would have to do some research on –, the Teranimus' (Crush the mind), the Corexcido' (Cut the heart)…
A wide range of spells, indeed. Was he really a student at Hogwarts? He himself didn't have such capabilities when he was 18, if his memory didn't fail him. The boy seemed to have the experience of a 40 year old wizard. Why was he so good at duelling?
He wanted to know how far the boy could go. The old fool still wasn't there. But the Aurors were still alive and well. He would give that to the boy. At least, he had done a good job at saving the lives of those pathetic idiots.
But would he be able to go out of this safe and sound? A dark smile crept on his face.
Serpensortia… the word rang in his head, loud and clear like a well-known lullaby.
The eyes of the Aurors bulged out almost comically when they saw a large, big snake erupt from the tip of Voldemort's wand.
A magical snake. An Ice Mamba. Larger than normal mambas, its poison was deadlier too. The ice mamba had green scales with hues of black and green. They could measure up to twelve meters in length. They were swift. Their aim was deadly and precise. And they were dark creatures. Of course.
Going all out, heh?... Harry wondered if he should use his ability to speak to snakes or not. If he did, Aurors would know he was a Parseltongue. And in these times of war, he could not afford to be mistaken as a Dark follower….But he had protected them, hadn't he? And he had cast a Glamour over himself…
He saw the snake slither and inch closer to him. He did not step backwards. With a twirl of his wrist, he shot three balls of fire. All of them hit the snake.
The snake was unhurt.
"Stupid human…thinking something like that can kill me…I'll make you regret it" the snake hissed.
It suddenly lunged forwards, baring its fangs and the Aurors had no time to react, utterly stunned, and expecting for the snake to kill the student. Harry didn't have time to dodge or counter. He stood his ground, eyes glinting with a feral look that put Voldemort on edge. What kind of surprises could the boy still have up his sleeves ?
"You will not bite me!" he snarled angrily.
Voldemort stared at him. The boy was a Parseltongue…. Just like him. The Aurors were torn between confusion and weariness. Parseltongue was a dark ability. But the boy was fighting against Voldemort. They didn't know if the student was to be considered as an ally or a threat.
"You're a speaker" said the snake the attack of which had been abruptly stopped.
"Obviously. I'd like to know how" Voldemort intervened, his gaze even more piercing than before. If the boy was a Parseltongue, recruiting him was even more interesting. Parseltongue was something that had made Tom Riddle, Voldemort special and feared. It was something he took pride in, as heir to Salazar Slytherin. But he knew that he had several times thought of – dreamed of – being able to talk with someone else in the language of the snakes. They were the same, he and that boy.
"In your dreams…" Harry provoked him, his own blue eyes staring deeply at Voldemort's crimson ones.
"My, my….what a horrible sight! How come all of you are fighting on such a beautiful day?"
Voldemort turned around. He hadn't felt the man approach. He immediately felt weary. No one took Voldemort by surprise.
The other man was tall and thin, his features were sharp. He was powerful, Voldemort could see it in the way he walked, in the way he made his presence clear... However, he could not feel one ounce of magic coming from that man. The young wizard, however, obviously baffled, muttered:
"Vlad?"
"A friend of yours, little one?" Voldemort asked, subtly trying to know more about the mysterious man who had been able to hide his presence so well.
"I came to see how you were doing…Seems like you were rather busy" Vladimir gaily commented, his voice adopting a fake cheerfulness.
Harry raised an eyebrow, his crinkled eyes twinkling with sheer amusement.
" I was bored and decided to give you some help" Vladimir joked lightly, his eyes never leaving the dark form of Voldemort.
"No need"
"If you say so…Hurry up and finish what you were doing. It's been a while since I saw you fight, make it interesting" he said in a casual, almost relaxed manner. He went over to the closest wall and leant on it as if he was watching a match of Quidditch.
"Yes" Harry replied with a small smirk tugging at his lips.
"Think you can get rid of me?" Voldemort taunted the young Ravenclaw.
"But I'm not alone. More Aurors are coming this way…And I believe someone named Albus Dumbledore will soon be here too" Harry challengingly replied back, in an equally mocking tone.
With those words, Harry wandlessly cast a last Optime Protego around the group of Aurors and smiled.
"While you're in that sphere, protect the people in this street and wait until Dumbledore arrives. He may be an old coot but he won't miss the opportunity to fight Voldemort. Please do me that favour, will you?" he asked them in a fake tone of cheerfulness, the threat more than perceptible for the Aurors.
The Aurors reluctantly nodded, still uncertain about the boy's loyalty. He seemed neither light, nor dark. He used all kind of spells. He seemed to dislike Voldemort as well as Dumbledore. He was an enigma.
A flash of blue told Harry that Voldemort had resumed their fight. He swiftly responded with another spell. Green, blue, red crossed the air, sometimes deflecting each other, more often than not destroying a nearby wall or shop.
Confringo, corexcido, crucio, imperio, sectusempra, diffindo... The only thing Harry made sure not to use were what could reveal his non-human capacities. A wide range of spells was being wordlessly thrown at each other. And both duellers were smiling more wildly as time passed by.
Suddenly, an Auror's relieved exclamation made both Voldemort and Harry pause in their duel.
"Help is coming ! Dumbledore is here !"
"Then…let's go. They will settle this among themselves. Lair's forest, young one" Vlad said, standing up and brushing his shirt with the back of his hand.
He flashed a warning look towards Voldemort who simply cast a killing curse. The spell gleamed green in the air, aiming straight at the man who suddenly vanished, leaving nothing behind him.
Voldemort raised an eyebrow. That was the only thing that showed his amazement and confusion. This sudden vanishing was not apparition, nor was it portkeying. It was something Voldemort had never witnessed before. Harry repressed the urge to laugh. He spun on his heels, deliberately showing his back to the Dark Lord and quickly disappeared to the Lair like Vladimir, not before throwing those words to the most dangerous wizard of all times :
"Farewell... Tom"
Voldemort squinted his eyes at the disappearing blur of colour that was the boy and a few seconds later, his gaze was still focused on the place where the small wizard had stood just a split second ago. He gritted his teeth and felt his wand shake in his fist. He needed to see some blood spill on the ground….
Who was he? Who was this boy? Why was he so powerful for his age? Was he really what he appeared to be? And how - How did he know his name? Only Dumbledore…Only Dumbledore knew Voldemort's true identity. Only Dumbledore, and perhaps Mc Gonagall.
December 23, 1990. The Burrow
‡ ‡
-Hurry up already, Ron! Fred and George simultaneously yelled. They had to go to Diagon Alley but their little brother had yet to come downstairs.
The twins stared at each other and grinned. Lately,"Ronnie" had been too busy kissing his girlfriend to spend time with his own family. The twins felt a little left out. Not that they wanted the two to stop dating, but "Ronnie" had disappointed them when he had decided to break all ties with Harry and now that he had a girlfriend, the twins could not even prank him at every corner of the house to remind him how pitiful Harry was to have all his "friends" turn their back on him.
They silently crept up in the stairs, careful not to make any noise. Then, they shared a meaningful look and drew out their respective wands.
"Arachneis" they whispered in chorus.
A myriad of small spiders erupted from the tip of their wand and began to scurry over to the small gap in front of them. The door of Ron's room had been left half-open and the light that filtered through this limited space undeniably attracted the small animals. Soon after, the two twins heard a loud shriek.
"AAAAAH ! S-s-s-sp-sp-spi-"
"I believe …"
"…those would be spiders" Fred and George said, peeking at their brother from behind the wooden door, their hands gripping the edge of the wood and their head barely visible, half-hidden by the door.
"Get them out! Get them out!" Ronald shrieked hysterically.
"'Mione will do it…"
"…for you, right 'Mione?" the twins mischievously replied.
They quickly scuttled downstairs as soon as they heard her yell something about being extremely angry at "moronic idiots". Once they were out of the Burrow, they let out a loud laugh. They guffawed like this for a few minutes, trying to catch their breath.
"Ha! That was good!" Fred said, his cheeks tinted with pink from all the excitement and running that had just occurred.
"Definitely" George approved.
They exchanged an identical grin and a high-five. However, their little victory was soon interrupted as they heard the familiar and distinctive 'pop' of apparitions.
"Mom-"
"-Dad" they exclaimed.
"Oh, Georges, Fred! I hope you didn't bother your little brother too much" Mrs Weasley immediately said, with arms akimbo.
"No!" Fred defended himself, putting on his best innocent face.
"Not at all!" George added in a convincing tone.
"Good"
"Where have you been going?" they asked
"Oh. While tidying up earlier, I found some books about 'how to become an Auror' and 'how to apply for a job at the Ministry'. Arthur told me it wasn't his books so we just went to the library and sold them"
"But it was for Harry!" George burst out, his voice going up a few octaves.
"Shh!" Fred tried to quieten his brother. He had a look of panic on his face and his eyes darted frantically at his mother, gauging her reaction.
Instead of the contempt and anger they had expected, they were met with an expression of surprise and confusion.
"Harry?" Molly asked, tilting her head to the side "who's that?"
The twins' eyes widened almost comically. Their eyebrows seemed to touch their hairline and their pupils were dilated to the point where the eyes seemed to take half the space on their face.
"Is he your friend?" Molly insisted.
"Er-"
"Yes"
"You ought to introduce him to us!" Molly beamed joyfully "I'll go take back those books after lunch if you want"
"No it's okay-"
"we have money from the shop"
"Okay. Call Ronald and Hermione, and come to eat" the Weasley matriarch said, spinning around on her heels and going over to the sink so as to wash the vegetables she planned to cook for lunch.
Fred and George shared a quizzical look and went upstairs, still shaken by what had just happened. As soon as lunch ended, they went up the stairs and locked themselves in their room.
"Do you think what I think?" Georges asked his twin.
"Yes. It's really-"
"-strange", they said in unison, their faces oddly serious.
They faces scrunched up with confusion, they shared a knowing look and Georges took out an old, rusty book from one of the shelves. He set it on his bed and carefully opened it. Fred sat on the bed and stared at the book with something akin to fascination.
"Disappearance" Georges whispered while tapping the book with the tip of his wand.
Several pages suddenly seemed to rustle and glowed brightly. Georges eagerly went to the first glowing page.
"Disappearance of a Body : the dangers of Apparition" he read.
"That's not it" Fred muttered.
They quickly dismissed the article and went to the following glowing page.
"Disappearance of a Body : the secrets of Invisibility"
They rustled through several other pages like this, their movements slowly becoming more and more jerky due to their nervousness.
"How the Dementor make your mind disappear"
"How to make your aura disappear"
"Survive among magical creatures : make your scent and aura disappear"
"Lost memories. How to make memories disappear"
"Why do some vampires disappear without a trace?"
"Make someone disappear from others' memories"
Georges stopped going through the pages and hungrily looked at the article.
"Have you ever hated someone so much that you want to erase their presence? Too scared of Azkaban to kill that person? There's a much simpler solution ! Make that person disappear, not bodily, but in other people's memories ! It is a swift, effective way. To make someone disappear from others' memories, all you must have is a sample of hair of that person. Then, make this simple ritual :
Place the hair of that person on the ground. Draw a circle around the hair. The circle must be of 1m in diameter, and the hair must be placed at the exact centre of the circle. The circle can be drawn with chalk or coal. In either case, the circle must be clearly visible. Then, draw a square that must be perfectly encased in the circle. All its corners must be on the circle. Thus, the hair is also at the centre of the square.
Grind two dried Oblivia mushrooms. Sprinkle the powder in the square only!
Then, point your wand towards the hair, and say: "Oblivia omnia".
This spell will affect all people who have had a connection to the person whose presence you want to erase. It is quite useful since you do not have to select whose memories who you want to affect.
Concerning spiritual murder and conservation of the body, please refer to page 294.
Concerning the erasure of someone's memory, please refer to pages 143 (potion), 295 (spell), 297 (spell), 342 (potion), 356 (potion), 497 (ritual).
Concerning other possibilities related to someone's disappearance in others' memories, please refer to pages 358 (spell affecting only few people, whom you have to select), 359 (spell), 400 (ritual), 987 (ritual that only magical races can achieve), 988 (ritual), 1056 (potion).
"Since we remember Harry but Mom and Dad do not, perhaps it is the effect of a spell that did not affect everyone" the twins muttered in unison.
They quickly went and found the 358th page and began reading it hungrily.
"The memories related to someone can be erased and the people affected by the spell can be carefully chosen. This spell is useful for people who want to hide from pursuers.
However, you have to be in front of the people you want to cast the spell on so you might have to take some risks. Furthermore, this spell is really hard to cast without making any mistake. Thus, it may not be flawless if you cast it for the first time.
If your casting of the spell is wrong, the person might still remember you. At worst, you might simply erase all of that person's memory.
The words in themselves are simple : Obliviscor Omnes. Make sure you heavily stress the "li" from "Obliviscor" and the "es" in "Omnes". Your wand should be at head's level when you cast the spell but you have to twirl it once clockwise before pointing it at the person facing you.
Concerning spiritual murder and conservation of the body, please refer to page 294.
Concerning the erasure of someone's memory, please refer to pages 143 (potion), 295 (spell), 297 (spell), 342 (potion), 356 (potion), 497 (ritual).
Concerning other possibilities related to someone's disappearance in others' memories, 359 (spell), 400 (ritual), 987 (ritual that only magical races can achieve), 988 (ritual), 1056 (potion).
"Hmm could it be this one?" George muttered
"I doubt it. Harry -"
"couldn't have personally encountered Mum and Dad" George nodded, wearing a grim expression.
The twins sighed simultaneously. There had to be at least 10 pages concerning the disappearance of someone from others' memories !
"How about we look at the ritual that's done only by magical races?" George suggested.
"Yeah, sounds good" Fred flashed a quick grin to his twin and quickly went to page 987.
A ritual that only magical races can achieve !
Few information exist on this ritual. The author of this book being fully human, and the magical races being quite reluctant to disclose their secrets, the author will explain the very few bits he knows.
This ritual is most suited to the vampires, the Veelas, the Elves, and the Nymphs. There are two occurrences of Sirens using this ritual, and there is a possibility that some Sylphs may have used it too, though it had never been attested.
The ritual requires the ritual maker's own blood, and a dead Royal Cobra, symbol of Time and Destruction. There is a possibility that the ritual may also require other people's memories that include the ritual maker although the author of this book does not know how the ritual proceeds.
For more information on this ritual, the author of the book recommends looking at specialized books about magical races, or persuading a magical creature into explaining the actual content of this ritual.
"Does not really help" Fred sighed dejectedly.
"Why don't we go and ask help from Harry's friend? You know, the tall, funny one? He might know something" George suggested.
"I was just thinking about it" Fred smiled.
9, November 1964. Somewhere in the Lair's Forest.
‡ ‡
"Honestly, what were you thinking?" Vladimir growled, keeping his voice as low as possible, though he clearly wanted to shout at the petite wizard.
Harry glanced at him and bit his lower lip. He knew he was at fault, but he hadn't been able to stop. He felt so much better…
"Sorry. There were Death Eaters killing other students and-"
"And you just acted recklessly in this stupid, crazy manner of yours" the vampire harshly interrupted in a stony tone
"Yes" Harry conceded, bowing his head in shame, "Sorry. I made you worry"
"Who said I was worried about you, you conceited boy?" Vladimir snarled, his fangs glistening with saliva as his lips suddenly curled upwards.
Harry merely looked at him with a tender look in his eyes. A barely noticeable chuckle escaped his lips and he found himself moving towards the older man. He stopped in front of Vladimir and opened his arms, engulfing him in a warm embrace. He heard the other man's breath hitch.
"Thank you for taking care of me" Harry murmured, burying his face in the vampire's cloak.
"You foolish boy" Vladimir whispered, all anger forgotten. The boy could somehow see right through him. Yes, he cared and worried for the boy. Yes, he couldn't help it. Yes, he was a fool for caring so much for such a crazy, hot-blooded boy.
Harry felt a hand sneak in his hair and gently pat his head. He hummed and closed his eyes, slowly relaxing in the man's hold as Vladimir put his arms around the lithe body of the wizard, returning the embrace.
"I really want to see Aïon. But the moment I started to fight…" Harry paused, not sure how to express his feelings. Vladimir kept quiet, waiting for him to continue.
"As soon as I uttered the first Expelliarmus, the magic just…She just rushed through my whole body, you know" Harry whispered, his voice laced with raw and unhidden emotions.
"I know. It's because She loves you"
"Perhaps" the petite wizard stopped once again.
"But you know, Voldemort was still the only one I really wanted to fight" he resumed in a low whisper.
"Do you still hate him?"
"I don't know. It's just that…When I faced him, my blood suddenly rushed to my head and- I don't know. I was just…It just felt so- normal. Yes, like before." Harry suddenly seemed to be talking more to himself than to his friend, and the tone of his voice became distant and soft with uncertainty.
"How so, Kreshnik?" Vladimir murmured in an affectionate tone, using his favourite wizard's surname.
"I remembered my previous fights with him. It felt so real- Yes, of course, it was real. But, it felt as if- as if everything was just right. I felt I was back to our time and - and Voldemort was still there trying to kill me. And Aïon was still alive… Yes, so right. When I see him-, he- … I- avoiding his spells…avoiding his spells and hexing him…it's...I felt good"
"It's an addiction, Kreshnik"
"I know. It's bad - "
"Not at all. You need to have an addiction to live for. Aïon cannot be your only addiction, you know? To love is one thing, to hate is another one. You need to have both to make a life"
"You think so?" Harry untangled himself from the other man's hold and stared at him.
Vladimir felt his heart thump. Whether it was out of pain or out of love, he did not know. But the boy's eyes held such an innocent look that he could only nod wordlessly. It reminded him that Harry was only 20 years old. He was only a child. A child who had seen many deaths, who had been continuously betrayed, but nonetheless, a child.
He affectionately stroked the smooth raven hair.
"Let's get you back to school" Vladimir gently whispered.
"Yeah"
Before apparating away, Harry suddenly tugged at Vladimir's sleeve. He watched his older friend with sad eyes.
"Have you seen Vapula since you got back here?" he murmured.
"I have" His heart seemed to constrict even more and even though he was a vampire, he briefly wondered if his heart would explode from feeling too much.
"I see" the two men fell into a deep silence.
Harry stared in emptiness, reminiscing what seemed to have happened only the day before. He could still see her...Vapula...crippled.
"Vapula !"
Harry barged into the room. The obscurity made his heart clench. He was a creature of the Dark, but as a human and as a wizard, he had learned to love warmth. Nonetheless, he could make out the tall form of the woman lying on the bed. Her long black hair was sprayed on the sheets, like lithe snakes. She turned her head upon hearing the boy.
"Eliel"
"Are you-"
"I'm fine, Eliel" She tried to smile but found that her lips wouldn't obey her so she settled for a grim chuckle.
"Alecto and Arioch…Was it them?" he asked, his voice shaking with undisguised hurt and sorrow.
"You do not have to know" the woman gently chided him, as if he was a curious child.
"I need-" he paused. He felt the muscles of his throat twitch, and recognized there the harbinger of tears that threatened to fall. He clenched his teeth and tensed, trying to suppress his tears.
"You do not need to know, Eliel. I am perfectly fine" she slowly extended her hand and softly patted his head, in an attempt to soothe and comfort him.
Harry bitterly thought about the incongruity of their situation. She was the one injured, but he was the one being comforted.
"You're not fine" He shot back in a raspy voice, veiled with tears, as he shook his head.
"You're not fine, damnit!" He shouted "You're…Vlad told me you're crippled! Crippled…"
He finally burst into tears and his heavy sobs echoed in the vast room. He fell to his knees, burying his head in the sheets that held Vapula's scent. He felt his tears moisten the fabric and desperately tried to stop himself from showing such a weak side of his to the woman he admired most.
"I may be crippled, but it does not matter to me, Eliel" Vapula gently said, as she reached once again for the boy, softly grabbing his shoulder.
"But-"
"I value my books more than my physical condition, Eliel. I do not like going on missions, nor do I fight often. Why would I have the need for a perfectly healthy body?"
"But it's…"
"Sad?" Vapula smiled.
Harry lifted his head up and stared at the woman whose face was half shrouded in the obscurity. He tried to find her brown eyes with his own, only to stare at murky shadows.
"Yes" he admitted
"Do not be sad for such a flimsy thing. I am perfectly content with the present situation"
"But you're- Won't the others …"
"Try to take advantage of my being crippled?" she finished the sentence.
Harry nodded, his throat constricted with emotion. How could she stay so calm? So … radiant? The sight of her smile made him want to scream with frustration.
"Yes, they could. But apart from Alecto and Arioch, few people have interest in killing someone whose role is to read and collect information on human sciences"
"Still…"
"Let it go, Eliel. There is no need for you to hate Alecto or Arioch for this. I ask of you, please do not do anything reckless"
"I won't do anything reckless, I promise. But I can't promise you I won't hate them… I already-"
"I know" Vapula interrupted him. She beckoned him to sit by her side and Harry rose up from the floor to do as she asked.
She brought the wizard close to her and made him rest his head on her shoulder. She affectionately and almost motherly stroked his hair. He closed his eyes, but did not manage to sleep. He could not sleep. He was trying to imagine how Vapula had felt when she had been injured. Had she felt pain? Had she screamed?
"You know, vampires are not invincible, nor are they immortal, Eliel"
"I know"
"Being crippled is quite fine. It is better than dying" Vapula remarked pragmatically
"Hn" Harry half opened his eyes, suddenly feeling that his eyelids were quite heavy, as if he was emerging from a long, hazy dream. He hesitantly added: "But still, I wish you were not crippled"
"I know. But things do not always go the way you want" the wise vampire replied softly.
Harry nodded and whispered a brief "I'm glad you're fine", before he closed his eyes once more. This time, he slept a long time. When he woke up, Vapula had fallen asleep too. Her face was serene and a small smile adorned her lips.
He glanced at her arms and his heart clenched as he took in the sight. One of her arms had been cut off. He let his eyes wander down to the feet. One leg had been partially cut at knee-level. Perhaps she would heal with time, though it was unlikely to be so.
But, as he stared back at her face, he suddenly thought : "Everything is fine. She's still alive". That was when he suddenly realized that he had gained more knowledge and more humanity than he had thought it possible by staying with the vampires. That was also the moment he made a silent, secret vow never to let another loved one be hurt because of him - a vow that was to be shattered a few months later.
A warm hand held his shoulder and made the wizard blink back to reality. He struggled to let out a faint smile that showed his emotion and he allowed Vladimir to bring him closer. The vampire smelt of damp wood. Harry inhaled deeply, thinking about Aïon's own fragrance. Aïon smelt more of fresh leaves and plum blossom. However, from time to time, Harry would think that Aïon reeked of blood, and would suddenly be reminded of how feared Aïon was for his fighting skills.
As they disappeared in a hazy blur of colors, Harry took a last glance at the Lair, his thoughts straying back to Vapula's crippled body and radiant smile. And he suddenly found himself wishing that he was more powerful so he could protect his loved ones.
Power...was everything he needed.
I will here introduce the hierarchy in the Nachimir Clan (Vladimir's Clan), as well as the different clans I talked about in this chapter. Some are yet to be introduced, and those who I talk here about are not described in great details.
Thus, the next update will not be a chapter per se, but a long description on the organization of the various Clans, as well as a list of the physical and psychological characteristics of the main vampire characters.
I will also explain the hierarchy and the difference of status (meaning the difference between Pureblood Vampires and Ex-humans turned into vampires) between vampires.
- The Council is the deciding power in the Nachimir Clan ("Nachimir" means "the start of peace" in Russian). The council regroups the 10 most powerful vampires, meaning the Leader (Vladimir) and the 9th most powerful "normal" vampires.
* #1 - Vladimir Aleksänder Lirim
* #2-Aïon Ambrozij
* #3 - Mágoa Ervin ("Mágoa" means "grief" in Portuguese and "Ervin" means "Warrior friend" in Romanian)
He is only briefly mentioned in this chapter.
* #4-Vapula Besnik (Besnik = "faithful", "loyal" in Albanian)
"Vapula" is originally the fallen angel of the philosophy, handicraft and sciences. Vapula Besnik is here a friend of Harry and a loyal follower of Vladimir. She likes to have her own fate in her hands and passes her knowledge to Harry. She has been crippled by Alecto and Arioch in what will be revealed to be an ambush.
* #5-Alecto Lirim
* #6 - I have yet to introduce him
* #7 - I have yet to introduce her
* #8-Aislinn Sofron (In ancient greek Sophrosunè = temperance)
"Aislinn" is originally the fallen angel of Protection and Healing, and protects the ones who are soon to die. She is similar to a reaper as she helps their souls get to their place of resting and she helps the healing process of those who are to be saved
Here, Aislinn Sofron is the Healer, at the Royal Palace i.e. the Lair. She usually accompanies other vampires when there are important battles, so as to heal anyone who could be injured. She is in fact a friend of Harry and is deeply loyal towards Vladimir.
* #9-Arioch Ungureanu
* #10 : I have yet to introduce him.
- Nachimir Clan ( "Nachimir" means "start of peace" in Russian)
The leader is Vladimir.
- Smerenie Clan ("Smerenie" means "humility" in Romanian)
Their leader is Anmael Luca.
**Anmael Luca ("Luca" in Romanian = "Light")
Anmael is originally the fallen Angel of puzzles and confusion, watching over those who have been confused, and takes their confusion as her own, relieving their spirit.
Here, Anmael Luca is a peaceful and great leader, working together with her sister, Anarell Luca, as the holders of troubles, taking the weight of others' problems onto their own shoulders.
- Demut Clan ("Demut" in German" = humility)
The meaning of "Demut" is the same as "Smerenie" because the two clans are allies and the two leaders are sisters, thus many vampires have married between the two clans, and the Demut Clan and the Smerenie Clan actually function as if they were only one clan.
Their leader is Anarell Luca.
**Anarell Luca
Anarell is originally the fallen Angel who is the Keeper of Secrets and Lies.
Here, Anarell Luca has the power of foresight and knows almost everyone's secrets, keeping them to herself, only sharing the burden with her sister Anmael. She and her sister have worked together for eternity as the holders of troubles, taking the weight of the world's problems onto their own shoulders.
- Siła Clan ("Siła" = "strength" in Polish)
It is a newly-formed clan and thus, they will have to face many challenges from other clans, and they will later have to face a rebellion, led by none other than a close acquaintance of Vladimir's !
Their Leader is Alojzy Ryszard.
** Aljozy Ryszard ("Alojzy" in Polish = "great warrior", and "Ryszard" = "powerful ruler")
- Sevastian Clan ("Sevastian" in Russian = "honored")
A clan in Russia. Their leader is Jovan Krasnov.
**Jovan Krasnov ("Krasnov" in Russian comes from the word "krasny" = "beautiful". "Jovan" is an old writing of "Ivan", it is a Slavic word and means "Yahweh is merciful")