Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Series (1997-2007) and any characters and original locations within the books belong to JK Rowling. I own my original characters and my plot twists. I am not trying to pass any of these characters or copyrighted ideas off as my own and therefore it isn't plagiarism or copyright infringement.
Chapter Thirteen – Off the Beaten Path
Leo walked through Hogsmeade with Neville. He didn't know what it was about the almost squib that he liked but Neville had a heart of gold. He was quite talented with Herbology, which made up for his lacking in Potions and Transfiguration. However, Leo wondered how much of his issues with potions had more to do with Snape than the actual application. Leo made note to practice potions with Neville when they were alone. He also made a note to find out where a good place was to practice potions without the knowledge of teachers. Then he remembered the entry in Hogwarts: a History. The second floor girl's lavatory wasn't used because of Moaning Myrtle, who was known to flood it from time to time. He assumed that would be a good place to brew potions.
Soon he and Neville arrived at the front of a building with a battered wooden sign that say Hog's Head. There was a severed Wild Boar's head leaking blood onto a white cloth around it painted upon it. Leo shook his head and entered the pub after Neville and Dean and Lavender followed him. The Inn was quite filthy and the barman looked quite familiar. He had a long gray beard and Leo squinted. He whispered, "Hey, does anyone know if Professor Dumbledore has a brother?"
Harry's brow furrowed and whispered, "You know I believe Mad-Eye said something about him having a brother. I can't remember the name he said but he was an original member of the Order."
"Ahhh, well I think I'm going to get myself a butterbeer." Leo walked up to the bar and looked the man right in the eye. "I'd like a butterbeer."
The man looked him over and sneered, "What are you doing in here Malfoy?"
Leo closed his eyes for a moment, "Well, I'm not who you think I am. I know I resemble two major gits, however my name is Leo Rosier." His voice dropped to a very low whisper, "I'm going to guess that your surname is Dumbledore."
The man's eyebrow rose, "Well, that's for me to know." He slammed the bottle of butterbeer down on the bar and sneered, "Two sickles."
Leo looked him straight in the eye and smiled placing the sliver on the counter before leaning in to whisper, "You had the surname right the first time, however I'm that git's twin raised by my Aunt in a foreign country. I only told you because I know you were an original member of your brother's group during the first war." He then turned on his heal and walked back over to the congregating students.
Soon Fred, George and Lee arrived together. They went straight up to the barkeep after doing a count and request twenty-four bottles of butterbeer. As they handed them out they requested that everyone hand over their money as they didn't have enough for everyone. Once everyone had a bottle of butterbeer the meeting started. It didn't take long for Harry to realize why so many people came, and when he did he announced, "What makes me say You-Know-Who's back?"* He looked Zacharias Smith right in the face as he was the one who'd asked the question. "I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you don't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."*
Zacharias dismissed Harry's answer, "All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought Diggory's body back to Hogwarts. He didn't give us details, he didn't tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered, I think we'd all like to know-"*
"If you've come to hear exactly what It looks like when Voldemort murders someone I can't help you,"* Leo noticed Harry's temper was on the tip of flowing over once more as he stared down Zacharias. "I don't want to talk about Cedric Diggory, alright? So if that's what you're here for, you might as well clear out."*
Leo watched as Harry removed his narrowed eyes from Zacharias to Hermione. Leo shook his head recognizing displaced anger. He was blaming Hermione for the confrontation and having to speak about Cedric. He noticed that Hermione had lost her composure. She managed a high pitch, "So."
Before Leo interrupted, "Like Hermione was saying if any of you are interested in learning how to defend yourselves since the Ministry is doing everything to prevent us from learning. We still need to work out meeting time and place."
"Is it true," a girl with a long braid down her back stared at Harry, "that you can produce a Patronus?"*
Harry seemed to cringe, "Yeah."*
"A corporeal Patronus?"*
Harry seemed to recognize the phrase, "Er – you don't know Madam Bones, do you?"*
The girl smiled, "She's my auntie. I'm Susan Bones. She told me about your hearing. So – is it really true? You make a stag Patronus?"*
"Blimey, Harry!" Lee shook his full head of black dreads, "I never knew that!"*
"Mum told Ron not to spread it around," Leo was starting to tell the twins apart and recognized it was Fred who spoke. He was grinning at Harry, "She said you got enough attention as it was."*
Leo heard Harry mumble, "She's not wrong."*
The excitement exploded as everyone started recapping Harry's exploits over the past five years. Leo noticed how Harry seemed with having everything recapped made him out to be something special. Leo could tell that Harry didn't like being given that kind of attention. He stifled a chuckle as he remembered his brother's jealousy of Harry getting attention, when Harry would rather not be in the spotlight. Soon Harry was speaking up and denying that he did any of it by himself that he had help and most of it was luck. In the end Hermione pulled out a signup parchment and everyone signed with Zacharias being the last to sign it. Of course all of the Quidditch team members of the three houses had made the point that meeting couldn't interfere with any of their practices.
The coming Monday there was a notice from the High Inquisitor that all student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs were disbanded. All who wanted to reform had to receive approval from Umbridge. Leo shook his head and knew the notice didn't bode well for Gryffindor because the toad of a woman had something against the house. He couldn't help but wonder if the woman was a Slytherin when she was at Hogwarts. She may not be a claimed Death Eater but he couldn't help but think she'd fit perfectly within the ranks except for her love of the color pink.
By the time they got down to Breakfast Angelina was running around like a Chicken with her head cut off. She warned Harry to be on his best behavior because they had to petition Umbridge for the reformation of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. They went to History of Magic where Hedwig appeared hurt. Harry quickly left the room with her and Professor Binns managed to call him Mr. Perkins. He didn't return until Potions, so he had missed the rest of the boring lecture the ghost was giving. They were down waiting to go into potions but Malfoy was being his usual self and made a horrible comment about St. Mungo's having a ward for those with addled brains from magic. Ron and Harry held Neville back and Leo calmly walked up to him.
He leaned in and whispered, "You're really turning into a pompous jerk. I know you have the talent of knowing the perfect thing to say to set someone off but you really need to stop doing it. What are you going to do when your father manages to slip up and get his ass sent to Azkaban? You know it's bound to happen. I don't think you could manage not being in a position of power. How do you think others will see you when they know your father is an imprisoned death eater? What do you think Voldemort will do when he fails him a second time? You know he's not happy about that diary being destroyed. Don't think you won't be singled out, your life, and your parents' lives threatened unless you complete an impossible task."
"My father won't fail," Draco hissed.
Leo smiled, "You better hope he doesn't, however I hope he does. It might do you some good to fall off your throne."
Snape opened the door while Ron and Harry were still holding back a furious Neville, "Fighting, Potter, Weasley, Longbottom?"** His voice was cold as he sneered, "Ten points from Gryffindor. Release Longbottom, Potter, or it will be detention. Inside, all of you."**
Leo heard Harry gasp, "I had to stop you. Crabbe and Goyle would've torn you apart."** Neville remained silent as snatched up his bag and walked past.
Leo shook his head and whispered in Harry's ear, "I really wish I could get through to that dunderhead."
Harry shook his head, "You might as well give up. There's no way he'll ever be worthy of being your twin."
Leo took his seat next to Nott once more. As Harry, Ron and Hermione took their usual seats. Neville sat next to Dean and Seamus still looking red with rage. He pulled out the necessary parchment, quills, and his copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. He looked over at Nott and noticed he was staring at him. He raised his eyebrows and whispered, "What?"
Nott shook his head and didn't respond as Snape closed the door with an echoing bang. "You will notice," Snape's low and sneering voice filled the room, "that we have a guest with us today."**
Leo followed Snape's gesture to the corner of the room where the toad woman sat upon a stool with her clipboard in hand. "We are continuing with our Strengthening Solutions today, you will find your mixtures as you left them last lesson, if correctly made they should have matured well over the weekend – instructions," he waved his wand, "on the board. Carry on."**
Leo tried to ignore the awful woman's presence as he followed the directions. He noticed that Harry wasn't paying attention and grabbing the wrong ingredients while he stared at what Umbridge was doing. Leo looked over at Nott and noticed he was appraising the situation as well. His face was kept indifferent and Leo couldn't help but wonder if he was a skilled Occlumens. What would Nott have to hide that would require him to learn that at such a young age. Leo paused for a moment and double checked the direction before continuing with his potion. He needed to be careful or he would mess up his potion.
"Well, the class seems fairly advanced for their level," Umbridge remarked to Snape's back. "Though I would question whether it is advisable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Ministry would prefer it if that was removed from the syllabus."**
Leo looked up from his potions to see Snap straighten up slowly and turn to look at her. She continued with her questioning. "Now…how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?"** She had her quill posed over her clipboard prepared to write.
"Fourteen years,"** Snape's expression remained unfathomable.
"You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?"**
"Yes,"** he quietly and emotionlessly answered.
"But you were unsuccessful?"**
Snape's lip curled but his voice remained emotionless, "Obviously."**
"And you have applied regularly for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?"**
Leo noticed the controlled anger appear on Snape's face and he barely moved his lips as he spoke, "Yes."**
"Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?"**
Snape snapped, "I suggest you ask him."**
She smiled sweetly, "Oh I shall."**
His black eyes narrowed as he took in her expression, "I suppose this is relevant?"**
"Oh yes," she paused. "Yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teachers' – er – backgrounds…"**
Leo was glancing up from his potion every once and a while to take in the scene. However, he was skilled at multitasking and thus his potion survived his distraction unlike Potters, which began to stink of burned rubber until Snape made it disappear using the same vanishing spell he had weeks earlier. Leo couldn't help but wonder if Snape had chosen to pick on Harry again because he needed to let his anger out somehow. Snape didn't seem the type to enjoy having his failures thrust before his face or discussed in front of his class. He probably didn't want people questioning his background. He was a spy, a double agent if you will; having someone looking at his background too closely could be catastrophic. Umbridge was going around questioning the Slytherins once again regarding the class. Leo couldn't help but notice her preferential treatment of Slytherins.
"Professor Umbridge, I have a question if you're willing to answer." Leo noticed Nott's eyes on him.
She approached with her clipboard and raised an eyebrow, "So who are we today, Leo or Draco?"
Leo smiled, "Leo, as you can see Draco's sitting over there." He pointed to the desk next to Pansy where Draco was busy putting his potion into a flask. "I was wondering if, as a Ministry official and the High Inquisitor, you are supposed to take an unbiased objective stance to achieve your goal of improving young Wizarding education."
Her eyes darkened in warning, "I am here to evaluate the professors and make sure the falling standards here at Hogwarts are improved."
He furrowed his brow, "Then what I don't understand is why you continue to seek out the opinions of Slytherin students over all other houses. Also you seem to be singling out Gryffindors. I wonder, since you seem to have an issue with both Dumbledore and Harry, if you're biased against Gryffindor. By chance were you a Slytherin in school?"
"I am the one who asks questions. I am not one to answer them. You'll need to mind your manners or I'll be seeing you in detention."
He smiled as warmly as possible, "Well, thank you Professor for entertaining my questions. I look forward to the results of your inquisition." He whispered to himself, "Hopefully no one ends up burned at the stake but I'm sure a few have already been publically crucified." Nott looked at him and raised an eyebrow, which seemed to indicate he heard what he'd whispered. "What?" Nott just looked away without answering. Leo made another note to get Nott alone and to have a discussion.
After dinner Leo found Theo sitting by himself in the library. He approached a bit hesitantly and silently took a chair across from him. Theo looked up from his book with an unspoken question in his eyes. Leo smiled, "What have you wanted to ask me? I can tell your mind had been busy processing something and I'd like to know what it is."
Theo quietly spoke hiding behind his curtain of black hair, "You look so much like him, but it's like you're the other side of the same coin. You two even have the same magical aura. It's as if you're twins."
Leo created a tent with his fingers, "Before I confirm or deny that statement I need to know something. Who taught you Occlumency and why?"
Theo's grey eyes widened, "My father before coming to Hogwarts. He felt that with our history I should know how to hide the family secrets, but why am I telling you this?"
He smiled, "Because you're a clever Slytherin and know the only way to find out the information, you desire so much it's burning behind your eyes, is to share a little yourself. However, I'm going to make another request before I share this secret. I want a wizard's oath and I want you to accompany me somewhere." He looked around the library and took note that no one seemed to be around.
His eyebrows raised, "What are you wanting me to promise under the oath?"
"I want you to swear on your magic that you will not betray me by sharing my secret with anyone."
Theo held up his wand, "I swear on my magic that I will not betray Leo by sharing his secret with anyone." His wand sparked silver and wrapped around his arm and disappeared into his skin.
"Then pack up. I want to find an isolated place to talk. We never know who could be hiding around listening. Draco and I have the tendency to end up at the same place at the same time. You know that double coin thing," Leo got up and Nott followed him out of the library. The two of them walked out of the castle and toward the Dark Forest. It was already dark so very few people were outside.
"Just so you know I'm an excellent duelist, so don't think you can lure me out here to kill me," Theo warned causing a shiver to run up Leo's spine.
"Does that happen to you a lot then?"
Theo didn't answer the question and just went silent. There was something in the way he stiffened at the question that made Leo take note. He had spent much time reading books on the Muggle Science of Psychology in his youth. He developed excellent body language reading skills as well as profiling people. He was able to see more about an individual without having to enter their mind, but sometimes it was easier to verify one's assumptions by doing so. They stopped just a bit into the forest. Leo lit up his wand so that he could see Theo's facial features as he spoke and cast a few privacy wards.
"Look Nott, I know that your father is a one of the original Death Eaters. I know that you were raised by just him after your mother's death. I know that you're the only person that Draco really treats as an equal as you are just as pureblooded as he is and a bit cleverer. I am going to give you my birth name and you'll probably remain silent considering what I've told you, so I'll just continue. I'm not afraid of overloading your brain like Crabbe or Goyle. I was born June 5th 1980 a few minutes after my twin brother. I was born Leo Abraxas Malfoy. I was a sickly infant and my father wished to invoke the pureblood right of killing the weak within one's family. I was saved by some disowned relatives and hidden in France where I grew up Leo Abraxas Rosier. You see that Surname is my maternal grandmother's maiden name. Draco doesn't know and I'd like to keep it that way for now."
Nott was quiet for a bit longer with his lips pursed, "So, you are Draco's other half. The two of you have the same magical aura, which is quite rare because you're a split soul. So, are you able to perform any twin magic?"
Leo smiled, "You're as well read as I expected. I'm a dream walker but I think it has more to do with twin magic than actual astral projection. I knew about your father's Death Eater status because I visited Malfoy Manner in my dreams frequently this last summer. However, you don't seem like the type to follow in his footsteps. Part of me thinks you use your Occlumency to keep others from discovering your true thoughts on the concept of blood purity. You can't stand being surrounded by those snakes, can you?"
Theo glared, "You don't know what you're talking about. I know I'm better than many students here be it in brains or blood status. I will one day follow in my father's footsteps and serve our lord."
"Lies, you're using your skills to lie to me right now. Are you afraid of your father? Is that way you won't even admit your true feelings aloud?" Leo stared into Theo's eyes. They were frightened and something tortured existed behind them. "That's it, isn't it? You're father was worse than Lucius was to Draco. He could tell you were different from him and the rest of his cruel friends. He was determined to teach you a lesson with any means possible. Your mother loved you and she tried to stop him, but he killed her. He made it look like an illness later, didn't he? You saw her die and that memory haunts you. You're afraid to do anything or say anything that can get back to him. You know he'd be just as willing to kill you as he killed her."
Theo shook his head, "You're just making up outlandish stories."
"Really?" Leo grabbed him by his robes and rolled up the sleeves where he found burn marks. "Let me guess if I were to see your back it would be covered in lash marks."
"Leo, I just want you to leave me alone. I don't need any friends and I don't need to share any of my secrets," he turned around and walked away.
A/N: I know another abused Theodore Nott fiction. I just can't help but think if someone is that much of a loner and quiet that there must be something in his background. Snape was that way because his parents were distant; however he did desire a friendship with Lilly Evans. Nott seems to speak with his classmates and enjoys a laugh but perhaps it's just an act of survival.
* All of this dialog is quoted from chapter sixteen of The Order of the Phoenix (2003) and thus belongs to JK Rowling, page 340 – 342 of my copy respectively.
**All dialog quoted from chapter seventeen of The Order of the Phoenix (2003) pages 362 – respectively.