Disclaimer: This story is based on characters created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
AN:
As many of you have said, the previous chapter was indeed mostly a lot of talking, and as pointed out in Orion's musings, some of the stuff Grindelwald explained wasn't utterly convincing, because he didn't want Orion to reach to the right conclusions before killing him. But, Grindelwald was straightforward and honest when he explained Albus' goals for the wizarding and muggle world –this is one of the most important points. And also, their conversation was extensive because they touched several issues which will come up in future chapters and I preferred to lay it all out in one chapter, so that I didn't have to mention or explain stuff again in subsequent chapters. Therefore, I know it had very little action, but the extensive conversation was necessary.
Also, this chapter is very short compared to others. And it's because I have started thinking that it's preferable to post shorter chapters so that the updates are more frequent. Nevertheless, I'm going to try to speed up the pace of the story in future chapters, and more action will take place soon.
A reviewer brought up an interesting point that I would like to comment on. She asked why Orion and Voldemort, for example, don't share magic or power through a bond. Well, firstly, I don't like fics where anything is possible with the use of magic, because then all is very simple. With a flick of wand, a wizard amasses all the knowledge in world, and stuff like that. It would simply be boring if that were the case, and it's also hard to believe. If such knowledge-and-power-sharing bonds existed, then everyone in the wizarding world would be bonded with someone. And since that wasn't the case in canon, it isn't in my fic either. I like things to be more complex, and I certainly like when people have to earn what they accomplish. Secondly, even if such bond existed in my fic, Orion and Voldemort would be the last persons on Earth who would want to be bonded that way, given the secrets they keep from each other. And also, you must remember that Voldemort is very possessive of both his knowledge of the Dark Arts and of his magical power. If Voldemort used that kind of bond, it would certainly be to suck all the power and knowledge from the other person, certainly not to share.
Chapter 26
As soon as Orion's feet landed on the marble floors of Draco's bedroom, he saw Daisy about to feed her patient with one of the potion vials that Petra Podroff had left behind.
The tiny, female house-elf immediately halted her actions, and her large blue eyes widened as she gazed at him.
"Master Potter's magic!" she gasped out, her inspective gaze turning wary, troubled and anxious, as she jumped to her feet to quickly reach him. "What is happened to Master-"
"Nothing," interrupted Orion swiftly, taking a few steps forward towards one of the chairs by Draco's bedside. "What you're seeing is simply part of my magical aura."
Suddenly, he swayed on his feet, and almost stumbled on his steps, before he plopped down on the armchair, letting out an exhausted sigh. He glanced up at her, and saw that she was still staring at him with round eyes, looking nervous and uncertain.
"Surely you're not afraid of me now, Daisy," said Orion, frowning at her. "You've always known that I'm a dark wizard." He pierced her with his eyes, and added sharply, "If you don't want to serve me anymore you're free to leave my side, I will give you clothes-"
"No!" said Daisy vehemently, shooting him an indignant glance as she planted her small hands on her hips. "Master is the last Potter and I is always loyal to Potter House. I is good house-elf!" Her expression slightly softened, as she added, "Master Orion Potter is good master too, sir." Then her gaze scrutinized him again, and she wagged a reproachful finger at him. "Master Potter looks ill! Master is sick, and must rest and be tended to. Go to bed before Daisy gets angry with you. Daisy will-"
"Daisy will do nothing except tend to Draco," interjected Orion sternly, slowly straightening up in his chair. "You are to follow the instructions Petra Podroff left for you, and only worry about Draco-"
"Who is going to look after Master?" demanded Daisy with a mutinous glint in her large, blue eyes. "I is good with healing. Daisy learned and Daisy knows how to-"
"I don't need to be looked after," interrupted Orion impatiently. He pierced her with his gaze, and added curtly, "As a matter of fact, I'll be staying in my rooms during the week and I want all my meals to be sent up there. Tell the kitchen house-elves to prepare food easily swallowed and digested; soups and stuff like that. The only one who has permission to enter my rooms is Dobby, so that he can give me the letters he fetches from Black Manor. You also have to tell him that I want the Daily Prophet to be handed to me every day, so he'll have to go to some wizarding town to buy it. If anyone asks, which isn't likely, he has to say that he's Narcissa Malfoy's house-elf not mine."
He intently gazed at her, and continued firmly, "And I'm sure that I don't have to impress upon you the importance of keeping secret the existence of this Manor, and of Draco's and my whereabouts. Furthermore, in two days, new guests will be arriving to spend here their summer holidays: Calypso Rosier and probably her father as well. So make sure that there're rooms ready for them. And they are to be obeyed in anything they ask for." He glanced down at his feet, and muttered grimly, "Gellert isn't coming back, so you can dispose of his rooms as you see fit. And nobody has to disturb me during this week. Do I make myself clear? Now leave, I need to be alone with Draco. I'll call you back when I'm done."
Daisy shot him a discontented glance, grumbling about wayward Masters who didn't take care of themselves, but she disappeared in the next second with a snap of her fingers.
With a sigh, Orion slumped back against his chair, slowly rubbing his temples. At last, his gaze landed on Draco and he saw that the spell Grindelwald had casted still lingered. The magic that surrounded Draco's left forearm like a cast, had thinned in thickness, but it looked as if it could hold for a few more hours.
Nevertheless, it was time to free Draco from the Dark Mark; the sooner that was resolved, the better. Only then would he feel eased from some of his immediate worries, enough to go out again to demand some answers.
He slowly sheathed Gryffindor's Sword, frowning when he saw that his fingers started shaking much against his will, and he flicked his wand, sending the sword to his bedroom. And it instantly shot out from the room, through the parted door, and out of sight. With another flick, he conjured an inked quill and he took out from his pocket the stack of parchments Calypso had given him. He spread them on top of the nightstand, and proceeded to carefully read every arithmetic and ancient runes equation she had written, chewing on his quill while he scribbled down some changes.
By the time he was done, he was profusely sweating, his mind feeling more dizzy and sickly feverish than ever, but he was satisfied with his work. He had only tweaked Calypso's spell-creating equations so that his Mark had to be casted with the use of Parseltongue. Obviously, she would have done it herself if she could. He thought it was important, so that no one could ever understand the incantation used for his brand – which he considered now to be the Black Mark, in contrast with the VA mark of the Aux Atrum and to Voldemort's Dark Mark.
He reread all the spell's instructions once more, memorizing them, and finally snapped his wrist, making the stack of parchments rise into the air and dissolve into a ball of fire which was quickly reduced to dust. With a flick of his wand, all traces of it disappeared and he approached the bed.
Orion's gaze trailed along Draco's pale features, but nothing much had changed. His friend was still unconscious under the magical healing coma. He gently wrapped his fingers around the boy's left arm, and instantly felt the hum of dark magic under his palm, coming off from the Dark Mark.
Without another hitch of breath, he closed his eyes in concentration, and hissed, "Atra vindictusss!"
He felt his dark magic flowing from his palm into Draco's skin, plunging and coiling into the young wizard's inner magical core. And suddenly, he snapped his eyes open when he felt Draco's arm jerkily twisting under his touch, a loud, incensed hiss reverberating throughout the room.
Orion immediately withdrew his hand, and stilled, when he saw a fuzzy skull rising up into the air, the smoke-like tendrils flowing from Draco's left forearm. The shape of a snake protruded from the skull's jaws, rearing its head, jerkily twisting as if struggling and hissing as if in pain.
A scream was ripped from Draco's throat, the boy's arm convulsing as if under considerable strain, but in the next second everything quieted when a silver glow encompassed the boy's arm. The smoke-like skull and snake disappeared into a puff of nothingness, and the still unconscious Draco sagged limply on the bed, a new mark visible on his forearm.
Feeling a slight sense of awe, Orion gently traced his fingertips along the silver lines of the mark, particularly around the shape of the all-black eye at its center. Suddenly, he felt as if a small, weak flame was faintly flickering at the edges of his mind's awareness – it was his connection to Draco, through the Black Mark. And it infused him with a modicum of relieved reassurance, since he knew that it felt 'weak' due to Draco's condition, but it was there nonetheless, signifying that the boy was alive and that the spell had worked.
Satisfied, Orion shot one last lingering glance at Draco, before he called out, "Daisy!"
The small, female house-elf immediately popped before him, and he frowned pensively as he said, "Tell Dobby to bring Sylvana back from Black Manor. Draco will be happy to see her when he wakes up." He wryly smiled. "I'm sure my snake will be quite angered at having been ignored for a whole year, but now that I'm not going back to Hogwarts, I can have a snake familiar around. And I could find some uses for her…" He shook his head, pushing those plots to a side, and added pensively, "Ares must have reached Black Manor, by now. My owl must have sensed when I left Hogwarts and he must be searching for me, since he can't feel me in this Manor due to the wards. So if Dobby sees him at Black Manor, tell him to bring Ares as well."
"Yes, Master Potter," said Daisy solemnly, "all will be done as you request, sir."
Orion shot her a warm smile. "Good."
He slowly stood up, feeling his knees wobbling, weakly supporting his weight. Nevertheless, he straightened his shoulders and gathered around himself all the strength he could muster. He still had much to do before he went to bed. He simply wanted to curl under his bed sheets and have some sleep before his potion-withdrawal symptoms worsened. And he wanted to fall into a deep slumber, oblivious to the troubles around him. But, first things first.
"I won't be seeing you for a while," said Orion quietly, intently gazing at her, "but I expect you, as Potter Manor's chief house-elf, to see to the safety of the people who reside here. If you ever have a reason to suspect that the Manor has been discovered by Death Eaters, Aurors, or any light wizard, I want you to take charge of all the other house-elves and take them into hiding. Above all, you must take Draco with you, employing force and your elvish magic if needed. You and the other house-elves must protect him, at all costs, from others who seek to capture or harm him."
Daisy gazed up at him with wide eyes, wringing her hands together in apprehension. "But, Master Potter, sir, where is we to go?"
"If Calypso and her father are here when and if it happens," replied Orion calmly, "then you're to follow their instructions and take Draco and the other house-elves wherever they tell you. If for some reason they aren't here, then I'll leave the decision to you. I trust your judgment. Nevertheless, remember that Grimmauld Place and Black Manor are compromised, as well as all other Black properties. However, if you go into hiding, then send Dobby to tell me about your new whereabouts, and I'll come to you as soon as I can." He placed a hand on her small shoulder, and gently squeezed it in reassurance. "Can I trust you with this?"
"Yes, Master Potter, sir!" said Daisy adamantly, nodding her head, her ears flapping up and down. "I see to the safety of Master's house-elves and friends!"
Orion warmly smiled at her. "Thanks. You can continue watching over Draco, now."
And without wasting more time, he quickly left the room, making his way to the nearest fireplace, feeling anger rising up inside him as his mind rushed, recalling the events of the last few hours.
Their voices reached his ears before he set his eyes on them, as his spinning journey halted and the green flames dwindled.
"… we only know of ze tiara and ze snake. The diary was uzed by Voldemort to come back and then destroyed, non? One other iz, possibly, a Ho'warts Founder's heirloom, but we don't know much elze! Most of ze original six horcruxes are in different vessels we don't know about. It would be best if we simply azked Orion. If we persuade him to tell uz exactly what and where they are, and to grant uz his permission and zupport-"
"Permission? If Black won't do it himself, the Aux will. And that's the end of it. He has been warned several times already, Sebastien. The horcruxes must be found and destroyed, and Black doesn't seem to even want to consider it-"
"He will, Roman. If what you say iz true, then only Voldemort stands in his way now. Wiz Grindelwald dead, Orion knows who he must kill next-"
Sebastien Valois and Roman Komorov had their backs turned to him, standing shoulder-to-shoulder around the large desk, gazing down at the numerous parchments spread on it. But when Orion finally decided to step out of the fireplace and into the Headmaster's office, both wizards spun around.
Orion shot them a contemptuous, angered glance as he closely regarded them. Sebastien looked as charmingly princely as ever, with his elegant light blue robes, waves of short sandy hair, and light hazel eyes which were now widely staring at him, a dumb-struck expression spreading on the wizard's handsome face.
Komorov, on the other hand, was intently inspecting him, his dark blue eyes clinically sweeping over his body, and he dare say, over his now visible dark magical aura. Indeed, there was immense satisfaction in the upward quirk of the young Headmaster's lips.
"Mon cher, your magic has become aztounding!" exclaimed Sebastien exultantly, quickly reaching his side to trail a hand down Orion's cheek, staring at him with unveiled awe and excitement. A visible shiver ran along the wizard's body, as he breathed out enraptured, "It feels zo powerful, mon coeur... Roman was telling ze truth, then, you have killed Grindelwald…"
His anger spiking, Orion took a step back, and he ignored the young wizard as he pierced Komorov with his eyes, and said mordantly, "I see you didn't waste a single second before starting to plot behind my back, Roman."
Komorov arched an eyebrow, and retorted coolly, "You've known for a while that we were going to hunt the horcruxes if you didn't. Surely this doesn't come as a surprise."
"You're not looking well, mon ami," interjected Sebastien worriedly, whose gaze was still admiring but now also roving over Orion's body and face with concern. "Ze transference of magic muzt have taxed you greatly." He grabbed Orion's arm, gently pulling him towards the armchairs around the desk. "Come, mon cher, let's all sit down and discuzz matters amicably."
Yielding to the French wizard, since he truly felt exhausted, Orion allowed himself to be fussed over, but then he caught sight of something which abruptly caused a spark of comprehension to dawn on him. He had caught sight of Komorov's gaze and the change in the wizard's posture, while Sebastien solicitously made him sit down. The young Headmaster had stiffened, and the dark blue eyes had slightly narrowed. And Orion almost let out a cackle of nasty laughter; he had half a mind to snidely taunt the older wizard, to dig where it hurt. Komorov was jealous!
So this was the reason why the wizard had started to dislike him. This was why Komorov had turned into such a jerk. The wizard liked Sebastien! And the man undoubtedly knew that Sebastien had asked him to marry him, once upon a time, before he had undergone the marital bonding ritual with Voldemort. Moreover, by the looks of things, Sebastien simply treated Komorov as his Aux leader; possibly with his characteristical mischievous playfulness and flirtatiousness, but nothing indicated that there was deep attraction or interest on Sebastien's part.
It was simply too juicy to pass up. Orion's gaze flickered from Komorov to Sebastien and back, and he shot the young Headmaster a nasty smirk while he slowly caressed the arm which was holding him as he sat down.
Sebastien arched an eyebrow, and whispered with a wicked, sparkling glint in his light, hazel eyes, "Mon coeur, does this show of affection means zat you finally agree to run away wiz me?"
Orion chuckled, but said nothing while he observed how Komorov, stony faced, took a seat on the ornate armchair behind the desk, leaving Sebastien and him on the opposite side.
"So you have killed Lord Grindelwald," said Komorov sharply, intently staring at him. "How did it-"
"I didn't come here to talk about that," interrupted Orion crisply, all vicious amusement fading as the more pressing and serious matters resurfaced in his mind. "Not with you, anyway." He narrowed his eyes at him, and bit out, "And what's all this horcrux talk about? You know that I won't allow his horcruxes to be destroyed-"
"Mon cher," interjected Sebastien quietly, "it iz necessary. Look how powerful you've become now that you have absorbed Grindelwald's dark magic! The next step for you, as you very well know, is to take Voldemort's. And for that, you muzt kill him, or you won't be powerful enough to survive ze Vindico test."
"Not only that, Black," said Komorov sternly, piercing him with his dark blue eyes. "Do you think that Voldemort won't retaliate when he finds out about the things you've been doing behind his back? Not to mention that you told me that Draco Malfoy is with you, and Voldemort will -I assure you- fit the pieces together and discover it." He leaned back on his armchair, and added curtly, "How do you pretend to protect Malfoy, proceed with your plans to finally obtain the Elder Wand, and amass more followers, without having a confrontation with Voldemort? Soon, rumors will reach his ears-"
"Yes, you made sure of that," snapped Orion incensed, "by refusing to recast the ward that Vagnarov had placed on Durmstrang."
Komorov's lips quirked upwards, and he said calmly, "Precisely. A small little push to motivate you into doing what is necessary." He narrowed his dark blue eyes at him, and added sharply, "If you don't get the horcruxes, Black, the Aux will. We won't wait any longer. We've given you plenty of time and now's the time to act! Now, before Voldemort finds out anything more about you. Because take for granted that he will kill you, Black."
"Now's not the time for me to go horcrux-hunting," retorted Orion impatiently. "I want to fix things with Voldemort, not to give him more reasons to create a division between us. Surely you see that. An open war will very soon break in England and Voldemort and I need to cooperate in order to win it!"
"But, Orion," interjected Sebastien, shooting him a worried glance, "things are moving very fast and if you wait until ze war iz over, it might be too late. You could at least find and gather all ze horcruxes. Don't destroy them immediately, if you don't want, but at least get them. Have somezing to hold over his head. And zince one or two horcruxes may not matter much to him, you should zeek them all."
"Right," said Orion crisply, "and when should I do this? I barely have time to do all the things I've already planned. I'm going to Zraven Citadel, then I want to undergo my Necromantic training to become a full-fledged Necromancer, not to mention that I want to lead my allies during the English war. So when, exactly, do you propose that I go horcrux-hunting, Bastien?"
"The solution is simple," said Komorov sternly, piercing him with his eyes, "tell us what they are and where they can be, and the Aux will get them."
Orion snorted, crossing his arms over his chest as he leveled him with a hard gaze. "Not in a million years. If you get them, you'll destroy them, and I don't want that-"
"They have to be destroyed!" snarled Komorov furiously, pounding a fist on his desk, making parchments jump into the air. "Don't be a fool, Black!"
"If anyone's destroying them it will be me, not you!" spat Orion enraged, narrowing his eyes at him. "I had to kill Gellert because he wanted it, and because I knew he would eventually be a threat to me since the pull of his dark magic never stopped affecting him. But Voldemort is another case entirely. He doesn't have enough amounts of my type of unique dark magic in him to feel the pull so strongly. And I'm going to become a Necromancer, and thus become more powerful, so that I won't need to have Voldemort's dark magic to undergo the VA test. If I get the horcruxes, it will be just for precaution, but I won't destroy them! And you forget that I'm a horcrux myself-"
"But you can solve that problem, mon cher," interjected Sebastien quietly, "Vagnarov believed that, with ze use of Necromancy, you could dispose of ze alien piece of soul which attached itself to yours."
Orion frowned at him, and said crisply, "I could only do that if I knew enough about Necromancy, if I became a full-fledged Necromancer. And even then, I'm not sure if it's possible. His piece of soul has been with me for sixteen years, Bastien! And Voldemort himself told me that it must have completely merged with my soul. From what I know, the only possibility is for me to die, so that the horcrux in me is destroyed. And how am I supposed to survive death, eh? Gellert also believed that perhaps my Necromancy could help in that regard, but would you have me risk my life on a supposition?"
"I dare say that you won't have a choice," interjected Komorov gravely. "If you continue to spare Voldemort's life, he'll be the one to kill you and destroy the horcrux within you-"
"I see," spat Orion incensed, "so now you not only want me to gather the horcruxes, but also to possibly sacrifice my life so that his last horcrux can be destroyed? Do you take me for a fool?! That's what Dumbledore wanted!"
"You misunderstand us, mon cher," said Sebastien gently. "Indeed, ze last thing we want is for Voldemort to kill you, since it's not certain if you would zurvive it." His light, hazel gaze flickered to Komorov, and then back to Orion, as he continued quietly, "What we want iz for you to destroy all ze other horcruxes, then kill Voldemort to absorb the raw dark magic he has in his magical core. Once ze only thing of his in existence is the piece of soul inzide you, there are little chances that it could leave your body on its own, to posses another. And then, you might even find some eazy way to dispose of it, since his master soul would have already been destroyed. In ze end, we don't think it's necessary for you to destroy ze piece of soul within you to get his magic. We believe that if you kill him in his current body and destroy ze master soul, then the magic that flows in his body will go to you. But, of courze, the master soul cannot be destroyed if all ze other horcruxes still exist."
"You're wrong," interjected Orion quietly, sighing as he jerkily carded his fingers through his hair. "I can indeed destroy his master soul without having previously destroyed his other horcruxes." He grimaced. "I know the Necromantic spell that can accomplish it. I've seen myself using it, though I'm quite sure that I had already destroyed the horcruxes as well, given the stuff I said…" He glanced up at him, and muttered, "But my point is that I can destroy the master soul, and thus get his magic, without needing to destroy his other horcruxes."
"Are you sure of this?" demanded Komorov, intently gazing at him.
"Yes," said Orion shortly.
"Excellent!" said Sebastien excitedly, shooting them a satisfied glance. "Then all iz solved-"
"It isn't," interrupted Komorov, a deep frown spreading over his face. "I had to learn quite a lot regarding horcruxes and the spells involved for their creation, Black. A horcrux is not only a vessel for a piece of soul, but it's also tied to the magic of the individual. When Tom Riddle sprung from the diary, he had used a life sacrifice to accomplish it, absorbing both life and magic from his victim – the Weasley girl. That allowed him to merge with Voldemort's master piece of soul, which had been floating around for over a decade. When a wizard who created horcruxes dies, his magic leaves the body and remains, most of it, with the master piece of soul. That's the purpose of horcruxes, after all; to bind the master soul to this plane, retaining the magic of the wizard." He pierced Orion with suspicious, narrowed eyes. "If you kill the master soul when the other horcruxes still exist, one of those pieces of soul would become the new master soul, and his magic would go to it, Black."
Orion shot him a sweet, sugary smile, seeing no point in denying it. "True."
"You were lying to us?" whispered Sebastien, staring at him with wide eyes. "Why, mon cher? All we're trying to do iz help you-"
"I told you a half-truth, not a lie, since I was honest about the Necromantic spell. And all you're trying to do," snapped Orion angrily, "is force me to commit to a decision I'm not willing to take so soon! I will not act against him by destroying his horcruxes when I still have reasons to believe that his death is not necessary for me to be powerful enough to survive the VA test."
Sebastien shook his head, but then his hazel eyes lightened up, and he demanded, "So, according to you two, if you kill Voldemort and destroy hiz master soul, hiz magic would go to one of ze horcruxes that remain. So it could go into you, mon cher-"
"It isn't likely," interjected Komorov gravely. "Black was made into a horcrux by mistake. Thus, the piece of soul in him has to be much smaller and weaker than those in the other horcruxes. It would be safe to assume that Voldemort's magic would go into the horcrux containing the strongest piece of soul, that which would be the 'new master soul', to call it something." He shot Orion a stern glance, and added gruffly, "The only way to make sure that his magic goes to you is to destroy all the other horcruxes before you kill him."
"He's right, mon coeur," said Sebastien musingly, glancing at Orion with a beseeching expression on his face. "You muzt do it." He sighed, and added reluctantly, "If you want him back, then perhaps you can later use ze piece of soul inzide you, transfer it to another body, and-"
"Right," said Orion acerbically. "And that would help, how? I doubt that the piece of soul inside me has any memories of its life, since it was ripped from the master soul by accident, so surely Voldemort didn't infuse it with any memories. And I could only transfer it to a body created by a Necromantic spell, with the use of his flesh, but it would contain no magic. Who wants to live like a muggle? Even if I sacrificed the life of some dark wizard, so that I could give him a body with magic, he still wouldn't be himself. He wouldn't have the amounts of power he had, and I doubt he would remember anything. Death would be preferable to him, I'm sure."
"I'm glad we agree, then," interjected Komorov swiftly. "So you will gather and destroy the horcruxes, and kill him-"
"Look," interrupted Orion impatiently. "I do see your point, really, but I won't start destroying horcruxes and I won't kill him before I'm sure it's the only way left. And before I'm certain that it must be done, not only for me to become the VA, but because he turned into a threat to me, or something of the sort. So, I'm willing to start gathering the horcruxes, at some point, when I have time. But I won't destroy them. I'll simply keep them, just in case. Take it or leave it."
"Agreed," jumped in Sebastien, shooting Komorov a stern glance before he warmly smiled at Orion. "We won't prezzure you again, concerning this matter."
"Not for the time being," corrected Komorov sharply, leveling Orion with a hard gaze.
"Good," said Orion sternly. "So I have your word that you won't go looking for them to destroy them, right?"
"We won't," conceded Komorov curtly. "But if we see that you're simply postponing that task, then we will take charge."
"Fine," said Orion, waving a hand dismissively. He pierced him with angered, narrowed eyes, and bit out, "Now, Roman, do explain to me why you never told me anything about Arian Hyperion Valenor. And tell me all you know about him-"
"Arián?" interrupted Sebastien, frowning at him puzzledly. "Why are you interested in him?"
Orion stared at him, blinking. "You know him?" He shot a frown at Komorov. "I thought that only the leader of the Aux could read the logbooks-"
"Mais oui, of courze I know Valenor," interjected Sebastien, looking more confused and puzzled with each passing second. "But what do the logbooks have to do wiz him? I don't have access to them, of courze, only Roman does. But why would Arián be mentioned in them…" He trailed off and glanced at Komorov with a strange expression on his face. "What's all zis about, Roman?"
"No, first tell me what you know about Valenor," commanded Orion shortly, intently gazing at the French wizard.
Sebastien frowned at him. "Well, I know what everyone in France knows about him." He shot a glance at Komorov and then returned his attention back to Orion. "And what Roman undoubtedly knows too. I have mentioned Arián to him in the past." He frowned again, his voice lowering, as if he was recalling something, "And Ragnarok uzed to ask me questions about him az well, years ago when he was tutoring me in ze Darks Arts and before he introduced me to ze Aux-"
"Oh, bother Ragnarok," cut in Orion impatiently, "just tell me what you know about Arian, Bastien."
"There really izn't much to tell," said Sebastien, with a shrug of his shoulders. "Arián attended Beauxbatons, he was one year my junior. He's a light pureblooded wizard. He comes from an important French light wizarding family; ze Valenors. And he must be ze Head of Valenor House at present. I haven't seen him in ages. He was very popular, a very bright student, probably one of ze best, he was charismatic, eazy going, good natured, he liked to help others, he liked to prank az well-" He chuckled. "- and teachers and students alike adored him. Girls were head over heels in love with him, as much as they were with me." He winked at him, but then a hint of commiseration crept into his voice, as he added, "But ze poor boy stopped attending school during his fourth year. I don't know exactly what happened, but his parents died, it was all over ze French wizarding newspapers. His father, Hyperion Valenor, was a… what is ze English word? …an Unspeakable! And for some reason or other, the wizard was experimenting with something work-related at his home, where his wife was as well. Something went wrong and ze house blew up! Hyperion Valenor and his wife, Elena Delacour, were killed, and Arián was-"
"Delacour?!" gasped out Orion, staring at him with round eyes. "Do you mean to tell me that Arian is related to Fleur Delacour?"
"Of courze!" said Sebastien, gazing at him as if it were the most obvious and known fact in the wizarding world. "They are couzins, since they share ze same grandmother, Amacyntha Delacour, who was-"
"A veela…" breathed out Orion. "…yes, Fleur mentioned her grandmother to me once." Abruptly, harsh, humourless chuckles sprung from his mouth, and he bit out sarcastically, "So he's a quarter veela like Fleur? Fantastic! Yeah, why not, just what I bloody needed!"
He made himself clamp his mouth shut, before he leveled Sebastien with a fierce gaze, and barked out, "What else! What happened to Arian after his parents died?"
"I don't know," replied Sebastien, looking at him concernedly, surely due to his outburst. "He didn't finish his fourzth year at Beauxbatons and he never returned. That was ze last time I saw him. I think he had no immediate family left. His Valenor grandparents had already died, as had his Delacour ones. I have heard zome rumours in France, saying that he has been travelling all over ze world ever since ze accidental death of his parents."
"I see," muttered Orion, frowning as he leaned back on his armchair. "Well, he has an interesting blood mix, I'll tell you that." He shot Sebastian a smirk. "He is no pureblood, whatever they believe in France." His gaze then landed on the stoically silent Komorov, and he added acerbically, "Isn't that right, Roman? Come, come, it's time to spill the beans. Let's tell Bastien who Arián is. Would you like to do the honors?"
Komorov threw him an irritated glance, evidently not amused, and said curtly, "Can I infer, given your interest in him, that you have met Valenor?"
"Spot on," said Orion mordantly. "And he had many juicy things to tell me." He pierced him with his eyes, and demanded sharply, "Have you read about him in the Aux's logbooks? Has he been monitored during these past years?"
"Yes, on both accounts," replied Komorov coolly.
Orion narrowed his eyes at him, and snapped angrily, "Well, do bloody tell, Roman, because you'll find me lacking patience today and you have much to answer for."
"Do I?" said Komorov casually, arching an eyebrow.
"If you don't tell me what I want to know," hissed out Orion through gritted teeth, his jaw clenching, "I'll promise to rip it from you through torture. Do I make myself clear, or do you need a fucking demonstration first-"
"Would either of you mind telling me," interjected Sebastien with irritation, "why we are discuzzing Arián at all?" He shot Orion a confused glance. "And why do you zay that he's not a pureblood, mon cher?"
"What isn't commonly known, Sebastien," said Komorov calmly, "is that Arian's father, Hyperion, was not a Valenor by birth. He was adopted by Vincent Valenor, when his wife, Aurora, brought the baby to live with them. Aurora was a distant aunt of Albus Dumbledore. Vincent and Aurora Valenor were in their mid sixties when they took in Hyperion. Aurora was barren, and since the couple was childless, Hyperion was adopted and made the Valenor Heir. But-"
"The point is," cut in Orion impatiently, "that Hyperion was a halfblood. Albus Dumbledore's little sister was gang-raped by muggles and Hyperion was the result of it. Dumbledore's aunt, this Aurora Valenor, apparently, took the baby to live with her because Albus was too young to take care of him. And Albus' teenage brother, Aberforth, also went to live with this aunt for a while, according to Gellert. So, you see, Arian is not a pureblood, but he is a-"
"A Dumbledore," said Sebastien slowly, staring at him with wide eyes. "Albus Dumbledore's grandnephew."
"Exactly," said Orion, smirking with satisfaction. "Not only that. From what Arian himself has told me, Dumbledore has recently adopted him so that he can legally bear the Dumbledore surname. And I bet you anything that it was done with a blood ritual."
Komorov speared him with an intense gaze. "Are you certain about this?"
"Yes, on both accounts," said Orion, volleying back the man's previous words, his smirk widening as he relaxedly leaned back on his seat. "Albus Dumbledore is no fool, and that Arian is certainly a sneaky, tricky one. Oh, yes, I'm starting to understand a lot of things now… Yes, plenty makes sense. Tell me, Roman, where did Arian go after leaving Beauxbatons?" He grinned, and held up a hand. "No, don't tell me. I know. He lived with the Flamels, didn't he? With Nicolas Flamel and his wife, Perenelle, of course!"
"How did you know that?" demanded Komorov, fixedly staring at him.
Orion let out a bark of laughter. "Because I'm bloody brilliant, and it's exactly what I would have done if I had been Albus Dumbledore! The old goat is so predictable when it comes to his methods of molding into a tool anyone with a bit of magical power."
He leaned forward, and said with satisfaction, "So I'm right, aren't I? Dumbledore sent Arian to the Flamels when Arian's parents died. And that can only mean that Arian has alchemist abilities as well, just like the old coot himself. Dumbledore is no fool. He couldn't look after a young boy, he was busy at Hogwarts and didn't want anyone to know about Arian. And he couldn't leave Arian to be raised in a pub by Aberforth, though I bet you anything that Aberforth must have wanted to do so. No, Albus sent the boy where Arian could be best molded and trained. Who better than the old goat's old pal? And the leader of the Covenant of Alchemists, to boot! And when Nicolas Flamel and his wife kicked the bucket, after Dumbledore convinced them to destroy the Philosopher's Stone, I bet the entire Black fortune that Arian made his bid for freedom and independence. He escaped. Am I right?"
"Yes," muttered Komorov, still looking a bit disconcerted by him. "Karkaroff's and Vagnarov's logbooks do indeed say that the Aux had seen Arian living with the Flamels for a while, but after that, they lost track of the boy for a long period of time. He was last seen in Egypt, some years ago. It seems that Valenor has indeed been traveling widely."
"I don't doubt it," said Orion placidly. "He escaped from Dumbledore's clutches, he travelled to imbue himself in important wizarding cultures, undoubtedly continuing his magical education by learning on his own and making useful contacts, and he probably even explored the muggle world. It would help him in his aims."
"Which are?" interjected Sebastien, piercing him with his light hazel eyes. "I can see that Arián iz important because he's a Dumbledore, but what aren't you telling uz? Why-"
"Us?" said Orion, with a harsh chuckle. "I assure you that Roman knows exactly why Arian is important. Though your leader seems to have chosen to keep you, his right-hand, uninformed." He shot Komorov a nasty smirk. "Do tell him, Roman."
Komorov's jaw momentarily clenched, before he gazed at Sebastien and said quietly, "It seems that Valenor is very powerful and has exceptional magical abilities-"
"Oh for Merlin's staff," snapped Orion impatiently. "What he's trying to say, Bastien, is that Arian calls himself the Vindico Lumen, as in, the 'nemesis' of the Vindico Atrum."
"But- but," muttered Sebastien, deeply frowning at him, "I've never heard of somezing like that before." His gaze flickered to Komorov, and he demanded, "Iz it true? There's a... Vindico Lumen?"
"Apparently," said Komorov stoically. "But I know as much as you do about it. The Spirits won't tell me anything, and there's not a single word about 'Vindico Lumens' written in the Aux's logbooks."
"You're both missing the point," said Orion with miffed annoyance. "The Spirits know, that's for sure, and they won't tell, that's also certain. I'm not even going to attempt to get that information from them, because I already have a pretty good idea." He leveled both of them with a hard gaze. "I believe Arian's claims. Gellert knew I would come across someone like him at some point. What matters now is what, exactly, Arian is up to, and what are his goals. And both are things that I'll have to glean from Arian himself."
He shot Sebastien a glance, and demanded, "Now, there's one thing I need to know. Do you remember when Arian's parents died? You said it was during his fourth year at Beauxbatons. So, was it during school holidays?"
Sebastien frowned, his expression turning pensive. "I don't remember…" His eyes widened, and he said vehemently, "Mais oui, I believe it waz during Christmas holidays. But why iz that important, mon cher?"
"Because his parents' death was no accident," said Orion sharply, "not how it must have been put in the newspapers, at least." He scoffed, and added snidely, "An Unspeakable taking his work home? Please! They never do that, they can't, they aren't allowed. Whatever happened, it was not what the public was told. And it's possible that Albus used his contacts in the French Ministry of Magic to cover it up, or something of the sort. And if it happened during Christmas holidays, then Arian could have been there-"
"Ze house blew up, Orion," interjected Sebastien. "Arián couldn't have been inzide-"
"We don't know for sure," interrupted Orion curtly, piercing him with his eyes. "There's a precedent, Bastien. Arian's grandmother, Albus' sister, was very powerful but also deeply traumatized. Gellert told me that she had lost control over her magic and that the girl's mother died because of it. And Arian's magic certainly felt as if it was barely restrained. It felt stormy, wild, barely controlled! Either his father lost control of his magic, or Arian did." He frowned, and added musingly, "Or it was something else entirely…" His frowned deepened as he gazed at Komorov. "Is it possible that Arian can absorb light magic that is like his own, if he kills a wizard who has it? Just like I did with Grindelwald?"
"You suspect that Arian killed his own father?" asked Komorov frowning.
"I don't know," said Orion slowly. "But I have to consider all the possibilities. So, can he do that?"
"I truly don't know, Black," replied Komorov, looking troubled and worried by the idea.
"I don't believe it," interjected Sebastien firmly, shaking his head. "Arián waz one of nicest and most good-natured students in Beauxbatons-"
"That means nothing," scoffed Orion. "Tom Riddle was idolized and fawned over at Hogwarts, he was capable of charming everyone he wanted to, and look how he turned out. I'm not comparing Arian to Voldemort, of course, I'm just saying that appearances are usually deceiving."
He laughed, leaning back on his armchair. "And Arian is very sneaky. Merlin, and I believed that he had no ulterior motives when he said that he wanted me to kill the old goat! Oh, I don't doubt that Arian wants me to become the VA, and that he hates Dumbledore's guts. But he could easily kill the old man himself, so why doesn't he? And if he can absorb light magic which is like his own, then he has even more reason to kill Dumbledore personally! So, again, why doesn't he, eh?"
Neither of the older wizards said a word, they were both staring at him with a puzzled or bewildered expression on their faces.
Orion snickered, and shot them a wide smirk. "I'll tell you why; because he cannot! Because Dumbledore blood-adopted him, to rightfully make Arian a Dumbledore, and thus, the old man's 'successor'. And to make Arian a bit more powerful and at the same time, control him!"
His smirk widened, and he nonchalantly crossed one leg over the other, cozily burrowing into his armchair. "As you surely know, there are a wide variety of blood rituals that can be used to adopt children, and some of them bind the 'adoptive parent' and the 'adopted child' under certain rules. I don't think that Dumbledore chose a ritual which was too restrictive, or Arian would have refused. And the old man is many things but an idiot. He sure as hell made sure that Arian couldn't turn on him, that Arian could not hurt him in any way. That's the type of ritual they must have used. Arian gained a surname he rightfully coveted and he gained power when Dumbledore gave him his blood during the magical ritual. On the other hand, Dumbledore gained a successor and more control over Arian, assuring himself that it wouldn't fire back. That's why Arian told me that he wants me to kill Dumbledore. It wasn't only because he wants me to have the Elder Wand - it's because he cannot kill the old goat himself!"
Orion chuckled under his breath. "Sneaky, tricky Arian. By Circe that I'm starting to like him! Pity that he's a light wizard and unmistakably my greatest enemy. Don't you see? Arian wants me to do the dirty job for him. Well, not a chance! At least not if Arian is present, because if he has the ability to absorb Dumbledore's light magic, then if he isn't there when I kill the old coot, the magic won't go to him!"
"Aren't you assuming too many things, Black?" interjected Komorov, frowning pensively.
"No, I'm not," said Orion shortly, smirking at him. "Everything fits, and I'm seldom wrong when it comes to unraveling and making sense of stuff." His lips quirked wryly. "After all, I've had loads of experience in that, given all the things that the Spirits have kept a secret from me, and which I have discovered on my own, thankfully. Which, by the way, leads me to my next question. Oh, I'm not going to ask you about Arian, I know more than you do!"
He leveled the young Headmaster with a hard, fierce gaze, and demanded sharply, "Did you know that Gellert was my grandfather?"
Next to him, Sebastien drew in a shocked intake of breath, but Orion completely ignored him since he had already realized that the French wizard hadn't had a clue about it. Knowing Sebastien, he would have told him immediately, since the wizard had already proven on several occasions to truly care about him, and not only because he was a VA candidate.
Komorov solemnly gazed at him. "I have known for some months, when I became the leader of the Aux-"
"You had no right to keep it a secret from me, Roman!" spat Orion enraged, his hands trembling and balling into fists by his sides. "He was my grandfather! He was the only family I had left with the exception of my father, who I only have because I did the impossible to bring him back! What gave you the right-"
"You wouldn't have killed him if you had known," interrupted Komorov sharply, piercing him with a hard gaze.
Orion bristled, and snarled furiously, "It was my prerogative, my decision to make-"
"Vulcan knew as well," said Komorov placidly, shooting him a smirk.
All color drained from Orion's face, a twist of hurt betrayal piercing his chest, and he whispered, "Vagnarov knew?"
"Yes, he did," said Komorov coolly. "So, you see, both of us thought that it was for the best if you didn't know." He pointedly trailed his gaze over Orion. "You killed him, and thus became more powerful, as you had to. Look at your magical aura now! And Grindelwald himself wanted it to happen, Black-"
"That's not a fucking justification – that's no excuse!" spat Orion heatedly. "And I want to know how it's possible. Oh, I have my bloody suspicions, but I want confirmation! Above all, how it was done, since Gellert had been imprisoned for decades in Nurmengard-"
He broke off, his eyes widening as a realization struck him like a lightning bolt, and he gasped out, "Emmerich…"
Orion jumped to his feet, angrily pounding a fist on the desk. "Dietrich Emmerich!"
And he hurtled out of the office, ignoring Sebastien's calls, not wanting to waste another second with them since Komorov knew nothing compared to the Spirits. He rushed down the stairs and into one of Durmstrang's corridors, swiftly casting a parsel-invisibility spell on himself as he made a mad dash towards the secret entrance to the Catacombs.
