"Allen! Over here! We saved you a seat mate!" He heard Ron yell over the chatter and laughter of the Great Hall. Smiling a little wider, Allen quickly hurried over to the Golden Trio and sat down next to them.
"I grabbed your stuff from Transfiguration." Hermione told him as she handed him his bag that held his books.
"Ah! I was hoping someone would grab that for me. Thank you. I would have come back for it, but Professor McGonagall scares me." He admitted shamelessly with a sheepish laugh as he rubbed the back of his head.
"You'll get use to that; she's strict but fair." Harry offered with a smile. Allen was about to respond when he saw Harry and Ron, who were sitting on the other side of the table go pale. He was about to ask what was wrong when he felt a hand land on his shoulder. Hard. Turning around in trepidation, his heart sank when he saw it was his Master.
"Is there something you need Professor?" He asked. The man sneered at him before replying.
"I need you shut up. You're voice grates on my ears. I'm busy tonight so I arranged your detention to be after dinner with Professor Snape. I think he's the only one that will actually make sure it's a proper detention."
"Proper detention?" Allen choked out. The half-masked man grinned, mouthing the word 'Torture' before sauntering up to the Head Table.
"That guy's a git." Ron mumbled right before shoving a spoon of mash potatoes into his mouth. "Putting you with Snape; that's just cruel."
"What's wrong with Professor Snape?" Allen asked innocently and all the Gryffindors surrounding him choked on whatever they were eating.
"What's wrong with Snape? What's wrong with Snape? Bloody hell man, you've already gone through one class with him, what do you thinks wrong with him?" Ron asked in a near hysterical tone as the rest just casted him odd looks.
"I don't know," Allen shrugged, truly confused at the panic. "It was only my first day." At that, some of his housemates that held more gray matter than others saw the light.
"Oh. I forgot you don't know." Hermione said, almost self-consciously. She casted him a look and asked, "How do you feel about Slytherins?" He found that question a little odd but answered anyway.
"I don't know any of them well enough to answer that. That being said, I don't think they're bad." He almost wished he could take that last part back when almost everyone curled back as if he cursed them. Hermione rolled her eyes and kindly explained.
"Slytherins and Gryffindors don't get along. In fact, mortal enemies is probably the best way to describe our relationship." He mulled this over for a while, casually munching down a chicken leg, 3 rolls, and a whole cake. Finally he spoke.
"Why?" To say he received a ton of replies was an understatement.
"Because they're evil!" Several people said at once.
"They're cheats!" Someone spat.
"Backstabbers!" A girl hissed as she stabbed her fork into a side dish.
"They prejudice and follow You-Know-Who!" Dean and Seamus both told him with a hate in their eyes.
"Basically they hate anyone who's not pureblood that supports the old ways." Ron said viciously. All these responses made Allen uncomfortable; he glanced at the Slytherin table. Sure the students there seemed a little less merry, but they didn't look like they were planning evil things or anything sinister; they just looked like kids. Allen turned back to his friends, who were still listing reasons to him on why all Slytherins should be hated and spat upon. He was beginning to get a bit angry and finally cut them off.
"How do you know?" And he swore the table almost went deathly still at his question.
"What?" Someone whispered; he didn't know who and he didn't care. What was about to happen in the next few seconds would forever be remembered on down the ages.
Allen Walker was about to shake things up.
"How do you know they're evil? Did they come to you as a group as say it? Did they form a mob and kill somebody in front of you? Tell me exactly what they did that was so horrible to you that makes you say such terrible things. Because I really want to know." He said, and even though his expression was blank, they could tell by his tone that he was becoming steadily angrier.
"They start fights, play nasty pranks on us and call us mean names all the time; especially the muggleborns." Ron told him as if it explained everything.
"And you can tell me, honestly, that they started every fight, prank, and everything else in between? That not once it was a Gryffindor who started it?" Ron and many who were listening looked away because they couldn't refute that question. Allen nodded in satisfaction. "I thought so."
"Why are you so intent on defending them?" Harry asked with tension in his voice, green eyes wary.
"Because last night I waited outside this Great Hall with all those little first years and I talked to more than one. I can't say I got to know them very well, but I know that not one of them was evil. Some of them were sorted into Slytherin- I was almost sorted into Slytherin." He told them, ignoring the gasps of alarm and causing Harry to flinch. He'd had almost forgotten his own near sorting with the Snake House, "So when I hear talk about how, essentially, eleven year old children are evil just because of where they are sorted, I tend to get defensive."
No one answered, so Allen continued.
"Maybe some of them are evil or at the very least bad. However, I would suspect that happens to all the Houses of Hogwarts. I would bet my whole life savings (not that he had any) that there were some bad, possibly evil Gryffindors in the past." Ron looked like he was about to protest when Hermione kicked him under the table. He looked at her in wonderment as to ask why she was trying to distract him. She just shook her head sadly and mouthed the word 'Scabbers' to him.
Oh, right. Forgot about him.
"I find irony in the fact that you call them prejudice when you guys aren't much better." He said wryly as he took a sip of pumpkin juice.
"Now hold on, wait just a moment." Harry rushed out. "I understand that being new and all, you didn't know about this rivalry, but you have no idea how they've treated us over the years! Trust me, they are not people you want to be friends with!"
"Have you ever been friends with a Slytherin?" Allen asked with an arched eyebrow.
"Er-no, I haven't." Harry replied thinking on the handshake an eleven year old Draco Malfoy had offered him so long ago.
"Has any Gryffindor ever befriended a Slytherin?" Allen asked aloud; rather curious about the answer. Neighbors looked toward one another, some shrugging and others shaking their heads.
"Not that I know of. . ."
"If they have, they're keeping it under wraps."
"Maybe in another generation?"
Allen nodded his head as if coming to a decision. Abruptly he stood and gathered his stuff up.
"Ok, I've decided. I'm going to befriend someone in Slytherin." He said resolutely to those surrounding him.
Ding! Ding! Ding! That's one quote for the history books folks.
"Allen, you're entitled to your opinion, but you don't have to prove it." Hermione told the boy. She already knew a stunt like this would most likely make him an outcast in Gryffindor, not to mention hurt him deeply if his chosen 'friend' turned out rotten. He shot her a smile.
"If there's one thing you need to know about me, it's this: I hate stereotypes and judging people on account of reputations- y'know about 90% of that is just rumors and gossip, right?"
And with that, the white hair boy stalked over to the Slytherin table. . .
"Oh, no way." Ron and Harry said simultaneously as they followed his movements. "He's not going to do what I think he is, is he?" Ron asked Hermione in desperation.
. . .and plopped down next to one startled Draco Malfoy.
To say the noise level shot up in the Great Hall a few decimals was an understatement.
"Merlin!" Harry gasped out as the other Gryffs gaped like fish. "I- I can't believe he just did that!"
"Does he have a death wish?" Dean uttered to Seamus who just shook his head.
"Looks like it. To sit next to the nastiest piece of work in all of Slytherin is just. . ." The boy trailed off, unsure on how to describe the phenomenon. Looking over at Allen Walker chatting happily with one scandalized Draco Malfoy; something in Harry clicked and he suddenly found the humor in this strange situation.
It started out as a small giggle, but the more he thought about it, the funnier it became. In seconds his cheeks where flushed red, tears poured out from green eyes and one hand was holding the table while the other clutched his aching stomach.
"Eh, you alright there mate?" Ron asked in slight fear and the sudden laughter fest from his friend.
"T-that-ha- is the b-bravest thing I've seen-snort- in a long time!" He gasped out between his laughs. "I mean, when was the last time-hah!-anyone saw Draco Malfoy, King of Ice, that startled? Pfft! It's the funniest thing I've seen all year and we've only just started!" As if his words triggered it, Harry started up another fit of laughter, this time joined in by a few Gryffindors who also saw the humor.
"Excuse me, could you scoot over just a notch so I could sit here?" Draco heard a vaguely annoying voice say to the person next to him. The blonde Slytherin hadn't really been paying attention to anything. Being at Hogwarts for four years had given the boy enough time to become immune to its magnificent ways. He had a feeling this would be a monotone year. Chances are the only thing that he could get any enjoyment out of would be tormenting Gryffindors. As he was thinking on this, the person who had sat next to him had not stopped talking at all. That was quite odd actually, now that he thought about. Sure some of others got a little chatty now and then and, yes, some (himself included, unfortunately) had talked big and then weren't able to back it up, but for the most part Slytherins were rather silent creatures. Even at the food table they conversed with their friends softly. None of that shouting across the table like those dreadful Gryffindors.
"I say, the view of the hall is so much different over here!" His teeth gritted in annoyance, Draco turned around to tell whoever was making so much racket where he could stuff it.
Only to find he lost his voice when he saw who it was.
"Hi! Draco! It's about time you noticed me! I didn't want to interrupt any deep thinking you were doing." Allen Walker- who was quickly becoming #1 on his Most Hated People By Draco Malfoy List- said while cheerfully smiling at him (Merlin's toes, are those sparkles surrounding him?) as he casually chewed on some ham he had snatched up. On the other side was a clearly confused Goyle and all around the Slytherins were casting them uncertain looks. This had never happened before. Nobody except Slytherins ate at the Slytherin table. They didn't spend all their time glaring at others for no reason. It's a privacy thing, damn it!
"What do you want, you buffoon?" Draco hissed at Allen and almost, almost, punched the boy when all he did was give him a puzzled look. The only thing stopping his fist of fury was that he was a pureblood and it would be unbecoming and below his status to start a brawl like some drunk muggle.
"Eating?" Allen asked before stuffing a fork of spaghetti into his mouth.
Draco was positive a blood vessel just snapped somewhere in his body.
"Obviously!" The blonde spat, his pale cheeks turning red in anger, "But what are doing eating over here?" He stressed that last word to show how unwelcome Allen was. "Go back to the pack of fools that is your house. Don't you want to know what they find so hilarious that the whole hall has to hear their ear-splitting laughter?" Which was true; the Gryffindor table's laughter had become so loud that Professor McGonagall had actually come down from her seat to figure out who put a laughing potion in the pumpkin juice.
"No, not really." The new student replied as he looked over at his table. "I can always ask later, and I suppose I'm here because I want to be here." Allen chirped joyfully to the agitated Slytherin. "And I'm glad I did! Your table has cheery pie and ice cream! My table only had chocolate cake!" He pouted which turned into a frown when he heard a strange thumping noise. "Oh, Draco! Don't do that! You'll hurt yourself!" He panicked as Draco began to bang his head on the table.
"That can't be the only reason." A soft voice from across the table spoke up, grabbing both Allen and Draco's attention. There, delicately eating her dessert, sat Daphne Greengrass. Her blue eyes gave off a cool light as she stared at Allen.
"I'm sorry?"
"You didn't come over here simply because you 'want to be here' nor do I believe it's for the view or the food or whatever silly excuse your mind could come up with." Her eyes became like steel. "Now, I'll only ask once, why are you here? I'll warn you now, if it's a prank you and your housemates cooked up to amuse yourselves, you should just withdraw from school now, because when Slytherin is done with you, well, let's just say you won't be the same." Daphne finished in a dangerous tone as several Slytherins around them idly brought out their wands and began to carelessly play with them. All of them were tense, waiting for Allen's response. He had tilted his head towards the table as he mulled over the best way to answer. Several seconds passed, and when he looked back up eyes all around widened in surprise at the sincere smile on his face.
"I came over because I realized I didn't know any of you that well," He told them gently. "And that's a shame because I would like to be friends." He then sat back and patiently waited for them to gather their wits.
"My, my, that's very kind of you, Mr. Walker." A deep voice tinged with sarcasm said from behind. Surprised, he turned to see Professor Snape, who had come down from the Head Table after watching his students' interactions with the new comer. "I'm afraid that any friend making on your part will have to wait for tomorrow, seeing as you have a detention with me in about fifteen minutes."
"Professor Snape, I don't mean to interrupt, but perhaps you should escort Walker to detention now. He's still new to the school so he'd probably get lost." Draco told his Head House gleefully- he saw a chance of getting rid of Walker and he was taking it.
Severus withheld the urge to smile at his godson's blatant attempt to get rid of the exorcist. Seeing not only gray eyes but several others begging him to get rid of their problem, he decided to take pity on his snakes.
"A valid point, Mr. Malfoy. Dinner ends in about 10 minutes anyway. Come along Walker, time is of the essence." The Potions Master told him as he began to move towards to entrance way. He let out a small smirk when he heard footsteps from behind. Good; the boy was following without protest. He had been worried that he would have had to pry Walker away from the food.
They walked without talking as Snape led Allen down to the dungeons. Allen wasn't sure what to expect. Washing cauldrons? Scrubbing the floors and desks? He had no idea. No one in Gryffindor had told him what to expect- only that it would be bad.
He was surprised when Snape did not lead him to a classroom to start working, but a small private study. He stood awkwardly by door as Snape went over to the desk and began shuffling papers on the desk. After a moment he looked at Allen and spoke.
"Well? What are you waiting for? Close the door and come sit down."
"Um, aren't I here for a detention?" Allen asked hesitantly as he sat down on a comfortable couch. He really hoped not. The Potions Master placed himself into the seat behind the desk.
"No. I just needed a reason that would allow me to get you alone without arousing suspicion." The pale man said almost carelessly.
"Oh! So this morning, when Mast-uh, Professor Cross gave me that detention, it was for this?" Allen blushed, cursing himself for his stumble as the older man looked at him thoughtfully.
"You needn't pretend here. I know that you are his apprentice." Snape told him before continuing on, "Yes, I asked of this as a favor from him at breakfast and he agreed. Normally I would have done it myself, but I thought it would be better coming from him. This way no one can say I gave this detention to you for no reason. But," Severus gave Allen a reproachful, slightly haunted look. "After this morning's class I think I would have been justified."
"Er, yes. Sorry about that." Allen told him; an embarrassed blush going down past his neck.
"I must say I'm impressed: your teammates and yourself are doing remarkably well, considering what era you came from. From what I understand, you had to act much more proper back then." The man said as he started to ruffle through the papers again.
"Well, I suppose that's true but it's really not-oh." Allen cut himself off as realization hit and silently cursing himself for stumbling again. This man was good. Nobody, not even the members of the Order, except Dumbledore, were supposed to know that the exorcist came from the past. "I mean, I have no idea what you're talking about." He tried to cover his slip-up and winced at his own voice; it sounded so fake.
"No, but I'm also not supposed to know about the two time turners that the Headmaster has either; considering that the Ministry was supposed to have destroyed those."
"Oh." Allen said, because, really, he had nothing else to say. "I suppose you're wondering why he didn't just ask an exorcist from this time? I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you." He told the spy. Snape sighed.
"Mr. Walker, allow me to explain something to you. Please do not speak until I am completely finished. Do I have your word?" At Allen's nod he pressed on. "Good. Listen carefully."
"I know Dumbledore was the one to contact the Black Order. That much was obvious to everyone, in fact, they would automatically assume it was him. Not only because he is our leader but also because he has run into an akuma due to a time incident, thanks to the same device that brought you and yours here." He took a breath, "However, just because he ran into our mysterious adversary does not mean he knew everything there was to know about it. He ran into one, one time; that is it. He didn't have the time to question the exorcist that helped him and Flamel. Dumbledore had no idea the Black Order even existed. For years after, he scoured libraries all over the world looking for any kind of information on Akumas. Alas, he could find nothing but what he already knew. There is a reason for that and it is also where I come into play. You see, Mr. Walker, without my help you would not be here." The teacher then stood up and began to idly pace across the room.
"Mr. Walker, I highly doubt you know this, but you come from a rare pocket of time. A time when magic was known to those who had none; a time when magic was able to coincide with not only technology but religion of all things- that is rather uncommon. Even more so considering it was the Vatican; they are not known to bend rules."
"Enough about that though. Mr. Walker, the reason our Order did not contact an exorcist in this day and age is because the Black Order no longer exists." Even though he had promised to stay quiet Allen let out a sharp breath.
"What?" He whispered hoarsely.
"The Black Order is no more. Or if it is, then it has gone far underground." Snape told him, ignoring the broken promise.
"How? Was it the–" Snape cut him off.
"Allow me to finish. I imagine you were going to ask if the Noah's did you in?" Allen nodded mutely.
"No, it wasn't them. Remember how I said magic and religion were rare together? The pope ruling during your time was Pope Leo XII and after him Pius VIII. Both of them knew about your Order and let it do what it was designed to do with little interaction. Gregory XVI, however, saw differently when he took the position. He thought of magic as belonging to the devil. Under his reign, not only were many exorcists put to death for being 'witches' but the Black Order was torn down. The Vatican is very good at erasing things- everything and anything regarding akumas and the Black Order was burnt. The only things that were left unharmed were the Innocence's, which were considered Holy Relics, and were hidden from the world. Where they are today, I do not know." The man sighed as he sat down again. "That is all. You may ask your questions now."
There was silence. Then;
"If it was all destroyed, how do you know of it?" It was asked softly; tinged with grief.
"An ancestor of mine was with the New World Alliance. He had a particular fascination with akumas. In one of his many journals, he told of how his best friend gave into the Creator and how he ended up meeting an exorcist by the name of Allen Walker. Does the name John Prince ring a bell? He also signed his name as Jan every now and then."
Immediately, Allen's mind flashed to a brown haired boy with an excited expression on his face as he questioned Allen on everything he knew about akumas.
Oh. And the Onion Bomb. Can't forget about that.
"I remember him. We had fun in each others company for the short time that I knew him. I didn't expect him to remember me at all." He told Snape with soft eyes, thinking over fond memories. A content silence fell over the room, before Allen frowned.
"There's something I still don't understand," He started out. "If we were killed from the inside, what happened to the Earl and the Noah's? Obviously they haven't taken over the world yet, so what happened to them?"
"I do not know. By the time Gregory XVI's reign ended, most people with magic had come to this separate world that a group of wizards set up when the witch hunting's began to get out of hand. My ancestor fled here as well, though he kept track of akuma attacks and discovered that over the years they became less and less frequent. By the time of his death, akumas had become thought of as imaginary monsters." Snape told him bluntly.
"How strange." Allen said in a puzzled voice. With exorcist out of the way, the world was free for the taking. True the Innocence still remained, but if the Vatican had hidden them like Snape said then what was there to fear?
"I will say this," Snape said, sounding a tad reluctant. "Normally, I wouldn't even consider telling a virtual stranger this but I feel you deserve to know."
"What would that be?" Allen asked, a bad feeling taking over.
"The Earl is still making akumas. Perhaps not near as often, but I assure you, he is at work." That said, the man turned away from Allen and after a moment spoke again. "I know this because he has visited me twice in my life."
"Twice?" The white haired boy repeated, eye widening.
"Once as a child when my mother passed away. He offered to bring her back for me and I almost said yes." Here he stopped and frowned to himself. When he spoke again, it sounded inquisitive, almost as if he was talking more to himself than his guest. "I suppose one could say it was a gut instinct that made me say no. Perhaps it was the childish belief that my mother was happy in Heaven and that it would be selfish to ask for her back. Who knows, maybe her spirit had been there the whole time and was whispering to me to let her go. In any case, I declined and he left."
"And the second time?" Allen ventured. Secretly, he had wished during Snape's recollection that he had been that strong when the Earl had offered to bring Mana back. Hearing the Potion Master's deep voice, he brought himself out of his thoughts and listened attentively.
"The second time was about 15 years ago." The man's voice became soft from sorrow as black eyes gave the look of an ancient hurt being revisited for the millionth time. "A dear friend of mine died. Though Dumbledore says I could not possibly know what would happen, I still feel partly responsible for her death." He looked at Allen, "Mr. Walker, I'll be carrying that burden till my death and after, no matter how much I atone for it."
"I'm sorry for your loss." Allen told the man; truly feeling sorry and even empathy for the man in front of him.
"You needn't apologize; you were not responsible for what happened." Snape said, shrugging off the apology. "The Earl came to me as I wept at her grave. He chatted with me for a while-said 'Fancy meeting you again.'- before asking if I would like to bring her back. I do not know what it feels like to be cut in half, but the way I felt that night is probably the closet I've gotten to the feeling."
"On one hand I wanted to see her so badly- to touch her, talk with her, apologize for my ways. I wanted to see her simply to bask in her presence one more time. On the other hand, the sick feeling from so long ago came back full force. I had also discovered my ancestor's notes by this time, so I knew that even if I did agree, it wouldn't be the same. Seeing her name on the forehead of some machine would have been a mockery. Besides, I had to think about her. Her husband had died too. I hated him, but she loved him and she would never willingly leave him behind." Black eyes glowed with both sorrow and fondness for his friend and Allen wondered if she hadn't been something more to him.
"In truth, she wasn't mine to bring back. So once again I denied the Creator. After he left I went over the Akuma notes much more carefully." He finished.
"To be able to resist him twice is almost unheard of." Allen told the tragic figure softly. "To grieve rather than take the selfish chance to see them again-you quite brave aren't you?"
"Hardly. I have made many wrongs due to cowardice." Snape snorted bitterly. He was about to say more when he hissed and clutched at his left arm. "In fact, here's one calling me right now." He said through gritted teeth.
"Are you alright?" Allen asked alarmed as he rushed toward the teacher but the man waved him off.
"There's nothing you can do about it. The Dark Lord is calling. I suppose you're detention is over with. I trust that you won't speak of this to anyone other than your comrades?" Snape hissed in pain as he made his way toward a door near the back of the room.
"You have my word." Allen said meaning every word.
"Good. You're dismissed." Allen didn't want to leave the Potions Master like this but he had no choice. Slowly he walked toward the door that led to the classroom. Right as his hand hit the handle, Snape spoke again.
"Oh, and Walker? Feel free to harass my Slytherins as much as you want. Some of them are bleeding to have a true friend even if they don't realize it themselves and I can tell you're the type that makes friends with everybody-even the stubborn people that don't want it."
"I promise to do my best." He told the man sincerely. He was about to leave when a question ran through his head. "Sir? I know this probably isn't the time, but has a Gryffindor and Slytherin ever been friends?"
"Hah!" Snape barked out in laughter, startling Allen. "I heard your conversation with your housemates and I have your answer." Then he did the most surprising thing all night; he smiled.
"Me and Lily Evans beat you to that ages ago." He told Allen with a shit-eating grin on his face as he left to answer the Dark Lords summon.
Bonus Story: For All My Apologies
The snow softly hit the ground, as it fell to earth from the sky above on a very cold and silent morning.
In a cemetery, a young boy is kneeling by tombstone with silent tears coursing down his pale face. A tiny, frost-bitten hand caresses the name carved into the stone with such tenderness, that any onlooker could tell he loved the lost one dearly.
"Mana..." he whispers mournfully into the air as tears streak down the child's face. Some freeze on his solemn face while those that escape froze before hitting the ground; breaking like fragile diamonds. Such is a child's love, and such is a child's sorrow.
A stranger comes and stands beside him.
"Would you like me to resurrect him?" The stranger asks. The boy looks over to the stranger and nods. He thinks not on improbabilities or possibilities; nothing about prices and payments; only that his loved one would be returned to him.
Oh, but he should have thought of consequences. Alas, children never do.
The stranger grins.
"As you wish." Soon the grave is empty and the boy see's the new form of the loved one he lost.
"Come to life my Akuma." The stranger whispers. The Akuma jerks forward and a name appears on its forehead.
Mana. It spells out in a beautiful font, so unlike the creature's grotesque form.
"..A. Allen..." Mana croaks the boy's name out before beginning to shake with anger.
"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME, ALLEN?" He yells out in rage as he moves quickly towards the child.
The snow that had so softly fallen to ground soon became splattered with blood. The silence that was once there was replaced by the tormented screams of the child and the cries of a curse.
The stranger watched.
And again he grinned.
He woke up gasping. Clutching his chest and listening to make sure his housemates hadn't woken up, he slumped back down in defeat and clung to his pillow.
"Sorry Mana. So, so, so sorry. . ." He whispered in to the pillow as silver tears streaked down his cheeks and make a lake on his pillow.
But he knows his apologies will never be enough.
End