To my lovely readers! Thanks for all he reviews and all your support. I know this took a little while longer then expected but I hope you enjoy it! Just so you know I don't get the people who PM me and tell me that I shouldn't write this as slash if I don't want flames! Hello people I clearly said that this was going to be slash in the very beginning you don't like it don't read it! Lol. Another thing is that I know I really have bad grammar and I'm working on it so please be patient, this chapter is currently unbetaed. I'll probably end up going back and reediting this entire story so yeah, Thanks for the Reviews and I hope you guys like this story!
Tom had waited long enough now and he was ready, finally, to get a body. The magic he'd been accumulating since his arrival at this magically enriched school had enough power to do this at last. He smirked; truly his own genius astounded even him sometimes.
His soul was fractured, yes, but not disconnected, he could feel every last one and his other more dominate soul. Pity that he couldn't transfer his memories and knowledge along as well when it was done, unless his other self came in contact with this soul piece. However, this would have to do because while he felt them, knew them, he couldn't slide along his consciousness only his power.
This would have to do until he got the chance to interact with his older piece of soul, smirking he got to work. First he felt across that invisible thin line that connected his soul pieces together, and then he found the ones that had life forms near enough for the ritual.
Only two possibilities, one was surrounded by what he could sense were goblins but none came close enough to work with. The last one, his smile was feral, had a house elf in close vicinity and would have to do. The smirk never left as he thought of how useful his heightened magical awareness was at that moment, truly being able to sense and distinguish magic was one of his more useful gifts.
Losing not a moment when he felt the elf's magic near enough he pushed all his power through the line and into this other piece of his soul. He felt it work almost immediately, felt the line thicken with it and a body forming there. It was not him, or at least not this part of him that was being resurrected he was slightly jealous at the thought.
He was to stay here in this book for now, and when the time came he couldn't wait to pass on his memories, to live, and to satisfy one of his more pressing urges. Namely his obsession of a boy named Tristen and exactly what he could really do. He was no fool, he knew even with the compulsion web and Tristen's affinity with him Tristen did not divulge all he could to him.
Tristen had secrets, many in fact, and he was a mystery he just couldn't solve remaining here in this book. However, should he be able to pass his knowledge, and obsession on to his other half he could indulge himself with it. Yes, it would be interesting indeed the meeting of his Tristen and him.
--x--
He had been right of course, Simon was definitely going to be a problem and avoiding him was going to be difficult. He used just about every other person in the group to keep Simon at a distance. Nevertheless, it seemed it did nothing for his persistence Simon keep on trying and Harry kept on avoiding.
It happened on the way to lunch just as Harry had feared, everyone else was wrapped up in class discussion and Simon saw an opening. He swooped down on him like a hawk on its prey and pulled him into one of the unused classrooms. So there he was back pressed against the door and Simon towering over him, he hated feeling this weak.
Simon cupped his cheek caressing it with his thumb while looking at him with something Harry didn't want to understand in his eyes. "You've been avoiding me." It was more a statement then a question and Harry could see the hurt flash across his face. "What is it you want of me Simon?"
"You know what I want Tristen. You. It has always been you. I am tired of fighting it and I know you feel something for me! Why else would you have let me hold you that night?" Harry flinched, knowing his weakness had placed him here. When had he gotten so desperate for companionship that he had let this come to pass?
"You're wrong Simon, no, I can't be what you want of me." He gently pushed his hand from his face. Simon didn't look the least bit deterred though and looked Tristen deep in his eyes like he was drowning in the emerald depths. "No, you felt something I know it."
Then slowly he started to lean his face in and Harry knew what was coming, a kiss, his first kiss was about to be stolen. He did the only sensible thing he could in that situation, he ran, and kept on running. Okay, maybe it wasn't the bravest thing to do but when faced with the idea of anyone trying to be that affectionate to him or getting the hell out of there he took his chances.
He was a fast runner and the years he had spent on the street had not abandoned him, all these things proved invaluable when escaping his overly affectionate suitor. Now he just had to figure out where to hide, and he had the perfect place. He ran the entire way there and was out of breath by the time he got there.
Stephanie was in the infirmary like always bustling around trying to keep everything in order, there were two knocked out patients already and the day wasn't even over. That was one of the downfalls of having such an advanced school you got bigger accidents here and more likely to end up here.
Harry tilted his head to study her as she went about casting spells over a currently neon green fifth year who had gotten his potions ingredients mixed. He had tried to convince her to get rid of the scars on his legs completely, telling her that he had no problem letting her open up those wounds again if it meant the mark wouldn't be there.
However, she had refused but she did have the decency to explain why. Turns out it was impossible for her to do so, not because her skills were lacking, no, nothing like that. It rather had to do with the fact the scars had been there a very long time, the magic he had used to close the wounds when they had first occurred was still there.
It was his own magic that made it impossible, if she tried to cut open the wounds with her magic in order to stitch it up it was possible that his magic would react badly to her. Either it would attack her in a bout of accidental magic or worse it would attack himself making the cut impossible to close bleeding him out.
That's not even saying anything about the damage that could be done if she had tried to do something that apparently his unconscious mind doesn't want. She had taught him how to fade his scars himself, they wouldn't work on the thicker ones on his back but the smooth ones on his legs should have been easy to rid himself of, SHOULD have been.
When he had tried the spell it hadn't worked and the lines just got more pronounced the more he tried. He had looked it up in the library and had found out that sometimes when the caster doesn't REALLY want the scars to fade they wont. That had in turn opened another can of worms on his thoughts: Why did he want the marks to remain?
He had thought long and hard on the subject an only came up with one answer, he want to remember. The scars weren't only a symbol of muggle cruelty it was a reminder should he ever try to question his path in life. His scars reminded him every day that no muggle deserved his mercy, they all deserved to die.
Not that he'd ever kill them all they were all too useful to kill off completely but if should say eighty percent die out he wouldn't bat an eye. The scars on his back were to remind him also of his own weaknesses and how he HAD to push himself harder, be better so that they could never hurt him again.
There were a lot of reasons why he wanted the scars there and maybe he would get rid of them fully on day. But right now he wasn't ready to completely rid himself of the terrible truths that the filthy muggles had carved into his back. He was a freak after all and he could never forget just how much he was an outsider even in this world.
The muggles feared them and would hunt them down should they ever know the existence of magic. Or it could be worse, they could capture them to use as weapons and lab rats to whatever twisted schemes their horrible minds came up with. Stephanie looked up at him at that moment and motioned him to go into her office.
"You look troubled Tristen. Well sort of, anyways what are you doing here we don't have lessons until tonight."
Harry looked up at her and was again confused at why it was he came here to hide away from his troubles. Maybe because no one knew he spent his time here or maybe it was that he didn't want to hear Morgan nag at him. Whatever it was he was here now and he couldn't just leave Simon might find him.
"Oh, um, just wanted to ask if you had the potion directions for the dreamless sleep?" He thought up an excuse quickly she didn't look convinced but she gave him the directions nonetheless. He left right after and went out to the school grounds seeing no other options.
It was peaceful here on Avalon; it was so far from the larger troubles the world carried and Harry never felt as at home as he did when he was here. The forests surrounding the school had an abundance of rare potion ingredients and exotic wildlife, things everyone else thought of as extinct or legend.
He took a deep breath of air and calmed himself finally back to his tranquil coldness from before this whole Simon incident. He found his favorite thinking tree and climbed up in its branches to think.
Nothing like this had happened to him before and it unsettled him that soon this would be a regular occurrence. He was no fool, he may be twelve but he knew the way the world worked…knew what was soon going to drive his peers. Soon the teenage drive to experiment would cloud his once reasonable friends, Simon had already succumbed to it the others couldn't be far behind.
Harry wasn't blind nor was he oblivious he'd seen the looks that he had begun to draw from the ones around him the whole thing disturbed him more then he showed. After he had stopped hiding in the shadows, cloaked by his magic and doing everything he could think of to avoid attention everything had changed for him.
He had known he was fairly attractive even as a younger boy, this was a blessing and a curse. His looks will help him manipulate the ones foolish enough to fall for his pretty face but it also drove people to want to TOUCH him. He couldn't stand that thought, people touching him and expecting him to touch them back, disgusting really.
It was different when he was doing the touching or allowing himself to be touch because he was in control of the situation. Soon they would want to casually touch him, flirt with him and …be intimate with him. Really it was more then he could handle at the moment he had hoped he wouldn't have to deal with this chaos for another few years…he was twelve for fuck's sake!
He growled, this whole thing was going to be a hassle and he dreaded it more then even facing his 'family' right then. Sighing he gazed out at the trees surrounding him letting the peacefulness of the day to seep into him. He had to approach this logically and rationally to find a way out of this chaos.
Okay, so Simon had already succumbed to teenage madness, the others would soon follow and with him approaching his teens soon he'd be open to any of the upper years to pursue. People would approach him in hopes of a romantic liaison, he gulped, of course he had the option of refusing them but they would just pursue him until he was 'taken'.
He rubbed his forehead tiredly; this was just going to horrible wasn't it? There was only so much he could do after all it wasn't like he had a guardian to defend him against these attacks. He looked up stunned, why hadn't he thought of that before! Yes, Cleo had said something about finding someone, an eighth year he believed, that could be suitable for him and was willing to adopt.
He had dismissed it before in favor of emancipation but now having a guardian looked much more then the freedom of governing himself. Now, if only he could remember the girl's name…YES that was it, Madeline Winter, that was who it was Madeline Winter.
Okay now that a plan of action was decided all that was left was manipulating the puppets the right way and hopefully this whole mess would resolve itself. Now, he had to find Cleo, research this Winter girl and hope she wouldn't mind repelling his pursuers.
Harry heaved a heavy sigh, why was he the only one that saw this whole 'relationship' business was raving madness? Harry decided he would stay out here for a while and relax for once.
--x--
Dumbledore checked the scrap of paper once more to make sure he got the address right and made his way up the steps to enter the orphanage. He felt a chill of déjà vu thinking of the last time he went to an orphanage in search of an extraordinary boy. No, this Tristen wouldn't be like that last boy…at least he hoped not.
Suzie's slightly fanatical loyalty of the boy was enough to merit a visit from him; maybe he was even the one they had been searching for not that it wouldn't be a disappointment if he wasn't Harry. After all a boy with as much power as Suzie had implied would make for a good stand in weapon and all he would need was a good glamour potion if he went that route.
It shouldn't be too hard to turn this Tristen into 'Harry Potter' until the real one could be found and it would buy him some time. That in mind he started his search starting with the receptionist and ending with the children. At the end of an hour though he was severely frustrated, their memories had been tampered with he was sure of it!
They only had a vague recollection of the boy and his probes into their minds didn't help either someone had placed a number on them. It was so powerful even he couldn't get a clear picture of whom the hell this boy was and he was obviously not here. There was only one viable option he could think of that only served to frustrate him more as he left the useless orphanage.
Someone had gotten to Tristen before him and had locked the memories of the boy's time there away. Only one person he could think of could do such a thing and best him in this, Seline that blasted Headmistress of that damnable school. Well that was just wonderful she had gotten to him before he even had a chance to persuade him to their side.
That witch would corrupt him for sure against him, Dumbledore was sure she was still sore about losing Tom to him. Well, at least he had stopped Tom from going to that school; he shivered thinking of what could have happened if Voldemort had ever gone to a school like Noctiluca.
There wasn't much else to do he'd have to put that idea aside for now and focus on finding the real Harry Potter. His eyes twinkle when an idea occurred to him, yes, maybe that would work.
--x--
Madeline Winter was a curious girl, at least Harry thought so and she was very interesting. She got her mastery in Potions at age twelve (even in Noctiluca that's uncommon most mastery's are gained by sixteen, if at all), her journeyman in Alchemy, an American and an orphan.
She was pretty enough, long rich brown hair that fell straight down her back ending mid thigh, cold stormy gray eyes, curvy, and somewhat short at five foot six. Harry had researched her thoroughly, she had a sarcastic attitude, and very intelligent. She also had a well-hidden maternal side that he only discovered thanks to Cleo.
All in all she was a fairly decent choice for a mother figurehead to guard him against intimate advances, his troublesome 'family', and the mechanics of the ministry. Now that he had decided that he wanted her all that was left was get her to adopt him and get everything squared away.
He had managed to avoid Simon all yesterday but he couldn't keep this up for long he needed her to get maternal over him now! Damn, this was all getting so complicated sometimes he wondered if trouble didn't seek him out because he sure as hell didn't search for it!
Harry found her potion lab easy enough it was on the fifth floor and it helped that she was currently tearing a fifth year a new one just outside of it.
"You FUCKING DUNDERHEAD!! Do you have any IDEA how long it took to get that potion started!! Two freaking MONTHS work down the drain because you couldn't understand the simplest instructions! Did your mother drop you on your head as a baby? Because that would explain how you got fucking dim-witted enough to think NEWT eyes meant TOAD eyes!"
The boy whimpered as she somehow managed to make her five foot six seem to tower over him and tried in vain to stutter out a lame apology.
"Did I say you could speak Mr. Dunderhead! You piteous excuse for a man! I knew, I just KNEW I shouldn't believe the headmistress when she said you were adequate at potions. I don't care how much your parents are paying for tutoring if I see your sniveling face around my potions lab again…well lets just say your going to be missing a few VITAL parts!"
He ran away so fast he stumbled on his two feet toward the end of the hall and crashed into the corner when he tried to turn. For a moment Harry thought twice about approaching her just then but decided it was now or never and cleared his throat softly to get her attention.
"WHAT!" she spun around so fast he was sure she got whiplash she looked furious at first but when she got sight of him her expression cleared. She raised an aristocratic eyebrow at him, "May I help you?"
"I should hope so, I'm Tristen Stillnight and I just wanted to speak with you a moment if that's alright?" He asked politely with his face carefully unreadable.
"Huh, so you're the one everyone's talking about…somehow I expected someone…taller," she raised her hand just above her head to emphasize her point. "Well no matter I have a bit of free time thanks to that bumbling buffoon." She huffed and motioned him to follow her into her lab.
Harry took that moment to study her up close, it was curious Madeline spent most of her time making potions but she didn't have the common greasy hair, bad skin and stained hands that came from such things. Her high cheekbones, full pouty lips, arched brows, and almond shaped eyes made her seem more like a Lord's daughter then a potion Mistress.
He also took note that unlike her peers she wore no form of makeup and didn't appear to care enough to style her hair more then that single braid down her back. Tomboy, immediately came to mind as he studied her more closely she was definitely different then most.
She was flicking her hand around vanishing the botched potion, cleaning messes and summoning two chairs for them to sit. They were directly facing each other and it would have been intimidating had Harry been anyone else. He took the smaller seat provided as she took the slightly bigger one across from him. Harry was happy to note that she had an expression of cool indifference and was entirely unreadable.
Yes, she would do nicely as his mother and he already found himself warming up to her. "So, you want to be adopted?" Straight to the point with a questioning undertone not easily picked up and could be mistaken for sarcasm; she would do nicely indeed.
Harry didn't like to talk even after the years of practice in the flied he had to yet break himself of the silence that had ruled his first few years. Still when occasion called for it he talked, smoothly and with composure, which happened more often of late. So while he didn't like to speech much at all he did know how to get his meaning and intent across in as few words as possible a skill he very much appreciated at the moment.
"Very much so. I assume Cleo has alluded to the details?" Her eyes lit up with curiosity and a determined glint he wasn't sure if it was a good thing though.
"She may have mentioned in passing that you wished to be free of some family ties and that you were an orphan by choice and not design."
"Ah, It is true my family is regretfully breathing at the moment." She raised an eyebrow catching the hidden meaning behind the words.
"So how is it you think I can help you Tristen?"
"I was assured you were of age?"
"Yes I am. I wouldn't have the funds to support a child as of yet though. I am an orphan by design I'm afraid and have yet to find suitable funds to secure my own home."
Harry smirked, "I don't need to be taken care of that way". She looked at him curiously before getting a light in her eyes, "You just need a figurehead someone to stand up for you." It was more of a statement then a question but he answered it nonetheless.
"Yes, I am unfortunately from a rather well-known line." She nodded as if that explained it all.
"How would adopting you work anyway? Don't your parents have custody of you? I don't they'll take lightly to me trying to gain any sort of guardianship."
"No, I dare say they wont."
"So how did you plan on doing it?" She seemed to light up with intelligent curiosity and seemed more interested in this political play then in him personally.
"Simple, they gave up all rights the moment they 'let' me become a ward of a muggle government." Her eyes clouded over with something; dark and filled with pain…he knew those eyes. He knew them because his eyes were the same when he thought of his time under their thumb.
Suddenly, she was looking at him differently in a strange way that made him very uncomfortable…she knew…and for the first time since he began at Noctiluca he wanted to be unnoticeable. She blinked a second later and a huge smile lit her face up like the sun on a cloudless day.
She was on him in a moment gushing around him and examining him from all angles, it was all very disturbing, as it had never before failed to turn attention away from him. "Oh! I didn't know you were practicing Occlumency! And to already start reaching this level, unheard of really it is! Maybe the rumor mill finally has some truth to it…no wonder they call you Prince Fey."
"What are you talking about?" She froze and really stared hard at him mouth slightly agape in disbelief. "You mean you don't know!"
"What you just did there! It is from an obscure branch of magic called Occlumency at its root it a branch that is devoted entirely to hiding. Most just know about the first level of its most basic function: hiding thoughts, or guarding their minds from attack. However, that's not all Occlumency does it is an art that is hardly ever properly used as it has many dimensions that are hard to master."
"As I said most know Occlumency guards the mind, the next level would be hiding your aura or presence. Your aura is what makes most take notice in you in a crowd or how they read your personality. Then it's hiding your magical signature, now that has a whole slew of uses. If one can't feel the intent behind a silent spell they can't prepare a counter measure. The ministry wouldn't be able to monitor you either. Next there's hiding yourself entirely it would be the same as if you used an invisibility cloak, no one can see you."
"Then there is taking that ability and using it encompass another being or object to make them invisible as well. I know there are more then that but that's all I could discover about the art. What you did was part aura and part physical it is incomplete and needs work. But it IS more then most could ever hope to achieve without proper tutoring." She looked at him again like he was a puzzle she would love to solve.
"What is it's counter-part?" her eyes shifted and she gazed at him in wonder once again. The little known fact about magic is that though it was chaotic at times it needed this twisted balance to survive. He had only just brushed the surface in this part of his research but if magic created something like Occlumency to hide it would also make something to counter it.
It was part of the reason some magic was light and some dark, it was all about balancing the two. For without darkness one could not know light and without light one could not know darkness, they needed each other. Sadly very few fully grasped this concept, even at Noctiluca, blinded to this strange balance magic always… always had. Madeline it would seem grasped this to some degree just as he had there was always something to counter something seemingly unbeatable.
So Occlumency while a valued skill had its counter and could be defeated one only had to know the HOW. "Legilimency is Occlumency's counter. The art of finding that which is hiding and it too has many dimensions which can match that of Occlumency." She said no more though he noticed and she looked slightly uncomfortable so he let it drop…for now.
"So as I was saying before your attempted disappearing act…how would it work?"
"They gave their rights up for me, reckless abandonment I believe its called. All I would need would to go through adoption through American means it should work."
"Yes, I see by going that way we both can get duel citizenship but still fall under the Wizarding congress in America. Effectively leaving us free of the English Ministry or more focally leaving YOU free. Parents give up their rights to a child when left at an orphanage unless they adopt them back which would be impossible if you already had a parent guardian. I see, a clever move."
She looked at him closely this time as if the answers to the world were written on his face, or at least the answers to him. "Now that we got the how's and why's out of the way…who are you REALLY? Tristen?" He had somewhat expected that after learning just how intelligent Madeline really was but it still made him pause if only for a moment.
He allowed himself a small quirk of the lips slip past his impeccable mask of indifference, "Now why would I tell you that?" She quirked an eyebrow (a habit when she was curious he realized) and replied "Because I will have to know whom I am going to adopt for this to work the way we want it."
Harry was somewhat startled, he thought he'd have to convince her slowly over time before she accepted her role as his guardian it seemed Madeline would continue to surprise him. "I suppose it would be pertinent, my name is Harry James Potter." Of all things Harry had been suspecting her reaction was not one he had anticipated in this risky move.
Madeline instead of being shocked or even surprised by the announcement she just got this evil little smirk on her face like she just did something really horrible and enjoyed it. Harry in turn was not the least bit disturbed, as most people would have been instead he just smirked along with her. He knew he would grow to be somewhat attached to this fiery tomboy Potion Mistress.
"Well, isn't that just delicious," her smirk turned into a sly smile, "I always loved to create a good stir and sticking it to that pompous Ministry and snobbish light family is definitely a plus. Oh, I already love you!" And Harry became stiff as a board as Madeline did something he definitely had not expected again as she gathered him into her arms for a hug.
His First HUG, Harry had given a few hugs of his own before but never had someone held him like this (he studiously ignored the fact Simon had embraced him this was of a different sort after all). Madeline amazingly didn't pull away not put off by his stiffness in the least she just held him tighter.
"I've heard you are not one for contact…but I am to be your Mother. I…I know what it is to be stranded alone in a muggle orphanage and what that means to people like us. So I am going to touch you, I am going to hug you I will do so a lot but only in private like now if you prefer. But I will touch you Harry, my son will know what it is to be hugged by his mother." Madeline almost lost it when Harry slowly forced himself to be not so stiff with her.
She had spent the first decade of her life in a muggle orphanage, she had been strange to them from the start and she knew what it was to be an outcast. Though she suspected Harry had had it much worse then she could ever know but she knew this no touching thing would have to be broken eventually. He was such a small beautiful child and holding him in her arms brought out the maternal part of her.
Madeline had always wanted to be a mother, ever since she had discover as a little girl that a woman could become one. However, since that whole mess from what she called the "Kade incident" she didn't feel she could be a partner for anyone leading her to this last venue to achieve her dream of motherhood: adoption.
Harry was just to prefect for words, beautiful, powerful, and intelligent; he had so much potential she would be proud to call him her son. Madeline was no fool she knew Harry also had many faults, many more wounds and she hoped she could help him heal.
Madeline held him in her arms for a long time, longer then Harry thought anyone would ever hold someone. She was strange, just holding him to her, not looking at his face, not asking anything of him, not pulling away or trying to do anything at all really. Just holding him, wrapping him up in her arms and offering him comfort something that had never happened to him before this pure unselfish hug.
They stayed that way for a good hour not speaking another word as she held him and despite himself Harry was relaxing in the hold toward the end. She did have to stop sometime, though, when she did she smiled kindly and kissed him on his cheek. Harry was stunned beyond words and looked at her as if she was the puzzle he needed to solve.
"Now, we will get to the official stuff this summer and begin the legal process then. For now I want you to come here every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday night after classes. I won't have MY son without a mastery in potions by the time I'm done with you Mastery will be a piece of cake this summer. Not to mention I need to begin to teach you Occlumency among other things and I won't have not knowing my son so we'll know everything about the other in the end." She smiled mysteriously as she said this and it unnerved him a little.
"Alright" he sounded reluctant but really he was boiling with excitement. School had gotten to easy even with his extra classes with Healer Stephanie and Morgan this was a welcome addition. Still the guarded cold impassiveness that had faded a little toward the end of the hugging session came back full force as he gazed up at her from the chair, "Why?"
That one little word held a lot of weight on it and asked a lot of questions…but just one at the same time. Why was she doing this? She smiled a little bittersweet; "I've always wanted to be a Mom Harry, always. I just don't think I will ever be able to be that someone for somebody. I want to be your mother, I want to give you my love and I am purely selfish in wanting to be the one who is there for you Harry as there was no one for me. If you can let me have that, let me love you I will do everything in my power to see that everything you ever wanted achieved."
He was taken aback, throughout that all she never once said a word about getting his love in return just that she wished to love him. She wanted him, wanted to be his mother not just his figurehead defender… a true mother to him. Could he allow that? Could he give up the freedom of independence from all family-like ties had given him? More importantly did he even want her love, her acceptance…her comfort?
Most orphans would have jumped at this chance, finding someone who truly just wanted to love you expecting nothing in return not even your own love was more the rare. However, Harry had never been normal and he probably would never be normal.
He was afraid, afraid of this open unconditional love of a mother that he had never been exposed to before. Could he handle allowing someone that close to him even if it just one-sided? Unconsciously his arms reached around to finger the scars he knew were hidden under his clothes giving the appearance of hugging himself. Then her arms were there, holding him as before, expecting nothing but to hold him in her arms to give him comfort.
Harry decided then that he could let it happen…just this once he could let someone love him. However, he knew he couldn't allow himself to love her in return for it would hurt far to much when she left. She would leave just as everyone before her had left and he would be alone as he had always been. For now though he would just enjoy the reprieve from his loneliness that Madeline was offering while it lasted.
"Okay," he answered in a very small very quiet way that made her squeeze harder.
--x--
Dumbledore looked over his half-moon spectacles at Neville as he fidgeted in the chair before him looking increasingly nervous as the minutes rolled on. He wouldn't do at all, of course he would never say such a thing out loud but Neville had enough experience with this that Dumbledore's eyes said it all.
He was a disappointment, he had seen that look in his gram's eyes enough he could spot it even hidden under Dumbledore's constant twinkle. It made him feel lower then a worm when even DUMBLEDORE looked at him like that. He had never been particularly smart, neither was he a wiz at any type of spell work and he was absolutely abysmal at potions. In fact the only thing he knew he was exceptional at was Herbology but that didn't really count for anything.
Dumbledore didn't like this but it needed to be done after all it was for the greater good. Neville wasn't impressive in the least but one could always count on the naiveté of the wizarding populace. They saw what they wished to see forever and always very much like sheep they followed whatever direction someone in high authority pointed.
All that was needed to be done was lead them in the right direction, still he wished he had something more to work with as Neville looked nothing like a savior to him. Well it would have to do after all it was needed until the time in which Harry could be found.
Besides being spineless had its uses Neville would be an easy pawn to manipulate until his knight was returned to him. "So tell me Neville what would you do to make your Gram proud?" Neville's eyes lit up a moment and he could see the desire in them as bright as day. It was almost to easy to direct him in the right direction after that serving no challenge at all but then he has had decades of practice.
--x--
Madeline, or Maddy as she insisted he call her (for now at least) had taken to him more then he could have ever hoped. She played her role well and had kept Simon from making any more advances on in any way but friendship. Maddy wasn't kidding when she said she expected perfection when it came to potions and had him advancing more rapidly then he could have ever dreamed of on his own.
It had the unfortunate side effect of making the class unbearably boring but did free up time so he could work on his mark that had hit a few snags. He had expected to finish work on it last year but something just kept coming up that he wanted to add to the already intricate piece.
It was one last runic alignment for protection, one last rearrangement so it would attach more firmly to the wearer or one more customization. It did not help that the more advanced he became at potions the more things he seemed to find he wanted to add to his special ink mix to help the mark.
Maddy had been a rare treasure in more ways then one as it turned out. She knew many things Harry had yet to even dream of and all sorts of obscure branches of magic. His Occlumency training was going well and he was already starting to block her out more consistently after a week of practice.
Not to mention all the contacts and allies he had gained from spending so much time with her. Maddy wasn't a social person, really preferring her potion labs to a day out but she did have some very influential friends. Harry had an easy time converting the younger years into something of a hero worship of him but the upper years had been a task he hadn't quite gotten the handle of.
However, his new association with Maddy had lead to some convent moments with his upperclassmen and he had swiftly gained their respect with his knowledge. Since Madeline was already something of a prodigy they found his company interesting and liked to seek him out on occasion to discuss magical theory.
Understanding the chaotic wildness of magic more then anyone Harry had earned their awe and reverence when it came to explaining how magic worked. Everyone had started to call him Prince Fey openly after that and at first he had been disturbed at how close to the truth they had been. Then Maddy explained that Morgan la fey had been legendary in her immediate grasp of magic and how quick witted she had been.
Morgan's legendary skills in magic seemed to be embodied in Harry, as he was more advanced then anyone they had ever heard of before him in a very long time. This lead to them to proclaiming him the Prince Fey in honor of their most respected founder as Morgan was held in much higher regard in Noctiluca then even Merlin. Something like how Godric Gryffindor was held in more respect then the greater Salazar Slytherin but here the greater Morgan was held in the regard she deserved while the more commonly hailed Merlin was not.
Somehow about a week after everyone had started to just call him Prince Fey instead of by his name (annoying really as they refused to call him by anything else) his group had been given a nickname as well. It was well known that Harry was the one keeping his year mates in such a tight knit group and as a result they were all dubbed the Court of Fey.
Harry wasn't a prodigy for no reason, he topped every class without fail and as so intelligent it sometimes frightened the ones around him. It was because he was so scarily clever that his 'Court' in effect was also the brightest year so far when it came to scores. Harry made sure that no one in his little group fell behind in anything and understood it better then most.
Maddy was a welcome addition and fell in place in his life quicker then most would have believed. Three weeks had gone by since Harry had first meet her and already he found himself becoming much to relaxed around her. She always held him right before he was to leave to go to bed for the night, always hugging him tight until he eventually came to anticipate the night.
He was far more relaxed in her hold then he had ever believed he could be when in contact with another person. It helped that Maddy was patient, just holding him until he relaxed then letting him go a while later. He was relaxing more quickly now and had even started to lean into her touch at times reveling in her encompassing motherly love.
The truth of the matter was Harry was starved of touch in his self-imposed isolation and inside he was constantly warring with himself about his need for it. He feared touch and intimacy yet something in him craved it also making every day where he faced these temptations difficult.
Tom approved of using Madeline to ward off any would be suitors but Harry refrained from telling him about his desire for her company. Tom was very much like him he would see it as a weakness and he never shared his weaknesses with anyone not even this fictional character.
He did find himself writing in the diary less and less as he began to use his time with Maddy to relieve the stress of the day. He never discussed anything like he did with Tom; in fact he hardly talked but something about her open sarcasm put him at ease after a long day.
However, he never stopped writing in the dairy though as Tom was a fascinating character that challenged him at every turn whether in their verbal spars or various competitions to see who has the superior intelligence there was no substitute for Tom. There were drawbacks to this increase in social activities to climb in the public estimation though, lack of alone time mattered most to him.
Harry had always been a solitary creature stemming from his lengthy imprisonment in the dark cramped cupboard under the stairs with no company beside the darkness and spiders. Six years of isolation and beatings did nothing for his anti-social attitude his acting skills were what kept him in such high regard now.
Perhaps that is why he was so confused on how to handle emotion in other capacities besides suppression. He had read in a psychology book once that the early years of development are the time in which the child is taught how to express their emotions through the standards of their caregivers.
The Dursleys' did not care enough for him to see this and when they forced him to behave as if he did not exist it left an impact not only on his life, but also his very being. Subconsciously Harry still had the mindset were he was not to exist, that he was suppose to remain invisible and that he was beyond filth…below scum…a…freak. It showed in his personality, he did not liked to be touch because it confirmed his existence and tainted the one touching him.
Harry refused to talk more the absolutely necessary because he was suppose to be invisible to the ones around him. He feared intimacy in all forms because he expected it to be taken away so that he would be hurt for daring to do such a thing. Harry had a deep well within him filled with his suppressed emotions and entrenched hatred.
Harry was frighteningly mature and intelligent 'cause it was what was needed to survive. Had he grown up in even a slightly less hostile environment his intelligence while still great would lack the cold calculating edge allowing him to see things as they really were.
Hatred was what drove him, gave him purpose and a goal. It was hatred that pushed him to kill muggles, hatred that enticed him to plot revenge on his foolhardy family and it was hatred that he turned to when he could not make sense of his life anymore.
Love was something he could not understand since he was so submersed in hatred he could not make sense of so foreign a concept. Harry had never FELT love toward another being, fondness yes, Love not even in the slightest. He could grasp the concept through his observations but could not fully understand what his jaded heart tried to weakly tell him.
To him love was stupidity on its highest level, love made you vulnerable, love made you weak, it was love that made a fool out of you. He could not understand willingly putting himself into someone else hands and trusting them enough not to shatter you, another thing that was marked by the Dursleys'.
Harry had witnessed heartache on a few faces, seen the devastation it cause and saw how much it was physically painful to have your heart broken. He avoided relationships on this basis, it didn't even matter what type, as he was adverse to all of them: friendship, love, and family. Harry never wanted to feel the hurt of them leaving, if he was cold…if he was distant it was easier to let them walk away.
Harry never meant to get into anything so intimate as a relationship with Simon as he feared love so and hence his hasty retreat into the safe zone Madeline. Tom was very good company but he couldn't stave off Simon and his persistent courting (even though secretly he really wish Tom could).
The point was Harry was very used to spending most of his time alone so being the constant center of attention wore on him relentlessly. Until about four months into the school year he had enough and snuck out of the castle at night to spend an evening alone at last.
The forests of Avalon were more beautiful then words could ever hope to describe at night with the thinning moon casting its fluorescent light on the giant trees. At first he just walked enjoying the silence and the alone time (without even his two constant companions Tink and Grace).
However, when he came to a clearing in the thick of the woods that was filled to the brim with moonflowers blossoming under the white rays and lit up with so many fireflies they looked like stars he could not help himself. Harry had learned to play many instruments, piano, guitar, flute, harp, but the violin was his favorite.
So in this spotlighted clearing it looked like a stage waiting for him to step upon it, which he did whilst summoning his violin from his hand. The white violin matched the scene perfectly and Harry himself was glowing ethereal in the moonlight making him the picture of dark perfection. Slowly he began to play, softly at first and then picking up-tempo as the song progressed.
It was a sorrowful tune filled with anguish, regret, and a hint of anger…it was the most beautiful thing anyone could have ever heard. It was when he played that all the emotions Harry had stored up and seal away inside himself was given leave to express through his haunting melody.
He played and played long and hard to express the hidden torment inside of his soul that cried out for love while the rest of him refused to give in to such a thing. It was his playing that drew the ancient being to him, the lamenting chords that sung through the air better then any siren's song captivated him enough to draw him near.
He was so old many couldn't even guess how old he had been before the change, however none of this showed on him. His face was perfectly shaped, high cheekbones, strong sharp chin, porcelain skin, short wild ebony hair and the coldest amber eyes. His shoulders were broad; he was tall at six foot, slim, well muscled and graceful as a feline. He looked like the picture of a aristocratic roguishly handsome man.
His name was Alucard (Al-oo-card) one of the first vampire elites of the world few could match him in power and appeal. Currently a boy playing into the night of darkness that he was so intimately familiar with that he had to pause to listen daring not to interrupt him lest he stop captivating him.
Harry for his part was musing he how lucky it was that the only requirement for the musical spell casting had been to cast through their instruments as he hoped to avoid singing in front of others. He took no notice of his surroundings lost in his own world and the music he brought forth. Gently he started to sway as his tune abandoned all anger that tinged it and instead filled with so much sorrow had anyone else been around to hear it a river of tears would have fallen.
There was no one to hear his mournful lullaby though, only an ancient one with dead amber eyes that embraced his sadness and was enchanted by it. Alucard stood there mesmerized and unable to pull his eyes away from the boy playing there bathed in moonlight. The power he could feel humming under the surface disguised by the fragile vessel this child appeared to be ensnared his senses and awaken in him a hunger that he had long thought forgotten.
The boy played his last notes and suddenly it was as if he knew he was being watched, his body tensed, his aura flared and his power spiked. His eyes searched the circle of trees trying to find the interloper within the writhing darkness with no success. Alucard had long since become so entrenched in the darkness that it had become a part of him; no being could ever to distinguish him under the cloak of night's blackness for there was no difference.
Still the boy tried to search him out and slowly, his stance changed, his aura shifted and his magic withdrew. It was as if he knew exactly what was out there this night watching him and he knew no fear of it. Now that made him curious, made him want to know this boy who did not fear the dark as almost every other being did to some degree.
So, he stepped out into the moonlight night studying his face and awaiting his reaction to him with more then a little relish. Harry turned swiftly when the air around him shifted and the one that had been watching him revealed himself to his eyes. The man was a dark, dangerous, beauty; tall and dressed in blood red he was a mystery to him.
He had on a long crimson trench coat with matching hat, clear amber sunglasses, stark white gloves with a symbol etched on the top that he could not discern, and a sharp fashionable old English suit. For all things considered he appeared to be just a roguishly handsome man with an odd taste in clothes BUT Harry knew better.
The four years he had spent feeding Alex did not leave him blind to the subtle differences in the vampric races' presence and so he knew exactly what this man really was. Similarly he knew this man was very old even though he appeared to be no more then twenty Harry's experience with the staff of Noctiluca had given him enough practice to know this vampire was particularly old and powerful.
Yet, he felt no fear for if this man had wanted him as his next meal Harry was quite sure he would be dead right then so instead he only felt a mild fascination. He met the man's dead eyes unwavering something that surprised Alucard immensely as no one had been able to do so in a very long time. Harry allowed for a very small smile as he turned to address his startled guest, "I'll play this one for you." He said while pointing his black reed at him the small-amused smile ever present on his face as he began.
Alucard recognized the tune instantly and his esteem of his man-child grew with each passing stroke of the incredibly difficult song. "The devil's trill" seemed very appropriate at the moment and he smiled feral at the boy's blatant address of his being. The sonata was one of the most difficult and most beautiful violin solo pieces in the world it only fueled his curiosity about the boy who played in the dark.
The tune was fast paced and he could tell the boy loved the challenge of playing it. Soon he was dancing while he played; fast beat like the music and swaying with every cord. He fought going to join him in the dance of the devil's trill, no it wasn't quite right to dance with him that dance tonight.
The beat picked up, hard and unyielding his feet picked up the pace fireflies dancing around him like stars…he was truly beautiful. Faster, faster his hands and feet went playing, dancing the tune of the darkness. Alucard was beyond mesmerized as he watched him play, dance and become one with the night.
He knew the story behind this song, oh yes he knew that one well. It was said that the composer had despaired of making a piece that could shake the very foundations of the world, as such was his dream. In his desperation the man was said to have sold his soul to the devil in order to obtain his dream. He did though; "the Devil's Trill" was one of the hardest most beautiful pieces Alucard has ever had the pleasure to hear.
The song was reaching its peak, the tempo increased the boy was almost floating across the improvised dance floor and the break. The song calmed and the storm of it was over the frenzy of the notes slowed. He swayed slower, hypnotically as the last few notes came and the silence of the night was returning.
As the last well played notes of the fast tune died down the boy turned to face him the previous small smile vanished and a cold mask took its place. "Now, who are you ancient one?" Now after millennia of living there were very few things that surprised Alucard anymore…it made his life dreadfully dull. In the course of one evening this man-child had surprised him three times without any intentions to do so and so he was rightly fascinated with him.
"You may call me Alucard little one," he said with a quirk of his lips revealing one very long fang. "Now tell me man-child, what is one such as you doing playing in the darkness of the night? Don't you know such things are hazardous to one's health?" His accent was deep and sultry, definitely not English, Russian mayhap but not likely. However, his teasing tone did not disguise the 'insult' Harry felt his words gave.
"The night and I are old friends Alucard so forgive me if I don't take heed to your generous warning."
"AH, so you also have a love affair with the darkness little one? Would you be so kind as to gift me with my enchanting host's name so that I may know you?" His expression did not change, such an interesting man-child.
"Tristen." Harry said no more and stood there wondering just what this vampire was doing. Alucard grinned, more a bearing of teeth really, as he staked closer to the one who had captivated him this night.
"Well Tristen, you did not answer my question. What is a boy doing playing in the night…even a beautiful night such as this there are certain dangers." He stood not a foot away towering over him and talking in that deep sultry voice. Harry had a thought that had he been a little more inclined to touch he could just reach out to brush his hand against him with ease.
However, Harry did not like intimacy in any form so he did not touch the man, Alucard, that stood before him but he did not back away as he refused to let Alucard think that he feared him. Harry just stood rigidly raising his head to meet the eyes of this powerful ancient vampire lord.
"I find that the night is much more enjoyable then the garish light of day. In the darkness there is a certain comfort of not being seen." Alucard was more then intrigued with this little one, this child of darkness and he knelled so he could face him eye to eye.
"Why do you not fear me little one?" he asked the one question that fascinated him the most at the moment…the child's utter lack of fear. The blank mask that had been firmly on the boy's face slipped for a moment when he asked that question to show his amusement about it. That small quirking of lips forming a tiny smile like the one he first graced him with, the boy really was most fascinating.
"Why would I fear you? Had you wished to kill me I would have been dead a long time ago." Now that was definitely not the answer he had expected, Alucard had half expected him to say he was more then powerful enough to beat him with the typical human arrogance.
"You do not think you could defeat me little wizard?"
"I am no fool, one as powerful as yourself should know your limits and a half-trained wizard would be no match for you I expect." Alucard chuckled a little at that the boy was most entertaining sadly he would have to leave his pleasant company soon in search of his meal tonight.
His glasses slipped just as he had thought that and Harry had caught the telltale tightening of the pupils in his eyes that he too knew that his guest was hungry. "If you require substance I would be willing to supply it provided you agreed not to drain me or turn me that is. Simply would not do to have a seemingly immortal life when I plan to die."
Alucard was taken aback at that, stunned not only at the offer but at the admission of wanting an end where most wish to stall. Death was a necessary part in life, eventually all things die, it was something most humans feared and tried to avoid. This man-child planned on it, he dared say he anticipated it from the look in his eye.
Interesting he thought before he replied, "Who am I to deny such a gracious offer?" Harry nodded and summoned his violin back into the tattoo in the palm of his hand. He unbuttoned his stiff coat and his shirt to bear a little of his neck to Alucard (the opposite side from the one Alex usually drank).
Tristen was really such an intriguing creature, and a very beautiful child he had no doubt that he would grow into a devastatingly enchanting man. Harry felt his neck tense as Alucard's teeth gazed his delicate skin preparing himself for the pain of the bite that always came with feeding a vampire.
Alucard almost chuckled in amusement when he felt his neck tense with his light grazing of his fangs that is until he smell the fletching that had sampled this feast before him. So that was why Tristen had no fear of him, he fed a fletching vampire…a very young one at that. This would be a novelty then, Tristen was very used to the pain of untrained feeding by the looks of it.
He felt the slight pop of the fragile skin as his fangs pierced through and blood rushed into his mouth. It was divine, nectar of the gods, it was beauty, it was sweet, it was spicy…it was POWER and the most exquisite blood he had tasted in a very long time. He felt like he was young again taking his first sips of the crimson liquid and discovering the world of darkness once more.
Harry for his part didn't know what was going on; there was no pain as Alucard suckled from his neck. He bit back a moan when Alucard drew him into his arms to allow him a better angle on his neck applying more pressure and when he bit down harder he did moan.
Alucard smiled feral against his neck as he drank deep enjoying the feel of the little one's power tingling on his tongue…it was more then divine. A vampire could become addicted to this; the little one's blood was like a drug he wanted more and more. However, eventually he stopped grinning when he heard the boy groan in protest and darting out his long sharp tongue to lap up any left over blood on his neck (closing the twin holes at the same time).
Alucard decided then that he very much liked this boy and wanted to continue to sample him. Maybe even claim him when he was old enough as his blood was just too luscious to only taste once, he would need him again. "Well, that was different…" Harry said in his daze not even noticing he was still in Alucard's arms.
"Indeed, we will meet again child I should very much like to get to know you…" and just like that he was gone the blackness of the night swallowing him up. Harry turned hazy eyes to the moon and the stars idly wondering how trouble always seemed to find him.
He was almost positive an ancient vampire had just molested him but he couldn't bring himself to care…he felt good. His entire body sang with the humming of the night, he felt like he was high on some muggle drug and it felt amazing. He let out a breath and just like that a light went on inside his mind as another idea came to him to add to his already complicated mark.
He smirked, it was an interesting night this Alucard could prove to be a very powerful ally when the time came to do what was needed. One as ancient as him did not go through the years without making plenty of contacts and alliances. He made it back to his room without any problems and took a blood-replenishing potion before settling down for the night.
The year was going to be very interesting, and his summer would be rather eventful he wondered how Maddy wanted to spend it.
If you want to listen to how the "Devil's Trill" was meant to be played I suggest looking up Vanessa Mae she plays the most captivating rendition.