Chapter Five: The Power He Should Never Obtain

***Zeno***

The moment Zeno entered the Great Hall the next day for Breakfast, a hush fell over the students as they all gazed at the golden-haired boy. Having been early the previous day, Zeno had managed to avoid contact with the student body but now he was faced with the results of the festering rumours. Through the Hogwarts' grapevine, students who were not present at the scene of the Boggart were fed tall tales and highly imaginative stories of what had occurred.

Flashing everyone a shining smile, Zeno made his way over to Luna, who was sitting at the end of the Ravenclaw table by herself. Grabbing hold of a plate of pancakes, Zeno dug in to the delicious meal as he listened to the various whispers around him.

"I heard he defeated the Boggart with his bare hands!"

"No way! I thought he was bitten by an Acromantula!"

"Actually, he nearly drowned in a sea of blood and Professor McGonagall had to pull him out,"

"No it wasn't! He was surrounded by dragons who wanted to eat him so he-"

"-then he wrestled a manticore which then-"

Zeno chuckled, the youngsters here truly did have wild imaginations. "What class are you going to visit next?" Inquired Luna. Zeno gulped down some pumpkin juice before replying.

"Hmmm, how about Defence Against the Dark Arts? Zeno heard it's usually very practical," Zeno said as he contemplated his options, "Does Miss know who has Defence Against the Dark Arts next?"

"Harry does, he's very good at it, you know. He taught us last year. He's over there," Luna remarked, pointing to a black-haired boy with round glasses.

"Thanks, Miss! Zeno will be going then!" he announced before heading over to the Gryffindor table with a spring in his step. The three Gryffindors from yesterday appeared to be surprised by Zeno's sudden company. Every few seconds one of them would glance at Zeno as he happily sat on the bench opposite them, legs swinging back and forth. Then as agreed, the trio lead Zeno to what would be the third class that he had attended at the school of magic.

Looking around the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, Zeno saw that all the curtains had been drawn over the windows as the room was lit by candlelight rather than sunlight. Upon the walls hung many gruesome images depicting people who appeared to be in pain, sporting grisly injuries or strangely contorted body parts. It was a grim reminder to Zeno of the many would be life-threatening injuries that he had obtained in the past during battle, but survived due to his regeneration. Nobody spoke as they settled down. Once settled, Professor Snape then explained to the class how poor their attempts were last time before giving them their instructions for the lesson.

"You will now divide... into pairs to continue your practice with non-verbal spells in complete silence. Carry on," Zeno observed the class of 6th year Slytherins and Gryffindors as a reasonable amount of cheating ensued with many of the students merely whispering the incantation instead of saying it out loud. Professor Snape swept between each pair as they practised, before lingering to watch Zeno. Dark yet calculating eyes met vibrant blue. The moment ended as a broad smile appeared on Zeno's face making Professor Snape's scowl deepen in return.

As his attention was focused on the DADA Professor, Zeno failed to notice a stray spell heading in his direction until it was too late. "Watch out!" cried out some of the students who saw wayward spell whiz toward him. The jinx hit him directly in the side of his neck, stinging Zeno and producing a red scorch mark-like brand as welts erupted on his skin. Wincing, Zeno gingerly covered the injury with one of his hands.

"Zeno! Are you all right?!" Hermione asked, worried as she and her friends rushed over to help him.

"Zeno will be fine! Don't worry, Miss," He reassured her, waving away all the student's hands who reached out to aid him.

"Let…me see the boy," Professor Snape ordered from where he was lurking behind Harry and Ron. Instantly, the crowd of students parted obediently, allowing the Professor to examine the damage. Except there wasn't any damage to examine, for when Professor Snape demanded Zeno to remove his hand from his neck, all they saw was smooth flawless skin. No welts, no red marks, no sting marks, nothing. It was as though he wasn't even hit by the Stinging Jinx at all. "…See me after class," was all the Professor said as he swivelled around and walked away, robes flapping behind him. "What are you all gawking at? Get back to work," he snapped at the students.


***Severus Snape***

The class ended as the bell rang, exhausted students scrambled to leave the room as if they wouldn't survive if they stayed a single second longer. Only one other person remained in the room with Severus Snape: The mysterious golden-haired boy who went by the name of Zeno. The boy that Dumbledore had warned him about. Throughout the lesson, Dumbledore's words echoed ominously in his mind as Snape observed Zeno.

"The boy has an incredibly complicated mind, Severus, with more layers than you can imagine. It will do well for you not to make the same mistake as I did,"

Severus Snape knew better than to doubt the Headmaster's warning, but the more he saw how childish the boy was, the more he couldn't help but think that Zeno couldn't possibly have an extremely complicated mind. Thinking about Dumbledore had in turn caused Snape's mind to wander to Voldemort and the orders he had been given. Due to not being present during the last Death Eater meeting with the Dark Lord, having been busy teaching class at the time, Voldemort had sent him a message. An order: Capture the immortal boy who had escaped and bring him to me. His appearance is of a weak pathetic teenager with golden hair and light blue eyes. Last seen wearing orange attire and a green scarf.

The description certainly matched Zeno's, except for the 'immortal' part. Is he the same boy the Dark Lord is after?

"-ster…" Zeno's voice snapped the professor out of his internal musings. "Mister? What did you need Zeno for?" Snape turned to answer but found that none of his words would leave his lips, for the moment his eyes locked with Zeno's, he was met with the eyes of someone far more mature than what he had originally guessed. "You are…a good person...yet your eyes are filled with sorrow. You have lost someone precious to you in the past," Snape's eyes widened, shocked that the boy had seen right through his mask and into his very heart. "They must be proud of you, for not giving in to the darkness that surrounds you,"

How could this boy know….?

Struggling to find an answer, Dumbledore's warning flew out the window of Snape's mind as his eyes narrowed, focusing on his target. Silently and wandlessly he performed the spell that sent him free-falling in Zeno's mind. Layer upon layer of memories, thoughts and emotions rushed past him in a blur of colours and sounds. Here and there, Snape was able to catch snippets of the passing memories, often broken sentences and random sounds as the memories were passing by too fast to see anything for longer than a few seconds at a time.

"The History of Kouka Kingdom. It's very interesting, the Founding Legend is about-" Snape recognised it as Granger's voice.

The dusty scent of books and parchment.

"DON'T LEAVE ME AGAIN!" A heart-wrenching plea that tore through his very soul.

A quiet chirp and the soft sensation of feathers. An image of a handsome black Hippogriff in the Forbidden Forest.

A flash of green, the killing curse: "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Fangs of Nagini and words spoken in Parseltongue. A cold hissing voice that Snape could recognize anywhere.

An unexpected strong force from one side unbalanced Snape and sent him tumbling faster into the depths of Zeno's mind. His body collided with the ground not painfully, but abruptly enough that it jarred his senses. His dignity wounded, Snape slowly pushed himself back onto his feet and took in his new surroundings, thankful that his rapid out-of-control freefall had been stopped. Snape swiftly concluded that he had landed inside one of Zeno's memories, somewhere deep in the past.

Severus Snape expected a child to run past him, playing and having fun; or perhaps some humiliating memory, even a sad childhood but not this.

War cries and shouts, metallic clangs as swords clashed, hooves thundering as a wave of soldiers charged towards him. What dashed past Snape was no child, but Zeno who appeared to be the same age as in the present, his clothing torn and bloodied, carrying a sword in his right hand…and his left arm was missing.

Before Snape could question it, Zeno's left arm was reunited with the rest of him with a sickening crackle. The soldier screamed with fearful eyes and seconds later the blade Zeno wielded was plunged deep into the man's chest. A different soldier slashed his sword, cutting Zeno's cheek along with the golden pendant he was wearing, the latter falling to the earth painted with the splatter of Zeno's blood. Another scream was heard as the skin knitted back over the boy's jaw.

Snape watched the battle rage on with growing horror, as the yellow-haired boy was stabbed with multiple swords, and at one time, he was even decapitated. Again and again, no matter how gruesome the wound, it would always, always heal.

A weightless feeling took hold of him as Snape was lifted out of the boy's mind. The sudden weight of his own legs causing him to stagger backwards until he fell gracelessly onto his classroom floor like a clumsy first-year wizard.

Only one thought was on Snape's mind as he stared up at Zeno with a grim expression:

This power…the Dark Lord must never obtain this power.


Author's Note:

Sorry if this was a bit late, I was trying to get this chapter out on the 27th, but now its past midnight…

I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 5! :)

~PurpleFlyingBird