Disclaimer: See First Chapter
Hi! First of all thanks for supporting this work that I have tried to produce as soon as I can as a token of gratitude
This is not betaed so all mistakes are mine. Feel free to point those though so I may rectify it immediately; or as soon as I can manage
I still do not own Harry Potter universe but I do hope you like this.
Sebastian escorted Harry and Hermione on their detention with the dreadful professor being that the students are no longer allowed to roam the corridors after dinner which is her appointed time for the first meeting. He was hoping for a lighter punishment of scrubbing the whole classroom without magic but he is sure they would not get off that easily. Dolores was not a Slytherin for nothing after all.
"Ah Mr. Prince has you come to witness the detention of these two brats?" the professor welcomed them in her saccharine tone; Opening her door to reveal a dreadfully shocking pink room.
"I have come to accompany them professor" Sebastian answered plainly looking around for traps. The frilly pillows could cause him days of itching not to mention the mental disturbance he would have to endure with both the woman and her cat which seems attached to her legs and is now thinking of expanding the territory; starting with his.
"Well then take a seat" she pointed to a the desk in the middle of the room with two stools under it
"Go on" she urged when the two did not obey immediately
The two reluctantly took a chair each and sat. Looking around for the object of punishment
"Now you will write the phrase 'I will not question authority' on this parchments until you tell me how sorry you are for your actions or until I tell you to stop" she said laying two pieces of parchments one for each
The two took their quills from their robes but was stopped by the despicable woman
"Use the ones on the desk" she smiled at them pointing to the red quills laid out on the table.
"But there's no ink, Professor." Harry said looking at Hermione and then at the cloying smile on the woman
The old lady then led Sebastian to the adjoined sitting room that left no question who owned it. Pictures of cats littered the wall and mantelpiece in different sizes arranged in a likely manner that other people would put family and friend's photographs.
"How dreadful those two are." the woman remarks "Sugar? Milk?" she asked preparing tea in her floral china.
"No thank you" he answered taking the cup "I prefer it black"
"You should know who you interact with Mr. Prince. I know you are new here but you would soon know there are those who are worth your company and who is not." she held his right shoulder lightly effectively turning a matronly gesture into something that repulsed him.
Sebastian jumped abruptly at the contact and rattled the table causing some tea to spill out and the cat to let out a loud yelp. More out of habit than duty to the host, he conjured a towel and blotted the cream rug
"Let me help you with that," she said gently standing up. Whether she offered for the company he keeps or the stain in the rug; he did not know.
"I think I can do it by myself thank you" he answered to both not bothering to look at her in the eye.
In other room, Hermione took the quill nearest to her and let out a small scream as she started writing but continued in her small neat strokes keeping her agonizing pain muffled.
In the parchment, the letters she scratched were being written in a blackish brown ink. The same was being experienced by the boy on the other side of the table.
"What have you done?" Sebastian asked in horror as he saw their shaking hands. A faint smell of burning flesh permeated the air
"Oh do you like it?" she inquired behind him sounding proud of her work.
"Like it?" His face scrunched at the sweating faces of the two.
"It was part of your family heritage after all." she explained "Your ancestors patented it to mark their paramours. It brands their skin with whatever they have written" she said with the glee of a child bragging about her new toy
"But branding will not heal completely" he said silently as his knees threatened to buckle. He knew his family is sick but not this much. This is terribly inhumane. Small wonder the bloodline died out
"Exactly Mr. Prince what better way to remind them than seeing it everyday"
"I implore you madam to stop this. Is this not enough? I am sure they have learned their lesson"
"Did you?" she inquired sipping her tea as if nothing had happened
The two only nodded in silence.
"Madam I digress but may I insist that the name of the most honourable house of Prince be not dragged in this endeavor." Sebastian asked in a careful hushed tone "Besides, permanently scarring the students may cause alarm in the wizarding community. There are after all; many precious children here" he reminded
"Very well. But they will have another form of punishment as a replacement. We cannot allow these students to be lost in the hogwash" She agreed halfhearted as if he took her toys
"Yes madam. May I take them back?" he asked as politely as he could muster while dragging the two to the door. He supported them one on each shoulder.
The wretched witch only nodded. Her eyes held a promise of more to come.
"Let me see." Sebastian said as he pulled his companions out of hearing range of the deranged woman
Harry opened his bloody coat and shirt to reveal his cut chest. Some parts are still oozing with clear fluid from his burns. Hermione was worse as she had written more and was bleeding profusely.
Sebastian carried her in a fireman carry to the infirmary shouting alarm to Madam Pomfrey who administered a quick diagnosis charm followed by scourgify and placed a healing balm on the burns.
Harry would not be carried and insisted only on a standing support that Sebastian gave without question. He was also given the same treatment by a worried mediwitch upon arrival.
It was three in the morning when Sebastian was forced out of the infirmary wing with Madam Pomfrey assuring him of his friends' health.
He walked to breakfast not quite feeling himself. He had seen death and torture more times than he can count; even inflicting it numerous times but there was something about last night that made his stomach feels unsettled.
"What happened? Where's Harry and 'Mione?" Ron asked looking at their empty places at the table. It is not uncommon for harry to be late for breakfast but Hermione had a neat internal clock that allowed her not to be late in almost any occasion
"With Madam Pomfrey" Sebastian answered absently in his silky monotone
"Why?" the young Weasley boy stopped his voracious eating and listened to his retelling
He told him about the quill and the branding sparing other much more gory details for later. Those are not for breakfast talk.
"Bloody hell!" The redhead exclaimed, is she allowed to do that?"
"No, but nobody will speak against madam high inquisitor" he sighed
Every day that week, the two of them had gone to detention but neither would speak about what happened inside. Seeing no additional marks or bruises, Sebastian decided that it was probably some intense verbal, mind lashing or something else that they find embarrassing and not inquired further.
The captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team had spoken to harry one night telling him about how sorry she was that he couldn't come to the annual tryouts due to the detentions and how important it is that they stay solid as a team.
Hermione as was to be expected had taken comfort in her books taking extra time in the library than usual. Sebastian couldn't help but see her uncommon silence as she picked out a stack of books and retreated in her own heaven.
"Miss Granger would you mind helping me with my research?" He asked approaching her in her corner of the library. She was already using the library as an escape and as such, he might as well benefit from it.
She didn't reply ignoring both his presence and words not bothering to look at his direction while continuing her reading
"It is imperative that I do this right if I am to advance my classes" Sebastian stressed
"Alright" she said guiltily putting the book she is currently reading down. "What will it be about?"
The fellow lion after all lost his research on the fire and helped her to infirmary. Helping his research is the least she can do
"Time travel" he drawled already thinking twice about divulging information before she agreed "and its correlation to aging" he added
"Meet me here in an hour and bring your notes" she said standing up and picking up books probably related to the subject
Sebastian quickly took his notes and began sorting through it. The files that held personal information were taken out but those that could pass off as anonymous were retained
He could recreate his notes from memory but he barely trusted it without written proof not since he began tampering with it. He had removed changed and twisted too much memories than he could handle that he found himself believing in his own lies. Only written and visual proof could tell otherwise.
"Here," he said pushing the small bundle he carried across the library table.
"What are you trying to achieve?" She asked after a cursory view at the notes.
He raised a perfectly curved brow at her idiotic question. This might be a bad idea after all
"I mean what is your hypothesis, theory, supposition or assumption on this topic"
"I was hoping to find a way to reverse or inverse the aging process after the time travel and for the record... I do know what hypothesis is" he clarified as his ears turned pink at the admission of his studying a muggle textbook
"Doth the prince engage in impure sciences" she teased
"This one does milady" he smirked picking up a book in her pile
The whole afternoon was spent poring after tomes and books and teasing each other. The dark stares of the librarian were of little importance to the two budding colleagues.
"Hey why don't we read separately then compare notes after?" she suggested stifling a yawn
It was only then did he notice the dark circles under her eyes that was covered by a curtain of her untamed hair
"Of course." he agreed piling their parchments by topic "I would not have milady dying of fatigue could I?" he concluded putting away the books
"Shall we?" He offered his arm and they strode out to the hallway
The dinner had been a brief affair as both the faculty and students have guarded looks upon their face. Only the Weaseley twins managed to remain in a somewhat normal behavior. Joking around and talking about the prospect of new pranks
Harry would not look at anyone and rushed eating to have a 'walk' outside. As if anyone would believe that but his brain probably stopped its functions enough to think somebody will.
Hermione started eating faster after seeing the troubled look on the teenager urging Ron to do so too
"Ron" she whispered repeatedly but was not heard by the recipient until Sebastian elbowed him. "Finish up" she ordered
"But 'mione I've just started" he protested taking a big bite to emphasize his point
"Then eat faster." she urged "Harry is not himself at the moment. Someone may take advantage of that"
Sebastian rolled his eyes. Harry was never the epitome of logic normal or otherwise. He suspects that the honor belongs to the wench; not that he would admit it.
The two left a little while later with Hermione dragging the aspiring keeper by the arm.
He walked to the castle gardens. The sky was dark with clouds covering the heavens. The cold September wind chilled his bones. He pulled his robes closer to his body willing it to provide more warmth.
Some of the roses were starting to bloom this time of the year and it is where he walked around. The bushes where lovers and those who wanted to hide reside were usually on the dark spots and corners so he made a mental promise to thoroughly check those
"They're not there" a voice said behind him as he was checking a particular dark bush
"Who?" He turned facing the speaker who stepped out of the dark enclave.
It was the potions master curiously dressed only in his black coat. Perspiration formed in the professor's brow.
"The golden trio." the professor said standing stiffly. His seeking look had Sebastian's pulse start to go overdrive
"Pardon?" he muttered. There was something in the man that makes him doubt his words and he doesn't like it one bit.
"Harry, Hermione and Ron that's what the papers call them." The man said his patronizing tone similar to what you would use to a young child or someone dumb
Sebastian huffed "Who says I am looking for those... pestilence" he cannot say those words without sounding like a child with a tantrum
"I don't. You did" the professor corrected "best go in we don't know what the cold could bring in tonight" he whispered it in such a way that made it sound like a warning
Sebastian turned a dark glare at the man who was now turned and walking towards the castle.
"Silly blondes" he scoffs before following the man's example
"Will you go to hogsmeade with me?" the Weasley girl asked walking beside him
He raised a questioning eyebrow "why don't you ask your brother?" he said continuing in his walk creating an even, practiced sound like a metronome
"He will go of course but Harry said maybe you would like to come." she said
"Maybe" he shrugs noncommittally
Her face brightened like a lamp "See you then" she said before sashaying out
When he entered the common room, he saw Harry sitting despondently in front of the fireplace that still glowed a slight green. Ron and Hermione were beside him silently consoling.
Dobby was at a corner banging his head on the wall as a punishment to himself
"Dobby is not make master harry happy. Dobby is a bad elf" the elf wailed continuing his punishment before slapping his face continuously
Sebastian did not know how to respond. The only elves he had encountered besides the occasional Slytherin house elf were those that belongs to the Malfoys and other death eaters. Although dobby did fall under the former, he is still different in a way that he has some semblance of free will unlike others who had been brainwashed to servitude. It was almost like he had prevailed the genetic pool just like another house elf that he knew.
"Dobby is that your name?" He asked cautiously edging near the elf
The elf stopped the punishment to his relief and nodded.
"Can I call you that?" he kneeled and spoke quietly in his silky voice "I need your help in something"
"Master Sebastian is a friend of Professor Ambrose and protector of Harry. Dobby will help friend of professor and protector of harry" the elf declared proudly
"Dobby do you know of a House elf called amber?" he asked earnestly.
He does not own the house elf therefore an order to stop will not work as good as a distraction. As house elves go, the best distraction is another order or a chance to gossip
"Dobby is not remembering a fellow named amber but dobby is to be asking other house elves." The elf said scratching his head.
"While you're at it can you possibly replace my morning drink with coffee instead of that puerile drink everyone else is drinking?"
The elf nodded
"Thank you" he whispered to the elf unsure what to do with the troubled teen.