Chapter 4: The Lion's Pride
Will never been so full before in his entire life. His stomach protested as he leaned over his new, ginormous, canopied bed in the Gryffindor tower to pull on his socks. He missed his futon bed. His four new dorm mates shuffled about, checking out the tower room and unpacking belongings from their trunks.
The feast continued to occupy his thoughts. It had been the grandest experience in his eleven years of life. Heaps and heaps of anything he could have ever wished for had been right at his fingertips. The Great Hall had been lit ablaze in a golden glow of candlelight. And the Ghosts! One had - to his horror - emerged right through his plate, feathered cap, long beard and all! He'd choked and spilled his hot apple cider right down the front of his robes in surprise. Albus had not seemed surprised. His new friend's misery had been so palpable he could feel it pulsating off of him like a sonar. Albus also hadn't touched a bite of food.
Albus's older brother, James, had introduced himself to the first-years and he could've sworn the entire table idolized him as a Gryffindor god after regaling them with adventures of sneaking around Hogwarts, pranks played on the Slytherins, and secret passages they could take when late to class. The Gryffindor prefect had not been happy to overhear that particular conversation.
He'd watched as Albus had tried to pull his brother to the side, asking something about his dad. James had flushed and excused himself, telling his new friend something about talking later. Albus had ground his teeth for the rest of the feast after that.
The other four Gryffindor boys seemed decent and he'd enjoyed getting to know them more during the feast. Harvey and Malcolm Lightstorm were twins and had grown up wreaking havoc on their parent's combined sheep and wyvern farm in Tunbridge Wells. Sheep apparently having an occasionally calming effect upon certain wyverns. The revelation that magical beasts even existed had sent a thrill through his spine and he couldn't wait to talk to the twins more. Burt Polyton lived on a houseboat in Oxford, his mum teaching at the university and his father conducting research on magical algae in the canals. Kai Wood traveled all over the world with his dad who wrote articles for a magazine about some sport called Quidditch. Kai hated Quidditch but loved traveling.
His peers were settling in nicely, showing each other pictures of family, pets, and souvenirs from home. Albus sulked in the corner. Not on his watch if he had any say in it! He took the large napkin out of his robes and placed the sandwiches he'd made on Albus' bed. Just bread and butter with slices of ham, nothing fancy. He'd known Albus hadn't eaten on the train either.
"I wish I had been able to steal a gallon of the butternut squash soup but didn't think it'd keep in my napkin. Maybe we'll learn a spell for waterproofing napkins soon!" Will smiled, nudging the sandwiches closer to his friend.
Albus laughed for the first time the entire evening and returned his smile. Thank god!
"Do you want to talk?" he whispered.
"I just feel rotten, Will," Albus finally whispered back, not meeting his eyes. "I was so absorbed in myself… wanting to be here instead of in Slytherin. I got the wind knocked out of me, watching Rose's robes turn green. I'd never once seen that future for her. And here I was, telling the sorting hat not to put me in Slytherin. What if the sorting hat was right through? What if my being here is a mistake? Rose and I… we should've been together. We've always been there for each other. I left her to face a pit of snakes alone."
He tore off a bit of the bread and popped it in his mouth, placing the rest of the loaf directly in Albus's hand. Please don't starve yourself, mate.
"But the sorting hat didn't sort you into Slytherin… it still chose Gryffindor for you. Perhaps, ultimately, it realized the mistake would've been to put you into Slytherin," he reckoned, hoping the logic was coming out clearly as he thought out loud. "Maybe Slytherin would've been the easier choice for you. Maybe you do have a lot of this "Slytherin" stuff in your character."
Albus let tears slide down his cheeks.
Will pressed on, "Hear me out. Perhaps there's something Gryffindor can do for you that Slytherin can't. Maybe being here in this house is what's going to challenge you – bring out another side of you that you never knew existed. A side Slytherin could never show you. Shoot! Slytherdoor, Gyrfferin, Ravenpuff, Huffenclaw – they're all ultimately part of the same bloody school anyways!"
Albus smiled again at his blatant attempt to rip apart the names. He found the notion of "houses" a little silly. His mind was still wrapping around the concepts of "muggle" and "wizard."
"Look, we're all at this school to learn the same things. To learn magic! What we do with that and how we do that is up to each and every one of us."
His ears burned as the other lads cheered and jumped onto Albus' bed.
"You're one of us, Albus!"
"You've earned your place here, standing up to that hat, no doubt about it!"
"Don't worry. We'll look after your cousin, Albus. Pretty sure every Weasley is an honorary Gryffindor anyways!"
"We want you here, Albus."
He grinned as Albus shoved the rest of the loaf of bread into his mouth. The next second he felt Albus' arm around his shoulder and he was squeezed into a group hug. A feeling of joy crept through his heart. He'd always wanted a home with brothers.
Taking her shoes off to quiet her footsteps, Rose crept through the dungeons in pursuit of Teddy's shadow. A million thoughts vied for attention in her mind. Most importantly, she knew Teddy wasn't going to tell her whatever was really going on. He'd kept a secret about her parents and her family for years and never breathed a word to her about it. "Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. The boy who defeated the Dark Lord." The card from Albus' chocolate frog tolled through her mind. There was no way her parents didn't know about this. It was even more likely they were a part of it. Whatever "it" exactly was. "It" probably was supposed to come with fame. "It" probably also came with a target on her family's back. Did this Voldemort guy have any followers left?
A wave of repulsion clenched her gut. Was her childhood a lie? She'd had such as charmed life on the lake with her family. They'd been isolated, but it had never felt like they were alone. Like they were hidden. Copper Cliff Top, her home, was well secluded up in the hills, away from the tiny Lake District muggle village below. The Potter's home was right on the other side of the little lake. She'd been to her grandparent's house at the Burrow so many times, and her muggle grandparent's house too! Her family even had friends come over now and then. Had everyone lied to her?
She felt her fingernails dig into her palms as she quickened her pace. Teddy's shadow twisted right and left around dark corners she would have never have realized were there. Perfect. How was she ever supposed to find her way back to the Slytherin dungeons? Exhaustion crept over her. No stopping now though, she'd deal with being lost after she found Teddy. If she ever had the guts to reveal herself to him, maybe he'd help her find her way back. She desperately wanted answers. Now. And wanted to know what secrets he'd supposedly promised to share with her. Secrets he warned her to keep from her family.
Secrets she doubted he'd tell her.
She heard a door swing shut. A moment later, she cautiously poked her head around the same door to find a stairway leading out into crisp, breezy air. At the top of the staircase, a latticework of vines and roots entangled around a small entryway. She could try to squeeze through or…
"Do you have it?" she heard a man with a smooth and deep voice whisper.
A pause, and Teddy's gruff voice filled her ears. "I was almost compromised on my way here. I had to dispose of the potion in case I'd been caught."
Teddy's voice held defeat and fear. She'd of course been the one to "almost compromise" him. He'd mentioned someone following him though. She looked over her shoulder half expecting to see a face lurking in the shadows, but the stairway was pitch black.
"That will set us back months. We need to find out their plans. Now. Another ten muggle children were taken two nights ago that we know of. They're getting confident, and reckless. And the Ministry still refuses to get involved, some still refuse to acknowledge that Fenrir is alive. That he's turning children, raising them as a secret army. There have been more reports of other unusual attacks too. Pinpoint bites and muggles drained of blood, heads and bodies caved in and made to look like a car crash but with no roads in sight. It's not just Fenrir now. He's made allies with others. They're amassing." Rose heard stomping on the ground as the man huffed in frustration.
"I'm working on something else too," she heard Teddy sputter, trepidation seeping into his voice.
"We don't have time for any other plan. You promised us Felix Felicis, Lupin," the man ground out his words.
Her mouth felt like parchment. She could barely swallow.
"Give me two weeks. I'll have another vial for you. I need to wait for the full moon this Friday to collect some of the ingredients again," Teddy's voice quivered.
"You have two weeks, otherwise we will fall back to our original plan," the man threatened, more stomping riddled the ground. "And only because Hagrid has sworn for you."
"I won't disappoint you next time," Teddy's voice clipped quickly. "We will find out their plans, their next attack. Maybe even rescue…"
"No, Lupin," the smooth voice bellowed. "You are young and think all can be saved… rehabilitated. And perhaps they could be. But that'd compromise our plans to foil their next move, to catch them unaware. That's when we save who we can, if they aren't too far gone."
"They deserve a chance," Teddy countered with confidence. "We can't just let them rot away and become Fenrir's pawns! Not if they can be saved. They're children!"
"We save them and we lose the chance to save a thousand more. We lose the chance to end this war that's barely begun," the man's words ricocheted back. "We need intel. We need to find out how to stop Fenrir. Who his allies are. What Ministry members he has in his pocket. Where he'll be and when… Freeing those taken will only have them strike back a hundred times harder."
"I don't understand why the ministry won't help," Teddy questioned, exasperated. "They should be doing something about this."
"Lupin, I agree with you. Unfortunately, it's been happening for years. Most of the Ministry is in denial. They think your godfather solved every problem the moment he defeated the Dark Lord."
She heard the smooth voice laugh, then whisper, "Harry Potter may have solved that problem, but that's when all our other problems began. Voldemort gave hope to those of us who'd constantly been hiding and repressing our natural tendencies… for the illusion of what? Peace in the magical community? A magical community run by Wizards and Witches and hardly a magical creature in sight?"
Rose's mind warped around the influx of information. Magical creatures?
She heard the smooth voice continue, eerily quiet as he hissed, "It wasn't the idea that there were those pure-of-blood who deserved more, who were superior. It was the realization that the Ministry could be overturned. That we could play a role in shaping this world. That we could be who we are at our core, even if that meant going 'feral.' Ha! Some of us are old enough to remember when witches and wizards were feral too, concocting their unforgivable curses and wreaking havoc on muggle villages and magical creatures."
"Surely you don't want that," Teddy inquired, barely audible.
"No, we centaurs follow the stars," the smooth voice cascaded around her head.
Her breath caught at the new information. What in Merlin's name was Teddy getting himself involved in? He was in danger.
"And what do the stars tell you?" Teddy's voice cracked.
"The stars say this is just the beginning. There are cracks in the foundation of the Wizarding community, wounds pried wide open by Voldemort that never healed. There will be civil war. You and your wizards and witches will all be weakened. That's when Magical creatures have a chance to take control, to fill the void for power."
She felt her spine tingle and a thorn press hard into the center of her palm as she grasped the vines concealing her. Shame burnt at her cheeks. Her whole world had revolved around her the entire day. Her trials, her parents' lies, her sorting into Slytherin. None of it was important in light of the centaur's words. The centaur's prophecy.
"Then why am I helping you?" she heard Teddy's voice quiver. "Why did Hagrid send me to you if you're going to start a civil war among wizards and witches."
"Watch your words, Lupin," the Centaur snapped, stomping the ground after every word.
"I did not say I or my kind were to start or fuel this war. We listen to the stars. A prophecy has been foretold. Civil war will come to wizards and witches, one way or another. Magical creatures will vie for power after that. And as they are doing so now at this very moment, they will coalesce. Power in the wrong hands, such as in Fenrir's, will lead to war amongst magical creatures too."
"You want power for yourself?" Teddy gasped.
She winced. Did this boy not know when to hold his tongue? She heard a smack followed by a quick gasp and panting. Her blood pounded through her heart as she gripped the vines harder, feeling them impale her fingers as she wrenched a hole apart to observe. Teddy was lying on the ground, a dim blue light wavering from his wand which must have dropped at least ten feet away from his current position. The centaur was massive and muscular, a gray coat shimmering in the blue light. One of the centaur's hooves was placed directly on Teddy's chest. Rose held her breath.
"If you ever accuse me again, Lupin, even Hagrid will not be able to save you," the centaur stared down at Teddy, awaiting his response.
Teddy nodded, and panted with confidence, "I pledged myself to you and your cause. I will help you. I will not let Fenrir rise to power. To the best of my ability, I will stop him from continuing to destroy the lives of muggles and prevent him from destroying more wizards' and witches' lives after that, even magical creatures' lives."
The centaur retreated and extended his hand to Teddy, aiding him in rising from the ground. Her hands were on fire from the pain of tearing at thorns. She felt the trickles of something wet whisper down her fingers and wrist.
"Centaurs are private, we do not often like to get involved. We've evolved since the Battle of Hogwarts, we're no longer as reclusive as we once were. However, it would be unusual for any one of us to want the power of the Ministry. That's not to say we won't eventually have to align ourselves with other magical beings who may seek such a thing." The centaur stepped back from Teddy.
She watched as he slung a bow over his back and placed an arrow in his quiver.
"Alright," she heard Teddy agree. "I will have your vial of liquid luck in two weeks' time." Teddy extended his hand and the centaur shook it.
"I will see you back here in two weeks," the centaur stated before galloping away into the forest.
Teddy picked up his wand and turned towards the vine-covered door. She felt panic raise up in her brain. There was no way he wasn't going to spot her. She stumbled back, missing a step and sliding partially down a couple steps just as Teddy opened the door to witness her entire fall.
"What… Rose?" Teddy gasped, voiced strangled.
She swallowed as she watched his expression change from shock to fury. Her hands and knees were throbbing in pain. Her mind couldn't form words as he rushed to her, grabbing fists of her robes in his hands and pulling her face mere inches from his own. His blue eyes on fire in the violet light of his wand.
"How much did you overhear, Rose?" He seethed.
She tried to swallow. However, her mouth was sapped of all moisture. Her tongue was stuck to the back of her teeth.
"How much, Rose?" Teddy rattled her shoulders and she felt her teeth snap. She gasped as her teeth clamped down on the tip of her tongue and a tangy iron taste flooded her mouth.
"All of it," she muttered in a single breath.
Teddy's hands left her shoulders and he shoved himself back, away from her. His face sneered down at her in disgust. She held her breath, paralyzed with fear. She'd been wrong to follow him, to listen. She'd put him and herself in danger. How could she have been so stupid? Yet, she knew she'd do the same all over again. His eyes changed from furry and disgust to sorrow. She'd disappointed him. Her breathing stilled, waiting.
"Maybe you are just like any old Slytherin," Teddy whispered to her, disappointment etched into the frown around his eyes.
She hung her head, at a loss for how to apologize. She'd broken his trust, but he was in danger and dealing with matters well over his head. Her parents should know, her uncle - an Auror himself - should know. She looked up to meet his eyes, tell him she was at fault for breaking his trust. Tell him how worried she was. His wand was pointed at her face.
"Obliviate," she heard Teddy whimper.