Chapter 45, Life Is Just A Party
The pop music playing from somewhere in the ceiling of the Hog's Head caused Hydra's feet to tap to the beat. It had a definite eighties' feel. Mag or Severus must have seen to the music, she reasoned. Severus made no secret of the fact that he adored eighties music. Hydra did not know this particular song, but it was quite catchy. The singer was female, with a smooth, young sounding voice. She sang about life being a party, while encouraging everyone to step into the spot light. That sounded good to her. To Hydra's surprise the Hog's Head was empty save for their group. Their group consisted of the three Lestranges, Ballan, The Daddies, Loughness, James, Sortia, Guillermo, Wulfric, Graven, Severus, Mag, Albus and Filius. Though Aberforth was no where in sight, the bar was already lined with frothy cream colored shots in glittering black crystal glasses, clearly Ariana's gothic touch. Albus plucked one up and sniffed carefully. "Yummm," he said happily. "Buttercream rum." With that, he tossed it back and replaced the glass on the bar before snatching up another... in each hand! Hydra had only seen Albus drink like that when extremely stressed, but now he was nearly giddy instead. "Dad paid Aberforth to reserve the bar just for all of us tonight," Wulfric said. "So food and drinks are on the house, or rather Dad already paid a flat party fee."
"That's sweet," Hydra smiled at Albus.
"Yeah, very cool. Thanks," Loughness chimed in.
He wants to celebrate his retirement," Wulfric said glumly before Albus could reply. He nodded happily in agreement as he reached for two more shots, having already finished the others.
"Is that a bad thing," Sortia asked.
"We can celebrate Severus and Mag's early retirement as well," Albus said. I'm not greedy. I can share the retirement celebration."
"It will probably be bad eventually." Wulfric ignored his father's comment, only focusing on answering Sortia's. "With all that time on his hands, he will be far more inclined to fret over me and whatever I am doing."
"Which is not a bad thing," Albus told him.
"We aren't specifically retiring," Severus interjected. "Just retiring from teaching. Mag has the band, and I have some potions ideas I have not had time to truly expand."
"So we may have any drinks we want?" Guillermo asked eagerly.
"And there is food," James asked. "Cause I'm hungry!"
"Of course you are," Sortia said with a chuckle.
"Yep, just go up to the bar and order what you want," Wulfric said.
"Speaking of, I promised to get Hydra's new boyfriend drunk, so let us go and see to that," Bellatrix said, glancing at Rodolphus and Rabastan who flanked her on either side. Rabastan wore an eager grin, obviously looking forward to helping to ensure there were a few less Muggles in the world.
"We shall come and get you when your dinner courses are all properly drunk," Rodolphus told Ballan who currently stood beside Hydra. His posture was rigid and his expression was equally so. He'd dawned a clean non-bloody tunic for the occasion, which Hydra found oddly touching. He looked just as handsome in clean freshly pressed clothes as he always did in his blood spattered attire. Perhaps the blood spattered attire was slightly sexier,but he was still dashing no matter what he wore. Perhaps he looked more relaxed and confident in his killing clothes, though. "We shall leave them out in back of the bar so you can enjoy your drinks without anyone noticing."
"Thank you," Ballan said, nodding stiffly at Rodolphus, clearly uncomfortable with the interaction. Having others do things for him was not something to which he was accustomed or comfortable. He always hunted for himself, but Hydra knew as well as Bellatrix did that disliking social interactions and dealing with people as he did, Ballan would hate the process of actually getting the Muggles to drink before he killed them.
"As the tab is already paid for, I'll just get a few bottles of Firewhisky to take along," Rabastan said, striding up to the bar. No one was currently behind it so he called out, "Hello!"
"Kreacher, you should come along with us," Bellatrix said or rather commanded in typical Bella style. "We can compel Muggles easy enough, but if you vamp them, it's less detectable. Kereston's Ministry is far more likely to look the other way, but I don't like to push it."
Kreacher gave Bella a pleased smile. "That is a wise idea. Good Bella," he praised.
She sighed. "Just come on." She strode toward the door without looking back. Kreacher followed along with Rodolphus while Rabastan still waited at the bar for his Firewhisky requirements. Soon it was Ariana rather than Aberforth who hurried down stairs to serve them. Rabastan gave her a flirtatious wink. "I'm helping to get a nice vampire elf drunk, so I will need three bottles of Firewhisky, please."
Ariana blinked once, then shrugged, reaching up to a shelf just over her head. She had ignored Rabastan's flirting, Hydra noted in mild amusement. Taking down three bottles one after the other, she pushed them across the counter toward Rabastan. The fire orange of the amber glass bottles glinted in the dim light, and Hydra noticed Ballan idly studying them with a speculative expression on his face.
Rabastan scooped them up and tucked them away into the long sweeping black duster he wore. "Many thanks," he told Ariana with another wink before hurrying after Bella, Rod and Kreacher.
"Why are they doing this," Ballan asked Hydra in a low murmur when the door to the Hog's Head had swung shut behind them.
The question made her smile. "Because though they are Dark and twisted, they're nice to those they care about just as you are," she teased, bending to kiss the tip of his nose. This caused him to scowl, and her smile widened. "Thanks for coming, by the way," she added in a near whisper so as not to be over heard. The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass Ballan by putting him on the social spot as it were. "It was a pleasant surprise to see you with everyone else when I went to get my diploma. Ballan shrugged, but gave her a pleased grin.
"They did not even ask me to go," Regulus grumbled, frowning at the closed door to the Hog's Head that the others had just passed through. It was indeed rare that he separated from Kreacher's side even for a moment.
"That's because they know that you don't like tormenting Muggles," Loughness said. "And they won't want to spend time looking for someone bad. They'll just grab whoever looks annoying to them or something." This explanation did not serve to make Regulus look any happier about the matter, but as it was likely true, he made no objection.
"Let's get this party going with Butterbeer Firewhisky for everyone," Albus said, smiling at Ariana. Turning to everyone else he added, "I ordered it especially for this party. It tastes so much better than regular Firewhisky and clearly it is far stronger than Butterbeer."
Wulfric groaned. "My dad is going to get super drunk in front of my woman and all of my friends."
"Bloody right he is," Albus said happily. "He has waited to retire for a very long time. He is at long last free of the boil on his butt that is Hogwarts! It can now be someone else's problem." He had to be drunk already from all those shots to have actually called Hogwarts the boil on his... Hydra was struggling to process this nearly dream like display of Albus's humanity, and apparently she wasn't the only one.
Wulfrick spluttered, choked, then laughed, shaking his head at his father. "Okay, but stop talking about yourself in third person," he said. "It's super weirding me out."
"Is anyone else coming," Loughness asked as Ariana pushed glasses across the counter for everyone except Regulus and Ballan, of course. They all settled onto bar stools and reached for their drinks nearly as one.
"Kereston is supposed to show up at some point after she gets off work," Regulus said. Loughness brightened as if he'd just been given the best news he'd heard all week.
"And my wife is supposed to get here a bit later as well," Filius said.
"And Bera will be here as soon as she's able to leave Durmstrang for the evening," Albus chimed in.
Wulfric groaned again. "I have to party with both of my parents?"
"You know it," Albus said cheerfully. Wulfric sighed and Albus took another deep gulp from his cup before turning to Severus, and clapping him on the shoulder with a look of joyful triumph on his face. "We did it. We returned and protected the children and now it's over! We are free, Severus!"
Severus chuckled. "It does feel nice." Though he was far more low key about the entire thing than was Albus, he did not at all look displeased to be leaving Hogwarts. This was no surprise to Hydra, because Severus had never liked teaching. He did not like people or dealing with them, and surely the younger they were the worse it was for him and his lack of social graces. Of course he never claimed to have any, and this never made Hydra think ill of him. Severus may be a snarky git, but he was loyal, and if he liked you, and you could avoid annoying him, you would not be on the wrong end of his snark. He had always been a part of Hydra and Loughness's lives and clearly liked them, so his lack of people skills was more a point of amusement.
"You all don't have to be so happy about leaving," Filius snapped, glaring balefully from Severus to Albus to Mag. "I'm sure I won't enjoy your replacements at Hogwarts nearly as much as I enjoyed working with the three of you. You are friends, and this is a sad moment for me. I am losing some of my favorite students at the same time as my dear friends, so the least you could do is not to be so bloody happy about it," he huffed.
"We are sorry," Mag told him, giving him a sympathetic smile.
"No we aren't," Albus said. "No one said you have to stay around there, Filius. You could leave at any time."
Flitwick frowned, shifting slightly on his bar stool. "Finna and I feel that we should stay a little longer. Until things are settled with this new and improved situation, and until we know more about these Elf Woods. Someone should keep an eye on Hogwarts. It is a great source of power, and we don't want it in the wrong hands, do we?"
Finna was Filius's wife, and the only old school Druid Hydra had ever met. Just after Voldemort's demise, she returned from some venture she'd gone on to protect the forests way back in the nineteen-fifties. Upon her return, she substituted for the Carrows, then the very next year, began teaching Ancient Runes.
"Well the two of you shall at least have one another," Hydra told him, trying for a cheerful tone. "And that is good of you to stay behind at Hogwarts for a bit. If you need any help, if there is anything elf magic could assist with, you've only to ask and Loughness and I are on it."
"Of course,"Loughness agreed readily. It was then that Hydra *felt* someone's eyes on them. She glanced up to see a gaunt, mildly unwell looking man with long silver hair and piercing green eyes standing just behind Ariana's shoulder at the bar. For some reason of which she was entirely uncertain, Hydra started at the sight of him. He gazed from Flitwick to Loughness, to Ballan and then back to her. Something told her he had done this a few times. His gaze was intense and it made her want to shift away. She opened her mouth to ask who he was, nervously reaching for her drink as she did, but he spoke in a lilting voice before she could. Even his accent was strange. Like some mix of modern and old or middle English...
"If any of ye crave a bite to eat, I have just made a large vat of wild boar stew. Any party should have food as well as drink, I reckon." Even as he spoke, his eyes seemed to devour Hydra, Loughness, Ballan and Flitwick as if each of them was a fascinating book that he found himself eager to read. Once again, Hydra opened her mouth to ask the man who he was, but found herself needing to down a large portion of her drink first for some reason.
Ballan shifted at her side, and spoke first. "How? That is, how?" Hydra turned her gaze to him, incredulous to see the tough elf dumbstruck as he stared at the strange gaunt man. She had never seen Ballan speechless except when it came to her, but this was entirely different. What was he asking the man anyway? How what? Shouldn't it be who instead? As in who are you? Also perhaps why, as in why was he staring at them like that?
The man cleared his throat, suddenly, was it uncomfortable? This was really getting odd. On that note, Hydra downed the rest of her drink. "Ye are a strong one in the mental arts, Master Elf," he told Ballan, a clear note of respect in his voice as he inclined his head toward the elf. "I should have shielded my mind better, mayhaps, though I was not thinking of anything telling to my knowledge." That last bit he murmured as if half to himself.
"You were thinking about elves and leprechauns, and of the fascinating magic that comes out of humans breeding with them," Ballan explained. "Surely in the cases of those three," he concluded, nodding at Hydra, Loughness and Filius.
The silver haired gaunt stranger nodded back. "Yes. Indeed so. And this told you what?" His gaze was piercing as well as curious as he studied Ballan with an even greater intensity than before.
Ballan shrugged, leaning against the bar rather than sitting on the stool at Hydra's side. "That I wondered who you were to notice such things." It was then that Hydra recalled that the human disguise illusions hadn't been lifted from her or Loughness yet. She really should speak to Daddy Kreacher about sorting that. Her thoughts were jerked from that topic as Ballan continued, however. "Whoever you are, you aren't supposed to be here. Well, clearly you are, but that returns us to how?" The gaunt silver haired man leaned across the bar to study Ballan with open fascination and admiration in his sharp green eyes, and Hydra found herself holding her breath.
"My how first," he said. "How did you see that I am not supposed to be here?"
Ballan blinked. "Do you really want me to say it out loud? In front of everyone?"
Mr. Silver Hair glanced around, then slowly nodded. "Everyone here is to be trusted, it would seem." Ariana gave a slight nod.
"By the way, I may appear to be drinking myself under the bar, but I am paying attention," Albus said carefully.
"Good to know," Flitwick murmured.
Ballan and the stranger did not appear to notice any reactions of those around them."Well, I saw glimpses in your mind," Ballan said. "Not words but fleeting images of elves and even a leprechaun that you once knew. They were all dressed far differently than anything that I have ever seen. It would also appear that there were far more castles about in your day. It seemed far older, and you are not a vampire. So how is it that someone who should be centuries dead is here now?"
"Because I was dead, and a very nice Necromancer spilled a lot of worthless Muggle blood to resurrect me."
Ariana sighed, dropping the polishing cloth onto the bar that she'd been using to wipe it down. "That would be me. I do wish you hadn't mentioned the bit about spilling Muggle blood in front of Uncle Albus. Everyone, meet Salazar Slytherin. My husband. He is apparently ready to come out of hiding."
"At least to a few people," Salazar Slytherin clarified hastily.
"At least to a few people,"Ariana repeated, a slight twitch to her lips.
"These shall be even darker times that we face, I fear, than those of the Delphini creature."
"And why didn't you help us with her," Regulus demanded, more curiously than angrily, Hydra noted in some surprise.
Slytherin, if that was who he truly was, sighed. "Because I was too weak. I may live, but I have never regained my full physical strength. Even the most powerful of Necromancers can only do so much. I tire easily and though I can still work strong magic, it drains and exhausts me far more rapidly than I like to admit. Mr. Grindelwald was doing well, so I saw no reason to get in his way.
"Is he aware of you," Regulus asked, a frown of annoyance still tight around the corners of his mouth.
"I do not see why he would be," Slytherin answered mildly. "The two of us have never met."
"He doesn't set foot in here, Dad," Loughness reminded. "You know, due to his hating Aberforth and Aberforth hating him."
Hydra sat silently, still attempting to process. She supposed she was currently in a distant sort of shock. The man had just said he was Salazar Slytherin.
"Who," Ballan murmured, leaning close to her."
"Founder of Slytherin house at Hogwarts. A powerful Dark wizard who is not a fan of Muggle-borns attending a wizarding school."
"Ah," Ballan nodded. He did not look nearly as impressed or shocked as she felt, but why should he? When Hydra opened her mouth, the first thing she said to Salazar Slytherin was perhaps the dumbest thing she could've said.
"But you don't look in the least like your chocolate frog card!"
He scowled. "Indeed I do not. Fat and bald was how that card portrayed me. Well trust me, Godric was far more for the extra plates of food than was I, I'll have you know. Propaganda it was. I died first and he made certain I was remembered as more unattractive than he as his final, got you, or I won, or however they say it these days. He was a petty bastard and I am embarrassed to have ever been his friend."
"Yeah, and he was a dick to goblins," Graven drawled, polishing off the final shot to leave a row of empty crystal glasses lined up on the bar. Even as she chuckled at Graven's comment, Hydra's mind still reeled with shock. She kept expecting Ariana Dumbledore to burst into laughter, proclaiming that she'd just pranked them all but good. Salazar Slytherin could not really be alive again? She downed the rest of her drink and pushed her goblet across to Ariana, who had just finished refilling all the shot glasses. As she watched, Ariana absent-mindedly refilled the glass while watching Salazar out of the corner of one eye with a mildly worried expression on her face. Salazar leaned on the bar, suddenly looking tired and drained. "You should rest," Ariana said, and he shook his head.
"Not yet. I am fine." Smiling, he turned back to the others. "I shall bring out the pot of soup now and some bowls," he said. It truly struck Hydra then that they were about to eat food cooked by Salazar Slytherin. She glanced around at the others, knowing that everyone aside from Ballan had to be as stunned as she. Wulfric's eye was the first she caught. 'Wow," he mouthed silently at her and she nodded.
"So you cook, then," she said to Salazar. Could her contributions get any more stupid? Mortified that she could not think of something better to say through her complete and utter shock, Hydra had to struggle not to hide under the bar.
Salazar smiled. "A big kettle and lots of ingredients, it's truly just making a potion," he told her and she nodded dumbly. It was then that she noticed that Ariana had refilled her drink. Eagerly she reached for it and tossed half of it back, hoping it would sharpen her wit along with loosening her tongue. At least her next question was better. "Why did you call Ballan Master Elf?" Something about the phrase seemed proper as well as pleasantly old fashioned, but it drew her curiosity.
"Because in my day elves were revered, not enslaved," Salazar said. "When Ariana first summoned my spirit, it was to ask questions on the topic of the enslavement of elves. Thee art likely aware that she was hired by thy parents to seek information on that very thing from those dead souls who may have knowledge."
When Hydra nodded, he continued. His speech was a mix of old and new, showing his moderate integration into these modern times. "When I wouldst not provide her with information of something that had clearly taken place after my time, she and I continued to converse as I had questions of her about what the future had become. She summoned me more than once, and the two of us struck up a friendship that quickly turned into deeper feelings for one another. When she asked me if I would wish to live again wouldst she manage it, I was of course eager. To have an opportunity to start anew, to have a new bloodline clean and free of the twistedness that spawned Voldemort, and with a fascinating beautiful woman like Ariana was more than I could resist."
"We have yet to have a child, but we are still actively trying," Ariana said, blushing slightly as she smiled fondly at Salazar who slipped a possessive arm around her.
"So how long have you been alive again," Regulus asked Salazar, but it was Ariana who answered.
"I resurrected him less than a year after the first time I summoned him."
"So that ghostly basilisk my parents saw was his," Regulus asked.
Ariana flushed. "I did not consider that they would see him. Your parents are so... so... themselves that I honestly have a difficult time recalling that they are dead." She sighed.
"My parents bullied poor Ariana until she grounded them to our manor against her better judgement,"Regulus explained to everyone else, who exchanged knowing amused smirks and glances all around. Anyone who knew Walburga Black, even in the slightest had no problem believing this.
"The basilisk was buried with Salazar, but did not respond to the blood sacrifice," Ariana explained.
Salazar frowned. "I can no longer see him, so my dear pet is now hers," he lamented.
"That is usually what happens," Albus slurred carefully as he reached for another shot. "You get married and most of your things get taken over. Bera is extremely pretty, though, so it's worth it."
"Eu," Wulfric groaned miserably.
Just then Greybo and Glimmer entered carrying instruments. Glimmer had Hydra's miniature piano floating behind him. It was then that Hydra recalled someone commenting that their band was supposed to play for the party. She was to play for Salazar Slytherin? For an instant she was terrified until she recalled that he'd likely heard all the other times they'd played even if she'd been unaware.
