Chapter 23: Zabini Manor

The next morning, Harry was woken up from his sleep by the opening of their cell door. He had slept well, better than he had ever slept for as long as he could remember, but his childhood reflexes quickly returned and he gasped, escaped the arms that had cradled him for the last few hours and was on his feet to face the intruder. Jasper was on his feet just as quickly, caught up in his memories. If the presence of his soulmate had allowed him to chase them away into the night, his distance and the intruder were rekindling them.

The vampire tensed until the person introduced himself: Kingsley, who invited them to follow him. They crossed the corridor to his office, and the place brought back other memories to the vampire, who gritted his teeth, hiding his confusion as best he could. None of the wizards reacted, and the minister motioned for them to sit down. On the desk, a few scones awaited Harry, and a warm bottle of blood was laid out for Jasper. Both were happy to eat, the young man because he had neglected this primary need in recent days, the second to calm his vampire.

"We've come up with a solution that I hope will satisfy you," Kingsley began. "You're going to move into Zabini Manor, the estate contains a forest where you and your family can find something to eat. Professor Flitwick will ensure that only you, Mr. Hale, are prevented from leaving the estate. You will not be allowed to leave until the investigation into the events leading up to the fire in Grimmauld place, and your share of the responsibility, has been established. Any questions?"

"Who is the current owner of the manor?" asked Harry, who didn't really want to cross paths with former mangemorts.

"Blaise Zabini, since his mother died, he's her sole heir. It's been proven that he never joined the ranks of the Death Eaters and there are no dark magic artifacts in the manor."

The young wizard's relief surprised Jasper, but he asked no questions. His hand was clenched on the empty bottle, he only wished to leave this office. He forced his gaze to avoid those of the portraits, one in particular, knowing that the Major would take control if he met that eager but powerless gaze.

Time seemed long as he stopped listening to the conversation between Harry and the Minister, all his concentration mobilized to prevent the Major from rising to the surface and exploding in rage at that gaze. At the time, the man was concealed under a black cloak, but those eyes... he'd never forget them.

The opening of the door snapped Jasper out of his thoughts, and he turned to face the new arrival, nerves frayed, but unsure of how to react when he discovered Mr. Weasley with a pillow in his hand. He understood what it was when the man handed them the pillow and the Minister and Harry placed their hands on it. He didn't hesitate before imitating them; he'd already experimented with this kind of transportation, he didn't like it, but he knew he wasn't risking anything: neither being hurt, nor losing control.

They arrived in a park facing a huge lake. Behind them rose a large stone manor house whose shape, seen from above, resembled a snowflake, with three tall towers marking the intersections of certain branches. The slate-covered roof seemed to reflect the ripples of the lake while blending with the bluish-green canopy that stretched behind the building and over the slopes of the mountains that framed the estate.

The Cullens, Flitwick and a young black man with high cheekbones and almond-shaped eyes were waiting outside the manor gate. Harry frowned when he saw the welcoming committee, but wasted no time and walked towards the group, followed by the other arrivals.

"Zabini," Harry declared, extending his hand to the young man.

"Potter."

The mixture of animosity, respect and curiosity that passed between the two wizards as they shook hands intrigued Jasper, who tucked the information away in a corner of his head. He concentrated on the exchange, on his control. Flitwick confirmed that the barriers were in place and Zabini described where they were.

"Anyway, you'll see like a pane of glass materialize in front of you before you reach it, just avoid touching it." concluded the owner of the place.

Kingsley promised to keep them informed of the progress of the fire investigation, removed Jasper's handcuffs and left.

"Excuse me." said the empath as soon as the minister and the other wizards, with the exception of Blaise and Harry, had left.

He ran into the forest behind the manor house, went in a straight line, the fence loomed in front of him, he turned left and skirted the fence until the forest and the mountain flowed into the lake. There, he found a jetty that jutted out a few meters above the water and seemed to float almost ten meters above the surface. He stepped onto the planks and sat down at the end of the pontoon, his legs flailing in the air, the air caressing his face and no thoughts crossing his mind. He felt nothing, no emotion, except calm. The Major had calmed down as he'd moved away from the group and their feelings, Zabini's jaded curiosity, Harry's conflicted emotions, his family's relieved and worried ones... and his own. Then, the sensation of the wind on his skin, of the pure air entering his lungs, of the immensity around him seized him. He took several deep breaths, let the sun shine on his skin and finally realized what he was leaving behind. He wasn't free yet, but he was no longer confined within four walls; he was master of his movements and thoughts. If he could, he would have cry at this realization.

He removed his clothes, changed into his boxer shorts and dived into the water. He thought nothing of the creatures he might encounter in the lake, firstly because he was immortal and secondly because the feeling of liberation he felt at that moment made him forget that he was in a magical world populated by dangers he had no idea of.

Harry watched him go, worried, wondering if he was going to look for a loophole in the barrier or a place for the Major to take control over him, but he was quickly reassured by Edward.

"He just wants to enjoy the outdoors for a while, he's not planning to try to escape."

"Okay, shall we go back inside or wait for him there?" asked the Survivor.

Everyone nodded and Blaise led the way. A man of few words, he described each place with the minimum of information necessary. First of all, he guided them to the two elders of the manor house they would be occupying, each of which had three bedrooms with adjoining bathrooms and a small shared terrace. He then led them to the common areas: the large open-plan kitchen, which opened onto a huge, bright living room. In one corner of the room, a large, extinguished fireplace gave off the smell of wood fire. A door in one corner led to the small living room, itself adjoined by a huge library. Both rooms overlooked a vegetable garden. Finally, he showed them to his private quarters, asking them to respect his privacy and not to enter.

"And, Potter, in case you're wondering, the Ministry has already gone through everything."

"Don't worry, I've got better things to do than go through other people's things. Mine are complicated enough. I'll leave you to it, I've got things to do," he added before apparating away.