Author's note: If anyone is interested, there are two short prequels I have posted alongside this story as well, and I will, every now and then, keep adding prequels, sequels, or interesting scenes or events happening alongside the main story. They can be found on my profile as having 'Ode to lone souls' as half of the title, the other half being the name of the work.

One of them is a completed one-shot prequel that delves into Igor Karkaroff and Rada Pann's relationship, called 'Ode to lone souls - Igor's elegy'

The other one focuses on the relationship between Viktor Krum and Tania Danaga, and it's called 'Ode to lone souls - The Ballad of Viktor Krum'. It's currently in progress, however will be short and only contain 2-3 chapters total.

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"You know, mister professor, my parents had plans to send me to Hogwarts."

"Hm." Hands behind his back, Igor Karkaroff turned towards Tania Danaga, not surprised by the sudden confession.

The student he was guiding back to Durmstrang had been suffering from a fatal blood malediction that had been currently manageable, for both herself and his staff, however due to the care needed in-school and the development of the disease, she had to be approved at the beginning of each academic year. After he became Headmaster, not needing a death in-school and the media torrent that would follow, he had intended to refuse her enrollment.

And each year, Rada had always somehow gotten to the paperwork before him, and each year, he feared that Danaga would die in the hallways of Durmstrang.

Igor figured, with all the paperwork, evolution of disease reports, and other hoops he had been setting each year for her parents in order to make them reconsider sending her to Durmstrang, that the Danagas must have made a contingency plan, in case one year Igor would have successfully managed to refuse her enrollment.

"Do you think you would have enjoyed it?" he asked, interested.

"They seem okay. Their Headmaster's a bit…"

"A few loose screws?" he sneered, amused as Danaga seemed to share the impression. She wasn't a bad kid, and she hailed from the same area his mother had, a trait which automatically endeared any student to him. They were passing portrait after portrait as they walked up the hallways and staircases, however Igor figured that as they were conversing in Bulgarian, none of the portraits could figure he was slagging off Dumbledore to a student.

"I've heard their students like him a lot, though. With all due respect, mister professor, sir, maybe more of us would like you better if you were a bit, you know, a bit..."

"A bit?" Igor cocked an eyebrow, but Danaga didn't seem sure how to finish her sentence, and she just motioned with her hands upwards, only confusing him more. Well, not that much. There were many adjectives he could think of, many that fit the motion of what Danaga must have meant, especially after having seen Dumbledore in action.

A bit…what, Danaga? Kinder? Softer? Better? Less harsh? Less aggressive? Should I send out a survey? Should I pull you all in my office, one-by-one, to give me feedback? Merlin's balls, I can't wait for all you final year students to finish your studies and to be rid of your snark.

"And what exactly qualifies you to give such advice, Danaga?" He had meant for his response to be more sharp-tongued, but decided instead to take on the advice.

"What can I say, mister professor, living close to death gives you a certain insight."

"Are you afraid of death, Danaga?"

"No."

"Hm. What advice would you give to someone who is?"

"To live." She responded immediately, as if that was not her own advice, but a universal truth that all should follow.

Igor furrowed his brows, knowing her sense of humour to be as dry as his, yet saw that she had meant it in all seriousness. He thought back onto those dark days, many years ago, when Danaga would have just learnt how to stop putting her wand in her nose and tie her shoelaces by magic instead of doing it like a Muggle, those awful last days in Britain a dozen years ago, waiting for his trial in Azkaban, and how awfully he had wanted to live - to live, not spend his days as a shell, locked in those cells. How he clung onto life so much that he sold anyone he could for it.

Perhaps even a student can be right sometimes.

"I won't die in school, mister professor, sir, if that's what you're worried about."

"Smart girl." he chuckled. "How much do you think you have left?"

"They say maybe a year."

"What do you plan to do with your year, then?"

"What would you do, mister Headmaster, sir? If you don't mind me asking."

Igor used the time it took to pull out his wand and open the entrance between Hogwarts and Durmstrang to think about what he would do, indeed, if he had a year to live.

There were times when he would wake up, in a sweat, and would scratch at his arm like a madman, thinking his Mark had reappeared. There were times he would have nightmares about Augustus Rookwood, or the three Lestranges escaping and being on the lookout for him. Nightmares about Dolohov, who knew all Durmstrang entrances and exits inside and out, especially after Black's escape. If he had managed to, who can say the others couldn't find a way? He had considered his days being numbered before, and the many ways in which he would flee to gain more and more time, and in these past few months, he had thought about it more than ever.

"Travel, perhaps." he responded, an answer quite close to the truth. "See what the world has to offer before leaving it."

"I've thought about doing the same after finishing the year."

"And your folks? Do they know?"

The answer came after a long pause, surprising Igor with not only the cheek of daring to respond to him with such a question, but the fact that she was even interested in the answer.

"Do you have children, sir? "

He thought most students, especially Year Eleven students, knew he was unmarried and childless- sure, he knew at least five different stories, all false, surrounding his marital circumstances. Perhaps it was the candour and surprise that made him answer in all honesty, without any attached snark.

"None." None yet, not that it was anyone's business.

"I didn't think, with all due respect, that you would have wanted children anyway, mister Headmaster, sir."

"Excuse me?"

"When I was young, really young, mister professor, sir, I used to think my dad was the greatest person in the entire world, and he used to think I was the greatest, most amazing person too, his little princess. And one day -and not because of my illness, or because of my sister - just one summer day, without any rhyme nor reason, as I was growing up, he stopped looking at me the same, and I stopped too. One day, parents just stop loving their children.

And when I came back to Durmstrang, after that summer, I realised he started looking at me like you look at us, mister professor."

"And?"

"And, sir, I figured you wouldn't want children that one day you end up looking at in the same way you look at the rest of us."

Igor found himself speechless in front of a student for the first time in a long, long time, as he continued walking Danaga to the infirmary while digesting her little story about parental love. He thought about that olden song his mother used to sing sometimes, when she'd do work around the house, particularly one verse - Shame on you, you loved me like a child, you left me like you would a stranger- and he wondered if she must have known of it as well, before realising she would have been too young to know of its existence. Danaga did not seem to realise the effect her words had on him, as she was busying herself examining her hands for any purple spots, yawning in between.

They hadn't exchanged a word until they reached the Infirmary, and Igor advised he'd have Professor Samovich check on her every hour until the morning.

"Good night, then. And Danaga?"

"Yes, mister Headmaster, sir?"

"You can't keep dragging Krum around you for a year and then be gone. You need to let him live his life. He has one, my girl, unlike you." He watched Danaga's expression slowly change to one of surprise, as she stuttered that she wasn't aware that he knew about them.

"I know about everything happening at Durmstrang, Danaga, do not forget that." he whispered, before closing the door to the Infirmary, and turning on his heels. He did not feel like returning back to Hogwarts, and decided to instead wait in his office for Rada's return.

There had been some recent -well, as of ten minutes ago - developments he needed to discuss with her.

"Rise and shine little boss, how's it going?" Vera Lohov, the Magical Theory professor, greeted Rada Pann, bowing her head slightly before returning to look at the mass of Hogwarts students inundating the Durmstrang third-floor dining room.

She had barely started her class when the announcement came, simultaneously in all classrooms, offices, bedrooms, hallways and common rooms. A Hogwarts student had disappeared last night. The instructions, as laid out by the Headmaster, were that Durmstrang students were to immediately gather themselves, by years, in ascending order, in the dining rooms of the top three floors. The dining room of the ground floor was to be occupied by Hogwarts students, until the missing student would be found.

"Alright babies, you've heard the big boss, let's get going. One two, one two!" she cheerfully called out to the first year students in her class, following behind them as they gathered alongside the second, third and fourth years students in the third floor dining room. Warda Hattab, who had been doing the head count on their floor, announced that all of the students in the first four years were there, before leaning in to ask a favour.

"Vera, be a dear and go to the ground floor, announce it to either Igor or Rada that they're all here on the third floor. I'll handle the children from here."

That was how Vera found herself watching the mass of Hogwarts students, half of them in their school robes, some carrying their textbooks, only half-bothered that their own classes were cancelled, some having half-eaten their breakfast, and half of them still wearing their pyjamas, half-asleep, eyes half-closed, and half-realising where they were. Vera wondered briefly what was going to happen to Durmstrang after the student would be found. Hundreds of students, pouring in, were now in their Institute, in their school, eyes rummaging across their sacred school. She raised her head towards Rada, and watched the Deputy's eyes dart quickly from one student to the other, wondering if she were thinking the exact same thing.

She extended a hand towards the Deputy, which Rada caught, and the two Durmstrang professors interlocked fingers, sighing wearily.

"I've been better, Vera."

The morning had started awfully, and no one was doing well, and they both knew it.

"That the kid's brother?"

The ginger Hogwarts student Vera had been seeing strutting into the Year Ten Ethics classes, full of both himself and an innate sense of inferiority - How can a kid even manage that? she'd ask herself each time upon seeing him - was counting and signing off students off a sheet, his hand shaking and trembling as it ticked names. The inkwell he was dipping his quill in had been charmed to float next to the parchment, however it was shaking as much as he did, and another student, a blonde haired witch with blue in her uniform, decided to help him and re-charmed the inkwell, making it steady once again.

"One of them."

"One of them?"

"Seven in the family, I've heard from Minerva. The youngest boy is the one who disappeared."

"Seven, eh?" Vera whistled, pulling on Rada's hand to signal to her to move her head closer, so she could whisper her thoughts. "Worst case, they won't mind one less that much then, will they?"

Rada was aware Vera had meant it as a joke to lighten the mood, however, much as she liked Vera, she did not enjoy her often dark sense of humour. Thankfully, by now Rada had fully come back to her usual self in terms of strength - she was no longer limping, no longer did she need to rely on another person in order to walk at a normal pace - and to teach her a lesson, she used her entire force to give her hand one hard, painful squeeze.

"Don't be like that." she admonished her in a whisper, before leaning back in close to Vera's ear. "Last year, you know, with the other incident, it was the youngest kid, the girl, that-" Rada couldn't finish her sentence, however, as it got drowned in another humourless attempt at a joke, this time from Hayk.

"No kissing in the dining room."

"Have some decorum, professor." Rada hissed, lips pursing as she shook Vera's hand. "The both of you. Consider the circumstances we're in, and that these children are in. I take it Years Nine, Ten and Eleven are accounted for?" she turned towards Hayk, who moved his head from one side to the other.

"In a way, Deputy. All save for two are on the first floor, where they should be. I've gathered Bauer and the elder Danaga and brought them with me from the Infirmary."

"Have them stay here then, I cannot be bothered with two students extra, Hayk, I cannot right now."

Rada looked at the two students, who were already mixing with the Hogwarts students and taking seats at their table, and pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand. No reason now to start moving students around from floor to floor, as long as the counts in the end would add up.

"What happened?"

Hermione looked up to the two Durmstrang students, recognising the voice as belonging to Krista Bauer, the student with bright eyeshadow from the night before. The other student, however, who did not seem to be wearing a uniform and whose clothing under a red cloak resembled an old-timey winter nightdress, she did not recognise.

"Our friend Ron disappeared. Harry noticed it this morning, didn't you, Harry?" she turned towards Harry, however he seemed deep in thought, watching each and every student entering and being counted, probably hoping that with each one that Ron would also come out with them. Each time a Hogwarts professor entered the Durmstrang dining room alongside students, Hermione saw him jolt up slightly, until he'd notice the professor shake his head slightly as he'd confirm with professor Flitwick that they did not find Ron in a specific part of the castle. She cleared her throat and turned her head away from Harry, continuing. "We thought that student, the one you said… those things about last night, offended Ron, and he just left early."

Bauer took a seat next to Fred Weasley as Hermione explained, yet the other student remained upright, her hands resting on Bauer's shoulders as she kept looking around the Hogwarts students before snapping her head back to the Durmstrang professors that were coming in and out of the dining room.

"Niko?" the student asked, appearing not surprised. "Niko offending someone, that's not news. What did he do this time?"

"So he told me last night, right," Bauer started, her head facing upwards towards the student as she addressed her more than anyone else. "-that their friend saw you and Niko bump into each other and apparently wanted to check that you were alright. Since you left so early with mister Headmaster."

"Oh, that's cute. And strange." she stated amused, before turning from Bauer to face Hermione. "Tell your friend, when you find him, that he's sweet."

Hermione found her odd, how she seemed not concerned at all with the possibility of Ron's disappearance, acting nonchalant and cracking jokes, how she patted Bauer's shoulders before taking her leave, hands in pockets as she started walking alongside tables that were filling with other Hogwarts students, starting conversations with a student or another.

"I don't get it though, why are you all here?" Krista Bauer asked, waving her arm around.

"Because of Sirius Black." she whispered her response, as if the entire Gryffindor body was not already aware of why they were evacuated, having been present when Peeves let them all know in their common room, cheerfully and happily, that he had not seen Ron, however that they may be interested in what other person of interest he had seen last night. "When they were looking for Ron, he was apparently seen in the corridors. Our Headmaster, professor Dumbledore, talked to yours and we've all been asked to come here while they're searching the castle. Percy and the other Heads are doing the head counts and then they'll sweep the castle."

The two turned towards Percy, who had just finished his head count of the Gryffindor students, and walked over to Professor Sinistra.

"Here's the head count, professor." he muttered, handing her the parchment with all the names of Gryffindor students accounted for. He tried his best to sound confident and not stressed by the situation, yet there was still a slight tremor in his voice as he spoke and in his hand as he extended the parchment.

"Don't worry yourself too much, mister Weasley, I am sure they will find him soon."

Percy took a deep breath of air, and nodded his head, before looked around to his other siblings.

Let it be like the car, Ron, let it be like the car last year, when you took the car and I was worried you weren't in the train, but you were okay in the end, and you'll take House points from us but it's fine, as long as we find you.

Ginny was there, with that loopy Ravenclaw girl she was friends with. Fred and George were there as well, next to the Durmstrang girl, crouched over and doing something under the table - he didn't know what they were doing, but he was not bothered enough at this moment to care how they were coping with Ron missing. At least Harry and Hermione were sharing his worries, and were still looking around as the last Hogwarts students started to trickle in the dining room.

Yet there was no Ron, only a few Slytherin students dragging their feet, acting like it was such an inconvenience to them.

Remus Lupin followed swiftly behind them, trying not to show his exasperation with how slow they were walking to the entire school. He counted them quickly, before approaching professor Flitwick and letting him know that all Hogwarts students were now accounted for, save for Ron Weasley, in a tone low enough that he hoped no one else could hear.

"That's not right." Fred Weasley mumbled, both him and George Weasley managing to have heard, somehow, the professor's announcement in spite of all the conversations happening around them.

"They're missing one." George responded, furrowing his brows.

"How could they have missed this kid? I saw McGonagall pull everyone out of the common room."

"What's that?" Harry asked, suddenly interested in what they have been doing ever since the announcement of Ron's disappearance and the sightings of Sirius Black. George motioned for him to get closer, and started explaining the map to him, before pointing to the Gryffindor common room with the tip of his wand.

"It's a map of Hogwarts. Fred and I found it in Filch's office a few years ago, and we've been using it since. It tracks everyone's movements, and contains all the hidden hallways found in Hogwarts. We opened it after you already said you can't find him, Harry, mate, but as you can see…"

"No sign of either Ron or Black. Only this kid in the common room, looks like he's just spinning around like a broken Sneakoscope."

"It'd be hilarious, if Ron weren't missing." George stated in a grave tone.

"That's an interesting name."

George, Fred and Harry all turned to Krista Bauer. Sat next to the twins, Krista couldn't help but sneak a look from behind their shoulders. She kept moving closer and closer as they kept talking to one another, figuring it was alright since they weren't telling her outright and explicitly to mind her own business. By this point, she had her head so close to the map she was not peeking into their conversation anymore, she was technically a member of it.

"That's the exact name of that guy Sirius Black killed. Or-... or not killed."

"What are you talking about?" Fred asked her, but she only pointed to Lupin in response.

"Your professor- what's his name? You have to show him this."