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Гарри Поттер
Темный принц
Автор:
LoveMyRomance
Гарри Поттера игнорируют и бросают, потому что его брат —
«Избранный». Вместо того, чтобы предаться забвению, его спасает
никто иной, как сам Лорд Волан-де-Морт. Пару лет спустя у Темной
стороны появилось новое секретное оружие: Адриан «Гарри» Риддл,
наследник Темного Лорда. Первая часть серии «Темный принц». 1 и
2 годы. ПОЛНЫЙ. ПРОДОЛЖЕНИЕ.
Рейтинг:
Художественная литература T
– Английский – Саспенс/Фэнтези – [Гарри П., Дафна Г.] – Главы: 32
– Слов: 159 791 – Обзоров:
1 140
– Избранное: 4 631 – Подписок: 3 877 – Обновлено:
17.04.2017, 01:44:31
– Опубликовано:
18.11.2013, 02:06:17
– Статус: Завершено – id: 9855330
7. Destiny
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Riddle Manor [1989]
"Hadrian. Wake up."
Hadrian mumbled incoherently and waved his hand, trying to shoo away
the unpleasant voice.
"Hadrian." The voice was sharp, and Hadrian moaned sleepily under his
breath.
Suddenly, he could feel his arm being yanked out from under his head.
His head slammed onto the brewing table, and Hadrian growled with
irritation clearly evident on his face. He could hear childish snickers
coming from his right. Hadrian opened one eye and glared at the
platinum blond next to him.
"Er...Hadrian?"
Hadrian snapped his head around, and clenched his teeth, "What?!"
"Perhaps you should take your hand out of the potion you are brewing."
Hadrian scoffed. As if he would ever be as clumsy as to...The rest of his
thoughts trailed off as caught a glimpse of his hand halfway into the
sickly green potion that was bubbling in his cauldron. He quickly yanked
it out like it was on fire. Hadrian's face flushed with embarrassment and
he hastily wiped his hand on every possible surface he could find.
"Mr. Riddle, how many times have I told you, you must concentrate on
your potion if you wish for it to be perfect." Severus Snape spoke
smoothly, scowling down at him.
Hadrian made a face at his greasy-bat potions tutor, "It's so boring
watching it bubble."
"Draco doesn't seem to have a problem with it."
"But this is boring, and he's boring. It's like a match made in heaven."
Hadrian smiled impishly.
Draco, the boy sitting next to him, pushed Hadrian off the stool. Hadrian
fell onto the floor with a small thud, and glared at Draco who wore a
smug look on his face.
"Oy, Draco! Don't you hurt poor Hadrian." A shrill voice cut in. Hadrian
smirked triumphantly, Draco was so going to get it now. Bellatrix
Lestrange stomped into the room, holding her head high.
"Bellatrix." Snape addressed her curtly. He clearly looked annoyed at all
the disruptions in his lesson.
"Poor Hadrian?" Draco repeated, astonished.
"He incredibly important, and don't you hurt even a little hair on his
head. He doesn't deserve your bad influences. He is an angel. You
understand me? Don't touch Hadrian. Or else." Bellatrix scolded. She had
grown quite attached to the child, and after many years she was almost
considered the 'mother-figure' in Hadrian's life.
"Auntie Bella, sometimes I wonder if you love Hadrian more than you
love me. Your own flesh and blood. How could you?" Draco whined
theatrically, pretending to wipe away a tear.
"But it's true..." Hadrian grinned unabashedly. He ducked his head before
Bellatrix could whack him upside the head.
"Hush Draco. You too Hadrian." Bellatrix said, but she did not try hide
the smile threatening to creep onto her face.
"I'm assuming we are done with the lesson for today?" Bellatrix said
loudly, winking at Hadrian discreetly. Hadrian grinned, knowing she was
well-aware of the fact that the lesson was far from over.
"How can you even-What kind of- Of course not!" Snape snapped.
"So that's a yes?" Hadrian asked cautiously. Snape sputtered, but before
he could say anything Bellatrix cut him off.
"Yes, I believe so. Come Hadrian, Draco." Bellatrix ushered them off their
workbenches, and rolled her eyes as her nephew looked at his halfway
completed potion, almost longingly.
Once they had left the room, Severus Snape muttered angrily to himself.
Perhaps he had made the wrong decision in joining the Death Eaters, and
personally tutoring the Dark Lord's bratty heir. Dumbledore simply
thought he was a spy. Severus almost chuckled at the old coot's
obliviousness. It was true he had first started associating with the Dark
Side having... questionable intentions...but after seeing their rising
potential, Snape quickly switched loyalties. Had he made a mistake?
Snape growled as he cleaned the boys' messes on their brewing tables.
These supplies were extremely rare and expensive, since the Dark Lord's
heir would have no less than the best. They could not be cleaned by
magic, so instead of the boys cleaning up, Severus was slaving away.
Must they always be so rowdy and immature? There wouldn't be half as
much to clean up, if they simply stuck their faces in their books and paid
attention. Snape finished scrubbing the equipment clean, cursing many
times. He scrubbed and wiped until he could see a distorted reflection of
himself gleaming on the shiny surface.
Severus smiled, the term being very loosely applied. He wasn't sure what
to do with their surely defective potions. Nevertheless, Severus Snape
poured each potion into a separate vial and gave it a little shake, curious
to see if it would explode, or react. There was no way he would be
keeping explosive potions in his storage cabinet. He shook his head when
one of the potions stayed the same hideous green. But Severus was
surprised to see the other potion turn into a pale, almost clear green. He
raised an eyebrow at the palpable change, and picked his wand.
"Emendo" Snape spoke dryly, in his smooth voice. The grading spell he
had created in his early teaching years had been a life-safer. It had never
been wrong He drummed his fingers against the vial, waiting for the
results to appear.
The potion in the vial glowed green, before returning to its normal color.
Snape's jaw dropped in shock. How could that brat make this high level
potion so flawlessly? And the child had even fallen asleep in the middle
of it! He was absolutely flabbergasted since the potion was impeccable,
the color was correct and even the consistency was flawless. Snape stared
at the potion, nit-picking for any small mistakes. He was not going to
deny that he was disappointed because he did not find any errors.
Severus knew it was definitely Hadrian's potion, since Draco's wasn't even
close to being finished when he had checked. Both boys were skilled at
potions, but when it came down to who best, Snape reluctantly had to
admit it was clearly Hadrian.
That boy didn't even try. He fell asleep! He dropped his hand into the
potion! Severus Snape didn't know how such a small child could be so
skilled in a subject like this. Potions was his speciality, and it required
nothing less than perfection. It was the small details, such as stirring one
more time than the directions stated, or accidentally adding a small
ingredient, that could ultimately ruin the potion. Severus was drawn to
this subject, because he demanded perfection in everything he did.
Potions was no exception. But this brat, this heir of the Dark Lord; he was
a prodigy. Severus leaned back in his desk chair, shaking his head in
disbelief.
There was no question now. He knew there was a war coming. Even the
blubbering idiot Peter Pettigrew knew war was inevitable. The magical
world was in danger, and only a war would solve it. The Light side had
their cherished Savior, and the Dark side had Lord Voldemort and
Hadrian Draven Riddle. Severus sneered. The supposed Savior of the
Light, was a complete fool. The boy was like dirt at the bottom of his
shoe. Alexander Potter was below vermin, even below the Weaselys in his
opinion. He was completely daft, and did not even compare to Hadrian.
Severus had the unpleasant experience of meeting the Savior, and he was
not impressed. Everything that came out of his mouth was completely
moronic. The boy was too much like his father, James Potter. Always
puffing out his chest with pride in his less than desirable attributes.
Severus scowled. Yes, he had questioned his loyalty many times, but the
truth was, Severus Snape was a man of hard logic and self-perseverance.
He did not care much for morals. He did not care much for rules. He
wanted to see the world be torn apart, and then be carefully rebuilt by
skilled hands. It didn't matter who had to be destroyed in order for it to
happen.
After spending almost five years with the Dark Side, Severus had no
doubt the Light would lose. And Severus Snape hated to lose. He didn't
want to admit it, but he knew the Dark Lord's strength was wavering.
Hadrian Draven Riddle would lead this war, Severus was sure of it. There
would be no more switching sides now, he thought confidently. The Dark
would conquer, and Severus would sure as hell be there for it when it
happened.
Potter Manor
Lily Potter leaned against her bedroom door, playing with her fingers.
Her eyes were red and swollen from crying and her head felt heavy. She
rested her eyes on the wrinkle free duvet on her perfectly made bed.
Suddenly it seemed too perfect. Lily locked the door and was trembling as
she walked towards the bed. Making sure no one was looking, she leaned
down and pried open a floorboard near the foot of the bed. Her heart
swelled with sadness as she gingerly picked up a deeply cherished photo,
plated in a pure gold frame. Lily stared wistfully at the only picture of
her other son, Harry James Potter. He was smiling, but his eyes were
empty, almost haunting. Lily gently touched his face, and bit her lip with
guilt. She collapsed onto the bed, hugging the photo to her chest. Her
eyes were shut tightly, but they were threatening to overflow with tears.
What had she done?
She had sent away one of her children, for no reason at all.
But there was a reason, Alexander needed his training without any
distractions. Lily smiled at the thought of Alexander. He was her joy, he
was what made her smile. He was what reminded her that sending Harry
away was a smart decision.
"Lily, are you in there?" James' voice called from outside the door. Lily
sniffled once, and wiped away her tears. She stared at the picture once
more, before stashing the picture in its hidden place.
"Yes James. Come in."
The door unlocked, and swung open slowly. James Potter had a wide
smile on his face, but it quickly faded when he saw his wife's condition.
James closed the door quietly, and crossed the large room. Lily turned
her face away and clasped and unclasped her hands several times. James
sat down next to Lily, taking her hands in his.
"What's wrong?" He asked with concern. He nervously ran a free hand
through his messy hair. He adjusted his glasses before rubbing his thumb
on the back of Lily's hand. The gesture was intimate, and Lily finally
turned to face her husband.
"Do you think we made the wrong decision?" She blurted out.
"What do you mean?" James Potter asked, although he felt he knew what
she was speaking about. There was a sinking feeling in his stomach as she
spoke again.
"Do you think we made the wrong decision in sending Harry away?" Lily
asked quietly, twiddling her thumbs rapidly.
James glanced at his wife's tear-streaked face and sighed heavily, "Not
this again Lil'."
"He is our son, James. We can't just forget about him!" Lily cried out.
James patted her hands comfortingly. The feeling in his stomach had
intensified. Now it felt like a cold chunk of ice settling in his stomach.
"He is perfectly safe where he is." James said firmly.
"What if he isn't? What if Death Eaters come attack where he is staying?"
"They won't. There are blood wards set up around your sister's home." He
reassured her.
"But what if-what if-if-"
"Lily, he is perfectly fine."
"He hates us James! The first words he has ever said to us were 'I hate
you'. How can you not be concerned?" Lily exclaimed.
"Because Alexander deserves my full and undivided attention. He is our
only hope to end this war. The more powerful he gets, the faster we can
get Harry back. Besides Harry will be attending Hogwarts. You'll see him
then." James stated, in an authoritative tone. He wiped away Lily's tears
and hugged her close to him.
"It'll all be okay. This war will not last forever." He soothed.
Lily nodded sadly, "I know I just miss him so much."
"Alexander needs us. Come on, love." James whispered. He slowly stood
up, holding out a hand for his wife. Lily hesitated, before placing her
hand in his. He pulled up and into his arms, placing a chaste kiss on her
forehead.
"We'll be fine darling."
He ushered her out the door, but Lily Potter glanced back longingly at
the secret floorboard near her bed. Her gaze travelled up to the once
crisply made bed. It was now covered with small wrinkles. Somehow,
Lily Potter liked it better this way.
They walked through the wide halls of Potter Manor, hand in hand. She
could hear the peals of childish laughter coming from the training room
before she even opened the doors. When James pushed open the doors,
Lily had to hold in her laughter. It was definitely a sight for sore eyes.
"Alexander, what are you doing?" She asked trying to conceal the mirth
in her eyes.
"Nothing mum." Alexander replied innocently.
"Alexander Evan Potter. Is there a reason you turned Mister Dumbledore
pink?"
"Good one Alexander." James commented, admiring his son's handiwork.
Lily whacked James upside the head, and began to apologize profusely to
Dumbledore. The old wizard simply waved it off.
"Its fine Lily. No really, its perfectly alright. Boys will be boys." He
smiled.
"It was accident. I sorry." Alexander Potter whispered. He still didn't
speak as well as some other children his age, but he was getting there.
"What were you trying to do then?" James inquired, almost disappointed
that Alexander had only done the trick on accident.
"We were working on the 'lumos' charm." Dumbledore cut in to explain.
"Still?" Lily Potter exclaimed, shocked. It had been almost six months and
they were still working on a simple charm. She quickly realized her
mistake, and covered her mouth and flushing with embarrassment.
"It's quite alright Lily. Alexander just seems to need a bit more time
mastering it. He's only nine after all." Dumbledore chuckled, although
there was an edge to his voice that made Lily feel as though everything
was not alright.
She gazed at her son with concern. Alexander Potter had grown
remarkably in the past few years. He was slightly on the chubby side,
since he was the only child of a doting mother. Alexander had a short
temper, and he always lashed out on others if he didn't get his way. Lily
suspected this was their fault as well, for he was the Savior of the Light
side. Of course the prophesied child must have everything.
One glance at James told her that he was not on the same page as her. He
was glowing with pride at his son, and Lily couldn't help but wonder if he
truly missed Harry like she did. James never bonded well with Harry,
since Harry was always quiet and never spoke. Except for those hateful
words he said on that night.
Merlin, it had been his birthday too. Lily felt sick to her stomach as she
realized she had abandoned her other child on the day of his birthday.
"Isn't it wonderful Lily? Our little boy is growing up!" James exclaimed,
disrupting Lily of her somber thoughts. Lily simply smiled weakly.
"Dumbledore, may I have a word with you?" She asked sweetly, ignoring
the curious look she got from her husband.
"Of course, my dear." Dumbledore responded. They stepped off towards a
corner of the large room, and Lily turned to face Dumbledore. His eyes
twinkled like sapphires and for once in her life, Lily Potter hated them.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" She asked bluntly, ignoring
all other formalities. Her green eyes flashed, and Dumbledore stiffened.
"Pardon?"
"Alexander." Lily gestured to him. He was being chased around playfully
by James and Lily had to smile. She turned back to Dumbledore. "He isn't
developing his magic quickly."
"Lily he is only nine. What do you expect?" Dumbledore said, as if he was
speaking to a small child.
Lily glanced around before whispering in a low voice, "I know that's what
you told me. Now tell me the truth. Why is it taking so long?"
"Are you questioning my actions?"
Lily Potter took a deep breath, and looked straight into her former
headmaster's eyes. "Yes. I am."
Dumbledore sighed heavily, and stroked his beard. "Alexander's magical
core is not as strong as I had thought. At first, I thought it was because he
was so young. But now, even after almost five years, I know the real
reason."
"What is it?" Lily prompted further.
"I-I can't tell you my dear."
"Why not!? This is my son you are speaking about. Why isn't it as strong
as before?"
"I can't tell you."
"Dumbledore you will tell me right now, or so help me god I will-"
"He is the prophesied child, but he is not miracle. His magical core will
develop as he becomes more and more experienced with magic."
Lily faltered, and she closed her mouth. "What do you mean?"
"Alexander Potter, will develop like any other wizard child. He is not
physically special. He may be destined to defeat Voldemort,"
Lily flinched.
"But he is completely normal inside. He does not have extreme power,
and will probably not have many talents." Dumbledore explained.
"So the Savior of the Wizarding World, is completely normal? That's it?
He's a normal, average boy, with a greater-than-life title?"
Dumbledore hesitated, before quickly saying "Precisely."
He did not enjoy lying to one of his favorite former students, but he knew
it was necessary. Besides, it was almost true. He knew it needed to be
done.
"He will require some training, but he will become one of the greatest
wizards the world has yet to see!" Dumbledore said.
"Are you sure?"
"Very sure. I trust you will not share this news with anyone? Including
James." Dumbledore stated firmly.
Lily nodded, and turned to face her family. James was swinging
Alexander above his head, and she frowned.
"James. Stop it. You'll hurt him. We can't have you hurting the Savior!"
Lily called across the room. James stopped twirling his son, and looked
up sheepishly. He gently set Alexander down, and Alexander toppled
with dizziness.
"Don't worry. I'll keep your secret. As long as you keep my sons safe." Lily
Potter said, glancing back at Dumbledore. He did not miss the fact that
she said sons. Plural.
Dumbledore swallowed, before speaking solemnly, "I promise."
But it was a promise already broken.
Riddle Manor [1989]
"Hadrian, your father wishes to see you." A voice called from the
doorway. Hadrian glanced up from his parchment, smiling slightly at
Bellatrix.
"Hello Bella. Do you know why father requires my presence? I don't
remember doing anything mischievous recently."
"He didn't tell me." Bellatrix spoke slowly trying to conceal her
enthusiasm. Hadrian simply raised an eyebrow. She was practically
bursting with excitement, and she claimed not to know a thing.
"It's a surprise." She explained finally.
"I don't like surprises." Hadrian scowled, but stood up from his desk
anyways. He carefully tucked away his quill and ink and pushed in the
chair.
"Trust me," Bellatrix paused as she laid a hand on Hadrian's shoulder.
"You'll like this one."
Hadrian rolled his eyes. Bella's surprises usually were not good. He once
got turned into a rabbit because of her 'surprise'. He walked out the door,
waiting for Bellatrix to follow. When she didn't, he immediately grew
suspicious.
"Aren't you coming?"
"No. Your father wants to see you, alone."
Hadrian shrugged, but he suddenly felt more nervous. His father rarely
saw him alone.
"Oh and Hadrian?"
"Hhm?"
"Happy Birthday."
Hadrian grinned, but continued walking. Every year Bellatrix was the
first to wish him a happy birthday. On his birthday he was exempt from
all his lessons. He got many presents and sometimes Narcissa planned a
magnificent party in his honor.
Hadrian had finally learned to navigate himself through the large manor
and easily made his way to his father's private office. His father only
taught him one lesson, only once a week. The Unforgivable Resistance.
Hadrian felt like his father enjoyed casting unforgivable curses. His own
heir was no exception. That was one of the things Hadrian liked about his
father. His father would never treat him like rubbish, but would never
treat him as a god either. Lord Voldemort would never go easy on
Hadrian if they dueled. Hadrian couldn't wait to one day fight alongside
his father.
Hadrian paused outside the doors, raising his fist to knock. He already
made the mistake of entering without knocking once, and his bum was
sore for a week. The doors opened with a creak and Hadrian slipped
inside.
"You wished to see me father." Hadrian stated, bowing down before his
father.
"Rise. I have called you here to gift you with a present for your birthday."
Voldemort said in a low voice.
"Where is it?" Hadrian asked eagerly, the cool and collected façade
slipping away.
"Control yourself." Voldemort snapped. Hadrian lowered his head and
nodded.
"It is not something that can be wrapped. You will have to come with us
to receive it."
Hadrian's smile faded. "Where are you taking me?"
"Trust me, you'll enjoy this little surprise." Voldemort smirked, and with a
wave of his hand he transformed both his and Hadrian's clothes into ink
black robes. Hadrian felt a mask melt into his face, and he looked up at
Voldemort.
"Why aren't you wearing a mask?"
"I don't need one. Everyone knows who I am already."
Hadrian rolled his eyes which did not go unnoticed by Lord Voledmort.
Lord Voldemort chose to ignore it, since it was the boy's birthday.
Instead, he reached out a pale, bony hand and waited for Hadrian to hold
it.
"Are we apparating?"
"No, I just want to hold your hand. Of course we are apparating."
Voldemort spit out sarcastically.
Hadrian hesitated, before carefully placing his hand in Voldemort's. The
room swirled around him, and Hadrian could feel the familiar pressure
pushing against him from all sides. His head felt like it was going to burst
and his stomach was rolling around in his body. Then just as quick as it
started, the unpleasant sensation stopped, and Hadrian stood dizzy on his
feet. Hadrian almost felt like he was going to vomit, but he took a deep
breath and steadied himself before looking up at Voldemort.
"Where are we?" Hadrian asked curiously. He glanced around at the
simple cottage like house ahead of them. It was dark outside and it made
Hadrian wonder what exactly they were doing out here.
Hadrian could see a cloaked figure approaching in his peripheral vision
and he snapped his neck around.
"Lucius?" Hadrian whispered as he caught sight of the trademark
platinum blonde hair on the man's head.
"What is Mr. Malfoy doing here?" Hadrian asked. Voldemort ignored him
and chose to address Lucius instead.
"I trust everything is in order?" Lord Voldemort stated in a silky voice.
"O-Of course my Lord." Lucius replied, his eyes flickering to the cottage
ahead.
"Will someone tell me what's going on?" Hadrian demanded, childishly
stomping his foot.
"Who has arrived already?" Voldemort questioned.
"My lord, Bellatrix and Rodolphus are here. Dolohov is present and
Crouch will be arriving shortly. "
"Good...good. Shall we begin?"
"After you, my Lord." Lucius smiled maliciously, and pulled out his wand.
"Hadrian, welcome to your first Death Eater raid. Happy Birthday."
Hadrian widened his eyes and let out a strangled gasp as Voldemort shot
powerful red sparks in the sky with a bang.
The raid had begun.
Hadrian stood frozen as he saw Lucuis charge into the cottage. Hadrian
could hear screams and the bright green light of the Killing Curse flooded
the house. A woman ran outside, holding a small girl in her arms.
Bellatrix lunged, and brandished her wand shooting out a violent burst of
light. The woman screamed as the curse hit her, and the little girl fell to
the ground. Hadrian watched in awe as Bellatrix dueled the woman. Bella
looked terrifying, with her hair whipping in the wind dangerously and
her eyes flashing.
The other Death Eaters were ransacking the house, killing anyone that
came in their way. Bellatrix fired curse after curse, cackling wickedly as
the spells shot the woman constantly. The woman was ripped apart,
literally. She was dripping with blood, and her face was losing color. She
was wheezing with pain, but she still stood over her child.
"Give me the child!" Bellatrix shrieked angrily.
"Over my dead body!"
"Well that won't take too long." Bellatrix laughed and shouted "Crucio!"
The woman screamed and shook violently with pain. Hadrian winced,
and averted his gaze.
"Why do we want that girl so badly?" Hadrian whispered to Lord
Voldemort.
"She is a Seer, and will be of great importance to us. But her foolish
parents refuse to give her up."
"Oh."
"My Lord, I have brought the man as you wished." Lucius reappeared,
dragging a half alive man with him. The man almost had the same hair as
Lucius, except his was slightly darker.
"Well done Lucius. Hadrian, what shall we do with this filthy blood
traitor?" Voldemort drawled out gesturing to the ragged man thrown
onto the ground.
"I will never let you take her. She has a gift, that is only to be shared with
us. She will die before she goes with you. I'll kill her myself, but she will
not be on the Dark Side." The man rasped out, clutching his chest in pain.
"You are willing to kill your own child, just to ensure her gift will not
help the Dark Side?" Hadrian spoke in a dangerously low voice.
"What shall we do with him?" Voldemort thought out loud.
"Nothing." Hadrian said softly, looking at the man in disgust.
"What!?" Voldemort and Lucius exclaimed, glancing at Hadrian in
disbelief.
"We will do nothing to him. But he will watch his wife die, and then
watch his 'precious' daughter be taken away from him. He will live, but
just barely. Everything in his life will be taken away, and he will not
have anything else to live for. He will hate himself so much, he might kill
himself for us." Hadrian spoke evilly.
"I knew there was a reason I kept you around." Voldemort smirked,
before turning to the man. The man had heard the entire conversation,
and his face paled.
"You can't do this." The man protested helplessly, trying to escape.
Lucius held him in place, and Hadrian leaned down.
"Watch me." He whispered loudly and clearly.
Lucius dragged the man to where Bellatrix was dueling with the man's
wife.
"Bella. Stop playing with your prey. Finish her already." Hadrian said,
glancing at the man's horrified expression.
"As you wish, Young Lord. Avada Kedavra." She shrieked.
"NO!"
But it was too late. Bellatrix danced around with glee as the women fell
to the ground, her eyes unblinking. The man was close to tears, and
Hadrian growled at the pathetic mess.
"Are we finished?" Voldemort said, glancing at the man with disdain.
"Not yet." Hadrian said, walking towards the small girl cowering on the
ground. She was curled up in a ball, shaking and tears were running
down her face. Her eyes were shocking blue and filled to the brim with
secrets. She was biting her lip so hard that she drew blood.
"Do you want to come with us? Get away from these terrible people?"
Hadrian asked softly, looking into the small girl's eyes.
"My daddy doesn't want me." The girl stated. "I know who you are."
She stood on her tiptoes and whispered into his ear. "Hello, Harry Potter."
"You know who I really am?" Hadrian was surprised.
"I come with you. I help you. You be my friend?" She spoke rapidly,
ignoring Hadrian.
"You want to come with us?" He repeated, shocked that she would come
so willingly. They had just killed her mother and yet she wanted to go
with them. "Why?"
"Destiny." She said quietly, glaring at her bedraggled father. He was
staring at her, almost pleadingly. She childishly stuck out her tongue, and
turned back to Hadrian.
"What's your name?" Hadrian asked, intrigued by the little girl.
The girl took a deep breath and was quiet for a minute before a dazzling
smile broke out on her face.
"My name is Luna. Luna Lovegood. But in the future, you will call me
Destiny."
8. A Trip to Remember
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Riddle Manor [1991]
Riddle Manor was known for being filled with secret passages and trick
corridors. It was heavy with dark magic and strong enchantments
concealed the massive property from prying eyes. One wrong turn could
have you on the opposite side of the manor, and even one wrong step
could trigger trick stairs. Over the years, Hadrian and Destiny had
learned the small secrets to avoid these unpleasant encounters. But there
was one room in Riddle Manor that was shrouded by mystery. This room
had several enchantments, and strong magic, along with powerful blood
wards. Any intruder would be scorched to ashes within five feet into the
room. It's doors were opened only once a month for confidential Death
Eater meetings. Hadrian had tried to break into the room many times,
just to see if he could. But he could never even touch the door since it
burned his hand on contact.
So when Hadrian Draven Riddle finally received his Hogwarts Letter, he
was shocked when he unthinkingly barged into the room without any
casualties.
"Father look, my Hogwarts letter came!"
"How did you get in here?"
Hadrian faltered, and glanced back at the door with utter disbelief. "I'm
not sure."
Voldemort raised an eyebrow, but decided to drop the subject, for they
were not in private. Hadrian's pale cheeks flushed with embarrassment as
he noticed his father's Death Eaters looking at him with interest.
"Oh, forgive me, I did not realize you were having a meeting today."
"Of course you didn't." Voldemort said sarcastically, turning back to face
his Death Eaters. Hadrian stood still not sure what to do.
"Well take a seat. You aren't just going to stand there are you?"
Hadrian's jaw dropped open. He had been present at many Death Eater
meetings, but his father had never allowed him to come to the top-secret
meetings that took place in this room. He had never participated in any
of the meetings, but rest assured, everyone knew of his reputation, and
what he was capable of. They had all seen him ferociously torture
unsuspecting victims and play with the emotions of the weak.
"Close your mouth and sit down. We have important things to discuss."
Hadrian promptly shut his mouth, and sat down on the rigid chair,
slipping a look of cool indifference on his face. He watched his father
speak about upcoming raids, and discuss their hatred for muggles and
muggleborns-alike. He perked up when the topic of Sirius Black came up.
"We must dispose of him, my Lord." Doholov stated with hatred dripping
from his hollow voice.
"Thank you for stating the obvious." Voldemort drawled, flashing his eyes
with annoyance. Doholov tried to look brave, but Hadrian smirked as he
could see straight through the mask of false courage. The man was almost
quivering with fear.
"Can't we just kill my dear old cousin?" Bellatrix sneered in a false sweet
voice.
"Tempting, but no. He might be useful in the future." Voldemort said.
"Perhaps we could put him in Azkaban?" Lucius suggested tentatively.
"And pray tell, how are we going to land one of the most adored wizards
of Britain, into Azkaban?"
Hadrian thought for a minute, before he spoke slowly. "Murder."
"The Dark Lord already said we can't kill him." Nott snapped.
Hadrian glared at the man with pure annoyance. " I never said murder
him, you twit."
Nott began to stand up angrily, but he was held in place.
"Mind your place Nott." Voldemort hissed. "Continue Hadrian."
"What is the worst crime a wizard can commit? Other than murder?"
Hadrian asked the room full of people.
"Being a squib." Bellatrix snickered.
"Other than that." Hadrian fought to hide a smile.
"Exposing magic?" Lucius offered.
"Exactly. Now what if we combine murder and exposing magic?"
"Get to your point Hadrian, we don't have all day." Voldemort sighed
impatiently.
"We murder a couple of muggles, and frame it on Sirius Black. Everyone
will think he did it, plus he exposed magic. The ministry will have to
mass-obliviate all the spectators. He'll be in Azkaban faster than you can
say Avada Kedavra." Hadrian explained.
"That just might work." Voldemort thought out loud.
"I volunteer my services!" Bellatrix shrieked before anyone could speak.
She stood up and cackled with excitement.
Hadrian grimaced. "Sorry Bella. You are too valuable for this job." He
chose his words carefully, as to not upset his surrogate mother/aunt.
"What?"
"We need someone that won't be missed if something goes wrong."
Voldemort explained further, catching on to Hadrian's idea.
"And I'll miss you." Hadrian grinned cheekily. "So you won't be the person
to do this."
Bellatrix huffed, but sat back down reluctantly. Her normally insane
features were marred by the angry scowl on her face.
"Who do you have in mind, my Lord?" Severus Snape asked, raising an
eyebrow.
"I know just the person." Hadrian smirked.
"Please, by all means, enlighten us." Snape sneered.
"He is equivalent to a rat, and quite useless. But he will get the job done."
Voldemort raised an eyebrow, "Peter Pettigrew?"
"Of course. No one will suspect him. I'm assuming that the Order still
thinks that he is friends with Potter?"
"Brilliant, Hadrian!" Bellatrix complimented.
"Yes..yes. This plan is quite suitable. Very well then. We shall proceed
with this action. Rabastan, you will supervise the rat to make sure he
fulfills the task at all costs. Understood?" Voldemort said.
Rabastan nodded quickly, silently vowing not to disappoint his master.
"Meeting dismissed."
Everyone stood up from their chairs, stretching their limbs a bit before
slowly striding out the heavy doors. Hadrian was about to get up from his
seat as well, but Voldemort stopped him. They waited till everyone was
out of the room, and Voldemort slammed the doors shut.
Hadrian gulped.
"Don't look so scared. You look like a pathetic muggle. I just wanted to
congratulate you on the Hogwarts letter."
Hadrian relaxed considerably, and raised an eyebrow. "Well then, why is
it you stopped me from leaving?"
Voldemort hesitated before asking, "Are you sure you don't want to go to
Durmstrang instead? Even that French school will be perfectly suitable."
Hadrian scowled. "You went to Hogwarts. Draco's going to Hogwarts.
Bellatrix is sending Destiny to Hogwarts. Why can't I go?"
"It was a simply a suggestion. Considering the fact that Lily Potter is the
muggle studies professor at Hogwarts..." Voldemort trailed off, scanning
Hadrian for any kind of reaction. His lip curled in satisfaction as he saw
the boy did not even flinch from the obvious anger he was feeling upon
listening to that mudblood's name.
"What of it?" Hadrian said in a haughty tone. "Honestly, what do you
think I'll do? Jump into her arms and beg to be loved again?"
Voldemort stayed silent, regarding his heir carefully.
"Merlin, you honestly think I would do that?" Hadrian scoffed with
disbelief. "I hate that woman. And as you know, I tend to hold grudges."
"Very well then. See to it that you do not make a fool out of yourself and
disgrace the Riddle family name." Voldemort said with distaste. '
"About that. Dumbledore may be a manipulative bastard, but he is not
dumb. He will know I have some connection to you. What am I to tell
him?" Hadrian asked curiously.
"Hadrian!" A soft voice scolded. "Gentlemen do not use such language!"
Hadrian and Lord Voldemort both turned to see Destiny, formerly Luna
Lovegood, walking up to them.
"Destiny? How did you get in here?" Voldemort asked.
"I opened the door." She giggled as if it was the most obvious thing in the
world. Voldemort rolled his eyes at the blatant lie and made a mental
note to recheck the restrictions.
"I assume you got your letter too?"
"Yes. But I also got one from Beauxbatons Academy in France!" Destiny
exclaimed.
"Would you consider going to Beauxbatons?" Lord Voldemort asked.
Destiny simply scoffed delicately, and turned to Hadrian. Hadrian didn't
know how she did it, but Destiny do anything she wanted and would
never get punished. It was safe to say, he was a bit jealous of his kind of
sister.
"I bet Bella has already planned a trip to Diagon Alley and gotten you
loads of new robes." Hadrian guessed. Destiny was a bit spoiled, but she
never acted like it. She was nothing like Draco, who was spoiled rotten.
Destiny was not very fond of Draco, but they were still close friends.
"So what if mother has already planned ahead?" She argued defensively.
Over the past few years, Bellatrix Lestrange had grown attached to the
young girl, and treated her like an unofficial daughter. When Destiny had
accidentally called Bellatrix 'mother', Bella insisted that Destiny call her
that from then on. Since her own mother did not love her half as much as
Belltrix adored her, Destiny went along with it. Apparently, it was nice to
have a girl in the Death Eater family. Between Bellatrix and Narcissa,
Destiny was treated like a princess.
"Are you two done socializing?" Voldemort snapped.
The two children both turned to Lord Voldemort and bowed. "Yes, my
lord."
It only took about three seconds before they simultaneously burst into
laughter.
"Quiet." Voldemort growled, and instantly they shut up.
"As I was saying," He continued, "Dumbledore will know who you are as
soon as you walk into the Great Hall. Your job is to convince him
otherwise. Hadrian, you act as if you do not know of me. You will
pretend that you are an orphan from a wizarding orphanage. Lucius has
already filed fake documents and placed fake memories of you in the
minds of the orphanage staff."
"I have to pretend to be an orphan? What if he performs a parent
revealing charm on me? Then he'll know that you are my current
guardian, and that I'm Harry Potter!" Hadrian rambled with worry.
"Do not fret. When I adopted you, it erased any record of Lilly and James
Potter. If he performs the spell, he will see that I am your current
guardian, but he will not know if I am involved in your life. The old fool
will try to conceal the fact that you have a guardian, thinking it is better
to put you in an orphanage, than under my care. Besides, the parent
revealing charm is illegal if cast without the subject's consent." Voldemort
explained.
"What about me?" Destiny asked.
"You will stay Destiny Lestrange. Although Bellatrix is a known Death
Eater-"
"They will think I am nothing like her because I will act like I love the
world and everything in it." Destiny finished sarcastically.
"Stop finishing my sentences. I am the Dark Lord. You-"
"Cannot use my Seer abilities on you. I know, I know." She grinned
widely, rolling her eyes.
"Destiny! Where are you?" A shrill voice called from outside the room.
"In here, mum!"
Bellatrix burst into the room, not caring that she had obviously
interrupted an important conversation.
"Oh good Hadrian, you're here too. Please excuse us, my Lord. We have
to head off to Diagon Alley soon. Oh and Destiny, I got you new robes!
They are already hanging in your closet. Get ready."
Hadrian shot Destiny an 'I told you so' look and they both raced out the
door.
"I will be coming along as well, Bellatrix." Voldemort stated casually, as if
the Dark Lord appeared in public every day.
"Ar-Are you sure, my Lord?" Bellatrix asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course I'll be wearing a glamour, like you. But I would like to come
along as well."
"Is the Dark Lord going soft?" Bellatrix mocked in a baby voice.
Lord Voldemort flashed his eyes and glared at Bellatrix, who cowered
slightly.
"Never. I just happen have some business to attend to."
Diagon Alley
"Can I have a snake?" Hadrian asked.
"No. I've told you this so many times. You will draw too much unwanted
attention to yourself."
"Just let him have a snake, my Lord." Bellatrix sighed heavily, pulling on
Destiny's hand.
"See! Bella agrees with me too! Can I take Nagini?"
"Absolutely not. You can't take my familiar. This is exactly why I
suggested to send a house elf to shop for your supplies. Only peasants
shop for supplies themselves. You brats make such outrageous demands.
The list says a toad, or owl, or cat. It doesn't say snake. Honestly can't
you understand that snake is not on here? Are you blind? "
"So can I have my own snake?" Hadrian asked completely ignoring Lord
Voldemort's small rant.
"I said no. Don't make me crucio you in front of all these people. Because
I can assure you, I will not hesitate to do so!"
"Hadrian will end up taking a snake anyways, there is no point in
arguing." Destiny stated, letting her gaze linger on a sapphire necklace in
a display case.
"You've seen it?" Voldemort asked doubtfully.
Destiny grinned, "I don't have to see it. I already know."
Bellatrix chuckled and dragged the four of them into the potions shop.
While the two children observed the strange items in the shop, the adults
bought the needed supplies.
"Two of the First Year at Hogwarts package." Bellatrix requested to the
man behind the counter. He looked tired, and utterly bored.
"The standard package or the the gold package? The standard package
costs-"
"Gold package, of course." Bellatrix glared at the man, "I don't care how
much it is."
The man went into the back of the store, and Voldemort turned to
Bellatrix.
"Why did you force us to shop in person?" Voldemort asked with
irritation.
"Its a milestone in their lives!" Bellatrix insisted. She grabbed the bags
from the man and shrunk them, putting them into her pocket. Then she
tossed a handful of galleons on the counter and started to walk away.
Once they were back on the streets of Diagon Alley, Bellatrix took them
to the bookstore. This pattern repeated until they had gotten most of
their school supplies.
"What's next?" Hadrian yawned with boredom, absolutely hating going
shopping.
"You must get your wands." Bellatrix stated dragging Destiny forward.
"But I already have a wand." Hadrian said with confusion,
"Ah yes. About that. You will be using a new wand at Hogwarts. Using
my old wand will arouse much suspicion I wish to avoid." Voldemort
said, ignoring the sad look on Hadrian's face. "Come now. Hurry up."
Hadrian sighed, and trudged ahead into the dark, dusty shop of the wand
maker, Ollivander.
"Well hello, hello!" An old man greeted them as soon as they stepped into
the shop.
He froze as his eyes landed on Lord Voldemort. Ollivander squinted, as if
trying to see past the expertly cast glamour. "You seem familiar. Do I
know you?" The crazy man asked.
"I don't believe so. I wasn't raised in England." Voldemort lied smoothly.
"Oh, I'm sorry. You just look awfully like someone I once knew..."
"What was their name, perhaps we are related?" Voldemort smirked.
"Oh it was nobody. Forgive me for troubling you. We are here for the
children's wands, yes? Alright lets see, ladies first." He said lightly,
effectively changing the subject.
"My, aren't you a pretty thing? Which is your wand arm?" He asked
Destiny.
"Left." She spoke distractedly, glancing at the owl hooting in the corner.
"Try this one, Dragon heartstring and willow wood. Very rigid."
Ollivander handed her a wand, and Destiny grasped it carefully.
"Go on, give it a flick."
Destiny shrugged and flicked her wrist. There was a loud bang, and the
papers on the side of the counter burst into flames. She looked shocked
and quickly handed Ollivander the wand back.
"No, you don't seem to like that one. What about this one? Unicorn hair
and cherrywood."
Luna touched the wand, and yelped loudly. "It burned me!"
Bellatrix glared at the old man. He didn't even know what he was doing,
handing young children wands which would harm them.
"Hhhm...lets try unicorn hair and ash. Slightly flexible. Unusual
combination, but lets see." He handed Destiny a wand, and she cautiously
picked it up. When she was sure it would not burn her hand, she gave it a
swish. Dark black sparks sparks out of the tip of her wand, and Destiny
giggled.
"Yes, that will do nicely. Now, onto you." Ollivander stared pointedly at
Hadrian. "Which is your wand arm?"
"I'm ambidextrous."
"Oh! Wonderful! Lets see what do I have here..." The man dashed into the
back of his store mumbling the entire way.
Lord Voldemort rolled his eyes and caught Hadrian doing the same.
Ollivander came back out, holding a dusty box in his hand. He blew the
dust away, and Hadrian sneezed.
"Beech and unicorn hair. Try this one, boy."
Hadrian reluctantly swished the wand in the air and grinned as the
chandelier on the ceiling shattered. Ollivander quickly snatched the wand
away and grumbled to himself.
"Ivory and Dragon heart string."
This wand was slightly better than the last wand, since it did not cause
an explosion. Little puffs of smoke came out the tip as Hadrian swung the
wand in the air.
"Tricky customer, eh?" Ollivander commented.
"Ash and Veela hair."
"Vine wood and dragon heartstring."
"Yew and unicorn hair."
Wand after wand was tested, but to no avail. Hadrian quickly grew
irritated, and Bellatrix looked like she wanted to strangle the man.
Destiny noticed this, and to prevent a fight, she let her gaze go blank,
before smiling widely.
"Sir, what about that wand over there." She pointed to a partially hidden
box on the highest shelf. Ollivander followed her gaze, and paled
considerably.
"Oh I'm afraid that wand is set aside for someone else." He explained.
Destiny grew angry since she knew why Ollivander would not even test
the wand. But she controlled her anger well, and plastered on a fake
smile.
"Just let him try it. What's the harm?" She asked sweetly. Ollivander
hesitated, but agreed. He slowly grabbed the box, and set it onto the
counter. Hadrian at once noticed the wand was similar to the one he
already had.
"Go on, pick it up. Holly and Phoenix feather. Quite supple."
Hadrian did as he was told, and he felt a warm feeling of magic flow
from his fingertips as soon as he grasped the wand. Bright silver sparks
shot out of the wand, and a sudden cool breeze filled the room. Pages of
books were flipped and Destiny's hair flowed through the wind.
Ollivander stared at the wand, then at Hadrian in awe.
"How very peculiar." He commented mysteriously.
"How so?" Voldemort asked at the same time as Bellatrix growled "Spill
it, you freak."
"The phoenix that gave a feather to this wand, also gave one other for
another wand similar to this. That is what makes those two wands
brother wands." Ollivander glanced around before whispering, "This
brother of this wand you are holding, belonged to a powerful wizard. He
did many great things, terrible, but great."
"Who was the wizard?" Hadrian asked, but he already knew.
"Why, it was none other than You-Know-Who himself." Ollivander said in
a grave tone.
"I was saving this wand for the Chosen one, it would make sense if this
was his wand, seeing as he is destined to defeat the Dark Lord."
Ollivander continued, not noticing that all four people had stiffened, "But
of course the wand chooses the wizard, and this wand chose you."
"So how much will they both be?" Bellatrix asked, changing the subject
abruptly.
"Oh yes. About 20 galleons for both." Ollivander said, grabbing the
money Bellatrix had already thrown onto the counter. Once they had left
the shop, Hadrian spoke.
"It makes sense, doesn't it?" He commented. Bellatrix smiled wryly.
"This is where I must depart. I have business in Knocktern Alley.
Bellatrix, take them wherever they wish. I will see you back at the
Manor. And Hadrian, do NOT come back with a snake, understand?"
Voldemort warned, threateningly.
Hadrian grinned widely, but did not respond. Voldemort apparated away
and Bellatrix turned to the two children.
"Mother, I believe our next stop is for owls." Destiny said in a smooth,
commanding voice. Bellatrix smiled widely, and Hadrian shook his head
in disbelief. Destiny could get anything she wanted by just smiling
prettily. They spent a while in the store, but Hadrian got distracted
looking at the snakes. By the time he came outside the shop, Bella and
Destiny were already waiting.
He glanced at Destiny, and noticed a snow white owl in the cage
dangling from her fingers.
"You got an owl? What did you name her?" Hadrian asked.
"It's a him, actually." Destiny corrected. "And I decided to name him
Hadrian."
"Really?" Hadrian's eyes lit up and he was extremely flattered.
"No." She snorted delicately, "His name is Inferno."
A loud shout diverted their attention, and all three of them glanced at a
large crowd coming near them.
"Merlin! It's the Chosen one!"
"The prophesied child!"
"Alexander Potter is here! Quick, Gertrude, gimme my wig!"
"The Potters are in Diagon Alley!"
Hadrian stiffened considerably, and his cool gaze swept over the large
crowd. It parted in front of him, and he could feel his blood start to boil
as he saw the Potters. Lily Potter looked as if she hadn't aged a day, and
Hadrian knew that obviously she had taken some age-reversal potions.
He briefly glanced at James Potter and his frown deepened and he
clenched his fists. The man was strutting around like a proud peacock,
laughing and smiling. Hadrian finally turned his vicious glare on the last
Potter, Alexander. The boy was chubby, and his glasses kept falling off
his face. Hadrian wanted to laugh at the disgusting whale his brother
was, but he kept his mouth shut. Alexander Potter seemed overjoyed, and
he flashed many smiles at people, revealing his crooked teeth.
"Are you alright Hadrian?" Bellatrix asked with worry. Hadrian had gone
completely silent, and his face was blank, revealing no emotion at all.
"I'm fine." Hadrian said in an even voice, although he was gritting his
teeth. His hand twitched towards his wand, he wanted to hex the 'happy
family' to oblivion. Perhaps a couple crucios might be sufficient as well.
"Don't do something you will regret." Destiny warned, glancing at the
Potters with disdain. Personally, she thought they were too proud as well,
and they needed to be knocked down a peg. But she did not want
Hadrian to get into any trouble.
"Let him do whatever he wants. Those fools deserve it!" Bellatrix
whispered harshly.
"Trust me, I won't regret this." Hadrian assured. He concentrated on the
hate he was feeling, and thought cruelly 'Locomoter Mortis Doloris'
He concealed the sadistic grin threatening to break out onto his face as
Alexander Potter fell down, and started to scream loudly in pain. People
looked shocked, and chaos filled Diagon Alley.
"You used one of the dark curses I made up!" Bellatrix said, sounding very
touched. She smiled viciously as she saw Lily Potter screaming for help.
The spell she had made up was specifically designed to mildly injure
someone. It was a variation of the leg-locking spell, causing the person to
feel magnified pain as soon they fell onto the ground.
"I suppose they deserve it." Destiny shrugged. She did not enjoy inflicting
pain on innocent people, but she was not against torturing the people
who deserved it.
Alexander Potter was still screaming, and thrashing helplessly on the
cobblestone path. Tears were streaming down his face, and Hadrian shot
him a dirty look. The boy had absolutely no pain resistance, and it would
be easy to harm him in the future. The Potters were running around
begging for someone to help their son, and Hadrian chuckled darkly at
their stupidity. Although unfathomably dark, it just was a simple curse
that could be reversed with 'finite incantatem'.
It took sometime before a spectator figured it out, and the counter-spell
was cast.
"Whoever did this will pay greatly some day!" James Potter threatened.
Hadrian snickered and glanced at Bellatrix who had a similar look of
amusement on her face.
"Those fools better watch out. I have a feeling they have many painful
years ahead of them." Destiny said.
Bellatrix appraised the the Potters before turning to Hadrian.
"Make sure to give them hell." She hissed venomously.
9. Finally (Part I)
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
P.S: Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy the new update.
Kings Cross Station [1991]
"Do you have your trunks?"
"Yes." Both Hadrian and Destiny replied, patting their pockets. Bellatrix
had shrunken their trunks in order for there to be less of a hassle to get
onto the train.
"Do you have your money pouches?"
"Yes." They responded. They had both been given a bottomless pouch of
galleons that connected directly to the Riddle, Black, and Lestrange
vaults.
"Destiny, did you send Inferno off to Hogwarts?"
"Yes, I sent Inferno off this morning." Destiny said, her voice laced with
irritation.
"Good. Now don't get into too much trouble, alright? I need you both
back in one piece."
"Fine." They both chorused together.
"Oh, and what's the number one rule if you get caught doing something
wrong?"
"Don't get caught, first of all." Hadrian smiled. "And if you somehow do
get caught.."
"Blame someone else or lie your way out of it." Destiny finished.
Bellatrix beamed proudly. She glanced around, making sure no one was
watching, before pulling them both in for a quick hug. Hadrian rolled his
eyes, but hugged her back with less enthusiasm.
"Stop worrying, Bella. We'll be fine!" Hadrian reassured her with a small
smile.
"I'll owl you every month, mother." Destiny promised.
"Every week you mean?" Bellatrix corrected.
"Thats what I said, every month." Destiny winked, and Bellatrix chuckled.
"I'm sorry for being like this. I'll just miss you." Bellatrix confessed.
"Yes, without me, who else will you chase around with dark hexes?"
Hadrian questioned dramatically.
"And without me, who else will tell you where the best spots for muggle
hunting are?" Destiny added.
"Oh shut up. Is it a crime for me to miss you? I'm sure even the Dark Lord
will somewhat miss you whiney brats." Bellatrix scowled.
Hadrian and Destiny exchanged a glance before laughing. The Dark Lord
would miss them? That was funny.
"This is where I leave you. You know how to get to the platform, right?"
Bellatrix asked. The Dark Lord hadn't allowed her to enter the station, for
fear of the Ministry officials that were sure to be around.
"Walk straight through the barrier between platforms nine and ten. We
know." Destiny said.
Bellatrix nodded stiffly, and sniffed. "I'll see you at the end of the year.
Goodbye." She waved. Destiny and Hadrian waved back, and she
disapparated in a whirl of black smoke.
"Shall we, Miss Lestrange?" Hadrian asked formally, slipping on his
pureblood mask.
"Lead the way, Mr. Riddle." She replied, trying to stifle a laugh. Destiny
had been taught all the pureblooded traditions and proper etiquette by
Narcissa Malfoy as well. Now she could go from being a giggling eleven
year old girl, to a cold, elegant lady in less than two seconds.
They entered the station, hiding frowns at all the quirky muggles.
Hadrian's scowl deepened as he saw the large family of redheads bustling
towards the platform.
"Weaselys." Destiny whispered with disgust, following Hadrian's gaze.
Hadrian glared at the family of...well, too many to count. Those idiots
were the Lightest family after the Potters themselves. He noticed the only
girl Weasley, looking almost as annoyed as him. Hadrian smirked. A
Weasley annoyed by her family? It was unheard of.
Hadrian did not have the patience to wait as Mother Weasel checked over
all her babies. He ran into the barrier, and felt slightly dizzy before
steadying himself on his feet. Destiny came through next, almost crashing
into Hadrian. He concealed his smile at the Hogwarts Express. He had
finally made it.
Destiny spotted the Malfoys in the large crowd, and dashed off towards
them. Hadrian followed her, but at a much slower pace. Destiny gave
both Narcissa, and Lucius a hug. Lucius stiffened and glanced around
awkwardly. Hadrian wanted to laugh so bad at the surprised expression
on his face. Destiny said something to Mrs. Malfoy, and walked off to
greet someone else.
"Mrs. Malfoy." Hadrian greeted, leaning in and kissing her cheek.
"I'll be having none of that!" Narcissa chided, and pulled Hadrian into a
hug. Hadrian could feel the air being sucked out of him, and he groaned.
"Narcissa let go of him, you'll kill the boy." A deep voice spoke. Narcissa
reluctantly loosened her grip, and Hadrian took a deep breath. He had
never been more thankful to for Lucius in his entire life.
"Lucius. How are you today." Hadrian formally addressed the head of the
Malfoy family.
Lucius raised an eyebrow, "I do hope you are not planning to greet me
like you did Narcissa."
Hadrian laughed and shook his head. "Of course not Mr. Malfoy." He
replied smoothly.
"See, Draco? He's such a gentleman. Why can't you be more like
Hadrian?" Narcissa demanded, whacking Draco's head. Draco scowled
and rubbed his head, smoothing down his hair. Hadrian rolled his eyes at
the narcissistic blond.
"I presume your father has spoke to you about the latest plans." Lucius
drawled, pretending to look at the time.
"Mother-stop..Stop it! I'm fine. Would you stop that, woman!" Draco
grumbled slapping Narcissa's hands away from his wrinkle-free robes.
Lucius rolled his eyes and faced an amused looking Hadrian.
"He has. Everything is in order, yes?" Hadrian asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Lucius nodded crisply, and shook Hadrian's hand before turning away..
Hadrian smirked, Lucius Malfoy was about as affectionate as his own
father was.
"You best be boarding the train now." Lucius spoke in a silky voice. Draco
grinned, and pulled onto Hadrian's arm. Lucius frowned at his son's
obvious excitement. Hadrian was far more reserved.
"Be safe, dears." Narcissa whispered softly. Hadrian nodded, and stepped
onto the train. They walked through the halls, trying to find a suitable
compartment. Hadrian didn't see any of his friends, so they continued to
look for an open the back of the train, they saw Destiny sitting down
with her trunk already packed above.
She was lounged across a couple seats, and chatting with Daphne
Greengrass.
"I see you're making yourself comfortable." He spoke loudly, effectively
startling Destiny. and Daphne. Destiny fell down from her seat, and
glared at Hadrian.
"Hello Daphne." Hadrian greeted, giving her a quick hug. She was a
pretty girl, and very smart. Hadrian had become acquainted with her
because of the constant balls and pureblood festivities that regularly took
place at Malfoy Manor. He slid onto a seat next to Daphne, and Draco sat
across from them.
"So, how was your summer?" Daphne asked sweetly, leaning back in her
seat.
"Boring." A voice responded. All four people turned to see Blaise Zabini
standing in their cabin. He stood tall and proud with dark hair and
crystal blue eyes. He easily placed his large wooden trunk on the rack
and brushed off his robes.
"Zabini. I didn't think you were going to make it." Hadrian addressed
him.
"And yet, here I am." Blaise snapped. He settled onto a seat next to Draco.
"Whats got your knickers in a twist?" Draco asked.
"Mother got married again, and she wants me to meet her new idiotic
husband." Blaise huffed.
"Again?" Daphne repeated, in a disbelieving tone. Mrs. Zabini was a
beautiful lady, even at the age of 35. She had gotten married about seven
times, and mysteriously, every single one of her husbands ended up
dying.
"When do you think she'll murder him?" Draco mused out loud.
"I'd say around November?" Blaise guessed, cracking a smile. Mrs. Zabini
always married wealthy men, and although it was never confirmed,
everyone in the elite pureblood circles knew that she would later kill
them and take their money.
"December." Destiny corrected, having already seen it using her Seer
abilities. They all laughed, and Blaise was about to say something, but he
was cut off.
"The Chosen one is coming!" Someone shouted loudly. Hadrian did not
bat an eye, and instead turned to talk to Daphne.
"Excuse me. You all are in the compartment I wanted." A snotty voice
spoke, and Hadrian reluctantly turned around. He curled his lip in
distaste at the chubby Alexander Potter.
Hadrian raised an eyebrow cooly, and gestured outside the cabin. "Oh I'm
sorry. I didn't realize that you were blind and didn't notice all the other
empty compartments."
The Chosen one turned red, and spectators outside gasped. Alexander
Potter adjusted his glasses before glaring at him. "You've got some nerve,
taking the compartment I wanted."
"I guess I do."
"Haha. That was very funny." Alexander said sarcastically. "But really,
you need to move."
"And if I don't?" Hadrian challenged, standing up. Alexander backed away
slightly.
"Get out of my compartment, before I hex you." Hadrian hissed, and
enjoyed the scared look on Potter's face as he scrambled out the door
muttering something that sounded awfully like "Evil Slytherins."
Draco was grinning widely, and Destiny burst out into laughter that was
almost as insane as her mother's.
"Well that was interesting." Daphne muttered, inspecting her perfectly
manicured nails.
"Who's up for a game of exploding snap?" Blaise offered, pulling out the
cards. It was an intense game, and the girls were just as competitive as
the boys. In the end, Hadrian won, although Destiny was very close.
Draco had a singed eyebrow, and was cursing under his breath. Blaise
was unable to stop laughing at him, which caused Draco to hex him.
Daphne rolled her eyes, and fixed his eyebrows with a wave of her wand.
Their chatter ceased as the door to the cabin slowly slid open, and a tall,
lanky boy was revealed. He blushed furiously.
"S-Sorry. I didn't know this cabin was filled." The boy stuttered, turning
to leave.
"Wait." Hadrian called out, causing the boy to freeze in place. "What is
your name?"
"Neville. Neville Longbottom."
"So you're a pureblood?" Draco assumed, raising an eyebrow. He had
been told of the Longbottom family, and how they were the only open
light side pureblood family.
"Y-yes. Is there something wrong?" Neville asked cautiously.
"Of course not, come sit. My name is Hadrian Riddle. This is Blaise,
Draco, Destiny, and Daphne." Hadrian spoke smoothly, and pointed to a
spot next to Blaise.
Neville looked startled at their strange kindness. Every other cabin he
had went into had snickered at him or hexed him out the door. Not
wanting to pass the opportunity up, Neville stumbled over to the seat.
"Why do you look so nervous? We won't bite. But, I make no promises
about Draco." Destiny laughed, and it sounded like tinkling wind chimes
to Neville. He slowly relaxed, but still fidgeted occasionally. Neville
fearfully glanced at the silver snake and shivered.
"I have been told I have absurdly sharp teeth," Draco admitted, "Perfect
for biting."
The entire cabin tried to muffle their snickers, including Neville. He
already liked these people and they treated him like he was one of their
best friends.
"I'm so excited to go to Hogwarts. My nana always told me I was a squib,
so when I got my Hogwarts letter it was a really big surprise! Even
though I barely have any magic, at least I'm here!" Neville exclaimed.
Draco stiffened and turned to look at Neville.
"Your grandmother thought you were a squib?"
"Yes. She doesn't like me very much." Neville explained, looking
downcast.
"Well you got into Hogwarts, so you have magic inside of you." Blaise
pointed out.
Destiny was staring at Neville with a calculating look. Her big blue eyes
widened and she smiled warmly. "You actually have a lot of power, you
just haven't learned how to use it."
Neville scoffed. "I highly doubt that, since I can barely do any magic."
"One should never doubt a Seer, Longbottom." Draco said seriously.
"You're a Seer!?" Neville gasped. "Blimey, that's incredible!"
"She's right. You could be great, if you had the right influences, and
friends." Blaise hinted.
"Why are you being so nice to me? All the other kids laughed at me and
sent me away." Nevile said sadly.
"Do we need a reason? You seem like a nice kid, just a bit too jumpy and
nervous. We just need to toughen you up a bit, and they won't know
what hit them." Daphne smiled.
"I don't know...I'm not very good at anything." Neville mumbled. Hadrian
shot him a dark look.
"Stop doubting yourself. You are a great wizard, and you need to believe
that." Hadrian scolded.
It was in that moment, Neville Longbottom had an epiphany. He truly
was a strong, pureblooded wizard, and in the future he would become
even better. Hadrian Riddle and his friends had helped him realize this
within five minutes of meeting him for the first time. They had brought
him out of his quivering shell, and had treated him like one of their own.
From that moment on, Neville Longbottom knew he would be loyal to
these people no matter what. It was time to stop being the cowardly,
shaky little boy. Now it was time to start acting like the powerful wizard
we was, and show the world that he was worthy of being Hadrian
Riddle's friend.
Everyone noticed the immense change in Neville's attitude as he sat up
straighter and smoothed out his robes. His hands no longer shook, and
his eyes burned with fierce determination.
"I have a feeling we'll be great friends." Hadrian stated as he leaned back
in his seat
"You don't even need me to confirm that statement." Destiny smiled, and
Neville grinned. He didn't care that everyone on the train called these
people evil Slytherins, he didn't care that everyone was afraid of them.
They were the first people to welcome him so warmly, which was ironic
since Slytherins tended to be ice-cold. He wanted to be as smooth, and as
suave as them. Slytherins they may be, but they were his only friends.
"I don't mean to be rude, but everyone said you cursed Alexander Potter
because he was a halfblood? Is that true?" Neville asked.
Hadrian scowled. "No. I didn't do anything to him except glare at him.
The fool ran away himself. And I have nothing against halfbloods. Even
certain muggleborns are okay. I just don't like Potter and I hate muggles."
"But he's the Chosen One!" Neville exclaimed.
"Tell me Neville, why is he the Chosen one?"
"Because the prophecy say-"
"Did he do anything worth being worshipped? Have you even seen what
an idiot he is?"
"Well no, bu-"
"Exactly. Once he does something worthy, I might respect him. But until
then, he is a waste of space, and utter rubbish." Hadrian hissed angrily.
Neville stared at him with wide eyes.
"Calm down." Destiny whispered. Hadrian slowly began to relax, but he
could sill feel his blood boiling.
"No, he's right." Neville said quietly. "People who don't deserve respect,
shouldn't act as if they are entitled to it."
"Agreed." Draco and Blaise said in unison.
There was a knock on their door, and Blaise reluctantly opened the door.
"Anything from the trolly, dears?" A plump lady asked, gesturing to the
cart heavily laden with candy and junk food.
Blaise glanced back and raised an eyebrow.
"We'll take a couple of everything." Hadrian said firmly, reaching inside
his money pouch. "It's on me."
"We aren't poor Hadrian." Draco scoffed. "You don't have to buy us
candy."
Hadrian ignored him and proceeded to hand the lady some galleons. She
looked irritated at the large order, but still began to hand Hadrian the
candy. He dumped everything on the side table, and closed the door
before sitting back down.
"Just shut up and eat it." Hadrian commanded, after noticing that no one
had made a move to touch the candy. Blaise shrugged and began
chewing on a licorice wand.
"Neville, you can have some too. You're our friend now." Hadrian said.
Neville's face broke out into a wide grin, and he grabbed a chocolate
frog.
"Thanks Hadrian. And I'm really sorry about asking you about Potter."
Hadrian waved it off, and opened up a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour
Beans.
He handed Draco an interesting green colored bean, while he tried an
orange-brown colored bean.
"Ick. It tastes like grass!" Draco made a face and wiped his tongue off
rapidly.
"Hhm. Mine was toast." Hadrian said. "Strange, but not completely bad."
Neville hesitantly tried one and luckily he got coconut. Blaise wasn't so
lucky, and ended up eating a spinach flavored one. Daphne did not want
to eat one, for fear of getting a disgusting flavored one. Instead, she and
Luna nibbled on sugar quills.
Their door slid open, and a girl slipped inside their compartment.
"Um hello?" Neville said, slightly annoyed by the girl abruptly stepping
inside.
"Oh, I'm sorry for just barging in."
"You should be." Draco grumbled. Her bright smile faltered, but she
ignored him.
"I just wanted to tell you that we very close to Hogwarts, so you might
want to change into your robes." She explained. "'But I can see you are
already changed. I'm Hermione Granger." She smiled widely.
Hadrian could see two of her front teeth were bucked-toothed. Her hair
was bushy and she had wild, untamed curls. She had wise eyes, and
Hadrian had a good feeling about this Hermione Granger.
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Granger." Hadrian spoke softly, grasping her
outstretched hand. Instead of shaking it, he brought it up to his lips and
gently placed a soft kiss on it. Hermione looked dazed for a second before
blushing deeply.
"I'm Hadrian Riddle. That lovely lady is Daphne Greengrass, and those
two are Neville Longbottom and Blaise Zabini. This is Destiny. And that
pompous blonde over there is Draco Malfoy. These are my friends."
Hadrian introduced. Daphne gave a small wave and Blaise shot her a her
a friendly wink. Neville smiled slightly, but Draco scrutinized her from
top to bottom.
"Granger. I don't believe I've heard of the Grangers." Draco thought out
loud, looking at Hermione for an explanation.
"That's because my parents are muggles. I'm muggleborn, you see."
"Charming." Draco said sarcastically, turning away.
"Ignore him, he just hates all muggles and anything to do with the
muggle world." Hadrian said sheepishly, glaring at Draco.
"What a coincidence. I hate muggles too." She said dryly.
"Really? But you grew up with them? How do you hate them?" Hadrian
asked with surprise. He wondered if Hermione had experienced
something similar to his time with the Dursleys.
"Oh thats a story for another day." Hermione whispered, almost sadly.
There was a small moment of silence before Draco spoke.
"What's this? A mudblood hating muggles?" He drawled out tauntingly. It
sounded eerily similar to Lucius's voice.
"Do you have a problem? I can understand if you're one of those sick
muggle loving fools, but I am entitled to my own opinion." Hermione said
haughtily, sticking her nose up in the air.
"How dare you! I am no muggle lover, nor a fool!" Draco hissed.
"It's like they're competing on who's more arrogant." Daphne whispered.
Hadrian stifled a laugh.
Hermione looked Draco up and down, before smirking slyly. "Could've
fooled me."
"You little-"
Hadrian covered Draco's mouth before he could say something highly
undignified. They both glared at each other and the tension was so thick
you could cut it with a knife.
"Won't you sit down, Hermione?" Hadrian asked. Draco groaned audibly
and rolled his eyes.
"I would love to." Hermione said, shooting daggers at Draco. She smiled
sweetly at Hadrian before sitting down gracefully next to him.
"So what house do you want? I myself prefer Gryffindor; the headmaster
himself was in that house. But Ravenclaw wouldn't be to bad either.
Anything but Slytherin."
Everyone in the cabin turned to look at her. Draco was seething under his
blank mask.
"What's wrong with Slytherin?" Daphne asked, narrowing her eyes.
"I read that everyone in Slytherin becomes a Dark wizard."
Draco glared at Hermione. He was starting to hate the mudblood more
and more.
"Don't believe everything you read." He growled. "I happen to know I'll
get into Slytherin. It is after all, the greatest house. They only accept the
best of the best."
Draco looked at Hermione with disdain, "Clearly, Slytherin won't be
accepting you, mudblood."
"What Draco is trying to say," Hadrian interrupted before either could
start another argument, "Is that Slytherin tends to have pureblood
students. They aren't all dark wizards, Hermione. Draco is right, you
shouldn't believe everything you hear. It is true that many of them have
become Dark wizards, but it was their choice. A wizard can become dark,
no matter what house they are in. You shouldn't go around saying such
things, otherwise people might get angry."
Hermione nodded with understanding. "I'm sorry, it's just some boy..I
think his name was Weasel? Yes, Weasel said that Slytherins were evil
too, so I thought I was right."
Blaise laughed. "She called Weasely, the Weasel! I don't care about your
blood, you are my new best friend."
Hermione smiled tightly, "I can't believe I listened to him. He looked
thicker than a troll and he even had dirt on his nose. Such filth."
"Tell me about it. This train is filled with filth." Draco smirked, and
glared at Hermione. Hadrian kicked Draco's shins, and shot him a
warning glare. Draco rolled his eyes, but reluctantly backed down.
Hadrian grinned as he saw the silhouette of the Hogwarts castle through
the window. He had finally made it to Hogwarts. After so many years of
training, Hadrian was finally going to show the world what he could do.
10. Finally (Part II)
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
There are some words copied from Harry Potter. Some ideas are also
from Pottermore to describe settings as much as possible. Once
again, I don't own Pottermore or Harry Potter.
Hogwarts [1991]
The train slowly came to a stop, and Hadrian stood up, stretching his
limbs. They were here. Finally. Hadrian, Draco, Blaise, and Neville
helped the girls with their trunks, and Hermione left to find her own
trunk.
"Shall we?" Hadrian proposed. They exited the train, depositing their
trunks outside.
"Firs' years! Firs' years over hear!" A tall man was waving his hands with
a lantern as soon as they got off the train. Hadrian trudged over, and
everyone else followed him. The man was more like a giant, and had a
large, coal black beard. He spoke very roughly and directed all the 'firs'
years onto the boats.
"No more tha' four to a boat!" He hollered, stumbling around blindly.
Destiny giggled at the man, and it didn't take a genius to know what she
was thinking.
Hadrian, Destiny, Draco and Daphne all piled into one boat. Neville and
Blaise took a boat with Hermione, and Terry Boot. They rolled their eyes
as they saw a Weasley and Potter shrieking with excitement. When they
neared the castle, Hadrian did his best to not look like a gaping fish. It
was huge, and it was so mysterious and enchanting that even he was
compelled by it.
"Look Hadrian! Isn't it so exciting! The castle is beautiful!" Destiny
exclaimed, gazing up in awe.
"Its impressive." He said curtly. Daphne smiled knowingly at him, but
didn't say anything.
They reached the docks, and Hadrian helped Daphne and Destiny out the
boat. They entered the castle through large wooden double doors, and
Hadrian's eyes widened.
It was massive, almost as big as one of the ballrooms in Riddle Manor.
The staircases moved constantly, and portraits whispered amongst each
other. Hadrian's eyes fell on the all too familiar face of Lily Potter, and he
tried hard to look indifferent to her presence.
"This is the Entrance Hall. And this is Professor Lily Potter. She'll l wait
with yer for Professor McGonagall." The large oaf left abruptly, and the
green eyed lady turned to the first years.
"Hello, I am Professor Potter. I am the muggle studies teacher at
Hogwarts." She spoke softly.
Draco snickered, "Muggle studies. How useless."
Alexander Potter turned to Draco, and glared at him. "I know who you
are, Malfoy. My dad's told me about your Death Eater family."
Draco lunged, but was held back by Blaise and Neville. It may have been
true, but there was no reason to say it so degradingly.
Hadrian turned to Potter. "Don't assume things, Potter." His eyes flashed,
and Alexander Potter stepped back.
"Neville? Is that you? Why are you with them! They're evil Slytherins! All
of em'!" A redhead yelled loudly.
Neville glared coldly at him. "Don't insult my friends. Ever."
"You must be a Weasley." Blaise concluded. "Which one are you?"
"My name's Ron!" He growled angrily.
"My father told me the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more
children than they can afford." Draco sneered.
"Enough fighting children!" Lily Potter interrupted. She hadn't heard the
actual conversation, just the escalated voices. She gazed around the
room, and her eyes locked with Hadrian. Lily widened her eyes, and her
mouth opened slightly. Her hands began to shake and she walked closer
to Hadrian. She began to breathe frantically, and her arms shot out and
grabbed Hadrian.
"Harry? Harry is that you? You've come back! I've missed you so much!"
Lily Potter gasped, tightly hugging Hadrian as if her life depended on it.
Everyone was in shock as they saw Professor Potter latching onto the tall,
mysterious dark haired boy.
"Mummy! Let go of the evil kid!" Alexander Potter whined, pulling his
mother away. Hadrian glared coldly at her and brushed off his robes.
"I know I'm attractive, but do try to keep your mother off of me, eh
Potter?" He smirked. Alexander's scowled and pulled his mother away,
trying to calm down her hysteria.
"Harry! I'm so sorry! Come back to me! To your family! I miss you!" She
cried, trying to reach for Hadrian. Lily Potter was hyperventilating and
heaving with tears.
"Crazy woman." Neville muttered as he pulled Hadrian away from her
grasp. Hadrian smiled in thanks, but he still looked back to Lily Potter.
He didn't know how she recognized him since after the adoption
ceremony, his looks had changed. She was still sobbing, and Hadrian
hardened his eyes. Good. She should feel guilty, He thought.
"Professor Potter, control yourself! Dumbledore wishes to speak with you
in his office first thing in the morning." A sharp voice reprimanded. All
eyes turned to see a strict looking woman, with her greying hair in a tight
bun and spectacles on the bridge of her nose. She wore a pointed witch's
hat, and just her mere presence made everyone quiet. The woman sent
the crying Lily Potter away, and turned to the eager first years. She had a
strong Scottish accent when she spoke.
"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall. Now, in a few
moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates, but
before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are
Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now while you're here,
your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points.
Any rule breaking, and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the
house with the most points is awarded the house cup. You have a couple
minutes before you enter the Great Hall. I suggest you use these moments
to tidy yourselves up. The Sorting Ceremony will begin shortly."
She gave a disapproving glance to Weasley, who had dirt on his nose.
Hadrian smoothed down his already perfect hair and immaculate robes.
Draco, on the other hand, was fussing with everything, even his shoes.
"I heard that its a really hard test!" Someone whispered loudly, and Blaise
snorted in amusement.
Hermione was freaking out, whispering all the spells she already knew.
She turned to Hadrian and said. "What do you think it'll be? A couple
older students told me that we would have to fight a troll! I wonder what
spells I'll us-"
"You put on a hat, and it sorts you into your House." Hadrian cut her off.
"If they had you fight a troll, you would die in the first few seconds."
Draco mumbled. "On second thought..." He trailed off, glacing at the
translucent figures flying around.
"Ghosts!" Someone screeched, and Hadrian rolled his eyes. People
shrieked as the ghosts swooped down, and flew around the first years.
"Hope you'll be in Hufflepuff! My old house!" A fat ghost exclaimed.
Blaise snickered silently and Destiny made a gagging motion.
"Look! It's nearly headless Nick!" A student pointed to another ghost,
floating around.
"Nearly headless?" Hermione repeated in disbelief. "How can you be
nearly headless?"
The ghost grinned, and swung off his head, but not completely. Daphne
gasped, and made a face at the gruesome ghost.
"Be gone! The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin!" Professor McGonagall
said in a stern tone. She waved her hands, and the big oak doors of the
Great Hall swung open.
"Line up, single file." McGonagall said, leading the way through the Great
Hall. Everyone gasped, looking up at the large hall, with the clear, night
sky ceiling and floating candles.
"It's not real, the ceiling. It's bewitched. I read it in Hogwarts a History."
Hermione said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Hadrian didn't respond, and instead tried to keep a cool face, while
gazing around. It wasn't like anything he had seen before. Hogwarts
practically glowed with magic, and everything was fascinating.
Everyone's eyes were on the new first years and Hadrian made sure to
look poised and confident.
Hadrian noticed Dumbledore looked curiously at him, and he felt the
light probing of Legilimency in his mind. Hadrian clenched his fists, and
strengthened his Occulmency shields. He could feel Dumbledore being
snapped back, and he did not miss the wince on the old fool's face. The
first years all gathered around the front of the Great Hall, where a old,
worn out hat sat on a stool.
"Now before we begin, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few
words." Professor McGonagall announced.
Hadrian concealed his scowl as the stupid twit, Headmaster Dumbledore,
rose up from his chair in his festive red and brown robes. Daphne made a
disgusted face at the Headmaster's clothing choices and Draco did not
even try to hide the look of disdain on his face.
"I have a few start of term notices I wish to announce." Dumbledore
boomed, "The first years please note, that the Forbidden forest is strictly
forbidden to all students. Also our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to
remind you that the 3rd floor corridor on the right hand side, is out of
bounds, to everyone that does not wish to die a most painful death Thank
you." He sat back down, and all eyes turned to Professor McGonagall.
"When I call your name, you will come forth, and I shall place the sorting
hat on your head, and you shall be sorted into your houses."
The Sorting Hat opened its flap, and a rough, gruff voice came out:
Oh you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
if you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folks use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get in a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!
McGonagall cleared her throat, and announced the first name, "Abbot,
Hannah."
A chubby girl with blonde hair in pigtails, nervously stepped up and
carefully sat on the stool. McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her
head, and the girl fidgeted nervously. There was a brief moment of
silence, before the hat announced, "Hufflepuff!"
Blaise snickered under his breath, "What a disgrace."
The girl scampered off to the cheering table at the far right. Millicent
Bustrode, a slightly big girl with short straight hair, became the first
Slytherin.
"Hermione Granger."
Hermione's eyes widened, and she muttered something quietly, taking
constant deep breaths. She almost ran up to the stool, jamming the hat
on her head.
Hermione bit her lip, and the Hat spoke to her: Hhm. Intelligent..Very
intelligent. Resourceful, yes. You're very ambitious aren't you? Slytherin might
just be the place...but no, you'd never be great in Slytherin. No, it shall be...
"Ravenclaw!"
Hermione looked slightly disappointed that the hat hadn't placed her in
Gryffindor, but she smiled as the Ravenclaw table cheered for her.
Hadrian grinned, Hermione was perfectly suited for Ravenclaw.
"Greengrass, Daphne."
Daphne winked, and walked up to the stool. Hadrian could tell she was
nervous, but she didn't try to show it. Daphne smoothed down her hair,
and McGonagall placed the hat on her head. The hat took a couple
minutes, but declared her in "Slytherin!"
Daphne proudly sauntered to the Slytherin table. Their cheers were far
more reserved than the obnoxious cheering of the Gryffindors and
Hufflepuffs.
"Lestrange, Destiny?" McGonagall called, and her face paled slightly.
Hadrian could practically see the wheels turning in her head, connecting
Destiny to her mother.
McGonagall had a sour expression on her face when she placed the hat
on Destiny's head.
The hat was silent, for a brief period of time, but then it announced,
"Gryffindor!"
Destiny froze, and locked eyes with Hadrian. Her gaze was panicked and
she looked at her friends, almost pleadingly. Everyone was shocked, and
the Gryffindor table was for once, strangely silent. Many of the elder
years in Gryffindor had recognized her name upon hearing it, and they
wore cold glares on their faces. McGonagall snapped out of her surprise,
and hesitantly nudged Destiny towards the Gryffindor table. A slow clap
filled the room, and Hadrian saw that one of the Weasley twins had stood
up and clapped. The other twin stood up a second later, and clapped
rapidly.
The hall was silent, except for the cheers and claps of the two twins.
Hadrian smiled; he had never been so thankful for a Weasley in his life.
He saw Destiny sit down near the edge of the table, trying to ignore all
the harsh looks she was getting. She looked perfectly calm, although
Hadrian could tell she was breaking down inside. He gave her one last
sympathetic look, before turning back to face McGonagall.
McGonagall shook her head, as if trying to clear away her thoughts, and
called out the next name.
"Longbottom, Neville."
Neville casually walked up to the stool, and sat down. The hat looked to
be deep in thought: Interesting. Very interesting. Loyal..yes, almost to a
fault...but an unquenchable thirst to prove yourself...Very well then...
"Slytherin!" It shouted,
Neville looked startled, but hesitantly walked over to the Slytherin table.
The hall was silent once again. Some of the teachers at the High Table
gasped in surprise. The short Charms professor had even fallen off his
chair. Destiny smiled knowingly, although it was tinged with sadness and
some envy.
"Malfoy, Draco."
Hadrian clapped Draco on the back, and Draco swaggered up to the stool.
He sat down, and McGonagall reached for the hat. The hat didn't even
touch the young Malfoy's smooth blonde hair when it announced,
"Slytherin!"
Draco smirked, and went to the clapping Slytherin table. Hadrian
exchanged a glance with Blaise. As if a Malfoy would belong anywhere
else.
"Potter, Alexander."
Hadrian laughed as the chubby Chosen one ran up to the stool.
McGonagall placed the hat on his head, and it was almost dead silent.
After a few minutes, the hat frowned and shouted "Gryffindor."
The hall was filled with the loud cheers of Gryffindor. They drummed the
table with silverware, and whooped and screamed.
"We got Potter! We got the Chosen one!" The students in Gryffindor
chanted. Dumbledore smiled, and half-heartedly told everyone to settle
down.
"R-Ri-Riddle, Hadrian." McGonagall stuttered. Her face drained of color,
and she looked frightened out of her mind. Hadrian strolled up to the
stool, and sat down. He strengthened his mental shields, and felt he could
feel the hat lower on his head.
I must praise you for your nearly indestructible Occulmency shields, but please
lower them. Everything I see, I have sworn to never repeat.
Hadrian reluctantly lowered his shields, and the Hat made a sound akin
to a gasp.
My, my Mr. Riddle. Or should I say Harry Potter? I was under the impression
you were dead.
"What fool thought I was dead? I can assure you, I am very much alive.
Now can you get along to sorting me?" Hadrian hissed in his mind.
Very well. You're very secretive aren't you? Hhm, difficult, very difficult.
Impressive mind. Plenty of courage, I see. Brave and daring too.
"If you sort me into that stupid house of ignorant fools I will stab you
with Basilisk venom and set you on fire." Hadrian warned threateningly.
"Someone's violent." The hat chuckled. "Don't worry. Gryffindor, while it
appreciates your qualities, is not the house for you. The Light Side is in for
quite a surprise, eh? We're expecting great things from you, Harry Potter. The
only house you belong in is...
SLYTHERIN!"
Hadrian sighed with relief. He made his way to the Slytherin table, where
Draco had already saved him a seat. The Slytherins clapped modestly,
and welcomed him to their table.
"I had no doubts." Draco said, grinning widely. Hadrian smiled back, and
turned to see the Weasel get sorted into Gryffindor. Blaise was the last
person to get sorted, and he inevitably ended up in Slytherin.
McGonagall rolled the scroll back up again, and Dumbledore stood up.
"Let the feast begin!" He announced, waving his hands. Instantly, food
filled the tables. Hadrian was unimpressed since he regularly was treated
to such lavish meals at home. He scanned the Hall, and rested his eyes on
Professor Quirell. His father had placed Quirell at Hogwarts for a specific
job, but Hadrian did not know what it was. His eyes travelled to his
potions professor, Severus Snape. Snape looked almost the same, his
greasy bat-like hair falling to his shoulders. He was seated next to the
messy big drunken giant, Hagrid. Hadrian almost laughed at the crude
expression on Snape's face. The giant ate almost as disgustingly as Ronald
Weasley. Almost. Then again he couldn't blame Weasley. All the
Gryffindors ate like hideous pigs compared to Slytherin's perfect dining
etiquette.
All of them, except for Destiny. He cursed silently as he realized he
wouldn't be allowed to insult Gryffindors anymore. Hadrian glanced
Destiny with concern. She wasn't eating, just sadly pushing the food
around her plate. He noticed the Gryffindors were all ignoring her, and
the youngest Weasley was even laughing at her. Hadrian wanted to
strangle the Weasel till he turned blue.
Hadrian's attention hastily snapped back to his own table. He laughed
when Daphne slapped Blaise's hand away from eating another treacle
tart. She had a stern expression on her face that reminded him of
Narcissa. Hadrian was slightly surprised that Draco's two thugs, er-
blockhead 'friends', Crabbe and Goyle had been sorted into Hufflepuff.
Just the thought was hilarious.
Soon, the feast was over, and the Slytherin prefects led the way to the
Slytherin dormitories. Hadrian turned to wave goodbye to Destiny, but
she was already gone.
"Alright, try to keep up. Quickly now." The Slytherin Fifth year Prefect,
Lucian Boyle spoke roughly. He and the female prefect, Gemma Farley,
led the first years down several flights of stairs, to the Slytherin common
room.
"Right here, behind the wall, is the entrance to the Slytherin common
room. The password is 'Serpent'. It changes every two weeks, so be sure
to check the notice boards for the new password. Don't forget the
password and don't tell anyone outside of Slytherin the password. Do not
bring anyone else inside out common room. No outsider has ever entered
our common room, and we intend to keep that record." Lucian said. He
whispered the password, and the large stone wall slid open.
They all walked inside the common room, gazing with interest at the
elegant surroundings. The room was long, and rectangular with a low
ceiling. It had a greenish glow to it, and all the furniture was expensive
and ancient looking. Hadrian identified one of the statues to be worth
around 1000 galleons. The floor was stone, and the air in the room was
chilly. Daphne rubbed her arms, and stared at the strange green fire in
the fireplace.
"Our common room is under the Black Lake. It gives our common room a
kind of mysterious, 'shipwrecked' look. Don't be scared if you see the
Giant Squid swooshing by through the windows. Also, it gets quite cold
in the winter, so I suggest you learn a body-warmth spell." Gemma
warned.
"These are the 6th year Prefects, Ophelia Ashworth, and Marcus Flint."
Lucian gestured to the two students sitting on the expensive upholstered
armchairs. Ophelia Ashworth stood up, and greeted the first years with a
warm smile. She was beautiful, with raven colored long hair, and
piercing blue eyes.
"Welcome to Slytherin. You are all standing here, because the Sorting Hat
saw the cunning, ambition, and resourcefulness that Salzaar Slytherin
himself desired to see in his students."
"You may have heard rumors about our house. How everyone in
Slytherin is evil, a dark wizard, or my personal favorite, a Death Eater in
training." Marcus Flint chuckled, revealing severely crooked teeth.
"Some of those things may be true. Most of you are pureblood, and some
of you come from openly declared Dark families. But know that you
weren't sorted into Slytherin because of your family, or its legacy. You
were sorted into Slytherin because you deserved the best. You all have
the potential to be great inside of you. Everyone in Slytherin is here for a
reason. Even if you think otherwise, keep it to yourself. " Lucian said.
"One of the greatest wizards of all time, Merlin himself, was in Slytherin!
Now would you rather be following in the footsteps of Merlin, or some
idiotic Gryffindor?" Gemma asked, although it was a rhetorical question.
"Slytherins stick together. We are usually the most respected, and the
most feared students. Take advantage of it. We have a reputation that we
will uphold no matter what, understand?" Ophelia stared pointedly at the
first years.
"Hufflepuffs aren't the only ones who value loyalty. Slytherins are always
loyal to each other. All petty arguments and disputes never leave the
common room. We are a united front. It doesn't matter if you absolutely
loathe one of your fellow Slytherins. Outside the common room, you will
act as if you are the best of friends." Flint stated firmly.
"Slytherins look after their own. We aren't like Ravenclaws, who step
over each other to get the best marks. We are brothers, sisters, a big
happy family." Gemma joked.
"Once you've become a Slytherin, you are automatically elite. Being in
Slytherin has its perks. Our house ghost, the Bloody Baron, may seem
terrifying, but he is the only one that can control Peeves the poltergeist.
This is why Peeves never bothers Slytherins. Just don't ask the Baron how
or why he has so much blood on his clothes, he hates it." Lucian
explained.
"Our dormitories are by far the best of all the houses. All the other houses
have shared rooms, but in Slytherin, everyone is entitled to their own
room. The boys first year rooms are all connected to each other. Same
with the girls. Slytherin is also the only House in which the girls and boys
dorms are not separate. We trust you to respect others privacy, and be
mature. Do not abuse this privilege otherwise it will be taken away."
Ophelia frowned.
"Our Head of House is professor Severus Snape. He teaches potions, and
expects perfection in everything. So word of advice? Pick up a book
before you enter his class and be sure to study hard. Potions is very
difficult." Flint said.
"Quite right, Flint." A silky voice spoke up, and every turned around.
Severus Snape stood straight in a rigid posture, and stared hard at the
first years.
"Every morning, you will report to the Great Hall for breakfast by 8 am. I
am well aware that class starts at 9 am, but we wish to avoid all the
chaos. Weekends are no exception." Severus scowled. Someone's raised
hand lowered, and Snape spoke again.
"You will always be early to classes. Socializing with friends can wait for
the evenings. Speaking of classes, you must always have above average
marks. If you are falling behind, ask one of your peers or the older
students. They will be happy to help, correct?" He glared at the prefects
and they nodded vigorously.
"I do not want to hear Minerva or Flitwick complaining about you during
staff meetings. Act mature, and do not make foolish, rash, Gryffindor
decisions. Think before you act. In case you haven't noticed, our table is
the most sophisticated of all others."
"Nighttime curfew is at 9pm for students below fourth year. This means
you should be in the Slytherin quarters. I do not care if you go to sleep,
or stay up all night. Just make sure you look presentable in the morning.
Appearances play a key part in Slytherin. Always look your best, no
matter if you are attending class or if you are eating supper.
Understand?"
Everyone nodded, and Snape turned to leave. "I know you are tired, so I
will let the prefects wrap up. Good Night."
The prefects turned to the first years, "Once again, welcome to Slytherin.
You are destined for greatness. Play your cards right, and one day you
will be admired, feared, and highly respected." They said in unison.
All the first years clapped, and the prefects led them to their rooms. Each
room had a large black door, with a silver plate with a student's name on
it. Hadrian found his room, and noticed it was between Draco and
Daphne's rooms. He slipped inside and smiled at the magnificent room. It
was fairly large for a dorm room. There was an ancient looking four
poster bed, with green silk hangings. The bedspread was pure black silk,
and embroidered with silver. It reminded Hadrian of his bed back home.
There were various tapestries hanging on the walls, and silver floating
lanterns that lit up the room. The room also contained a gleaming silver
fireplace, with the Slytherin green flames. Hadrian carefully rested his
wand on the table, and unpacked his trunk. He did a spell to hang up all
his clothes in the expertly carved black wardrobe.
He turned to the doorway, and decided his room needed some extra
protection. Hadrian mumbled some ancient runes that Nott Sr. had
taught him. Ancient Runes was practically the only thing that dimwit was
skilled in. He grinned with triumph as he saw the pale green ward shine
in his doorway.
Hadrian whispered a couple spells in parsletongue, and frowned when he
saw nothing happened.
I must be missing something, He thought to himself.
Hadrian sighed, how could he have forgotten the main source of magic
needed? Hadrian grabbed his wand, and configured up a knife. He
marveled at the perfect silver blade, and slashed open his palm.
He whispered in parsletongue, taking short breaths in between the fast
chanting. He could feel the pain slowly fading, and the red blood ward
getting stronger. Once all the pain had subsided, and the cut had healed
itself, Hadrian collapsed with exhaustion on his bed. It wasn't as
comfortable as his bed back home, but it would do. He closed his eyes,
relishing the darkness.
Hadrian fell soon fell asleep listening to serenity of the waves lapping
against his windows and the soothing sounds of the fire crackling in his
room.
11. Time to Shine
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Slytherin Dormitory [September 2]
There was a loud pounding on his door, and Hadrian groaned sleepily.
"Wake up Hadrian! We have class!" Draco yelled. There was a slight
rattling of the doorknob, and Hadrian shot up. He pushed away the silk
sheets and yawned, rubbing his eyes .
"Don't come in, unless you want to die." He warned. Draco mumbled
something, and threw open the door. He was already dressed, complete
with the hair slicked back with gel. His robes donned the Slytherin crest,
and his tie was done perfectly.
"Quit being dramatic and get dressed."
"I'm serious. Here, throw that plant into my room." Hadrian said,
gesturing to the plant outside his door. Draco rolled his eyes, but tossed
the leafy plant into the room. His eyes widened as the plant burst into
flames, and crumbled to ash in a matter of seconds.
"It destroys any living thing that comes into my room without
permission." Hadrian explained, "It's a parslemagic blood ward."
Draco shook his head in disbelief, "Only you would set up a destructive
blood ward in your room. I don't even think the seventh years have this
kind of protection in their rooms."
"It's just a precaution!" Hadrian protested.
"Whatever. Get dressed! We have to report to breakfast in half an hour."
Hadrian sighed and rolled out of bed. His feet touched the stone cold
floor and he winced. He trudged into his own bathroom and went over to
the marble sink. The bathroom was large, but nowhere near as large as
his own bathroom at home. He splashed cold water on his face and
brushed his teeth. He smiled at himself in the mirror. He wasn't nearly as
vain as Draco, but even Hadrian knew he was good looking. Looks didn't
matter much to him, but he appreciated his own.
Hadrian took a quick shower, and did a spell to dry his hair. He combed
it neatly and then ruffled it up a bit. He grinned at his new robes with the
Slytherin crest. He put on the classic white button up shirt, the required
grey jumper vest, and grey trousers. Hadrian lastly slipped on the robes,
and did a charm so it would feel less itchy on his skin. He stepped into
his expensive black shoes, and quickly tied the laces. The traditional
silver and green tie laid on his bed, and Hadrian grabbed it and put it
around his neck. He wrapped a strand around the other, and tried to
twist it into a knot. He was confused when it looked like a large rumpled
blob. Hadrian felt a twinge of sadness, usually Narcissa or Destiny would
do his tie, but sadly neither were here.
He swallowed painfully as he thought of Destiny. He wondered how she
was coping with in Gryffindor. They probably were acting as if she didn't
exist. He didn't have a good feeling about her being in Gryffindor, but at
least it wasn't Hufflepuff. Hadrian shook off his thoughts, thinking he
would talk to her later today.
He didn't know what classes he had in the morning, since he hadn't
received his schedule yet. Hadrian grabbed his wand and scanned the
room to see if he was forgetting anything.
Can I come? Mercury hissed.
Hadrian debated for a second in his head, and shrugged. 'What could go
wrong?'
He nodded stiffly, and allowed Mercury to slither up his arm. His robes
covered up the snake, and you could only see a small outline of a snake,
if you looked very closely.
He opened the door and walked out, locking it with his wand. He walked
casually to the common room, and noticed that all his friends were
waiting for him.
"We've been waiting here forever!" Blaise complained upon seeing
Hadrian enter. Hadrian rolled his eyes and sat down on the soft green
couch.
"Hadrian!" A soft voice yelled. Hadrian glanced up and met Daphne's
disapproving glare.
"What?" He snapped irritably. It was safe to say, Hadrian was not a
morning person. Like most Slytherins, he was a fan of the night, when
darkness took over.
"Your tie!" She replied in an acidic tone, yanking him up from his
comfortable spot on the couch. She mumbled something incoherently and
redid his sad excuse for a tie. After looking satisfied, she scrutinized
Hadrian from top to bottom.
"Your shoe is also untied." Daphne said, pointing to his shoes. "Surely you
at least know how to tie your shoes."
Hadrian made a face, but leaned down and retied his shoes. Draco was
smirking at him, while Neville looked uncomfortable.
"Lets go before Snape yells at us." Neville said quickly. Hadrian and
Draco exchanged a look and laughed.
"Don't worry Severus won't get angry."
"How do you know?"
"Well, for starters, he is my godfather." Draco explained.
"And he wouldn't want to make my father angry." Hadrian added.
"Didn't Draco say you were an orphan?" Neville asked, raising an
eyebrow. Hadrian stumbled slightly, a mistake that would go unnoticed
by anyone...except a Slytherin. Neville definitely noticed, and his
suspicions heightened.
"Did I say father again? Sometimes I refer to Draco's father as my own.
I've known the Malfoys since forever." Hadrian lied smoothly. But it did
not convince Neville, for he still looked skeptical.
"I'll tell you the truth when the time is right. We aren't in private, and I
would like you to keep this conversation to yourself." Hadrian hissed, so
low that only Neville could hear. Neville looked at the curious faces in
the Slytherin common room, and nodded crisply.
The group walked out of the room, and navigated through the halls of
Hogwarts. Hadrian noted that not many people were around the castle
this early. It was serene, and quite peaceful without the bustle of students
rushing around. Hadrian pushed open the large wooden doors of the
Great Hall and strolled in with the rest of his friends in tow. Hadrian
locked his gaze with his Head of House, Severus Snape. Snape nodded
stiffly, acknowledging their presence. Hadrian discovered that the entire
Gryffindor table was empty, save for one Destiny Lestrange. She sat
alone, sadly nibbling her toast. The goblet of pumpkin juice next to her
laid untouched.
Hadrian immediately changed his direction, and strolled over to the
Gryffindor table. Destiny almost choked when she saw Hadrian slide
himself next to her, and she dabbed her mouth daintily with a napkin.
"Yes?" She asked with a confused look on her face.
"Good morning. How was your night in Gryffindor?"
"Why are you still talking to me? You hate Gryffindors." Destiny stated,
turning her head away. Hadrian laughed and tugged on one of her curls
playfully.
"Did you really think I was going to ignore you because you got sorted
into Gryffindor?"
"Well...yes."
"Too bad. You can't get rid of me that fast." He grinned widely. "Destiny,
you're my sister. I'm not going to hate you if you're a Gryffindor. Besides,
you're only a Gryffindor in Hogwarts. When we leave, you're back to
being Bella's perfect daughter." Hadrian pointed out.
"Mum." Destiny repeated, her face paling. Her face flooded with shame
and she dropped her head into her hands. "She's going to hate me."
"Calm down." He said in a soothing tone, patting her back. "Bella loves
you no matter what. Remember? You're her little dark angel." He
snickered at the nickname Bellatrix often called Destiny.
"She's still going to be angry. I've seen it." Destiny mumbled sadly.
"Speaking of you seeing things, why couldn't you see the hat would put
you in Gryffindor? Didn't you try to change it?" Hadrian asked, trying to
change the subject.
"Your father asked me to be sorted into Gryffindor." Destiny replied
looking at the mahogany table.
"My father? Why?"
"He said I would attract less attention if I was in Gryffindor. Also I could
keep an eye on Potter and the rest of the Order members." She whispered
softly, after checking no one was within hearing distance.
"So you're a spy?"
Destiny nodded stiffly and took a sip of her juice. "How's Slytherin?"
"The best." Hadrian responded cheekily. He glanced around before his
tone turned serious, "How are those Gryffindorks treating you?"
Destiny's hand stabbed her fork into her breakfast viciously. Her knuckles
were white from gripping the fork so hard.
"They called me a Death Eater, and insulted Bella so many times. One of
the girls even put a live rat under my pillow." Destiny said in a shaky
voice, but her face was void of any emotion.
"Those bastards." Hadrian growled, and stood up abruptly. They didn't
even know her, and yet they were acting as if she was the worst person to
exist. It didn't matter that she probably would become one of his father's
death eaters. She was still a human being. And no one deserved to be
treated that way based on silly prejudice. And a rat? She was in their
own house for Merlin's sake! Why would they ever do that?
Destiny yanked his hand and pulled him back down roughly, "Stop it.
You're making a scene. Besides they aren't all that bad."
He gave her a disbelieving look.
"I'm serious. The two older Weasels, Fred and George. They aren't bad.
They promised to help me get those awful girls back. And they have
pretty hilarious pranks." Destiny insisted.
"You're on first name basis with Weasleys?!" Hadrian looked horrified.
"Stop it! I told you they are perfectly fine. If it makes you feel better, I
think they're Slytherins in a lion's disguise."
"No Slytherin would ever wear a lion's disguise." Hadrian muttered.
Destiny whacked his arm, "You know what I'm trying to say. Besides,
they seem much darker than any other Weasel."
Hadrian cocked an eyebrow. "Are you telling me that two of the
Weasley's seem slightly dark to you?" He had an amused look on his face
at the mere idea of a dark Weasley.
"No," Destiny said, her eyes locking on the group of Gryffindor's entering
the Great Hall, "I'm saying they're different from the other Weasels. Their
minds are definitely more mischievous than the rest."
Headmaster's Office [September 2]
Dumbledore leaned back in his desk chair and took a deep breath. His
hands were clasped and his usually twinkling eyes were dull. He locked
his gaze with the petite redheaded professor across from him.
"You wished to see me headmaster?"
Dumbledore nodded slowly, but was otherwise silent. Lily opened her
mouth, but her voice was cut short as the bright green flames lit up the
fireplace and her husband stepped out. James Potter dusted off his robes
and flicked away the small amount of soot lodged in his dark, untamed
hair. Both Potters looked surprised to see each other. James embraced his
wife, ducking down to press a kiss on her cheek before sitting down lazily
a chair.
"Lemon drop?" Dumbledore offered, sliding a dish of pale yellow candies
towards the couple. James eagerly grabbed a handful, but Lily politely
declined.
"Why am I here? And why is James here?" Lily asked bluntly.
"This is about your breakdown last night upon seeing one Hadrian
Riddle." Dumbledore explained.
Lily stood up abruptly and slammed her hands onto the mahogany desk.
"That was Harry. My Harry. Harry Potter."
James stiffened, "Harry's back?" He was fidgeting uncontrollably and
shifting nervously.
"No. He isn't back."
"Yes he is! I saw him with my own eyes!" Lily argued.
James placed a comforting hand on her arm, "Honey, Albus must be
right. You may have seen a boy that looked like Harry, but I don't think it
was Harry."
Lily shook his hand off, ignoring the hurt look on James's face. "He's
back! I know it!"
"Lily, Harry Potter has not come to Hogwarts. He never will!"
Dumbledore insisted firmly.
"What do you mean 'he never will'?"
Dumbledore froze and involuntarily his gaze landed on the concealed
book on the high shelf.
"Are you trying to say he went to a different magical school?" James
prompted further.
Lily narrowed her eyes, scanning the Headmaster's face. "Albus, where is
my other son?"
Dumbledore paled. This was the very moment he had been dreading for
so long. He had hoped that he never would have to reveal the truth, but
it was wishful thinking.
"Harry Potter will never attend Hogwarts, or any other magical school."
"Are you saying he's a squib?" James interjected with a confused
expression on his face.
"Let him finish, James!" Lily scolded, looking expectantly at the
Headmaster.
Dumbledore cleared his throat uncomfortably, "Harry James Potter is
dead."
Silence engulfed the room touching every available surface. Lily seemed
to stop breathing, and even the chirping Phoenix halted its cheerful song.
"What do you mean, dead?" Lily asked in a cold voice. James winced at
the harsh tone, and shrunk back in his chair.
"He is no longer alive. He's gone."
"How could you let this happen?!" Lily exploded, causing the nearby
plant to burst into flames.
"How long have you known?" James asked cautiously.
Dumbledore seemed to squirm and sink deeper into his chair, "Almost
eight years."
"And you never told us? Why the hell did you keep this from us?! You
never thought we would like to know?" Lily shrieked angrily.
"Eight years..." James sucked in a sharp breath, "that was the around the
time when we left him with Lily's sister."
"I knew it was a bad idea. Petunia never appreciated any form of magic.
Why did I trust that horrid cow to take care of my Harry?!" Lily
whispered, unable to fight back tears.
"Why didn't you tell us?" James asked. But he knew the answer as soon as
the question rolled of his tongue.
"Because our only hope of deaf eating the dark lord is Alexander. And he
deserves-"
"Our full attention." James finished. He understood why the Headmaster
was keeping this secret from them, and frankly, James appreciated it. He
knew everything would've gone even more slowly if Lily kept grieving
and mourning Harry's death during training.
"It doesn't matter! You should've told us! We deserved to know!" Lily
snapped.
"Lily, calm do-" James started.
"Don't tell me to calm down! You bring him back Albus!" Lily hiccuped
stabbing a finger towards the guilty Headmaster. "Bring him back!"
She crumbled down in her chair, and her small frame shook with sobs.
James hesitantly rubbed her back trying to comfort her, but it was to no
avail.
"How did he die? Do you even know where he's buried?" Lily choked out
through her heavy tears.
Dumbledore looked somber as he shook his head.
"Maybe he's still alive?" James suggested wistfully.
"He's dead, James! He's dead! My baby's gone! All because of me!"
James nervously adjusted his collar. "I think we should be going now,
Albus. Is it alright if Lily takes a short break from teaching?"
"Of course, James. Take all the time you need."
Transfiguration Classroom [September 2]
"Stupid Dumbledore and stupid house unity." Blaise mumbled as his quill
scratched across the paper. Hadrian stifled a laugh but tried to contain
his mirth when the grey cat turned its eyes on him. They had all groaned
at breakfast when their timetables were handed to them. Today they had
transfiguration with the Gryffindors, and double potions with the
Ravenclaws and Gryffindors.
In Transfiguration, they were currently copying down notes for
transfiguring a matchstick into a needle. McGonagall suggested that if
they finished the notes, they could try to perform the spell themselves.
Hadrian rolled his eyes at the simple task; he could do it in his sleep. But
sadly his father had forbidden him from showing off, so he had to at least
look like he was trying.
Suddenly the doors burst open and Potter and the Weasel ran through.
They were panting and heaving by the time they settled into two open
seats in the back.
"Thank Merlin McGonagall's not here! Could you imagine the look on her
face if she saw us come in late?" The Weasel sighed in relief. Hadrian
almost snorted in amusement. The grey cat's whiskers twitched and it
leaped off the desk. Within seconds, Professor McGonagall stood in place
of the cat. Hadrian couldn't contain his chuckle as the Weasel's face
turned white as a sheet. McGonagall even threatened to turn them into a
pocket watch and a map if they were ever late again. 'Note to self,'
Hadrian thought 'Don't be late to class.'
He finished with his notes and neatly packed up his quill and ink. He
flipped through the transfiguration textbook, and memorized some spells
that would be useful later. Hadrian was deeply absorbed in the text,
which was why he did not notice McGonagall till she slammed his book
shut.
"What are you doing?" She asked sharply. "Why aren't you taking notes or
practicing the transfiguration?"
"I finished the notes." Hadrian replied. He shot Potter a glare when the
brat had the audacity to laugh.
"Then attempt the transfiguration!" McGonagall said, her voice laced with
exasperation.
"I already know how to do it." Hadrian explained impatiently, trying to
reach for his book.
"Well then, you won't mind showing the entire class, will you?"
McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "Class, watch Mr. Riddle attempt to
transfigure the matchstick."
All eyes were on him as Hadrian smoothly stood up and walked to the
front of the class. He held himself with a certain air of confidence that
everyone admired. He shot a wink at Destiny and pulled out his wand.
Screw his father's orders. Hadrian would show her exactly how powerful
he was.
He muttered the incantation clearly and swished his wand. There were
several intakes of gasps as the matchstick turned into a perfect silver
pointy needle. Hadrian smugly returned to his seat, grabbing his textbook
out of McGonagall's hands. The Slytherins clapped loudly and Potter and
Weasley scowled.
Minerva McGonagall pursed her lips, and grudgingly felt her respect
grow for the dark haired boy with startling green eyes. "Ten points to
Slytherin." She mumbled almost inaudibly.
Potions Dungeon [September 2]
After lunch, the Slytherins had potions with the Gryffindors and
Ravenclaws. Draco was itching with anticipation since it was well known
that Professor Snape despised Gryffindors. The dungeons were cold, and
dreary looking. Hadrian chose to sit next to Hermione and they were
currently setting up his cauldron.
The door slammed open with a loud bang, and Professor Snape strode
briskly into the room. All eyes were on him and his majestically
billowing robes. Hadrian wondered if it was a spell. The Potion Master's
eyes were as dark as ever, and they narrowed into slits upon surveying
the room.
"There will be no foolish wand waving here." He muttered in a smooth
voice that sent chills up everyone's spines.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making,"
he began slowly. He spoke in a low voice, and everyone had to lean
forward to catch his every word.
"I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly
simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of
liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring
the senses." He paused.
"I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if
you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
"Potter!" Snape said suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered
root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood." Hermione's hand shot up
into the air, but Snape ignored her.
Potter flushed with embarrassment, "I don't know."
Snape's lips curled into a sneer. "Clearly, fame isn't everything." He
drawled.
"Let's try again. What is a bezoar?" Hermione's hand was waving in the
air and she was stretching it as high as it would go.
"I don't know, sir." Potter mumbled.
Snape shot her a cold glare. "Sit down." He snapped.
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter."
Alexander Potter stared at his desk, trying not to look the greasy potions
master in the eye. He was almost quivering with fear.
"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane."
"I said I don't know, okay!" Alexander huffed. "Why don't you ask
Granger. She seems to know the answer." This statement caused some
people to laugh, and Hermione shrunk down in her seat.
Snape was not pleased, at all. "Ten points from Gryffindor for not making
the effort to study beforehand." He paused before smirking maliciously.
"And another ten points for your cheek, Mr. Potter."
"Hadrian, would you tell Potter what you would get if you added
powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
Hadrian smiled, "Asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so
powerful that it is known as the Draught of Living Death."
"Draco, what is a bezoar?"
"A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you
from most poisons." Draco recited perfectly.
"Mister Longbottom, what is the difference between monkshood and
wolfsbane?"
Neville gulped, and racked his mind for the answer. He had taken Flint's
advice and studied some of his potions textbook last night before bed.
"Excuse me, sir. But aren't monkshood and wolfsbane the same plant? It
can also be called Aconite." Neville said cautiously. Snape nodded and
Neville sighed in relief.
Severus Snape whipped his head around to face the rest of the class.
"Well. Why aren't you all copying that down." He barked. Everyone
instantly seemed to snap out of their frozen states of fear as they
rummaged around for quills and parchment.
"Thirty points to Slytherin for actually being prepared." Snape added over
the noise.
The rest of the potions lesson was spent in copying down the notes for
the potion of the day: Cure for Boils. When Hadrian finished copying
down the directions, he turned to Hermione.
"Look, I know you're a Ravenclaw and intelligence and brains are things
you value. But word of advice? Don't be such a know-it-all." Hadrian said
bluntly. He studied his perfect nails as Hermione sputtered.
"Excuse me?" Hermione spoke in a shrill voice.
"Ssh. Speak in a whisper unless you want to get caught by Snape."
Hadrian whispered as he crushed the snake fangs. "Hermione I know
you're very smart. You know you're very smart. Even the teachers already
know you're very smart. You don't have to keep proving it. Save it for
later, when it counts."
Hermione bit her lip thoughtfully, "What exactly do you mean?" She held
her breath as Snape passed by their brewing table. He glanced briefly at
their potion, and there was a hint of a smile. Hermione wasn't sure if she
was hallucinating from the fumes in the room, or not.
Snape walked around, criticizing everyone's potions, except for certain
Slytherins. There was a loud hissing noise and they both turned to look at
a Gryffindor that had caused his cauldron to explode. Snape frowned at
the twisted blob of a cauldron and the bright green potion seeping across
the dungeon floor. He angrily muttered a spell and the potion vanished.
But the boy brewing the potion was now covered in angry red boils, and
Snape ordered a random Ravenclaw to take him to the hospital wing. His
hooded gaze turned to Weasley who was laughing, and Snape snarled.
"Thought you would be funny, Weasley? Thinking it would make you
look good if your housemate's cauldron exploded in his face? Another ten
points from Gryffindor!"
Weasley turned red, and he started to stutter in protest. Snape simply
raised an eyebrow, "Shall I make it twenty points?" Weasley shook his
head and reluctantly backed down, choosing to sulk in his seat.
Hadrian laughed quietly, and added the horned slugs. "No one likes a
know it all. Even if you know the answer, don't be so zealous about it. Let
others have a chance, since you already know the correct answer. You'll
earn much more respect if you are silently clever."
Her eyes lit up, "Respect? People will respect me""
Hadrian nodded, "The true intelligent people don't need to remind people
how smart they are. Everyone should already know."
"You're right!" Hermione grinned as she stirred the potion clockwise,
making sure to count to five. She paused as the potion simmered. "Can I
tell you a secret?"
Hadrian nodded, urging her to continue.
"I just want to prove myself. I know that a lot of people think I don't
belong here, and I want to prove them wrong. Just because I'm a
muggleborn doesn't mean I can't do the same things as a pureblooded
wizard. I mean, aren't we all equal in some way? We all have magic.."
She said in a hushed tone.
"No offense, but certain muggleborns are completely thickheaded. They
barely have more magic than squibs and muggles." Hadrian pointed out.
"Yes, I know. They don't deserve to have magic if they don't work on it.
The wizarding race will start to diminish if we have muggleborns who
refuse to strengthen their magic." Hermione muttered. Her eyes widened
and her hands flew up to her mouth. "I didn't mean that!" She gasped.
Hadrian shot her a sly smile, "But it's true."
12. Gryffindor Instincts
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Flying Class [October 30]
Piercing green eyes locked with chocolate brown ones. The green eyes
hardened, and seemed to stress a message. A simple, but deadly "Beware".
Unfortunately, the brown eyed one did not understand, and instead
stared back with the same amount of animosity.
The shrill noise of a whistle caused the boy with the brown eyes to break
his focus and blink. His nervous gaze shot back to the green eyed boy
across from him, and he shuddered involuntarily.
Unknown to the brown eyed boy, the regal looking boy across from him,
the one he was looking at with such hostility, was his own brother. They
shared the same blood, the same mother, even part of the same flesh.
Yet, sadly, both wished for the other to die a horrible death.
It had only been a month, but the two boys had become enemies. Their
rivalry went beyond the typical Slytherin vs. Gryffindor rivalry. Hadrian
Riddle vs. Alexander Potter. One of the boys knew little about why this
rivalry was filled with such hatred. The other knew too much.
Every little task was a competition. Every single win and loss was
significant. Flying lessons provided a key opportunity for another small
competition, and neither would give up the chance.
"Now stand to the right of your broom, hold your hand over it, and say
'Up'. The broom should shoot up into your hands. Keep trying until you
have it." Madame Hooch, the instructor, called out. Neither boy listened
to her directions because they had been riding brooms since forever.
Instead they glared at each other with resentment and a silent, mutual
understanding passed through them. This was another contest.
Each held a hand above their broom, and commanded, "Up."
The broom shot up into the hand of the green eyed boy. He assessed it
with a calculating gaze. It was an old broom, and it probably wouldn't go
as fast as the broom he had at home. The twigs were brittle, and the
handle had a fair share of splinters. Obviously, it hadn't been well cared
for. He glanced to his right and saw that his best friend, Draco Malfoy,
was also looking at his broom skeptically.
To his left, Blaise Zabini already had the broom in his hands, but his
attention was directed elsewhere. Blaise Zabini was looking at Ron
Weasley, Potter's sidekick, with a mischievous grin. With an inaudible
whisper and a flick of his wand, Blaise Zabini smacked the handle of
Weasley's broom onto his nose. The redhead howled in pain and clutched
his nose, the broom long forgotten. Blaise laughed loudly, but quickly
stashed his wand back into his robes.
Hadrian turned back to Potter and saw that he also had his broom at the
ready.
"Now, once you've got hold of your broom, I want you to mount it. Grip
it tight, you don't want to be sliding off the end. When I blow my whistle,
I want each of you to kick up off the ground, hard. Keep your broom
steady, hover for a moment, and lean forward slightly, and then touch
back down. 3...2..."- Madame Hooch began to say,
She stopped abruptly as she saw a certain blonde haired girl rise off the
ground, slowly, then faster and faster. "Miss Lestrange! Get down here
this instant!"
Destiny Lestrange whimpered and shut her eyes tightly. She hated
heights with a passion. Her hands clenched around her broom as she
willed it to stop,, but to no avail. Hadrian had taught her a couple things
about riding a broom, but her mind was blank. All she could think about
was the amount of space between her and the ground. One small twitch
would have her falling to her death.
Meanwhile, while everyone was looking up, Hadrian scanned the crowd
for the real culprit. Brooms didn't just jet off like that. His accusing gaze
landed on an unknown Gryffindor with brown hair. Hadrian hissed under
his breath and shot a silent stinging hex at the boy. He took immense
pleasure in seeing the boy drop his wand in a mixture of pain and shock.
He noticed Destiny trying to look into the future, to see all the possible
outcomes of her current predicament. But before he even had time to pull
his wand out to help her in case she fell, Destiny was swerved off her
broom, and fell into a heap on the soft grass. Everyone winced as they
heard the resounding crack of a bone. Hadrian pushed his way to the
front of the kids surrounding Destiny, and helped Madame Hooch lift
Destiny up.
"Alright, I'm taking her to the hospital wing. If anyone even thinks about
flying without my presence, you'll be out of Hogwarts quicker than you
can say quidditch. Understand?" She didn't even wait for a reply as she
levitated Destiny.
When she was no longer visible, Hadrian noticed Potter pick something
off the ground. His eyes narrowed when he saw the glass remembrall that
Narcissa had sent Destiny that morning. Potter seemed to realize exactly
what is was and he tossed it around casually.
"Give it here, Potter. It isn't yours." Hadrian warned.
"And what are you going to do about it?" Potter taunted, his brown eyes
glinting. He rose up on his broom, ignoring the gasps.
"Don't make me fight you for it."
"You want it so bad, hm?" Potter pretended to think for a moment.
"Alright then, catch!" He shouted as he threw the small glass globe across
the air.
Hadrian could see it falling quickly, and against his better judgement, he
climbed onto his own broom. He leaned forwards, and the broom
lurched. He was going so fast that he almost snapped off Potter's hand.
His sharp eyes saw the ball was about to crash onto a window, and he
tilted forward on his broom even further. He felt himself flip over, and
Hadrian reached out his arm, grabbing the small glass globe in the
process. He made his broom stop about an inch short of the window. One
more inch and he would have smashed right through the window.
Hadrian winked at Snape's startled face in the glass. He turned back
around, and made his way to the cheering crowd of kids waiting for him.
Surprisingly, even some of the Gryffindors were cheering for him.
Hadrian flashed a smile, and carefully pocketed the small round globe.
His grin was bigger than Potter's scowl. Draco clapped him on the back
and Blaise started up a chant for him.
"What do you think you're doing?"
The loud cheers faded away, and the students faced an enraged Madame
Hooch. Hadrian knew Potter was smiling smugly, even without turning
around. How badly he wanted to wipe it away. And possibly, somehow,
cause extreme pain to Potter in the process. Just maybe.
"Well you see-" Hadrian began
Madame Hooch held up a hand, stopping Hadrian effectively. "I have
heard enough."
"Wha...but-"
"How long have you been flying?"
Hadrian almost bit his tongue off in surprise, but he stammered, "Since
before I can even remember."
Madame Hooch seemed to accept that answer. Her brows were furrowed
with concentration. When the bell rang, Madame Hooch finally spoke. "I
will write you a pass for your House quidditch tryouts. You better be
present."
Hadrian smirked internally, "It would be my honor."
He turned around as was pleased to see that the smug look on Potter's
face had completely vanished.
Charms Classroom [October 31]
"Class, settle down!" The short charms professor spoke loudly. His
cheerful voice echoed throughout the large, open room. It took a couple
moments, but eventually everyone ceased their whispers and giggles,
turning their full attention to the Professor.
"Today, we will be working on the levitation charm. Does anyone know
the name of this charm?" Professor Flitwick asked.
Hesitantly, Destiny Lestrange raised her hand. Flitwick nodded warmly at
her.
"The levitation charm is called, Wingardium Leviosa." She stated clearly.
"Very good, Destiny. Ten points to Gryffindor."
Destiny smiled and resumed doodling on her notes. The slightly chubby
redhead seated next to her rolled his eyes and shot an annoyed look at
his best friend across the room. Destiny did not seem to notice, but
Hadrian Riddle sure did. His bright green eyes flashed and his anger
bubbled underneath the cool mask he wore. Enough was enough. Weren't
Gryffindors supposed to stick together and be loyal and all that other
rubbish? His dear sister had come running to him almost everyday in
tears because of a stunt one of her fellow Gryffindors had pulled.
Hadrian sneered. Gryffindor loyalty. What complete and utter rubbish. He
supposed he could do something about it, make them pay for their
heinous wrongdoings, But alas, he would attract too much attention to
himself, and that would cause his father to be very angry.
Thankfully, he knew that the Weasley twins were looking out for her. At
least not all Gryffindors were so prejudiced and vengeful. He had to
admit, the twins weren't so bad. Their pranks were almost Slytherin like,
and something keen to cunning gleamed in their eyes. Not to mention,
they stopped at least half the pranks her housemates were itching to do.
Perhaps Destiny had been right about them. Maybe not all Gryffindors
were awful.
"Stop waving your wand around like that. You'll poke someone's eye out!"
Hadrian slightly turned his head to see Destiny scolding the Weasel. He
concealed a smirk and turned to assist Neville, like he had grown
accustomed to doing in the past few weeks. To his surprise, Neville had
already mastered the spell and was lazily floating his feather around the
classroom. Hadrian grinned with pride. Countless hours of studying and
practicing magic had made Slytherin in first place for the running of the
house cup. After all, his own inner circle had to be strong in order to gain
more followers.
He effortlessly glided his own feather through the air and chuckled when
he saw Ronald Weasely having trouble with his feather. Another
Gryffindor accidentally caused his feather to burst into flames. Hadrian
was pleasantly surprised to notice that although Alexander Potter could
cast the spell, he seemed to be concentrating furiously to keep the feather
in the air.
"Stop it! Stop it! You're doing it all wrong! Its Wingaridum Leviosa- not
Wingaridum levios-aah!" Destiny berated harshly. She demonstrated the
wand movement to Weasley, and shook her head once more when he got
it wrong.
"Well if you're so smart, then why don't you do it!?" Weasel snapped, his
face turning an angry shade of red.
"Fine." She huffed, and whipped out her wand. Destiny pointed her wand
at the pure white feather and said, "Wingardium Leviosa."
The feather instantly rose, shooting up to the dome ceiling of the room.
Destiny flicked her wrist and the feather twirled in mid-air. She enjoyed
the feeling of power running through her veins upon having control of
the feather. She let it float for a minute before moving her wand quickly,
and causing the feather to twist tightly around itself till it plummeted
down to the ground.
"Very good! Take another ten points for Gryffindor!" Flitwick praised.
Destiny grinned smugly and stuck her tongue out at the Weasel
childishly. He was seething in his seat wanting to strangle her.
The bell rang and everyone packed up their things, pushing each other
over to get out of the classroom. According to Blaise, this was the last
class of the day because of the Halloween feast taking place that evening.
Hadrian looked for Destiny, and narrowed his eyes as he saw Potter and
his cronies approaching her. They seemed to be saying something vicious
to her, judging by their crude mocking and jeering. He angrily strode
over to them, faintly aware of Draco and Neville following him.
"Is there a problem here?" Hadrian said in a falsely pleasant tone. The
Gryffindor boys looked startled, but it quickly changed to looks of
annoyance.
"Go away, Riddle. This is Gryffindor business." Potter barked, turning
back to Destiny. He seized her arm roughly and drew his wand, pointing
it at her face. Destiny whimpered, and tried to squirm out of his grip.
"Let. Go. Of. Her." Hadrian hissed each word clearly. He forcefully
removed Potter's hand and slapped the wand out of his grasp. It cluttered
onto the floor with a loud clanking noise, and rolled into the crowd of
spectators.
Alexander Potter glared at Hadrian and grabbed the wand of Ronald
Weasley. He shoved it towards Hadrian, expecting him to back away.
When he didn't, Potter quickly switched his aim to Destiny and growled,
"Levicorpus."
Almost instantly, she rose up in the air hung by her ankles. She kicked
and screamed in the air and tried not to burst into tears. Destiny hated
their laughter, and she hated their cruel taunts. She felt utterly
humiliated and she knew she could not fight back.
Hadrian muttered the counter spell, and gently levitated Destiny to her
feet. She had an unaffected look on her face, but he knew she would
burst into tears at any minute. He would make them pay someday, every
single one of them. But he wasn't stupid enough to curse them here, in
front of everyone.
"I challenge you to a duel tonight, after the Halloween feast." Hadrian
said through clenched teeth. Destiny leaned against him, and shot
Alexander Potter the deadliest look she could muster.
Potter swallowed loudly, but he stared back at Hadrian with steely
resolve. "Fine, I accept. Ron will be my second."
"Draco will back me up. See you at midnight near the trophy room."
"Midnight, isn't that a bit late?" Ron pointed out, his face pale.
"Is that a bit past your bedtime, Weasel?" Draco sneered.
"No, it's jus-"
"What is going on here?" A sharp voice interrupted. Hadrian turned to
look at his Head of House, and gritted his teeth.
"Why don't you ask Potter? He's the one who cast the Levicorpus jinx on
Destiny."
Snape scowled and turned his cold glare onto the idiotic first year
Gryffindor. "The Levicorpus jinx, hhm? Of course, your father would
know all about that wouldn't he, Potter?
Alexander turned red, "What are you trying to say?" He snarled.
"I don't like your tone." Snape smirked, "Ten points from Gryffindor."
"Hey that's not fa-"
"And another ten points will be taken away for harming a fellow student."
He sneered. He turned around abruptly, and cast his death glare on the
increasing crowd. "Don't you all have something to do?!"
The crowd immediately scattered, and whispers spread like fire.
Everyone was talking about the confrontation that had occurred in the
courtyard. Hadrian could feel the angry vein in his head pulsing as he
dragged Destiny away. He was well aware of everyone's eyes on them,
but he paid no heed to the questioning eyes till he got to where Blaise
and Daphne were sitting near the lake. Hadrian was slightly surprised to
see Hermione sitting there as well, but he chose not to comment.
"What happened?" Daphne asked in a grim voice, clearing a space for
Destiny to sit. She looked between Destiny's tearful eyes and the
murderous expression on Hadrian's face.
"Stupid bloody Gryffindors." Neville answered for them, knowing Hadrian
would probably explode if he opened his mouth.
Blaise shook his head sadly, "Destiny, you have to tell McGonagall about
this."
"What do you think she'll do, Blaise? You seem so smart, but let me tell
you what will happen," Destiny said in an icy tone, "She'll tell the
headmaster. And you know what the Great Albus Dumbledore will do? N-
O-T-H-I-N-G! He'll wave it away like some stupid complaint about paint
peeling off the walls. I mean who will people believe? Me, the daughter
of a well known Death Eater? Or the Savior of the Wizarding world?!
Dumbledore will do anything to protect his precious Potter."
Blaise winced at her bitter rant and he ran a hand through his hair
nervously. "Surely, we can do something."
"Like what? Hex them till they go insane?" Neville said sarcastically,
yanking out a tuft of grass. He let it slip out of his fingertips and drift
away in the strong breeze. "Besides, they'll know it was us."
"Exactly. Which is why I challenged them to a duel." Hadrian said,
looking over the lake.
"You what?!"
"I challenged them to a duel tonight at midnight so we can kick their
sorry arses."
"Hadrian, you aren't even allowed to use your wand in between classes.
Do you honestly think dueling with another student, after curfew will be
perfectly fine?" Hermione asked rhetorically.
"Which is why we won't get caught." He insisted.
She shook her head and collected the scattered books laying around.
"Whatever. I'm going to go to the library before you can come up with
another plan to get killed. Or even worse, expelled!" Hermione huffed.
"She really needs to get her priorities straight." Blaise muttered, which
earned him a punch from Hermione. He winced and made a big show of
rubbing his shoulder while groaning in pain.
"Hold on, I'm coming with you." Destiny said, getting up as well. She
dusted off her pants, thankful that she hadn't worn a skirt today. Hadrian
started to get up as well, but Daphne laid a hand on his arm. He raised an
eyebrow, and she gave him a look.
Hadrian watched Destiny go, but he knew something felt wrong. She
didn't have the same skip in her step, and her bag hung limply at her
side.
"Hadrian, give her some space and time to cool down." Daphne
explained, as soon as Destiny was out of earshot.
"To hell with that. She needs us!" Hadrian muttered angrily. He kicked
away a nearby rock and held his breath as it nearly hit Neville in the
head. He shot Neville an apologetic look.
"Clearly, you need to calm down as well. You are a pureblood, act like
one. What happened to your pureblood mask? Your emotions are written
all over your face. Remember what Mrs. Malfoy always tells us?"
"Never ask a woman her age?" Draco suggested.
"No, you dimwit!" Daphne snapped, rubbing her temples. She sighed
heavily before staring straight into Hadrian's eyes, "Exposed emotions
will destine you to fail."
Hadrian stilled, and the only thing he could think of was how Daphne
sounded exactly like Narcissa at that moment. With her blonde hair only
a shade darker than Mrs. Malfoy's, and her perfected ice glare, Daphne
could be the next pureblood ice queen.
"Are you even paying attention?"
"No." Hadrian answered automatically. He took a deep breath and pushed
his dark hair out of his eyes. "I'll see you all at the feast. I have some
studying to do."
Halloween Feast [October 31]
"You know, just because it's All Hallow's Eve, doesn't mean you have to
look like death." Hadrian snickered, looking at Blaise's disheveled
appearance. Blaise scowled and plopped himself down at the table rather
clumsily. He groaned loudly and dropped his head in his hands.
"You know, that insult would have actually been quite hurtful. But
thankfully you ruined the effect by saying 'All Hallows' Eve'." Blaise spat,
grabbing a goblet of pumpkin juice. Neville shook his head passively, "It's
Halloween, mate. No one says 'All Hallows' Eve' anymore. Just deal with
it."
Hadrian shook his head vehemently, refusing to go along with it.
Halloween sounded so...muggle.
"What happened to you?" Draco asked Blaise, raising an eyebrow
curiously.
"That's the thing! I don't know what happened!" Blaise mumbled
confusedly.
"What do you mean? What was the last thing you remember?" Neville
frowned.
"I was walking in the dungeons to go to the Slytherin common room."
"That's it?"
"I just wanted to grab a book, when I felt this pain in my head, and then I
blacked out." Blaise tried to explain, although he was doing quite a
terrible job at it.
"And now I have a terrible headache, and I feel like rubbish." He added as
an afterthought.
"Strange." Hadrian commented, taking a bite of his food. He chewed
thoughtfully and leaned back in his seat. The Great Hall ceiling was
decorated with floating jack-o-lanterns and the sky was a stormy gray
with lighting, and thunder every few seconds. Torches blazed around the
room and an eery music was playing in the background.
"Well, I hope you feel better Blaise." Daphne said sincerely. She was
daintily cutting into her food, when her gaze snapped up abruptly.
"Where's Destiny?" She asked after wiping her mouth with a satin napkin.
Her eyes scanned the Gryffindor table, but Destiny was not there.
"Hermione told me she's been in the first floor girls' toilets all day. She
just went down to check on Destiny before the feast started." Neville said,
looking concerned.
Suddenly, the doors of the Great Hall burst open. Professor Quirell came
running in, his eyes panicked. He blinked profusely, before stuttering, "T-
t-t-t-troll in the dungeons!"
And then he promptly fainted to the ground.
The hall was completely silent for a second, before it erupted into chaos.
Students were stumbling everywhere, desperate to get out. There was
much screaming, and some of the students (Hufflepuffs) were even
crying.
"Prefects please lead your houses to your common rooms!" Dumbledore
shouted over the noise. There was a mad scramble to leave the Great Hall
and the prefects tried their best to not get trampled.
"But the Slytherin dormitories are in the dungeon!" A voice called out
angrily. Presumably a Slytherin. Immediately, the Slytherin table was
filled with protests.
Dumbledore frowned, "Well then, Slytherins please proceed to the
library."
Hadrian had this nagging thought at the back of his head. "Blaise
approximately when did you 'black out'?"
"About an hour ago?" Blaise speculated, "Why?"
Draco's eyes widened and he looked back at Quirrell accusingly. "Did you
see Quirrell there?"
"If I don't remember what I did, how am I supposed to remember where
the bloody hell Quirrell was?" Blaise snapped.
"Because I think Quirrell let the troll in." Daphne said, catching on to the
thought.
"Quirrell? Didn't you just see him faint like a rag doll?" Blaise scoffed.
"How can he coax a troll into the castle if he pisses himself when he sees
one roaming the halls?"
"An hour would've given him enough time to let a troll into Hogwarts. I
bet you got stunned or something, because Quirrell saw you in the
dungeons. You were the only witness." Hadrian stated.
"But he just fainted!"
"Yes...Or he's a pretty good actor." Neville pointed out, following Hadrian
out the Great Hall. All of a sudden, Hadrian stopped abruptly. This
caused Neville, and Draco to crash into him and the three of them went
tumbling down.
"Keep up first years! There's a troll on the loose!" Ophelia yelled, leading
them to the library.
Draco groaned and stood up, dusting off his robes and smoothing down
his hair. "What was that!"
"Destiny. Troll. She doesn't know. Hermione. We have to find them!"
Hadrian exclaimed as he turned around, and dashed off towards the first
floor girl's restroom.
Blaise and Neville exchanged a glance. They all seemed to be thinking
one thing. Stupid gryffindor instincts.
A/N: Okay, I don't do many of these because frankly, I hate them.
Anyways, in case you are wondering why most of this chapter has to
do with Destiny getting bullied, its because this will play a part in
the story. Also since its technically October in the story...and
October is National anti-bullying month. So yeah. I hope you
enjoyed this chapter. If you didn't, sorry about that. This isn't my
greatest chapter since I have some stuff going on. But I hope you'll
like my next chapter! Already started writing it! Oh, and sorry for
the cliffhanger (what a strange word).
Er...
Bye!
(Yeah...I'm not so good at A/N's)
13. No Remorse, No Regret
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
First Floor Girls' Toilets [October 31]
"I'm coming with you." Daphne insisted, running alongside Hadrian.
Hadrian ignored her and flung open the massive wooden door to the
bathroom. He abruptly stopped in his tracks and his back became rigidly
straight.
"Listen to me, Daphne. Go back near the library. Wait for us there." He
whispered through the corner of his mouth.
"But I wan-" She began to protest, but her protests ceased as soon as she
caught a glimpse of a massive, muddy green hand.
"Daphne, go. Now." Hadrian said through clenched teeth. Daphne
swallowed loudly, and nodded. She shot him a fleeting glance before
turning around and dashing off in the other direction.
As she passed by Draco, she whispered urgently, "Don't do anything
stupid!"
Draco rolled his eyes. Too late for that. They were risking their lives to
save Destiny and a filthy mudblood. How much more stupid could they
get?
The group of boys entered the darkly lit bathroom cautiously. The
torches that lit up the bathroom were flickering dangerously and the
ground shook with each small movement of the troll. The walls and
floors were hard stone, and as cold as ice. The stained glass window had
shattered and the rain was blowing into the restroom.
Blaise swallowed nervously and adjusted his collar. His gaze slowly
travelled up the feet, to the large ugly troll's head. He let out a small
whimper. Neville's jaw dropped open in shock, and he stood there like a
gaping fish.
"Are you sure this is a good idea? We could just get the professors." Blaise
suggested, his voice a couple octaves higher than usual.
"Shut up." Hadrian hissed. "Hermione! Destiny?" He called out softly.
"A little help here?" Hermione's voice snapped from the back of the room.
Hadrian craned his neck so he could see beyond the troll. Hermione was
standing in front of the troll, with her wand already out. He quickly
fumbled through his robes for his own wand, whipping it out.
"Where's Destiny?"
Hermione wordlessly pointed to the sinks. Hadrian followed the direction
and saw Destiny scrunched underneath the sinks. Her eyes were red and
tear stains were clearly visible on her cheeks.
"This was such a stupid idea!" Draco groaned loudly. "We could've just
called the professors, but no. Now we're stuck here fighting this big lug."
The troll flinched at his voice and turned its large, thick head around. It's
eyes locked on the boys, and it let out a loud, unattractive moan.
Suddenly, it swung the giant club in its hand, above its head.
"You stupid idio- RUN!" Hadrian shouted as he dived away. Just as the
club came crashing down through all the green stalls. In one swing, they
were all knocked down to a pile of rubble and wooden splinters.
Hermione let out an ear splitting shriek, and the troll jerked around to
face her. She widened her eyes and stumbled back with her hands,
sucking in a sharp breath when the cold stone wall hit her back. Her eyes
were shut tightly as the troll raised his club once more. Hermione's lips
were moving in a frantic motion, almost as if she was saying a silent
prayer.
"Acerbus Scindo " Neville shouted, whipping his wand out. A jet black
light shot out of his wand towards the troll. The troll froze in place, and
its club dropped to its side with a loud thud.
The darkness seemed to twist around the troll, wrapping around its entire
body. It coiled around in spirals and weaved through itself. The black
obsidian light seemed to solidify and dig into the troll's wart covered
skin.
The troll let out a terrifying, strangled scream when the black light began
to sink into its skin. It shook with pain as the black completely vanished,
and vicious red burn marks became visible in place of the black. The troll
twitched violently, but was paralyzed in place for the moment.
Hadrian whipped his head back, and looked at Neville in shock. He
frowned at him with suspicion, "Where did you learn that spell?"
Neville pocketed his wand carefully while trying to avoid Hadrian's gaze,
"You er, left a book in the common room. I opened it and saw this spell."
"So you just decided to practice it?" Hadrian asked incredulously.
Neville face was hard as he spoke, "I wanted to see what it would do."
"What if it didn't go the way you wanted? What if you made the troll
bigger or something?"
"But I didn't. It's only a troll, why does it even matter. Besides it was
going to kill us. I did what I had to do." Neville said, glaring at the troll.
Hadrian briefly glanced at Neville, and he could see the slightly maniacal
gleam in his eyes. They were bright with magic, and radiated pure
power. The way Neville was wearing a smirk made Hadrian realize that
the boy felt no remorse, nor any guilt.
Neville (unknowingly) had his first taste of dark magic, and from the
looks of it, dark magic seemed to completely suit him. The way he stood,
the way he talked, indicated that Neville actually liked the power.
Hadrian knew that feeling. He knew that feeling a little too well.
Neville raised his eyebrow expertly, in a way that was almost identical to
Hadrian. "The real question is, why do you even have such a book filled
with painful curses? Hm?" he paused, "It sounds a bit like dark magic to
me. Don't you think?"
Hadrian narrowed his eyes. The boy certainly knew more than he let on.
But he chose to ignore it, for now. At least until there wasn't a troll a few
feet away from them.
""Yes, whatever. Neville did something bad, but he had to do it. And are
we just ignoring the fact that the stupid lump is still here?" Hermione cut
in frantically after she had helped Destiny from underneath the sinks. Her
hair was frizzier than ever. The more nervous and anxious she got made
her hair bushier. Hadrian found this quite amusing, and his lips quirked
up into a secret smile.
"Fine. We'll take care of this thing." He said firmly, spinning his wand
with his fingers.
"We will?" Blaise paused, and forced a cheerful look on his face, "I mean,
of course we will!"
Hadrian turned his attention back to the troll, which was beginning to
stir. Hadrian closed his eyes and thought, "Corpora Liquidium"
The troll trembled with pain, and let out a loud groan. The walls shook
and the floor cracked when the massive troll fell onto the floor. It was
being tortured and it writhed in agony on the stone ground. The troll
clawed at itself, trying to get the torment to stop. But it wouldn't.
"What are you doing to it?" Draco asked in an uncaring tone.
Hadrian didn't respond for a minute, concentrating on keeping the curse
intact. "It's a body organ liquifying curse." He stated, avoiding the
shocked looks he was getting.
"That can't be legal." Hermione muttered to herself.
"Okay, well I think that's enough." Blaise said, exhaling deeply.
But Hadrian didn't listen. His focus was solely on the troll, and the curse.
His brows were furrowed, and his heart was pounding in his chest. All he
could think about was the control he had over the troll. It was almost
twenty times bigger than him, yet he had brought it down on its knees.
He had made it cry out, and he had made it explode to pieces inside. He
was controlling it, he was the one creating the pain. He was no longer the
scared little child that endured suffering, no, he was the one inflicting it.
And it made him feel exhilarated. He more powerful than ever.
"Hadrian. Stop it! You're going to kill it." Hermione warned.
He did not hear her. He didn't hear anything except for the troll's misery.
"Hadrian! Stop!" Someone else shouted.
He could create such anguish with a flick of his hand. He could do
anything. He could kill it if he wanted to. He would see the muddy eyes
become glassy and lifeless and the body be crippled like a rag doll.
"Hadrian, don't do it!"
"Stop it, Hadrian!"
He was squeezing the life out of it, and watching it die a slow, painful
death. The thrashing and its wails were drowned out by an unknown
feeling pulsing in his head. Its screams of torture were in a twisted way, a
comforting reassurance. Hadrian knew what he was capable of, and he
would make damn sure this troll knew it too.
"Hadrian, please stop."
And by some miracle, the screams did stop. The troll no longer twitched
and thrashed. The restroom was dead silent, except for the ominous drip,
drip of the water from the faucet.
The troll was dead.
Blaise hesitantly poked the troll with the tip of his wand. It's hand fell
down lifelessly.
Blaise jumped back in shock, screaming "Reducto!" His wand was pointed
at a random direction, and he gulped as he saw it heading towards
Hermione.
"Protego!" Draco shouted, before anyone could react. His shield settled in
front of Hermione before he blue beam could reach her. As soon as it
touched the powerfully cast shield, the blue spell dissolved.
Blaise sheepishly ran a hand through his hair, "Sorry about that
Hermione. Guess my aim was off."
"Your aim was off?" Hermione seethed, "You could've killed me!"
"But I didn't!"
"That's not the point you git!" She snapped. Then she turned to Draco.
"Thank you. And that was a really well cast shield charm. How did you
learn it? It's a 5th year charm!" Hermione rambled.
"Shut up mudblood. If it weren't for my quick instincts I wouldn't have
saved you. I learned at a young age not to trust Blaise with a wand. It
was just a force of habit. I much rather prefer a dead mudblood over an
alive one. You just got lucky this time," Draco muttered.
"Hey!" Blaise protested, "I only knocked you into a statue of armor once!
Once! And that's all I've been hearing for the past four years!"
"I can't believe this!" Hermione huffed in disbelief, completely ignoring
Blaise.
"Save the melodramatics for later, bushy haired mudblood."
"So let me get this straight," Hermione continued, "You saved me from
getting hurt, just to insult me nonstop later?"
"Yes." Draco responded in a snobbish tone.
"All of you shut up." Neville said loudly, "We have a bigger problem. How
are we supposed to explain this?"
"Yes, that is what we all would like to know Mr. Longbottom."
Neville's adams apple bobbed, and his eyes widened. "Professor Snape!"
He exclaimed. Snape walked into the lavatory, along with the Professor
McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout.
"Mr. Longbottom, would you please care to explain why there is troll
laying in the middle of the girls' lavatory?" McGonagall asked, raising an
eyebrow. Her expression was haughty, and she peered down
disapprovingly at the first years.
"Well, you see- I actually- We-um" Neville stuttered, his mouth working
faster than his mind. A soft hand touched his arm, and Neville glanced
up. Destiny gave him a reassuring smile, and turned to face the
professors.
"I can explain, Professor McGonagall." She said loudly.
"Miss Lestrange!" McGonagall gasped, looking shocked at her appearance.
"What are you doing here?"
"This was all my fault. You see, a couple of my housemates ridiculed me
and I fled to here in order to be alone. But then the troll came in, and I
didn't know what to do. Hadrian and the Slytherins saved me."
McGonagall closed her eyes and nodded, accepting her explanation. She
felt ashamed at how her Gryffs had treated Miss Lestrange, when she had
done nothing wrong. "Very well then, Miss Lestrange."
Hermione quickly cut in, "It's also my fault professor Flitwick."
"Hermione, dear? What do you mean?" The Head of Ravenclaw asked,
She took a deep breath, and began to spew out some lie. "I came here to
fight the troll. Since I had never seen one, I wanted to see what it was
like. If they hadn't found me, I would be dead by now."
Her words sounded so sincere, and they were very convincing. The lie
rolled off her tongue so smoothly, even Hadrian felt like she was telling
the truth.
"Miss Granger! I am absolutely appalled! That was an extremely foolish
thing to do! I will not be as forgiving as Professor McGonagall: twenty
points from Ravenclaw!" Flitwick chastised.
Hermione nodded solemnly, looking crestfallen. Hadrian felt guilty that
she had to lose points since she was the one who had helped Destiny.
"Minerva!" Professor Sprout cried, examining the troll closely. "The troll
is dead!"
"What!" McGonagall's voice was filled with disbelief, and she glanced at
the troll again. "It can't be. How did a couple of first years kill a troll?"
Hadrian broke into a panic underneath his blank expression. Although
the curses they had used were completely legal, they were still very dark.
His father would probably murder him if McGonagall found out what
curses they were using!
Hadrian shot a panicked look at Professor Snape, and thankfully he
seemed to get the message.
"Which one of you did it?" McGonagall snapped, her voice dripping with
distrust. No one spoke, nor did anyone step forward.
Professor Snape raised his wand and uttered a spell, and almost instantly,
the tip of Blaise's wand glowed bright blue, and Draco's wand glowed
white.
"It seems that Protego charm was cast by Mr. Malfoy, and the Reductor
spell was cast by Mr. Zabini."
"You two! Explain yourselves!" McGonagall demanded.
Blaise cleared his throat, "I -er, I shot the spell at the troll, and the spell
hit the troll in the head or something. After that it kinda fell to the floor.
I don't exactly know what happened."
McGonagall seemed skeptical at his answer, but she nodded crisply and
turned to Draco. "And you, Mr. Malfoy."
"As soon as Blaise said 'Reducto' I cast the protego charm on everyone so
they we would not be injured. Just in case." Draco explained.
"Good thinking, Draco. Twenty points to Slytherin." Snape awarded.
"Absolutely not! They just killed a troll, Severus! Killed! Thirty points
from Slytherin!" McGonagall huffed angrily.
"Yes, but may I remind you, they also saved one of your Gryffindors and
a Ravenclaw from dying, Minerva." Snape mocked, "And I value a
student's life more than a troll's. Twenty points to Slytherin...each."
"I suggest we all depart now. It's been a long night, for all of us." Flitwick
said quietly, trying to ease the tension in the air.
"Of course." Snape replied, gesturing to the group of first years. "Come
along, we have to collect the rest of the Slytherins from the library."
"Professor, may I go along with them? I have to return a book. It will
only take a minute." Hermione asked. It didn't take much to persuade her
Head of House, and he nodded reluctantly.
"I also need to go with them since I left my bag in the library." Destiny
said.
"Fine. But you must be in bed by an hour, understand?" McGonagall
sighed, and pursed her lips into a thin line.
"Yes, professor."
"Shall we go?" Snape drawled. He was impatient when it came to
everything, except potions. The first years all piled out of the now
wrecked girls bathroom, and followed Professor Snape through the halls.
No one dared to speak, for fear of pissing the bat-like potions professor
off.
When they reached the library, they all saw Daphne waiting outside
nervously. As soon as she caught sight of the group, she ran towards
them. After scanning them from head to toe for any injuries, she pulled
Hadrian and Destiny into a air-sucking hug.
"I thought you were going to die!" She choked out, burying her head in
the crook of Hadrian's neck.
"Gee, thanks." Hadrian muttered sarcastically.
"Control yourself, Miss Greengrass." Snape barked, pulling her away from
the two.
"I'm so glad you're okay. I've been worried sick." She smiled a watery
smile.
"We're fine, Daphne." Destiny reassured her. "Let's go inside, shall we?"
"Mr. Riddle, wait here for a moment." Snape said, before Hadrian could
follow Neville into the library. Hadrian nodded, and waited till everyone
left, before turning to face his head of house.
"Care to explain what happened?" He snapped after casting a silencio
charm around them.
"You heard what happened."
"I suppose I could just look through your mind, but I'd rather you tell me
what actually happened." Snape thought out loud.
"You couldn't even if you tried." Hadrian said under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, Severus." Hadrian replied cheekily.
"Listen, Riddle. I may respect your father, but you have done nothing yet
to deserve my respect. Don't expect me to be your servant." Snape hissed.
"I killed a troll, doesn't that deserve some respect?"
"So it was you."
Hadrian blanched and mentally slapped his forehead. He had fallen right
into the greasy professor's trap.
"I'm no dark lord, but I'm not a fool either. Did you really expect me to
believe Mr. Zabini killed a troll with the Reductor spell?"
"Well no." Hadrian admitted.
"Then why are you stalling, and attempting to lie to me."
Hadrian sucked in a sharp breath, and blinked. "You're going to tell my
father."
Of course, this was why the boy was acting so secretive. It was like a
typical first year begging him not to send an owl to his parents. Except
this was the dark lord. And the boy was Hadrian Draven Riddle. Severus
sighed, and shook his head. "I will not tell your father."
Hadrian narrowed his eyes, as if he was trying to figure out if Snape's
promise was legitimate. Finally after a couple minutes, Hadrian spoke. "I
didn't make the first move. It was actually Neville."
Not many things could surprise Severus Snape. But the fact that the
lumbering, former dunderhead pansy of the Slytherin first years had
made the first move, was definitely on his list. Perhaps the boy truly did
belong in Slytherin. "What?"
"He cast 'Aceribus Scindo'. It knocked the troll out."
"Acerib- What? How did he even learn that?"
"I left one of my books in the common room and he opened it." Hadrian
explained quickly.
"How many times have I told you not to leave your dark magic rituals
and parslemagic books in the common room? Just because Slytherin is
more lenient with dark magic than other houses, doesn't mean we aren't
curious!" Snape scolded, rubbing his temples.
"I didn't think he would touch it! Let alone cast it! I invented the spell
myself, I didn't even think he was capable of casting it!" Hadrian
protested.
"He actually cast it." Snape repeated, his tone dripping with disbelief.
"So?"
"Think about it, boy. A leather bound, ancient looking journal left in the
Slytherin
common room. Obviously Mr. Longbottom knew it would be a curse, or
something
painful. And yet he cast it."
Snape rolled his eyes upon seeing Hadrian's blank look. "Dear Merlin, and
you want to be the next dark lord? Let me help you get this through your
thick skull! Mr. Longbottom was aiming for blood when he cast this
curse." Snape elaborated impatiently.
"We've got to keep a closer eye on him." Hadrian concluded.
"Yes, yes. He cast Acceribus Scindo which obviously would not have been
picked up by the very basic spell tracker I cast. Now continue."
"Then I cast a wordless and wandless body organ liquifying curse until
the troll dropped dead."
"Which is why the spell tracker didn't catch your spell either."
"Exactly."
Snape hesitated before finally asking, "How do you feel now?"
"What are you, my bloody therapist?"
Snape scowled, "Don't be irritating, Riddle."
"Fine. I feel perfectly fine." Hadrian sighed.
"Don't you feel guilty for taking another living thing's life?" Snape pried.
"No."
"Not even a little remorse?"
"It deserved to die. And I gave it what it deserved. Is that all?" Hadrian
said in a pleasant tone, as if discussing the weather.
Snape swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat, "Yes."
"I do have one question for you." Hadrian suddenly said, looking Snape
right in the eye.
"Oh?"
"What is my father planning? He only told me vague details, and I want
to know what is going on." He demanded.
Snape face remained blank as he spoke in a neutral tone, "Mr. Riddle if
your father has not told you any plans, then he has done so with good
reason."
"All he told me was something was being hidden in the school, and that
Professor Quirrell is here to find said item. What is it that my father so
desperately needs?"
"It is not my place to tell you." Snape barked.
Hadrian paused to think for a moment, "It has to do with the third floor
corridor, doesn't it? That's why Dumbledore isn't letting anyone go in
there!"
"Be quiet, boy. Don't stick your head in business that has nothing to do
with you." Snape scolded harshly.
"I'll find out." Hadrian spoke firmly, the determination glowing in his
eyes. "You know I will."
Snape did not respond, although deep down he had a feeling the boy was
telling the truth. There was a long moment of silence, before Hadrian
switched topics.
"Oh and before I forget, I just happened to hear that Potter and Weasel
were going to meet someone for a duel tonight at midnight in the trophy
room." Hadrian cracked a smile.
"I'll make sure to tell Filch." Snape smirked at the true Slytherin in front
of him. They entered the library together and Hadrian at once darted off
to find his friends. After Snape sent the rest of the Slytherins to their
dormitory, Hadrian slid onto the chair beside Hermione.
Snape glanced at their group said, "Mr. Longbottom, I would like to
applaud you on the adequate execution of the Acceribus Scindo curse.
Until now, only the creator of this spell could cast it perfectly." Snape
uttered silkily. Adequate was probably the most praise Snape had ever
given to a student. Neville blushed, and acknowledged the compliment
with a crisp nod. Not many things frightened the boy now, but his Head
of House sure did.
Snape narrowed his eyes and called out, "Stay as long as you want, but
don't get caught. I will not be getting you out of detention again.
Goodnight."
Hermione was the only one who responded with a shaky, "Goodnight,
Professor Snape."
Snape scowled at her, and with a swish of his cloak left the library.
Hermione turned back to the group with a frustrated expression.
"Why doesn't he like me!" She groaned, slamming her head onto the
table.
Blaise rubbed her back sympathetically, "It's okay Hermione, it took
Snape about seven years to get used to me."
Hermione's face paled, "Seven years?" She repeated. "I'll be out of
Hogwarts by then!"
"Teacher's pet." Draco coughed, oh so discreetly.
Hermione glared at him and stuck out her tongue.
"Oh how mature." Draco said sarcastically. "Then again you are muggle..."
"Draco, please. She just helped save my life." Destiny pleaded, already
getting annoyed at their childish antics.
Draco sighed heavily, muttering something incoherent under his breath.
"Destiny, how are you doing?" Hadrian asked her.
She smiled a radiant smile. I'm fine now. Hermione really helped me."
"Did she now?" Hadrian raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Hermione.
She blushed under his gaze, "It was nothing."
Destiny gasped, "You talked to me for hours and even stole some food
from the kitchen for me, just so I wouldn't have to face the other
Gryffindors. I would hardly call that nothing."
"Destiny, I really felt like it was my job as a friend to help you, so you
don't need to thank me. I've been through it before, and I know how it
feels." Hermione said softly, glancing down at the floor.
Daphne studied Hermione for a minute. "What do you mean?"
She sighed heavily, and began to fiddle with her fingers. "I suppose I
should tell you about my not so fun life now."
"You don't have to if you don't want to." Hadrian reassured her.
"No, I want to. I would feel better if my friends knew." Hermione stated
firmly. They all stared at her with rapt attention, waiting for her to
continue. Everyone except for Draco, who was 'reading' a book.
"When I was younger, I was bullied a lot. I wasn't as smart as others, I
wasn't as pretty as others, I was just average. I had no friends because
everyone avoided me like the plague. I was teased, mocked, laughed at
constantly. Then one day during school, I snapped. I don't know how I
did it, but one minute I was wishing for Jason Dempsey to suffer, and
suddenly he was. His parents complained to the school, and I was
expelled the very next day." She paused and took a shaky breath, "This
happened at almost every school I attended. I was bullied, then I got
angry, and something bad happened. Soon, my mum decided to just
teach me herself at home."
"Okay, so your accidental magic got out of hand, then what happened?"
Neville prompted.
"Neville! Stop rushing her!" Destiny scolded. She faced Hermione, "Sorry,
please continue telling them."
"My father had to work late nights since my mother spent a lot of her
time teaching me. He came back drunk, at an odd our of the night,
sometimes he didn't even come home. My mum and him argued so much,
all the time and almost everywhere. He told me everyday I was a
mistake, and this was all my fault."
"That's terrible!" Daphne gasped.
Hermione smiled wryly, "It's not even the worst part. He started to hit
me, beat me and sometimes even my mother. She always put up with
him, and never left him. I still don't know why. He hated both of us, he
blamed us for everything. When I got my Hogwarts letter, he was
overjoyed. Not because I got accepted, but because he was able to get rid
of me."
"How did you even manage to hide something that big?" Neville asked.
"I'm a very good liar." Hermione smirked, "Besides no one ever came
close enough to me to notice anything wrong."
Hadrian inhaled sharply. Hermione's father sounded a lot like one Vernon
Dursely. Her father abused her and treated her worse than one would
treat a house elf. "This is why you hate muggles so much." He guessed.
"Exactly. Every muggle I've met is selfish, pig-headed, or a monster. Even
my own father. My mother is the only exception, and she's the only one I
have." Hermione said sadly.
"But you're not alone now." Blaise blurted out.
"Yeah, now you have us." Destiny added.
"But I'm a-"
"Mudblood, stupid know-it-all, bookworm?" Draco offered snidely.
She scowled at him, "I'm a muggleborn."
"You have talent. You have extremely strong magic. You aren't a prissy
brat. And that's all I care about." Daphne said.
Hadrian was silent. Hermione's background was similar to his own. He
was lucky enough to have his father adopt him, but she was all alone. He
didn't care if she was muggleborn. His father would probably avada
kedavra him on the spot if he heard that his son was making friends with
a mudblood. But Hadrian didn't mind. Hermione was special, and he
would prove it to his father. His father wanted to purify the entire
wizarding world, and so did Hadrian.
But in Hadrian's plan, everyone who deserved to be there would be
standing in the end. The unworthy would fall and turn to ashes.
Hermione deserved to be here, and he didn't care if anyone said
otherwise.
"Welcome to the family." Hadrian joked.
"You can't be serious." Draco complained, "She's a mudblood."
"Muggleborn or not, Draco. She is still one of the strongest witches of our
year." Neville said gravely.
"Get over it, mate. If Hadrian did, then so can you." Blaise mumbled
tiredly.
"Shut up, all of you. Can you even hear yourselves right now? Fawning
all over such filth. We are purebloods, way above mud scum! And you
Hadrian! Are you insane?" Draco exclaimed.
"Draco. Enough." Hadrian hissed in a cold voice. "Know your place."
Shivers ran down everyone's spines at the icy tone and the chilling words.
Draco gulped inaudibly and nodded. He had forgotten who his best friend
really was after spending so many years treating him like a brother. He
wasn't some ordinary boy. Hadrian was the freakin' dark heir, son of Lord
Voldemort.
"Let's head to bed, alright?" Daphne suggested, looking at the clock.
Everyone nodded in agreement and the Slytherins said goodbye to
Destiny and Hermione.
As they were entering their respective bedrooms back in the Slytherin
dungeons, Hadrian stopped Draco from entering his room.
"I would like to apologize." Hadrian said, leaning against Draco's door.
"You have nothing to apologize for, what I said was out of line." Draco
admitted quietly.
"No, I shouldn't have used my title to force you to back down. It wasn't
right."
"Don't be sorry. I would've done the same thing if I was in your place."
"Can you at least try to be pleasant if Hermione is a part of our group?"
Hadrian asked hesitantly.
Draco sighed, "I can't do that Hadrian. I just can't. I hope you
understand."
"I do. But can you just go with it?"
"I have to get used to it. But maybe in a couple years I'll be indifferent to
her." Draco grinned.
"A couple years, or Snape years?" Hadrian laughed. Draco shrugged, with
a smirk plastered on his face.
"Draco?"
"Yeah?"
"No matter what title I might have, no matter what throne I will inherit
someday, no matter who's heir I am; I want you to always remember
something. Before all of those things, I always be one thing: your best
friend."
A/N: 5,000 words exact! (Not counting the author's note) It's my
longest chapter and I feel like it kinda makes up for not updating
last week. Im sorry! But I had the flu and when I wasn't puking my
guts out, I was writing! So I'm better now...hence the update! I hope
you like it. And if you didn't...well then I hope you'll like the next
one!
A/N2: 200th review can pm me one detail/question about anything
in the story/future part of story and I will answer truthfully (if I
know the answer as of that moment). Pairings, future events, who
kills who, blah blah, all fair game.
OH AND YOU HAVE TO SIGN IN OR TELL ME YOUR USERNAME
OTHERWISE I CAN'T PM YOU. " Guest" Won't work.
14. Situations
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Hushed whispers and somber moans haunted the room. The scuffling of feet
nearby could be heard, but no one could be seen in the dimly lit chamber.
Destiny rubbed her eyes as she tried to adjust her eyes to the light faster.
Blurry dark spots danced across her vision. She strained to hear the fast paced
chanting and the soft voices in the air. Where was she?
Orange-yellow torches gave the room a soft glow. A cool wind brushed her
cheeks and she shivered, rubbing her arms up and down her shoulders.
Goosebumps ran up and down her arms although she attempted to stay warm.
The stone floor felt like jagged glass against her bare feet. Destiny blindly felt
around for her wand, but she found none. All of a sudden, her fears magnified
greatly.
Her eyes grew wide and panicked, despite her effort to calm herself. She was
sensitive to the slightest of sounds. Destiny felt something on her leg and let out
a strangled shriek, shaking her leg insanely. Her hand flew up to her mouth as
she realized it was simply a small black spider. Her chest heaved and without
a second thought, she crushed the spider into a unnoticeable splatter.
Glaring down disgustedly at her now filthy hand, Destiny reluctantly wiped off
the spider residue on her sleeve. Incoherent mumbles filled the room, and
Destiny looked up wildly, once again, she saw no one. Her thoughts were
puzzled as she ran a hand through her knotted hair. Why was she even here?
Was this is a dream? She didn't remember leaving the dormitory.
A terrifying hiss filled the room, and her heart almost stopped in shock. It grew
louder, and louder until she had to cover her ears so she would not hear the
awful sound. The bracelet on her wrist began to sway vigorously, although
there was no breeze in the room. The glass charms clinked against each other
violently, each noise sounding like clashing rocks. Before she could make any
move to save it, the glass star charm she had acquired shattered into a
thousand pieces.
Her breath caught in her throat and her hands trembled frantically. Her voice
quaked as she whispered, "Lumos."
Her hand glowed faintly for a second, and a small ball of light sprung from it.
The bright sphere of light hovered over her hand like a candle. She thrust out
her hand, searching for anybody that could be there. Destiny heard an eerie
rasping voice that grew louder with each breath she took. She heard no
footsteps, but she could hear the whispers getting closer and closer.
She whipped head around, her blonde locks slapping her in the face has she
tried to look for the owner of the terrible voice. The ball of light she held
disappeared. Her blood was pounding in her head and her heart was beating
out of her chest. Destiny licked her lips, trying to get rid of the unusual
dryness. Her gaze darted around and she jumped at the slightest sound. Was
she just imagining things?
"Give it to me."
Destiny bit down on her tongue, hard, to prevent the startled scream from
escaping her mouth. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, and she
swallowed painfully. She definitely wasn't imagining it. The voice was like
nails against a chalkboard.
"Tell me where it is."
The voice was deadly, and the most awful thing she had heard. Her blood
turned to ice and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. What did it
want? She certainly didn't have it.
Destiny whimpered softly, "Please, let me go."
"Give me what's rightfully mine and I may consider it."
She held in a frustrated groan, "I don't even know what you want." Destiny
paused, before her eyes grew determined. "Besides, this is a dream. You cannot
order me around in my own dream."
The voice let out a dangerous laugh that succeeded in sending shivers
throughout her body.
"Foolish girl." The voice hissed, dripping with malice, "A Seer you may be, but
intelligent? I think not."
Destiny frowned. She was neither foolish nor unintelligent. She didn't know
whom she was speaking with, or what it wanted with her.
"This may be your dream, but I control it."
She yelped as a circle of flames erupted from the cold stone floor. She stepped
back instantly, but not quick enough. Her hands were singed and burnt from
the blazing flames.
"So you see? I hope this proves how strong my control cannot leave even if you
wanted to." The voice spoke almost gleefully.
"I could keep you in this nightmare forever, and let others think you have
slipped into some incurable sleep." It taunted wickedly.
"You will obey my commands, otherwise you shall relieve horrid deaths over
and over again, for all eternity. Understand?"
The chilling words frightened Destiny, and she nodded numbly, although she
did not know if the voice could see her. Why did it want her to do this? She
didn't know what she was doing, or what would happen. Everything was
changing and the future was a blur. Clearly there was no escape.
"You will retrieve something I desperately need, and bring it to me. Flamel has
kept it from me and I want it back."
"I don't know what it is!" Destiny cried out. The flames rose up brighter and
the room seemed to get hotter. They cackled and sparked, and she instinctively
took another step back from the searing hot fire.
"So this is how you wish to play this game? Very well then. Your silence has
bought you time, but not my patience."
"What do you want?" She whispered in a broken voice. She crouched down
into a ball, trying unsuccessfully to block the voice out of her head. It invaded
her mind, and all she could hear were the horrifying whispers.
"I request something small, but valuable. It will grant me unlimited power. It
will give me a new life."
"I may see the future, but I don't make miracles happen. I cannot grant you a
new life." Destiny muttered.
"I am not asking for you to give me a new life. I simply wish for you to retrieve
an item that will help me become all powerful. It shouldn't be difficult since it's
hidden inside this castle." The voice spat impatiently.
"You still haven't told me what it is." She pointed out.
"I do not need to. You will figure out in due time."
"I can't go searching an entire castle for something if I don't even know what
I'm looking for." Destiny protested.
Suddenly, it was silent. Too silent. The whispers stopped abruptly, and even
her own breathing ceased. She felt as if there was a chunk of ice settled in the
very bottom of her stomach. It sucked out all the warmth from her body. She
was scared of what was to come.
"Let me give you an incentive to help spark your enthusiasm." The voice
paused, "I will give you five months time to find me what I need, and deliver it
to me. But beware; at each month's passing, I shall destroy something dear to
you, unless you bring me what I require."
Destiny froze, and the true extent of what could occur heightened her fears.
She had too much to lose. "You can't do this!" She screamed. "I won't do this!"
The flames in the room flickered, and then vanished into a wisp of black
smoke. Destiny jumped in fright as she was plunged into darkness. She couldn't
see anything, and she could only feel the burning pain in her hands.
An ice-cold breath tickled her ear and the insidious voice chuckled darkly.
"How amusing…" It drawled, "You act as if you even have a choice."
Gryffindor Girls' Dormitory [December 1; 7 a.m]
Destiny woke up with a start, her body glued to the sheets with a thin
layer of sweat. She inhaled deeply as if this was her first breath of fresh
air. Her eyes closed, and she tried to forget the nightmare she just had. It
was to no avail. The memory was etched into her mind.
It's okay. She told herself. It was just a dream. It isn't real. No one can hurt
you here. Well, except for those wretched people you call dorm mates.
She raised her head to see if any of her dorm mates were awake.
Thankfully, they were sound
asleep. She scoffed in her head; as if any Gryffindor would be up this
early on a Saturday. Destiny curled her lip into a disgusted sneer at the
loud snores and drooling of a sleeping Lavender Brown.
She glared at the red and gold comforter she was engulfed in, wishing it
to turn green and silver. Sighing dramatically, she pushed off the
offending sheets and stretched in her bed. The cool air of the morning
was welcoming and caused her to smile. A small sliver of sunlight shone
threw the thick red velvet curtains, and Destiny reached as far she could
without moving from her bed, to push them aside.
She froze suddenly, and in turn, fell down from her bed due to the
unbalanced weight. She groaned as her elbow slammed onto the wooden
floor. The charms on her bracelet clinked, but with one charm less. One
missing star charm.
Her eyes widened in horror as her gaze travelled up her wrist to her
hands. She bit her tongue to keep from screaming. Vicious angry burns
covered her hands along with red and white blisters. Destiny could feel
herself hyperventilating and she willed herself to take deep, calming
breaths.
How did it get there? She already knew the answer to that. Destiny shook
her head vigorously, praying over and over that it wouldn't be true. The
air licked at the open blisters, and Destiny winced.
This was real. Someone was hunting her down. Her body turned frozen as
the realization came crashing down on her. If the dream was real…then
so was the threat that came along with it. There were many things dear
to her, and she couldn't risk losing any of them. What if she lost Hadrian?
What if she lost her mother? Destiny didn't know what she would do
without them. Neglecting the threat was not an option.
If someone was controlling her dreams like this, then they could do it
again. They were not only controlling her dreams, but also her life. She
gripped her arm tightly. Soon the voice might be able to control her own
head. It would be like an unbreakable imperious curse. Destiny
shuddered at the thought.
She stared at the burns on her hands. If someone noticed them, they
would become suspicious. Destiny looked around for her wand, and
thankfully she saw it on her bedside table. She grabbed it and tried to
cast a simple healing spell to heal the raw skin. Narcissa had personally
taught it to her. But her thoughts turned panicked as nothing happened.
Not even a spark or a glow formed.
Destiny whispered, "Accio robes." The periwinkle casual robes flew into
her hands, and left Destiny utterly confused. Her wand worked just fine,
so why wasn't the spell working? She tried the spell again with much
more urgency. Once again, nothing happened. The burns couldn't be
healed with magic, Destiny concluded. The room suddenly grew much
colder.
There was no way she could go to the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey
would ask too many questions. She had to tell someone though. Then it
clicked, 'Hadrian'! Of course he would know what to do. Destiny quickly
jumped up from her bed, clutching the robes to her chest. If anyone knew
what to do, it would be Hadrian. She glanced down at her red hands one
last time, and settled for casting a simple glamour charm over them. The
pain was still very much there, but at least it would be concealed from
curious eyes.
Hogwarts Library [8 a.m]
"Hello everyone."
Hadrian looked up from his dark arts lesson that Bella had sent him. He
was met with the startling blue eyes of Destiny and he smiled. But it
quickly turned into a frown as he looked closer at her face. Something
was wrong.
There were various responses and mumbled greetings through the thick
haze of sleep. Neville sneezed from the dust of the books surrounding
them. They were in an almost forgotten part of the library, where no one
ever went. Hermione sure hadn't forgotten about this part of the library,
and in fact suggested that they meet here in the mornings before
breakfast.
"Hadrian, I need to talk to you." Destiny spoke, almost frantically.
Hadrian stood up automatically, and grabbed her hand to lead them
somewhere else. Destiny let out a piercing cry of pain. It was so sharp
that even the small table of studious Ravenclaws that was sitting nearby
could hear it. Thankfully, they were the only other group present in the
library at this time.
Hadrian instantly dropped her hand, as if it pained him. He whirled
around and looked her in the eye. "What's wrong."
Destiny sighed and looked around for wandering eyes, before thrusting
her hands in front of Hadrian's face, "Look at my hands!"
Hadrian's precise gaze swept over every inch of her hands. "I don't see
anything." He concluded.
Destiny rolled her eyes, and silently removed the glamour spell. "Now do
you see?"
Hadrian cocked his head to the side, and glanced at her hands once more
with a bored eye. He looked up, concerned. "Destiny, are you alright?"
"Finally! I thought you were going blind, it took you so long to see the
burn-"
"There's nothing there." Hadrian cut her off.
"What?"
"There's nothi-"
"I know what you said, I'm not deaf." Destiny muttered, staring at her
hands with fearful eyes.
"Are you sure you're alright? You seem a bit shaken up." Hadrian
commented.
Destiny bit her lip, and glanced at her burnt hands with confusion. They
obviously felt painful, and to her they looked red and covered with
blisters. But Hadrian couldn't see it.
"There's something wrong. Something is going on." Destiny mumbled to
herself. She had to find whatever the voice wanted. No one could help
her if they didn't even know what was happening. Hadrian couldn't even
help her.
"What was that?" Hadrian asked.
Her head snapped up and met his worried gaze. Destiny cleared her
throat, "We need to find something."
Ignoring Hadrian's confused face, she continued. "I had a dream last night
and we need to find something that has been hidden in this castle."
He studied her with steely eyes, "What aren't you telling me?"
Destiny inwardly sighed and fiddled with her hands. "Let's just say we
have to find it, and find it quick."
Technically it wasn't lying. Just an omission of the truth. What he didn't
know wouldn't hurt him. Hadrian would most likely try to kill the voice,
instead of looking for whatever it was. She could not tell him why she
needed it.
"Fine." Hadrian pursed his lips, "If that's how it's going to be then I'll play
along. What do we have to find?"
Destiny huffed, "I don't know."
Hadrian raised an eyebrow. "So you want me to go looking for
something, and you don't even know what it is?"
"Look, I'm sure I'll figure it out. All I know is it grants new life and
power."
He stilled suddenly. "Perhaps this is what my father is looking for as well.
But why do you need it?"
Destiny coughed discreetly. "I don't need it." She paused, "I think the
dream had to do with your father. He needs to find something, and his
time is running out." She lied smoothly.
Hadrian looked skeptical to accept her reasonings, but he knew he
couldn't wave them off either. "What if my father doesn't need our help?
I'd rather not be tortured in the dungeons on Christmas day."
"We have to find it, Hadrian. We just have to. Please just listen to me."
Destiny pleaded.
"Fine. But are you sure you're alright, Destiny?" Hadrian asked after a
moment of silent thinking.
"Just fine." Destiny said, her voice cracking. Something flickered in
Hadrian's emerald eyes. He knew she was lying. But just as quick as the
shadow covered his eyes, it disappeared without a trace, leaving Destiny
to wonder if it was ever there in the first place.
They walked back to the secluded part of the library, and were met with
suspicious eyes. Hadrian slid into his spot at the head of the table, and
Destiny squeezed in between Daphne and Draco.
"What happened?" Blaise asked, barely glancing up from his charms
essay.
Hadrian cleared his throat, "Something priceless is being hidden in the
castle, and we need to find it."
Hermione scoffed, "Then what? We just steal it?"
All eyes turned to her, and Hermione swallowed uncomfortably. "What?"
She asked nervously, "We aren't really going to steal it, are we?"
"Why else would we be looking for it, mudblood. Stupid twit." Draco
muttered, barely concealing his quickly growing anger.
"Malfoy, are you still bitter about how I came in second?" Hermione
taunted. Hadrian shook his head, knowing a fight was coming. Ever since
the class rankings were posted, Hermione and Draco were at each other's
throats. The competition between them was fierce, although Draco tried
hard not to let it break his cool facade. Hadrian saw straight through it,
and he used every opportunity he could to tease Draco about it.
"Look here bookworm, Malfoys always are number one. I will not lose to
anyone," Draco paused, glancing at Hadrian's haughty smirk, "Except for
maybe Hadrian." He added reluctantly.
"And I will definitely not lose to some know-it-all filth."
Hermione scowled, "We'll see when the exams come up. When I get a
higher ranking than you, you can use one of my spare O's to dry your
tears."
"Shut up. Both of you." Daphne snapped. "This sounds serious, and you
sound like immature children."
"Thank you, Daphne." Destiny grinned."I was just about to say that."
"Back to what we were discussing," Hadrian began. "There is something
in Hogwarts that grants some a new life, and great power. We are going
to find it."
"And why should we help you with it?" Neville raised an eyebrow,
"What's in it for us?"
Hadrian grinned, "Spoken like a true Slytherin, eh Longbottom?"
Neville smirked, "Of course."
"What is it that we're looking for?" Hermione piped up, leaning back
dangerously against her chair.
"That's the thing-"
"We don't know." Destiny explained, cutting Hadrian off. "But I do know
it has something to do with Flamel."
"Is that some kind of food?" Neville mumbled.
"No you git! I think it's a person." Destiny replied.
"Flamel…Flamel..I've heard that name before!" Hermione exclaimed. She
frowned, "I just can't remember where."
"That helps a lot." Draco scoffed.
"So you want us to go gallivanting around the castle looking for
something, when you don't even know what we're looking for?" Blaise
rolled his eyes, skeptically.
"Exactly."
"You can't be serious." Neville groaned, looking up from his potions
textbook. "I am not about to die, just so you can get some shiny toy."
"Don't be so dramatic Neville!" Destiny snapped.
"I bet it's hidden in the third floor corridor!" Hermione exclaimed. "I
mean Dumbledore told us not to go there, so where else could it be?"
"That would be a good place to start." Daphne agreed.
"Why do you even want said thing so desperately?" Draco questioned.
Hadrian shot him his I-am-on-a-mission look. Understanding shone on
Draco's face and he nodded stiffly.
"I don't get it. If it's something of such 'great value', why would
Dumbledore put it in a castle full of children?" Neville pointed out.
"He's a bastard who is willing to risk the lives of hundreds of children?"
Blaise suggested.
Hermione looked affronted at the colorful language, "He is our
Headmaster, how can you say such things?" She gasped.
"But becoming Headmaster does not make someone a Saint." Destiny
reminded her.
"Hermione." Hadrian said turning to face her. His shocking green eyes
bore into her dark brown ones, and Hermione found herself admiring the
gaze that radiated power.
"You must remember that outward appearances are everything in this
world. People will go through great lengths to insure that their true inner
self does not shine through their perfectly crafted image. The most
admirable people have the darkest secrets."
Hermione blinked, snapping her out of the trance she was in. She
swallowed nervously, and nodded. Hadrian was right. He was always
right.
"Hermione, Draco do you think you could look through some books for
any mention of Flamel?" Destiny asked.
"I have to work with the, mudblood?" Draco groaned.
"No way!" Hermione protested at the same time. She glared at Draco, "We
hate each other."
"Get over it already. If anyone can speed through ancient texts, it's you."
Blaise huffed.
"I'll get over it when he does." Hermione retorted.
"Well thats not going to happen. So I guess we're stuck this way." Draco
smirked.
"You both are so stubborn!" Destiny growled, "I don't care about your
extreme hatred. You will work together."
They tried to protest, but were silenced by one deathly look from
Hadrian. He surveyed the group for any other objections before opening
his mouth to speak.
"Time is a privilege that can be easily taken away. We must work fast if
we wish to succeed."
Hogwarts Library [December 18]
"Move your bushy hair!"
"Ow, ow! Quit pulling on it!"
"I'm not pulling! Its stuck around my Slytherin pin- yuck, mudblood
germs!"
"Afraid of cooties now Malfoy? Stop moving!"
"I don't want your mudblood filth touching me!"
"How sweet." Hermione mumbled sarcastically, "Hold still!"
There was a small moment of silence, but then, "Ouch! What did you do
that for!"
"Don't touch me with your muddy hands!"
"Shut up. Unless you want to stay like this forever, stop pushing me
away. I'm just trying to get my hair out of your stupid pin."
"Or I could just cut it off!"
"Don't you dare!" With one forceful tug, Hermione freed her hair from the
silver and green Slytherin snake pin.
Her skin was flushed with a mixture of both anger and then, ever so
calmly, she grabbed a hair elastic out of her bag and slowly tied her hair
up into a neat bun.
Draco watched her with annoyance, "Why couldn't you have tied that
nest up before we started? Why couldn't you have brought your own
book so we wouldn't have to share!"
"I'm sorry, I don't have a copy of Rare Artifacts of the 12th Century: Volume
6." Hermione muttered. "Where did you even get this book?"
"The restricted section."
"I'm going to guess you snuck in there and just nicked it off the shelves."
"First thing you've gotten right all day." Draco smirked.
"You are insufferable." Hermione hissed, and turned back to skim the
book for any sight of Flamel.
After much convincing, the two had agreed to work together, but no one
said it had to be a pleasant experience. For the past few weeks, they had
checked books upon books, read scrolls upon scrolls. They went through
potions, animals, even books about people, but there was no mention of
anyone named Flamel.
Draco flipped the page, knowing full well that Hermione was still reading
it. He waited for her to explode and flip out. He waited for almost ten
seconds, but no reaction. Out of pure curiosity, he turned to face her.
Hermione's face was pale, and she was staring at a small portion of text
on the right page. Her fingers shook when she ran it along the page as
she was reading.
"I found it." She gasped, pointing to the small picture. "Flamel! Nicholas
Flamel!"
Draco rolled his eyes and scanned the paragraph. His eyes grew wider
and wider until, "What do you mean you found it? I flipped to the page!"
"So? I actually read it first, therefore I found it."
The two continued to bicker viciously, completely unaware of the current
event occurring just across the castle.
Hogwarts's Third Floor Corridor [Same Time]
Neville was panting as he pushed open the heavy wooden door, and
quickly shut it as soon as Blaise ran in. They both collapsed against the
door gulping the air down their lungs.
"When I graduate, I'm going to murder that cat." Neville groaned,
clutching his chest.
"Why wait?" Blaise mumbled as he dropped his head against his knees.
"Bloody Filch's cat."
"I need some water." Neville rasped out. "Who knew running around half
the castle would be such a pain?"
"I chose this option so there would be less of a hassle." Blaise admitted,
"But right now, hanging out with Hermione and Draco seems better than
this!"
"Er-Blaise, what's that noise?"
"I didn't want to watch Hermione and Draco kill each other, and I didn't
want to go exploring with Hadrian and Destiny. I swear, wherever he
goes, there's always danger. So naturally, I went with searching this area.
It sounded the most safe, but right now I swear I-"
"Yeah…I definitely do not think this was the safest option." Neville
whispered, cutting Blaise off mid-rant. "Look." He pointed forward.
Blaise reluctantly stopped talking and squinted into the dark room. "I
don't see any- Oh." He gulped audibly. "Is that..Dear Merlin, why do I
always get stuck in these kinds of situations!"
Neville's eyes travelled up the large paw, and he almost jumped back in
shock. "Blaise, pinch me if I'm wrong….but does that giant dog have two
heads?"
Neville winced when he felt a sharp pinch on his arm. But he was so
happy that he was wrong, he didn't even care about the small pain.
"Not two heads…" Blaise paused and his face paled, "Three….It's a three
headed dog in Hogwarts! Is the Headmaster insane!" Blaise yelled.
"Blaise ssh, you'll wake it up!" Neville warned. "It wouldn't be here if
there wasn't a reason."
He crept closer to the dog, very carefully. Blaise shook his head and
tiptoed closer too.
"This is a very bad idea." Blaise hissed. Neville ignored him, and walked
around the three headed dog. He stopped abruptly and stared at
something on the floor.
"Help me move his paw, I think I found something." Neville whispered,
"No! Are you a complete nutter?" Blaise scowled. The snores of the dog
were irritating him to no end.
"Blaise!" Neville snapped, already slowly pushing the large black paw.
Blaise huffed, but began to help Neville anyways. "Just for the record, I
think you completely mental."
Together the two of them managed to shove off the massive paw with a
series of grunts and groans. They stared wide eyed at what they just
uncovered.
"Blimey, it's a trap door!" Neville gasped. "Should we open it?"
Blaise shot him a dirty look, "We didn't just toy with a bloody three
headed dog to stare at a door. Open it already."
Neville gripped the ring and pulled the door high enough so they could
peer inside. "It's a tunnel." He noted with much less enthusiasm.
"Maybe we should go down there?" Suggested Blaise halfheartedly.
Suddenly the room grew quiet, too quiet. Neville and Blaise looked at
each other with alarm. The loud snoring had stopped.
Blaise flinched as something cold and slimy dripped onto his shoulder.
Neville glanced up and his face turned an odd shade of red. "B-b-blaise…"
He stuttered.
They stared into the cold, black, unforgiving eyes of the three headed dog
with panic all over their faces. "RUN!" Blaise yelled. The two quickly
slammed down the trap door, and scrambled away from the dog baring
its sharp canines. They dog pounced, and Blaise and Neville ran as fast as
they could out the door.
They pushed on the door, trying to close it in front of the dog's snapping
jaws. After some pushing, they finally got it to close. Neville looked like
he was going to throw up. Blaise didn't look so good either. He was
staring at the milky white slime that coated his shoulder, "I'm drenched
with three headed dog slobber!" Blaise moaned with disgust.
"Do you know what we just found?" Neville managed to gasp out. "We
have to tell Hadrian! Come on!"
Blaise wearily eyed Neville's retreating form, and he ran to catch up. "The
things we do for him." He shook his head with a smile.
Unused Classroom 4th floor [Same Time]
Hadrian, Daphne, and Destiny quietly slipped into the door and into what
looked to be, a deserted classroom. Originally they had been on the third
floor, but Destiny insisted that they come up here.
Hadrian cautiously pulled out his wand, just in case there was danger
lurking nearby. There were several old, dusty desks pushed to the side
along with a lone wastebasket. His eyes fell on a large mirror in front of
them, and he walked over to investigate. He carefully scanned each
surface of the mirror, until he saw a strange inscription at the top.
"Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi" Hadrian read aloud. He
furrowed his brows at the puzzling message. Ignoring it for the moment,
he stood in front of the mirror.
Instead of seeing his face like he was expecting, he saw and older version
of himself standing in front of Riddle Manor. He looked different and
everything about him seemed to glow with power. His mirror reflection
turned to him and smirked.
He had a familiar looking wand in one hand, and a red rock in the other.
Hadrian squinted. A rock? Then the image shifted and he saw himself,
Lord Voldemort, Bellatrix, and Destiny sitting by the fire, and opening
what looked to be Christmas presents. Hadrian rubbed his eyes..Was his
father laughing?
Hadrian leaned forward, until his fingers touched the cold, smooth glass.
It snapped him out of his strange trance. "Do you think this mirror shows
the future?"
Daphne walked over to him, and touched his shoulder. She looked into
the glass, and her eyes widened. Daphne turned to Hadrian and shook
her head.
"I show not your face, but your heart's desire." She said. She shrugged at
their questing looks. "That's what the message says. It's a mirror that
shows your deepest desire."
"What do you see?" Destiny asked.
"I see an older, more powerful version of myself standing in front of
Riddle Manor. I think I rule the entire Wizarding World. But then the
image changed to you, me, Bella, and my father opening Christmas
presents like some happy family." Hadrian said.
"I saw a different version of the wizarding world. I don't know how to
explain it, but it looked so real and so much better." Destiny whispered in
awe.
They both turned to Daphne expectantly. She noticed their gazes, and
blushed a dark shade of pink. "I see myself as Head Girl, holding the
house cup." She stuttered.
Destiny looked at her with a knowing smile, and Daphne ducked her
head down. Hadrian looked at Destiny, and then at Daphne. He shrugged,
'Girls are always so strange' he thought.
They stared into the mirror once more, but Destiny ordered them to stop
otherwise they might drive themselves insane. Together they exited the
classroom, and Hadrian took one last look at the mirror that showed his
deepest desire. He couldn't decide which one he wanted more.
They walked back down to the third floor in silence. They were all
thinking of their deepest desires. And also because they did not want to
attract the attention of Peeves, or Mrs. Norris.
The trio turned the corner, not seeing the running pair coming towards
them. They crashed into each other, and everyone groaned.
"Blaise? Neville? What are you doing?" Destiny groaned from underneath
Blaise. "Get off of me!"
Blaise quickly stood up, and offered his hand to Destiny. She scowled at
him and pulled herself up, dusting off her robes. Blaise cleared his throat,
"You will never guess what we found."
"Why are you wet?" Daphne asked curiously, staring at his drenched
robes.
Neville snickered, "The dog slobbered on him."
Blaise shot Neville a scathing glare, "Shut up."
"I'm sorry, dog? What dog?"
"The three headed one in the restricted third floor corridor!" Both Neville
and Blaise exclaimed.
"Keep your voices down, idiots!" Draco called out, walking towards the
group with Hermione not far behind. She was, as usual carrying a book.
But this one seemed to be a lot larger than any other volume.
"Sorry." Neville at least had the decency to look sheepish. "But you will
not believe it. There was a three headed dog insid-"
"Yeah, we get it. I think half the castle heard it. There was a cerberus in
the third floor corridor." Hermione cut in impatiently.
Neville huffed, "It wasn't the dog. It was what the dog was guarding."
"A trap door! We looked down it and it was some kind of tunnel. I bet
whatever we're looking for is down there." Blaise finished for him.
"Speaking of which, I think we have to find a rock or something. Because
we found this mirror that showed our deepest desires, and I was holding
this red rock in one of my hands." Hadrian said.
Hermione's eyes widened. She opened up her book and quickly started to
flip through the heavy pages. "Did it look like this?" She asked, shoving
the book in Hadrian's face.
Hadrian looked at the picture she was pointing to and nodded. "Exactly
like that."
Hermione cleared her throat, and started to read. "The Sorcerer's Stone,
created by Nicholas Flamel in the early 1300's, can be used to create the Elixir
of Life. The Elixir of Life does not make a person immortal, but can give
someone an indefinitely extended life. The Sorcerer's Stone also grants the user
the power to turn any metal into pure gold."
Draco grinned, "We found it mate."
Hadrian shook his head, "Now we actually have to obtain it."
15. Home
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Snape's Office [December 20]
Hadrian pushed the dark hair out of his face and narrowed his eyes into
slits. His hard emerald green eyes flashed, and he held back a smirk as he
saw his Head of House flinch slightly.
"What do you mean I have to stay in this castle during the holidays?"
Hadrian repeated calmly, although there was a dangerous edge to his
voice.
Snape sighed heavily, "Hadri-"
"It's young lord to you." Hadrian interjected rudely.
Severus Snape gritted his teeth, his patience fading by the second. "Young
lord" He ground out reluctantly, "The headmaster is getting suspicious.
Perhaps if you had followed your father's orders and not killed a troll, or
strutted around the castle like you owned it with your little gang then
you could've been preparing to board that train right now."
Hadrian slammed his palms onto the desk and glared at the potions
master. "You cannot tell me what to do. I only take orders from my
father."
Snape shot him the nastiest look he could muster. "Right now, I am in
charge. And I said you must stay. If you go now, Dumbledore may have
you followed. What will happen when he sees you walk straight into the
arms of a known murderer and not to mention, the Dark Lord!"
"I'll be careful!" Hadrian insisted.
"Do I look like I care in the slightest? I said no." Snape declared firmly,
leaning back in his chair.
"I have to speak to my father" Hadrian said. He paused, "And if Destiny is
going, why can't I go?"
"That's different! She's Bellatrix's daughter!"
"And who am I?" Hadrian asked roughly, scowling at his professor. "Don't
you know who I am?"
Snape shot him a malicious glare that would have most sixth years piss
their pants. But it didn't seem to have any effect on Hadrian. "I am very
well aware who you are," he hissed. "Which is exactly why you can't go."
"You cannot stop me from leaving, Severus." Hadrian mocked.
"It's professor Snape, brat. Didn't your parents teach you any manners."
He snapped. He awaited a cheeky retort, but instead was greeted with
chilling silence. It was then that Severus Snape released his mistake, and
he his usually pale face turned paler.
"I didn't have real parents." Hadrian spat, his voice like shards of ice. "All
I have is Bellatrix and Voldemort."
Snape flinched.
"And you want to keep me from the only family I have." Hadrian tsked.
"How cruel can you be?"
"A guilt trip isn't going to work on me." Snape muttered.
Hadrian raised an eyebrow, "Oh?" His lips twisted into a wicked grin,
"Then perhaps this will."
He silently cast a spell, and twisted his hand around. Severus Snape
gasped, and immediately his hands went to his throat. He choked, trying
to breathe, but it was to no avail. It was as if an invisible hand was
strangling the air out of him.
"I learned this handy trick a couple days ago and wanted to test it out. It's
working quite well, don't you think?" Hadrian grinned, and ignored his
professor's incredulous look. The cheeky boy even had the gall to await
an answer..…while he was strangling him.
Hadrian squeezed his fingers into a fist, and Snape's eyes almost popped
out of his head. His fingers uncurled at a painfully slow rate. Then the
brat had the nerve to laugh at the disheveled professor that had fallen
onto the floor.
Snape tried to reverse the spell, but he didn't even know what spell was
used. He deducted it was a spell written before even the Dark lord was
born. Snape managed to glare daggers into Hadrian's head, but the boy
took no notice. Instead he returned to clenching his hands into a fist once
more.
Snape clawed helplessly at his neck, even though he knew it was no use.
The boy wouldn't kill him….would he? Black spots danced across his
vision and his chest tightened painfully. His vision became blurred and
his head became heavy. The color faded away and he was plunged into
darkness.
Thankfully, he didn't die. When he woke up, it was dark outside and he
wondered how long he had been "dead". He was alone, but he was
relieved to discover he could breathe normally. He was furious the boy
tried to kill him, and he forced himself off the floor to go hunt him down.
When he got his hands on the boy, he would wring his neck.
As he was walking towards the door, his eyes fell onto a small slip of
parchment on his desk. His curiosity got the best of him, and he picked
up the parchment. His hooded black gaze scanned every inch of the
parchment, and his anger grew more and more as he read each word. The
note was short, and written in black with elegant script.
I will see you after the holidays.
Happy Christmas.
It wasn't even signed, but Snape knew bloody well who it was from. He
crumpled the fancy parchment into a ball with annoyance, tossing it into
the nearest wastebasket. His sharp eyes landed on a shiny bottle filled
with fire whiskey, and Snape hastened to pour himself a drink. The
amber liquid burned in his throat, and he relished the feeling. He had put
up with so many things in his life. First his father's violent tendencies, the
Dark Lord, the fool of a headmaster, the moronic father-son Potter duo,
the idiotic Gryffindors, and now he could add Hadrian Draven Riddle to
the list. Snape rubbed his temples. He deserved this drink. If anything, he
needed ten
more.
Hogwarts Express [6 pm]
They were almost there, and Hadrian was almost itching with
anticipation. He had missed everyone. Yes, everyone including his slightly
insane father. Hadrian stretched comfortably in his seat. His hand
accidentally whacked Destiny's head, and he shot her an apologetic smile.
She huffed and turned to speak with Neville who was sitting across from
her. Hadrian rolled his eyes and stared at the ceiling above.
"Honestly, can't you spend ten minutes without looking at yourself?"
"Don't you dare tell me what to do filthy mudblood!"
Hermione yawned, "That's getting old. If you're going to insult me, at
least make it a good one."
Blaise grinned and gave her a high five. Ever since Hermione had
introduced him to the concept, he had been requesting 'high fives' almost
every day. When Draco turned his icy glare on him, Blaise simply
shrugged.
"What can I say? She's my feisty cespuglio capelli!" Blaise exclaimed
dramatically, swinging an arm around her shoulders. Hermione giggled
at his antics and leaned against his arm.
Hadrian raised an eyebrow cooly, trying to stifle his laugh. "You do
realize that means 'feisty bush hair' in Italian, right?"
Hermione made an offended face, and swatted away Blaise's arm, "You've
been calling me that for the past month!"
Blaise shot her a sheepish grin and pouted, "Aw come on Mia Carina! I
was just kidding! I happen to love that bush you call hair!"
Hermione fumed silently in her seat, although every time Blaise poked
her ribs she forced herself to push down a smile. Draco sneered at them
and resumed to fixing his hair in the window's reflection.
Daphne cleared her throat, "So what's the plan for retrieving the" she
paused and lowered her voice to a whisper, "Sorcerer's Stone?"
Hadrian stiffened and glanced out the window. When he turned his gaze
back to the compartment, he noticed all pairs of eyes were on him. He
sighed, "I suppose I'll have to look around for any additional information
before we proceed."
Blaise nodded crisply, and for once his face was serious. The final say
closed any room for further discussions, and it was clear they would put
aside this topic. At least until the end of the holidays. They all knew how
much Hadrian enjoyed the holidays.
"So, Hadrian where are you going for the holidays?" Neville asked.
"Surely you won't be going back to that orphanage."
Hadrian briefly glanced at Neville, and something told him that the boy
already knew that there would be no orphanage for him during the
holidays. Neville may not have been a Seer, but he somehow saw straight
through all the lies and carefully placed layers of a person.
"I'll be spending the holidays at Malfoy Manor, of course. Just as I have
been doing for the past eight years." Hadrian lied confidently. He felt
relieved when he saw the shimmer of suspicion in Neville's eyes fade.
"You're welcome to join us for a couple days. Blaise will be coming too."
Draco added. The underlying scathing tone in his voice made it clear that
the same offer did not apply to Hermione.
"I'd have to ask my Gran. But probably yes." Neville sneered, "Merlin, that
woman doesn't even know where her own dentures are. I doubt she
would notice if her grandson suddenly went missing."
Blaise clapped him on the back, "That's the spirit!"
Daphne leaned her head against the window and her sharp eyes
narrowed on the train station in the distance. She sat up excitedly, "Hey,
look!"
"We're almost there!" She and Destiny exclaimed in unison. They looked
at each other and started to giggle. "Two minutes." Destiny said in a
matter-of-fact tone.
"Here's a galleon, Mudblood." Draco smirked, tossing the shiny gold into
her lap. "Get that bush fixed during the holidays, it's so hideous it's
hurting my eyes." He paused and leaned in closer toward her, "And listen,
if you have extra, go ahead and keep it. It's enough to buy your entire
house."
Daphne was about to scold Draco on his derogatory remarks, but
Hermione beat her to it. She glared at Draco for a split second, before
whipping out her wand. It was aimed at Draco's head, and before anyone
could even register what was happening, a bright jet of pink light shot
out from her wand.
Draco's eyes widened and he was engulfed in a cloud of pink. He coughed
as the pink cleared away, and he stared at the people in the
compartment. He could feel the train slowly rolling to a stop, and he
heard the hustle and bustle of the rush to get off the train.
"What?" He asked, looking at their shocked faces.
The compartment burst into laughter and everyone pointed at Draco's
now very pink hair. Blaise patted Hermione on the back , congratulating
her on her handy spell work. Draco's face quickly turned almost as pink
as his hair, and he tried frantically to hide his bright pink hair.
"My perfect hair!" He mumbled sadly, desperately clutching his once
platinum locks.
Hermione got up from her comfortable spot and grabbed her trunk with
ease. She waved a short goodbye to the compartment and slid open the
compartment door, still laughing. But before she left, she turned around
and tossed the gold galleon at Draco's face. Unfortunately, he caught it
just in time.
Hermione gave Draco a sickly sweet smile, "Here's a galleon, prat. Get
that awfully pink hair
fixed during the holidays. It's so bright that it's hurting my eyes. And
listen, if you have extra, be sure to keep it. I heard a new personality
costs an arm and a leg."
And with that she promptly exited the compartment. Hadrian smirked at
her dramatic exit, and almost chuckled at the mixture of rage and
disbelief on Draco's face. Blaise shook his head in astonishment. He
whistled softly, "She sure put you in your place."
"Shut up." Draco grumbled, grabbing his trunk. He reluctantly pulled the
hood of his cloak up, wincing as it messed up his carefully styled hair.
"What person would want to give up body parts for something? No
matter how valuable it is."
"I'm pretty sure that's another muggle expression, mate." Neville grinned.
"I hate muggles. The whole lot of them. Bloody useless I tell you!" Draco
huffed as he exited the compartment. Hadrian followed behind him
closely. They stepped off the train together and looked around for the
Malfoys in the crowd. In the end they decided to follow blindly behind
Destiny, since she always knew everything.
Hadrian waved goodbye to Blaise and Neville and kissed Daphne's cheek.
He would see them in about three days for the Malfoy annual Christmas
Ball anyways. He also caught the sight of unmistakable bushy brown hair
and he smiled inwardly. Hadrian waved another goodbye to Hermione
across the station, although he wasn't sure if she had seen him. His eyes
fell on the tall woman behind Hermione and he concluded her to be
Hermione's mother. His brows furrowed.
"Hadrian hurry up! I want to thank Narcissa for my new robes." Destiny
called out, dragging Hadrian's arm.
He wordlessly followed Destiny to where the pair of regal looking
Malfoys clothing was articulate as usual, and not a hair was out of place.
"Lucius." Hadrian greeted him with a nod. He could have sworn there was
the slightest twitch of a smile in the cold as stone facade.
"Hadrian, Oh how we've missed you!" Narcissa said in a soft voice, barely
concealing her enthusiasm. She pulled Hadrian into a bone crushing hug,
and Hadrian winced.
"Dear, people are staring." Lucius muttered.
"Hush Lucius. It's been far too long." Narcissa mumbled. But she
reluctantly let go of Hadrian.
Her dark eyes turned weary as she laid her eyes on her son who had
finally appeared. She narrowed her eyes at the hood covering his head,
and reached out a dainty hand to pull it
down. She was shocked when his equally pale hand slapped hers away.
Narcissa looked affronted at his behavior and shot him a look that would
have the house-elves running for the hills. "Draco, what's gotten into you.
Take off that hood, we're in public!"
Hadrian coughed discreetly into his hand, trying to hide his chuckle.
Destiny grinned knowingly, and she made no move to hide her growing
amusement. Draco mumbled something under his breath, and Narcissa
frowned.
"Speak up. You know I hate mumbling."
"I said I can't." He hissed through his clenched teeth.
"Why not?" Lucius asked curiously.
"No!" Draco spat as his mother reached for his hood again.
"Don't speak to your mother that way!" The senior Malfoy reprimanded
coldly.
"You want me to take off my hood?" Draco grunted, "Fine."
Narcissa's jaw dropped open as she stared wide eyed at his very bright
pink hair. Lucius was shocked as well, but he quickly concealed his
surprise. Hadrian and Destiny both snickered loudly. Lucius glanced at
the awful color once more, before snapping out of it and nudging
Narcissa. She shook her head and did her best to compose herself.
"Put that hood back on boy." Lucius barked. Draco huffed and did exactly
that, shooting dirty looks to anyone that dared to even smile.
"I told you." He said, folding his arms stubbornly.
Narcissa let out a short laugh. "Let's just go home. Come Destiny. Lucius
take Hadrian and Draco."
"I bid you Adieu!" Destiny laughed, and waved her fingers. She took
Narcissa's hand and the two disappeared in a matter of seconds.
"Unless you boys plan on walking to the Manor, hurry up or I'll apparate
without you." Lucius threatened cooly. The two boys exchanged a glance
and knew it was no bluff. He had left without them before, and it had
been a full hour before he was sent back rather reluctantly by Narcissa to
collect them. Neither of them fancied staying around muggles any longer,
and so they hurried to carefully grab onto each of Lucius's arms.
Hadrian felt the familiar tug in his stomach from side along apparition
and his head spun. Once he felt solid ground, he planted his feet firmly so
he would not be thrown down. Draco unfortunately did not get that
lucky, and he fell onto his stomach, hard. Hadrian burst out laughing.
"Oof." Draco groaned dramatically, clutching the priceless persian rug he
had landed on. "It hurts."
Lucius rolled his eyes and delicately stepped over his ridiculous, pink
haired son as if he wasn't even there. He turned to the pair before he
exited the room, "Do clean up. Oh and Hadrian your father wishes to see
you."
Hadrian's laughter abruptly stopped and he stiffened considerably. Draco
also sat up straight, his "pain" long forgotten. It was just then they
noticed that rather than Malfoy Manor, they were at Riddle Manor.
"What do you think he wants?" Draco asked breaking the silence that had
taken over them.
"Maybe he missed me." Hadrian muttered sarcastically.
"It could be about the troll. Or your classes. Or the mudblood." Draco
suggested.
"Keep your voice down." Hadrian hissed, "I don't think anyone has told
him about Granger yet."
"He's bound to find out." Draco pointed out, but he lowered his voice
anyways. "He's the Dark Lord!"
"Shut up!"
He took a deep breath before exiting the sitting room and wandering
through the ever-changing halls of Riddle Manor. It was pretty much the
same, nothing had changed. Hadrian nodded formally to the portraits
and they smiled wryly at him.
"Hadrian!"
Hadrian winced, he knew that voice. It sounded eerily similar to
Bellatrix, but this was ten times worse. He reluctantly trudged forward
towards the voice, and faced the portrait of the ecstatic looking blonde
woman.
"Great-Great-Great Aunt Gaunt." He greeted politely, cursing internally, "I
see your portrait has been moved."
The woman smiled warmly in her seat, "I knew you were coming home
today, so I insisted to be moved where you could see me. And how many
times have I told you to call me Anna? I already feel decades old, and I
don't need to be reminded exactly how old every time another "great" is
tacked on."
"Yes Gre-Anna."
"Now look at you. Grown into quite a handsome young fellow haven't
you? Look at those breathtaking eyes and cute nose. I just want to eat
you up!"
Hadrian blushed slightly. The other portraits had often told him that
Anna had always been a flirt when she was young. It looked like that
hadn't changed in the time he was at school. He was used to her advances
and harassing comments. But it was still strange since she was a portrait.
"You know, if you ever need to practice flirting with the ladies, I'm
always available. Although I doubt you'll need much practice. Look at
that physique! When you grow into it, you'll be absolutely delectable! I
once met a fellow with your same strong build. Not too muscular, not too
lanky. We spent a quiet night together," She paused and giggled, "No, it
wasn't that quiet. We were actually quite loud. You see we really spent
most of the night making lo-"
"Okay!" Hadrian almost yelled, his face quickly turning Weasley red.
There were certain things he did not need to know, and one of them
happened to be what his Great-Great-Great Aunt Gaunt once did in her
spare time.
"All right I'll stop there." She tittered, "When you meet your love, do
come visit me, yes? I'd like to meet the girl who captured little Hadrian's
heart."
Hadrian quickly agreed to satisfy her. "Of course. But now please excuse
me, I have to meet my father in his office."
"Come visit later dear!" She called as he almost ran away from her.
Hadrian turned to corner, and he sighed heavily as he caught sight of the
dark double doors of his father's office. He would rather go and talk to
Anne about her younger days than speak to his father right now.
He braved up and knocked on the door, awkwardly lowering his hands as
the doors opened slowly. He prepared to bow in front of his father, but
he wasn't present behind the desk. Curiously, Hadrian looked around the
room for his father, once again seeing no one. He had an inkling of
suspicion that his father was here, because the doors would never open
without him.
"Praecisus!"
Hadrian silently cast a shield charm and smiled inwardly as the unknown
spell bounced off the white protective shield. The bright yellow colored
light dissolved and Hadrian made his face blank as he saw his father
reveal himself.
"You wished to see me father." Hadrian stated, bowing down before his
father. He waited for his father to tell him to rise but the command never
came. Curiously, Hadrian straightened up anyways, realizing it was a
mistake too late.
He was slammed into the wall rather painfully and the rough stone
pierced his back. He groaned loudly and rubbed his shoulder. "What was
that for?"
His father shot him a distasteful look, "I see you have forgotten already?
Never turn your back on the enemy. Now rise. I'm pleased to find you
haven't been skiving off your training completely."
"I would never." Hadrian smirked.
His father raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? Then do explain why you feel it
is perfectly alright to disobey any other orders you've been given."
Hadrian kept his cool mask in place, and he didn't react to his father's
blunt statement. He slid into one of the cold leather chairs. Lord
Voldemort glared at Hadrian. "Speak up. Why did you show off so much
in classes?"
"I was provoked. McGonagall wanted to punish me unfairly. I finished
with the lesson." Hadrian listed several reasons why he couldn't conceal
his abilities during class.
"Fair enough." Voldemort thought out loud, "The troll?"
Hadrian looked his father straight in his ruby eyes and said, "I would
rather disobey orders than let my sister die."
Hearing this Voldemort glared, "I've told you, love only makes you weak."
"That may be, but whatever I did benefits you as well. How would you
react if I told you your prized Seer was killed because of a lowly Death
Eater?"
Lord Voldemort contemplated this in his head for a few seconds before
nodding reluctantly. "Did you have to kill it, brat? Do you realize how
suspicious it seems?"
"Severus took care of the aftermath. And you're lucky I didn't go after
Quirrell after I killed the troll. What was that man thinking, letting a troll
into a school?"
"You sound like you care about the school."
"He let the troll into the dungeons." Hadrian stressed the word dungeons.
"You know what is in the dungeons? The Slytherin Dormitories. I don't
give a sickle about anyone else, but we need the Slytherins in the future."
The two stared each other down, neither saying a word waiting for the
other to speak. Finally Voldemort sighed, "If it happens again, be
prepared to suffer severe consequences."
"Is that all?" Hadrian asked, praying he wouldn't mention Hermione. Just
because she was a muggleborn didn't mean she was absolutely loathsome.
His father's face hardened. "No. Crucio."
Hadrian bit down on his tongue so hard he felt it would fall off. He didn't
scream, he didn't whimper at all. The pain was there, still very much
there, but he tried to conceal it. After what seemed like an eternity, he let
out a small hiss of pain. But that was all it took for Voldemort to make
the spell even more painful.
Voldemort studied his son from across the desk. The boy didn't even
flinch nor show any signs of pain. The corner of his mouth started to rise
up into an amused smirk, but he quickly pushed it down when he
remembered why he was torturing the boy in the first place. Soon he
grew bored of the brat's lack of reaction, and he lowered his wand.
"Are you done? As much as I enjoyed this little, 'father son chat', I want
to play a game." Hadrian announced as he tried to fight back the agony
he was still feeling inside. He leaned back in the large chair digging his
nails into the arm.
"I don't have time for silly games, brat." Voldemort snapped.
"Humor me." Hadrian said dryly, propping his feet up onto his father's
desk.
Voldemort narrowed his eyes, and with a flick of his hands, Hadrian's
feet were forcefully, and very painfully, kicked off the desk.
"If I indulge you in your stupid request, what will I get in return?"
Hadrian scoffed, "What would you want from me that you don't already
have."
"Fine. What is it?" His father asked gruffly.
"I'll ask you three questions, and you'll answer them truthfully. If I can
surprise you, I win."
"I will not do anything you say. You don't command me." Voldemort
sneered. "Besides I see no point in this game considering I do not gain
anything, nor do I receive anything for agreeing to participate."
"You agreed to play. Besides they're harmless questions, unless you have
something to hide." Hadrian reminded him.
"Get on with it."
"What's your favorite Hogwarts house?" Hadrian grinned.
"Slytherin." Voldemort answered with a roll of his eyes. "These are idiotic
questions."
"What's your patronus?"
Lord Voldemort stiffened and scowled at Hadrian. "I don't have one."
"Why not?"
"Is that your third and final question?" Voldemort smirked, knowing full
well it wasn't. Hadrian cursed himself internally. He shouldn't have
wasted the first question on something so stupid.
"Why do you want the Sorcerer's Stone that has been hidden in
Hogwarts?"
There. Right there. Hadrian saw it, right through the layer of indifference
and cruelty, he had seen it. The flicker of surprise in his father's blood
red eyes. It was the mixture of disbelief, shock and uncertainty that made
Hadrian almost jump up with glee. He had never seen his father surprised
by anything, even when Destiny had once given him a hug. Lord
Voldemort had told her to let go of him before he crucioed her to death,
and she had stepped away frightened to tears. He was angry, yes. But had
he looked surprised? No. It just made this glorious moment all the more
special.
Hadrian broke the brief moment of absolute silence with a triumphant
smile, "I win."
"What do you know about the Sorcerer's Stone?" Voldemort demanded
immediately, his face void of all emotion.
"Does it matter? I want to know why you want it." Hadrian refused to
back down, his eyes steely.
"Why I want it is none of your concern." Lord Voldemort said coldly.
"Such a shame. Now I'll have to get it myself." Hadrian shrugged,
examining his nails with disinterest, "And keep it."
His father's eyes narrowed, "You will not dare to ruin my plans."
Hadrian ran his hands alongside the engraved edge of the desk, "Are you
willing to take the chance?" his eyes snapped up to glare at his father.
"I'm inside the school. I can retrieve it faster. And I will."
Lord Voldemort did not seem to take the threat seriously, for he sounded
amused as he said, "Will you now? Then by all means proceed."
Hadrian huffed, "I will. And when I find it, you aren't going to lay a
finger on it."
Suddenly the doors slammed open and Hadrian nearly jumped. His father
did not even flinch. They opened to reveal the tall form of Bellatrix
Lestrange. She had a murderous expression on her face. Which was usual,
but this time it seemed more angry. Her robes swished viciously under
her feet as she dragged a protesting Destiny along with her.
She pointed to the chair next to Hadrian, "Sit."
Destiny made a face, but she reluctantly obeyed. She shot Hadrian a
worried look before blanking out and trying to look forward into the
future. Her brows furrowed and she sighed a minute later. Hadrian shot
her a questioning look, but she shook her head.
Bellatrix paced around the desk, but making sure to carefully avoid the
Dark Lord. Her hands were clenched into fists and her wand hung
dangerously from her fingertips. Every few seconds she would push the
dark curly hair out of her eyes.
"Bella, what a pleasant surprise." Lord Voldemort drawled, his tone
indicating it was anything but. He seemed annoyed at the interruption,
yet Bellatrix paid no attention.
"How could this happen? First Rabastan and now my poor Destiny!" She
muttered loudly, "We've been cursed!"
"Can someone tell me what is going on?" Hadrian snapped.
Bellatrix turned around abruptly with a slightly insane gleam in her eyes.
"Destiny seems to have gotten herself into g-g-gryffindor. Of all places!
Even Hufflepuff would be better!"
"Yes, and what of it?" Hadrian asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't think you understand dear Hadrian. Gryffindor! How could this
happen?"
"Bellatrix." Voldemort hissed. "Control yourself."
At his harsh tone, Bellatrix seemed to calm down, but her shoulders still
shook and her hair crackled with anger. "It is none of your business, but
if it soothes your worries, I'll have you know that I requested Destiny to
place herself into Gryffindor." Voldemort continued
"Imagine my surprise when I unpack her trunk and find a Gryffindor scarf
and uniform. And also some mudblood's books!" She exclaimed,
completely ignoring him.
"A mudblood?" Lord Voldemort repeated.
Hadrian shrunk into his chair, trying to make himself as unnoticeable as
possible. He tried to put up his Occulmency shields, but the damage was
already done. He sighed internally as he felt his barriers crashing down
as soon as his father's presence probed his mind.
"Is there something you want to tell me regarding a certain mudblood by
the name of Hermione Granger." Voldemort asked in a stone smooth
voice.
Destiny and Hadrian exchanged a glance.
"She'll be useful!" Hadrian argued feebly.
"She saved me!" Destiny defended her friend, at the same time.
Bellatrix glared at the two. "Honestly, you two were raised well. Yet you
associate with the common filth as if you were a part of the light side!
Mudbloods! Might as well play with the muggles then, eh?"
"She's different!" Hadrian protested. "She's a Ravenclaw, second only to
me. She even beat Draco. And she believes muggleborns should be
trained well, or eliminated!"
His father gave him a doubtful look. "Mudbloods will never agree to
eliminate their own kind."
"Hermione is special! And she is fascinated by Ancient Runes. Not to
mention, when she was younger, she performed accidental dark magic."
Destiny added.
"Oh by the name of Slytherin!" Bellatrix gasped, "They're defending a
mudblood! Her filthy blood has poisoned their minds!"
"Ancient Runes and Dark Magic you say?" Voldemort commented, titling
his head slightly. "An unusual combination of interests."
Hadrian nodded eagerly, "There's something about her, I just know she'll
be a valuable asset to us in the future."
"What makes you so sure she won't turn her back on you the minute you
tell her who you really are?" Voldemort questioned. "Muggles tend to be
on the side which doesn't wish to destroy them."
"She won't." Destiny insisted, "I've seen it. The same way I know Fred and
George Weasley will also join our cause in the future."
Bellatrix turned as white as a sheet, and she almost fainted on the spot.
"My daughter is on first name basis with…Weasleys?!"
16. Christmas Surprises
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Riddle Manor [Christmas Day]
The bright, dazzling light of the morning sun managed to shine through
the heavy, black curtains that covered the massive floor to ceiling
windows. A small beam of sunlight danced across Hadrian's face, and he
yawned in his half-slumber. After a few minutes, he groggily cracked an
eye open and stirred in his tangled up sheets. He ultimately decided that
trying to fall back asleep would be completely useless, not to mention
close to impossible. His head rolled to the side and Hadrian winced, for
his head felt as heavy as lead. Using one hand he rubbed his eyes,
vigorously trying to clear his blurry vision. He halfheartedly looked out
the window and caught a glimpse of the sparkling layer of white that
covered the grounds. Almost instantaneously, his befuddled, sleepy haze
cleared and he was more alert than ever. His eyes widened comically as
he raised his hand to wandlessly push the curtains aside. The magic came
naturally to him, and now the amazing feat was as familiar to him as
manually pushing aside the curtains. But no matter how skilled he was at
wandless magic, it was safe to say that Hadrian was not prepared for the
gleaming sunlight that assaulted his eyes the minute he moved the
curtains to the side. He hastily shut his eyes, trying to ignore his small
moment of complete idiocy.
A couple seconds later Hadrian cautiously opened his eyes again, this
time more prepared to face the painfully brilliant light that was day.
Once his eyes had adjusted to the light, Hadrian stared out the windows
and a small smile began to form on his face. The once crisply manicured
lawns of Riddle Manor were powdered with glistening white snow. The
light white fluff left no surface untouched. Even the tall forest evergreens
were covered with the thick snow. The entire land was touched by the
cold breath of a winter's day. Hadrian's grin widened and he sat up
straight in his soft, plushy bed when he realized, "It's Christmas!"
Suddenly, he froze in shock as an icy cold sensation splashed onto his
face and pathetically dripped through his hair. Hadrian sat still in his bed
as the extremely cold liquid seeped slowly into his pajamas. His hair was
sopping wet, and each deep breath he took caused another drop to plop
onto his face. He ran a shaky hand through his drenched hair, shuddering
involuntarily as a drop of the liquid dripped slowly down his spine.
Hadrian gritted his teeth and clenched the silky black sheets in his fists.
At this point he was about to Crucio someone's head off. He opened his
mouth to speak, but a velvety voice interrupted him from launching into
his extremely long tirade.
"Oh good, you're finally up."
He knew that voice. He knew that voice a little too well. Hadrian seethed
quietly in his frozen position, and whipped his head around to scowl at
one Narcissa Malfoy. She was dressed in simple, but classic lavender day
robes. Simple they may be, but Hadrian knew better than to think the
cost was simple as well. Judging from the small and neat embroidery
work, Hadrian knew these robes had cost at least a small fortune.
Narcissa's smooth, platinum blonde hair was twisted up at the nape of
her neck and fastened in place with a fancy looking silver clip. Her eyes
were dark and lined expertly with black. She had an innocent expression
on her otherwise cold face, but the delicate empty crystal glass in her
dainty hands told a different story.
Hadrian sighed tiredly, falling back onto his bed with a soft thud. He
threw an arm over his face to block out the excess light and grumbled
loudly, "Was that absolutely necessary?"
He glanced up just in time to see Narcissa shrug nonchalantly, her face
void of any emotion, "I have no idea what you are talking about."
Hadrian rolled his eyes, knowing full well that he would not be receiving
any sympathy, nor apology from the frosty blonde woman. He then
raised an eyebrow curiously, "Pardon me if I sound incredibly rude, but
what exactly are you doing here?"
Narcissa sniffed haughtily and raised her chin up in the air, "Yes, that did
sound quite rude."
He ignored her snide remark and gave her a pointed look, waiting for her
to continue. When she made no further move to explain her presence,
Hadrian prompted her further. "Narcissa…"
She tsked disapprovingly and shook her head in disappointment. She
carefully sat herself down on the bed, smoothing out any wrinkles that
had formed on her dress. She placed the crystal glass on the bed beside
her. Her posture was perfect, her back rigidly straight. Narcissa tucked
back a wisp of blonde hair that had escaped from her styled twist before
turning her attention back to Hadrian. "Today is Christmas."
Hadrian rolled his eyes, "Yes…..and?"
Narcissa huffed, "The Christmas Ball is today?"
His eyes widened and he groaned audibly, " I completely forgot about
that!"
Narcissa assessed his mused hair and overall disheveled appearance with
a critical eye. "Clearly." She commented wryly, studying her freshly
manicured nails. "I have just come to remind you of your duties today."
Hadrian raised an eyebrow, "Duties? What duties?"
She smiled widely, showing off her shiny white teeth. "As you know in
the past, you, Draco, and Destiny have spent about an hour in the
ballroom before departing for your rooms." She paused and her eyes
gleamed as if she was enjoying this. "But that is about to change since
now all three of you are grown up."
"I'm a first year at Hogwarts, that's hardly grown up." Hadrian pointed
out.
"Tonight you and Draco will be playing hosts. After you eat breakfast, be
on time for etiquette class and Lucius tell you more details about that."
She continued, completely ignoring Hadrian's weak attempt of protest.
"Why doesn't Destiny have to come to etiquette class?" Hadrian
complained childishly.
Narcissa pursed her dark ruby lips "Destiny will be spending the day with
me and Bella to get ready for the ball. And I can assure you, your day
will be much more enjoyable than hers."
Immediately, Hadrian clamped his jaw shut and swallowed down the
jumble of complaints he was about to spew out. Merlin knows what
Narcissa had planned for Destiny. In that moment he felt truly sorry for
his blonde haired sister.
Narcissa gestured towards his en suite bathroom, "I've already laid your
day robes out on the counter. Eat your breakfast and go to your lesson.
Lucius will be filling in for me today." Her lips twitched into a small
smile as she saw the look of horror on his face. "I'm off to wake Destiny,
that is if Bella hasn't done so yet."
She rose off the bed and smoothed her dress down carefully. Narcissa
patted down her hair and gave Hadrian a dangerous look, "If you aren't
up on time I will hex you into next week." And with that being said, she
sashayed away, the lavender gown swaying behind her.
Hadrian waited till she left the room before yawning and falling back
down onto his bed. He tugged his covers up to his neck and looked
wistfully at the glistening white peaks of snow outside. They were just
calling his name, pleading him to come and enjoy the snow. He shook his
head, as if trying to clear away the thoughts. But he still bit his lip,
actually contemplating the idea when he looked back at his en-suite
doors. Maybe if he was very quiet he could sneak away. He closed his
eyes for a brief second and was just about to drift back into his slumber
when a loud scream startled him.
Hadrian stiffened immediately and his eyes snapped over to his door. He
urgently peeled off the silk black sheets and rose from his comfortable
position. He swung his feet off the bed and hastily grabbed his wand.
Hadrian pushed the dark hair out of his eyes and ran barefooted across
the room, throwing open his heavy, polished mahogany bedroom doors.
The screaming continued and Hadrian blindly ran forward, following the
sound of the wails. He ran down the cold marble steps and the ear
piercing screams got louder and louder. The blood in his head started to
pound and the color drained from his face when he came face to face
with an all too familiar door.
Without thinking, he roughly shoved open the door and his eyes widened
dramatically. His heart plummeted as he took in the terrifying sight.
Bellatrix knelt near the large bed, panicking and screaming with
distraught. Narcissa was also present, but she was hovering over the
slumped body in the bed. She was much calmer than her sister. Her
brows crinkled with concern as she waved her wand over the unmoving
shape nestled under the sheets.
Hadrian stood frozen in the doorway, and let out a strangled gasp. His
wand fell limply from his side and dropped onto the floor with a thud,
rolling across the floor. If the two women noticed his presence, they did
not acknowledge it. He moved forward as if he was possessed, slowly
shuffling inch by inch. He pried his way past Bellatrix and stared at the
blank expression on the motionless face.
"What's wrong with Destiny?" He managed to choke out, unknowingly
putting an end to Bellatrix's bawls. Destiny's face was a pale white, and
wisps of her blonde hair stuck to her face with a sheer layer of sweat. Her
knuckles were white from clutching the sheets and not even a slight
twitch was seen.
"Yes, Cissa what's wrong with her!?" Bellatrix demanded, "Why isn't she
waking up?!"
"I don't know! That's what I'm trying to figure out!" Narcissa snapped. She
turned back to Destiny's still form, and waved her wand. A soft golden
light enveloped her, but faded just as quickly. Bellatrix glared at her
sister and angrily wiped away a stray tear.
"She's not moving!" Bellatrix gripped Destiny's shoulder, shaking her
hysterically. "Is she breathing? Please wake up my Dark angel. I'm sorry.
Just please, open your eyes!" She pleaded desperately. Her voice cracked
as she continued along with her hopeless pleas, "I promise to never yell at
you again, just wake up. Wake up right now!" Her crazy dark locks were
flying around her face, and her frenzied movements caused the nearby
vase on the bedside table to shatter. "I can't lose you too." She whispered.
Hadrian squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, all the while trying to keep
himself calm. Since Bellatrix was acting so unlike herself, it was his job to
make sure at least he was calm and collected. He had never seen her like
this. She was so hysterical and desperate, he wondered if she had
witnessed something like this before. He had known since forever, and he
knew she hated crying. He knew she hated weakness. She was just like
his father in more ways than one. During the entire time he had known
her, he had never seen her shed a single tear. He'd never seen her so
weak, so helpless. Hadrian took a deep breath, and tried to look
anywhere other than his frozen sister's face.
"Why isn't she waking? Why aren't you fixing her? Is she dead?"
"Bella, calm down. I can't fix her unless I know what has happened. She's
not dead though." Narcissa reassured her. There was a long pause and she
fidgeted uncomfortably, "I think."
Hadrian turned his eyes away from Bellatrix, who was sure to explode
any second now. His gaze landed on the shards of the broken vase, and
he narrowed his eyes. In the puddle of water and a single Iris flower, he
saw a very out of place looking dark red vial. Discreetly stepping away
from Bellatrix, Hadrian cautiously picked up the vial and examined it. It
had no label, nor any form of identification. The seal around it was
clearly broken and Hadrian carefully shook the small vial with his
fingers. He could hear no swishing sound of liquid, so he hesitantly
turned it over his hand. To his surprise, not even a single drop fell out.
Hadrian slowly raised it up to his face and sniffed the vial. There was a
very familiar scent that lingered behind and Hadrian furrowed his brows.
Where had he smelled it before?
"Hadrian, what's that?"
His head snapped up, and he was met with the dark eyes of Narcissa. Her
eyes were trained on the vial currently in his hands, and she rubbed her
temples, "Give it here."
Wordlessly, he handed over the vial. Narcissa looked at it suspiciously
before sniffing it just as Hadrian had done a second ago. Her face lit up in
recognition, but quickly turned ashen as she turned the bottle over and
nothing came out.
"What is it! What is it!" Bellatrix shrieked, staring at the vial in Narcissa's
hands. She reached out to snatch it away, but Narcissa yanked it back.
Ignoring the deadly look she was getting from her sister, Narcissa tapped
her wand on the top of the vial, muttering something under her breath.
The vial seemed to glow, and Narcissa quickly placed it onto the table
with shaky hands.
"What do we do? Do we call a Healer?!" Bellatrix asked frantically,
clutching Destiny's hand.
"We can't call a Healer! She's at Riddle Manor, not to mention,
surrounded by highly suspected Death Eaters!" Hadrian pointed out.
"We don't need a Healer." Narcissa agreed. "I can fix her, if you both let
me concentrate." She held up the vial between her fingers. "It looks as if
Destiny has had an overdose of the dreamless sleep potion. It's actually
common around this age since they don't know how much to take. But it
seems she's had more than three times the recommended dosage."
"I don't want a damn lesson about children, Cissy!" Bellatrix barked, "Fix
her! Fix her now!"
"Why would she take so much of it though?" Hadrian wondered out loud.
"Or was she poisoned?"
"I don't care why!" Bellatrix snapped. "I just want her to wake up!"
"All of you just be quiet!" Narcissa hissed. "I'm going to the potions lab to
see if Severus has any of the antidote left."
As she quickly hurried out of the room, Hadrian turned to Bellatrix.
"She'll be okay, Bella. Calm down. I know you're worried sick right now,
but panicking will only make it worse."
Bellatrix whipped around to face him, her eyes crackling with anger.
Hadrian subconsciously took a step back. "You don't know what it feels
like." She growled. "You just don't understand. I've been given a second
chance, and look what I've done with it!"
"It's not your fault!" Hadrian protested, trying to convince his insane
mother. "Destiny will be alright, you'll see. She'll come to the ball and
have fun with me, Draco, Daphne, Blaise and even Neville!"
"Who's this Neville?"
"Neville? Neville Longbottom? I'd assume Destiny told you about him.
Anyways she will be perfectly fine. She'll even be fussy when you present
her with hundreds of dresses to try on and she'll throw a tantrum when
she has to make her hair all styled." Hadrian continued, oblivious to
Bellatrix's sudden change in attitude.
"Hadrian." She said in an even voice. He raised his head to look her in the
eyes. "Whatever you do, stay away from the Longbottom boy. And make
sure Destiny definitely stays away from him."
"What? Why?" Hadrian asked, surprised, "He is a pureblood."
Bellatrix scowled, "I'd rather Destiny be best friends with the mudblood
than associate with that boy."
"Why do you hate him so much? Granted, he is a suspicious character,
but nothing I can't handle."
"Listen to me, the Longbottoms are one of the lightest pureblood families
in our world. Second to only the Potters. Stay away from him."
Hadrian narrowed his eyes, "You're lying. You know I can always tell
when you lie. Tell me the real reason why you want us to stay away. He's
done absolutely nothing to you!"
Her shoulders shook and before he knew it, Bellatrix whipped out her
wand. She pointed it directly between his shoulders and hissed, "Never
say that again. The Longbottoms have done plenty harm to us."
"Bellatrix! That's enough!"
Hadrian sighed gratefully at the interruption and Bellatrix reluctantly
lowered her wand. Narcissa shot a deadly look in Bellatrix's direction as
she re-entered the room with another small vial in her hands. She briskly
strode over to Bellatrix and whispered something to her. Bellatrix
growled and was about to turn her wand on her sister, but then Narcissa
whispered something harshly into her ear. Bellatrix took a calming
breath and nodded, dropping her wand against her side.
Narcissa looked as if she was about to say something to Hadrian as well,
but she shook her head and trudged toward Destiny instead. Hadrian
hung back, but he could hear Narcissa reciting a small prayer before
tilting the vial into Destiny's mouth.
A couple minutes passed in complete and utter silence. Bellatrix stared
anxiously at Destiny, barely blinking. "Cissa, why isn't she getting up?
She's still not moving. What is wron-"
"Merlin Bella, have some patience! You know potions effects take longer
to show than counter-spells!" Narcissa reprimanded. She turned to see
Hadrian inching closer to Destiny. "What are you still doing here?" She
exclaimed.
Hadrian shot her an incredulous look, "I'm here to see Destiny wake?"
She shook her head, "No, no! Everything is not going according to plan!"
She paused and sighed heavily, "Skip the breakfast and floo straight to
my manor. Lucius will explain what is required of you tonight."
"But-"
"No arguments, please Hadrian. Not now. You can see Destiny later at the
ball. Now go! And don't you dare touch any of the presents."
He grumbled a bit and glared at the women in the room before angrily
storming out. Hadrian made sure to slam the door, extra, extra hard.
Malfoy Manor: Formal Ballroom [Christmas Day]
"Listen here boys. Cissa asked me to babysit you and put some manners
into the space between your ears." Lucius started, his facial expression
cold and aloof. "The guests will be arriving any minute now. If word gets
out to Narcissa that I let you roam around the grounds creating mischief
instead of attending your lesson, then she'll have my head. Understand?"
"Father you didn't even tell us what we're supposed to do." Draco pointed
out, impatiently tapping his foot against the hard marble floor. "You told
us to get dressed about twenty minutes ago. Do you honestly think
Mother will not find out about this?"
"She won't find out if you don't tell her." The Malfoy patriarch retorted,
narrowing his eyes. "Which you won't. Besides, its rather simple. As hosts
you are required to personally greet each guest and lead the opening
waltz."
"We have to dance!?" Draco exclaimed in shock, poking Hadrian in the
ribs. "Can you believe this?" He huffed. "I don't even remember the
waltz!"
"Figure it out." Lucius waved his hand dismissively. "After the opening
dance, you must walk around and make sure everyone is having a
pleasant evening- Yes son, that includes talking to the Parkinsons and
their daughter. Please try to indulge her requests, Draco. Finally, as the
night draws to a close, you will personally wish each guest a good night-"
"And then we can open the presents?" Hadrian interrupted.
Lucius sighed, "Yes, then you can open the presents Hadrian."
Draco folded his arms stubbornly, "I don't understand why you couldn't
have just taught us our lesson. Just before the ball starts you tell us we
have to get ready in about ten minutes, then tell us we need to pretend to
be pleasant all evening, personally make sure everyone is having a lovely
evening, not to mention, lead a dance!"
"Your point being?" His father snapped. "I don't have time for you
petulant complaints. I didn't see you complaining when you spent the day
bothering Pettigrew and hexing lowly death eaters. You will do as you
have been asked. And I swear if Narcissa finds out, there will be no
quidditch for a week!" He paused and glared at Hadrian. "Yes, that
punishment applies to you too Hadrian."
"But why do we have to get punished?" Hadrian complained. "Its not even
our faults!"
Lucius shot him an angry look, and Hadrian backed down. He didn't want
to infuriate the cold hearted Slytherin any further. Instead he held back
his objections and complaints, choosing to let the blond seethe quietly.
"Go! The guests are coming!"
Draco grumbled something incoherently and trudged over to the large
massive doors of the ballroom. Hadrian followed soon after, rather
reluctantly. Draco smoothed down his hair one last time and carefully
tucked back one traitorous piece of hair that kept falling over his eyes.
Hadrian adjusted his expensive black dress robes and re-tied his polished
black shoes. They both looked up and shot each other exasperated looks
before pulling open the intricately carved black doors.
"Drakie!" A high pitched voice squealed enthusiastically.
Draco groaned inaudibly but plastered a clear fake smile on his face. He
stumbled back slightly as Pansy Parkinson enveloped him in a big hug.
Hadrian hid his chuckle behind his hand and turned to greet her parents.
"Lord Parkinson. Lady Parkinson. It is wonderful that you have graced us
with your presence for yet another year." Hadrian addressed them
formally. He looked Lord Parkinson in the eye as he shook his hand. Lady
Parkinson offered a simple small smile.
Lord Parkinson cleared his throat, "Who could ever refuse an invitation to
the biggest social event of the year?"
Hadrian smiled good-naturedly, and gestured his hands toward the
deserted ballroom. "You're actually early, but please make yourselves
comfortable."
Lady Parkinson nodded softly and turned to tap her daughter on the
shoulder. "Pansy dear, come. You can speak with Draco later." She spoke,
gently prying Pansy from the clearly unamused blond.
Draco flashed Lady Parkinson a grateful look and discreetly rubbed his
arms where Pansy's nails had dug into. He glared at Hadrian when he
had the nerve to laugh. "It's not funny!" Draco hissed, "I feel violated!"
Hadrian bit down his tongue to keep from bursting out into fits of
laughter, "Draco, she hugged you."
"It wasn't a hug!" Draco protested vehemently, "Hugs are supposed to be
nice. I felt like I was going to die!"
"Quit being so overdramatic!" A familiar voice called out from the
doorway. Hadrian shook his head at the arrival of the dark haired italian.
His mother was ushering him forward, and she smiled at the boys.
"Hello, Mrs. Zabini." Hadrian nodded.
"Hey, what about me?!" Blaise whined. His mother swung her jeweled
clutch at his head, but Blaise skillfully ducked down just in time.
"Manners, Blaise." She said sweetly, flouncing past the boys. "Hello Draco,
Hadrian. Have fun tonight. I'm off to find some bubbly."
"I missed you all so much." Blaise announced, slapping Draco's back.
Draco scowled, "We saw you yesterday."
"Ah, but my slimy albino friend, yesterday is a very long time. Especially
when every passing moment after out meeting was spent honoring my
stepfather."
"Where is the latest stepfather, Blaise?" Hadrian grinned knowingly.
Blaise's lips curled up into a sly smile, "He suffered a truly tragic
accident."
Draco sighed, and snapped his fingers in mock disappointment, "Such a
shame."
"Move out of the way, Zabini. You're blocking the door!"
"Longbottom, I see you made it." Hadrian nodded cooly to the tall boy
that just appeared. Neville smirked slightly as a greeting and eased his
way past the doorway, pushing Blaise along with him.
"I thought your grandmother wouldn't let you come?" Draco accused
suspiciously.
Neville snorted, "Are you kidding? All I had to do was slip her a small
drop of a special potion and she was out cold for the whole day."
"Sounds very Slytherin of you, Neville." Blaise commented, "But that
certain potion sounds quite harmful, don't you think?"
"You would know, Zabini. Your mother recommended it to me." Neville
retorted. Blaise laughed, and dragged him off towards the main ballroom,
"Come on, let's leave these two to their job."
Draco scowled at their retreating backs and kicked the marbled floor.
"This is so unfair."
"Get used to it." Hadrian shrugged, "I guarantee you'll have to face more
balls like this in the future."
As more and more guests arrived, and the ballroom grew more crowded,
Hadrian's patience started to dwindle. He and Draco had greeted, shook
hands with, and pretended to adore people they didn't even know all
evening. When the Greengrasses had finally arrived, Lucius saw it fit to
officially start the ball.
Hadrian smiled widely at Daphne as she entered the ballroom. She
dressed in robes of blue, that shimmered with each step she took. Her
gown flowed like water and she sashayed across the floors gracefully. Her
hair was styled down in loose waves and her lips were painted a light
pink. Her blue eyes sparkled as she took in Hadrian's formal attire.
Her lips quirked into a delicate smile, "My, my, someone's looking quite
debonair this evening."
Hadrian smirked, "What can I say? I do try sometimes."
Draco snapped his fingers, "What am I? An invisibility cloak?"
Daphne shook her head, and rolled her eyes. "You look quite dashing too,
Draco."
He puffed out his chest in pride, "Why thank you Miss Greengrass."
Lord and Lady Greengrass watched the exchange with amusement clearly
evident in their eyes. "Good Evening, Hadrian, Draco. We apologize for
our late arrival, for our youngest took ages to prepare for her first ever
Malfoy Ball." Lord Greengrass chuckled.
"Do not fret, Lord Greengrass. The ball has not yet started. Speaking of
which, Daphne, would you care to accompany me for the first dance?"
Hadrian asked suavely, holding out one hand.
Daphne nodded eagerly and placed her smooth hand in his. Hadrian
bowed to her family, and waved to Daphne's younger sister, Astoria,
before whisking her onto the dance floor. Out of the corner of his eye, he
saw Pansy advancing towards Draco, and he suppressed the snicker that
was threatening to escape from his mouth.
When the music started, he focused his full attention on Daphne. He
gently pulled her closer with one hand on her back and she raised her
hand to rest on his shoulder. They moved together so fluently, it was
almost as if they both predicted the other's moves. With each breath he
took in, he could smell her soft scent of roses. They twirled, they swayed,
and waltzed to the elegant music of the orchestra in the background. No
words were said between them, but the twinkle in her deep blue eyes
said it all.
As the dance ended, Daphne beamed at him and pulled him towards her
reserved table. Hadrian pulled out her chair for her, and she sat herself
down onto the plush white chair.
"That was quite impressive."
They both turned their heads to see Destiny leaning against the table,
twirling a strand of her hair. She was wearing a black dress that clung to
her as she moved. Her hair was styled up, probably by Narcissa, and an
unnoticeable layer of makeup coated her face.
"Thank god you're alive!" Hadrian exclaimed, running a hand through his
hair. Daphne looked alarmed.
"Alive? What did I miss?"
Destiny shrugged, "Nothing really. Hadrian's just being dramatic."
"I am not! She almost died this morning. What were you thinking?"
Hadrian shook his head angrily, "Why did you take so much of that
potion?"
When she didn't respond, he narrowed his eyes, "Someone didn't force it
down your throat, did they?"
"Well no, bu-"
"Then why?" Hadrian stressed, rubbing his temples. "Why did you scare
all of us like that. We were worried to death!"
Destiny looked guilty and she looked away, "Well you see…I…Well, I
kind of-I can't."
"What do you mean, you can't?!" Hadrian hissed, "Tell me what is going
on, right now."
"I don't have to tell you everything!" She huffed.
"I have a right to know! I'm your brother!" Hadrian argued back.
"You have no right! You're not even my real brother!" Destiny snapped.
Her eyes widened and she instantly covered her mouth, but the damage
was done. Hadrian's face was blank and impassive as he calmly stood up
from his chair.
He nodded crisply and his icy eyes flashed, "Very well then. Excuse me
for a minute Miss Lestrange, Daphne." Hadrian turned around, and
walked around the dancing couples and out of sight. Destiny sighed sadly
and ran her hands up and down the side of her glass. She could feel
Daphne's eyes on her, and she whipped around to face her.
"What!" She demanded brusquely, grabbing a knife and viciously tearing
apart the chicken entrée that had magically appeared on her plate.
Daphne assessed her with a calculating gaze, "You are hiding something."
She stated, "Clearly it is necessary to hide it from Hadrian." She paused
and tapped her chin thoughtfully, "But why?"
Destiny raised an eyebrow, "How did you know?"
Daphne smirked, "I didn't, but you just confirmed it. So tell me, what is
so bad that you can't even tell Hadrian? Obviously you didn't mean what
you said."
Destiny dropped her fork with a loud clink. "Maybe I did mean every
word I said."
Daphne scoffed, "No you didn't. Even if you don't know that, I do. You
don't want to hurt Hadrian." Suddenly her eyes lit up and she snapped
her fingers, "That's it! You don't want to hurt Hadrian!"
Destiny grumbled, "I don't see how you're doing this. I thought I was the
Seer here."
"I'm going to take that as a yes. So, are you going to tell me what is going
on?" Daphne questioned, taking a sip of her drink.
"I'm just having a problem that I hope I can fix without anyone's help or
concern." Destiny muttered as she drummed her fingers on the table.
Meanwhile, Hadrian wandered through the back halls of Malfoy Manor.
He had long left the party was was walking clumsily through the dark
halls and corridors. He could hear the whispers of the curious portraits,
but he paid them no heed.
"Not her brother. I have no right. She's gone completely mental, I say."
Hadrian murmured to himself.
The small sound of footsteps could be heard behind him, and Hadrian
sighed loudly. "I don't want to hear it Destiny."
A rough hand grabbed his arm, and Hadrian looked up with alarm at the
face covered with a black mask, "Guess again, kid."
A/N: I might be adding to this chapter later. But if I don't add to this
chapter, then I'll probably make a separate mini chapter later. Stay
tuned.
17. Friends Close, Enemies Closer
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Undisclosed Location [Christmas Day]
Hadrian whipped out his wand, but before he could do anything, he felt
the tug of apparition against above his navel. The room spun below his
feet and soon his surroundings were replaced by ominous looking forests.
As soon as his feet touched solid ground, Hadrian stabbed his wand in
the direction of his kidnapper.
"Who are you?" Hadrian hissed. He was gripping his wand so hard that
his knuckles turned white. "I swear I'll attack if you don't tell me."
The man let out a rough sound akin to a chuckle, and Hadrian shrugged,
Have it your way.
The incantation was ready to roll off his tongue when the man held up
his hands in a mock surrender. Hesitantly, Hadrian closed his mouth, but
didn't lower his wand.
The man pulled off his mask, and Hadrian seethed inside. His expression
went from threatening to angry in a split second. "Barty?" He spit out
incredulously, "Barty Crouch?"
The man broke out into a smile, seemingly pleased. "And here I thought
you had forgotten me."
Hadrian clenched his teeth together and rubbed his temples trying to get
rid of the angry throbbing vein in his forehead. "Are you completely
mental? What are you doing here?" He narrowed his eyes accusingly,
"Aren't you supposed to be in Azkaban?"
Barty grinned, the moonlight bouncing off his sharp teeth. "Is that how
you greet an old friend?"
Hadrian rolled his eyes, "Forgive me." He paused and smiled a sweet little
false smile. "Hello Barty, how are you this fine evening?"
"Was that so hard? And to answer your question, I'm doing just fine."
"Barty what am I doing here?" Hadrian snapped, tapping his foot
impatiently, "I have a Christmas Ball to get back to."
Barty smirked, "Oh yes, the famous Malfoy Christmas Ball. But I predict
the ball isn't the only thing you want to get back to. Say, that was a
mighty fine girl you had hanging off your arm a while ago."
Hadrian flushed slightly and dug his foot into the ground, "Barty!" He
huffed with exasperation, "Get to the point!"
"Sorry, Sorry." He apologized, although his amusement-filled eyes made it
clear he felt no remorse. He cleared his throat, "I came and plucked you
away from the crowd on behalf of your father."
"Why like that?"
Barty scoffed, "Well obviously the Dark Lord cannot just stroll into a
packed Ballroom and say he requires the presence of his hei-"
"Not that Barty!" Hadrian groaned, "I meant why did you have to literally
kidnap me?"
"Oh that." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "You know I have a
flair for the dramatics."
"A warning next time would be better, don't you think? I thought it was
some Order member!"
The young death eater laughter wickedly, "Come on kid, the element of
surprise is number one attack strategy. Besides, it's your father's orders."
"Why are we here?"
"Too many questions. Just follow me." Barty smirked, "Don't you trust
me?"
"Not at all." Hadrian replied, his green eyes almost glowing in the night.
Barty shrugged, "Fair enough. But your father will get angry if you keep
him waiting." He paused, "And I know you don't want that." Barty
grinned at the way Hadrian flinched dramatically.
Hadrian squared his shoulders and rolled his eyes, "Lead the way."
Barty grinned and they trudged through the trees in silence. Their
footsteps crunched through the thick layer of snow as they marched on.
The cold air was biting his cheeks and Hadrian could feel the wetness of
the snow seeping into his dragon-hide boots. He tugged his cloak tighter
to his body and whispered the word to activate the warming spell. He
was grateful for the silence since it gave him a clear head to think.
It didn't last long.
"Want to guess what I've been up to?"
Hadrian groaned loudly. "No." He huffed, shoving his hands into his
pockets.
Barty, seemingly unaffected by his lack of enthusiasm, grinned widely.
"I've been developing some ways to break out of Azkaban. I got caught
snooping on the land once, but I laid my charm on them and was set
free."
"I doubt you charmed the dementors. And I also doubt they just let you
prance out of there like a proud peacock."
"Well of course there were certain disputes that occurred. It seemed to
make both of our fathers unhappy." Barty waved his hand carelessly. But
Hadrian could see the hard glint in Barty's eyes when he mentioned his
own father, Bartemius Crouch Sr.
Deciding not to egg him on further, Hadrian stayed quiet. He heard Barty
stop next to him, but Hadrian ignored this and carried on.
Suddenly, he felt as if he was walking straight into a brick wall and a
millisecond later, he was felt a shock of electricity running up his arms.
The force was so strong he was thrown back onto the cold ground
underneath him. He groaned and rubbed his head, wincing as he realized
it would leave a mark.
Barty chuckled as he strolled toward Hadrian's crumpled frame at a
leisurely place. He held out a hand and Hadrian reluctantly grabbed it,
pulling himself up. He wiped off the dirt on his cloak and glared at Barty.
"A little warning would've been nice, Bartemius." Hadrian hissed in a
snotty tone.
"And miss out on that hilarious spectacle?" Barty laughed, "No way."
Hadrian mumbled something incoherent under his breath. "Why is there
such a powerful concealment charm in the middle of the forest?"
Barty's mouth twitched into an amused smile, "Oh little Hadrian, this is
no forest." He put his arm around Hadrian's rigid shoulders and squeezed
tightly. After whispering the counter-spell, Hadrian's jaw dropped in awe.
Barty opened his arms wide and gestured to the large, jet black, iron-clad
structure behind him. "This is a fortress."
The massive fortress was made completely out of metal and the gates
were heavy iron gates. Hadrian looked up and all around the monstrosity
as Barty led him through the doors. It looked to be deserted, but Hadrian
caught sight of a floating black figure a few stories above them.
Barty followed his gaze and smiled, "Dementors. They'll suck the soul
straight out of you. Then again, if you're locked up in here, I doubt
there'll be much of a soul left to suck."
He seemed to enjoy the look of fear on Hadrian's face.
"You mean there are people in there? Like prisoners?" Hadrian blurted
out.
Barty looked at him incredulously, "Did you really think I brought you
here to admire the scenery?"
Hadrian didn't respond, but he glared at the back of Barty's head. Barty
waved his wand in front of the doors and they swung open automatically
sensing his magical signature. The inside of the fort was dark and empty
looking, like the outside. There were torches glowing with green fire, but
they provided a very dim light in the huge hall.
Their footsteps echoed eerily through the corridors and their shadows
flickered on the walls. Hadrian shuddered at the foreboding air around
him. He could practically smell the dark magic that lingered throughout
the passages.
"Hadrian?"
He jumped at the sound of Barty calling his name. He saw Barty standing
next to a heavy metal cell door and ran to catch up with him. Barty
pushed open the door, and gestured for Hadrian to enter. His lips were
pressed into a thin line, and his eyebrows were furrowed as if he was
concentrating deeply on something.
Hadrian hesitated before stepping through the door. He turned around
abruptly, "Aren't you coming?"
Barty shook his head, and a dark look came into his eyes. "No."
That was it. He offered no further explanation and Hadrian reluctantly
nodded in acceptance of his crisp response. Hadrian tiptoed past the
dimly lit cell, as if one small sound would kill him. The door slammed
shut and Hadrian flinched at the sound. Yet he continued on until he
came to a smaller cell door, in which he could see his father towering
over another huddled figure in the room.
The cell door swung open and he heard, "Ah, welcome Hadrian. So nice
of you to join us."
Hadrian shivered at the coldness in his father's voice, but plastered a
hard look on his face. "Good evening, Father." He replied briskly.
"You must be curious as to why I brought you here." Lord Voldemort
spoke. His lips twisted into a smirk when Hadrian didn't respond. "I'd like
to introduce you to one of my old friends."
Hadrian almost laughed. "Old friends" his arse. His father was quite the
comedian.
"This." Voldemort spat at the crouched man in the corner, "Is Gellert."
Hadrian raised an eyebrow curiously at the strange man.
"Gellert Grindelwald."
Then it all clicked into face. Unable to conceal his surprise, Hadrian
gasped, "He's still alive?"
Voldemort turned his condescending glare back onto Hadrian. "Clearly.
Although for how long he'll stay alive, I do not know." He smiled cruelly,
"It depends on how cooperative he is."
"What do you want?" The voice rasped out.
Hadrian turned back to the old man laying on the ground. He used to be
the darkest wizard of all time, second to only his father. Age had not
done him well, and his face was creased with wrinkles and his eyes were
dulled. The pitiful sight created an unknown feeling in his stomach.
What had happened to him in only a matter of years? He was once
undefeatable and superior to all. Yet today he laid cowering on the floor
like a terrified rat. Grindelwald was weak. He was pathetic.
Hadrian could feel the bitter taste in his mouth when he thought of the
man's name.
"Tell me where it is."
"Do not go down this path, Tom. I'm warning you."
Hadrian saw the small flinch in his father at the mention of his his real
name. He bit his lip anxiously. No one dared to use his father's forbidden
name.
"Did I ask for a warning?" Voldemort hissed angrily. He waved his hand
and the torch hanging on the right side of the cramped cell exploded in a
small bang. "I want you to tell me where it is located."
"Do not be a fool. See what it has done to me."
Voldemort waved his hands, "Yes I see exactly what you are. A pathetic
old man living out his last days in a fortress he built for his own
prisoners." Voldemort sneered, "Tell me, how does it feel to be a prisoner
of the past?"
"Who is the boy?" Grindelwald asked, completely ignoring Lord
Voldemort.
Hadrian stepped out from the shadows and cringed when he saw
Grindelwald's gaze assess his face.
"It does not matter who he is." Voldemort insisted.
"He looks so much like you, Tom. If I didn't know for a fact that you were
a heartless bastard, I'd say he was your son." Grindelwald spat.
Hadrian had his wand aimed at Grindelwald's throat before Voldemort
had uttered another word.
"Trained him well, haven't you Tom?" He rasped against the wand
pressing into his throat. "I didn't realize you were dooming their souls at
such a young age now."
Hadrian gritted his teeth together, "Shut up, old man."
"Where is the last Hallow, Grindelwald." Voldemort asked again,
narrowing his eyes. "I already have two in my possession. Where are the
rest?"
"Even if you find all of them, they will not help you."
"Answer the question!" Voldemort thundered angrily. "Crucio."
Hadrian glared at Grindelwald who was shaking silently with pain, but
no sounds came out of his clamped together lips. His father held the spell
for another thirty seconds before lowering his wand. "I do hope you'll
agree to be more cooperative now." Voldemort hissed.
"Don't you think if I knew, I would've told you by now?" Grindelwald said
through clenched teeth. "I don't know where the last one is is."
Voldemort's ruby eyes flashed brilliantly in the dark room. "Very well
then. You are no use to me anymore. Hadrian?"
Hadrian blinked, looking up to glance at his father. He nodded in silent
understanding and lifted up his wand.
"Stop." His father raised a hand, and pointed to Hadrian's wand. "Not that
one."
Hadrian swallowed and pulled out his original wand, given to him by
Voldemort himself. He kept it with him at all times, just in case. The
bone handle was almost foreign to him now, but he still felt that fitting
feeling when his hand clasped around the bone. It worked just as well as
his new one did, perhaps because they were brother wands.
"Merry Christmas, Hadrian. As one of my gifts to you, I give you
permission to attempt to cast the Cruciatus on this pitiful man."
Hadrian's arm twitched against his side and he nodded numbly. His hand
shook as he raised it up and aimed it at the once Darkest Wizard of all
time. He could see the pleading look in the man's eyes. It sickened him.
He closed his eyes, "Crucio."
He felt a tinge of magic coursing through his veins and he carefully
opened one eye. Nothing. He glanced up at his father with cheeks flushed
with embarrassment.
"The Cruciatus curse is an emotion based spell, just like the Patronus
charm. But when you cast the Cruciatus, it has to spring from hatred." His
father explained slowly.
Hadrian bit his lip and raised his wand again, this time it never wavered.
His eyes hardened to ice, and his entire body stiffened. This man was
standing in the way of Lord Voldemort. The Greatest Dark Lord the world
had ever seen. Grindelwald was a forlorn old man who couldn't carry out
one task.
Crucio.
He heard the screams. He saw the expression of pain etched onto his face.
He twitched and shook with silent sobs and Hadrian glared harder. Every
suffering moan empowered Hadrian. He had control over this man. He
could do anything. They had no room for the weak on the dark side. How
dare this mess in front of him even consider himself as a dark lord. It
disgusted him.
"Enough, Hadrian."
And just like that it was over. The thrill he had felt, the adrenaline that
had run through his veins vanished into thin air. Suddenly he was
snapped back to reality. He wanted to do it again. And again and again.
He knew how terrible it was to be on the receiving end of the curse, but
the other side was absolutely brilliant.
His father looked immensely pleased. "You didn't even say the words. A
silent Cruciatus? That is quite..impressive."
Hadrian grinned. That was the biggest compliment he had ever gotten
from his father. He cleared his throat, "What are you going to do to him?"
Voldemort sneered, "I think I'll finish him. But you need go back to the
ball." He continued on, cutting off the protests from Hadrian," It's so no
one will get suspicious. Now go, Barty is waiting outside."
Hadrian was slightly disappointed he didn't get to stay, but he nodded
and shot Grindelwald one last look of contempt before moving to exit the
cell.
"Hadrian, do you know what today's lesson was?" Voldemort didn't wait
for Hadrian to answer as he continued, "Keep your friends close, and your
enemies closer."
Potter Manor [Christmas Day]
Christmas at Potter Manor was always a joyful, merry event. The
Weasleys, Longbottoms, several Aurors, the remaining Mauraders, and
several others gathered at the expansive property for a day of
celebration. People laughed, danced, talked, cheered. Everyone was
happy and cheerful. Except for this year.
The gaudy christmas tree was strung with gold tinsel and decorated with
several ornaments as usual. It towered above everyone in the Main hall.
The brightly decorated presents lay opened underneath the tree and the
guests enjoyed a nice meal in the formal dining room. It wasn't all that
different. But yet it was.
For this year, Christmas at Potter Manor was a quiet affair, quite unlike
the previous years, where it had been loud and filled with rambunctious
cheer.
Only five five of the Weasley's were present, and as a result the noisy
chaos was cut in more than one half. The eldest Weasley's had not been
available at the time, to the disappointment of their parents. The
youngest, Ginerva Weasley, had claimed a stomach-ache and stayed
home with her brother, Percy.
The Longbottoms were not present as well, although no one knew the
reason why Augusta and her grandson were absent. Alexander claimed
that Neville had murdered Augusta, which stirred up a round of laughter.
Sirius Black was absent from the gathering as well, but no one dwelled
too much on his absence. Molly Weasley said rather blunty, "I hope the
bastard is rotting away in that dingy Azkaban cell."
In fact, the only people oblivious to the tense, and changed atmosphere
were James and Alexander Potter. Even Lily Potter was more subdued
than usual, the light in her bright green eyes had dulled.
She had excused herself halfway through the dinner, throwing down her
fork and knife in a hurried fashion as she dashed up into her bedroom.
She locked the door and also cast a more complicated locking spell. Her
eyes swept across the room, and she leaned against the door for support,
eventually her small body shaking with silent sobs as she slid down the
door.
Lily ran a hand through her red hair and wondered what had gone so
wrong. She had found out her son had died a whole eight years ago, just
a couple months ago. Her former headmaster had hid the death of her
baby from her. For eight years. She felt a white-hot rage pulse through
her at the thought. As she thought of young Harry, her mind wandered to
the promise the Headmaster had made her years ago.
"Don't worry. I'll keep your secret. As long as you keep my sons safe." Lily
Potter said, glancing back at Dumbledore.
Dumbledore swallowed, before speaking solemnly, "I promise."
She bit her lip hard. Did he make that promise, already knowing it was
broken? Did he promise her something he knew he couldn't keep? As
much as Lily refused to think so, a small part of her mind kept pestering
her. Maybe he isn't the man you thought he was.
Lily hated how her world was torn apart, and she was the only one who
thought so. No one else understood how her life was crumbling down.
She had lost a son, and she couldn't even grieve.
To others, he was a faint blurry face in the back of their minds. They
didn't even know who he was. But to her….his face, the heartbreaking
expression on his face when she had last seen him, it was burnt into her
memory with a hot-iron.
She had thought James would understand. James would help her get past
his death. James would look for his body. James would look for the cause
of his death. James would help her find some closure.
But he didn't. He merely told her to try to forget, since it was in the past
and she could do nothing about it. He told her to keep Alexander in
mind, keep him happy at all times. Lily was appalled at his attitude,
although she did not say a word. It was as if he didn't care. He acted as if
it was a stranger's death. He acted as if Harry was never his son.
She knew there was some truth to that. James had always been childish,
and when it came to picking favorites, Alexander had always been his.
Alexander was an exact replica of James, only with reddish-brown hair
instead of messy black. It was only natural he would be closer to
Alexander. But when he completely ignored the death of their first child,
Lily knew he had changed. Or rather he hadn't changed. He was still the
immature teenager from Hogwarts.
She had seen the carelessness and ignorance once again when Sirius was
taken to Azkaban. Lily had cried for their fellow friend. She truly
believed he had nothing to do with the attack on muggles. She knew
Sirius. He wasn't cruel.
But clearly, no one else saw past the headlines and gossip. Even James
had turned against his friend since age eleven, based on a stupid article
that was slapped onto the front page of the Prophet. He had thrown away
all those years of friendship, without any explanations or reasoning.
James believed everything he heard from Headmaster Dumbledore.
Everyone in the Order did.
But it was that certain fact that made Lily distrust the Headmaster even
more. It was that blind faith that made her question: 'What were they
really fighting for?' and 'Was it even worth it anymore?'
In a time of war, many question their values. What do they believe in?
Who do they trust? Can they trust anyone? What are they fighting for? Is
it worth hundreds of deaths? Is victory even worth it anymore?
Lily asked herself all of those questions on that cold christmas night. And
to her shock, she realized she didn't know how to answer a single one.
Malfoy Manor: Formal Ballroom [Christmas Night]
"Where have you been all night?" Narcissa demanded, as soon as Hadrian
re-entered the now deserted ballroom.
He frowned and ran a hand through his dark hair nervously, "I-I-"
Narcissa shook her head, cutting him off. "Nevermind that. Come on,
Bellatrix has been worried sick. You can tell her why you missed most of
the ball."
Hadrian grumbled under his breath, but let Narcissa drag him to the
sitting room. He saw several house elves busy cleaning any spilt drinks
and packing up all the decorations. He felt slightly guilty that he had left
Daphne alone for the entire night. He had also left Draco to follow
through with his "host" duties by himself. Almost instinctively, he
wrapped a hand around his wand. Just in case.
Hadrian pulled open the door for Narcissa to walk through, and she
stopped to give him a skeptical look. "Don't think that acting like a
gentleman now will get you out of trouble."
Hadrian smirked, "Will it help though?"
Narcissa pursed her lips and replied curtly, "Possibly."
Hadrian entered the room after her and noticed everyone was there. Save
for his father. Every year, Lord Voldemort made an excuse, or found
somewhere "more important" to be during the day. His father detested
the holiday, and Hadrian had an inkling of suspicion as to why. But
everyone else was present. Even Bellatrix.
She had tamed her wild hair for the night, and it hung stick straight
down her back. Her skin-tight dress looked like liquid obsidian and silver,
matching her dark eyes. Narcissa stood out in her dark blue dress, but
Hadrian thought she looked very nice as well.
"You lovely ladies look so beautiful this fine even-"
"Save it." Narcissa snapped, settling herself down between Bellatrix and
Destiny. "I know what you did."
Hadrian panicked for a minute, but made sure to look unaffected. He
raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"
Narcissa nodded and turned her icy glare onto Lucius. "How could you."
Lucius did a very nice job of acting surprised. "Me?"
Narcissa narrowed her eyes, "Yes you. All of you, Hadrian, and Draco."
Draco bit his lip, "I didn't do it!" He protested before Narcissa could
continue.
"What didn't they do?" Destiny piped up, sitting up straight in her seat.
"These boys did not go to their etiquette lesson this morning." Narcissa
stated as a matter-of-factly.
"Lies!" Draco shouted.
"What are you talking about?" Lucius asked at the same time, feigning
innocence. Hadrian rolled his eyes. The mischievous spark in Lucius' eyes
gave him away.
Narcissa saw it too. "Thats it!" She declared loudly, "I'm giving each of
you a different punishment. Draco: No quidditch for two weeks."
Her death glare silenced Draco's feeble protests.
"Hadrian: No hexing death eaters, and no going muggle hunting with
Bella. For two weeks"
This time there were two protests. One from Hadrian and Bellatrix.
"You can punish him, but why punish both of us? You can't take him
away from our muggle hunts Cissy! We just found a great spot a little bit
west of London!" Bellatrix objected.
The ice queen would not be budged, "And you, Lucius. You will become
great acquaintances with that couch outside our bedroom. It shouldn't be
hard, you'll have all week."
"That's not fair!" Lucius complained, very uncharacteristically. Draco
nodded in agreement.
"Why do Hadrian and I have two weeks of punishment, where father only
has one? And we all know you will cave and cut father's 'punishment' as
soon as you start missing him." He pointed out smartly.
Narcissa shrugged daintily. "Fine. Lucius, your punishment is two weeks
as well."
Lucius slapped Draco upside the head. "Now look what you've done!"
"Can we open presents?" Destiny called out, wanting to avoid a fight
breaking out between Lucius and Draco.
Narcissa beamed, "I think that is a wonderful idea, dear. Accio, Destiny's
presents."
A couple wrapped presents flew to her side and Destiny picked up the
box wrapped in green with black ribbons. "Thanks." She turned over the
box and read aloud, "This one is from…." Her voice turned hard,
"Hadrian."
Hadrian bristled at her cold tone, but bit his tongue and said nothing. She
delicately pulled at each black ribbon and yanked off the wrapping paper
so slowly, he wanted to just rip it off for her.
Unknowingly, she held her breath and opened the box. Her eyes fell with
disappointment, and Hadrian saw a flicker of exasperation flash across
her face.
"Well, what is it?" Bellatrix pried.
"It's a crystal ball. Funny." Destiny said flatly, unimpressed. "Thank you so
much." She hissed sarcastically at Hadrian.
He gave her a taunting smile in return.
Lucius noticed the obvious tension in the room, and so he began to
distribute the rest of the gifts. Hadrian thanked him for the distraction. In
a matter of minutes the floor was littered with wrappers and various
ribbons. He counted exactly ten presents.
Narcissa and Lucius had given him a new cloak with matching expensive
leather gloves. Narcissa explained they had several heating charms, dirt-
proof charms, and also growing charms so he would never grow out of
them. From Draco he had gotten a whole new broom care set. Destiny
had given him two rare, ancient looking books about the dark arts, along
with a whole bag of candy from Honeydukes. Bellatrix had given him a
whole new set of daggers, with shining blades and engraved onyx hilts.
Daphne had gotten him a book on dark hexes and two brand new quills.
One was a eagle feather quill, and the other was a mysterious looking
sleek, black quill with a sharp point. His lips quirked up into a smile. He
knew exactly what it was. How she had gotten it was another story.
Blaise sent him an entire quidditch balls set which had the quaffle,
bludgers, and the shiny snitch. Hermione had sent him a sleek, expensive
looking black and silver watch and also a black leather wand holster.
Neville had sent him a box of candy and a new silver cauldron. Even
Snape had sent him a vial of felix felicis along with a detention slip.
Which Hadrian promptly lit on fire.
By the time he had opened all his presents, everyone else had finished.
Draco was eagerly tossing around the pocket snitch he had gotten from
Neville. Destiny was munching on one of the chocolate frogs she had
gotten from Hermione. There was soft music in the air and the room
itself was alit with a cozy glow. Everyone was smiling and laughing.
Suddenly his eyes landed on another long box underneath the pile of
wrappers, addressed to him. Curiously, he ripped open the emerald green
packaging and pulled off the top of the box. His eyes widened as he saw
the sleek black and silver broom that rested inside. He eagerly pulled it
out and ran his hand over the handle. Nimbus 2001.
Hadrian's jaw dropped open. Nimbus 2001? They weren't even released
yet! If he didn't know who it was from before, he definitely did when he
noticed the small note at the very bottom of the box. He furrowed his
brows and picked up the note. There in familiar and elegant handwriting
was a simple, 'Merry Christmas'
His father had gotten him the latest broom stick model, even though it
wasn't in stores yet. He didn't know how Lord Voldemort had pulled that
off, but he wasn't complaining. He was slightly suspicious. This was the
first major gift he had been given from his Father, if you didn't count the
wand he received when he was around three.
He grinned and swept his eyes across the room. Lucius and Narcissa were
dancing slowly to the music, and Hadrian was sure he heard Lucius
whining. He shook his head unbelievingly. It wasn't everyday you saw
the powerful head of a pureblood family whine at his wife.
Bellatrix was staring out the window with a faraway expression and a
soft smile on her face. Hadrian concluded she was either missing
Rodolphus….or thinking about hunting muggles.
Even Draco and Destiny were getting along without fighting every
minute. They were sitting on the couch, playing a game of wizarding
chess. Scratch that. Hadrian thought as he saw Destiny angrily whip out
her wand and hex Draco.
His smile grew as he finally realized he wasn't alone. He finally had a
family. They weren't related by blood, but nothing could keep them apart
from each other. He had a father, however terrifying and cruel he may
be. He had Bellatrix as his mother figure, and even though she was half
insane, he still loved her. He had Destiny as a sister. No matter how
much they hated each other right now, he would still do anything for her
in a heartbeat. He even had Narcissa and Lucius as Aunts and Uncles.
Bloody hell, Great-Great-Great Aunt Gaunt could even be considered a
grandmother. He had a full family and the best friends. What more could
he ever ask for?
18. Mission Impossible (Part I)
He never understood the severity of the situation. Everything was always a
game to him. It never really occurred to him, that he could lose his life. He
could bloody die. And yet…He didn't seem to care. He had never been afraid
of death. It was pure logic, honestly. Why be afraid of something you know
nothing about?
3 hours earlier…..
Slytherin Dormitory [March 31: 8pm]
The Slytherin Dormitory was as freezing as always. Although on this
particular evening, the chilly atmosphere could be due to the thick
tension that filled the dungeons. In the den of snakes, it was not
uncommon to see several hateful glares and frosty tendencies. But this
evening it was different, rather unusual.
Usually the source of this icy ambiance would be impossible to find, for it
was caused by several volatile personalities crashing and colliding with
each other ferociously. But tonight was an interesting night. For tonight
the origin of the silent hostility in the daunting chamber could be traced
to one solitary party, Hadrian Riddle.
And yet, despite all the hushed whispers and irate glares, Hadrian Riddle
seemed completely unaware of the palpable stiffness and strictness
between the students. He sat calmly on the tall backed, dark throne chair
in the Common Room. It could be considered as a piece of art to admire
with its sophisticated silvery carvings and luxurious plush. But physically
sitting on it was a different story. Most students avoided this particular
seat, sometimes because the chair itself looked to have an uncomfortable
rigidity. In reality, the seat was forbidden, mainly because of the
individual that frequently sat there.
Hadrian steadily flipped through the thick volume resting on his lap, only
glancing up to smile when a pretty blonde girl perched herself on the arm
of his chair. They exchanged a few words (which the rest of the common
room strained to hear) before Hadrian returned to reading his book, and
the girl settled back and began to read the Daily Prophet.
In fact, the two boys playing a game of Wizarding chess on the opposite
couch also looked to be quite oblivious of the coldness. The four were in
their own little world, laughing and murmuring with each other quietly.
Neville Longbottom grinned as his queen destroyed Draco Malfoy's
knight.
"Check." He chuckled, "Again."
Draco groaned, and it was heard throughout the large mute dungeon. "I
give up," He peered down at the board, "Besides, I think that's
checkmate."
Daphne Greengrass peeked up from her magazine and shot the pair a wry
glance. Her eyes traveled down to Hadrian's book before looking up to
survey the rest of the oddly quiet room.
This appeared to snap the spectating Slytherins out of their scandalized
reverie. A tall, stocky looking sixth year shook his head and marched
forward, his expression intent on telling-off the first years. It may or may
not involve some hexes.
Daphne's eyes narrowed as she took in his nearing approach. He stood in
front of Hadrian, impatiently tapping his foot. Hadrian showed no signs
of acknowledging his demanding presence. Instead, Daphne coolly raised
an eyebrow, waiting for him to speak.
The elder student looked affronted at her uncaring mannerisms, causing
his face to turn almost the infamous shade of Weasley red. He jerkily
tugged at his green and silver tie, prior to clearing his throat at a
distastefully loud volume. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing
came out. Daphne stifled a snicker.
Without even glancing up from his heavy book, Hadrian spoke evenly, "Is
something the matter, Benjamin?"
The sixth year spluttered helplessly and shot Hadrian a vicious death
glare. His face clearly conveyed he had much more to say, but alas he
couldn't speak. With a hasty flick of his wand, the silencing spell
dropped, and the sixth year turned to glower at Hadrian. He shoved his
wand in his pocket and huffed angrily.
"That's Evan's chair." He stated clearly. His eyebrows and his shoulders
rose to accentuate his point. "Evan Dadelier! Head Boy?"
Hadrian didn't respond, simply flipping his page in an uninterested
fashion.
"You can't sit here!" The sixth year stressed, and looked towards Hadrian
expectantly. Hadrian rolled his eyes.
"You speak as if you're expecting me to actually move." Hadrian
murmured, although it was heard clearly by everyone in the silent room.
Several eyes popped at the shocking attitude the first year was showing.
Usually the first years whimpered and stayed out of everyone else's way
in the Common Room.
The sixth year, Benjamin, frowned and discreetly reached for the wand
hidden in his robe pocket. He plastered a false expression of appeasement
on his face. "Of course, Hadrian. You're right." He added, slowly grasping
the smooth wood.
And before he had even uttered a spell, the boy's wand was carried away,
flicking into the open hand of one Hadrian Riddle. Hadrian sneered at the
boy's troubled features. "Did you really think it would be that easy?"
He carefully set down his book with a soft thud. Everyone flinched
noticeably at the small sound. Hadrian straightened up in the hard chair
and shot the sixth year a taunting look.
"Well?" He questioned, the corner of his lips twisting up into a snarl,
"Anything else to say?"
"Give me back my wand!" The sixth year commanded angrily. "I'll-"
"You'll what?" Hadrian interrupted, "You'll tell Snape? Because we all
know whose side he'd take."
"I said, give it back!" Benjamin demanded, violently waving his hands
around.
Hadrian shrugged nonchalantly, "Fine." And with a flick of his hand, the
sixth year and his wand were thrown back with immense force. A loud
thud was heard as they slammed into the hard wall of stone.
"I suggest you give up your pointless pursuit of embarrassing the first
years, now." Hadrian said calmly, his voice almost echoing off the walls.
The elder year gritted his teeth and stood up from his crumpled position.
"Fine. But if Dadlier sees you in his seat, don't come running to me."
Draco scoffed from his spot on the couch. "As if. Evan respects Hadrian
more than he respects you."
Benjamin glared at Draco, "What's that supposed to mean?" His
expression turned almost gleeful as he caught sight of someone
approaching them. "Dadlier!"
"Morrison. What is it you want now?" The current Head Boy asked,
staring down at the sniveling sixth year with aversion.
"This firstie is sitting in your seat, Dadlier." Benjamin revealed proudly.
He gave the first years an "I told you so" look.
The head boy cocked his head to the side, "I can see. And?"
"Well, they're in your seat. Remember, you don't let anyone else sit in it?"
He pressed.
"Morrisson, handle your own affairs. Leave the discipline up to me. If Mr.
Riddle wants to sit in my chair, I'll allow it." He drawled, flicking his
hand in a dismissive manner. He ignored the stunned looks of the
spectators and scowled, "All of you go to your rooms. Now."
After hearing the dark threatening tone, the rest of the occupants
scattered with a trail of hushed whispers. Leaving the four first years
sitting alone in the common room. Hadrian smirked.
Dadlier grinned, stretching the scar that ran from his upper cheek to his
hard jaw-line, "That went better than I thought."
Hadrian nodded in agreement, but offered no further acknowledgement
to his statement.
"So?" Dadlier asked, raising an eyebrow, "Now that I've met your
conditions, when are you going to hold up your end of the deal?"
Hadrian squared his shoulders and stood up from his spot on the chair.
Hurriedly, the others followed his example and stood up as well. Hadrian
took his time smoothing down his robes and hair, all the while being
fully aware of Dadlier's anxiety.
Finally, he turned back to the expectant Head Boy. "Not so fast." He
continued, ignoring the impatient look on the Head Boy's face, "If you
can keep our curious housemates in their dorms till sunrise, then you'll
have an invite to the initiation at the Manor over the summer." He listed
his terms with an air of superiority.
"Done." Dadlier agreed without hesitation, "No one will bother you. I'll
make sure of it."
Hadrian passed by the tall Head Boy with an air of superiority. He
reached the exit to the common room and stopped abruptly, turning
around to narrow his eyes at Dadlier. "If anything does not go according
to plan, it'll be your head. Understand?"
Evan Dadlier nodded numbly, for he was too nervous to speak. Suddenly,
there was a resounding pounding noise on the Slytherin Dormitory
entrance. The head boy looked towards the wall apprehensively.
"Are you expecting anyone?" He asked uneasily.
Hadrian shook his head slowly, "No. It isn't a Slytherin. A Slytherin would
know the password." He paused for a second, "Open it."
Dadlier looked hesitant, but shook his head and walked towards the wall
that hid the entrance. He whispered the password under his breath,
"Pureblood."
The stone wall slid aside smoothly, and revealed none other than Destiny
Lestrange.
"Who are you?" The Head Boy demanded, sneering down at her
Gryffindor robes. "Get out of here, Gryff. 50 points from Gryffindor for
being out after curfew." He tapped his chin while he pretending to be
deep in thought, "Oh, and another 50 points off for daring to come to our
dungeons."
"Let her in, Dadlier. She's with us." Draco called out casually, leaning
against the mahogany table.
Destiny gracefully waltzed past him, ignoring his surprised sputtering. He
glanced up and frowned, "No other house has even stepped a foot in our
dungeons for the past fifty years!"
"Well then, we'll keep this a secret, won't we?" Hadrian coolly replied,
giving the Head Boy a threatening look.
The Head Boy paled and looked down at Destiny. "Sorry. I'll add the
points back."
Destiny held up a hand and gave him a polite smile. "It's fine. I'd like to
give those hateful roommates of mine a nice surprise tomorrow morning."
But her smile faded as soon as she caught sight of Hadrian's exasperated
gaze.
"Destiny, this isn't part of the plan." He pointed out the obvious.
"Excuse me, but what exactly is the plan?" Dadlier spoke up, glancing at
the group of first years.
"Stay out of it. Now leave, we have business to attend to." Hadrian
barked.
The grumbling seventh year slowly retreated to the passage that led to
the rooms. They waited till the scuffling of his feet was inaudible and
then all eyes turned to Destiny. Her impassive façade dropped and was
replaced with an expression of distress.
"So?" Hadrian provoked, folding his arms rigidly. "What made you finally
grace us with your oh-so-wonderful presence?"
Destiny bit her lip hard and fidgeted uncomfortably. Usually she would
retort with something sarcastic and borderline discourteous, but she
simply stood there playing with her fingers nervously. Something was
wrong.
"What's going on?" Daphne asked cautiously. Her sharp blue eyes noticed
Destiny's softly shaking shoulders, and she left Hadrian's side to drape an
arm around Destiny soothingly.
"How could this happen!" She blurted, running her hands through her
hair. She violently pushed away Daphne's arm. "Everything is my fault!"
Hadrian tensed immeasurably. Ever since their fight over the Christmas
holidays, things had been frosty between the two siblings. He got the
feeling that something extremely bad was about to happen. "Destiny,
calm down and sit. Tell us what happened." He mollified. "Is everything
alright?"
Draco tugged at his collar, "Er, can you make this fast, because we were
about to go on an adventure!" He grinned widely.
Daphne glared at his tactlessness. "Shut up."
"We have a problem." Destiny finally whispered. They all stared at her,
waiting for her to continue. "Blaise is in the hospital wing."
Daphne gasped, "Why? What happened? He was fine just a couple hours
ago!"
Destiny's eyes darted around the empty, formidable common room. Her
fingers twitched with spasms and her overall appearance was slightly
disheveled.
Her next words seemed to fill up the entire silence in the room. "He's in a
magically induced coma. They don't know when, or even if, he'll wake
up."
Hadrian gripped his wand tightly and concealed his bewilderment,
"When did this happen?"
"We were coming back from the library and he just kind of collapsed."
Destiny explained slowly as she dug her foot into the ground.
Hadrian studied her for a minute. He raised an eyebrow with intrigue.
"You're hiding something." He looked at Destiny suspiciously, "The
question is, what is it?"
Destiny paled and limply sat herself down on the sofa next to Neville. He
was quietly observing the situation, and had yet to say a single word.
She muttered something incoherent under her breath.
"What was that?" Daphne asked curiously, glancing back and forth
between her and Hadrian.
"I said that I originally came to tell you the truth. And I'll go through
with it." She said louder, more determined.
Hadrian sat back on his armchair and leaned back unconcernedly, "Well
then. Let's hear it."
"It all started around November. I started to ge-"
"Wait a minute," Hadrian cut her off, "You mean to tell me you've kept
some dark secret from me since November?"
"Yes. Now hush!" Destiny snapped. "As I was saying, I got this dream
where I was alone in this empty chamber. It was dark and very
frightening. Then I heard a voice, which startled me to death. The voice
demanded I find an item that grants great power and wisdom and bring
it. The voice basically blackmailed me into doing it."
"When you say 'blackmail', what exactly do you mean?" Draco asked
quietly.
"The voice said 'I will give you five months time to find what I need, and
deliver it to me. But beware; at each month's passing, I shall destroy
something dear to you, unless you bring me what I require." Destiny
recited, her face growing more worrisome by the second.
"But dreams can't actually affect the real world." Neville finally voiced his
thoughts. He noticed everyone else's stoic expressions. "Can they?" He
asked fearfully.
"I broke my star charm in the dream. When I woke up, there was no star
charm on my bracelet. My hands also might have gotten burnt during the
dream because I woke up with vicious burns all over my hands." Destiny
insisted. Her voice lowered, "But I was the only one that could see them."
Hadrian nodded thoughtfully, "Is that why you showed me your hands in
the library and screamed when I touched them?"
She nodded and cleared her throat before continuing. "That was the first
month. I think it was a warning to prove how the voice can truly affect
me. The second month, I tried to block the dreams."
"Which is why you took too much of the dreamless sleep potion." Hadrian
interrupted. "Why didn't you tell me? I could've helped you!"
She smiled sadly, "How could you have helped me? You couldn't even see
what it was doing to me."
"What was the second thing?" Draco questioned.
Destiny shuddered, "Since I tried to block the dreams, the next thing he
took away was all the good dreams I had and left me with nightmares."
Her voice cracked, "Every night."
"Destiny, you should've told us. We could've at least tried to help you in
some way." Neville sighed sympathetically. Hadrian nodded in
agreement.
She shook her head. "The third thing he took away was my wand."
Daphne shook her head slowly. "That doesn't make sense. You said your
wand snapped while you were digging through your trunk." Suddenly, it
dawned on her. "You mean he caused that too?"
"So now you're extremely panicked, scared, and not to mention
powerless. How much worse could this get?" Draco muttered.
"It gets worse." Destiny assured him grimly. "This is month four. I'm sure
that it was he that put Blaise in the hospital wing."
"But how does that even work? How can he control Blaise too?" Neville
wondered out loud.
"I'm not sure. I know it's dark magic though." Destiny murmured.
"It's definitely the dark arts." Hadrian concluded assuredly.
Neville raised an eyebrow suspiciously, "How do you know?"
"There is no light magic that is this malicious." Hadrian pointed out.
Neville seemed to accept his explanation, but there was still some doubt
in his eyes.
"December, January, February, March- isn't tomorrow the fifth month?"
Daphne asked, a feeling of trepidation coming over her. "What's the fifth
thing he'll take away?" She asked dreadfully.
"I don't know but let's just say we need to find the Sorcerer's Stone. I'm
sure that's the item he is looking for." Destiny said firmly.
"Is that why you wanted us to look for it?" Draco asked. She nodded
again.
Hadrian looked up from the floor abruptly. He stood up quickly and
turned to look at Destiny. "Then we need to leave. Now. We're already
late."
After a sluggish moment, they all hastened to stand up and follow
Hadrian towards the door. He double-checked to make sure everyone had
his or her wands. Once he was sure, he turned back to the entrance. He
whispered the password and waited for the wall to open, but nothing
happened. Frowning, he whispered it once more. It didn't move in the
slightest.
"What's going on?" Draco mumbled. "Is it blocked from the other side or
something?"
"Maybe it's a different password." Daphne suggested.
"It can't be, the Head Boy just let me in!" Destiny argued.
"Wrong and wrong. It's actually sealed shut." Neville spoke offhandedly,
leaning against the wall.
"How do you know?" Destiny asked.
Neville smirked. "Because I'm the one who did it."
"Bloody hell Neville. Not now! We're kind of on an adventure!" Draco
whined.
Neville ignored him and preceded to twirl his wand in his hand, "You
know, I actually thought you were decently nice people." He paused, and
his features turned dark, "That is, until I figured out that you all were
Junior Death Eaters."
Draco paled. "What are you talking about?" He asked, in an unnaturally
high-pitched voice.
"Did you really think I wouldn't find out?" Neville hissed, pushing his
wand into Draco's chest. "Did you really think I was that naïve?"
He paused and looked to be deep in thought, "Though I suppose without
your influence I probably would be a naïve, nervous, lumbering boy in
Hufflepuf right now. So for that, I guess I'd have to thank you."
Hadrian sighed and glanced at the wall distractedly. He rubbed his
temples, "Don't tempt me, Neville."
"You even invited me to Malfoy Manor. After snooping through a couple
places here and there, I had a good amount of evidence. Of course, I
already had suspicions. But they were only confirmed after I saw a figure
grab you from the ball and apparate away." Neville continued on, "I
waited till you came back. And guess who accompanied you? None other
than Bartemius Crouch. Alleged Death Eater, Azkaban's most charming
jail-breaker-"
Hadrian scoffed, "I'll tell him you said that. He'll be greatly pleased."
Neville pointed his finger accusingly, "See! You aren't even denying it!"
Hadrian shrugged. "Why bother? You should know."
"I-What?" Neville faltered. "You were going to tell me?"
"Eventually, yes. None of us really wanted for you to find out this way."
Hadrian explained disinterestedly.
"No." Neville mumbled, "No, you're lying to me again! Stop it! I had to
figure this secret out by myself and I'm sick of being kept in the dark!"
"We aren't lying, Neville." Daphne reassured him. "But certain things we
had to keep from you till you were ready to find out. We were afraid you
would've reacted… " She paused and fidgeted, "…well, like this."
"When were you planning to tell me? When I'm standing on the side of
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as he takes over the world?" Neville glared
at the others angrily. "Ten years later, were you going to tell me I've been
fighting for the dark side all along?"
"It's rather touching that you envision yourself fighting alongside us in
ten years, but we're on a tight schedule." Hadrian commented
indifferently. "We aren't going to force you into anything. But we've made
our choices and we stand by them. What else have we got to hide?"
Neville tapped his foot on the stone floor. "Fine." He said brusquely, "Who
is your father? To everyone else's knowledge you're an orphan. But I
know you're hiding something. Who is it?"
Hadrian hesitated. If he told Neville, his father would probably murder
him. And then his father would find a way to resurrect him, but only to
Avada him again, this time for stealing the stone without his consent. In
one split second his mind was made up.
"You know, if you're so smart then you probably should've guessed my
parentage by now." Hadrian smirked.
Neville jeered, "Oh, because you've been so obvious about it. It took me
an entire year to piece together one small secret. "Who is it? You-Know-
Who himself?" Neville asked sarcastically.
Suddenly, the common room was deathly silent once again. The only
sound came from the flickering green fire and the distant sounds of the
Black Lake's waters lapping against the castle walls.
Neville stared at Hadrian, dumfounded. His mouth dropped open. "You're
kidding."
His voice wavered, "No way in hell."
"Not only have I been on the Dark Side this entire time, but I've been
friends with the Dark Lord's son!" He cried horrifically. "I can't believe
this! What would my parents say?"
Hadrian finally snapped. "That's it. I've had enough of your dramatics."
He marched over to Neville and wandlessly put him in a full body bind.
Hadrian grabbed his wand and like a brick, Neville crashed to the
ground. "There, now shut up and let me speak. You will lay there and
listen to me very carefully because I will say this once, and once only,
understand?"
Daphne poked Hadrian's arm. He grinned sheepishly, "Sorry. Blink once
for yes."
Neville kept his eyes wide open, and stared at the ceiling unwaveringly.
"I can easily make this painful, so I suggest you cooperate."
Reluctantly, Neville blinked once.
"I may be Voldemort's heir. I will become the next Dark Lord. And I will
do anything to make sure my dreams become a reality. But the person
you were friends with this entire year, he was real. That was who I was,
who I am, down to the very core. Nothing about it was fabricated. I
considered you a real friend, no matter what side you're on. Do you know
how much I was punished for becoming friends with a Longbottom? You
are the lightest family after the Potters, and the Weasleys." Hadrian spat.
"But Light or Dark, it didn't matter to me because you were someone I
truly wanted to be acquainted with. I guess you can't do the same. I
understand that there's a clear line dictating who you can, and can't be
friends with." Hadrian spoke in a harsh whisper, "What a shame. I
expected more out of you."
"Now we are going to leave to save Destiny and Blaise's life. If you have
any objections, please voice them now." Hadrian instructed. His lips
quirked up at Neville's silent figure. "Alright, no objections. Let's go."
Hadrian tore down the sealing spell easily, and stepped through the door.
Draco and Daphne followed, but Hadrian stopped Destiny. She looked up
at him confusedly.
"No. You don't have a wand, and you are really vulnerable right now.
Stay here and guard Neville." Hadrian commanded.
"B-But I want to come too!" Destiny complained childishly.
"Destiny, watch over him. We have to go." Hadrian said sternly as he
handed her Neville's wand. She sighed and nodded with a frown. As the
wall slid shut, Destiny turned back to Neville.
"I'm going to let you go, okay? But if I do you have to promise not to
run." She warned. Neville rolled his eyes but blinked once. Cautiously,
Destiny lowered the spell and watched wearily as Neville stretched his
limbs.
He stared at Destiny. "You know, I always thought you would tell me. But
after a couple months I realized you had no intention of doing so. That's
why I went looking for answers myself."
Destiny hummed distantly. "You know, snooping is very bad." She said
lightheartedly.
Neville chuckled wryly. "I hate secrets. Absolutely detest them. My nana
never tells me anything, actually no one really tells me anything. When I
met you guys, you were so open and so carefree. I didn't know you had
your own secrets till later."
"Everyone has secrets, Neville." Destiny smiled, "At least you're pretty
good at finding them out."
"You don't seem like a death eater." Neville commented randomly. "If I
didn't know your name, I never would've guessed Bellatrix Lestrange was
your mother."
Destiny stilled, "She's not my mother by blood, but I love her all the
same."
"But how can you love her, knowing what she did, and still does?" Neville
pressed.
"Love has a funny way of working. The other person's flaws are
nonexistent in your eyes." Destiny shot Neville a shy smile. Her shoulders
slumped as she added, "Its true she did some terrible things, but they
were actually justified."
Neville looked back at her challengingly. "Oh really? Name one thing
Bellatrix has done that was 'justified'".
Destiny beamed and mirrored his competitiveness, "Gladly. There once
was a woman my mother tortured and eventually killed-"
"Destiny, I'm not sure this is helping your argument." Neville smirked.
"Ssh, let me talk." Destiny chastised as she plopped onto the couch.
Neville followed her lead and faced her.
"So as I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted." Destiny glared at
Neville, "My mother once tortured and killed this woman. She took her
from her home and ripped her apart till her blood mixed in with the mud
on the ground. My mother knew that this woman often hurt her own
daughter. She knew the woman mistreated her, ridiculed her everyday."
A hard look came into her eyes and she swallowed loudly. "Even the girl's
father hated the little girl. She didn't even do anything wrong." Destiny's
voice cracked at the very end. She looked up at the elegant ceiling and
continued, "You see, said girl had a gift. Sometimes it would lead to good
things, and sometimes to bad. But her parents only punished her for the
bad, and never appreciated the good. When Bellatrix came to their home,
the father wanted to kill his own girl, instead of the Dark Side gaining
the advantage of her gift."
"That's terrible." Neville commented.
"When Bellatrix got rid of the girl's parents, she took the little girl with
her. Believe it or not, the little girl's parents were avid members of the
light side. " Destiny said.
"Where is the girl now? Is she still alive?" Neville asked.
Destiny grinned, "She's sitting right next to you."
"You? Bellatrix Lestrange saved you?" Neville exclaimed. "I didn't know
she was capable of that."
"Watch it, that's my mother you're talking about!" Destiny cautioned.
"Sorry. It's just hard to believe the same person who tortured my parents
is capable of doing something as selfless as that." Neville confessed.
"It's clear you recognized my name before, why didn't you hate me like
everyone else in Gryffindor? I think you were the only one with actual
cause to hate me." Destiny questioned.
"I took one look at you and convinced myself you were some different
Lestrange. You don't look anything alike, and you were far too kind.
When I finally accepted that you were actually her daughter, I didn't care
because you were nothing like her." Neville explained.
"We didn't want you to go mental when we told you. That's the only
reason why. " She blurted out. "Plus, Hadrian took a big risk telling you
right now. His father isn't exactly forgiving." She shuddered.
"You mean he isn't your father too? But I always thought him and
Bellatrix-because you kno-"
"That's disgusting Neville. They're like siblings. Gross." Destiny wrinkled
her nose.
"But you and Hadrian-"
"Wrong again. Siblings." Destiny chimed in. She made a gaging motion.
"Stop making me vomit."
He held up his hands in surrender and laughed, "Okay, I'll stop with the
assumptions." His tone suddenly grew serious. "I can't believe I'm here."
"What?"
"In the Slytherin Dungeons. I always assumed if I went to Hogwarts that
I'd end up in Gryffindor, like my parents." Neville clarified, upon seeing
Destiny's confused expression. "I can't believe I let myself be sorted in
here because I wanted to follow my friends of one hour. I don't even fit in
here."
Destiny raised an eyebrow, "Want to switch? My 'Welcome to Gryffindor'
present was a rat on my pillow. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not
exactly poster Gryffindor material."
Neville grinned, "Okay, you definitely have it worse."
"You may not realize it, but you actually do belong here." She hurried
forward, seeing him stiffen. "Let me explain, okay? The sorting hat
doesn't put you in a house unless you really belong there. It does consider
your wishes, but mostly your qualities."
"I'm not a dark wizard." Neville pointed out
"Not all Slytherins are dark wizards and not all dark wizards are
Slytherins." Destiny stated smoothly. "Don't you get it Neville?"
He stared at her blankly.
"There is no 'Light' or 'Dark'. We are in the middle of a war. Both sides
have done plenty of damage to the other. There's only power in this
world, and both sides are competing for it. Someday or another you have
to ask yourself; which side am I on? You are defined by your choices.
Choose wisely."
"But the Dark Side uses dark magic and-"
"Both sides have done their fair share of dark magic." Destiny cut in. "But
you only hear about the dark side in the Daily Prophet. "
"I've used dark magic before haven't I?" Neville asked, although it was
more of a statement.
"Yes," Destiny gave him a dry laugh. "I'm not sure if it will make you feel
better, but at least you cast it well. Dark magic suits you."
"No!" Neville spat, "Don't say that!"
"Dark Magic is basically immense amounts of power. If you can handle
dark magic, it means you can handle power. That is always a good
quality." Destiny described. "It isn't as bad as it sounds."
Neville dug his nails into the arm of the couch. "I need some time,
Destiny. I don't know what to think."
She grinned, "I'm not asking you to choose right now. Just remember to
choose well when you do pick a side."
They sat in silence for a while, simply watching the fire in the fireplace.
It flashed green and gave off a comforting amount of heat. Neville played
with his green and silver tie. He looked down at his Slytherin robes, then
back to the portrait of Salzaar Slytherin hanging above the fireplace.
"Destiny? Do you think Blaise will be okay?"
She didn't respond, so Neville turned to face her. He smiled when he
noticed she had fallen asleep on the couch. Just as he was about to turn
back around, he noticed her hands twitch and curl up into fists.
He poked her shoulder and she flinched, but didn't open her eyes.
"Destiny?" He called out again.
He put his hand on her forehead and yanked it back. She was burning up.
But she was fine a minute ago. What was going on? His panic turned to
fear when she began to shake, her entire body rocking with spasms. He
grabbed her shoulders, shaking them violently. It took him a second to
figure out what was going on."
"Destiny wake up! Get up! It's just a dream. He can't hurt you!" He
shouted. He grabbed his wand from her hands and cried, "Augmenti!"
A spurt of water splashed onto her face, and Destiny jumped awake in
shock. Her face assessed Neville's critically, "Are you okay?" She asked
worriedly.
"Am I okay?" Neville repeated incredulously. "Are you okay? You were
the one who was having a seizure!"
Destiny paled and her fingers tugged at her sleeves. "I just found out
what the fifth price is."
"But it's not April yet," Neville cast a quick tempus. "It's only 10pm on
March 31"
"The voice said it was some final warning." Destiny spoke frenziedly.
"Well, what was it? What is the final price?" Neville queried further.
"It's either my Seer abilities. Or Hadrian's life."
A/N: I made a Dark Prince Fashion page thing (includes style and
the Malfoy Christmas Ball) if anyone wants to check it out, the link
is on my bio and I'll also post it here. dark_prince_fashion/
collection?id=3530300
19. Mission Impossible (Part II)
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Hogwarts: Third Corridor [March 31- 10:00pm]
It didn't take long for the three Slytherins to find Hermione Granger as
she was sneaking out of the library. Although she technically refused to be
a part of this "robbery", the temptation of adventure was irresistible. One
hasty whispered explanation had her clever mind already formulating a
plan and her bushy locks began to crackle with excitement.
"I think we shou-"
"Sssh." Daphne hushed her by making a silencing motion. "Do you hear
that?"
"Er. No?"
"Listen." She simply responded. The group craned their necks to hear the
soft sound coming from inside the room.
"It sounds like music." Draco frowned. His face turned ashen as he
quickly realized, "Someone's already here."
"Do we go inside?" Hermione asked, biting her lip nervously.
He scoffed, "Well, we didn't come here for nothing."
Hermione was about to retort, but Hadrian held up a hand warningly.
Instead, she settled for childishly sticking her tongue out. Draco rolled his
eyes at her immature antics.
Hadrian cautiously pushed open the door and stiffened as it made a loud
creaking noise. He tentatively stepped inside the darkened room, Daphne
following close behind.
Draco sneered at Hermione and held the door open, "Chickens first."
She shot him a sickeningly sweet smile, "Then by all means, go ahead."
He glared at her syrupy tone and mumbled something incoherently
before proceeding ahead. He hard tried to ignore her snickers.
Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind them, and Hermione jumped.
Daphne instinctively found Hadrian's hand in the dark and curled her
fingers around his. Hadrian squeezed her hand reassuringly and gently
pulled her along.
"It's a harp." Hermione stated the obvious, looking at the golden
instrument that seemed to shine in the corner. It appeared to be
enchanted because the chords were plucking themselves in a harmonic
rhythm.
"I told you!" Draco declared triumphantly, "Some has been here."
"Unless you two wish to awaken the Cerberus, I suggest you kindly keep
it quiet and be discreet." Hadrian drawled in a cold voice, eerily similar
to his father's.
"Now, Blaise said the trapdoor was under the paws…So that's right
about…Here." Hadrian muttered to himself. He and Draco carefully
pushed aside the giant paw covering the trapdoor. He pulled open the
door and was met with a dark pit.
"What now?" Daphne asked, glancing down at the hole with distrust.
Hadrian grinned and swung an arm around her shoulders.
"Now my dear, we jump." Hadrian said simply, grinning in the darkness.
"But we don't even know what's down there." Hermione pointed out
logically. "We could be jumping down into a valley of sharp rocks for all
we know."
Daphne nodded in agreement. "We can't just jump without knowing
what's down there."
Hadrian nodded and thought for a brief moment. "Daphne, give me one
of your earrings, please."
She raised an eyebrow dubiously, "Why?"
"We're going to see how far down the drop is, and what's at the bottom."
Hadrian explained patiently. Daphne shrugged, but took out one of her
dangly emerald earrings and handed it to him.
Hadrian cleared his throat and whispered a spell causing the earring to
glow brightly in the dark. As he tossed it down, he could see the clear
contrast of the earring against the black plants surrounding it.
He relaxed considerably, "They're just plants at the bottom. So we'll have
a soft landing."
Just as he was about to jump, Daphne grasped his arm. "Hadrian, are you
sure about this? There's no going back now."
He nodded and held out his hand, "Want to jump together?"
Daphne nodded quickly and accepted his hand. They stepped off the
stone floor and down into the blackness. They felt weightless for a
fleeting moment before tumbling onto a squishy ground. The plants were
slimy and Hadrian thought he felt one vine wrap slowly around his wrist.
He hurriedly raised himself into a sitting position and looked over at
Daphne.
"Are you okay?" He asked anxiously.
Daphne shook her head and let out a small laugh. "Are you kidding me?
That was the most exhilarating feeling I've ever experienced."
His lips quirked into a wry smile and he glanced up to the curious faces
of Draco and Hermione. "It's safe to jump." He announced.
Hermione looked down skeptically. Her face turned pale as she assessed
the small drop. She turned back to Draco. "I don't like heights. What if I
have panic attack?" Her face paled with uncertainty. "What if those black
vines don't cushion my landing? What if I die? Wait…Black vines?
Darkness? Merlin, no that's Devils-"
Her words were cut off as Draco promptly pushed her into the trap door.
Her panicked screams of fright soon followed all the way down. He rolled
his eyes at her dramatics and then laughed at her terror. Draco waited for
a couple minutes before jumping down himself. He happened to love
heights. His body fell deep into the plants and he turned his neck to find
his friends.
"Hello? Mates?" Draco called out. His fists clenched around the black
vines. To his utter surprise, he felt the black vines clench back around his
wrist, and alarms went off in his mind. The black vines twisted around
his entire body within a number of seconds. It was almost impossible to
move; yet Draco squirmed in his uneasy position.
"Stop moving, Draco." Hadrian called out from somewhere.
Draco struggled to respond because the vines at wrapped themselves
around his face. His screams became muffled, and the vines coiled
around his neck, squeezing and choking him.
"The more you struggle, the more they'll try to kill you." He heard
Hermione's bossy know-it-all voice call out. Draco sighed and willed
himself to stop moving, although it was very difficult to fight against his
instincts of self-preservation. The vines curled around him and he held
his breath as he became enveloped in the thick plant. He slid through the
plant effortlessly and landed on solid ground.
Draco gasped for fresh air and clawed at the imaginary plant around his
body. "What the bloody hell was that?" He asked desperately.
"That was Devil's Snare. You see, you would've known about it, if you
bothered to read our herbology textbook once in a while." Hermione said
in a matter-of-fact tone. "In fact, you should probably know the ways to
get out of Devil's Snare and how light effects it. It will help you on the
Herbology exam." She continued.
"Why didn't any of you cast a lighting spell?" Draco demanded, "I felt like
I was going to die! I'm claustrophobic!"
"No, you aren't." Hadrian said, looking amused. "Besides it was much
more entertaining to see you struggle."
"Bloody sadists. The lot of you! Even the mudblood." Draco grumbled
under his breath as he trudged forward.
Hermione bristled at the offending name, but her thoughts were focused
on something else. "Who would hide a Cerberus is a castle full of kids.
And as long as we're talking about it, why is there a patch of Devil's
Snare growing in here? Is the Headmaster insane?" Hermione ranted,
wringing her hands together.
"It's a series of traps to make sure no one makes it to the end, alive."
Daphne explained.
"So, sort of like an obstacle course of death?" Hermione asked.
"A what?"
Three pairs of eyes looked at her curiously. She shook her head in
resignation, "Never mind, it's a muggle thing."
"Just because we let you come along, doesn't mean you can corrupt us
with stupid Muggle ideas." Draco spat, irritation clearly written over his
face.
"Can you keep it quiet for one minute?" Daphne hissed, "Look up there."
The bickering pair glanced up and was met with awe. Thousands of tiny
keys flitted through the air, flapping around with minuscule wings. They
were several colors and not a single key was identical to another.
Hadrian glanced at the huge door in the corner of the room. He tried to
push it open and even magic it to swing open, but he was unsurprised
when the door stayed shut. It must've been charmed beforehand. As he
expected, there was a small keyhole on the side of the door.
"Hadrian, look there are brooms for us." Draco proclaimed excitedly,
handing him a broom. "I think we have to catch the right key."
"How are we even going to find which key works, we can't try all of
them." Daphne pointed out.
"We don't have time for that." Hadrian muttered as he cast a quick
tempus. 10:23
They were running out of time. "Let's just blast it down."
Hadrian whispered a curse, one of the darkest he knew, and watched as
the bright red light danced across the room towards the door. It drenched
the door in the red light, and within a second, the door crumbled to ash.
"Whoa." Draco's eyes widened. "I haven't seen that one before."
Hermione narrowed her eyes, "That was the Perditius curse."
Hadrian shrugged nonchalantly, trying to appear unaffected by her
accusation. Beneath his mask of indifference, he was shocked the bushy
haired muggleborn knew such dark curses. His suspicions intensified as
he wondered how she had learned of this particular curse.
He stepped through the cinders in the doorway and continued on,
ignoring Hermione's curious expression. Perhaps the girl had been
snooping around in the restricted section right underneath the eyes of her
beloved Madame Pince. It made sense since no one would suspect a
muggleborn girl to be familiar with the dark arts, let alone scour through
books upon books about them. He was fascinated with her strange
adoration for learning anything, and everything. Even if 'everything'
included the dark arts.
"I swear the charmed keys looked like something Flitwick would do."
Daphne said loudly, glancing back at the room filled with keys.
"That's it!" Hermione exclaimed, her chocolate brown eyes lighting up
excitedly. "It's the teacher's ideas!"
Daphne nodded in understanding, "I think you're right. It would explain
all the strange traps."
Draco looked between the two girls with an expression of bewilderment.
"Will someone please explain to me what the bloody hell you're talking
about? I don't speak 'girl'"
Hadrian rolled his eyes, "You don't have to be a girl to understand. You
just have to be clever."
Hermione cast him a simpering smile., "Let me explain this to you
slowly," She began, her voice taking up a sugary sweet tone as if she was
speaking to a two year old, "The teachers have set these traps. I think
that each teacher has set up their own obstacle."
Hadrian tapped his chin thoughtfully, "The three headed mutt was clearly
the overgrown half-breed's idea. Merlin knows why he was even
considered to contribute to this little operation."
"Hadrian, be nice. Hagrid is very kind to people." Hermione scolded,
ignoring the sour look on his face.
"I'm guessing the Devil's Snare was Professor Sprout's idea. And the
charmed keys were Flitwick's. " Daphne continued, completely
disregarding the little spat.
"Which means we've still got Severus, Quirrell, McGonagall, and our dear
old Headmaster to deal with." Draco cut in quickly, proving that he too
could be just as clever as the rest.
Hermione abruptly stopped walking. She cleared her throat and gestured
around the darkly lit chamber they had entered. "I believe this is the next
little complication. I suppose this was McGonagall's work."
Eyes widened and jaws dropped at the sight of the enormous chess set
that covered the entire floor of the room. It was pure black and white
marble, elegantly crafted. There was a certain daunting feeling in the
room and the torches flickered weakly on the walls. Life-size chess
figurines were already set up on both sides, save for a couple vacant
spaces.
"Little complication?" Daphne repeated in disbelief.
Draco glanced at the opposing chess pieces and took a step towards the
door at the back of the room. Instantly, the pawns at the front
interlocked their swords, and Draco was forced to step back. He gulped,
"I think we have to play our way across."
Hermione wrinkled her nose, "I'm not that good at chess."
Draco turned to Hadrian, "You're good at chess. Why don't you play?"
Hadrian stiffened as he swept his eyes across the board. "This isn't just
any game of chess. This is wizard chess." He paused, and waited as it
sunk in. "There are three blank spaces: One bishop, one rook, and one
knight. That means one of us has to sit out, while the rest of us play."
"We could blast it down then, like we did with the door." Draco
suggested.
Hadrian shook his head and his gaze turned steely, "That was the first
thing I thought of. But we can't."
Hermione raised an eyebrow, "Why not?"
"There are several tracking charms heavily laid upon this room, the
board, and the pieces. The moment someone interferes magically, it will
trigger defensive spells and notify someone that there is an intruder."
Hadrian explained.
"So we have to play no matter what." Draco mumbled. He sighed heavily
and clapped Hadrian on the back, "Let's get this over with then. Come
on."
Hadrian paused, "Actually, contrary to popular belief, I'm not the best at
chess."
"What?" Draco was flabbergasted, and his eyes enlarged comically.
"You're not?"
Hadrian turned his eyes towards Daphne, and his gaze softened. "But
Daphne is. She's the only person that has ever beat me."
Daphne pointed to herself skeptically, "Me? I've only played you a
handful of times, and you always go easy on me."
"No, I don't!" Hadrian insisted, "Every time I tell you that you won faire
and square, you never believe me."
Daphne looked at Hadrian wearily, "So all those times I played you, you
weren't intentionally letting me win?"
He nodded.
Daphne smirked, "In that case, you are absolutely dreadful at chess." She
turned to Draco and pointed to the empty rook spot. "Go."
Draco stood his ground and glared at her, "I don't respond to being
commanded around like some mutt."
Daphne shrugged, "Fine. Please go."
Draco was about to retort, but one threatening look from Hadrian had
him reluctantly trudging onto the board. Hadrian wordlessly followed
him, but instead went to go stand in the bishop spot. Daphne wondered
how he knew exactly where to go, even without any instructions from
her. She herself stepped onto the knight space and climbed atop the
horse.
"Be careful!" Hermione called out from the side.
Daphne surveyed the board, "White moves first." As the words left her
mouth, the white pawn moved up two spaces.
"Hey Daphne, you know what you're doing right?" Draco asked timidly,
loosing his collar nervously.
Daphne scowled, "Of course I do." She pointed to one of the black pawns,
"Move to D5."
And suddenly the game was on. The trio discovered very quickly that this
game was not something they could afford to lose. As each piece crashed
and crumbled to dust, the stakes got higher and higher. Under Daphne's
expert guidance, they invaded the enemy's lines quickly and efficiently.
Hadrian saw Daphne in a brand new domain. She was no longer the little
blonde girl that used to cry when he poked her ribs. She was calm, and
collected, even in the face of danger. He noticed the way her attacks
were devious and skillfully executed. The way her brows crinkled when
she was focusing hard on something particular. Her eyes lit up every time
she saw each opposing piece be crushed to bits. The way she manipulated
the pieces to move across the board, it was both graceful and cunning.
She handled everything flawlessly.
Finally it came down to only a couple pieces remaining on the board.
Daphne studied the Queen with a calculating gaze. She turned to
Hadrian, "She's targeting me." Her ice blue eyes analyzed the next
possible moves of the remaining figures and she gasped. "Hadrian, if I
sacrifice myself, you'll be free to checkmate the king."
Hadrian shook his head, "No." He stated firmly. "You are not going to
sacrifice yourself."
Daphne looked at him sadly, "It's the only way we'll win."
"Hadrian, she has to. We can't get to the stone if we lose." Draco tried to
convince Hadrian from the far corner of the board.
"I said, No." Hadrian hissed in a deadly tone. "No one is going to sacrifice
themselves for a stupid board game."
"Hadrian, we have to save Destiny. You're the only one who can do that.
You're Hadrian Riddle!" Daphne pleaded.
"And you're Daphne Greengrass." Hadrian countered. "It doesn't matter
who I am. I am not letting you sacrifice yourself for me. We are doing this
together." He glanced at Draco and Daphne. "Don't you get it? I can't go
on without you."
The room was filled with a heavy silence and Hadrian glanced at his feet
awkwardly. It was all true. He couldn't forward if he knew that Daphne
could possibly be injured, or even dead. He wouldn't leave his friends
alone to die. Sacrifice one, and then win the prize? It just wasn't his style.
Evidently, it wasn't Hermione's either.
There was a loud crashing noise, and for a fleeting second, Hadrian felt
as if Daphne had gone through with the plan anyways. His head snapped
up and noted with relief that Daphne was still atop her black steed. Draco
was still positioned by the corner of the board. Which meant…
Hadrian turned around so quickly that his neck almost snapped. There
stood Hermione, with an expression of shock plastered over her face. She
held something in her hands, and only when Hadrian glanced at her feet
did he understand what had happened.
The large stone spear was dangling dangerously from Hermione's grasp as
she faced the spot where the white King once stood. The chunks of white
marble lay around her and bits and pieces of the dust had blown into her
hair.
Hermione stood there, hands shaking miserably and her knees wobbling.
But her voice was hard when she spoke, "Apparently, McGonagall didn't
factor in the use of good ol' old fashioned muggle violence." She let out a
sarcastic little chuckle and dropped the stone spear she appeared to have
swiped from one of the fallen characters.
Daphne was the first to break out of her shock. She hesitantly climbed off
the horse and debated whether or not to step out of her box.
"The game is over." Hermione said, "The king has fallen."
Daphne nodded, but stepped out cautiously. She looked around the
board, waiting for a piece to move. When none stirred, Daphne let out a
relieved breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She made her way
towards Hermione and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Thank
you." She whispered. "I was going to sacrifice myself and you found a
different, albeit a bit more violent, but better way."
Hermione smiled weakly, "There's always another way."
Hadrian and Draco slowly made their way across the board and joined
the two girls. No one said anything as they sluggishly trudged forward,
flinching at the smallest of sounds.
Eventually Draco spoke up, "You didn't have to do that."
Hermione smiled, although it didn't quite reach her eyes. "When I
realized a couple minutes ago why you were looking for the stone, I
decided I would help you out. Destiny's my friend too." She stopped
Hadrian as he opened his mouth. "I know she's not okay, and whatever
you are doing is to make sure she gets better. I don't want to know what
has happened, because I have a feeling you wouldn't tell me anyways. I
just want to make sure she's alright."
Hadrian patted her back, "She'll be fine." He cast a tempus. 11:31. "If we
get there in time."
The group quickly slinked through the shadows and made their way
through the large wooden double doors. Instantly, the smell of rotting
flesh filled their nostrils and Daphne flinched against Hadrian.
"Did somebody die here?" Hermione whispered, her eyes watering at the
stench.
"Not someone." Draco responded shakily. He pointed to a large mass
slumped over the ground. "Something."
Hadrian squinted in the darkness and he could barely make out the shape
of a troll on the stone floor. He cleared his throat, "Someone's already
killed it. We aren't alone."
Draco laughed uneasily to ease the tension, "Thank Merlin, now we don't
have to kill another one of these monsters."
"Come on," Daphne finally spoke, tugging on Hadrian's arm. "There's no
use wasting time dwelling over such trifle matters."
Hadrian allowed himself to be pulled by Daphne, and together they
stepped around the dead troll and his sticky, runny blood. Hermione
looked slightly green, but she didn't say a single word.
They passed through the next set of doors, and Hadrian immediately
inhaled the fresh, but slightly stuffy air. His keen emerald eyes adjusted
to the dark room lit up by flickering torches. It was almost unbearably
hot and his eyes widened when he discovered why. The entire back of
the room was covered with strange black flames, and it was almost
impossible to make out what lay beyond. He examined the room for any
other exits, but found none. Purple flames obscured the entrance from
which they had come. They were trapped.
"Is this some dead end?" Daphne wondered out loud, voicing Hadrian's
thoughts. She started to walk towards the black fire, but Hadrian
automatically grabbed her wrist.
"You don't want to touch that." Hadrian warned. "Those are Nox flames.
Once you touch them, no amount of medicine will stop the unbearable
pain you'll feel for almost two days."
Hermione looked frightened, but she pointed to the table in the middle of
the room. There lay seven different bottles of potions, along with one
small piece of parchment. Hadrian had barely registered the presence of
the table during his observation of the room.
Draco picked up the parchment and skimmed it briefly, "It's a riddle." He
concluded.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Well aren't you a genius?" She snatched the
parchment from his hands. "This is obviously Snape's trap. Which would
make the troll Quirell's obstacle."
Daphne leaned over Hermione's shoulder to read the parchment.
"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,
One among us seven will let you move ahead,
Another will transport the drinker back instead,
Two among our number hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:
First, however slyly the poison tries to hide
You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onwards neither is your friend;
Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,
Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;
Fourth, the second left and the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight." She read
out loud.
"We have to pick the one that will let us move forward. If we chose
wrong, either we die from the poison, simply ingest some wine, or we are
transported back." Hadrian summarized.
Hermione studied the line of seven potions. Her eyebrows furrowed in
deep concentration and she bit her lip. She mentally classified each
potion, making sure not to leave any piece of information from the riddle
behind. After a few minutes, her face lit up, and she proudly held up a
small blue bottle. "It's this one."
Hadrian nodded and pointed to the smaller purple vial on the right edge.
"Which makes this one the potion that will take us back."
Draco grabbed the bottle from Hermione and shook it. He swirled the
contents inside. Then his expression fell. "There's not enough for all of
us."
Daphne considered the circumstances and spoke quietly, "I'll stay behind
with Hermione. Hadrian and Draco can split the potion."
She left no room for argument, and everyone nodded reluctantly. Hadrian
suddenly stilled and glanced towards the black flames.
"I don't know who is out there, and it might get rather nasty." He began.
He pulled out a quill from his pocket and placed it on the table. "This is a
portkey I swiped from the Manor. The activation word is home. As soon
as we drink the blue potion, I want both of you to leave using this."
Daphne began to protest, but Draco cut her off. "We can take care of
ourselves, don't worry. Hadrian just wants to make sure you are safe in
case the plan goes awry."
"Wait." Hadrian said, looking at the bottles that were lined up. "Switch
the order of the potions."
"Why?" Draco asked.
Hadrian replaced the wine with the small vial of poison. "Just in case."
He replied stiffly. "Draco and I will take the purple vial with us so we can
get back safely."
"We'll see you soon. It's now or never." Hermione said quietly.
Hadrian smoothly took the blue potion bottle and drank half of its
contents before quickly passing it to Draco. Draco took a quick swig as
well and grabbed the purple potion.
The last thing Hadrian heard was Daphne's worried, "Be safe."
His vision blurred and Hadrian felt himself pass through the black flames
and he stood unsteadily on the stone floor. He felt Draco materialize next
to him.
The room where they stood was a brightly lit chamber, with flaming
torches hanging on the walls. There were a small number of stone steps
that led to the center of the room. In the center stood a large, magnificent
mirror that was eerily familiar. In front of the mirror stood an average
sized figure clothed in black robes. Hadrian's eyes narrowed when he
recognized the man's reflection in the mirror.
"Quirell." Hadrian hissed in disgust. Simply speaking the name left a
bitter taste in his mouth. "It was you."
The figure turned around and smirked wickedly. "Yes, it was I. Although I
reckon you realized this far before this moment."
Hadrian folded his arms, "Yes, I figured it was you long before. After all,
no one would suspect poor, s-s-s-stuttering Quirell." He mocked. Hadrian
took a step closer to Quirell, grasping his wand behind his back. "What I
wish to know is why? Why did you torture Destiny? Why are you
deliberately going against my father's orders? Why?"
Quirell turned back towards the mirror, "I need the stone. This mirror
seems to be the Headmaster's final trick, but I can't seem to find a way
around it. I see myself using the stone, but that image clearly won't help
me find it."
Hadrian locked eyes with Draco and a silent understanding passed
through them. Hadrian stepped closer to the mirror and saw himself in
the reflection. His reflection smirked at him and conjured up the ruby red
stone. The reflection put a finger to his lips in a gesture of secrecy and
dropped the stone into his pocket.
Hadrian maintained an apathetic façade, whilst he inconspicuously felt
the pocket of his robes. To his pleasant surprise, he could feel the outline
of the smooth Sorcerer's stone in his pocket.
Quirell turned his fixated stare onto Hadrian. He gestured to the mirror.
"Well, what do you see?"
Hadrian detected the small movement behind Quirell's back. He was sure
the professor was holding his wand at the ready. He couldn't have the
professor pull out his wand until Draco was ready. One subtle glance
towards the blonde showed he was clearly unprepared. Hadrian cleared
his throat, "I see myself winning the House Cup for Slytherin."
He could see Quirell tightening the hold on his wand. Hadrian hurriedly
spoke, "I'll make you a deal."
The grip on Quirell's wand loosened and he looked at him curiously.
"What kind of deal?"
"You answer some of my questions, and I'll help you find it." Hadrian said
confidently.
"How do I know you won't steal it once its found?"
"I have more riches than I could ever spend. I don't need the Elixir of Life
because I still have my entire life ahead of me. All I need to do is find the
stone and stop Destiny's torture."
Quirell pursed his lips. "Fine. If you must know, I want the stone for my
own selfish purposes. I was going to use your sister to get it for me, but
she doesn't seem capable of anything without you. So I had to try harder
and use several Dark Magic spells to ensure that you would be forced to
help her."
"Is there a reason why my father asked for you to fetch the stone?" He
asked the one question that was intriguing him this entire year.
"I was the only Death Eater no one would suspect in this school. As to
why your father needs it, he gave me no information."
Hadrian nodded, deeming the information acceptable. He pulled out the
stone from his pocket, enjoying the way Quirell's jaw went slack. "Is this
what you're looking for?"
"Why you little- You've had it all along!" Quirell growled, lunging for the
stone.
Hadrian jumped back and shook his head, plastering a taunting smile
onto his face. "No, Quirell." He chastised, "You aren't going to get this
until you've answered all my questions."
"What is it, brat?" Quirell spat, his tainted by anger face turning more
and more red by the second.
"You had to realize my father would kill you when he found out you were
stealing the stone for your own selfish reasons. But yet, you still double-
crossed him. Why?"
"Don't you understand? Your father would've killed me, regardless of
whether or not I returned with the stone. But if I escaped with the stone,
I could at least hide myself somewhere where he would never find me."
Quirell revealed.
"Just like a little coward." Hadrian sneered. His expression turned
thoughtful. "But why are you telling me all of this. I'm clearly going to
tell my father you have the stone."
Quirell shrugged indifferently, "I know. But you have to be alive in order
to go inform your father." He whipped out his wand, and pointed it at
Hadrian. "Now, give me the stone, devil's spawn."
Hadrian raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "No."
"You're forcing me t-"
"Crucio." Hadrian snarled, pointing his own wand at the traitor Professor.
He held the spell and hissed through his teeth, "Now you listen to me.
Using an innocent 11-year-old girl to do your bidding is extremely
pathetic. No wonder father was going to kill you, you deserve it."
Quirell was twitching on the ground violently and shaking terribly.
Hadrian kicked the man in disgust and stopped the spell. Quirell
whimpered on the ground inaudibly. He feebly raised his wand, but
Hadrian simply plucked it from his hands.
"Draco, come along. We're going to leave this bastard to rot in here."
Hadrian said loudly, the fate of Quirell echoing in the chamber. He could
hear Quirell's moans of pain and he smiled wickedly.
He knew Quirell was coming after them as soon as they reached the top
of the steps. Hadrian made a big show of waving goodbye to Quirell
before approaching the wall of black flames. He gestured for Draco to
take the potion and made sure Quirell couldn't see them.
Quirell was reaching for Hadrian, and so he quickly took the potion and
stepped closer to the flames. As he disappeared, Quirell did exactly what
he had expected.
The rogue professor assumed the boys had disappeared through the fire,
so he followed. Instantly, he felt the burning agony of the black flames
once they touched his skin. He attempted to ignore the pain as he
stumbled towards the table, which held the potions. Through his pain, he
didn't notice there were only five bottles of potions on the table. He
plucked the potion on the far right; the one he believed would take him
back.
Unfortunately, as soon as his lips touched a drop of the fiery liquid, he
realized he'd been tricked. The poison forced itself down his throat, and
Quirell was paralyzed by the excruciating anguish from the combination
of the flames and the poison.
Little did he know the next few breaths would be his last.
Hogwarts Library [June 14]
Hadrian lounged comfortably with Daphne on the traditional black chaise
he had transfigured. She leaned her head against his shoulder as they
shared a copy of the Daily Prophet. Hadrian's lips twisted into a sardonic
smile as he saw the headline Body of Missing Hogwarts Professor Found.
Two months ago, the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was reported as missing. Aurors
investigated, but Professor Quirinus Quirell was nowhere to be found. The staff
and students conveyed no reports of strange activity in the castle. But as of
late last night, it has been revealed that the dead body of the Professor has
been found. The Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, divulged no information as
to where the body was found, or what the cause of death was. Sources say
that the body was-
The sound of a throat clearing distracted him from the article, but he
didn't bother glancing up. Daphne nudged his side and gestured to the
person in front of him. Finally, Hadrian shut the paper and looked up.
Neville Longbottom stood tall and proud, although Hadrian's sharp eyes
detected an underlying uneasiness in his behavior.
He raised an eyebrow in question, refusing to express any
acknowledgement till Neville spoke. Neville opened his mouth to say
something, but closed it and plopped himself down carefully in the chair
next to the wordlessly cast a silencing spell.
His hand twitched and he exhaled deeply, "Almost three months ago, you
told me if you didn't care if I was light or dark, because you just wanted
to be my friend."
Hadrian stiffened, but didn't respond. Daphne touched his hand in a
calming manner and he relaxed somewhat.
"You said there was a clear line dictating who I could, and couldn't be
friends with." Neville paused and an unknown expression shadowed his
face, "You were right. There is a line."
Hadrian sighed heavily, "Don't waste my time, Neville." He started to
reopen the newspaper, but Neville stopped him. Hadrian narrowed his
eyes.
"What I waned to say was, there is a line. But I crossed it when I sat with
you on the train that very first afternoon. I crossed it when I turned a
blind eye toward all your suspicious mannerisms. I crossed it when I
helped discover the location of the stone." Neville said quietly, crossing
and uncrossing his long legs nervously.
"What are you trying to say?" Hadrian asked. He felt a small burst of hope
flare in his chest, but he refused to show any outward signs of
acceptance.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is I've crossed that line. There's no going
back now. I had already made my decision, even though I didn't realize
it. " Neville rambled on.
"Neville just spit it out." Hadrian demanded.
"I'm on your side now. I don't care what side it is actually, as long as all
of you lot are in it." Neville declared.
Hadrian studied Neville. "You don't care who I am? You don't care about
the things I've done, and even the terrible things I'll probably do in the
future?" He asked doubtfully.
"No." Neville said evenly.
"You don't care if we're all going to turn out as death eaters?"
"I'd probably join with you." Neville admitted.
"Why? You wouldn't want to betray your family." Hadrian pressed.
Neville chuckled darkly, "What family? I have none. My own
grandmother doesn't even want me." He glanced around before saying
softly, "Don't you understand? You all are the only people I have. And I
would be a fool to give that up."
Daphne smiled at Neville comfortingly, "Neville, you don't have to join
the Dark Side in order to be friends with us. We only want you to join if
you want to."
Neville simply looked at her with sad eyes. "I'm going to have to take a
side when I'm older. The Order probably would use my family's legacy to
make me join them." He paused, "But I'm not my family. I want to join
your side because the Dark Side lets me be happy, however strange that
sounds."
"It doesn't sound strange, I know what you mean." Daphne assured him.
Hadrian was silent during their small exchange, thinking deeply about
something. He looked up abruptly, "Do you even believe in what the Dark
Side wants to achieve?"
Neville thought out loud, "I believe in certain parts of it. Do you believe
in everything they want to achieve?"
It was a rhetorical question. He had Hadrian there. Although Hadrian
strongly fought for the Dark Side, he knew certain aspects of the
philosophy were ludicrous.
"Point taken." Hadrian nodded thoughtfully. "Well Neville, there's only
one thing I can say now. Welcome back."
Neville grinned widely, "I know I don't deserve it after everything I said,
but thank you. "
"I actually wanted to give you something, to show my appreciation for
you putting aside our differences in order to continue our friendship."
Hadrian commented. He reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled
out the small item. "Here."
Neville stared at the ruby red stone in his hand. "You're giving the
stone…to me?"
Hadrian shrugged casually, "For safe keeping. No one will suspect you are
in possession of it. Besides, this way you can set up your own Gringotts
account, and your own things. It'll help you break away from your family
name."
Hadrian took down the silencing spell and watched Neville. Neville had
an awed look on his face as he ran his fingers over the stone. He
pocketed it and turned back to Hadrian. "Thank you Hadrian. For
everything. I don't know what I'd to without you all."
"You've got that right." Destiny beamed. She peeled herself away from
behind the bookshelf that hid the entrance to their secret space in the
library. Draco, Hermione, and Blaise soon followed after her. "Did you
have to spoil our fun of eavesdropping?" She pouted.
"You took so long, I was worried you would never forgive him." Blaise
said to Hadrian. He was well recovered and healthy since his trip to the
hospital wing. As soon as Quirell had perished, he had magically woken
up, to the utter shock of Madame Pomfrey.
Destiny slid wrapped her arms around Neville's shoulders and squeezed
him into a hug. "See? I told you if you just explained and apologized, he
would accept you again." She said smugly.
"Okay, okay you were right." Neville agreed, boosting her satisfaction.
"Don't boost her ego." Draco warned. He moved out of the way just as
Destiny chucked a large tome at his head. "Love you too, Destiny." He
cooed.
"Enough with the sentimental crap." Blaise said, "I want to hear about this
adventure that everyone has been tightlipped about. And what's this
about Hadrian being dreadful at chess?"
Hadrian flushed a slight shade of pink. Daphne's eyes lit up and she
grinned as she launched into the story, much to Hadrian's chagrin.
Later that evening….
Dumbledore stood in his majestic throne like chair and clinked his glass
for attention. The sound echoed through the large hall, and students
slowly turned their attention to the headmaster.
"Another year gone!" Dumbledore began, "And what a year it has been!
Hopefully you all have learned endless amounts of knowledge from your
time here. For those of you returning, we hope you will enjoy the next
year as much as this one! And our seventh years, we wish you luck in
your future endeavors. " He hesitated and his voice took on a somber
tone. "As you all know, our Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor
Quirell has met a mysterious death. But in these times of mourning, it is
important to have hope. Professor Quirell was a good man, and an even
better teacher. We will all miss him next year, but he is in a better place
now. May he rest in peace." Dumbledore paused.
Whispers broke out and Dumbledore tapped his glass once again for
silence. His voice turned cheerful once again. "Now, I believe the House
Cup needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place,
Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third, Hufflepuff,
with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and
twenty-six" He paused, his merriment dying down a bit, " and Slytherin,
four hundred and seventy-two." The twinkle in his blue eyes was gone.
The Slytherins clapped enthusiastically, but refrained from cheering out
loud like a couple of wild animals. The banners were decorated with the
green and silver snake emblem of Slytherin, and it produced a sense of
pride in Hadrian's chest. He couldn't believe the year was over so fast; he
wasn't ready to go home just yet. But he missed his family back at Riddle
Manor, and he was looking forward to the summer. Plus, there were
several things he needed to discuss with his father.
Snape was busy observing his new House Cup as Dumbledore cleared
away the dessert dishes. He called out instructions for the departure for
tomorrow, but not many were paying attention. As Hadrian made his
way back to Slytherin Dungeons, he barely registered anything anyone
said. He was distracted in his own world. He said goodnight to each of
his friends and walked into his room. With a wave of his hand he packed
his trunk and locked it. Hadrian threw himself onto the soft bed and
pulled the covers up to his chin, too tired to get out of his school robes.
This had been a good year, despite any hitches and obstacles they had
faced. He only hoped next year would be better.
Kings Cross Station [June 15]
Hadrian waved goodbye to all his friends, with promises to owl, visit,
and meet with every one of them. He greeted the Malfoys warmly and
just barely escaped one of Narcissa's strangling hugs. Lucius informed
him that Bellatrix was waiting outside and he smiled gratefully.
Hadrian exited the station, with Destiny in tow. They spotted the
disguised Bellatrix eying some passing muggles with distaste and quickly
ran up to her. Bellatrix gushed rather uncharacteristically about how she
missed them so much, although they reminded her she had seen them
only a couple months ago. She shushed them and they apparated back to
Riddle Manor.
Bellatrix dragged Destiny along with her for some unknown reason,
leaving Hadrian to make his way to his father's study alone. Hadrian
waved hello to Anne and quickly dashed away before she could begin her
rant about his true love.
He knocked on the doors to his father's office and they opened
automatically. His father was leaning back in the chair behind his desk
and reading a small slip of parchment. Hadrian slid himself into the seat
across from his father.
"Ah, Hadrian. Welcome home. How was your school year?" His father
asked distractedly, barely glancing up from his papers.
Hadrian tensed, knowing there was an ulterior motive behind his father's
civility towards him. Outwardly, Hadrian simply smiled and replied
smoothly, "It went well. I think I got all O's on my exams."
"Good, good." His father responded. Suddenly he looked up. "Is there
something else you want to tell me? Something to do with a Quirinus
Quirell?"
Hadrian schooled his features into an expression of innocence, "Oh yes.
Professor Quirell met a tragic death."
"I heard." His father muttered, pointing to a copy of the Daily Prophet
that lay on his desk. "What I meant was, do you know how he died?"
Hadrian shrugged, "I thought you had something to do with it. But why
would you kill Quirell, father? Didn't you want the Sorcerer's Stone?"
Lord Voldemort studied his adopted son carefully. The boy showed no
signs of hiding the truth, but he didn't seem completely innocent. With
this in mind, he pressed on further. "I was led to believe you are in
possession of the Stone. May I see it?"
Hadrian plastered an appearance of confusion on his face. "I'd give it to
you if I had it. But I don't. Didn't Quirell get it for you, before he died?"
Technically it wasn't a complete lie. He truly didn't have the stone in his
possession.
Lord Voldemort furrowed his brows and stared his son down. He had no
way of knowing whether the boy was telling the truth or not. The young
boy across from him reminded him of himself in more ways than one.
They were both cunning, talented, and skilled liars. They were both
perfect Slytherins.
Hadrian stood up from the chair. "Well father, if that is all I have to go
unpack my trunk. And before I forget, I believe you need to reexamine
every single one of your death eaters. Although they may seem loyal, I
happen to know not all of them are."
He exited his father's office, leaving behind a stunned Lord Voldemort.
Have I just been dismissed? And that too, by my own son? Voldemort
thought in disbelief. He shook his head; he ought to crucio the brat. What
if the boy had been lying? What if he had the stone in his back pocket
this entire time?
Suddenly, the idea of upsetting his son seemed a whole lot like poking an
angry hippogriff. He needed to tame the beast, or get rid of him. And for
some reason, the second option was extremely unappealing to him.
A/N: First year done! I want to thank everyone that reviewed, it
means a lot to me! Even if it was criticizing, I still appreciated it and
I tried to fix any errors that were pointed out. 87,000 words! That's
almost a novel! This is probably the most I've ever written for a
story so this is actually pretty big for me. I'm so excited to write
Year 2 , although I'm not exactly sure when I'll post that since I have
my finals coming up. Once again, I would like to thank every
follower, reviewer, favorite, viewer, etc. I really value everything
and every review made me extremely ecstatic!
Thanks for reading so far,
LoveMyRomance
20. Patience
A/N: I apologize for the long wait, but if you have not heard it yet, I
was currently in the middle of travelling, and it was difficult to find
a stable Internet connection, which is why I didn't update in the
past two months. I can reassure you that I will be continuing the
Dark Prince, so do not fret! I hope you enjoy this chapter, although I
have to warn you; I haven't written anything since May, so I might
be a bit rusty. Once again, enjoy and if you have any questions or
opinions/criticisms don't be afraid to PM me or write a review. I'm
open to everything!
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
"Mo-Mother…." A small girl spoke slowly, testing out the new name before
continuing, "I have a question."
"Yes?" The dark haired woman smiled at her daughter fondly, an action that
was quickly becoming more and more normal after each passing day.
"Why can't I be a grown up, like you?" She asked curiously, fidgeting with the
hem of her pale pink dress.
The woman let out a rough sound, akin to a laugh, the corners of her eyes
crinkling. "Now why would you want to be a grown up just yet?"
The girl pouted, "Because you can do anything you want. You can even make
that tree go boom with just your hands!" She proceeded to further express her
point by using her hands to gesticulate an explosion, whilst yelling, "BOOM!"
in a high-pitched voice.
The mother smirked, "You mean like this?" She hid her wand behind her back
as she silently cast a 'Reducto' spell towards a tree in the distance. In less than
a second, the entire tree was blown to pieces and the remaining fragments
started to burn down to ashes.
The little girl clapped her hands animatedly, "I want to do that too!" Her
eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she moved her hands, waiting for the
tree to explode just as it had a moment earlier. Her shoulders drooped as she
realized she wasn't successful.
She scowled and crossed her arms, looking chagrined, "See? It doesn't work
when I do it!"
The girl's mother, if possible, only smiled wider. "Patience is key, my dear."
She said, absentmindedly ruffling the girl's blonde hair. "If you keep trying
with all your heart, you'll certainly get it someday."
"You mean I have to try every single day?" The girl asked, wrinkling her nose
as if the mere thought seemed tiresome to her, "Wouldn't that take a lot of
time?"
The woman chuckled, "You're still young, my dark angel. You have all the
time you need, and then some."
"But Mr. Waldemart-"
"Voldemort."
"Yes, yes. Mr. Voldemort always says not to waste time." The girl said in a
matter-of-fact toning, "He says time is preci-prece-preces." She made a face as
she struggled to pronounce the word correctly.
"Precious." The mother corrected, trying to stifle a laugh. "In some ways he is
correct. But sometimes the dark lo-" She paused and corrected herself upon
seeing the perplexed look on her daughter's face, "Mr Voldemort, forgets that
you aren't a grown up. You exactly can't blame him because look what a big
girl you've become!"
The little girl puffed out her chest in pride, "I'm a big girl now." She repeated,
her sky blue eyes twinkling.
"Adults can't waste time because they have so many other things to do. But
you still have your entire life ahead of you. Just be patient and you'll see how
much fun it will be."
"Someday will I ever be as wonderful at magic as you are?"
The mother kissed the top of her daughter's head affectionately, "Someday my
dear, you will become twice the witch I am today."
Flourish and Blots [August 17]
"Patience is key. Patience is key. Patience is key. Patien-"
"Destiny?" A voice ahead of her drawled out coldly, "Can you shut up,
please?"
She grinned sheepishly, "Sorry Drake-"
"Stop calling me that! It sounds so distasteful!"
A mischievous twinkle came into her eyes as she shrugged and
apologized halfheartedly, "My apologies…. Drake."
"How many times have I told you that I hate that name?!" Draco Malfoy
growled under his breath.
"Oops. It was an honest mistake Draaaa-" She paused seeing the
murderous look on his face, "-co." She finished lamely. He shot her an
angry look before turning back around in the long line.
No matter how many times she tried to tell herself to be patient, it never
seemed to work. It was impossible. Some things just weren't meant to
happen. Like snow wasn't supposed to fall in summer, Destiny Lestrange
was not meant to be a patient creature.
Who could blame her after all? Since she was blessed (or cursed?) with
the gift of Prophecy, everything she did was a result of waiting and
watching the future for the possible effects. It really wore a girl out!
But she knew better than to mess with the future simply because she was
bored. It really was the only reason she tolerating waiting. With such an
important gift came early maturity (although she was willing to admit
that she too could be childish at times) and a great responsibility. With
that being said, Destiny Lestrange was seriously reconsidering the
consequences of tampering with the future…if it meant she could just get
out of this long line to get a couple books signed by the Witch Weekly's
"Bachelor of the Year", Gilderoy Lockhart himself.
She didn't even want to get her books signed by that…that fraud! She
stood up on her tiptoes and managed to catch a glimpse of his shiny
golden locks—which were still a long way away from her. Destiny
glanced around the dust-coated room in disgust. The very long, and very
slow line consisted of mostly middle-aged women and lonely cat ladies
dying to get their books signed. Since Destiny was neither a middle aged
woman, nor a lonely cat lady, she had no interest whatsoever in taking a
photo with the handsome man or gushing about his courageous
adventures. She snorted soundlessly as she read one of the many
ridiculous titles on her list: Magical Me. If he wasn't so famous for
absolutely nothing, she might've mistaken him for a squib.
Destiny sighed loudly. If she had her wand, maybe she could've pulled a
prank or two while waiting. But none of the wands in the local
Ollivander's seemed suitable for her, thus forcing her to return empty
handed. It looked like she was stuck using wandless magic for now,
which greatly disappointed her. Since her gift used up most of her mental
concentration, she was never as good at wandless magic. In the end she
might end up creating more damage than she had in mind. She'd already
seen it. If she tried to simply send a small electric shock to the plump
woman a couple feet in front of her, the woman's pretty black mane
would catch on fire. It was a situation she dearly wished to avoid.
Hadrian and Draco provided no entertainment either. Draco merely stood
examining his nails with an unnaturally passionate interest and Hadrian
was impassively staring ahead, with a couple books he had purchased
elsewhere already in his hands. Unlike her, they both looked oddly calm
in the crowded, bustling store. But Destiny knew they were just as
annoyed as she was. After a careful observation, she noticed Draco rolled
his eyes every few minutes and impatiently began to tap his foot.
Hadrian was a bit harder to decipher because he stood frozen like a
statue, only blinking occasionally and plastering an apathetic expression
on his face. She hid a smirk. He could put up this unaffected facade, but
she could see right through it. Judging by the way the corner of his
mouth dipped down into the slightest frown every time someone said the
blond phony's name, Destiny knew he was very close to snapping and
Avada-ing the next person who gushed about Mr. Lockhart.
The bell at the front of the door chimed, letting her know that yet another
customer had entered the bookstore. Destiny glowered; she was already
sharing her oxygen with at least fifty different people. As she caught sight
of the three heads of bright red hair, her spirits worsened. Make that
fifty- three people who were stealing her oxygen.
"Patience is key." Destiny whispered desperately. Maybe repeating it over
and over again would make it come true.
"Destiny?" A familiar voice called out. She looked up and glanced around
to see the same redheads pushing their way through the crowd to get to
her. Her eyes widened in recognition.
"Fred! George! You came!" She exclaimed in a cheerful tone, although it
did not match her pained expression.
"Pardon me Destiny, but you sound…" Fred began,
"Extremely frustrated?" George finished, looking slightly unsure.
Destiny's gaze darted around uneasily and she licked her lips since they
suddenly felt too dry. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the
permanent scowl on Draco's face deepen.
"Look who's here. I can't believe you asked them to come." He murmured
under his breath. It must not have been quiet enough, because the twins
shot him a roguish smile.
"Hello to you too Junior Malfoy." They responded together. Draco nodded
politely (after Hadrian nudged his ribs, hard) although his eyes clearly
revealed the unsaid message: "I hate you and I want to throw you off a
cliff."
"It was actually Hadrian's idea. He thought it would be nice." Destiny
explained, smiling at her brother.
Hadrian smiled back tightly and attempted to make a civil conversation
with the twins, which to his surprise, was easier than he had thought.
Just as he was about to inform the twins that Puddlemere United would
most certainly beat the Hollyhead Harpies, a new voice cut in.
"Obviously the Harpies will win, is that even a question?"
Hadrian raised an eyebrow and turned around, along with the rest of his
friends. In front of him stood a skinny girl with straight, flaming red hair
and an array of freckles scattered across her nose.
"How can you be so sure? The Harpies actually have to have actual
talent, which they clearly lack, to play against the experienced players on
Puddlemere United."
The girl's bright brown eyes flashed angrily as she seethed, "How dare
you."
"Er- Ginny you probably don't want to-" Fred started to say, a slight look
of trepidation across his face.
"Shut up, George!" She hissed, ignoring the muffled "Hey, I'm Fred!"
"This is Hadrian Riddle-" George managed to blurt out, before he was
silenced by another blood chilling glare from his younger spitfire sister.
"I don't care if he's the bloody Minister of Magic!" She scowled.
Hadrian stared at her, slightly intrigued. "Who are you?" He asked.
She looked at him suspiciously before sniffing haughtily, "I don't think
you are worthy of knowing who I am, if you think that Puddlemere
United will beat the greatest team in the history of quidditch."
Hadrian was silent for a moment, his jaw tightening and his expression
turning cold.
"You done did it now." Fred whispered dramatically.
Draco glared at the redhead, "Do you know who we are, little girl?"
"No, but if you tell me where your mother is, maybe I can find her and
she can help remind you who you are." She retorted sarcastically.
Destiny attempted to hide her giggles at Draco's insulted sputtering, but
everyone noticed it anyways. The feisty girl turned her attention to
Destiny and glanced at her interestedly. "Are those your brothers?" She
asked.
Destiny nodded, "Well he is," She said, pointing to Hadrian. "The blonde
ponce just tags along on our adventures."
Draco looked offended and he opened his mouth to protest but the
strange girl shot him a vicious look and he huffed but looked in a
different direction mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like "I
wonder if werewolves will eat people if I bribe them."
"I don't know how you can stand to hang around them." The girl shook
her head, "I have six other brothers but none of them are as annoying
combined as Blondie over there."
Destiny shrugged, "Eh he's alright. At sometimes he can be a downright
prat, but you learn to live with it."
The girl nodded understandingly. She gestured her head towards
Hadrian. "What about him, is he always so moody and strange?"
Hadrian's head snapped up and he glared at the girl frostily. "What did
you just say?"
"I said" She began in a louder tone, "IS HE ALWAYS SO MOODY AND
STRANGE?"
Suddenly the crowded room seemed to go completely silent, and all
heads turned to look at the bickering children in the middle of the room.
A sales clerk made his way over to them and gave them a disapproving
look.
"Excuse me children, but where are your parents?"
The strange girl folded her arms in a defiant posture and looked at the
clerk indifferently, "Where are yours?"
The sales clerk, deciding to humor the girl responded, "I'm not sure, but I
could owl them if you'd like." This got a couple chuckles from the crowd.
She eyed her nails uninterestedly, before looking at him once again.
"Well? What are you waiting for?" She shrugged her shoulders before
continuing, "Take your time."
"Little girl, I am not going to stand here and listen to such disrespect from
you." The clerk hissed through his fake smile.
"Okay. You can stand over there and listen if you'd like." She replied
offhandedly.
"Well I never!"
"Never what? Never moved out of your parents' house? No need to tell
me, Sir. I can see that."
"Get out. GET OUT!" The man seethed. "You come into my shop, disrupt
my customers, and have the nerve to insult me?"
"Yes, yes, and yes. Can we move on now?" She smirked.
Ten minutes later, the three Weasleys, a Lestrange, Malfoy, and a Riddle
stood outside the bookstore, unbelievingly going over the events that had
just occurred.
Hadrian was the first one to snap. "Never in my entire life have I been
thrown out of a public place." He said in a shocked voice.
The girl patted his arm, "Don't worry, you have your entire life left ahead
of you. And since you're friends with me, I can guarantee it will happen
in the future."
Hadrian looked at her incredulously, "We are not friends."
She shrugged nonchalantly, "Sure we are."
Destiny stared through the shop window in shock. "Are you telling me…"
She started out slowly, her voice just barely above a whisper. "Are you
telling me that we waited half the day for nothing!?" She screeched, her
voice getting louder and louder with each word and attracting the
attention of several passerby on the cobblestone street.
"Don't worry, it wasn't for nothing." The girl reassured them.
"I have no books, I have a headache, I hate lines, and I hate waiting."
Destiny rubbed her temples, "I need to sit down."
Draco glared at the redhead. "You just wasted our entire morning!" He
accused furiously.
She snorted, "Believe me, that line wasn't going anywhere."
Fred and George tugged at their little sister's arms urgently. "Ginny, we
should go. You've already caused too much trouble."
She dug her heels into the ground and looked up at them. "Not until I get
my books."
"Gin, we just got kicked out of the place. They aren't going to let us back
in!"
She looked at the two as if they were insane, "I never said I was going in."
"Then how do you plan on getting your books?" Destiny asked curiously,
momentarily forgetting her frustration.
"That would be my job."
The small group turned around to witness another newcomer, holding a
stack of books so high; it almost covered up their entire head. But
Hadrian could make out a long mane of dark brown hair, and petite
hands with perfectly manicured nails. As she stumbled toward them with
her books, Hadrian caught a glimpse of the pretty blue-green eyes that he
only knew one other person to have.
"Astoria?" He asked suspiciously, "Is that you?"
At the sound of his voice, the girl gasped in shock, which caused her to
drop all of her books onto the ground. She blushed a bright shade of pink
and smoothed down her hair. "Hadrian!" She spoke anxiously, "What are
you doing here?"
He raised an eyebrow, mildly amused. "I'm getting books." He said
slowly.
Astoria nodded, and then slapped her forehead. "Of course, I'm so silly. I
forgot you're here…in front of a bookstore…to buy books. Ha ha." She
laughed nervously as she bent down to pick up the books.
Hadrian leaned down to help her and then offered to carry most of the
books, since her tiny frame obviously couldn't support the number of
volumes she was carrying.
"So…." Destiny drawled, "What exactly is going on here?"
A look of recognition seemed to pass through Fred and George's eyes,
because they groaned simultaneously. "Ginny. Why?" Fred asked, shaking
his head.
"And now you've roped in this poor girl as well!" George added.
"Will someone tell me what is going on?" Draco asked, irritated by both
the scene they were causing and the number of Weasleys he was around.
"We are really sorry, she has this bad habit. And we thought she'd
stopped but clearly she hasn't and its-" Fred began to explain, but the
female redhead cut him off.
"Its not a big deal. I just like seeing how many people I can fool at a
time." She shrugged.
Suddenly it dawned on Hadrian as he looked down at the books in his
hands. He shot her an accusing look, "That was all an act."
She smirked, but said nothing. Hadrian continued to talk as he replayed
the events in his mind. "The arguments, the drama, the books. It was just
a distraction! You two!" He gestured to Astoria and the other girl, "You
two planned this so you could steal those books!" He concluded quietly,
as to not attract anyone else's attention.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Ginny said casually.
Hadrian stared at the two before he laughed. He laughed at the insanity
of the situation so much till his stomach hurt. "That was very Slytherin of
you." He announced when he finally caught his breath.
The girl stiffened. "I still don't know what you are talking about, but we
should be going. Right guys?" She glared at Fred and George. They
nodded slowly.
"Astoria, darling. My books?" She requested in a mock-posh accent.
Astoria Greengrass nudged Hadrian to give her the set of books that were
in his hands. Once Hadrian gave them to the girl, she turned away and
started to walk down the street.
"Wait." Destiny called out. "Who are you exactly?"
She turned around and gave them a two-finger salute, "The name's Ginny,
short for Ginerva, Weasley. I'll see you at Hogwarts." And with that, she
disappeared into the crowd of frantic shoppers. Fred and George soon
followed after, muttering both apologies and goodbyes.
As they lost sight of the Weasleys, Hadrian turned his attention to Astoria
and gave her a disapproving look. "Astoria, you know stealing is
dishonorable, not to mention that it is not appropriate for a proper lady
of your stature. Ginerva may do it because she's not familiar with such
wealth, but it's still wrong. You have everything you already need. Why
do you do this?"
Astoria laughed, "Ginny doesn't do this because she's poor. She does it
because she gets a kick out of it. Its like an adrenaline rush."
"What if you get caught, what would Daphne say? Does she know?"
Hadrian asked.
"Well, we haven't gotten caught in the 23 times we've pulled this off. And
no, Daph does not know because we both know what she would say. And
I would like to avoid listening to that lecture." Astoria said. She paused
and looked at Hadrian uncertainly, "You aren't going to tell her are you?
Because then she'll keep worrying about me and hovering. Please don't
tell her." She pleaded.
Hadrian sighed and looked toward his friends for support. Draco
purposely avoided his gaze while Destiny was looking thoughtful. "Fine. I
won't tell her. But you need to stop this." Hadrian threatened, "We're just
looking out for you."
Astoria nodded brightly. "Thanks. I don't know what Daph would've
done."
"Where is Daphne?" Hadrian asked casually. "I haven't seen her for the
past few weeks."
Astoria grinned, "She's at my grandmother's estate drinking tea and
attending book club parties." Her voice lowered to a whisper, "She says
she doesn't mind, but I'm sure she's bored to death."
"Maybe we should go and kidnap her." Destiny joked.
Astoria's eyes lit up. "Can I help? Maybe we can bring Ginny too-"
"NO!" Both Hadrian and Draco protested at the same time.
Astoria looked offended, "She isn't like this all the time. She just had to
put on a show so that I could sneak around the back and grab the huge
stacks of books."
"Of course she can come." Destiny reassured her, smiling at the smaller
girl.
Hadrian raised an eyebrow, "Hold on a second. You know we aren't
actually kidnapping her, right?"
Astoria shrugged, "Why not? She's miserable there."
"I think Ginerva has been a bad influence on you." Draco commented
offhandedly.
"She's not this bad!" Astoria insisted, crossing her arms defensively. "It
was her idea to get the extra books to give to anyone else that got kicked
out along with her." She pointed to the stack that she had set down
earlier. "See? Those are all yours."
Draco glanced at the stack wearily, "I don't need stolen books. I have
billions of galleons sitting in my own Gringotts account." He sneered as
he glanced at his expensive watch, "We should go since we're already two
hours late."
Astoria smirked, "Okay, but good luck getting into that store, let alone
waiting in the line again."
Draco cursed under his breath as she realized she was right. His parents
would be less than impressed if he came back empty handed and late.
Destiny smiled as she began to pick up some of the books they needed, "I
think Ginny actually did us a favor. Who knows how much longer we
would've waited in that line. Oh, and thanks for the books."
"No problem. Owl me when you want to go kidnap Daph." Astoria waved
as they started to walk away. Draco and Hadrian exchanged looks before
pulling Destiny along with them towards the Leaky Cauldron. Once they
were inside, they all entered a fireplace, throwing the floo powder and
shouting "Malfoy Manor."
Hadrian stepped out of the fireplace carefully and dusted off the small
about of soot that had gathered on his shoulders. Before he could follow
Destiny and Draco into the drawing room, the demanding presence of
Lucius Malfoy halted him in his steps.
"Hadrian." He addressed him coolly, examining his appearance with
indifference, "Your father is here."
Hadrian nodded understandingly, "Is he in your study?"
Lucius looked away, and for a fleeting second, Hadrian thought he saw a
flicker of pity in his eyes. But when he turned around again, his features
were steely and his voice was stony. "No. He's waiting in the dungeons."
Hadrian gulped and tugged at his collar. He didn't interact with his oh-so-
loving father very often, but he knew that when his father called for him,
it usually came with unfathomable amounts of stress and anxiety. He
could handle meeting his father in his study, because it usually meant
they would be having a civilized conversation. But meeting his father in
the dungeons? Hadrian shuddered involuntarily as he mentally prepared
himself for the pain he would have to endure, or if he were lucky, the
pain he would have to inflict.
As he trudged down the dismal stone steps to the dungeon, Hadrian felt a
chill run up his spine. Something wasn't right here. He cautiously pulled
out his first wand, gripping it so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
The dungeons of Malfoy Manor were a truly terrifying place. It was a
place that never saw the light, but was submerged by only the dead of
the night. An unnaturally cold wind accompanies what sounds like
thousands of silent screams. The screams of people not yet dead, but by
no means, alive.
Hadrian cast a silent lumos, lighting up the dark chamber so he could see
a few feet ahead of him. His eyes came to rest on a rusty chair that was
in front of him and he furrowed his brows. The small light coming out of
his wand dissolved into the blackness.
"Sit down." A familiar voice commanded, and Hadrian did just that. The
voice caused him to obey without a second thought, like an imperious
curse had been cast. He couldn't think straight or even hear his own
thoughts. He just knew he must obey to the command. It was a voice he
had come to fear. A voice that haunted even his nightmares.
"Did you succeed without arousing any suspicion?"
Hadrian nodded, then cursed his stupidity for not realizing it probably
could not be seen in the shadowy chamber, "Yes, I believe I did."
"You believe you did?" The voice of the Dark Lord repeated in a mocking
manner. "Now tell me boy, how am I to put my confidence into someone
who is unsure themselves?"
"I did." Hadrian corrected quickly. "Sorry, father."
"Do not apologize. Riddle men apologize to no one. Do you understand?"
"Yes father."
A pair of glowing ruby red eyes came into view, and Hadrian relaxed
slightly. It was extremely uncomfortable to talk to someone who he could
not see with his own eyes.
"Tell me, Hadrian. Do you consider yourself fearless?"
Hadrian flinched, and it did not go unnoticed by the Dark Lord. He
stayed silent for a moment, uncertain how to answer the question. Finally
he sighed, "No."
"What is it that you fear?" Voldemort asked slowly. Hadrian shifted his
eyes at the strange way his father sounded almost concerned.
"I- I'm not sure." Hadrian admitted, glancing down at his hands wearily.
"Is there anything you are certain of?"
Hadrian was quiet, unable to come up with a truthful, and suitable
answer.
"Come along boy, I'd like to show you something." Voldemort began to
walk in the opposite direction, clearly expecting Hadrian to follow.
Hadrian scrambled up from his chair and began to walk behind his
father, his mind filled with apprehensive thoughts.
The Dark Lord stood in front of a massive cupboard with a crooked door
barely hanging onto its now rusty hinges. It had been pushed
haphazardly into a corner of one of the dusty cells. It was covered with
strange carvings, and scratches along the side. Hadrian could tell it had
once been beautiful, but the age and negligence towards it had caused it
to become simply another broken down cupboard.
Voldemort waved his wand over the handle, and opened the still
functioning door just a crack. Hadrian held his breath for fear of what
was to come. Only when his father carefully pulled out a small vial
several seconds later, did he let it out.
His father uncorked the opaque vial and handed it to Hadrian. "Drink
up." He smirked. Hadrian glanced at the vial doubtfully, but accepted it
anyways. He lifted the vial to his face, and discreetly smelled the liquid.
It was odorless. Hadrian laughed at himself mentally. As if he actually
had a choice. It could very well be poison and he would still have to
drink it. The sad part was, he would drink it willingly.
He emptied the contents of the vial into his mouth, and was surprised to
discover the vial only contained a sip of the liquid. Curiously, he folded
his arms as he awaited the effects of the potion.
It took a whole ten minutes before Hadrian felt a strange stinging feeling
in his head. Suddenly it grew bigger, until all Hadrian could think about
was the pain he was currently feeling. He could no longer feel anything,
his entire body turned numb. Hadrian began to panic, but the feeling of
consciousness leaving his body drowned his fear out.
He wasn't sure when he woke up, but he was just surprised he could
actually open his eyes again. His body was stiff and rigid, yet he
managed to pull his back off the stone floor and sit up.
"You're awake." Voldemort stated, sounding slightly surprised himself.
Hadrian turned his head to see him kick away from the wall he was
leaning on and hover over him.
"Guess it didn't work." He murmured under his breath. "Now I'm going to
have to get rid of you myself."
Hadrian's eyes widened and he struggled to push himself into a standing
position in front of Voldemort. He wagged a finger at him accusingly,
"You're trying to kill me?"
"Very good." His father said patronizingly. "You're catching on."
In that moment, with his father smiling at him in a purely homicidal way,
Hadrian was more frightened than he ever was in his entire life. "B-But,
father you spent so many years trying to make me into a perfect heir,
why are you throwing all your hard work away?" He pleaded.
Voldemort twirled his wand in his hand, his mind intent on ignoring
Hadrian's pleas. "Avad-"
"Hadrian? Hadrian where are you?"
Hadrian sighed in relief as he heard the voice of Draco. "Down here. The
dungeons! Quick!" He yelled loudly, whilst scanning the floor for his
wand. Unsurprisingly, it was nowhere to be found. He heard the footsteps
of his friend racing down the stairs and Hadrian stared frightfully at
Voldemort.
If anything, the Dark Lord seemed bored. "Ah yes, where were we? That's
right, Avada Ked-"
The door to the cell slid open, once again stopping his father from
continuing on. Hadrian finally began to breathe normally as he saw his
best friend standing there, panting and ready to rescue him. He forced
himself to remain calm as he saw Draco pick up his wand, which had
rolled outside the cell.
"Thank the gods you're here. Help me. My father is trying to kill me."
Hadrian relayed quickly, waiting for them to call for help or help him
themselves. He craned his neck to see them still standing in the doorway
of the cell.
"What are you waiting for? Help me fight him!" Hadrian hissed
desperately.
Draco looked stricken as he looked at Hadrian frenziedly gesturing to the
Dark Lord. He sighed loudly, "I'm sorry Hadrian."
The blond stepped back out of the cell and slid the door closed once
more, this time using his wand to lock it in place. Hadrian only stared at
him with an expression of utmost betrayal plastered onto his face. Draco
glanced at Hadrian's wand in his hand and without a second thought; he
brought it down over his knee. It broke into splinters with a sickening
snap.
Voldemort chuckled at his son, "I told you to trust no one. Not me, not
your friends. No one. What am I to do if you simply cannot follow my
advice?" He shot the boy a sympathetic look, "You need to learn that
people in this world will always deceive you, Hadrian. But now it's too
late."
But Hadrian Riddle was NOT done fighting just yet. And now he was
angry. He simply shrugged off the betrayal of his best friend and
mentally hissed, Crucio.
To his shock nothing happened. Voldemort smirked. "Its no use, boy. This
is far out of your hands." He paused before shouting, "Avada Kedavra!"
The jet of bright green light shot towards him, and Hadrian gasped in
shock as it flew right through his chest. His eyelids grew heavy, and
without another sound, Hadrian Draven Riddle fell lifelessly to the
ground.
21. What Doesn't Kill You Makes
You Stronger
A/N: Sorry for the wait, I know I'm very inconsistent with these
updates, but I'm just having a tough time right now, and the only
reason I'm writing at all is because it kind of distracts me from my
life. I'm sorry I left you hanging, but I hope you enjoy the new
chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Greengrass Estates [August 19: Midnight]
Astoria Greengrass never imagined the day where she would be crouched
behind a skillfully clipped hedge (which was oddly in the shape of an
elephant), and preparing a foolproof plan to break into her own home.
She also never thought she'd become friends with a Weasley. Of course,
she had nothing against them, other than the fact that they were rather
temperamental and loud. Very loud. But yet, here she was.
And here was a very uncomfortable place. She wasn't as prim and proper
as her sister, but that didn't mean she appreciated soiling her new robes
from the dirt on the ground. Also, she was extremely aware of the fact
that Ginny was unintentionally elbowing her stomach and that Destiny
was accidentally pushing her down every time she turned to look through
the large floor to ceiling windows.
"Do you see her?" Ginny asked eagerly, moving her head to see higher.
There was a flash of movement from the side of the windows, and Ginny
hurriedly ducked down. Astoria moaned as Ginny's elbow dug deeper
into her stomach.
"Shut up!" Destiny hissed, "They'll hear us!"
"Nonsense." Ginny snorted. "We're more than a hundred feet away!"
Astoria simply glowered, attempting to squirm around to situate herself
better in the confined space.
"Stop pulling my hair!" Ginny growled, turning her head away abruptly.
Astoria sighed, finally breathing in freely as Ginny's elbow moved away.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Destiny shushed her.
"Shh, I think someone's coming."
"Astoria is tugging my hair!"
"No, I'm not!" She finally spoke up, her irritated glare concealed by the
darkness. She was tired, she was hungry, and she couldn't feel her legs.
She just wanted to go home!
"I'm serious, be silent otherwise we'll get caught!" Destiny chided, looking
through her omnioculars once again.
"But my ha-"
"Ginny, that's a random twig sticking out of the hedge." Destiny waved
her hand dismissively, "Stop moving!"
Ginny quieted down, but her consistent struggling had Astoria rubbing
her temples in frustration.
"We could just cut it off." Astoria finally commented nastily. Ginny
scowled and flicked Astoria's head, ignoring the sharp exclamation of
protest.
"Why don't we just cut it off?" She mimicked sarcastically. Astoria rolled
her eyes and gently tugged Ginny's hair from the loose twig in one
attempt.
"There. Now stop moving! You're cutting off my oxygen supply!" Astoria
complained.
"Oh I am?" Ginny asked sweetly, "Good."
Astoria was about to retort, but Destiny nudged her ribs, hard. She
pointed towards the direction of the windows. Immediately, the two
remaining heads popped up from above the hedge and peered across the
lawns.
"I think its Daphne! Let's move!" Destiny announced. Quite sneakily (at
least, according to her standards), Astoria and the two girls crept around
the hedges and began to run inconspicuously across the lawn.
As they were almost halfway across the stretch of green, a spurt of water
shot out of the ground, spraying the girls one by one before they had any
time to react. Destiny froze and sputtered unintelligibly. Another jet of
water drenched them from another side, and by the time they made it to
the window, they were completely soaked.
Ginny was livid as she squeezed the water out of her hair. "What was
that!?" She demanded angrily.
Astoria shrugged, but then it dawned on her. "Oh! I forgot to mention
that Grandmother bought a new, enchanted lawn-care system! I didn't
realize she already had it installed. Isn't it cool?" Her voice lowered to a
whisper, "Apparently, it was based on muggle technology."
The sopping wet Ginny Weasley and Destiny Lestrange stared back at her
disbelievingly. They exchanged looks before tackling her to the ground
and restraining her hands.
"You. Idiot!" Ginny screeched, "Not only are we filthy, now we are also
drenched because of you!"
"Get off of me! How is this my fault?" Astoria shrieked, failing to struggle
out of their tight grasp.
Destiny growled under her breath. "It just is! We need to hurry up and
grab Daphne! We're wasting time!"
They were about to stand up from the ground, but the sound of a throat
clearing froze them in their current position. Simultaneously, the three
girls turned their heads to see a tall silvery-haired woman towering over
them, with her hands on her hips. Although her face was stern, her
ancient eyes were full of amusement.
"Now would anyone like to tell me what is going on here?" She
demanded, eying their disheveled appearances with distaste. The girls
were silent and wore identical sheepish expressions as they tried to
escape her curious gaze.
"No one? Hmm. I guess I'll just have to inform the Auror-" Suddenly the
woman's eyes narrowed and she paused abruptly. Her bemused smile
twisted into a frown. "Astoria dear, is that you?"
"Hello, Grandmother." She smiled weakly, flushing with embarrassment
at being caught. "How are you these days?" She attempted to make small
talk, but it was proving rather difficult when her two friends were
holding her down. They seemed to realize her discomfort, because they
reluctantly stepped away from her.
"Why don't we talk inside, when you all are dry and warm? Hmm?" Her
grandmother smiled warmly, and insisted them to follow her. "Come
along."
Astoria sighed and strolled forward, dragging her two protesting friends
along with her. Their complaints stopped as soon as they walked inside
the warm, brightly lit sitting room. The matriarch of the Greengrass
family sat down on a worn black armchair, gesturing for them to sit
down as well. They grudgingly crammed themselves onto a loveseat
across from Astoria's grandmother, although there were several other
seats available.
Astoria opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by her
Grandmother asking, "Tea anyone? Help yourselves. I'll have Misty get
some biscuits too. Did you all have a nice dinner?" She wagged her finger
at the girls accusingly, "I know all these young witches have been trying
to skip their meals for a better figure, but let me tell you girls, when I
was your age, I ate anything I wanted, whenever I wanted. The chocolate
puddings at Hogwarts used to be my favorite." She smiled wistfully, but it
immediately turned into a concerned look. "Should I tell Misty to bring
along some soup? Perhaps some chicken, yes?"
"No, no Grandmother, its fine, we've already eaten." Astoria quickly
reassured her, blushing at her molly coddling.
Her Grandmother narrowed her eyes and looked between her, and her
friends. A small, almost unnoticed smile came onto her face, as she
understood her granddaughter's discomfort.
"So, what brings you here, Astoria? I was quite surprised when I saw you,
for your mother informed me that you would not be visiting me this
summer." Her Grandmother changed the subject.
"Will you believe that I changed my mind?"
Her grandmother smiled, "You know I will not, however I will go along
with it… for now."
Astoria sighed in relief and noticed her Grandmother's curious looks
towards her friends. "Oh, yes. Grandmother, this is Ginerva and Destiny."
Her grandmother nodded thoughtfully as she briefly assessed them. She
beamed, "Welcome, Ginerva and Destiny. I hope this one didn't put you
through so much trouble."
"Of course not, Mrs. Greengrass." Destiny spoke politely.
"Yes," Ginny muttered under her breath, "Absolutely no trouble at all."
"Call me Grandmother. I keep telling that daughter of mine I want more
grandchildren, but that girl never listens." She tutted, "So I have to take
any chance I can get to spoil my grandchildren. And any friends of theirs,
I consider my own."
Astoria plastered a look of mock-hurt onto her face, "Aren't Daphne and I
enough?"
"The more the merrier!" Her Grandmother insisted.
"Speaking of which, where's Daphne?" Astoria asked, glancing at Destiny
discretely.
"I reckon she's sleeping in her room. Why?" Suddenly a knowing smile
came onto her face and Astoria feared their mission had become
discovered. "Are you missing your sister already?"
Astoria looked relieved at the question, but she quickly morphed her
expression into one of disdain. "Of course not!" She sniffed at the
implication.
Her grandmother smirked and turned to look at Ginny, more carefully.
Her eyes crinkled with recognition. "Are you part of the Weasley clan,
dear?" She asked.
Ginny nodded, although she stiffened considerably. Her grandmother did
not seem to notice, as she tapped her chin. "Weasley. I once knew a
Weasley. Septimus Weasley." She sighed, "Ah, he was such a nice boy.
How is he these days, Ginerva?" Ginny's eyes darted around
uncomfortably, "Grandpa Sept?" Ginny squeaked. Grandmother nodded
encouragingly. Ginny's licked her lips absentmindedly and fiddled with
her fingers. "Er-uh- He's dead." She explained quickly.
"Oh, dear. I'm so sorry. Were you two close?" She inquired. Ginny shook
her head, "I was around five when he passed; he was closer to my older
brother, Bill."
"Alas, I'm sorry to hear that. You would have liked him; he was quite the
prankster during our Hogwarts days." Grandmother said solemnly.
"I'm not surprised to hear that." She laughed uneasily. A long moment of
silence befell. Ginny fidgeted anxiously and tugged at a loose thread on
her robes. "I have to use the loo!" She blurted out loudly, dying to escape
the awkwardness of it all.
Astoria jumped at the chance, "I'll show you where it is! Come on Ginny."
The two girls exited, and Astoria glanced at Destiny apologetically before
pulling Ginny along.
As she smiled her fake smile, Destiny vowed to hex Astoria the next
chance she got for leaving her in this situation. Turning back to face
Grandmother, Destiny flinched underneath her intense stare.
"Destiny, is it?" Grandmother asked, hesitatingly. Destiny nodded. "By
any chance, are you a Seer?"
Her eyes widened and she was too shocked to respond. Grandmother
laughed at her expression. "You need not answer, your expression tells
me everything. You must be wondering how I know?" She didn't wait for
a response as she continued talking, "My own mother was a Seer. I spent
much of my life around her, so I know the aura that surrounded her by
heart. The same aura that surrounds you, my dear."
"I wasn't aware there was any aura surrounding me." Destiny stated.
"You have yet to see it for yourself, I presume?" The older witch raised an
eyebrow, "Wait here child, I have something to show you."
Grandmother rose up from her chair and grabbed the chair for balance as
she steadily walked out the room. Destiny let out a huge breath. She
could finally relax now. She craned her neck to see if Astoria and Ginny
were back yet. They weren't. She leaned back on the cushioned seat and
closed her eyes. When she opened them again, a while later,
Grandmother was sitting in the same position she was before, only this
time she held a long white box in her hands. Destiny was startled to see
the older witch, but she quickly composed her features.
"Go on, open it." Grandmother encouraged, holding the box out. Destiny
tentatively pulled the box into her hands and slid the white cover off.
Inside laid a long shiny wand, resting on a blood red satin cushion.
"This is a wand." Destiny stated lamely.
"Yes dear, I am aware that this is a wand." Grandmother chuckled,
"Although this isn't just any wand. Have you ever heard of a silver lime
wand?"
Destiny shook her head slowly.
"Of course you haven't, it was in fashion before you were even born. They
stopped making them somewhere around when Daphne's mother was
twenty. This is a silver lime wand, with a unicorn hair core. These are
very rare wands to come across in our world."
"Why are you showing this to me?" Destiny asked curiously.
"I thought it would be obvious! I want you to have it, of course!"
Destiny simply stared at the old woman, whom she was now convinced
was completely insane. "You want to give me a wand? But why?"
"It was my mother's. Take it, assume it's a gift." Grandmother explained.
"I'm sorry, but I can't accept this. It's too much and you barely know who
I am and-"
"Nonsense!" She waved her hand, "It shouldn't make a difference. You
should know, this wand only seems to work best, or even work, for Seers
only. Since I am no Seer, this wand is of no use to me. I'd rather it be in
good hands and put it to use, than to simply sit on my shelf collecting
dust."
Destiny gaped at the wand. It truly was beautiful, with its white-brown
wood and the small carvings on the bottom. It fit perfectly in her hands
when she picked it up, and a warm feeling spread through her entire
body.
"What if one of your great-grandchildren is a Seer? Wouldn't you wish to
give it to them instead?"
"Take it. It's yours." The woman smiled. "I can hardly sit around waiting
for great-grandchildren when my own daughter can't even provide me
with enough grandchildren." She huffed.
There was a small tap on the window and Destiny whipped around just in
time to see Astoria's long brown hair whip against the glass. She looked
back towards Grandmother, "I should be going, since it's getting quite
late. Thank you for having us over, even if we were uninvited." Destiny
grinned. She stared at the wand on the table before turning to leave.
"Wait!" Grandmother called out, standing up once again. She pushed the
long white box into Destiny's hands before pulling her into a hug. "Take
it. And also, please tell Astoria that the next time she misses her sister,
instead of abducting her, perhaps a simple floo call would work?"
Grandmother's eyes twinkled as she pulled away.
Destiny smiled widely and waved, before letting herself outside into the
cool air. She tucked the wand inside her robes. Her eyes swept over
Ginny and Astoria who were restraining a third figure, who was clearly
struggling to break free. They looked at Destiny sheepishly, "She wouldn't
move until we had to tie her up." Ginny explained.
"Untie her." Destiny sighed, waiting for the shrill outburst to come out.
But nothing.
"Can someone please explain to me, why I am being kidnapped in the
middle of the night by my best friend and sister?" Daphne said in an
eerily calm voice. She stood rigidly still in her satin pajamas, glaring at
them. When no one answered her, her eyes zeroed in on each of the girls
until she landed on Astoria. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Astoria…Are those my new shoes?" Daphne asked impassively, raising an
eyebrow.
Destiny and Ginny glanced down at their friend's feet, and sure enough,
she wore a pair of clearly new (although not anymore), shiny black, four-
inch heels. They hadn't noticed it before, but it was clear she had worn
them during their entire stakeout, if the stains of mud were of any
indication.
"You were heels to a kidnapping mission?" Ginny stared at her
incredulously. "Bloody hell, are you mad woman?"
"Not just any heels, my new heels that I just bought a couple weeks ago!"
The blonde cut in angrily. "Why are you even wearing them anyway?"
"Because I didn't have any other black heels!"
"Then don't wear them?" Ginny said dryly. "Wear other shoes? Maybe
ones that are not bloody stiletto heels?"
Astoria looked offended by the mere suggestion, "I wear at least four
inches or nothing at all."
Destiny pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes at the sheer
ridiculousness of the entire situation. She could already feel a headache
coming on. So before any of them could utter a single word, Destiny
grabbed their hands and activated the portkey charm on her bracelet by
whispering "Muggle" almost inaudibly.
She felt the familiar tug and churn as the portkey transported them to
their next destination. The portkey deposited them onto the ground,
where they landed ungracefully, with the exception of one Daphne
Greengrass, who managed to land on her feet. Her eyes were alight with
fury and her mouth opened to scream, but Destiny beat her to it. She
roughly plastered a hand over Daphne's mouth, effectively muffling the
scream.
"Shut up! Do you want to attract everyone's attention?" She hissed,
gesturing to their surroundings. Daphne calmed down considerably,
glancing around as she took in the row of identical houses close to one
another and the lush green lawns in front of them.
"Where are we?" She hissed back, moving Destiny's hand and brushing
herself off. She gestured a thumb to the two girls still laying on the
ground, "And what happened to them?"
"First time travelling by portkey, perhaps." Destiny shrugged
nonchalantly. "As for where we are…." She trailed off uncertainly, "I'm
not exactly sure."
Daphne frowned, "What do you mean 'I'm not exactly sure'?"
"What I mean is, I think this is Hermione's house, although I'm not sure."
She hurried to explain, seeing the angry look quickly returning on
Daphne's face.
There was a loud groan as Astoria rolled over in the grass, accidentally
kicking Ginny with her heels. Her eyes instantly flashed open and she
howled in pain, clutching her arm where the heels had pierced her.
"I think I've got internal bleeding!" She gasped, pushing herself into a
sitting position and cradling her arm.
Destiny rolled her eyes, "Don't be so melodramatic, Ginerva. Its simply a
bruise that will disappear in five and a half days."
Ginny glanced at her inquisitively, "What? How do you know?"
"She's a Seer." Astoria cut in before anyone could stop her. She gasped
and covered her mouth as she realized what she had just blurted out.
Destiny slapped her forehead and glared at the younger girl, "You're not
supposed to tell people this!"
Astoria shot Destiny and apologetic look, which was promptly
disregarded. Ginny's eyes widened, "A Seer?" She repeated breathlessly,
"Wicked."
Destiny huffed, "Glad you think so." She glared at the other girls with her
hands on her hips, "Well? Shall we proceed?"
Astoria and Ginny nodded silently, but Daphne raised her hand. "Just for
the record, I am very against kidnapping people."
Astoria snorted, "Tell that to the Aurors later, sister dear."
Daphne put her foot down, and pushed back a piece of her hair that had
escaped from her side braid. "Okay, if we are doing this, we are not
getting caught. Understand?" She sighed. "So what's the plan?"
The girls exchanged glances. "Plan?" They repeated in unison.
Daphne's mouth dropped open and her cheeks tinged with red. "Are you
telling me," She seethed, "that you were just planning to kidnap a person
without a plan? To just barge in there like a bunch of hippogriff raised
Gryffindors?"
"I take offense to that." Destiny declared.
"Yeah, me too." Ginny added.
Daphne rolled her eyes, "Destiny, you don't even like Gryffindor," she
turned to Ginny, "And Ginny dear, there is little to no chance you'll be
sorted in Gryffindor. "
The cool tone she used left the younger redhead sputtering in disbelief.
"How do you know? Are there two Seers around here?" She challenged.
Daphne simply smiled mysteriously, "I just do." She trudged across the
yard, making her way to the front porch.
Destiny shrugged silently and followed Daphne, muttering something that
sounded suspiciously like, "Bloody hell, she's right."
Astoria patted friend's shoulder comfortingly as she pulled Ginny along,
"They're just kidding." She assured her, after seeing the worried
expression on her face.
"Astoria, if I don't get into Gryffindor, my entire family will disown me."
Ginny mumbled.
"Well, it's a good thing you're so independent then, yeah?" Astoria
grinned, jogging forward —which was quite a feat in her heels—to avoid
the punch that was coming her way.
Ginny trudged forward to join the others, who were currently standing
uncertainly at Hermione's doorstep. "Well," she grumbled, "What are we
waiting for? Christmas?"
Astoria scowled, "Gin, we have to find a way to get inside the house first."
Daphne's sparkling blue eyes light up, and she bent down to the level of
the lock, pulling a kirby grip out of her hair. She fiddled with it for a
couple seconds, twisting it in several ways till she heard the lock click
open.
She turned around to face the girls with an apathetic expression on her
face, completely ignoring their shocked looks, "Come inside, but don't ask
questions."
They all filed inside behind the tall blonde, trying hard to conceal their
expressions of astonishment. Ginny was replaying the neat trick in her
mind over and over again, mentally raving about how often it would
come in handy! She could pull so many pranks, without even getting
caught by her own magic!
She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she walked straight into the
side table that supported a tall vase. To her horror, the vase toppled side
to side before it crashed onto the hardwood floor below.
"Ginny!" Daphne hissed. "We are not destroying the house!"
"Sorry." She apologized, "But there's nothing we can do about it now."
Daphne sighed heavily and put a finger to her lips as she noticed a large
figure sleeping on the couch facing them. She glanced at the man with a
sneer on her face, assuming it must have been Hermione' father. He was
nothing like Hermione, which pleased her greatly. The only physical
feature she seemed to have inherited from him was his chocolate brown
hair. Daphne was tempted to hurt the man, or even cause some minor
brain damage, but Destiny grabbed her arm and shook her head slowly.
"We aren't here for that."
Daphne nodded and cleared up the stony expression on her face. She
tiptoed up the stairs, where she assumed Hermione's room would've been.
Upstairs, there were only a couple doors to choose from. She pushed
open the closest door, which happened to be a loo.
Destiny pushed open the door adjacent to the loo, and it turned out to be
correct. As the girls quietly entered the room, Daphne let her eyes
wander around her surroundings. It didn't seem like a room at all. Of
course it had walls, a roof, and a bed. But it didn't seem as if anyone
lived in there. There was nothing personal to Hermione in the room,
except for her Hogwarts trunk, which was pushed against the foot of her
bed. Her walls were plain white, and the entire room was eerily neat. Not
a speck of dust anywhere or a single piece of clothing on the floor. As
they made their way closer to the bed, Daphne finally noticed Hermione
sleeping on her side, hugging a pillow close to her chest.
Daphne gestured to Destiny to have the portkey ready as she and Astoria
hauled Hermione out of bed. It took a minute for the curly-haired
Ravenclaw to open her eyes, but when she did they were wide with
panic. It was too late, as Destiny activated the portkey, and they were all
spiraling up towards their destination.
They all managed to land on their feet this time, with the exception of
Hermione who was still half asleep. Once she fell onto the carpet covered
stone floor though, she sobered up.
Once she came to her senses, her reaction was quite comical as she
maniacally waved her wand around, her eyes filled with paranoia. As
soon as she realized who had abducted her, she relaxed slightly, only to
become twice as angry.
"What the hell was that?" She demanded, tucking her wand away into the
hem of her cotton shorts.
Destiny shrugged, "None of us have all summer, and you won't respond to
any of our owls. So we thought we'd come to see you instead."
Hermione pursed her lips; "That's strange. I haven't gotten a single owl
from you two. I've been sending letters to Hadrian, and he's the only one
that has responded."
Daphne flinched unnoticeably, "'Hadrian has been sending you owls?"
There was something in her tone that made Hermione uncomfortable so
she merely nodded in response.
There was an awkward silence and Astoria turned to Hermione. "Well,
you probably don't know me, so I'll introduce myself. I'm-"
"Astoria Greengrass. I know, I can see the resemblance," Hermione noted,
looking between Daphne and her sister. "Hadrian told me about the little
stunt you pulled in Diagon Alley."
Daphne looked suspiciously at her sister. "What stunt?"
"This is Ginerva-sorry, Ginny Weasley." Astoria hurried to introduce
Ginny, effectively turning the conversation away from her.
"Ginny Weasley. Sister of Ronald Weasley?" Hermione assumed, raising
an eyebrow.
The younger girl nodded, suddenly feeling as if a professor was
scrutinizing her. "I'm nothing like him, don't worry." She assured her,
noticing the disdain when Hermione said her brother's name.
"Very well then." Hermione said curtly. She folded her arms and turned
to face the rest of the girls. "First of all where are we? Second of all, how
long am I expected to stay here, since as you can see, I had no time to
bring anything with me." She commented wryly. "And why aren't you
hugging me by now? I haven't seen you all summer."
Destiny and Daphne laughed, and pulled their friend into a hug.
Hermione gestured for Astoria and Ginny to join in, and they smiled. As
they were all squealing with excitement (with the exception of Daphne,
who does not squeal), none of them noticed the lanky figure that stepped
inside the room to see what the noise was about.
"Destiny, what are you doing here? And who are they?"
Destiny froze and cursed herself for her stupidity. She gestured for her
friends to stay quiet as she turned around and faced Rodolphus
Lestrange. "Rodolphus!" She greeted warmly, "I wasn't aware you'd be
here tonight."
The man smiled, revealing a row of sharp, perfect teeth. "Destiny, I live
here. Remember?"
She blushed, "Oh right."
He folded his arms and glanced at their group suspiciously, "I wasn't
aware you were having friends over. Actually, your mother didn't
mention you would be staying here at all. Especially at this odd hour of
the night."
Destiny stumbled for a quick excuse, "Yes, about that. I was feeling a bit
homesick, and so I decided to stay here till school resumes. And I haven't
seen my friends since school ended, so I had the idea of us all staying
here till the holidays end." She hurried to continue seeing the protesting
look on his face, "Don't worry, we'll only use my room and we'll be sure
not to disturb you and Mother."
He closed his mouth and debated it for a minute. "Alright, I don't believe
your story," He paused, "But I will let your friends stay over till the
holidays ends. As long as you don't interrupt any important meetings I
have in the study. Deal?"
Destiny grinned, "Deal."
"So are you going to introduce me to your friends so I can embarrass you
by sharing some humiliating stories about your childhood?" He asked
cheekily.
Destiny groaned, but pointed to each of her friends, "This is Daphne,
Astoria, Ginny and-" She paused looking at Hermione strangely, "and
Pansy."
Hermione made a face, but wisely chose not to say anything.
"Pansy, as in Pansy Parkinson? I haven't seen you since you were a little
girl!" Rodolphus exclaimed. His eyebrows furrowed, "Didn't you have
black hair?"
Hermione gave the man, who she assumed was Destiny's father, a bright
smile. "I had it dyed this summer, Sir. I was beginning to get a little tired
of seeing those black tresses every morning."
He seemed convinced and he turned his gaze to Ginny. He narrowed his
suspicion-filled eyes, "Are you a Weasley?" He asked, wagging his finger
at her.
"I-Er-Well-"
"You are!" Rodolphus accused, glancing back at Destiny. "The nerve of
you to bring a Weasley into this house. Wait till your mother hears about
this. First you get yourself sorted into Gryffindor, then you befriend a
muggle, I can't believe-"
"Rodolphus!" Destiny hissed, "She's different. Just let it go."
"Destiny, I will not stand for this kind of behavior, I don't know how your
mother hasn't fed your soul to the Dementors yet but-"
"We will be in my room." She paused as she ushered the girls up her
spiral steps. "Just don't tell mother yet. Don't worry I promise to tell her
later."
She ran up the stairs, ignoring the shouts of protest that she left behind
her. Destiny led her friends to her room, and gestured for them to make
themselves comfortable.
"So, is that your father?" Ginny asked carefully, averting her eyes from
Destiny to look anywhere else.
"Yeah." Destiny said curtly. "Sorry about him, he's still very prejudicial
about muggleborns and…others."
"I can't believe you told him I was that horrible Parkinson cow."
Hermione mumbled, sitting on the edge of Destiny's four-poster bed. She
glanced around the room, grimacing as she took in the horrid colour
scheme. Most of her life took place at Riddle Manor, so Destiny was
rarely in this room. It was an old room that Bellatrix had decorated years
ago, when she was seven. Of course, back then Bella went crazy with
decorating for her only daughter, and the result was a very big, very frilly,
very pink room. It's walls were a light pink shade, trimmed with hot pink
and white accents. The carpet was charmed pink, the bedspread was pale
pink, and even her bathroom sink was pink. All in all, there was a reason
why Destiny never spent much time here. This was it.
"Would you rather I tell him you were a muggleborn and have him kill
you, along with me? Look how he reacted when he discovered Ginny was
a Weasley. And she's a pureblood!"
Hermione sighed, "I'm sorry. I should've realized why you did it. You
probably just saved my life." She winked.
Destiny smiled uneasily. Oh, she had no idea.
Daphne looked tense as caught Destiny's eye. "I need to talk to you." She
announced, pulling her into the bathroom. Once they were inside,
Daphne locked the door and turned to Destiny.
"What were you thinking bringing Ginny and Hermione here?" She
hissed, slapping the side of Destiny's head. "Are you insane. What if
Bellatrix shows up, excited for muggle hunting? Hadrian's entire plan
could be ruined!"
"Its touching you care so much about my brother's plans for world
domination, but I thought it would be the best place to keep them."
Destiny drawled, "Your home is unsafe since your parents expect you to
be at your Grandmother's house. Ginny's place is out of the question. I am
not staying in muggle London. And unless you'd like to bring her to
Riddle Manor, where the Dark Lord tortures people just a floor below,
this is our only option."
Daphne huffed and fluffed her hair, turning to walk out. Her hand was on
the doorknob when she turned to look at Destiny. "Are you sure Bella
won't walk in?"
Destiny nodded, "She's supposed to be in Hungary for the next week."
Daphne sighed and walked outside, plastering a bright smile on her face.
"So? Who fancies staying up and attempting to tame Hermione's hair?"
Hermione scowled as Astoria and Ginny shot up from their positions on
the couch, giggling. "We're in!" They laughed simultaneously.
Riddle Manor [August 20, 4:00 am]
The only thing he could register was his head hurt. A lot. He could hear
someone breathing quietly next to him, and he tried to open his eyes to
see who it was. But it felt as someone had glued his eyelids shut, because
he couldn't open them. As he tried not to panic, because panicking was as
impractical as it could get, he relied on his other senses to figure out
where he was.
The only thing he could see were the random blue-white blurs one saw
when the eyes were closed. He could feel himself breathing, which
reassured him that at least he was alive. Why couldn't he open his eyes?
What had happened to him? His body wasn't responding to his
commands. What was wrong with him?
And he was so tired. Why was he even struggling to regain any control
over his body? He felt fine just like this. Eventually Hadrian gave into the
temptation and gave up fighting against himself. He figured he would be
fine when his body felt strong enough to get up.
Riddle Manor [August 20, 8:00 pm]
This time he found he could open his eyes at least. They opened with
ease, quite unlike the struggle he went through last time. He tired
moving his head, but it wouldn't budge. He sighed internally and went
back to staring at what looked like to be an ancient stone ceiling. How
fascinating. Hadrian thought. Before he knew it, he closed his eyes once
more and drifted into a peaceful sleep.
Riddle Manor [August 23, 12:43 am]
When Hadrian opened his eyes, he found the same stone ceiling he was
staring at before he fell asleep. He turned his head to the side and saw a
body leaning against the wall. Suddenly, Hadrian sat straight up. That
turned out to be a very bad idea, because he got a terrible head rush.
When his vision cleared slightly, Hadrian glanced around the room until
his eyes locked with a pair of ruby red eyes.
"You're awake." Voldemort stated, sounding slightly surprised himself.
Hadrian saw him kick away from the wall he was leaning on and hover
over him.
And then it all came crashing down on him.
He remembered it all, the betrayal, the pain, the feeling of being
powerless, the- the death. It was all vivid and clear in his mind, a memory
burned into his head. He gasped in shock and backed away quickly until
he was leaning against the cell doors. He spotted his wand near the
corner and he grabbed it, swiftly turning it against his father. It disgusted
him to even say the word.
If he didn't know better, the Dark Lord seemed concerned. He stepped
closer to Hadrian, and he cringed, waving his wand threateningly. "Don't
come closer." He warned.
"What is the matter now, brat? You've never been this terrified of my
presence since I first brought you here." Voldemort commented
indifferently.
"Don't take another step until you tell me what that potion was trying to
do." Hadrian hissed.
"You mean it worked? You were out for so many days, I thought you'd
died somewhere in the process." Voldemort mused.
"Tell me what it does. NOW!" Hadrian snapped. The Dark Lord turned his
cold gaze onto the boy cowering in the cell. He leaned down till he was
almost at eye level with the little brat.
"Watch your tone Hadrian. You seem to have forgotten who you're
talking to, and what I can do." The snake-like man sneered, stepping back
after a second.
"Does it show the future?" Hadrian asked, crossing his fingers and hoping
it wasn't true.
"It can. But in most cases, no it does not. Why? Are you afraid of what
you saw?" Voldemort smirked.
Hadrian tensed, feeling his father knew more than he was letting on. He
looked the Dark Lord in the eye, "What is it that I saw?"
Voldemort sighed, "It's a new potion I've been working on. The potion is
supposed to show you your greatest fears. Clearly, " He paused and
glanced at Hadrian, "it worked.
"But why? Why put me through so much mental torture just to be a test
subject for your sordid ideas? Why couldn't you have used a worthless
muggle?" Hadrian spat.
"It wasn't to torture you, ignorant fool. I did this for two reasons. The first
reason was to make you stronger. You'll never reach your full potential
until you conquer all your fears. This potion was to show you exactly
what you are afraid of." Voldemort explained. "You've already succeeded
in enduring physical pain by becoming almost immune to the Cruciatus.
Now it's time to test your mental endurance as well."
"That is the most sadistic thing I've ever heard." Hadrian muttered,
pulling himself up so he was in a standing position.
"Funny, that's nearly the same thing you said at age seven when we
started your Cruciatus lessons."
"Hardy har har." Hadrian faked a laugh. "As much as I'd like sit down
together and reminiscence about my twisted childhood, I have better
things to do." He turned to exit the cell, but Voldemort slammed the
doors shut.
"Now where was I? Oh yes, I was just telling you how you don't have a
choice in the matter." His father stated impassively. "Your lessons begin
during the Christmas holidays."
"What if I stay in the castle then?" Hadrian challenged, his green eyes
flashing.
"That would not be the wisest decision." Voldemort murmured. "I also
have another proposition for you."
"Whatever it is, no." Hadrian snorted.
"Trust me-"
"Not likely."
"This will be quite an intriguing experience." Voldemort continued on, as
if Hadrian had never spoken, "I have a new task for you, in addition to
your current mission for this year."
Hadrian stayed silent for a few minutes, but eventually his curiosity gave
out. He sighed, "Alright, what is it?"
"I want you to tutor the Mudblood you are so keen on in the dark aspects
of Ancient Runes and Potions. This potion that you took was simply a
test. By the end of this year, I want a better, more efficient way to create
this simulation." The Dark Lord commanded.
"I'm not going to trick her into learning something she doesn't want to go
near!" Hadrian protested, "She is my friend."
"She could be your wife and it still wouldn't change my mind." Voldemort
retorted. "By the end of your second year, I expect your current mission
to run smoothly, along with a little mudblood skilled in dark ancient
runes and potions, and a new, better simulation. Understand?"
"If I don't?" Hadrian dared to ask.
Voldemort smiled cruelly, "Dearest Hadrian, I brutally murdered my own
father. I've already spared your life once, boy. But that doesn't mean I'm
incapable of turning my wand against you when the time calls for it."
22. A New Year
A/N: Sorry for the very late updates, but hey at least its not two
months! (Laughs nervously). Anyways, I'm really sorry if some of
you guys think that Hermione is not Hermione and that Harry
would never act this way and how Draco/Hermione would never
work. But this is fan-fiction. I'm a fan, and this is fiction. I will write
this story however I want to write it. Of course, I would love to hear
your suggestions and consider your brilliant ideas (you guys are
awesome, by the way), but you have to remember that I am the
author, and if you don't like my writing style, or the way I have
written certain characters, or the plot, then I'm sorry to say this but
it's going to stay this way. That's all I have to say for now, but I hope
you enjoy the latest chapter! I'd love to hear your criticisms/
support/confession of complete adoration! Be sure to review or pm
me if you're confused/have any questions. Thanks guys, keep
reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own HP. J.K Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Lestrange Manor [August 30]
The large cast iron gates of Lestrange Manor opened slowly, dragging
themselves against the stone pathway, creating an ominous screeching
sound that sent shivers up her back. The dark haired woman stepped
through the gates delicately. The hair on the right side of her head was
singed badly, and only a couple sections remained untouched by the
burning heat. It hung long and loosely down her back, twisted into tight
little ringlets. She brushed a loose curl away from her face, tucking it
behind her ear. Tired, bloodshot eyes stared soullessly at the cracked
window panel hanging crookedly off the haunted looking manor.
Blackish, bluish, purple shadows hung under her eyes, making her pale
gaunt face appear more ghostlike than usual. A deep cut slashed across
her cheek, staining her otherwise flawless skin with ribbons of dark,
runny blood. Her burgundy colored lips were cracked from dehydration
and trembling from the bitterly frigid air. The premises of Lestrange
Manor were always freezing cold, all year long.
She trudged onward, hissing as the cold morning dew seeped in through
the holes in her knee high dragon-hide boots. The frayed edges of her
cloak swayed limply in the breeze, occasionally licking the perfectly
manicured lawn gracefully. Her skin broke out in goosebumps as the
freezing air ghosted across her shoulders. Her body was covered in what
seemed to be a mixture of sweat, mud, and sticky remnants of blood. She
licked her chapped lips, wincing as the slightest amount of moisture
burned her mouth. Her hands hung loosely at her sides, and it was only
when Bellatrix Lestrange reached to push open the massive doors, did she
notice the murky blood that stained them. She glanced down
apathetically, simply picking away at the dried flecks carelessly. Her
wickedly sharp, black-chipped nails scratched and dragged across her
milky skin, clawing and rubbing until a sudden tinge of pain caused her
to stop and look down. A small, almost invisible drop of blood had
trickled out, sullying her hand with a small amount of crimson, once
again.
As she stepped across the marbled threshold, Bellatrix ran her hands
through her rough curls, flattening it and smoothing out wisps of hair
that framed her face. Her dark empty eyes darted around emotionlessly
as she realized it was of no use. She looked like death, and she felt like
death. Hastily, Bellatrix pulled off her ripped boots and tossed them aside
indifferently. Her cloak was next to go, discarded messily on the cold
floor. The thought of her warm, comfortable bed and her bubble and
foam filled bathtub compelled her feet forward, until she was almost
running up the twisted stone steps two at a time. Her hair was flying
around her face like a madwoman, whilst her hand danced
absentmindedly over the ancient banister. She numbly turned around the
first of many corridors with her mechanical feet. Her ears shut out the
curious and cynical comments of her ancestors in the portraits hanging
above the hall. As she dashed across the darkened passages, her keen
black eyes caught sight of something peculiar. She froze and walked
backwards slowly until she came to face a large black wooden door, with
a perfectly polished silver handle. It was pushed open slightly, causing
her suspicions to arise. The door was always shut, unless….
Suddenly Bellatrix found herself smiling, for the first time in many days,
as she pushed open the door. Her daughter was finally home. Perhaps
coming home early had been a wise decision if it meant she got to meet
her daughter before she headed off to school once again. Immediately her
eyes brightened when she saw the blonde hair splayed out on the pale
pink eiderdown pillow. Her daughter lay curled up in a small ball,
tugging the pink duvet up to her chin. Bellatrix stepped inside quietly as
to not wake her, and tiptoed over to the bed. She crouched down and
gently pushed back her daughter's soft hair, placing a soft kiss on her
forehead and instantly forgetting about all the torture she had to endure
on this particular mission.
Bellatrix rose back up, straightening her posture and her eyes wandered
across the rest of the room. Her eyebrows crinkled in confusion as she
caught sight of the other occupants in the room. She identified the two
girls sleeping on a makeshift bed pushed against the window as the
Greengrass sisters. The third girl was snoring lightly and sprawled across
the couch in a strange position, with half her body tangled with the
sheets that were tossed onto the floor. After a second of scrutiny,
Bellatrix shrugged the third girl off, choosing instead to walk back into
the hall and continue up to her own room. She would speak to her
daughter in the morning.
She delicately pulled the door closed and turned back towards the second
set of magnificent black stone steps that led up to her floor. Her foot was
on the first step when she heard it. It was faint, but her abnormally
enhanced hearing caught the sound of a loud scrape of metal against
another surface. She paused and the silence trickled in, but then she
heard something again. It sounded like a small thud, followed by the
scuffling of something else. Bellatrix tensed. She turned around abruptly,
holding her breath so not even her breathing could deter the clear sound
of something coming from downstairs.
Bellatrix Lestrange slowly crept back towards the main stairs, her fears
all piling up inside her head. What if it was the Aurors? Bellatrix quickly
dismissed the thought with a quiet, unladylike snort. No team of those
do-good flashy Aurors would break into her home without their tasteless
theatrics and "in the name of the Ministry" bullshit. No. She concluded. It
was someone else entirely. Perhaps it was simply Rodolphus wandering
about, like he often did when he couldn't sleep at night. She tiptoed
down the stairs, and was curious to hear the sound coming from the
massive double doors that led to her dining hall. Bellatrix frowned. Most
thieves would've gone for the emerald encrusted sculptures and pure
silver wall décor, not her dining table.
She reached the front of the doors and hesitated before slamming them
open, fully expecting to see either her husband, or even a suicidal
burglar. When she saw neither, she was very perplexed. At the very end
of the long dining table that sat twenty, sat a small, petite redheaded girl,
with a light dusting of freckles scattering her nose. Her bright blue eyes
looked just as shocked to see her, which made Bellatrix frown in
confusion. She looked down at her own attire and it dawned on her. She
still looked like an escaped prisoner of Azkaban. Poor girl, she mused. She
must be terrified by now.
Bellatrix suddenly snapped, realizing with whom she was sympathizing.
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously and she examined the young girl from
head to toe. She was in the process of eating something, and held the
spoon halfway to her mouth as she stared at Bellatrix. Shaking off her
surprise, Bellatrix pulled her wand out, whispering "Imperio". Her eyes
never left those of the young girl.
"Who are you? And what are you doing in my house!" Bellatrix
demanded, remembering to keep her voice low as not to attract the
attention of the entire household. She cast a silencing charm, to ensure
they could not be heard.
The girl blanched, and her eyes turned dull. She opened her mouth and
rattled off the answers monotonously, "I am Ginerva Weasley. Destiny has
invited me to spend the few days leading up to the first day of Hogwarts
in this Manor."
Bellatrix's jaw dropped open slightly in utter surprise. She simply stared
at the young girl for a couple seconds with her thoughts too busy
jumbling in her head to form a coherent sentence. Remembering where
she was, Bellatrix closed her mouth, pursing her lips angrily. Her eyes
narrowed to slits and she walked over to where the young girl was
sitting.
Bellatrix leaned down and touched the girl's hair, running her fingers
through the soft, straight russet strands. "Ever since this Manor was built,
no one has dared to come near it. Even my own sister hasn't seen the
property, let alone come inside of it." Bellatrix yanked the girl's hair back
with such force, nearly snapping her neck. "So tell me now, Ginevera,
what makes you so special? Not only are you in my home, but also you're
sitting at my table, using one of my personally designed silver spoons.
Just one- even a half of those spoons could buy me your entire family
and their shamefully miniscule property." Bellatrix spat.
She propped herself onto the table, crossing her long legs and glancing
down at the Weasley girl. Ginerva was staring straight at something in
the distance with a cloudy look in her eyes and barely breaking her focus
to blink. Bellatrix smiled.
"As much as I'd like you to be in a right state of mind during this to hear
your screams of protest, it will cause many problems. I'm not willing to
take that risk. I'll just have to make do with what I have." She sighed,
twirling her ash black wand expertly with her thin fingers.
"What shall I start with?" Bella tapped her chin with her wand in a
calculating manner. Her eyes lit up in mock enlightenment. "Of course!
My favorite curse of all time. Crucio!"
On her face was a gleeful smile, as if she was almost delighted at the
prospect of having someone new to torture. Which she was. For a minute
the girl didn't even let out a small squeak of pain. She simply sat there,
hands folded in her lap, staring off at that same spot in the distance.
And then the screams of torture began. She arched her back, feeling the
spasms of pain shoot up through her entire body. Dark spots blurred her
vision, causing her to gasp and clutch her stomach. Her blood felt as if it
was boiling inside of her. Every inch of her skin seemed to be on fire,
burning everywhere. Each breath she took pained her greatly to the point
that she stopped breathing, just to limit the pain. A flicker of pain seemed
to flash in her otherwise unemotional eyes. It went unnoticed by
Bellatrix.
And Bellatrix Lestrange watched on in a kind of sadistic fascination as
she saw the young girl thrashing wildly and jerking around in a very
ungraceful fashion. She sighed, examining her nails in boredom,
eventually tuning out the pitiful wailing.
Finally Bellatrix huffed and stopped the spell, glaring at the young girl.
"Stand up, Ginerva Weasley."
The crying slowed to a gradual stop and Ginerva Weasley stood up, not
even bothering to wipe the tears that had escaped from her big baby blue
eyes. The blank look in her eyes was back.
"What fun is this if you aren't begging for mercy? I daresay, simply
watching you being tortured is a bit tiresome. I've always wanted to try
something, and I believe you are the perfect victim. " Bellatrix mused, her
amused gaze dancing over the table. "Pick up that knife."
Gingerly, Ginerva picked it up.
"Now hold it over your wrist-yes, perfect- and slash."
The girl did so, without even blinking. Her unresponsive face simply
stared at the same spot once again. Bellatrix grinned widely. "Do it again.
And again till I say stop."
And the girl did. Over and over again, until there was no more skin to
cut, and no more blood to bleed. Ginny Weasley simply stood cutting and
cutting and cutting, ignoring the sharp bouts of pain that came with each
slash. The air stung her open skin, and the drops of blood trickled down
slowly, then faster and faster. Once again, Bellatrix did not seem to
notice the sharp flinch of agony expressed in her eyes. Just as quickly as
it appeared, it was gone again.
Her weak arm hung limply to her side, and Bellatrix tsked. "Such a
shame." She rolled her eyes when she caught a glimpse of the dark, fluid
blood that coated the ground. "Why'd you have to make such a big mess,
girl? Clean it up."
Her amusement only seemed to rise when the Weasley knelt down and
dapped her satin napkin delicately to the bloody floor. Bellatrix cocked
her head to the side, "I suppose if I don't fix you, you'll die soon?" A smile
graced her face at the thought. "Alas, I cannot. But I have to warn you,
putting the blood back in will probably hurt you more. "
Bellatrix muttered a spell, watching the blood stream back into the body.
The girl's face scrunched up, and she bit her lip in absolute anguish. The
blood filtered back inside of her, although true to her word, the pain was
much worse. Finally, the cuts on her arm sealed, and glowed white for a
second before returning to their normal color. The skin puckered to a
thin white line that barely stood out on her already pale skin.
Bellatrix smirked, "Now do the other wrist."
Hogwarts Express [September 1]
Hadrian Riddle lounged comfortably against the plushy red seat in the
now full compartment. He was thinking deeply about the multiple tasks
his father had oh-so-kindly graced upon him this year. A frown settled
onto his face as he began to plan intently. How was he ever going to
balance his schoolwork, his friends, his father's conniving schemes, and
his sanity this year? It seemed impossible.
A smooth hand above his own startled him from his musings, and he
glanced up into the soft blue eyes of Daphne. She was staring at his with
a worried expression on her face and he smiled half-heartedly to reassure
her.
"I'm fine, Daphne." He said quietly, already knowing what she was going
to ask. She seemed skeptical, but nodded anyways and rested her head on
his shoulder, staring out the window like he had been doing before. She
spoke in a hushed whisper so quiet, his ears strained to hear it. "I have a
bad feeling about this year." She confessed without even looking up at
him. "Something seems wrong."
Hadrian put an arm around her petite frame, pulling her closer to him.
She smelled like vanilla. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. Destiny
would've warned us if something were truly going to happen." He
insisted. His lips curved up into a small smirk. "For instance, according to
Destiny, Potter and Weasley will crash into the Whomping Willow with a
flying car during the Welcome Back Feast."
Daphne laughed, "Even Potter and Weasley wouldn't be daft enough to do
such an idiotic thing. I'm starting to worry for your sister's ability,
Hadrian."
Hadrian grinned, "Well, she has been a bit dazed this entire summer." He
gently rubbed soft circles on Daphne's bare shoulder with the pad of his
thumb. "Don't worry, Daphne. Everything will be fine." He repeated, this
time with a steely look in his eyes. It was almost as if he was trying to
convince himself.
Daphne's small hand touched his face, and his gaze softened as he looked
down at her. "Hadrian...please don't forget about us this year." She began.
She pushed a finger against his lips, effectively stopping his protests, as
she continued on, "What I mean is, don't forget we're here for you. I know
sometimes you can get too caught up in doing the things that your father
asks of you. Just remember that we are here to help you in any condition.
Don't be to proud to ask."
Hadrian nodded crisply, swallowing the emotion that had suddenly
sprung up at her words. He focused thoughts instead on Destiny, who had
just risen from her spot near the door.
"Where are you going, Destiny? We'll be at the school in less than ten
minutes now." Hadrian called out. Destiny turned to her brother and
raised an eyebrow curiously at the blonde girl resting against him.
Hadrian flushed slightly, but didn't drop his arm from her Daphne's
shoulders.
"I'm going to go find Neville. He's been gone for quite a while now."
Destiny muttered, quickly ducking out of the compartment. He watched
her go and shook his head. She had been getting more and more secretive
as each day passed.
Hermione looked up from the book she was reading. She crinkled her
eyebrows, "Did Destiny leave again?"
"What do you mean, again?"
"Meaning, she's been disappearing several times this past week, and
showing up again an hour or two later. Has she gone off again? This is
the second time she's left during the entire ride here." Hermione stated.
Her face twisted into an annoyed expression as Blaise tugged at her hair
once more. "Ouch! Blaise, would you just quit it already?" She snapped,
gathering up her giant hair from Blaise's grip. He had been trying, very
unsuccessfully to braid Hermione's hair.
"Come on, mia carina, just one more try!" He pleaded.
"Absolutely not! And my name is, Hermione, thank you very much!" She
hissed, tossing her hair over her shoulder defiantly.
"He's trying to prove to Hermione that he can get her hair to look more
stylish than she can." Daphne whispered as an explanation to their
strange behavior.
Draco scoffed, "As if anything can make that thing, look stylish."
Hermione glared at him, her chocolate brown eyes flashing with anger.
"For your information, my hair can be tamed, I just choose not to."
Draco sneered, "I wasn't talking about your bushy hair, mudblood. I was
talking about you."
"Listen up you blonde, albino idiot. Three words: Hot. Pink. Hair."
Hermione threatened menacingly, "I did it once, I can do it again."
Hadrian could've laughed out loud at the horrified expression on Draco's
face. He bit his tongue to stop himself from doing just that and looked
out the window instead. He was surprised to see the silhouette of the
castle in the near distance.
"I should go find Destiny, we're about to get off the train soon." He
announced, starting to get up. Daphne shook her head and gestured to
herself and Hermione.
"No, stay here. Hermione and I have to change into our robes anyways,
so we'll go find her. You all can change here."
Hadrian shrugged and removed his arm from her shoulders so she could
stand up. She bent down to pick up the heeled shoes she had kicked off
before and fastened them onto her feet. Ignoring Hermione's protests of
being separated from her book, Daphne dragged her outside the
compartment.
The two girls headed in the direction of the washroom, keeping an eye
out for Destiny. Daphne looked around curiously. "Where is she?"
Hermione shrugged. As they walked to the back of the train, the only
people she saw were a few sixth years lounging around, a shadowed
couple sharing an adorably romantic moment, and a small first year
crying to go home.
After dealing with the first year and convincing her that she did not have
to fight a werewolf in order to be sorted into a house, they continued on
their way. There was a small line to the washroom, but it moved fairly
quickly.
Immediately when they entered, Hermione twisted her hair into a bun,
and let a few soft wisps of hair frame her face. She looked at Daphne for
approval, and the girl nodded. Daphne brushed out her hair and splashed
some cold water on her face, attempting to get rid of the fatigued look
that she had been sporting all morning. As soon as they were done
changing into their robes, they came back outside and noticed the train
had stopped.
Excitedly, the two girls ran to the nearest exit, determined to meet up
with their friends. The elder prefects quickly insisted they seat
themselves in a carriage as they ushered the first years towards the
direction of the boats. Daphne scanned the crowd of children for the
boys, but when she couldn't find any of them, she allowed herself to be
dragged by Hermione into a carriage.
They sat down quietly, ignoring the two third or fourth years that stared
at them curiously. The carriage was silent as they travelled up to
Hogwarts, and Hermione's foot bounced up and down at the
awkwardness.
Finally, after what seemed like an endless amount of time, the carriage
slowed to a stop. Hermione nearly threw herself out of the carriage,
while Daphne chose to step down elegantly. They glanced at the front of
the carriage as it rolled forward.
"What pulls the carriages?" Daphne asked no one in particular, staring in
awe.
"I'm not sure." Hermione murmured, staring interestedly at the retreating
carriage.
"Wow, the great Hermione Granger doesn't know the answer to a
question? Shocking!" Daphne said sarcastically. She giggled and quickly
ran forward to escape Hermione's affronted (violent) reaction.
They arrived near the Main Entrance, and swiftly turned into the Great
Hall. The feast was already set up, and most of the students were already
seated in their designated spots. Daphne waved goodbye to Hermione,
who was already making her way towards her friends at the Ravenclaw
table.
Daphne shook her head as the studious Ravenclaws immediately pulled
out books and bent their heads together to start a heated discussion
about the valuable information one found in Theories of Transubstantial
Transfiguration.
She sauntered over to the group of boys seated at the Slytherin table, and
wordlessly slid in between Hadrian and Blaise. She glanced at the empty
spot next to Draco. "Where's Neville?"
Hadrian shrugged, "I'm not sure, but I sure hope he knows where Destiny
is. She still isn't here." Suddenly he gripped his silver goblet
apprehensively, "You reckon she's alright, yeah?"
"She's fine, Hadrian." Blaise laughed. He pointed to something behind
them. "See? She's right there. And look, Neville's there too."
True to his word, Destiny and Neville were coming through the doors of
the Great Hall. Their faces were flushed and they were laughing at
something so hard, they were blissfully unaware of the shocked looks
they were getting. Neville waved to Destiny and walked over to the
Slytherin table, where he was met with several curious looks.
"What?" He asked defensively, picking up his glass and filling it with icy
water in one smooth motion. "Do I have something on my face?"
"Yeah, that stupid smile." Draco retorted. "What's so funny anyways?"
"Never mind that. Where were you?" Hadrian asked discreetly, as to
avoid the already curious looks thrown their way.
"Me? Er- I was somewhere." He waved his hand dismissively, "Does it
matter?"
"Yes. Did you see Destiny perhaps? Lord knows where that girl wanders
off to..." Hadrian trailed off, unaware of the odd look that came into
Neville's eyes. "Always disappearing."
Neville cleared his throat, "Yeah we rode in the same carriage together.
And when we got off, you will not believe what we saw."
"What was it?" Blaise asked.
"Potter and Weasley got themselves into trouble…with Snape!" Neville
sounded almost gleeful as he retold the tale of seeing the flying car crash
into the Whomping Willow in the distance.
"You should've seen their faces, mate. I swear Weasel was about to piss
himself!" Neville chuckled.
Daphne giggled behind her hand, "I wonder how many points they'll lose.
And classes haven't even started yet!"
As if on cue, black rubies filled the Gryffindor hourglass, signaling the
significant loss of at least a hundred points. Neville's grin only got wider.
"I must say, this year is off to a brilliant start." He commented, the smile
never leaving his face even for a second.
The Hall soon grew quiet as the doors opened once again and the little
first years came shuffling inside, some looking panicked, and some
looking absolutely at ease. Astoria Greengrass caught sight of her sister,
and she waved enthusiastically which caused Daphne to blush in
embarrassment. But she still waved back.
The sorting went by pretty quickly and Hadrian only paid attention when
Astoria Greengrass was being sorted. He could see Daphne crossing her
fingers underneath the table, and he hid a smile. She had nothing to
worry about.
True to his prediction, Astoria Greengrass soon pranced over to the
Slytherin table, a bright grin on her face. She went to sit next to her
sister, but Daphne shook her head and subtly pointed to the end of the
table, where the rest of the newly sorted Slytherin first years were sitting.
Astoria scowled, but seemed to accept it as she strolled over to the end of
the table. The skip in her step had vanished.
Hadrian knew it pained Daphne to casually dismiss her sister, but that
was the way things worked in Slytherin. You had to work your way up to
the top. A first year sitting at the middle of the table was unacceptable.
The last sorting of the evening was with one Ginerva Weasley. Hadrian
still wasn't sure how to feel about her. She seemed cunning enough, but
her bloody emotions were what made her intolerable. As he caught sight
of the young redhead, he immediately noticed something was wrong.
She seemed completely withdrawn, and her face was emotionless. Her
eyes had dark circles underneath them and she kept fidgeting with the
sleeves of her robes. She barely looked up to see where she was going
and almost tripped over the three stone steps that led up to the sorting
hat.
It took some time, but the hat eventually called out, "Slytherin!"
Ginny Weasley began to walk forward, her feet completely mechanical
and her eyes lifeless. She either was in shock, or didn't seem to even care.
Ignoring everyone's eyes on her, she sat down beside Astoria, and began
to fill up her water goblet as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
The entire hall was silent, and everyone was in shock. No Weasley had
ever gone into Slytherin. Out of everyone in the entire hall, the only
person truly happy about the hat's decision was Astoria Greengrass. She
looked torn between cheering and clapping, or simply keeping her head
down. Hadrian thought he would make it easier for her.
He stood up and clapped. It was a slow, steady, loud clap that echoed
throughout the hall. He shot a look to his still stunned friends and they
hesitantly stood up and began to clap. Their actions inspired all the other
Slytherins to clap halfheartedly. They wore scowls on their face and no
one seemed happy about it.
Chatter eventually broke out in the hall after that, and people began to
gossip and laugh at the Weasley's misfortune. She would be eaten alive in
a den of snakes.
Dumbledore shook his head at the terrible event that had occurred, and
made a mental note to write to Molly Weasley he, and also to talk to his
Sorting Hat. In the meantime, he waved it off and gave the "Welcome
Back" Speech as per usual and instructed everyone of the new changes
that would be taking place this year.
He introduced the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy
Lockhart and sighed as he saw nearly every student snickering. The
blonde man wasn't making a very good impression with the students as
he took several bows and began telling them a story about his encounter
with a troll.
When the doors opened again and Weasel and Potter came inside,
everyone held their breath (completely ignoring Professor Lockhart, who
was still speaking) and seemed to swallow their laughter.
Ronald Weasley and Alexander Potter slid themselves into the remaining
seats at Gryffindor table, and reluctantly explained why they were late.
Almost immediately, every single Gryffindor's eyes turned to the
hourglasses holding the house points for the year, and they groaned
simultaneously.
Seeing the two dunderheads loose so many points for Gryffindor, even
before term had started must've caused someone to snap because
suddenly Ronald Weasley's eyes widened and he cast a glance at the
Slytherin table to see if it was true.
When he saw his sister casually sitting there, cutting her steak into small
bite-size pieces, his face turned an unnatural shade of white, then red,
then purple. "GINNY WEASLEY!" He shouted, spittle flying everywhere.
Several Gryffindors around him scowled in disgust, pushing their plates
away from them.
The Weasley twins looked absolutely humiliated to even be sitting at the
same table as their rabid dog of a brother. His expression looked like one
of a angry Rottweiler, snapping and growling. He was about to march
over to the table but the twins held him in his spot. They seemed to be
hissing something very angrily in his ear and it worked because he
settled down, although he constantly glared over his shoulder at his
sister.
Blaise laughed at the big scene the Gryffindors were making over such a
trifle matter. He honestly thought it wasn't a big deal. When Destiny had
gone into Gryffindor, Hadrian hadn't thrown a fit. He had been
completely calm about it, albeit a bit confused, but he took it in stride.
Draco raised an eyebrow and lowered his voice to a whisper, "Did we
have to clap for that blood traitor though? Now everyone will think we're
muggle lovers."
Hadrian nodded curtly, "Yes."
Draco almost whined, "But why?"
Hadrian stabbed his fork at a cherry tomato, not meeting anyone's eyes.
"Because, Draco, when my sister went through the same thing last year,
the Weasley twins accepted her. Now I'm accepting their sister." He said
simply, putting the tomato in his mouth and chewing slowly.
Daphne smiled, although she didn't say anything. Instead she turned and
shot her sister an apologetic smile, but her sister simply sniffed and
turned away. Daphne turned her gaze to Ginny, who had cleared her
plate and now was staring at the doors of the great hall with mild
interest.
Daphne raised an eyebrow at the girl's strange behavior. Despite what
Hadrian had said that evening, she was sure something wasn't right. She
still had a terrible nagging feeling that this year would definitely not be
good at all.
23. A Series of Lies
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. J.K Rowling owns Harry Potter.
A/N: I literally just sat down and wrote this entire chapter over the
course of two hours instead of doing my work, so I have to say, I'm
quite proud. I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter! (And for those
of you that think Ginny's under imperious…Nice guess, but she's
not) I'll leave you to ponder that, but in the meantime, don't forget
to ask any questions/criticize since I would love to clarify/get
better! I hope you like it!
Slytherin Dormitory [September 2]
Daphne Greengrass slipped a rhinestone headband on her head, and
pushed her hair out of her face. She smiled prettily at her reflection and
smoothed down her skirt. Classes would start in about two hours, but
Slytherins were always early.
She sauntered out of her room, making sure to cast a complicated locking
spell on her trunk. Better safe than sorry. She walked carefully down the
marble steps to the first floor. She hid a smile at the few first years
already up, scurrying around frantically and triple checking their ties and
smoothing out any wrinkles on their uniforms.
She tapped a first year boy on his shoulder and asked him a question. He
stared at her and blushed, stuttering and pointing down the hall. Daphne
smiled at him and the boy flushed bright red. She walked towards the
direction he had pointed to and knocked on the only closed door. When
she heard no response, Daphne pushed it open.
Slightly disappointed at her sister for not putting up any kind of
protection spell, Daphne poked her head around the door. The room was
dark, and Daphne could barely make out a lumped body on the sheets.
She rolled her eyes and cast lumos, brightening the entire room. She
walked closer to the bed and yanked the covers off her sister, letting the
naturally cold air in the dungeons wake her up.
After a minute, her sister stirred and reached for the silver-green sheets,
but she found none. She opened an eye and groaned, seeing her sister
standing impatiently at the side of her bed.
"Astoria!" Daphne exclaimed, "Why aren't you up yet? We have to be in
the Great Hall in an hour! Were you not paying attention to Snape's
speech last night?"
"Daph, just let me sleep for five more minutes." She begged, burying her
head in her pillow.
"She's not getting up, is she?" A voice called out from behind the sisters.
Daphne turned around and was met with the sight of Ginerva Weasley
leaning against the doorframe. She quickly noticed that unlike her own
sister, Ginny was fully dressed. Her tie was perfect and her uniform was
crisp. Not a hair out of place.
Daphne smiled. "Hello Ginerva. You look quite nice today. Are you
excited for your classes?"
Ginny gave her a look that showed exactly how ecstatic she was. She
strolled over to stand next to Daphne and glanced down at her best
friend.
"See, Astoria? Ginerva's ready." Daphne chastised, glancing
disapprovingly at her own sister. Astoria muttered something
unintelligible and turned away from them.
"Don't make me hex you." Daphne warned. "Because I will."
Astoria groaned and reluctantly sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes.
"Have I told you how much I hate you?" She glared, "Both of you." She
added, seeing Ginny standing beside her sister. Ginny just smirked and
wordlessly pointed Astoria towards the direction of the loo.
She growled and clumsily grabbed her uniform before trudging into the
loo to get ready. Ginny threw herself onto an armchair in the room, and
Daphne leaned against the bedpost of Astoria's unmade bed.
Daphne assessed Ginny calculatingly. The girl seemed all right, but there
was an empty look in her eyes that worried her. This wasn't the Ginny
she had come to know. She didn't even protest when she called her
"Ginerva".
Perhaps she was just sad at being sorted into Slytherin. She knew how
Destiny had felt the previous year when she was sorted into Gryffindor.
Her best friend had put on a brave face, but Daphne knew everything.
She knew the bullying her friend had to endure for months, all the
teasing and taunts. Daphne vowed not to let Ginny resort to the same
fate. Making up her mind, she turned to Ginny who was looking intently
at her feet.
"Look up."
Ginny's head snapped up, and she glanced questionably at Daphne.
"Slytherins never look down at their feet. Always keep your head up high
because confidence is key. This is a house full of competition. Everyone is
striving to be the best. You'll never last a day in Slytherin if you don't
prove yourself. You are going to The Princess. Make sure everyone else
knows it."
"What's The Princess?" Ginny asked curiously.
"The Princess is a title given to the leader of the Slytherin girls in every
year. Completely unofficial, just a sense of pride comes with the title. I
don't think the boys even know about this. Anyways there are a total of
six princesses in Slytherin. One for each year." Daphne explained.
"Shouldn't there be seven? Since there are seven years?" Ginny pointed
out.
"Usually, the seventh year Princess is referred to as The Queen. She
basically rules all Slytherin. Sometimes if a Slytherin is Head Girl, she
automatically gets crowned Queen. But none of these rules are official. A
fifth year could be The Slytherin Queen. But it rarely ever happens."
Daphne paused and glanced at Ginny, "You are going to be The Princess
of your year."
"But I don't even belong h-"
Daphne held up a hand, stopping her. "Don't even say it. The hat put you
here for a reason and now whether you like it or not, you're one of us."
"No one will ever accept me here." Ginny stated sadly, covering her face
with her hands.
"Give them no choice." Daphne said fiercely. "Show them exactly who's in
charge."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"Easy. Make yourself the best. Excel in your classes, your magic, your
attitude, your looks, etc. Excellence is what makes a Slytherin."
"Why aren't you telling your sister this?" Ginny asked curiously.
Daphne glanced towards the door of the washroom and lowered her
voice, "My sister already knows this, but she'll never listen to me. She's
not a true Slytherin, that girl. She's much too nice for her own good. But
you, Ginerva. There's hope for you yet."
Ginny sighed and ran a hand through her hair, pulling nervously on a
long lock of hair. "What do I have to do?"
"Which one of the Slytherin girls has already tried to gain power, Ginny?"
"Well, I honestly don't kn-"
"Yes, you do. You're a Slytherin. You've probably already noticed it."
"Rosier. Evanna Rosier. She claimed she was the future heiress to the
entire House of Black." Ginny snorted. "As if."
"Short, brown hair, and a terrible penchant for saying whatever comes to
mind?"
"That's her."
Daphne nodded slowly, "I think you can take her."
"She can take who?" Astoria Greengrass asked, emerging from the
restroom, a haze of steam following her. She frowned and glanced
between the two.
"Evanna Rosier." Ginny responded, with a roll of her eyes.
Astoria grinned widely. "Of course! Ginny will win over that prissy show
pony any day."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Ginny said dryly. "So what do I have
to do?"
"Take that bint down in front of everyone!" Astoria cheered as she ran a
brush through her silky hair.
"Ignore my sister, she's an idiot." Daphne said breezily, waving her hand.
"In Slytherin, overthrowing anyone with power, however little, has to be
sneaky."
"So I have to slowly gain power." Ginny stated.
Daphne nodded. "First, discredit the silly girl. Covertly bring up all her
secrets, all the lies she's told and reveal them one bye one. But don't get
carried away. Only reveal the things that will help you at that moment.
Save everything else you learn for possible blackmail later."
"Then, once you've got people doubting her, give them something new to
talk about. You. Everyone should know your name; everyone should
know what you're doing, what you like and such. Understand?"
Ginny nodded vigorously.
"Once you've got everyone talking about you, start building your image.
The perfect Slytherin girl has to be cold, cunning, ruthless, manipulative
when time calls for it, and intelligent. You don't need to be perfect, per
se. Just good enough that everyone believes you are."
"I don't know if I'll be able to do that." Ginny muttered.
"You can and you will." Daphne insisted. "As soon as you've got the
perfect image, select a few suitable people who you can be seen with.
That way, everyone will want to be in that group, just to be near you.
Astoria will be able to help you with that, she's always been a great judge
of character."
Astoria beamed at the compliment.
"The hardest part of this plan is maintaining the power. Even after you've
succeeded becoming Princess in your year, it's not a secure position. Any
day, any minute actually you could lose your title. Power is the hardest
thing to gain, and the easiest thing to lose. So always be alert."
"I don't know, Daphne. I'm a Weasley, I barely have anything! No money,
no stunning looks, no extreme intelligence!"
"You don't need any of that for power. Of course, it would help, but it's
not necessary. And besides, you do have everything. Money will not be
an issue as long as you have power. If you ever need anything, we'll take
care of it, don't worry."
"I can't ask that of you!" Ginny protested, quickly feeling embarrassed.
"You're not. I'm telling you. And don't worry Ginerva, dear. There's more
than we can even spend." Daphne said forcefully. Suddenly a dark
shadow came over her face. "I almost forgot one thing. Trust no one. You
haven't known anyone for long enough to trust them with any secrets of
yours. If you truly wish, you can confide with Astoria if it's something
serious. But mostly keep it to yourself. Always be wary of anything you
say to others. "
"Okay. I think I may be able to do this?" She said, but it sounded like
more of a question.
"You can, and you will. I won't stand another fake little girl wanting to be
The Princess. I already had to deal with Parkinson last year." Daphne
muttered.
Astoria started to giggle. "I remember that. You used to write to me all
year about what a cow, pug faced little wench she is!"
Daphne shrugged, "Well she is. She honestly thought she could challenge
me?"
Ginny raised an eyebrow, "I'm assuming you were The Princess of your
first year? And I bet you're Princess of second year now."
Daphne smirked.
"I can do this." Ginny said, more confidently. She turned to Astoria and
the wide grin on her face faltered. "Are you sure you don't mind?"
Astoria shrugged, "I don't even want to be Princess. It's all yours."
"Alright then, now that that's settled, I must be going. Remember, be
present at the Slytherin table at-"
"Eight A.M." The girls chorused, "We know."
Daphne gave them a hard look before turning and heading out the door.
Most of the first years had already left for the common room, or headed
towards the Great Hall. Daphne skipped towards the Common Room, and
immediately noticed her friends casually chatting on the couches.
"Look who's up on time." She mocked, leaning against the infamous
armchair Hadrian was sitting on. Now that the Head Boy had graduated,
the chair was free once again. But no one dared to even come near it
because it was clear that Hadrian Riddle had already claimed it.
Hadrian smiled up at her, and Daphne blushed. She was about to look
away, when she noticed something peculiar.
"Hadrian! Your tie!" She admonished, pointing accusingly at the
offending item haphazardly thrown around his neck. She muttered
something about boys before yanking him up from his sitting position.
Hadrian stared at her as she expertly did his tie, her smooth skin casually
brushing his neck as she adjusted the material. She was about to tell him
something when she glanced up and her eyes locked with his. There was
a small second of silence as Daphne's lips parted and she stared at his
emerald green eyes.
She quickly shook her head and muttered, "I swear I did this almost every
day last year. How have you not learned how to tie a tie yet?"
Hadrian sighed, feeling an odd feeling of disappointment and ran a hand
through his hair, "I guess I never paid attention."
She huffed and turned to the rest of the boys who were watching them
curiously. Only Neville seemed to have a big, knowing smile on his face.
Daphne raised an eyebrow. "What are we waiting for? Potter to get a
brain? We'll be waiting forever then. " She snapped.
Draco frowned, "Well, we were going to go, but Hadrian insisted we
should wait for you. Where were you anyways?"
"Never mind that." Blaise cut in, "Can we go now? Daphne's here and I'm
starving."
Daphne shrugged and they stood up, heading towards the entrance of
their common room. "I was on the First Year floor, making sure my sister
and Ginny got up."
"Why do you insist on being nice to the Weasley girl anyways?" Blaise
asked.
"I don't want her to suffer like Destiny did." Daphne explained.
"Obviously the hat put her in Slytherin for a reason. She obviously didn't
ask for it, did she now?"
"She's strange." Was Neville's only comment.
"Hush, Neville. Oh look, there's Destiny. I'll go say hello." Daphne said,
darting through the Great Hall doors towards the blonde haired girl
sitting at the Gryffindor table.
"Destiny!" Daphne greeted, briefly pulling in her best friend for a hug.
"No one has been bothering you this year, have they?" Daphne murmured
in her friend's ear before they broke apart.
Destiny shook her head, "You have no idea how thankful I am. No one
has even tried anything at all, I think Fred and George have something to
do with it."
"Fred and George, huh?" Daphne teased, "Looks like they're paying extra
close attention to you this year."
Destiny sputtered indignantly. "They're just concerned!"
Daphne laughed as she walked away towards the Slytherin table. "Sure,
Destiny."
"What's so funny?" Draco asked, delicately spreading some jam onto his
toast.
"Destiny's got herself some admirers." Daphne smirked.
"What!" Hadrian exclaimed at the same time Neville started to choke on
his drink.
Daphne glanced at him worriedly, but he shook his head and grabbed a
glass of water. "I'm fine. Someone just decided to switch my pumpkin
juice with something that my taste buds found quite horrid." He looked
accusingly at Blaise.
Blaise grinned mischievously and held up his hands in surrender. "Guilty
as charged."
"What's this about Destiny-"
"Relax Hadrian," Daphne laughed, squeezing his hand. "I'm kidding."
"She can't have a boyfriend, she's too young." Hadrian protested anyways.
Neville shrugged, "Well, if you have a girlfriend, I don't see why she can't
date as well."
Daphne turned to look at Hadrian accusingly, "You didn't tell me you
have a girlfriend."
"I have a girlfriend?" Hadrian blinked. "Since when?"
Neville grinned, "Oh that's right. You don't have one yet."
"Yet? I'm confused."
He shrugged, "Destiny was looking into the future and she told me."
Hadrian nodded, silent for a minute. "Well who is it then?"
Neville tsked. "I'm not going to tell you! That would ruin the surprise!"
"But it's my girlfriend." He protested.
"Future girlfriend." Blaise corrected. Hadrian shot him an irritated look.
"Fine, if you must know…" Neville sighed dramatically, "It's Millicent
Bustrode."
"Tell me you're kidding." Hadrian paled. He stared Neville down for a
couple of seconds before Neville burst into laughter.
"Alright, I'm just joking. But you should've seen the look on your face."
"That wasn't funny." Daphne said seriously, "It was hilarious." She grinned
widely although it seemed rater forced to Neville.
Blaise lowered his voice and glanced around not so subtly. "So…what's
the plan for this year? Any more three headed dogs we have to fight?"
Hadrian shot him a look, so Blaise quickly added, "I mean, not that I'd be
against it. If I had to fight a three-headed dog…I would. Just, I'd rather
not?" He trailed off when he saw Draco shaking his head.
Hadrian drank a long sip of his pumpkin juice and wordlessly stood up.
"We have classes." He reminded them. They all nodded, and reluctantly
got up as well.
Headmaster's Office [September 2: 7 P.M]
Dumbledore sighed as he gazed tiredly at the red-haired witch across
from his desk. She was no longer the carefree, vivacious woman she had
been years ago. There seemed to be permanent dark circles under her
eyes, and her cheeks had sunken into her skin.
"Lily, you know I can't do this."
"Try it Albus. Please. You know how important it is to me. I know you
think he's dead. But he isn't! I can feel it!" Lily insisted.
"Lily, you can't possibly be doubting the magic of Hogwarts. You've
witnessed firsthand how strong it is. I'm sorry to say this dear but you
must accept it. Harry has passed away. He isn't coming back."
Dumbledore said soothingly, patting her hand.
"He's alive! Call it a mother's intuition. I just know it!" She hissed.
"Perhaps it's simply a memory, Lily. You may feel it because you miss
him, not because you think he's alive." He said.
Mistake number one. Never doubt a mother's intuition. Especially Lily
Potter.
Her face quickly turned a shade of red, "Albus Dumbledore! I know
where he is and I know he is alive! So hand him over! I need to see him!"
Dumbledore was never a very religious man. But in this moment, he
prayed to god to get this woman out of his office. They had been going
back and forth for the past fifteen minutes, and although he had tried to
pacify her, it was to no avail.
"Be realistic, he would be at Hogwarts if he was alive, no?" He spoke in a
helpful manner.
Lily scowled. "Don't patronize me, Albus. He is at this school, I've seen
him."
"Oh you have?"
"Yes. Dark, almost black hair. Stunning green eyes? I believe he's in the
same year as Alexander." Lily described.
Dumbledore paled and looked at the witch in front of him. He had to call
for James Potter immediately to inform him that his wife had gone
insane. Albus cleared his throat, "Mrs. Potter, I don't think that's your
Harry. The boy you are describing goes by the name Hadrian Riddle." He
frowned at the hopeful look on her face. "He's in Slytherin." Albus added,
as if that would convince her that Hadrian Riddle was most certainly, not
her son.
"I want to see him." Lily demanded. "We can perform the parent revealing
charm on him."
"The boy is an orphan. I'm almost a hundred percent sure he's the spawn
of that Riddle. Voldemort, Lily. The boy is the heir of Voldemort. I'm
surprised that Tom actually was human enough to reproduce."
Dumbledore spat.
"Of course he's not Lord Voldemort son!" Lily said, sounding scandalized.
"He's my son."
"At the moment, I don't think the boy knows who his father is. He doesn't
seem dangerous according to any of my professors, and I'd like to keep it
that way till I figure out how to deal with him. I doubt he's even seen his
father. We don't need him asking questions, or worse, finding answers.
The boy is too powerful, Lily. He's too smart. He'll want to know who his
father is. Once he finds out, he'll turn to the dark arts. I know it. We can't
afford having such power on the dark side."
"I don't care. The boy is my son, so it doesn't matter. Call him up." Lily
commanded.
"Fine." Dumbledore conceded. "But first, I need the permission of James.
And if the boy discovers his father and turns to the dark arts, I'll hold this
over you forever." He smiled to let her know he was kidding.
"Done. And if he's truly my son Albus, I will make sure that wretched
twinkle in your eyes vanishes forever." She said coldly causing Albus to
gulp.
Dumbledore was about to get up to floo call James Potter, but the man
himself stumbled out of the fireplace. He clumsily made his way towards
the desk and pointed an accusing finger at Lily.
"You crazy woman!" He cried, "I can't believe you did this!"
Lily Potter seemed completely unaffected by her husband's outburst and
she simply sniffed and pointed to the chair next to hers. "Sit down,
James. You're making a fool out of yourself." She said haughtily, flipping
her hair behind her shoulder.
The messy haired man grumbled something, but staggered over to the
chair and nearly threw himself onto it. "You are crazy." He slurred,
repeating his words from before.
Albus eyed his former student from across the desk. He frowned. "James,
are you drunk?"
"No!" He protested.
"Yes, he is." Lily grimaced, leaning away from him.
"Okay, maybe a little." He grinned roguishly. "But I blame her!"
Lily rolled her eyes, "I don't see what I have to do with you getting piss
drunk."
"Yes, you do!" He nearly yelled. Then he winced and covered his ears.
"The mental witch stunned me! And then she left me alone!"
The Headmaster's eyes widened and he looked between the couple. He
had suspected there were some problems in their marriage a while ago,
but he thought they had gotten over it. He cleared his throat, "Lily, why
did you stun him?"
Lily shrugged nonchalantly. "He wouldn't let me come to Hogwarts to ask
you about Harry. So I stunned him."
"That's not a valid reason." Albus scolded. He looked over at James.
"James, why are you drunk?"
"Slightly drunk." James corrected. "After my lovely wife stunned me, I
must've hit my head on something because I woke up with a pounding
headache. A bit of fire whiskey would fix that right up, but then I got a
little carried away."
"By 'carried away' he means borderline alcoholic." Lily snorted.
James was about to protest, but Albus cut in. "Never mind that. James,
Lily here seems to have got it into her head that your son is alive."
"Of course Alexander is alive!" James rolled his eyes.
"Not Alexander, James. Your other son."
"Who?"
"Harry Potter." Lily sneered. "Forgotten your own son now?"
"Oh, Harry. Yes, he's dead." James went on, completely ignoring his wife.
"Yes, well Lily thinks he's at this school under the name of Hadrian
Riddle." Albus explained.
"Riddle? As in Tom Riddle? Like the Lord Voldemort, Riddle?" James
sputtered, suddenly feeling a lot more sober.
"Correct."
"Dumbledore, I think my wife is insane." James concluded.
"Just let Dumbledore try the parent revealing charm on him, James. I'm
positive the boy is our son. But if he isn't, then there's no harm done."
Lily pleaded.
James Potter scratched the back of his neck in thought. Then he
shrugged. "Why not? If it'll stop Lily's incessant whining and crying once
and for all, then go ahead. "
"Because the spell is illegal without the boy's consent." Dumbledore
revealed.
"Well, if he truly is an orphan, wouldn't he want to know who his parents
are?" James pointed out.
"I suppose. I'll tell Severus to bring the boy up." Dumbledore finally
agreed.
A while later, the doors to the Headmaster's office opened, and in strode
in a confident Hadrian Riddle. The boy had an unreadable expression on
his face, although he did glance distrustfully at the two Potters. Severus
Snape accompanied the boy, and he leaned against the wall crossing his
arms as he peered uninterestedly at the scene before him.
"Hello Severus. You look well." Lily beamed at the man.
"Mrs. Potter." He addressed her curtly, barely even looking at her.
The smile on her face faltered.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Riddle." Dumbledore smiled at the boy. Hadrian
simply raised an eyebrow and nodded, hardly acknowledging him. "You
must be curious as to why you were called here."
"Clearly, you're going to tell me." Hadrian drawled, folding his arms.
Dumbledore frowned, but it was nearly unnoticeable. Of course, Hadrian
noticed and his lips twitched upwards.
"Yes, well, have you ever wondered about your parents, ma 'boy?" He
asked kindly.
Hadrian shrugged, letting Dumbledore interpret it in any way.
Apparently, the old wizard took it as a sign to continue.
"What if I told you, there's a way to find out who your parents are?" He
said cautiously.
"Then I'd ask what took you so long to inform me of this." Hadrian
responded, his eyes turning cold.
Snape kept his face neutral, but inside he was marveling at the little
brat's ability to act. Forget becoming a dark lord, the boy should become
an actor! Even he found himself believing the white lies that came out of
the boy's mouth.
"It wasn't the right time, Hadrian." Dumbledore defended lamely.
Hadrian bristled at the use of his first name, but it went unnoticed by
Dumbledore. He had a pretty good idea of where this conversation was
going. If he didn't allow Dumbledore to perform the charm on him, they
would become greatly suspicious. If he did allow them to, he wondered
what would happen when they found out who his legal guardian was.
Would Dumbledore lie to his face?
Instead he gestured to the two Potters. "Why are they here?"
Lily Potter suddenly decided this was the perfect time to have a mental
breakdown. "Oh my. Harry you've grown up so much! I'm so sorry for
leaving you with Petunia and Dursley. I should've never let that happen!
I'm a terrible mother, and you have no idea how much I've hated myself
for leaving you!" She burst into tears, clutching Hadrian's arm in a vice
grip.
Hadrian swallowed uncomfortably. He wasn't sure how true her
confession was, but he tried to not let it affect him. The woman may be
feeling sorry now, but it was her fault for leaving him in the first place.
He could never forgive her.
He yanked his arm out of her grip and pretended to look at her curiously.
"You! I know you!"
"You remember me?" Her voice broke, and she wiped away a stray tear.
"Of course! You're that insane lady that attacked me before the sorting
last year!" He exclaimed, making a big show of stepping away from her.
James looked at her in disbelief. "You attacked a small child?"
"Of course not! I thought he was Harry." She defended weakly.
"I'll be performing a parent revealing charm on you, alright Hadrian?"
Dumbledore quickly cut in, before things could get any worse.
"Okay." He finally agreed.
Dumbledore whispered the incantation and after a minute a series of
golden markings appeared above his head. Dumbledore's face turned
ashen as he quickly read the markings that spelled Tom Marvolo Riddle
and vanished them away with a flick of his wand.
"What does it say, Sir?" Hadrian asked with faux eagerness. The markings
were ancient runes, which he could read of course. He was very well
aware what they said, but he waited for Dumbledore's response.
"I'm sorry, dear Hadrian. But you have no living guardians." Dumbledore
lied easily. Just as Hadrian had predicted him to do.
"Who were my parents, Sir?" He asked quietly, looking down at his
hands. He was curious to see what the old man would come up with.
"Unfortunately, Mr. Riddle, I cannot say. The spaces with your parents'
names were blank. This means that either they were muggle, or they
have passed away with no other heirs." He said sadly.
Hadrian nodded painfully, trying very hard to keep his sarcastic laugh
inside. He wanted to jump onto the desk and shout any name that came
to mind at the "Almighty Dumbledore". But he refrained from doing so
and even managed to make his voice sound thick with tears.
"Can I please leave Headmaster?" He requested, letting a fake tear escape.
The old fool nodded pitifully and Hadrian slowly dragged himself out of
the door. No one except for Severus Snape saw the sardonic grin that had
appeared on his face.
Lily Potter was oddly silent. The Headmaster had confirmed her doubts,
and she hung her head down in sadness. "He's really gone isn't he?"
James Potter, for once was serious and soothingly rubbed circles on his
wife's back. She sighed and shook out her hair. "He's always been dead. I
just never accepted it."
Suddenly, a strange look came into her eyes. She looked at her husband.
"Can we adopt Hadrian?"
Albus Dumbledore panicked. While he was lying through his teeth at the
young boy, he found a way to manipulate the young broken boy to his
advantage. Clearly the boy was powerful. So powerful. He was reluctant
to admit, but the boy was more powerful than the chosen one. He would
be a valuable asset in the future. If he remained sad, and brokenhearted
over his "dead" parents, then he could be easily influenced to join the
Light Side.
And so, Albus Dumbledore gave the woman across from him a sad smile
and said, "I don't think that is a good idea, Lily."
James Potter nodded in agreement. "That boy gives me the creeps. And
not to mention he's the Son of Voldemort, correct?" He looked to
Dumbledore for confirmation. The old man hesitated, but then nodded.
James continued, "I don't want any brat of that snake living in my home."
"But James, he looks so sad. He needs a home, a family." Lily pleaded.
"No means no Lily darling." He said firmly. Then he turned to
Dumbledore. "Is it alright if Lily teaches again in a few years? I feel like
it'll help her cope with things and distract her better."
"The job is always yours." Dumbledore nodded.
Lily paused. If she took the job she might become closer to the young,
spiritless boy. "Okay. I'll have my old job back."
"Splendid!" Dumbledore exclaimed, "I'll fill out some old paperwork, and
in the meantime you can either go home to relax for some time, or
wander about the castle."
James shrugged casually, "I'm sure we can find some way to entertain
ourselves." He winked suggestively at his wife.
Lily Potter looked at him disbelievingly. "Not going to happen."
Dumbledore grimaced, "Please don't sully my classrooms. And scar my
students. I don't want any angry letters from parents, I've already had
enough."
"Angry letters? But why?" James enquired.
"Somehow, Lucius Malfoy heard of the Cerberus that we had kept inside
the castle to guard the Sorcerer's Stone. He must've told several parents
because this year they were threatening to withdraw their kids if they
even heard a rumor that something bad was occurring inside of
Hogwarts." Dumbledore explained bitterly.
"I've never liked that man." James Potter scowled, standing up. He
offered a hand to his wife, but she stood up as well.
"Severus?" Dumbledore called to the man that was about to sneak out of
the room. The sneering man turned around and looked extremely
irritated.
"What." He snapped.
"Are you sure the Dark Lord is unaware of this boy's existence?"
Dumbledore questioned. "If he ever heard, it would not be helpful to our
cause."
Snape nearly scoffed. It was a bit too late for that, he thought gleefully.
Instead, he simply shook his head. "To my knowledge, the dark lord is
too caught up in his own matters. I highly doubt he is aware of the
existence of his heir."
If Dumbledore could lie, so could he. That's what their entire lives were
anyways. A series of lies and secrets that eventually would be revealed
over time.
Mysterious Tidbit of Information: For those of you that think "The
Princess" part is completely useless and superficial, I completely
agree with you. If only you understood that it actually has nothing
to do with becoming the It Girl of Slytherin.
24. The Shocking Truth
Authors Note: Hey, would you look at that? The update is actually
on time! YES! I'd just like to make a brief comment based on your
reviews and the PM's I've received concerning Ginny Weasley. Yes,
she will be staying (at least for now). But do not fret, my Ginny-
haters! You'll soon see that this Ginny is nothing like the annoying
harpy from the books. She's more refined, less "ugh", and much
colder. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy! (Don't be afraid to
criticize, after all, it'll only help me get better)
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter
Black Lake [October 3rd]
Times were changing, Ginerva Weasley mused as crossed her arms and
leaned against a tree overlooking the Black Lake. She twirled her quill in
her fingers, her thoughts elsewhere. A soft breeze blew towards her,
causing the jet-black ends of her fiery red hair to dance around. She
admired her hair fondly, a small smile gracing her pretty features. Astoria
had given her the idea a week ago, and Ginerva had thought Why not?
Although she did have some reservations about it at first, it was a certain
someone that convinced her the change could possibly be for the better.
In a way it represented who she was now. And how different she was!
People spoke about her in the corridors, they whispered her name during
classes, and pointed at her when the thought she wasn't looking. Words
such as "Slytherin Scum" and "Traitor" were commonly exchanged.
Ginerva had simply shrugged it off. After all, people would always gossip.
Most of the taunting was accredited to a Mr. Alexander Potter and his
trusty sidekick Ronald Weasley. Her own brother. She sneered. Her family
had all but disowned her after they had heard the news of her sorting.
They were livid, with faces brighter than their hair.
Serves them right, Ginerva thought with a scowl. They had been so sure
that she would get into Gryffindor. The morning after her sorting, they
had sent a package with a long letter about Weasley tradition and a
lumpy sweater (hand knit, of course) in obnoxious red and gold. Oh,
what pleasure she took from lighting the offending item on fire without
even batting an eye. Her radical action had stunned the peers in her
vicinity, and unknowingly silenced further qualms of where her loyalties
lied. She supposed she could've simply changed the colors of the
offending item, or even sent it back to her mother with an apologetic
note to inform them of the news.
But why? Why should she apologize for her sorting? It was where she
belonged. Her family's embarrassing "self-assurance" just showed how
little her they actually knew her. Had they paid the slightest attention to
her before, her sorting wouldn't have come as much of a shock.
She supposed she couldn't fully blame them for their reactions, however
unjustified and irrational they were. She'd nearly had a nervous
breakdown herself during her first night in the Slytherin dorms. That
night she had barely slept at all. Questions and fears plagued her
thoughts, preventing her from even shutting her eyes. What would her
family think? Why was she even here? Would she ever belong?
As she lay shivering in her bed, Ginerva came to one conclusion. She
didn't give a damn anymore. It was time she stopped hiding from
everyone. She had spent so long suppressing whom she truly was, in
order to conform to her parent's outrageous standards. She almost forgot
who she truly was in the process. But now it was time. It was time to
show everyone, tell the world about the real Ginerva. It was time to
embrace her darker side, so to speak.
To her, the truth was a simple thing. And the truth was, Ginerva was
simply ashamed. She would never admit it to anyone, but it was her
darkest secret yet.
She was ashamed of her family, specifically their extreme prejudice for
anything Slytherin (really, they were almost as bad as You-Know-Who!)
and her family's money, or lack thereof. Everything was second hand or
homemade. Just once she wanted to buy a pretty little dress, without
even looking at price. She wanted something she could call her own. Not
a dusty, out of date article of clothing that her cousin Ingrid had once
wore. Everywhere she went she felt shame. There was no escape.
She was nine years old when she went to Hogsmeade for the first time. Often
times it was too crowded, and her mother was too tired to look after all of her
children at once. But that one day, her mother agreed to take her along. In her
excitement, Ginny quickly put on the new dress she had gotten earlier that
week. It was a vibrant colour of red that matched her hair with small white
curlicue patterns along the hem. It was easily her best, and favorite dress.
Especially since her mother told her it was brand new. Although it had started
out as the best day of her innocent nine-year life, it quickly turned out to be
the worst.
Her mother had gone off somewhere to chase after her older brothers, Fred
and George. They liked to sneak off in the stores and play tricks on the other
customers.
Ginny stood alone amongst the racks of clothing, admiring the poufy skirts
made of taffeta and the shimmering evening dresses in every color imaginable.
She already knew she would never be able to afford a single one, but she felt
strangely indulged simply by staring in awe at the variety of dresses.
An elegant looking woman, dragging what she assumed to be her daughter
behind her, interrupted her staring. The little girl looked to be the same age as
her, and she eyed Ginerva with a curious look. Suddenly her eyes lit up and
she pointed to Ginny.
"Mummy look! It's my dress I gave away to the poor two weeks ago!" She
squealed. Suddenly a frown came over her innocent face. "Why is that girl
wearing it? I've changed my mind, give it back." She demanded, stepping closer
to Ginny and pulling on the sleeves.
Her face had flushed to match her dress and she was absolutely mortified. The
little girl's mother simply gave Ginny a look of disdain and dragged her
daughter away, but the damage was already done. Ginny felt so worthless, so
bitter. She was angry at her mother, angry at herself, angry at everything.
But yet she did not say a single word to anyone. She kept it inside of her, all
the embarrassment and the humiliation she had suffered. She knew she
shouldn't be bitter about it, but she was. As soon as she had gotten home, she
had cried. She had wanted to rip the dress to shreds and burn it all in the
fireplace. But she didn't. She wanted to keep her mother happy. So she kept
the dress. It was still in the back of her drawers at home, a hideous reminder
of the past.
Yes, Ginerva was ashamed of her family and their lack of money, but
most of all she was ashamed of herself. Her parents had given up so
much, and she knew all her brothers would always protect her (except
for Ronald and that git Percy). And yet, Ginerva knew that deep in her
heart, she would sacrifice all of that if it meant she would finally get
what she wanted. She would readily betray her family if it meant she
would gain some power. Any power.
It was tiring keeping up the charade. She would smile sweetly at her
brothers, politely greet her parents and plaster a smile on her face when
her father described another useless muggle contraption. It was all an act,
and she was so tired of it.
Now she was free. Free from all the expectations, free from the silly girl
named Ginny Weasley. She went by Ginerva, completely dropping her last
name. If her family decided to distance them selves from a slimy
Slytherin like her, then so be it. It didn't matter to her anyways.
She had taken Daphne's advice to heart, and let it completely mold her
into the perfect Slytherin. It wasn't hard really, since she was already
halfway there. During her first weeks as a Slytherin, Ginerva realized
something.
Every Slytherin was drawn to power. They flocked around it, like moths
to a ball of light. Money, blood, ancestry, beauty, none of it meant
anything in Slytherin if there was no power.
And so, Ginerva plotted and schemed day and night to become who she
was now. She was superior to all. For the first time in her entire life, she
was put on a pedestal for people to admire from afar.
The first part of her master plan had gone effortlessly.
"Discredit the silly girl. Covertly bring up all her secrets, all the lies she's told
and reveal them one bye one. But don't get carried away. Only reveal the
things that will help you at that moment. Save everything else you learn for
possible blackmail later."
Oh she had discredited the Evanna Rosier all right. Humiliated, shamed,
disgraced her until she barely showed her face anymore. Poor girl. But
that's what she deserved for lying. Ginerva hated liars.
It wasn't hard to catch on to the poorly told story. The girl flaunted and
boasted about her connections to the ancient House of Black so many
times that it left Ginerva with many suspicions. With a little help from
the younger Greengrass and many hours of scouring the family trees, she
had come to a shocking conclusion.
Evanna Rosier wasn't related to the House of Black at all. In fact, the
little girl was barely even considered a part of the Rosier family. Both of
her parents were squibs, descended from other squibs that were disowned
from their families for several generations. Although they had racked up
quite a fortune in the muggle world, they would never be accepted in the
wizarding society.
All it took was one staged conversation in front of the biggest gossip in
her year, and the word was spread all over the school in less than four
hours. It satisfied her to see the embarrassed brunette hurriedly exited
the hall, eyes full of tears. The group of girls that had followed her
around like the ever-faithful lapdogs had shunned her completely,
wrinkling their noses in disgust. Ginerva smirked.
"Then, once you've got people doubting her, give them something new to talk
about. You. Everyone should know your name; everyone should know what
you're doing, what you like and such. Understand?"
With all the gossip going around about her, this was quite easy to
achieve. People knew who she was; they watched her day and night, just
waiting for her to snap from all the pressure. But since she never looked
anything short of perfect in public, people went from wishing her a
horrid death, to knowing everything about her.
"Once you've got everyone talking about you, start building your image. The
perfect Slytherin girl has to be cold, cunning, ruthless, manipulative when time
calls for it, and intelligent. You don't need to be perfect, per se. Just good
enough that everyone believes you are."
This was by far the easiest part of her master plan. She'd always had a
domineering personality, it was just time to turn it up a notch. When she
walked into a room, she commanded attention, and everyone felt their
eyes involuntarily drawn to her. Everyone knew she had top marks in
their year, and she never seemed to have a hair out of place. The fact that
she rarely spoke to anyone made people admire her more. They couldn't
help but be drawn to her mysterious aura.
"As soon as you've got the perfect image, select a few suitable people who you
can be seen with. That way, everyone will want to be in that group, just to be
near you. Astoria will be able to help you with that, she's always been a great
judge of character."
The day people saw Ginerva Weasley greet Hadrian Riddle like they were
old friends, was the day she was hounded by first years from all houses,
trampling over each other in a haste to speak to her. It was well known
that the tall, dark haired boy was one of the most charming boys in all of
Hogwarts. Everyone knew of his élite group of friends, and how he had
limitless connections. Even the older students admired him, although he
never seemed to notice (or care for) their attentions.
Ginerva could've easily adopted all Evanna's traitorous lackeys, but then
where would be the exclusivity? A princess couldn't be considered royalty
unless she had peasants to rule over!
After much consideration, Ginny created a group of three girls (including
Astoria and herself) along with three boys. She chose them based on their
connections, their money, and their legacies. It was simply a matter of
politics. Her decision only made others vie to be part of her little group
even more.
"The hardest part of this plan is maintaining the power. Even after you've
succeeded becoming Princess in your year, it's not a secure position. Any day,
any minute actually you could lose your title. Power is the hardest thing to
gain, and the easiest thing to lose. So always be alert."
Just as Daphne had said, this was proving to be the hardest part of her
plan indeed. Not everyone had liked the idea of a Weasley ruling over
Slytherin and she had already put down several attempts of rebellion
amongst the first years. She had worked effortlessly to get where she was
now, on the top. Nothing would stop Ginerva now.
Except for her.
Ginerva's bright brown eyes were trained on a single person across the
stretch of green grass. She stretched languidly, but made no move to get
up from her relaxed position. Her figure was partly concealed by the
shadows of the tree branches, and it was a wonder the other girl even
saw her. Sighing in acceptance, Ginerva straightened her posture and
waited for the girl to approach her.
"Ginny." The girl addressed her curtly, folding her arms to match the
redhead's stance.
"It's Ginerva." She corrected.
The girl rolled her eyes. "Sorry." She apologized, sounding anything but.
"Ginerva." She tried again.
"Yes?"
"Don't you think it's getting a little out of hand?" She asked bluntly.
"No, Astoria. I don't." Ginerva replied, her features hardening. This had
been a topic of discussion for a few days, and frankly, she was getting
tired of it.
If Astoria noticed her best friend's reluctance, she ignored it. "I just think
we're being a bit too…what's the word? Cruel. " Astoria pressed, gauging
her friend's face for a reaction.
Ginerva's face revealed no emotions, and she shrugged nonchalantly.
"Alright."
Silence. Astoria wringed her hands together, waiting for her friend to say
more. She didn't. Her blue-green eyes flashed indignantly, "Ginerva, you
will talk to me right now. You've shamed the Rosier girl once already; no
one wants to even speak to her anymore! Don't you think that's enough?"
"No." Her response was brisk, and she didn't offer anything else.
"Please, Ginny. Can't you just be happy? You're ruling over Slytherin like
you wanted. Just leave the girl alone!" Astoria pleaded.
"I said no, Astoria."
"But why?" Astoria cried.
"She's trying to convince the other first years to go against me. Somehow,
she thinks I'm the reason that she's been scorned by all of Slytherin."
"But you are the reason why she's being scorned by all of Slytherin."
Astoria pointed out crossly.
"Minor details." She waved her hand lazily. "Besides, all is fair in love and
war."
"What does that even mean? Never mind, just stop humiliating her, Gin.
She has the room next to mine, and I can hear her horrible wails at night
when I'm trying to sleep. She cries every night, poor girl."
"She does?" Ginerva cocked an eyebrow, "Good. As for your little
predicament, just cast a silencing charm."
"What is wrong with you?" Astoria barked, putting her hands on her hips.
"You wanted to be Princess of Slytherin and I agreed to help you with
that." She hissed, "What I did not agree to, was allowing you treat
everyone else like filth. You're being a bully, Ginny. You're torturing the
girl's spirits every single day. This isn't like you."
"People change, Astoria." The taller girl reminded her, gracefully stepping
around her friend. She started to walk away, but Astoria grabbed her
arm, painfully digging her manicured nails into her arm.
"This isn't my best friend Ginny. I want the happy, carefree, funny girl
back. Not this blasphemous rendition of her." Astoria said sadly, looking
at Ginerva.
"She's gone." Were the girl's only parting words as she jerked her arm out
from Astoria's grasp and inconspicuously slipped a black leather bound
book inside of her one shouldered bag.
Hogwarts Library [October 31; 8:30 pm]
Hadrian Riddle wordlessly slid into the seat across from the curly haired
brunette witch, watching amusedly as she didn't even look up from the
large book she was reading.
"Hey Granger." He greeted her, enjoying the startled look on her face. He
winced when there was a loud sound as her knee banged against the
table in surprise. She groaned and rubbed her knee, glaring at Hadrian.
"Hadrian. What a pleasant surprise." She responded sarcastically, shaking
her hair out of her face. Hadrian gave her a roguish smile and slowly
leaned across the table, tucking a loose curl behind her ear.
Hermione blushed an alluring shade of pink. She cleared her throat, "Can
I help you?"
He smirked. "As a matter of fact, I have something that may interest you."
He did not miss the blush on her cheeks turning into a deeper red.
"Well, come out with it then." She retorted, folding her arms on the table.
Hadrian's eyes gleamed as he pulled out the book from his bag. Carefully,
he set it onto the table and watched as her eyes widened.
"It's a book." She stated in awe, staring at the dusty cover and the golden
letters along the spine.
"Yes, I'm aware of that." He smiled, revealing his perfectly white teeth.
She moved her hand forward to touch it, but then glanced up at Hadrian
for permission. He chuckled and nodded. She let out a small sound of
excitement and ran her finger down the spine, opening the book with her
other hand. She stared at the aged yellow pages with deep interest.
"How old is this book?" She asked, admiringly flipping though it with
extreme care.
Hadrian shrugged, "Five thousand years."
She froze. Her hands began to shake, "Five thousand?" She gasped.
"Give or take a few centuries."
Suddenly, he felt a pair of arms wrapping around him. Her body was
warm, and although her hair was nearly suffocating him, he managed to
smile. Hadrian awkwardly hugged her back. She broke away a couple
seconds later, but shot him a dazzling smile and kissed his cheek. "Thank
you."
"For what?"
"For sharing this with me." She gestured to the book. "How did you
know?"
"Pardon?"
"How did you know that I've always loved old books?" Hermione
elaborated.
"Lucky guess." Hadrian smirked. "If you're so excited now, I wonder how
you'll react when I let you keep it."
"Oh, Hadrian. You don't have to do that." She said softly. "This must've
cost a fortune!"
Hadrian shrugged again. "I've already read it several times. I thought you
might find the subject matter interesting as well."
Hermione smiled and resumed flipping through the pages. Suddenly she
looked up. "This is a book on ancient runes." She said, "By Marcus
Rousseau." She looked at Hadrian pointedly. Her eyes narrowed. "That's a
well known dark arts author."
Hadrian refused to be deterred, and raised an eyebrow instead. "Oh
really?"
"Don't be coy with me, Hadrian Riddle." She snapped, shutting the book
with a loud slam. "Is there a reason you are giving me a book on dark
magic?"
"I thought you would enjoy it. It has such valuable information one
cannot get from any book in this modern time." He replied.
"It's dark magic." Hermione said determinedly, folding her arms.
"Hermione, when will you understand?" He sighed heavily, "All magic is
magic. It cannot be classified as Light or Dark."
"Yes it can, and this is dark." She insisted.
"Well then dearest Hermione, please tell me how this book is dark?
Hmm?"
She opened her mouth to respond, but then paused. She closed it for a
second and looked to be deep in thought. "It most likely has dark spells
inside of it and is filled with ways to torture people." She announced
finally.
"Did you read the book?" He asked.
"No but-"
"Don't judge a book by its cover, Hermione." He said darkly, turning his
head to look elsewhere but her piercing gaze.
"That's a muggle phrase." She sounded shocked.
"Daphne taught it to me." He explained. "You can't just declare it dark
magic without even looking inside."
"I'm not going to look inside. I know it has dark magic inside of it and I
don't want to be involved in that." She declared.
"Fine. But I knew you were interested in taking Ancient Runes next year,
and this book definitely would've given you a head start. You could've
caught up with the knowledge all these purebloods already have, even
surpassed them, but I guess you are content starting unprepared next
year."
He pushed back his chair and stood up to leave. He knew he had hit a
nerve by comparing her lack of knowledge in this particular subject to
those with superior blood than hers. She had never directly told him so,
but Hadrian knew exactly why she strived to earn top marks, and made
such an effort to get every question right. She wanted to prove to
everyone that although she was a mudblood, she was worthy of magic.
She was better.
Hadrian reached for the ancient book and out it into his bag dreadfully
slow. He saw something unidentifiable flicker across her face, but he
slung the bag over his shoulder anyways. He took a step away from the
table and then another.
Three...Two…One…A half...A quarter… An eighth…Dammit, why wasn't she
running after him?
He continued to walk towards the doors of the library and paused in
front of them. He cast a discreet glance over his shoulder. No witch with
coffee colored curls was running after him. He slipped through the
library doors and sighed in disappointment. He had blown it. Now he had
to find out a different way to get her to learn the dark arts, otherwise
deal with the wrath of his father. And in typical Slytherin fashion, he'd
rather sacrifice another's soul than be Crucioed to death.
He was about to turn the corridor, when he felt a soft hand grab his arm.
Hadrian smiled and turned around, only to be met with icy blue eyes
instead of chocolate brown ones. His smile fell. "Daphne."
She frowned, "Nice to see you too."
He ran a hand through his hair, "Sorry Daphne. I was just expecting
someone els-"
"Hadrian? Oh thank goodness, there you are." Hermione called out,
running over to catch up with him. Hadrian tried to hide the bright smile
that appeared on his face, but it was proving to be very difficult. She had
clearly run all the way over here.
Hermione was panting and her face was flushed red. She bent down and
held out a hand for him to wait while she caught her breath. Hadrian
stifled a laugh.
"A little out of shape, aren't you dear?" He mocked.
Hermione scowled, "Are you calling me fat? We can't all be solid
quidditch players like you." She grinned to let him know she was joking.
Suddenly she pointed to his bag, "I think you have something of mine."
Daphne cleared her throat, and looked between the two. Hermione's eyes
widened. "Oh Daphne! I didn't see you there! How are you?" She
questioned.
"Just peachy." She responded, crossing her arms. "So what's going on? I'm
confused."
Hadrian gestured to the book in his bag, "Are you referring to this book,
perhaps Miss. Granger? I was under the impression that you wanted
nothing to do with it."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Cut the act, Riddle. You know I can see
straight through your poorly veiled manipulations."
Hadrian faked a gasp and placed a hand on his chest, "Oh, how you
wound me with such accusations, Granger."
"Well, if you're unwilling to give me what I want, I suppose I'll just have
to live without it, Mr. Riddle." Her eyes had a wicked gleam and she
turned on her heel, only to be stopped by Hadrian grabbing her hand.
He tugged at her arm with a small amount of force, and the brunette
witch came crashing into his chest.
He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "You can't use my own
manipulations against me, Hermione."
She rolled her eyes but smiled anyways. Her arms went around his waist,
pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. She looked up at him, "Thank you
for the book Hadrian. No one's ever done something like this for me.
Whatever the motivation may be."
Hadrian smiled and released her. "I didn't even give it to you yet."
Her eyes lit up and she held up the book in her hands, smiling slyly. "I
nicked it from you when you manhandled me." She explained upon
seeing his confused look.
He shook his head and laughed, "You are one crazy witch."
She grinned and started to walk back, blowing him a kiss. "Yes, but you
love me anyways."
"I put up with you anyways." He corrected. She simply smirked and
continued to walk along.
"So, what was that?" Daphne asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh hello Daphne! I almost forgot you were there!"
"Hadrian, I've been here. The entire time."
"Oh yes."
"Are you going to answer my question?"
"Right. Well, my father gave me a new task this year, and it involves
teaching Hermione the dark arts." Hadrian explained, offering his arm to
Daphne like the gentleman he was.
Daphne linked her arm with his and they began to walk down to the
Great Hall for dinner. "Hadrian…" She trailed off, "You can't force her to
learn the dark arts."
"I'm not forcing her, love. Simply guiding her to her destined path."
Hadrian said cheekily. "Now come on, we're going to be late. I think
they're serving pie tonight for dessert. Special All-Hallows Eve feast and
all."
"Hadrian, just say it. Haa-lo-ween." She said slowly.
He shook his head in defiance. "Never."
Daphne sighed in defeat. At least she tried. Together, they walked
through the large doors, and seated themselves at the Slytherin table.
Hadrian gave a curt nod to Ginerva and Daphne's sister, Astoria. Then he
sat himself down at the table after Daphne. He greeted his friends but his
eyes lingered curiously on the empty place where Neville often sat.
"Where's Longbottom?" He asked curiously, taking a sip of his iced water.
He allowed his gaze to travel to the Ravenclaw table, and he sent a wink
to Hermione who blushed.
"He said he felt sick, so he's trying to sleep it off in the common room."
Blaise explained.
Draco shook his head in disappointment "I told him to go sleep in his
own room, but the oaf refused to move. Obviously, he hasn't learned his
lesson from the time he fell asleep in the common room and Millicent
Bustrode tried to molest him." Draco snickered. "He's just lucky I caught
her before she did anything more than kiss his face."
Blaise shook his head, "What she see's in him, I'm not sure. I'm much
better looking."
"Please. I have all the sixth years fawning over me." Draco scoffed.
"Daphne's a girl, lets ask Daphne." Blaise said, "Daphne, which one of us
is more attractive?"
But the girl's attention was elsewhere. Hadrian followed her gaze to the
end of the table, where Astoria Greengrass was sitting. He was about to
ask Daphne what was wrong, when he noticed something. The redhead
he had slowly grown accustomed to was sitting nearly at the middle of
the Slytherin table, whilst her best friend was all the way at the end.
Hadrian frowned.
"Looks like Ginerva's settling well." He commented neutrally. Daphne tore
her gaze away from her sister and nodded. "Why is Astoria sitting there
though?"
"I'm not sure." Daphne muttered. She was about to pierce her fork into a
piece of lettuce, but then she suddenly dropped her fork with a clang
onto her plate. "I told her not to do this."
"Do what?" Blaise questioned, helping himself to a treacle tart.
"Get herself sorted into Slytherin." Daphne whispered, as to not catch any
undesirable attention. "I told her to get sorted into a house the hat
deemed perfect for her."
"I don't understand…you aren't happy that Astoria's in Slytherin?" Draco
asked, confused.
"I am happy." Daphne insisted, "But I'm disappointed in Astoria. She's
taken my family's history of being a Slytherin to heart. I don't think the
hat put her in Slytherin, I think she insisted she be put here."
"Why would she do that?" Hadrian asked curiously.
"She's a scared first year, Hadrian. She was scared of being sorted into,
say Gryffindor, because of what Destiny had to go through. She was
afraid of what people would say, so she demanded she be put in
Slytherin." Daphne explained.
"What house do you think she should've gone into?" Draco enquired.
Daphne's response was mumbled under her breath, and no one caught it.
"What?"
"I said, 'Hufflepuff'." She confessed, quickly ducking her head down to
avoid the incredulous looks.
"Wow Daphne, I didn't realize you hated Astoria that much." Blaise joked.
"But…she's a Slytherin!" Draco exclaimed. "She's too sly to go into
Hufflepuff."
"Just because she's mischievous doesn't make her a Slytherin." Hadrian
reminded him. "Now that you mention it, I do remember her being the
one that hated it when Draco used to order Dobby the house elf around."
Daphne nodded, "Exactly. She's too nice for Slytherin."
"Well, there's nothing you can do about it now." Blaise said.
"I just feel bad for her since Ginerva's clearly the Princess of her year, at
least for now, and I don't think Astoria is used to the classic Slytherin
aloofness."
"Wait, She-Weasel is Princess already?" Blaise exclaimed, letting his gaze
dart back to the pretty redhead.
"You know what the Princesses are?" Daphne asked, surprise evident on
her face.
"Yeah, apparently my Mum was Queen during her glory days and she told
Destiny all about it. Then Destiny told us."
"Where is Destiny anyways?" Hadrian commented, glancing around the
Great Hall.
"Girl's Restroom." Daphne said, "I was supposed to meet her there in five
minutes, but I'll bet she's already on her way back here by now."
"How do you know? You and Hadrian entered the hall, and then sat here.
When did you speak to Destiny?" Draco looked at her suspiciously.
Daphne laughed, "It's secret girl language. Even if I tell you, you'll never
understand it."
Hadrian smirked, "As long as we don't have to fight a troll again, I'm
happy."
Blaise nodded in agreement, "I feel you, mate. That reducto spell I cast to
kill that troll really saved us all!"
Hadrian scoffed, "You defeated the troll? Neville and I defeated it, bloody
wanker! You just screamed like the little girl you truly are!"
"Now Hadrian, according to McGonagall, Blaise's reducto was the cause
of death." Draco chided, a smile on his face.
"I can't believe she bought that." Blaise shook his head. "Even a first year
Slytherin wouldn't believe that I killed a troll with Reduco."
"I don't think she believed us, but she couldn't go around accusing us
without any proof." Daphne reasoned. "After all, you'd have to be dumber
than that troll to believe Blaise took down a troll by himself."
"Hey!"
Hogwarts Corridor [October 31; 9:30 pm]
Destiny Lestrange walked alone in the empty corridors, slinking around
the dungeons to return to the Great Hall. Since the nearest loo was on the
first floor, and that particular restroom held terrible memories for her,
she'd been forced to use the one in the dungeons. It was proving to be a
terrible idea, though. The dungeons felt like a bloody arctic tundra and it
was only October! She was about to perform a body warming charm on
herself, but suddenly someone grabbed her arm from behind and dragged
her into a darkened alcove.
Destiny whirled around and immediately pointed her wand between the
person's eyes. The faint glow of a distant torch outlined the person's face,
and Destiny sighed in relief. Then she frowned.
"What the bloody hell was that? Are you trying to kill me?" She
demanded, hands on her hips.
Her attacker smiled charmingly, but Destiny held her stance. "No way.
You do not corner me in a darkened hallway, and expect me to do
anything but kill you!"
"Come on, Destiny. It was supposed to surprise you, you know, catch you
off guard?"
"Think again, genius! I'm a damn Seer! I don't get surprised!"
He scratched the back of his neck. "Well, it was worth a shot. You said
girls liked to be surprised."
She smiled and playfully slapped his head. "You oaf. I didn't mean an
actual, nearly kidnapping surprise. I meant like flowers or chocolate or
something."
"But you hate chocolate." He pointed out.
"My favorite flowers are daisies." She grinned, shyly holding his hand in
hers.
"I'll keep that in mind." He smiled. "So, how did you manage to get out of
the hall, without being interrogated by brother dearest?"
Destiny elbowed his stomach. "Hey, be nice."
"I just don't like the fact that we have to sneak around all the time,
Destiny." He admitted, snaking his arm around her shoulders.
"Neville, you know we have to. It's not really safe for anyone to find out.
Besides it's only for another six months or so." Destiny convinced him
halfheartedly.
"I know." Neville said quietly.
"Quit frowning, you'll get wrinkles." Destiny smirked.
"You sound like my Nana."
"I'm just saying…maybe I don't like wrinkly boys." She grinned.
"Maybe I don't like omniscient girls." He countered.
Destiny pursed her lips, "Touché."
"Come on, they'll be wondering why you've been gone so long." Neville
grinned. "Race you back?"
Destiny stood up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his ear. "May
the best one win." She whispered. And then with a quick peck on his
cheek, she broke out into a full sprint.
Neville stood still for a second before running after her, yelling "Hey, that
wasn't fair!"
All he got in response was a tinkling laugh.
Since he was almost a foot taller than her, he quickly caught up to her
and blew a taunting kiss as he passed by her. As they both turned a
corner Neville decided to take pity on his girlfriend and slowed down,
now running backwards.
She huffed angrily and opened her mouth to yell insults at him, no doubt.
But then she stopped abruptly and Neville frowned at the alarmed look
on her face. He paused as well and waited till she walked up to him.
"What's the matter?" He asked worriedly. In response, she pointed to
something behind him. His blood ran cold at the gruesome sight.
His shoes were wet, probably from the thin layer of water that had
flooded the entire floor. Something was hanging off the torch bracket,
and Destiny gasped.
"Is that?" She jumped back, realizing exactly what it was. Neville was
horrified at the sight of Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat hanging from its tail. The
cat looked dead, for she wasn't moving or even blinking.
Something glinting off the wall caught Neville's eyes, and he looked up
slightly. He inhaled sharply and stepped back. The chilling words were
painted in red, was that blood?
"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, beware."
He read aloud in a strangled voice. "Destiny, let's get out of here." He
insisted.
But it was too late. A gaggle of students entered the corridor, probably
coming from the Feast in the Great Hall. They were conversing with each
other and letting out occasional squeals and chuckles. Suddenly, girl let
out an ear-piercing shriek and Destiny whipped her head around. Then
there were several screams, and one first year even fainted.
Before she could say anything, McGonagall and Dumbledore arrived.
Dumbledore's expression was ashen, and McGonagall's was frozen in fear.
She shook her finger at Destiny and Neville accusingly. "Y-You! What
have you done! How di-What happened?"
Neither Destiny nor Neville answered, they simply stared at the horrible
scene in fear.
A group of five students came lazily around the corner, laughing with
each other and smiling. They were too caught up in their own little world
to notice anything going on, but then the platinum blond haired boy
glanced around and he froze in his spot.
He pointed a shaking finger at the scene before him, causing his friends
to stop as well. Cue gasps of shock.
The tactless, black haired Italian boy turned to his friends and muttered
something that sounded suspiciously like, "At least it's not a troll."
25. Lessons Learned
A/N: I'm so sorry I haven't been able to update in a while! In my
defense, I came across a magical unicorn in the woods and it gave
me a life-or-death quest that would determine the future of all
humanity. Now that I've succeeded and come back home, I can
update! - That excuse sounds much more interesting that " I had
surgery" and "I had writers block". So I'm going to stick with that,
but you guys can think what you want. XD. I hope you enjoy this
chapter, and remember to ask or tell me if you have any questions
or criticisms!
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
"What do we do now?" She whimpered, fearfully glancing over her shoulder.
"We go save her!" He barked, "What choice do we have?"
She put her hands on her hips, "I know that! I meant, what's the plan?"
"We go in there and I'll grab her. Then I'll kill you and tell everyone else that
you tragically died fighting for your best friend. You'll die a hero. Good plan?"
He smirked. He could hear her sputter indignantly and he broke out into a
wide grin, although she couldn't see it.
"That's not funny." She snapped.
"I thought it was." He muttered to himself.
She let out a frustrated groan as she slipped on something slimy and came
crashing down. She took in a deep breath and allowed herself to count to ten
so she wouldn't break into a string of aggravated curses. She stood back up
and dusted the grime off her robes, scowling at the back of his head.
"Why are you acting like this is all my fault?" She huffed, folding her arms.
"Because it is all your fault!" He spat, glaring around at his surroundings as
stumbled through the darkness. There was a disgusting smell in the air, like
rotten flesh. He cursed loudly as his foot collided with a large stone boulder.
"My fault? I'm in this mess because of you!" She defended, angrily pushing her
long hair away from her face as she cautiously walked around the big rocks.
"Well, if you had died just like I had planned, this wouldn't be happening!"
"I'm sorry?" She said, although it came out sounding as more of a question. "I
should've just died like a good little girl." She said sarcastically. "Darn." She
snapped her fingers in mock disappointment.
"This is not the time for your…humor. Is that what you call it?" He sneered.
"Some people find it endearing."
"Well, I do not." He announced. There was a small thump followed by a loud,
"Ouch!"
"Serves you right." She said haughtily, using her hands to feel her way around.
Her hands ran over something cool like metal. Suddenly she paused and
gasped sharply. "I think we found it."
Hogwarts: Gryffindor Dormitory [November 16th]
Destiny Lestrange groaned audibly as she collapsed back onto her bed,
her face coated in a thin layer of sweat. It had been almost six hours, and
she was still getting nowhere. She had been looking into the future every
five minutes, but every single time, the image faded to black at that
moment. Almost as if the future completely disappeared after that.
Waiting for the future to occur was an awful feeling that required much
patience. Patience that Destiny didn't have. Sighing heavily, she pushed
aside the curtains around her bed and was met with the unpleasant sight
of Lavender Brown gossiping with Parvati Patil. She wrinkled her nose in
distaste. Patil was all right, but Lavender Brown was possibly the most
horrid, vile, little girl she had ever met in her life. Even Parkinson was
better than that cow.
"And then I said to her, 'Go snog a Hufflepuff!'" Lavender laughed
obnoxiously, as if it was the funniest thing in the world. Parvati giggled
also, while Destiny just rolled her eyes.
"Oh, Lav. You are so bad." Parvati grinned, slapping her friend's shoulder
playfully.
"So bad." Lavender agreed, pulling out a hand mirror and admiring her
less than-appealing (At least Destiny thought so) reflection. She puckered
her lips and applied a sticky coat of bright pink lip-gloss, smacking her
lips together when she was finished. It was then that the Brown bint
looked up from her mirror and saw Destiny.
"Oi, Lestrange. How long have you been spying on us? You can look
honey, but you'll never be one of us." Brown sniffed haughtily.
Like I'd want to be. Destiny plastered a sickly sweet smile on her face, "Oh
Brown, I'd rather kiss Snape than kiss 'that'" She gestured to Lavender's
heavily made up face.
Destiny giggled softly at the outraged expression on Lavender's face. She
floated over to the door and threw it open. "I'd be careful walking outside
tonight, Lavender. It's raining and we wouldn't want your face to melt
off, now would we?" She called from behind her shoulder.
Smiling to herself, Destiny slammed the door shut and sauntered towards
the steps leading down to the horrid common room. It was moderately
large, yes. But the entire room was in shades of red and murky gold,
which Destiny found physically revolting. She was about to descend
down the steps when she heard the hushed voices coming from the large
sofa in front of the fireplace.
"Polyjuice? What's that?"
"Apparently, it can turn you into another person. That's what Percy told
me."
"But how will that help us?"
Destiny gasped quietly and instantly covered her mouth with her hands.
Her eyes widened and she cautiously looked over the railing to see the
Gryffindor trio of boys lounging on the couch. They were playing what
looked to be a game of Wizard Chess, and were barely paying any
attention to their surroundings. It isn't eavesdropping if they speak too loud
Destiny chanted in her head.
"Because then we can find out who the Heir of Slytherin really is!" A
voice argued.
"I don't get it."
"We'll just take some polyjuice and go down to the Slytherin Dungeons
and try to trick Riddle into confessing."
"Alexander, no one will believe us over Riddle."
"Sure they will, I'm the chosen one." He exclaimed pompously, "Besides
he's the heir of Slytherin."
"But we don't even have polyjuice." Dean Thomas reasoned. He rolled his
eyes at the two boys across from him. "And Riddle will see through us in
a minute. He's too smart."
Destiny smirked. At least one of those three wasn't a complete idiot.
"Fine, don't come. But me and Ron are going, yeah?" He looked towards
the ginger currently shoveling a chocolate frog into his mouth. Alexander
Potter grimaced, but waited until Ronald Weasley had finished chewing.
"Yeah. Alexander's dad already sent us some in a flask. Technically,
you're not supposed to- but I think they can make an exception for us."
Ron agreed. He paused, and let out a loud belch. "This will work.
Someone needs to knock Riddle down a peg."
"We should take him down." Alexander Potter decided after a minute had
past in silence. "He's gaining more and more influence by the second. Just
look at the Hufflepuffs. Riddle doesn't even look twice at Hufflepuffs, and
yet they're always staring at him with wide lovey-dovey eyes." He
commented bitterly.
"We should go tonight." Ron announced excitedly. "In fact, let's go right
now."
"Not now." Alexander murmured. "We need to have a plan. We need to
think like the Slytherins do."
"But we're Gryffindors, not Slytherins."
"Obviously. But first we need to create a distraction so we can get the
hairs off of Malfoy and Zabini." Potter plotted, rubbing his hands together
in anticipation.
"I saw Greengrass walking to the library." Ron offered, a malicious smile
appearing on his boyish features.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Alexander asked as an evil gleam
settled into his eyes.
"If you're thinking about what's for breakfast tomorrow, then yes."
"No, you idiot. I was thinking we target Greengrass first. She's asking for
a good hexing."
Dean's eyes widened as he glanced between his two friends. His left eye
twitched. "Are you bigots interested in suicide? You can go after Riddle
and his lackeys, but not his girlfriend. He will kill you!" He whispered
harshly, panicking more by the second.
"Don't be ridiculous, Greengrass isn't his girlfriend." Ron scoffed. "Besides
she needs to be punished."
"What, did she hex you once?" Dean snorted.
There was a moment of awkward silence and Dean groaned. "You can't
go after Greengrass just because she hexed you once."
"She didn't just hex me." Alexander defended.
Ron nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah mate, she turned him pink for a
whole two days! And she also set his charms homework on fire!"
"But you never actually did your charms homework?" Dean pointed out.
"So why does it matter? You can't curse a girl!"
"Relax Thomas. We aren't cursing her." Alexander paused as a steely look
came into his brown eyes, "We're simply teaching her a lesson."
"I still think this is a bad idea." Dean Thomas muttered, watching Potter
get up from his spot on the sofa.
Destiny smirked from her hidden position above. It was a very bad idea
indeed.
Hogwarts Library [November 16th]
Daphne Greengrass crossed and uncrossed her long legs underneath the
rich-grained mahogany table. She twirled her quill around in her fingers,
ignoring the ticklish feeling she got from the feather. Her back ached
from uncomfortably hunching over the stack of books and parchment
lying neatly in front of her.
The curly haired witch in front of her was in a position mirroring hers,
but unlike Daphne, she seemed to enjoy the numbing feeling one got
from hours of writing essays. Daphne glared openly at the girl across
from her. They had been at it for hours, yet the Ravenclaw showed no
signs of stopping. Daphne only got a break when it was time for dinner
and when she came back to drag Hermione away, the opposite had
happened. Hermione ended up forcing Daphne to sit back down and
finish her essay. No, Daphne thought, something had to be done about this.
As if she had heard her thoughts, Hermione glanced up from her work
and gave Daphne a disapproving look. She cleared her throat and spoke
in her bossiest voice, "No. This essay is due next week and we need to get
started!"
"Started?" Daphne repeated incredulously, "We've nearly finished! We've
been working on this all day!"
"Nearly doesn't mean complete." Hermione tsked.
"But why?" Daphne asked, although it came out sounding more like a
desperate whine.
"Because schoolwork comes first." Hermione announced with finality,
turning her attention back to the neglected parchment.
Daphne sighed and looked sadly out the window. The weather outside
seemed to reflect her depressed mood quite well. It was dark outside, and
the slight pitter-patter of raindrops could be heard against the glass.
They had been in this bloody library all day! In the afternoon, the boys
had left for quidditch tryouts. Neville had gone off to work on an extra-
credit potions project. Even Destiny was busy looking forward into the
future for any imminent threats.
With her options of company quickly dwindling, Daphne had reluctantly
tagged along with Hermione for the day; A decision that was proving to
be quite unwise. Daphne had suggested they spend their free afternoon at
their secluded spot in the library, catching up. But she had overlooked
the fact that the library held several enchanting books. And anytime
there were books involved, it compelled the bright witch in front of her
to start on schoolwork.
Many times Daphne had tried to steer the conversation away from the
latest potions assignment, but it was to no avail. The girl had a one-track
mind! Daphne was about to attempt to change the subject once more, but
the sound of Hermione getting up from her chair caused her to look up.
"I'm going to find another book." She announced. Suddenly her eyes
narrowed and she looked at Daphne distrustfully. "Don't even think of
moving until you finish your part of the essay. I want an O on this paper.
And then we can get out of here before curfew. Understand?"
"Yes ma'am." Daphne muttered sarcastically. She waited until Hermione
was out of sight before happily pushing away her chair and standing up.
She paused another two seconds, just in case Hermione came barreling
back to scold her, but when she didn't, Daphne smiled and happily
skipped out the doors of the library.
She was already grinning widely, relishing her newfound freedom. She
quickened her pace, wanting to get back to her friends in the common
room.
"Well, well, well. Look who it is."
Daphne froze in her tracks, her hands quickly reaching inside her robes
for her wand. She knew that voice. She plastered a clearly fake sugar-
sweet smile on her face and turned around, her eyes flashing
dangerously.
"Potter. How unfortunate that I run into you." She spoke in a cool voice,
intimidatingly staring the chubby boy down. Alexander's nefarious grin
faltered as he looked disbelievingly at Daphne, a trickle of doubt
clouding his mind.
He shook his head and stepped closer to Daphne. "Yes. How unfortunate
for you."
She instinctively took another step back and glanced casually around her
surroundings, cursing the fact that the corridors were nearly deserted due
to the nearing curfew time.
He seemed to notice her discomfort and he took out his wand looking
highly pleased. "Oh no one's coming to save you, Greengrass. And even if
someone stumbles upon this, no one will dare to interrupt the Savior
simply teaching a lesson."
Daphne stared at the self-righteousness and egotism that was Alexander
Potter and burst out laughing. His expression quickly turned red with
embarrassment and anger.
"Stop laughing at me, I'm trying to hex you!" He shouted, trying to block
out her condescending snickers.
This only made Daphne laugh harder. She pushed her golden hair out of
her eyes and gave him a bemused look. "Are you trying to curse me or
make me laugh?" She taunted, clutching her wand tightly behind her
back.
He scowled and whipped out his wand, dangerously pointing it at her.
"I'd shut up if I were you." He warned, his hand shaking.
"Or what?" She sneered, putting a hand on her hip. "You'll kill me with a
tickling hex?" She raised an eyebrow challengingly.
"That's it, you slimy Slytherin bint!" Alexander Potter exclaimed. He
shouted a spell and Daphne waved her wand, deflecting the hex easily.
She smirked, "Try harder."
He growled under his breath, "Flipendo!"
A small, invisible force pushed Daphne down onto the stone cold floor
and her back hit the ground with a loud thump. She grumbled but stood
back up, glaring at the lump of stupid in front of her. "You've been
practicing, Potter." She said loudly, fighting back the wicked grin that
threatened to break out on her face.
"Anything to destroy you and your little posse." He barked.
"What's going on?" A weak voice called out. Both Daphne and Alexander
turned to see a meekly crowd of first years gathered around them. They
were watching the two with wide eyes and Daphne turned her icy gaze to
them. They cowered and looked down, causing Daphne's eyes to soften.
"Have any of you seen a duel?" She asked, her pink lips twisting into a
thin smile. She didn't wait for an answer as she turned back to Alexander.
"Well, do your worst, Potter." She goaded.
"Incarcerous!" He shouted, his eyes ablaze with grim determination.
Daphne snickered as a measly shoelace-like rope twisted around her
body. There were a couple laughs from the horde of people now
watching. Daphne made a big show of stepping out of the ropes and
moving her hands in a "taa-dah!" motion.
Alexander Potter snarled, "Locomotor Wibbly!"
A jet of purplish light shot towards Daphne, who casually stepped aside.
Alexander cast the spell again, and this time it hit Daphne's knees. Her
legs wobbled for a second before she collapsed onto the floor. She looked
up and shot Alexander a venomous glare. "A jelly-legs hex, Potter? That's
it?"
"I knew you'd be on your knees, begging me for forgiveness someday. I
just didn't realize it would be so soon." He spat, looking down at her.
Meanwhile in the quickly growing crowd, Hadrian leaned coolly against
the wall, watching the duel with an indifferent gaze. Draco Malfoy
frantically tapped his shoulder, and Hadrian raised an eyebrow in
question at the blond next to him.
"Hadrian, don't you think we should do something?" Draco hissed under
his breath, pointing to the duel.
Hadrian shrugged noncommittally and resumed watching the duel. Draco
glanced worriedly at one of his best friends constantly getting hit by a
stinging hex.
Even Blaise looked concerned. "Yeah, mate. Maybe we should help." He
suggested.
Draco didn't wait for an answer; instead he dragged Hadrian towards the
front of the spectators, despite Hadrian's firm stance. Hadrian sighed
heavily and folded his arms, looking on with disinterest.
"Aberrabis." Alexander Potter shouted, and with a wave of palpable force,
Daphne was slammed into the wall behind her. She groaned loudly and
slumped down, looking extremely worn out as she stood back up.
Draco winced and glanced at Hadrian. Hadrian barely registered the
offensive attack, but Draco was sure he saw him flinch and a flicker of
concern in his otherwise apathetic green eyes.
"If you aren't stopping this, then I will!" Draco muttered, stepping
towards Daphne. Suddenly Hadrian grabbed his arm and pushed him
back. He gave Draco a warning look. "No." He said evenly, and a chill
went up Draco's spine. Draco reluctantly stopped in his tracks and
glanced worriedly at Daphne.
Daphne stood up, and stared hatefully at the triumphant expression on
Alexander's face. She felt someone's burning gaze on her, and she turned
to meet Hadrian's eyes. She wasn't exactly sure when he got here, but she
gave him a discreet reassuring look. To anyone else, nothing in Hadrian's
demeanor would've changed. But Daphne saw the nearly unnoticeable
nod he gave her.
She smiled widely and turned to Alexander. "Potter, I've been dealing
with your idiocy for almost thirty minutes now." She stepped closer to
him, wordlessly casting a sticking spell. Daphne waved her wand and a
strong set of ropes wrapped around his form.
She circled around him at a dreadfully slow pace, enjoying the way his
eyes widened with panic. "Now what did I tell you would happen if you
tried anything?"
"I-I can't seem to recall anything." He muttered, attempting to squirm out
of the ropes. Daphne's eyes narrowed and in a split second she pressed
her wand against his throat in a threatening manner.
"You said you'd make sure I'd never be able to curse you again." He
mumbled, trying to step away, but then paling once he realized he was
frozen in his spot.
"Exactly." She murmured, pushing her wand deeper into his throat. He
must've looked absolutely terrified, because Daphne tossed her head back
and laughed.
"Relax, you stupid Gryffindor. I'm not going to kill you." She smirked. "I'm
just going to give you a constant reminder to never mess with me again."
"Furnunculus!" She shouted, waving her wand in a complicated manner.
Instantly, Alexander began to sprout several painful looking, bulging red
boils all over his body. He gasped at the sudden pain and Daphne stepped
back.
"This one's just for fun. Slugulus Eructo!" She grinned, pointing her wand
at Potter.
A bright jet of green light it him, and the halls were silent. Suddenly, a
rumbling sound came from Alexander Potter and he groaned as a
disgusting slimly slug spewed out of his mouth.
"What is going on here? Miss. Greengrass? Mr. Potter?" Snape drawled,
stepping through the throng of students. He quickly muttered a silent
"Finite Incitatum."
"Greengrass and Potter were dueling, Sir." A Ravenclaw shouted.
"Were they now? And after curfew as well?" Snape sneered. "Five points
from every house present." He surveyed the barely scratched Daphne and
then the pimpled, vomiting Potter boy. His expression turned distasteful.
"Ten points from Gryffindor for improper conduct in the corridors."
"But sir, it's not his fault he's throwing up!"
"I don't permit bodily fluids sullying my corridors." He pointed to Ronald
Weasley, who was fearfully watching his best friend from the sidelines.
"Take him to the Hospital Wing before he cries. And when he comes
back, tell him he has detention for the next week with me."
The redhead nodded and quickly scurried past Hadrian and his friends.
Draco and Blaise winced as something tugged on their hair, but they
ignored it and turned their attention back to the scene before them.
"Miss. Greengrass, are you alright?" Snape muttered, scanning her for any
injuries.
"I'm fine, Professor."
"Good, then you can join Mr. Potter in detention for tomorrow. And
please refrain from dueling in the corridors next time." Under his breath,
he muttered, "Or at least don't get caught."
She nodded reluctantly, and glanced at her friends. "Can I go now
professor?"
"I suppose."
She beamed brightly and sauntered over to her friends. Draco looked
very concerned as she stood in front of them. "Are you crazy? Dueling in
the halls? What's gotten into you?" He whispered harshly.
Blaise shrugged, "I thought he deserved it."
"Thank you, Blaise." She smiled. "Besides, Potter started it. He started
spewing some crap about how I will pay someday and how he's going to
teach me a lesson. He actually had the nerve to say that one day I would
be on my knees begging for his forgiveness!" Daphne hissed.
Hadrian raised an eyebrow. "He actually said that?"
Daphne nodded. Hadrian didn't say anything else as he stood there.
"Shall we go?" Daphne suggested.
"Blaise and I are going to go find Longbottom before Filch does. Lord
knows where he went." Draco explained. "Don't get into any more duels."
He warned.
Hadrian offered her a hand and she smiled. They silently walked together
back to the Slytherin dorms. Hadrian muttered the password and the wall
slid open. When they stepped inside, they discovered the common room
was empty.
Daphne yawned and leaned her head against Hadrian's shoulder. "What
time is it?"
"I'd say around ten." Hadrian murmured, pulling Daphne towards the
couch.
"I wonder why no one is up here?" She wondered out loud. It was very
uncommon for any Slytherin to go to sleep before eleven. And yet, not a
single soul was awake.
"I suppose it is strange." Hadrian agreed. "Are you okay?" He asked, when
they were seated on the plushy cushions.
"I'm fine, Hadrian."
"Why did you let yourself be pushed around for so long?" He questioned.
"I couldn't reveal all my secrets at the beginning, could I?" Daphne said
playfully.
"Were you trying to be underestimated?"
"Of course." She grinned. "Being underestimated is one of the biggest
advantages you can have in a duel."
There was a hint of a smile on his lips as he shook his head. "How very
Slytherin of you."
"I know." She laughed, playing with a silky lock of her hair. She paused
and looked up at Hadrian's face. "How long do you think it'll take for
Potter to get the message that we are not to be messed with?"
"I don't think he'll ever understand. He's too thick." Hadrian smirked. He
saw Daphne yawn again, and turned to get up. "Daphne, you're tired. You
should get some sleep. Come on, I'll walk you down."
She was too tired to argue, and so she took Hadrian's hand without
protest. He helped her down the steps, ignoring her insistence that she
was perfectly capable of walking. They stopped by Daphne's door, and
Daphne softly pushed open the door, making sure she didn't accidentally
wake anyone up.
She turned back to Hadrian and smiled. "Thanks for walking me down,
Hadrian."
He smiled as well, and there was a moment of silence. They stared at
each other for what seemed like a very long time, before Hadrian cleared
his throat. "Er- I should probably check whether those three made it back
yet."
"Hadrian, wait."
He turned around and Daphne stepped closer to him. She stood up on her
tiptoes, and leaned closer, until she was hesitantly pressing her soft lips
to his.
Hadrian's eyes widened and he before he could even register anything
she quickly stepped away. Her face was flushed with embarrassment and
she was looking down at her feet. "Uh. I'm sorry, Hadrian!" She mumbled,
backing into her room. "I-I should go. Bye!"
She hurriedly shut the door, and Hadrian stared dumbly at the black
wooden door. He wasn't sure what had just happened…but he wanted
her to do it again. He touched his lips and a smile spread across his face.
His mood had just improved significantly.
He contemplated knocking on her door again, but then decided to give
her some time think. Maybe it was a spur of the moment thing? He began
walking back up the steps, and a knot settled in his stomach. What if she
didn't want to be more than friends?
He shook his head at his thoughts and turned his attention back to the
common room doors. He would speak to Daphne tomorrow. Right now,
he needed to focus on other pressing matters.
Almost as if on cue, the door to the common room slid open, and Draco
and Blaise stepped inside. Hadrian raised an eyebrow, "Where's
Longbottom?"
"Neville?" Blaise asked, looking slightly nervous. "Er-"
"Weren't you supposed to fetch him?" Hadrian rolled his eyes. He
gestured to the seats in front of him. "Well, sit down."
They hastily walked over to the couch and threw themselves onto it.
They both stared expectantly at Hadrian. "Well, what did you find?"
"Find?" Blaise asked, looking at Hadrian curiously.
"You were supposed to catch the Heir in action!" Hadrian hissed angrily,
pressing a hand to his temples.
"You mean you aren't the Heir?" Draco asked dumbly.
"Obviously not! I already told you this!" Hadrian groaned. "You two are
useless."
"Why are we finding the Heir again?" Draco asked.
"You idiots. I need to tell the Heir to go after Potter or Weasley next."
Hadrian smirked.
"Are you serious?" Blaise asked anxiously, shooting Draco a worried
glance.
"No, you twit." Hadrian snapped. "What I want to do with the Heir once
we find him is my business. Your job is to find him."
"Sorry. We'll look tomorrow." Draco quickly said.
"You'd better." Hadrian hissed. "Blaise, go find Longbottom. I need to talk
to Draco, alone."
"Alone?" Repeated Blaise. Hadrian just shot him an expectant look and
Blaise hesitantly stood up from his spot.
"Go!" Hadrian scowled, pointing towards the door. Blaise slowly trudged
over to the door, and with one last panicked look, he left the room.
"So, what did you need to talk to me about Rid-Hadrian?" Draco
questioned, nervously pulling at his tie.
Hadrian shrugged and picked up his wand, noticing Draco flinch
significantly. Hadrian muttered a silencing charm and smiled at the
panicked look on Draco's face.
"What are you doing?" He asked, inching towards the edge of the sofa.
"Casting a silencing charm."
"Why?"
"I have a question for you first." Hadrian said, sitting down in the sofa
across from Draco. "Do tell me Potter, how did it feel throwing up slugs
for over ten minutes?"
Draco sputtered, and he ran a hand through his platinum blond hair.
"Wh-Er-Why are you calling me Potter?" He laughed nervously. "I'm
Draco."
"No. You're not. Now I could just sit and wait till your polyjuice potion
wears off, or you could accept that you're Potter and we can get on to the
next topic on our agenda." Hadrian smirked.
Potter didn't respond, and Hadrian took it as acceptance. "Alright Potter.
We both know why you came down here. You wanted to prove that I was
the culprit behind this Chamber of Secrets debacle, eh?" He paused and
watched, as Alexander's eyes grew more and more frightened by the
second.
"Relax, I don't care about that. But Potter, you've wronged me today. And
because of that you will suffer."
"But I haven't done anything to you!" He squeaked, eyes darting towards
the exit.
"Don't bother, you won't be able to leave till I'm done with you. And I've
also cast silencing charms. No one will be able to hear your screams."
Hadrian waved his hand indifferently.
Hadrian tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Now what was it you said to
Daphne?" He paused and his features hardened. "Oh right. You said 'She
will pay someday and you're going to teach her a lesson.' And I almost
forgot! Didn't you also say that 'She'd be on her knees, begging you for
forgiveness someday'?"
Potter shook his head desperately, "I didn't! I didn't mean to say those
things!"
Hadrian scoffed. "Don't lie, Potter. It doesn't suit you." He paused.
"Besides, I didn't keep you here to just talk to you. I'm going to make sure
you never go near her again. Never."
"I promise! I promise I won't even look at her!" Potter whimpered
pathetically. Hadrian smiled as the platinum blonde hair started to turn
back into brown and the robes began to tighten over Potter's surplus
flesh. In a couple seconds, Alexander Potter was sitting in front of him.
"Not good enough, Potter." Hadrian muttered. "And now that you've
turned back into your filthy self, I can proceed to make sure you learn
your lesson." He silently cast a bit of dark magic and pushed it towards
Alexander.
Alexander looked fearfully at the black haze coming towards him, and
tried to get up, but he discovered he was frozen in place. "What's that?"
He asked.
"You'll see."
It took about a minute, but the haze came into contact with Alexander's
skin and he screamed. He clawed at his skin, anywhere to get the
horrible pain away from him. The haze wrapped itself around Alexander,
and he gasped, an immeasurable amount of agony shooting up through
his veins.
"Make it stop. Make it stop." He pleaded.
"No. Praecisus!" Hadrian muttered. He had heard his father once cast it,
but he'd never discovered what the spell actually did. A bright yellow jet
of light made its way toward Alexander Potter and he let out a
bloodcurdling scream.
It sounded like a girl. Hadrian snickered. He watched curiously as
Alexander began to twitch violently and a trickle of blackish blood began
to drip out of his nose.
Sighing, Hadrian quickly stopped the spell and watched Alexander begin
to calm down, and the blood from his nose stopped. He opened his eyes
and glared at Hadrian, panting furiously. "Who are you? The Dark Lord?"
Hadrian sneered. "No, I'm worse." And before Alexander could react, he
slammed his fist into the boy's face with a sickening crunch. Alexander
cursed aloud as he grasped his nose in pain, ignoring the now steady flow
of blood that began to flow from his nose.
Hadrian towered over the crouching boy and looked at him murderously.
"Don't touch her. Don't go near her. Don't look at her. Don't even think
about her. Understand, you worthless piece of shit?" He hissed.
Alexander Potter nodded, looking anywhere but the soulless cracked
emerald eyes of Hadrian Riddle. He whimpered in excruciating,
paralyzing pain.
"Leave."
Alexander didn't need to be told twice, and he attempted to get up but
found he was unable to. He reached to pull himself up onto his knees and
looked up at Hadrian pleadingly.
Hadrian seemed to realize the boy's dilemma and smirked. "Beg."
His eyes widened and he shook his head, wincing as the action caused
him an immense amount of torture. "No. I won't beg." He rasped. "I'll tell
everyone what you did. You can't lie your way out of this, Riddle. People
will wonder why their Savior is in this condition, and I'll point my finger
to you. You'll be expelled, killed maybe."
Hadrian shrugged and kicked Alexander's stomach, causing him to clutch
his stomach and howl. "You'll only get to tell the world if you get out of
here, Potter."
Alexander scowled hatefully and finally realized he had no choice.
"Please." He gritted out. "Please help me get up. I beg you."
Hadrian smiled. "That wasn't so hard, was it? As for your request, I'll
have to deny it."
"But, I begged!" Alexander protested weakly.
"And I don't care. Find your own way out of here, or sit here and rot. I.
Don't. Care." Hadrian stressed each word.
Alexander Potter hissed under his breath and began to crawl pathetically
towards the exit to the common room.
"Get up, Potter. You're dribbling blood all over the fine marble." Hadrian
called out cruelly.
Alexander was about to reply with a hateful comment, but then he
paused and tried to pull himself up. With an immense amount of effort,
he found himself on his feet. He took a cautious step forward, and after
making sure he wouldn't fall, he turned back to Hadrian.
"You will regret this, I'll tell everyone!" Alexander Potter called out as he
leaned against the Slytherin's door.
"What will you tell them, Potter? How you snuck into the Slytherin
dorms after curfew? How you said such cruel things to an innocent,
wonderful girl? How you polyjuiced yourself into one of my best friends?
In case you don't know, polyjuice is illegal, unless any of the Aurors use it
for investigation purposes. Not only will you get yourself into trouble,
you'll also get that pathetic father of yours into trouble. Will you also tell
them how you attempted to trick me into confessing I was the Heir of
Slytherin?" Hadrian smirked. "What will you tell them, Potter?" He
repeated.
Alexander's face whitened as he realized the disastrous situation he was
in. If he told anyone about Riddle, then he himself would be ruined as
well.
"Glad you finally realized the consequences of the terrible plan you've
created." Hadrian grinned. "Now scurry off, so I can get some sleep
tonight."
Alexander Potter pointed an accusing finger at Hadrian. "You're a
monster." He turned around and quietly slipped through the doors,
carefully protecting his nose from further harm.
Hadrian smiled, very pleased with himself. He pointed to the blood on
the floor and muttered a quick scourgify. Hadrian started to walk down
towards the black marbled steps, but paused as he heard the sound of
someone clapping.
He whipped his neck around to see a figure coming out from the side of
the bookshelf. His eyes narrowed at her long red hair and her sparkling
brown eyes.
"Ginerva. " He addressed icily. "How much did you see?" He asked
cautiously.
"Enough." She answered flippantly, settling herself onto a couch and
tossing the book she was carrying onto the coffee table. She patted the
spot next to her and smiled. "Come sit."
He ignored her and stared at her expectantly. She grinned and tossed her
hair back. "That was quite an impressive show, Hadrian."
"And?" He raised an eyebrow. "Now tell me, what is it you want in order
to keep your mouth shut?"
"How do you know I won't tell?" She asked challengingly. "That was a
dangerous bit of dark magic."
"You won't." He said confidently, folding his arms.
Ginerva shrugged. "You're right. I won't. But, I want something in return."
"As I suspected."
"You tell no one that you saw me here. Understand? If anyone asks, I've
been in my room all night."
"Alright."
"Agreeing so quickly? How very un-Slytherin of you."
"I can easily back out. Would you like me to sit and think about it?" He
asked sarcastically.
She grinned and shook her head, prancing over to the staircase. He shook
his head and followed after her shortly.
"Oh, Ginerva?" He called out, tapping her shoulder. She turned around.
"You left this." He murmured, pressing the black leather book into her
hands.
She paled and glanced up at Hadrian distrustfully. "Not. A. Word." She
hissed.
He smiled and pressed a finger to his lips.
26. Accidents
A/N: I am so excited. It has been EXACTLY A YEAR since I posted
this story and couldn't be happier! Everyone is so supportive and I
love reading your reviews and using some of your suggestions. You
guys are great! I cannot believe how much this story has grown and
also how much I have changed as a writer. It may seem subtle, but I
can tell that writing this story has definitely made me a better
writer! I'd like to thank every reader and I love you all and I feel
like I'm giving an Oscar speech even though I'm not so this is
awkward. Well anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll keep
updating as long as I get new ideas! Have fun reading!
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Hogwarts' Grounds [December 6th]
Hadrian leaned against the stone pillar, narrowing his eyes as he saw the
blonde girl dance around Destiny, smiling and playfully throwing a
snowball at his sister. Daphne's long hair cascaded down her back in
perfectly shaped golden ringlets that bounced as she laughed. She
couldn't see him, which was probably the reason she hadn't bolted yet.
He wasn't sure why, but Daphne was avoiding him. And doing quite an
impressive job at that. They had the same schedule, they had the same
friends, and they even lived right next to each other for Merlin's sake! But
somehow, the girl had managed to avoid any contact with him for the
past two weeks. He just didn't understand.
He wasn't sure what he did wrong to drive her away. They always used to
partner together in Transfiguration, but now she would go off and
happily partner with Pansy Parkinson. Parkinson. Hadrian grimaced.
Daphne hated Parkinson. And yet she chose her over him? Something
definitely was wrong.
He supposed it had something to do with their kiss. He had tried to talk
to her about it, but she would just change the topic (rather desperately)
or simply leave the room. He wasn't quite sure where to go from there, so
he decided to seek answers elsewhere:
"Astoria, do you know why Daphne is avoiding me?" He asked casually,
standing outside her door. She glanced at him curiously and shook her head,
rubbing her eyes sleepily.
"Why would I know?" She managed to mutter, not bothering to close the door
as she flung herself back into her sheets.
Astoria had proven to be completely useless, so he had tried asking
Blaise:
"Blaise, do you know why Daphne's avoiding us?" He questioned, looking
around the people in the common room.
"Avoiding us? She's not avoiding me. Sorry mate, I think it's just you." Blaise
replied. "Can we go to breakfast now? I'm hungry."
After asking Blaise, Hadrian tried asking his sister. He groaned for not
thinking of it in the first place. She was a damn Seer!
"Destiny, where's Daphne?" He asked, trying to distract his sister from the
herbology essay she was frantically trying to finish before her first class.
"I'm not sure. I think she's in Moaning Myrtle's restroom." She shrugged
noncommittally, turning back to her paper.
In his defense, he only asked Myrtle because he was desperate.
"Myrtle, have you seen Daphne?" He asked, shielding his eyes and cautiously
stepping inside the deserted loo. There was a muffled scream as a first year
scurried outside of the bathroom, glaring at Hadrian angrily.
Myrtle floated towards him and tilted her translucent head back in thought.
She tapped her chin. "Is she tall?"
He nodded.
"Does she have long, golden coloured hair?"
He nodded once again.
"Is she really pretty?"
He smiled and nodded.
Myrtle cackled and flew back into the last stall, "Haven't seen her." She called
out.
He decided he did not like that ghost. He didn't like her one bit. He was
about to give up when one day he went to potions class, and an idea
came to mind. At the time it seemed like a foolproof plan, but looking
back at it now, he realized he was being quite ridiculous.
"Professor Snape, why is Daphne avoiding me?" He asked after the class was
dismissed.
The hook nosed professor stared at him with a blank look on his face before
the expression turned to one of contempt. "And why, Mr. Riddle, would I
lower myself to care about your petty problems? Do I look like a bloody
therapist?"
"But Severus-" He began.
"It's Professor Snape. How many times do I have to tell you this, Riddle."
"Ahem." He cleared his throat.
Snape's eyes darted around and he gritted his teeth before hissing, "My
sincerest apologies. Young Lord."
"That's better. Now tell me what you know."
Snape rolled his eyes as he organized the stack of papers on his desk. "It seems
to me that she's avoiding you because you've done something to upset her." He
drawled, shutting a drawer.
"But I haven't done anything!"
"Mr. Riddle, if I understood women, then I wouldn't be working as a potions
professor, now would I? I'd probably be making billions of galleons sitting at
home and dealing with dunderheads like you." He put his hands on his desk
and glared at Hadrian. "Alas I do not, and I cannot seem to muster up the
concern to care in the slightest. I suggest you simply wait. Now kindly get out
of my office and come back when you have a real problem."
"What am I supposed to do in the meantime?" He wondered aloud.
"Read a book, assuming you know how to read. Throw around a quaffle. Go
torture Potter. It doesn't matter." Snape shrugged dispassionately, marking
another T on a fifth year essay with his brand new quill.
"I already did torture Potter!" Hadrian huffed, throwing open the door to
leave.
Snape dropped the quill in his hands in shock. "Excuse me? You already did?
Riddle come back here for a moment. Your father will have a fit if you get
caught using dark arts on the Potter brat. Don't dismiss me, boy. Get back
here! Don't you dare silencio me-"
In hindsight, asking Snape probably hadn't been the best idea. As Hadrian
stood watching one of his best friends (in a completely un-stalkerish way
of course) he realized that Daphne not speaking to him affected him more
than it should.
He tried to ignore the thought and turned to go inside and walk towards
the Slytherin Dormitory to collect his Quidditch gear for the match that
would be starting soon. The dungeons were nearly empty, since many
Slytherins had already started studying for exams. There was no sight of
his friends anywhere and Hadrian assumed they must've already left for
the quidditch pitch.
Hadrian was about to enter the common room, when he felt a small hand
grab his arm and turn him around. Hadrian raised an eyebrow as he
stared curiously at the curly haired Ravenclaw in front of him. "To what
do I owe this pleasure, Granger?" He drawled, studying his nails
uncaringly.
Hermione put a finger to her lips and motioned for him to follow as she
stepped into a darkened alcove. Hadrian shrugged and decided to humor
her and her strange behavior.
"So? What is it?" He asked. "What was so secret that you couldn't tell me
in an already deserted dungeon?"
"I don't appreciate your tone, Hadrian." Granger wrinkled her nose as if
she had caught a whiff of something unpleasant. "But I'll let it go for
now."
"I feel so lucky." He smirked. She glared at him and Hadrian smiled.
"What?" He asked, plastering an innocent look onto his face.
"What?" She mimicked in a ridiculously low voice that sounded nothing
like him. She turned and pulled out the book he had given her a while
ago and thrust it into his arms. "Why did you give it to me?"
"Well I thought you would like it, considering it would help you with
Runes next ye-"
"No. I want the real reason and don't try lying to me again. This book is
dark magic, and I know it because…." She trailed off and her dark eyes
darted around nervously. She licked her chapped lips and whispered, "I
can feel it."
"It's just a book, Hermione." He waved his hand carelessly, "Calm down."
"You don't understand! I finished the book a couple days ago and I tried
to practice one of the easier runes and I-"
"Hermione, you can't practice this kind of magic unsupervised! Its not
safe!" He scolded.
"I know!" She wailed melodramatically. "But even knowing that I cast a
spell and it worked perfectly. So then I was naturally curious-"
"Naturally." Hadrian cut in, rolling his eyes.
"Yes. So then I tried to learn more from another book, but none of my
spells worked! They only work when I follow the directions from the
book you gave me!" She rambled.
"Er- Congratulations?"
"There's something else too. Every time I'm around that book, I literally
feel compelled to read it."
"You say that about all books, Hermione." Hadrian pointed out. But of
course she felt compelled to read it. He had put the spell on it himself.
She sucked in a deep breath and looked at Hadrian so intensely that he
took a hesitant step back. "I need you to tell me, why. Why is that one
the only book that works? Is it dark magic? Am I using dark magic? Don't
lie to me."
Hadrian managed to keep his neutral look as he smiled and shook his
head. "It's written by a well known Dark-Arts author, but it isn't dark
magic." He lied.
Hermione studied him for a minute before pointing a finger at him
accusingly. "You. Are. Lying."
"Hermione, love. Relax. Listen to me. This book is not dark magic." He
tried to reassure her.
"Hadrian I swear to Meriln, you better tell me the truth right now or I
will-"
"The content of the book doesn't make it dark magic." He blurted out,
cutting off what was sure to have been a long tirade. He took a deep
breath and sighed, looking at her tiredly. "You really don't understand the
difference between light and dark magic, do you?"
She opened her mouth to protest, but Hadrian shook his head. "No. You
don't. There's only one difference between light and dark magic and that
is intention." He looked at the confused look on her face and gave her a
half smile.
"Look at it this way," He shot a spell at the decorative mirror that was
hanging above their heads and watched as it shattered into pieces. He
looked at her expectantly. "Now help me put it back together."
She rolled her eyes but summoned the pieces towards her and she waved
her wand over them, creating a smooth sheet of reflective glass. Hadrian
nodded in approval. "That's good enough." He tapped his wand onto the
mirror and caused it to fall back apart.
Before Hermione could even blink, he muttered the same summoning
charm and pushed the shards of glass towards Hermione. She let out a
small scream and raised her arm to block her face, but the piercing
feeling never came. She hesitantly lowered her arms and was shocked to
see the shards of glass circling around her, but never touching her. With
a wave of Hadrian's hand, they fell into a circle at her feet.
"Do you see? It was a simple Accio spell, but look how easily it turned
dangerous when my intent changed?" He explained, watching her for any
sign of a reaction.
Hermione tilted her head and hesitantly nodded, an unreadable look
coming into her chocolaty eyes. Suddenly her face turned into a bright
shade of red and her eyes widened in alarm.
"Hadrian!" She slapped the side of his head. "I can't believe you were
aiming glass at my face! How dare you!"
He shrugged, unconcerned. "It was the only way for you to understand."
"If sure there were plenty of other ways that you could've convinced me."
She pointed out.
"Sure there were. But this one was rather enjoyable." He grinned
roguishly.
Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "I still don't wholeheartedly
approve of this…"
"But…" Hadrian interjected looking at her expectantly.
"But…I think I can live with it. Now do tell me, Mr. Riddle. Do you have
any other exciting works of literature for me to read?" She grinned,
putting air quotes around the word 'literature'.
Hadrian stared at her. "No. Don't do that."
"What?"
"Quit putting quotes around 'Literature'" He said, folding his arms. "It's
just a book."
"Yes, but it's a forbidden book so…'literature'" She did it again.
"It's just a book."
"Fine. You're no fun. Now do you have anything or not?"
"As a matter in fact, I do have something, but it isn't a book."
"What is it then?" She asked, looking deflated.
"Trust me, you'll like this." He said as he pulled out the opaque vial out of
his bag. Hermione reached for it, but Hadrian yanked it away from her
grasp. "Do you know what this is?"
"No. But I want to. Give it to me."
"Calm down, darling. I have to warn you though, you might not like it."
"Then quit dancing around and tell me Hadrian." She snapped, her eyes
still on the vial.
"You are aware what a boggart does, correct?" He waited for her to nod
before continuing. "This is a potion that does the exact same thing.
Except it causes you face your greatest fears one by one, and I can assure
you, that can be quite terrifying."
"Did yo-Did you take it?" Hermione asked curiously. He nodded and her
face turned to one of confusion. "I don't understand. Why would you ever
take something like this?"
"It forces you to learn and face your fears and makes you stronger." He
lowered his voice, "You have to understand Hermione, although you may
be oblivious, there is a war going on. You may think you're safe in
Hogwarts, but no. I assume you've heard of all the petrification of
students, correct? First it was Filch's cat, and then that Gryffindor first
year. Everyone should be prepared and this will help you protect
yourself."
"What happens if I take it?" She wondered aloud.
He shrugged. "It depends, but it probably won't be pleasant. Although I
must advise you, if you do drink it, make sure you do it when you're
alone and no one will be expecting you for several days. The Christmas
holidays, perhaps?"
She reached out to take the vial, but suddenly paused and her eyes
narrowed. "What will this cost me?" She asked haughtily, staring Hadrian
right in the eyes.
He smirked, "Why do you think that it-"
"Riddle, I may have willingly fallen for your past manipulations, but not
this time. You're a Slytherin. And everything comes with a price." She
scoffed.
Hadrian pushed the vial into her hands and closed her fingers around it.
"There's only one thing I want in return. This potion is safe to take, but
not up to it's full potential. After you take it, come fine me and we can
work to make it stronger. I have to warn you; it's going to be a
challenge."
He purposely brushed her shoulder on his way out and whispered, "And
we both know how much Hermione Granger loves a challenge."
Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch [December 1st]
"Hadrian, you're late." Draco commented as he polished the handle of his
broom in front of the Quidditch locker rooms. "Flint is going to murder
you." He added nonchalantly. "You know how he hates it when anyone is
late."
Blaise grinned, "Flint wouldn't touch a hair on that perfect head of
Hadrian's. He wouldn't want to make the star chaser angry." He mocked.
A snowflake landed on his nose and he sneezed loudly.
Draco shook his head and muttered; "I don't understand why you would
give up your seeker position for me. I don't need a pity position."
"I didn't give it up for you." Hadrian shrugged. "I just wanted to try being
a chaser this year, and since since Ophelia is too busy with Head Girl
duties, I saw an opening and I took it. It wasn't for you." He repeated
firmly.
Draco folded his arms, "And luckily, you managed to secure a spot on the
team. Without any prior experience." He pointed out.
Hadrian narrowed his eyes, "What are you trying to say Draco. Just say
it."
"Oi, enough chit-chat. This isn't a tea party!" Marcus Flint hollered as he
burst through the door of the Slytherin locker room and eyed the second
years with distaste. "Riddle, you're late." He grunted, looking down at
him.
Hadrian turned his glare away from Draco and shrugged. "I was handling
an otherwise troubling affair, but don't worry Flint, it won't happen
again."
Flint nodded and clapped a hand on Hadrian's shoulder. "Good. Make
sure it doesn't. Now Boyle says you have a new play that'll knock those
knuckle headed Gryffindors off their brooms. Do tell me about it." He
said gruffly, leading Hadrian towards the pitch.
Draco and Blaise exchanged glances. "This is so not fair." Draco fumed as
he grabbed at his broom, and followed after the two. "When I was two
minutes late, Flint made me do laps around the entire pitch! And all he
gets is a 'Don't do it again?'" He exclaimed.
Blaise silently agreed and ran to catch up with Draco. "Well, its not as if
Hadrian wants the special treatment. We both know Flint is only being
nice because he wants an invitation to the initiation at Riddle Manor this
summer." Blaise rationalized.
"Bloody Hadrian always gets everything." Draco grumbled as he walked
with Blaise.
"Hey, don't compare yourself to Hadrian." Blaise said, "He's different from
us, and we just have to accept that. We're each special our own way."
Draco stared at Blaise for a minute. "You sound like a pansy. Shut up."
"Quit whining and I will." Blaise retorted. He waved to the cheering
Slytherin fans as he mounted his broom and shot up to his starting
position. "Stop worrying about it so much. It's going to ruin your game."
He yelled.
Draco glowered at the raven-haired boy who was chatting with the sixth
year chaser for minute before sighing and rising up to his position. He
barely heard the shrill sound of the whistle blowing as the match began.
It was almost unbearably cold this afternoon, and the snowflakes were
nearly blurring Draco's vision. The air was freezing and biting Draco's
already pink cheek and in his childish fit about his best friend, he had
forgotten to put on his gloves.
The only solace he got was the fact that Potter was as blind as a bat, so
there was no way he would catch the snitch before him.
He barely paid attention to the game, instead trying to focus on a tiny
shimmer of gold through the blinding flurry of snow. "Where the hell is
it?" He cursed. He tried to go up higher into the air, and the storm just
seemed to be getting worse and worse.
"And Riddle scores…again. Come on, Gryffindors; beat those slimy sons
of-" Lee Jordan's commentary was cut off as McGonagall reprimanded
him for his choice of words.
Draco rolled his eyes as he heard his friend score again. Stupid Hadrian,
He cursed, scanning the ground for the snitch. The Seeker always won
the game for the team, not the chaser.
A few minutes later, he thought he saw a flicker of gold, and so he dived
down past the haze of snowflakes. They felt wet against his cheek, and
terribly shocking against his skin. Draco reached his hand out to close his
hands around the shimmering golden object, but suddenly someone
slammed into him, nearly knocking him off his broom.
"What the hell are you doing?" Draco growled. He wiped the wetness
from his face and glared at one Hadrian Riddle. "Hadrian, we're on the
same team! I was about to catch the snitch. Are you purposely trying to
sabotage me?" He accused.
Hadrian's eyes flashed a cold shade of green, and the flurry of snowflakes
suddenly became thicker. "That wasn't the snitch you bigot. That was the
back of the Gryffindor chaser's broom. They're tipped with fake gold,
remember? I was trying to help you." He hissed in a tone that seemed
frostier than the weather.
Draco gripped the handle of his broom harder, until his fingers went
numb. He didn't need Hadrian's help. He could manage to catch the
snitch by himself. Potter seemed to be having the same problem as he
was since he kept flying in aimless circles around the center of the pitch.
Marcus Flint flew past him a while later and yelled, "Catch the damn
snitch Malfoy, so we can all go inside!"
He was sandwiched between two of the Gryffindor players, and they kept
trying to knock him off the broom. Marcus grinned slyly and in a blur of
green and silver he sent one of the players smashing into the Gryffindor
section, and falling down roughly to the ground.
Draco winced. Flint scored.
It was only when the score turned 545-460 with Slytherin in the lead, did
Draco notice the Snitch. For real this time. It was hovering near the
middle of the pitch, right about where Potter was circling around.
Draco didn't hesitate as he shot towards the center of the pitch, going
right through the entangled ring of chasers from both teams. He vaguely
heard someone yell, but Draco ignored it. Out of the corner of his eye, he
noticed Potter coming towards him, wiping his glasses furiously with one
hand as he reached out with the other.
Draco's eyes narrowed as he reached his pale hand out further, grunting
and nearly falling off his broom in the process. There was another yell
and Draco identified it as Hadrian's. He furrowed his eyebrows and yelled
back, "Not now Hadrian!"
"Watch out!" Someone shouted, and Draco nearly hesitated, but decided
against it and reached his hand out more. He could almost feel the snitch;
it was so close.
He closed his eyes as he felt the freezing golden snitch in his hand and he
let out a yell of triumph. Finally. He finally did it. He won the game for
Slytherin! He opened his eyes a second later and was about to hold the
snitch up for all to see when he saw it.
There was a huge buldger flying straight towards him, and Draco froze in
place. His nails dug into the broom and he closed his eyes in anticipation
of the impact.
It never came. There was a sickly crunching noise and hesitantly, Draco
opened his eyes. A loud gasp was heard throughout the entire stadium,
and Draco could only watch in horror as the Slytherin quidditch player
tumbled down to the ground. The buldger seemed to have splintered the
broom, and it was spiraling out of control as the player lifelessly clung to
the handle. Every player was frozen in shock as they heard the
resounding thump on the snow-covered ground.
As soon he hit the ground, everyone broke out from their reverie and
spun into action. Draco and Flint were the first to make it down to the
ground, and they crowded around the injured player. Draco jumped off
his broom and tossed it to the side, pushing past McGonagall and
Madame Hooch. He tentatively looked over the player's limp body and
fell down on the ground next to him.
"Hadrian." He whispered. He reached out to touch his best friend's still
form, but drew his hand back. Hadrian's chest was falling up and down
and his labored breaths were visible because of the cold air. His fingers
twitched and Draco sighed in relief.
"Move, Malfoy! We need to get him to the hospital wing!" Flint shouted,
as he barreled past the crowd of students and teachers alike.
Hadrian groaned softly and Draco's eyes widened. "He's conscious!" He
grimaced as Hadrian's breathing grew slower and slower, "Is he going to
be okay?" He whispered in a panicked tone.
"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Riddle has fallen from an incredible height, after having
been hit by a buldger. We can't tell what his condition is at this moment.
We're lucky there was a thick layer of snow on the ground, otherwise—
Miss. Greengrass don't move him!" McGonagall shouted.
Draco wasn't exactly sure when Daphne got there, but there she was,
wrapping her cloak around Hadrian's twisted form and holding his head
in her lap. She was slowly pushing back his hair and murmuring
something inaudibly.
"We need to move him slowly, otherwise it could do more harm then
good." Daphne looked up, finally tearing her gaze away from Hadrian's.
She was fighting back tears and glaring at anyone that came too near.
"Get up. Don't just stand there, do something!" She hissed angrily, her
long blonde hair whipping her face in the wind.
McGonagall finally came to her senses and moved everyone away, except
for Daphne who insisted to be next to Hadrian at all times. She carefully
levitated Hadrian off the pitch, and was about to enter the castle when
Gilderoy Lockhart ran in front of her path.
"Minerva! What are you doing to that poor boy! Set him down, I can fix
him up right here." He commanded, already pulling out his wand.
In the blink of an eye, Daphne pushed the professor out of the way and
gestured for McGonagall to come through. "I hope you don't mind
Professor," She said sweetly, "But this is an emergency. I reckon Madame
Pomfrey would be best suited for this kind of task, don't you agree?"
She didn't wait for an answer as she quickly caught up with McGonagall
and walked with them to the hospital wing.
"What happened to Riddle?" Snape muttered as he fell into step with
Draco. Draco stammered, unable to respond and simply followed behind
McGonagall, wringing his hands constantly.
Madame Pomfrey already had a bed made for Hadrian, and as soon as he
was laid onto the bed, she shoved a vile looking substance down his
throat. "It's for the pain." She explained. "He's going to scream, so Severus
please hold him down." She finally noticed the crowd of people gathered
around his bed and she nearly had a coronary.
"What are you all doing in here? Get out!" She screeched. Draco refused
to budge and neither did Daphne. Madame Pomfrey seemed too focused
on assessing Hadrian's injuries.
"Ready Severus?"
Snape let out a rough sound akin to a grunt, and Pomfrey pushed a
potion down Hadrian's throat. She took one of Hadrian's limp arms and
forcefully pressed down onto it, a sweat forming on her eyebrow as she
waited for the bone to break. There was a whimper and Hadrian flinched
as Pomfrey finally broke the bone with a gruesome snap.
"One down. About sixteen more to go." Pomfrey announced in a grim
tone. She frowned. "That's strange. He should've screamed or violently
jerked his body."
Almost an hour and two bottles of skele-gro later, Hadrian lay sleeping
peacefully in his bed, and Pomfrey wiped her forehead in relief. "I swear,
this school should just ban quidditch. Its such a dangerous game, I don't
understand why the headmaster lets the children continue to play!
They're just children!" She muttered as she walked towards her office.
"No one touch him. He needs to rest." She called out.
McGonagall stared at Hadrian's pale face. "I knew I should've cancelled
the game when the storm got too bad." She turned to Draco, "You're very
lucky Mr. Riddle was there, otherwise it would've been you lying here."
She murmured before leaving the room. "I'm off to have a word with my
lions." She announced.
"So." Snape drawled, staring at Hadrian with a flicker of concern in his
eyes, "Will someone tell me what happened?"
"There was a buldger coming towards me, I bet it was Potter's fault, and
Hadrian told me to watch out, but I didn't and so Hadrian flew in front of
me and it crashed into him instead and then…" Draco's voice broke as he
looked down at his best friend.
Daphne whipped her head up from the side of the bed, her eyes turning
into blue ice. "You mean to tell me…this is your fault? This all could've
been prevented if you just let go of your damn Malfoy pride and listened
to someone for once in your life?" She hissed in a low voice.
Draco didn't respond, and Daphne lunged for him, but Snape came
between them just in time and Daphne's fist hit the Professor instead.
"Miss. Greengrass, please calm yourself." He muttered uncomfortably. "I'm
sure Mr. Riddle will be fine."
"But you don't know that, do you? What if he doesn't? What if he-What if
he die-" She choked on her voice and a small tear rolled down her cheek
as she hurriedly turned away from the two. "If anything happens to him,
Draco Malfoy, I will kill you."
Suddenly the doors slammed open, and Destiny came running inside,
Neville and Blaise trailing after her. Her hair coming out of her braid,
and her face was flushed from running there. "Did it happen yet?" She
asked.
"Happen…Destiny, did you see this happening?" Daphne asked in a low
voice, her gaze quickly turning deadly.
Destiny froze, and began to backtrack. "Well, you see. You have to
understand, this had to happen in order for-" She paused at the
murderous look on Daphne's face.
"I can't believe you. You risked your brother's life to make sure your little
plan stayed on track? How dare you even call yourself his sister?" Daphne
barked.
"I did the thing that would benefit us all in the long run!" She defended
herself. Her eyes narrowed. "I don't see why you're over-reacting so
much. You're the one that's been avoiding him for almost two weeks now.
How dare you call yourself his friend? Huh?" She snapped.
"That's different! If I knew this was going to happen, I would've done
anything in my power to stop it. You on the other hand, knew this would
happen and did nothing!"
"I wouldn't have done it if I didn't know he was going to be fine!" Destiny
hissed.
"The future is literally the most uncertain thing in our universe. How can
you be so sure? What if he moves in his sleep, and all of a sudden that
ruins his entire future?" Daphne asked. "What would you say to him then,
Destiny? That is, assuming he does wake up?"
"This was clearly a mistake. Find me when you're actually using your
brain. Come on, Neville." Destiny said, pulling Neville back through the
doors. Neville shot Daphne an apologetic look, but she just waved him
away and focused her attention back on Hadrian. Blaise came up and
stood behind her.
"Is he okay?"
His question hung in the air, as no one knew the answer for sure.
"I don't know why I avoided him." She finally whispered, resting her
elbows on the side of his bed. "I knew he was trying to talk to me. I kind
of just panicked."
"I don't get it. What exactly happened between you guys?" Blaise asked,
settling himself on the chair next to his bed.
"It must've been something big because the brat came to me about it."
Snape muttered under his breath.
"He came to you?' She repeated, looking up at her professor in disbelief.
"Yes. If I am correct, I believe he asked nearly everyone why you were
avoiding him." Snape revealed. "Not that I would know." He added. "I will
take my leave now. Curfew is at nine. Follow it or don't, I do not care in
the slightest. Just don't get caught."
And with that, Snape exited the hospital wing, his clock billowing behind
him and hitting the back of his dragon hide boots.
"He's kind of sweet." Daphne commented, letting a sad smile come onto
her face. "But now he looks so broken." She whispered, staring at him
miserably.
"Stop that."
"Stop what?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Stop being all sad and mopey." Blaise snapped. "It doesn't suit you."
"You wouldn't get it Blaise. I like Hadrian." She mumbled.
"Of course I know you like him. We all do!" He shrugged. She rolled her
eyes and an expectant look settled on her face. Blaise looked at her
curiously before it finally dawned on him. "Oh. Ew. No. I don't even want
to think-Ew."
Daphne finally cracked a small smile at Blaise's discomfort. "Its not as if
you don't have a thing for Hermione."
Draco's head snapped up. "You like the mudblood?" He glared accusingly.
"I can't believe this."
"No!" Blaise defended, a small tinge of pink coming onto his face. "I mean
she's great and all, and really smart and she's so bossy its hilarious."
"Sounds to me like you like her." She grinned.
"Not in the way you're thinking." He replied with a small smile.
"What are we going to do? Do you think he'll be okay?" Daphne repeated,
for what seemed like the umpteenth time.
"We can only hope." Draco mumbled, trying not to throw up as a dark pit
of guilt twisted in his stomach.
Hogwarts Hospital Wing [December 13th: 11pm]
Hadrian groaned silently and cracked open an eye and stared into the
darkened room. His ears perked at the sound of a murmured
conversation, and he slightly tilted his head to discreetly look at the
group of people huddled by a bed next to his.
"Albus, if these attacks keep happening, they'll close the school."
McGonagall warned, leaning over the bedrail. "Look at poor Justin Finch-
Fletchley, he's just an innocent first year. Petrified! This cannot go on
longer!"
"Minerva, we must've give up hope just yet. I'm sure Alexander will find a
way to stop these attacks."
"The Potter boy? He's the reason Hadrian Riddle is nearly dead in the
next bed. You have to be aware that it was his planning that caused all of
this. Albus, the boy almost killed Hadrian!" Snape barked.
Almost if on cue, the figures turned to look at Hadrian, who quickly
turned limp once again in his bed, pretending to sleep peacefully.
Dumbledore cleared his throat, "Well that is simply unfortunate. But we
must have faith in Alexander. He is our Chosen One after all."
"Chosen One or not, he is a twelve year old boy." Professor Sprout
argued. "We can't put our faith in a small child."
"Especially not one like Potter." Snape added under his breath.
"So then what do you propose?" Albus sighed, realizing it was already a
lost argument.
"I'm not saying we shut down the school. What if declare the holidays at
an earlier time? It will give the students a break from this constant terror,
and also an opportunity for us to put a stop to this 'Chamber of Secrets'
situation." Snape suggested.
Flitwick nodded. "That sounds like a bright idea. I agree."
There were several murmurs of approval and Dumbledore pursed his lips.
"I suppose we can declare an early holiday. Minerva, tell the students
tomorrow morning to have their trunks packed by the end of the week. It
seems to be the only option we agree on." He declared as he exited the
room, stroking his long beard in thought.
One by one, all the teachers left the room until only Severus Snape
remained. His black, hooded eyes darted around cautiously and he
walked past Hadrian's bed and muttered, "You're welcome."
Hadrian smiled. Everything was going according to plan.
27. Revelations
A/N: Sorry for not updating, I had my midterms. This chapter isn't
as long as the other ones, and quite possibly not as well written as
the other ones either. But I just need to get back into that routine,
and I suppose I'll have it by the next chapter I post by Christmas.
(*hint* hint* wink* wink*)
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Hogwarts Hospital Wing [December 17th]
As the sunlight streamed in through the beautiful stained glass windows,
a flicker of light danced across Hadrian Riddle's face. He frowned,
causing a small crease to form between his eyebrows. He languidly tossed
an arm across his face, in an attempt to block out the irritating streak of
light, but it was to no avail. With a deep groan, he pushed aside the
simple white hospital sheets that had twisted around his form.
He was in the process of rubbing his eyes to get the sleep out of them,
when he heard someone say, "Oh good, you're up!"
To say he was surprised was an understatement. He flinched and shot up
straight in his bed, banging his arm against the bedside rails in the
process. Hadrian winced and cradled his still sore arm, sinking deep into
the several pillows that had been tucked around him. He narrowed his
eyes at the girl who was leaning against his bedside.
"What are you doing here?" He muttered, his voice laced with blatant
disdain for the pretty redheaded witch standing in front of him. Ginevra
Weasley ignored his less than inviting attitude, and sat down on the side
of his bed, tossing her long straight hair behind her shoulder.
She scrutinized his face for a minute before saying, "I need your help."
Her eyes darted around the room in a paranoid manner and settled
distrustfully on the still boy lying in the hospital bed beside Hadrian's.
Hadrian followed her gaze and waved his hand carelessly, "He's petrified.
He can't hear a single word you say."
The guarded expression on her face relaxed considerably, although she
maintained the strictness in her posture. "I need your help." She repeated
stiffly. She gritted her teeth together and forced out a reluctant, "Please."
Hadrian raised an eyebrow coyly and pointed to himself. "You need my
help? Hmm, consider me intrigued." He said in a bemused tone.
She folded her arms against her chest and shot him a cold glare. "Don't
make this any harder than it already is, Riddle." She snapped. "I don't
need your help specifically. You just happen to be the only one that can
possibly pull this off."
"I don't understand."
Ginerva clasped her hands together and turned her whole body so she
was facing him. She leaned closer to him and said in a low, precarious
voice, "I need your help to get rid of someone."
She turned back to face the hospital doors abruptly as if waiting for
someone to barge in immediately. Pleased that no one else had
overheard, Ginevra switched her stare back to Hadrian, her calculating
brown eyes assessing his perfect poker face for any reaction.
"Gone." Hadrian finally repeated in disbelief. He locked eyes with
Ginerva. "Are you saying–"
"Yes." She cut him off hurriedly, "I need her gone and you are going to
help me."
"And why would I ever help you, love?" He sneered, folding his arms to
accentuate his point.
She smirked and leaned in closer until her lips brushed against his ear
and whispered, "Potter."
"Wrong. We made a deal about Potter." Hadrian hissed. "You would
forget it ever happened, if I pretended I never saw you in the common
room at the hour."
She shrugged indifferently, "I lied." She paused and allowed an innocent
smile to grace her sharp features, "And since you have so much more to
lose than I do, I suggest you kindly get over this and concentrate on
what's important. The plan."
"Why can't you ask Astoria? Or even one of your little lackeys?" He asked.
"I hear they follow you around like obedient dogs these days. And in case
you haven't noticed, we are not friends of any sort."
"Well of course not." She snorted in a very unladylike way. "I don't have
friends. I simply have powerful acquaintances. You happen to be one of
them."
"You know I am very skilled with memory charms. I can probably
perform one wandless if I tried." Hadrian informed her.
"Don't even try it." She warned, glaring coldly at him. "I have everything
already taken care of. I just need your help for one teeny, tiny part of the
plan."
He sighed, "This better be good. I don't have the time to get expelled over
such a trivial matter."
She bit her lip and ducked her head down to stare at her hands. "Okay, I
lied about that too. I don't actually have a plan." She admitted
He rolled his eyes, unsurprised. "Typical Weasley behavior. You know,
you really have to stop all this lying. If you keep it up, one day no one
will trust you."
"I'm a Slytherin now. You should know better than to trust me. In fact,
you wouldn't be in this problem in the first place, if you hadn't trusted
me in the common room." She retorted.
"Keep reminding me of my slight lapse in judgment, and I might decide
that I don't want to help you anymore."
"So does this mean you'll help?" She asked, her condescending smile
turning triumphant.
He ignored her question and said, "Are we ever going to get to the part
where you tell me what exactly you want me to do?"
She patted his cheeks patronizingly, despite the fact that she was almost
a year younger than him. "You just have to use your pretty face as a
distraction. Leave the rest to me." She explained as she stood up to leave.
"I'll owl you the details."
"That does not sound very comforting. I don't particularly fancy being
dragged down with you if this plan of yours fails." He called after her.
Ginerva paused at the doors and turned around, causing her dark red hair
to fan around her. "Then you better damn hope this plan works." She said
as her cherry coloured lips twisted into a smirk.
She threw open the mahogany paneled doors of the hospital wing and
moved to leave, but ended up colliding into another busybody. Ginerva's
face clouded over for a split second, but then cleared as she shook her
hair out of her face and plastered a smile on her face. "Zabini." She said
tightly, looking up at his towering form. "Fancy seeing you here."
"I could say the same, Red." The Italian smirked. "Hadrian happens to be
my friend. What's your excuse?"
"Move, Zabini." Draco grunted, pushing past the boy on his way into the
hospital wing.
"Don't just stand in the middle of doorway, Blaise. People have to get in."
Daphne scolded, maneuvering herself around him. Everyone else
followed Daphne's lead, but Blaise just shrugged and turned back to the
younger girl who was steadily inching away.
Ginerva scowled at him and moved to leave, but his hand grasped her
wrist. "Word of advice for the future, Ginevra." He murmured, "Don't get
involved in things you can't handle." His grip tightened as she squirmed
to get free. "Hadrian Riddle has a much darker side. It's best to stay away
so you won't ever see it."
With a small grunt, she wriggled out of his vice-like grip and glared at
him frostily. "I know exactly what I'm doing, thank you very much." She
huffed, flipping her hair back and strutting away from him without so
much as a glance back.
Blaise sighed loudly and made is way to where his friends were crowding
around Hadrian's bed. He was sure Ginevra would pay no heed to his
warning, but at least he tried.
"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked, fixing one of the pillows behind
Hadrian's head. "Destiny told us you'd be fine, but we were still worried."
"I'm feeling perfectly fine, just a bit sore." Hadrian admitted. He looked
up at his friends, "Don't you all have class?"
"We've been given an early holiday by Dumbledore, and the train leaves
this afternoon, so we have the day to pack our trunks." Neville explained,
resting his hands on the footboard.
Hadrian wasn't listening; instead he had focused his attention on Daphne,
who seemed oddly silent. After a couple seconds, she looked up and
noticed his stare, and she blushed. "I have your wand." She said softly,
"Madame Pomfrey gave it to me." She handed him the wand and Hadrian
smiled.
"Thanks." He said sincerely, enjoying the way her cheeks seemed to turn
even pinker. "So what did I miss? Any more duels with Potter?" He
grinned.
"Actually, no. Every time I see him now, he just scowls and turns the
other way. Strange." Daphne commented.
"Maybe's he's scared of you?" Blaise suggested, the mere thought of it
bringing a smile to his face.
"Maybe." Hadrian smirked.
"You had me worried sick." Daphne revealed. "I was- I mean we were all
so scared."
"I'm sorry." Draco blurted out. "I was being an arse, and you had to break
eleven bones to pay for my mistake."
"Seventeen." Daphne corrected.
"It wasn't your fault." Hadrian insisted. "Don't worry about it. Besides, I
got to miss class. So I guess you did me a favor." He grinned.
Hermione glared at him. "You don't joke about this kind of stuff, Hadrian.
You never joke about missing class. It's not funny!"
"Ignore her. She's just mad that you got to miss the potions assignment
that caused everyone's grade to drop." Blaise grinned.
"Am not!"
"Don't lie Hermione, dear. It doesn't suit you."
Hadrian grinned at their bickering. "I missed you all."
Destiny shrugged. "I knew you would be okay. No one believed me." She
shot a glare towards Daphne.
"Sorry." Daphne apologized. "I was just really worried."
"Sorry to break up this happy reunion guys, but we have to start packing.
We can chat on the train." Neville reminded everyone.
"Neville! This is not the time!" Daphne scolded.
Hadrian shook his head. "No, he's right. And I need to get out of here as
well. Can someone get Madame Pomfrey?"
There was a couple mutterings and finally it was decided that Draco
would find Madame Pomfrey, and everyone else would go back to their
various rooms to go pack. As everyone started to leave, Hadrian slowly
wrapped his hand around Daphne's wrist. She froze and turned around,
shooting Hadrian a curious look.
"I-I just missed you these past two weeks." He explained.
Daphne smiled and hugged one of his pillows to her chest, "I missed you
too."
He looked up at the pretty blonde. "Why did you avoid me, Daphne?"
Daphne bit her lip and sighed, sitting down on the side of his bed. "I just
didn't want to risk our friendship for something that could only be one
sided."
"But what if its not?" Hadrian asked.
"Are you just saying that to make me feel better?" She slowly. "Because
you don't have to. I will completely understand if you don't want to–"
She stopped abruptly and her eye twitched, and suddenly Hadrian felt a
fluffy pillow assaulting his body. "You. Stupid. Idiot. Don't. Ever. Do.
That. Again!" She growled as she angrily slammed the pillow against his
shoulder with each word.
"Daphne, that hurts. Ouch." He muttered.
She let out a small gasp, and she dropped the pillow, her hands flying up
to her mouth in shock. "I'm so sorry. I completely forgot you're crippled.
And I-"
"Hey, I'm not crippled!" He interjected.
"And I just assaulted you. Oh god. I am such a terrible person." She
exclaimed, burying her face in her hands.
He shrugged. "Hey, if it helps, I'm probably a much more awful person
than you are."
She cracked a half smile, but shook her head. "That doesn't help me at
all." She sighed and looked at Hadrian. "I'm just really happy you're okay.
I thought for sure that you were dead when I saw you fall and I couldn't
even think what would happen if you…"
Hadrian stopped listening to her ramblings and simply stared at her. She
looked pretty; despite the tired look she was sporting on her face. Before
he could stop himself he blurted, "Would you like to accompany me to
the Malfoy Christmas Ball this year?"
She stared at him in disbelief. "I was just telling you how ecstatic I was
that you were alive and you weren't even listening?"
"Er..Well I–" He stuttered.
"Yes." She smiled. "I suppose I will go with you." She paused and smirked.
"It's not as if I have any better offers."
"Hey, I am the best offer." He said, pretending to sound offended.
"Suuuuure." Daphne taunted.
"Take it back." Hadrian warned, "I may be bed-ridden but I can still make
you pay." He joked.
"Mmhm."
"You asked for it." Hadrian growled, lunging towards her.
Daphne giggled as he tickled her mercilessly, and she gasped in between
her laughs. "Fine. You win. Hadrian Riddle is the best." She grinned.
"Why thank you."
There was a low snicker from behind them, and they both turned to see
Draco standing with a disturbed expression on his face. "Well as sickening
as that display was, here are your clothes." Draco drawled, tossing the
clothes onto Hadrian's bed.
Draco looked at Daphne. "Are you going to leave now? Or do you want to
stay for this part as well?"
"Draco." Hadrian rolled his eyes as Daphne blushed and mumbled an
embarrassed goodbye.
"Madame Pomfrey says you can go." Draco said to Hadrian. "Although she
seemed rather huffy that no one wanted to enjoy their stay at the hospital
wing." He scowled. "As if. Look at these sheets. They aren't even silk.
How plebian. "
"Alright Draco. This is not the time for your daily disapproval." Hadrian
said, picking up his clothes from the bed. He turned to Draco and
grinned. "Are you going to leave now? Or do you want to stay for this
part as well?" He parroted, earning him a scowl and a pillow in the face.
Hogwarts Express [December 10th 4:00 pm]
"Do you think Snape ever washes his hair?" Blaise wondered, looking up
from the book he was reading. "It never looks…what's the word I'm
looking for?"
"Clean?" Neville suggested, barely looking up from the game of chess he
was playing with Daphne.
Destiny glanced down at their game and smirked, "Give it up, Neville.
You're going to lose."
"Not yet." He said stubbornly, pursing his lips into a grim line of
determination.
"Of course he washes it." Draco rolled his eyes. "Who doesn't?"
"Well, have you ever seen him wash it?" Blaise challenged.
Draco made a face. "No. That's disgusting."
"Ha! So you don't know!"
"Oh come on Blaise." Hermione huffed. "Of course Professor Snape washes
his hair. That's like asking if he showers or not."
Blaise was silent for a minute before asking, "Are we sure he showers?"
Hermione stared at Blaise incredulously. "Don't be ridiculous. Everyone
showers."
"Well, have you ever seen him show-"
"Blaise. Shut up." Hadrian drawled, trying his best not to look disgusted.
"I should send him some shampoo for Christmas." Blaise thought out
loud.
"Shut up, Blaise." Everyone (with the exception of Daphne and Neville)
chorused.
Draco looked up with a sly grin on his face, "I almost forgot to tell you
about what I heard on the way to the train. Dumbledore seems to think
Potter can save us all from this Chamber of Secrets debacle."
There was a small second of silence before everyone burst into laughter.
Hermione shook her head, causing her chaotic brown curls to fly
everywhere. She snorted in disbelief, "I highly doubt that buffoon will be
able to do anything other than get himself petrified."
"Or killed." Blaise added.
"I do wonder who is doing this, though." Hermione contemplated. "I
suppose it must be a student, although you never know, with Quirell last
year."
"I think we're almost there." Destiny commented, ignoring Hermione's
train of thought. "Almost five minutes."
"Dammit!" Neville cursed, as Daphne triumphantly knocked over his King
with a smirk on her face. "This isn't fair. I have tried all semester to beat
you, but how can a single person be so good at something? This isn't
fair!"
"There, there baby." Destiny patted his back. "It'll be okay. Do you want
some ice cream? Who wants some ice cream?" She sang in a baby voice.
"Stop treating me like a child." Neville muttered, folding his arms.
"Then stop acting like one." Destiny retorted. "Besides, I already told you
that you were going to lose."
"Don't be upset, Neville." Daphne said with a toss of her long golden hair.
"We can't all be prodigies."
"Quit egging him on." Destiny rolled her eyes.
"One day, Greengrass." Neville said darkly, pointing his finger at her.
"One day I will beat you at your own game."
"Clearly it's not today." Draco snickered.
"Will you all shut up? I'm trying to concentrate." Hermione groaned,
pulling her nose away from the huge volume in her lap long enough to
scowl at everyone.
"You might want to start getting ready." Destiny said, gesturing to the
crowded station through the window as the train pulled up.
Hermione's face paled as she caught sight of the train station, and the
expression of pure, unadulterated fear did not go missed by Daphne. As
everyone started to leave the compartment, Daphne dragged Hermione to
the side.
"Are you okay?" Daphne asked the petite witch. Hermione looked
uncertainly out the window, and she nodded a bit too hurriedly for
Daphne's liking. Daphne frowned. "What's wrong?"
Hermione sighed and lowered her voice to a whisper, "My father is
picking me up,"
Daphne's eyes narrowed and her expression turned cold. "You mean–But
why?"
"My mother is on a business trip, she won't be back till after Christmas."
Hermione explained, her panic rising by the second. "Since she's gone, he
can basically do anything."
"Do you want to come with Astoria and I? You can just stay at my home
for the holidays." Daphne suggested.
"I can't." Hermione mumbled, blinking rapidly to hold back an
overwhelming urge to burst into tears. "If I don't go with him, he might
call my mom." Her voice lowered till it was almost inaudible. "She doesn't
know, Daphne."
Daphne's eyes widened. "She doesn't know about him hitting you?" She
repeated. "But how does she not notice?"
"She isn't around much because she has to work a lot. And I can't tell her.
It'll crush her. She still loves him Daphne." Hermione mumbled sadly. "I
can't ruin the only good memory she has."
"Daphne, hurry up, I already got your trunk for you." Hadrian called from
outside the compartment.
"Coming." She called back absentmindedly. She turned her attention back
to Hermione. "How about this: I'll send an owl to you as soon as I get
home, and if anything happens, you send me a letter and I'll come get
you. Okay?" She asked.
"Don't worry, Daphne. I'll be fine." Hermione said as she started to pull
her trunk out of the door. Daphne quickly followed behind her.
"I hope you'll be fine." Daphne corrected. "But this is just a precaution.
Just in case."
Hermione smiled, although it looked miserable and quite forced. "I'll be
fine." She insisted. "And I appreciate this." She gave Daphne a quick hug
before walking in the direction of a tall man who looked less than excited
to see her.
Daphne sighed and made her way over to Hadrian and Destiny, who
were patiently waiting by the side. Destiny looked at her curiously, "What
was that about?"
Daphne shook her head and instead said, "I just need you to do me a
favor. Constantly check Hermione's future during the next few days,
okay? I just want to make sure she's okay. "
Hadrian frowned, "Is she okay?"
Daphne tried looking for the brunette witch, but she was
indistinguishable in the crowd. "I sure hope so." She muttered. Daphne
spotted her own parents near one of the brick pillars and she waved to
them.
"Thanks for taking my trunk." She smiled, "I'll see you at the Christmas
ball, Destiny." She turned to Hadrian and pulled him into a hug. "By the
way…" She trailed off as she kissed his cheek. "My dress is green."
Destiny stared after the tall witch and turned back to Hadrian with a
knowing smirk on her face. "What was that about?" She asked as they
made their way towards where the Malfoys were waiting patiently.
"I have no idea." He lied, looking away.
"Liar." Destiny accused.
Narcissa Malfoy raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow at the pair. "Who's
lying?"
A wicked smile graced Daphne's features. "Hadrian has a date." She
announced. "Daphne Greengrass."
"The elder Greengrass sister?" Narcissa questioned. "She's quite lovely,
isn't she?"
Destiny grinned, "Yes. Quite."
Narcissa turned to her own son and scowled. "Why can't you escort a
beautiful lady to the ball? I'm getting older every year, Draco. I don't
have time to organize an entire ball and my son's companion for the
evening."
"I don't need a date." Draco announced. "I'm a lone wolf."
Beside him, Lucius Malfoy snorted in amusement. "That's what they all
say, son. That is, until they meet the woman that turns the wolf into an
obedient puppy."
"Are you a wolf or a puppy, Lucius?" Narcissa asked, with a hint of a
smile on her face.
"Puppy, dear." He replied hurriedly.
She grinned. "That's what I thought. Men." She scoffed, rolling her eyes.
Destiny giggled. "Well come along, we don't have all day now. Bellatrix is
waiting."
Destiny grasped Narcissa's arm and Hadrian and Draco took the elder
Malfoy's. In a swirl of Apparition, they ended up in the Malfoy sitting
room.
Once Destiny had steadied herself she asked, "Are we staying here?"
Narcissa and Lucius exchanged glances, and then turned back to the three
children standing in front of them. Lucius cleared his throat and said in
his most business voice, "Destiny, you may stay. However, I am to escort
Hadrian to Riddle Manor. Your father wishes to speak to you."
"Just speak?" Hadrian raised an eyebrow.
"Among other things." Lucius Malfoy divulged, offering Hadrian his arm
once more. Hadrian sighed and took his arm, waving goodbye to his
friends sadly.
As he arrived at Riddle Manor, he sent his trunk to his room and said
goodbye to Lucius Malfoy. His father was most likely in his study, so
Hadrian decided he would head there.
He quickly ducked around the corridors, trying his best to avoid certain
portraits. He felt oddly excited, which was completely opposite of what
he usually felt during the scheduled father-son-attempted murder talks.
He didn't bother knocking, and instead through open the door. He
shrugged. His father would punish him for something anyways.
Surprisingly, his father was actually sitting at his desk sipping a crystal
glass of firewhiskey instead of concealing himself and trying to kill his
only son. Hadrian snickered silently at the thought and settled himself
onto one of the chairs across from his father's impressively large desk.
"How is the plan proceeding?" His father asked, completely skipping over
all formalities.
"I'm doing very well, thank you for asking father." Hadrian responded in
a mocking tone.
"Hadrian, there's a reason I didn't ask how you were. I don't care." His
father sneered, folding his hands on the desk. "Now answer the question."
Hadrian rolled his eyes. "It's going well, I suppose."
"And the Mudblood? Has she accepted your challenge to better the
potion?"
"Hermione," Hadrian corrected, although he knew it would be useless,
"has agreed to help me, and I gave her a sample of the potion to try for
herself."
"And if she says no? Then?"
"Well…then you will probably avada me right there…" He glanced
toward Lord Voldemort for confirmation. His father nodded.
"But she already agreed to help me. She's drawn to challenges, so I doubt
she'll back out now." Hadrian explained.
His father seemed to be deep in thought about something, and finally he
looked at Hadrian curiously. "May I ask who you entrusted the diary to?
It has been bothering me ever since I gave it to you, after all, what sane
person gives such an artifact to a mere child?" His father mused.
"Clearly not you." Hadrian muttered under his breath. "I slipped it into
the hands of Ginerva Weasley."
His father nodded mutely and took a sip of his glass. Suddenly his ruby
coloured eyes flashed and he threw the glass across the room where it
crashed into pieces against the large doors.
Hadrian winced.
"You mean to tell me," Lord Voldemort spoke in a dangerously low voice,
"that you put my diary in the hands of a filthy muggle-loving Weasley?"
"Er…Yes?"
"You fool. You had one job, brat. I said give it to someone who would use
it effectively. A Weasley does not fit that very specific description!" He
barked.
"She is using it! I think…" Hadrian trailed off, sinking deeper into his
chair.
"The only thing I'm hearing is petrification occurring at Hogwarts. That
can be reversed. The plan was to use the Chamber to push Dumbledore
out of power." Voldemort hissed. "Is he out of power yet?"
"No," Hadrian paused. "But, the Weasley girl will reopen the chamber
soon. I think."
"Are you sure of anything, boy?" His father questioned.
"Well…no. I'm not a Seer." He winced, waiting for a crucio, or at least a
stinging hex from his father for the cheeky comment. When nothing
happened he stared distrustfully at his father.
"I've been in your study for almost an entire ten minutes now." Hadrian
commented, narrowing his eyes. "Why haven't you crucioed me, or at
least sent a simple hex my way yet?"
"It doesn't affect you anymore, so why bother?" His father replied
indifferently. "Besides, your mental endurance lessons will start soon."
Something akin to an anticipatory smile came across Lord Voldemort's
face, and it was quite possibly the most terrifying thing Hadrian had seen
in his entire life. "That will be enough punishment itself."
A/N: If you are confused as to when Hadrian gave the diary to
Ginny, try re-reading Chapter 20.
28. Merry Christmas?
A/N: Merry Christmas? Hey, it's still Christmas…. Even if the update
is almost at midnight. I'm not sure if any of you realize I actually
replaced the author's note with an actual chapter. But I did so…
Chapter 27 is now an official chapter! So go back and read that
(although I'm not sure if its any good, I'm slightly rusty) And I hope
you enjoy this chapter too!
Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukah! Happy Kwanza? Happy Holidays
from LoveMyRomance!
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Riddle Manor [December 21st]
This particular morning, the sky outside Riddle Manor was painted a
deep shade of charcoal with streaks of soft orange light shining through
as the sun threatened to peek through the thick haze of clouds. However,
Hadrian Riddle did little to enjoy, or even acknowledge the magnificent
sight.
For this particular morning, Hadrian Riddle was dreadfully late. The
thought itself caused him to scowl as he ran, quite ungracefully, through
the halls of Riddle Manor. He was never late. Never.
And what terrible luck he had! Of all days to be late, he simply had to be
late on the day he had a lesson with his father. Hadrian desperately raced
past the disapproving portraits, ignoring their complaints of such
undignified ruckus so early in the morning.
He was sure his father would already be in a foul mood. He seldom was
ever in a good mood. As Hadrian ran, his head filled with thoughts of
how his father would punish him, with each punishment being more
horrifying than the previous one.
When he approached the massive black wooden doors, he paused and
stood there panting and attempting to catch his breath. There was an
ominous feeling surrounding the room that trickled around Hadrian and
threatened to compel him to run the other direction. He took a deep
breath, steeling his nerves and straightening his back in the process.
Then, he pushed open the doors.
"You're late."
He cringed internally and all hope inside him shriveled to nothing.
Hadrian cleared his throat, "My sincerest apologies, Father. I was–"
Lord Voldemort's eyes flashed, but he waved his hand indifferently. "No
matter, you are here now and we shall not waste any more time."
Hadrian tried very hard to conceal the shock that came over him. He
really did. But still, his jaw dropped open and his eyes widened as he
stood there regarding the Dark Lord. He forced himself not to speak, for
fear of unintelligent mumbles coming out.
"Are you prepared?"
Hadrian looked up abruptly and it took him a second to realize that the
Dark Lord was not addressing him, but instead the cloaked figure beside
him that seemed to have materialized out of thin air.
"Snape?" He blurted out in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"
The potions professor raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "The Dark Lord
requested my presence for today's lesson." He revealed in a flat tone.
"Yes. Severus happens to be the best practitioner of Occlumency and
Legilimency in the entire Wizarding World. After myself, of course." Lord
Voldemort added. "If you are to assist in defeating Dumbledore someday,
your mental strength should be just as–if not stronger–than mine. Do you
understand?"
Hadrian didn't trust himself to speak, so he nodded mutely.
His father twisted his thin lips into something akin to a smile. "Shall we
begin?"
Hadrian raised his hand tentatively, "Is 'No' an option?" He mumbled
meekly.
"I'm sure you know the answer to that." Lord Voldemort sneered, turning
to Snape with a whip of his cloak. "I suppose we should start with the
most advanced techniques, since he has been learning the basics for a
while now."
"Of course, my lord." Snape nodded. His onyx black eyes locked with
Hadrian's emerald green ones and the professor smirked coldly. "Prepare
yourself."
"Prepare myself? For wh–"
Suddenly he saw everything. All his memories popped up one by one
feeling incredibly real as if he were reliving them. He could hear
Daphne's laugh; he could feel the immense pain of falling down from his
broomstick at the astonishing height and crashing into the wet ground
below. He remembered the sadistic satisfaction from torturing Alexander
Potter and how cruelly he brought the boy down to his knees and
begging for forgiveness.
Only when his memories approached the previous summer did Hadrian
realize he was not the only one reliving the memories. He let out a
strangled gasp as he forced Snape away, pushing him out of his mind
frantically. He could feel the memories of Quirell and the Stone starting
to appear, and with a loud grunt, his mental shield snapped Snape away.
Hadrian panted, glaring hatefully at the greasy haired professor who
looked completely unaffected. Lord Voldemort conjured up a chair and
forced Hadrian into sitting down. He sneered at Hadrian's questioning
look. "You'll need it."
"That was absolutely terrible." Snape muttered sharply. "Your thoughts
are all scattered, emotions all over the place. This isn't a game, boy."
"I wasn't ready." Hadrian muttered under his breath. It was clearly the
wrong thing to say, because his father's eyes flashed angrily.
"Do you think Dumbledore, or any of the order members will wait for you
to warm up first?" His father hissed. "Of course not. This is a war, brat.
No one is safe. If your mind is in control and your shields are strong, then
you may last longer than the rest."
"The whole idea is to allow your mind to become so invincible, that your
Occlumency will go undetected. The person invading your mind will only
see the things that you choose to show." Snape explained. "Do not shut
down everything. Do not wipe everything to a blank space. Categorize
what you want people to see, and lock away what you would rather die
than let anyone catch a glimpse of. Understand?"
"I suppose." Hadrian answered stiffly.
"Then do it!" Snape barked.
"Fine!" He snapped defensively. He waited until he could feel the
trademark piercing pain of someone invading his private thoughts, and
then he set to work. For hours and hours, they went back and forth.
Snape would invade his mind, and he would fight back.
Hadrian carefully locked away his most private memories, layering them
with several mental blocks. He allowed Snape to gaze past his most
recent thoughts, before pushing him out forcefully in the end as he got
closer to his locked away memories.
He stared up at the ceiling, ignoring the pounding headache that
threatened to burst open his skull. His face and neck were coated in a
sheer layer of sweat and his fingers hurt from anxiously gripping the
chair.
"That was slightly less dreadful." Snape finally concluded after almost five
hours. "I stopped before I attacked your more protected thoughts so I
could correct some flaws. As you pull away memories, there are blank
spaces in between. Try to merge them together, to cover up the holes.
Blank spaces are a sure sign of Occlumency. Fix it."
Hadrian sighed heavily and waited for Snape to attack his mind again. He
tiredly blocked his private memories and focused his attention on his
current memories. Hadrian was concentrating on his memories of a
boring day in potions class and he allowed a sly smile to come onto his
face as he pictured Potter's head falling into his cauldron.
Abruptly, Snape withdrew his presence from his mind. Hadrian was so
fixated on trying to make his headache disappear, that he missed the
meaningful look between his father and Snape.
"How did you do it?" Snape looked doubtfully at him. His lip curled into
a sneer as he saw Hadrian tiredly lift his head. "How did you do that?" He
questioned more urgently now. Snape said something inaudibly to Lord
Voldemort, who raised an eyebrow in bemusement.
"What?" Hadrian asked, distrustfully looking between the two. "What are
you doing?" He mumbled fearfully, as Voldemort stepped forward.
"I have to see this for myself." His father muttered. Hadrian barely had
any time to prepare himself, before he felt a stabbing pain in his mind.
Compared to his father, Snape had forced himself inside his mind rather
gently. His father roughly tore apart his shields like they were made of
putty, and Hadrian frantically tried to patch them back up. The Cruciatus
was a mild stinging compared to this.
He could practically picture his father murdering him when he found out
about Quirell and the Stone. Hadrian just imagined the way his father's
hand would unwaveringly point his wand at him. He winced and forced
Voldemort's invading presence as far away as he could muster. Hadrian
could feel his head nearly splitting apart as Lord Voldemort mercilessly
pushed into his mind and he tried to push his father back in vain.
Just when he thought he couldn't hold Voldemort off any longer, his
father pulled back. Hadrian let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Do you see what I mean?" Snape stressed, pointing to Hadrian.
Lord Voldemort scrutinized Hadrian before saying, "It's not all that
surprising, Severus."
Hadrian glanced between the two. "Will someone tell me what is going
on?"
"He inherited my ability to speak parseltongue, I am not shocked he is
able to do this successfully." Voldemort spoke, completely ignoring him.
"But at such a young age?" Snape looked to Hadrian with a scowl on his
face. "Is it even possible?"
"Can someone please tell me?" Hadrian exclaimed, frustration taking him
over as he slumped into his chair.
They both turned and looked at him, as if they had forgotten he was even
there. His father cleared his throat and finally said, "Severus seems to
think it is unusual for you to be exhibiting certain signs of Occlumency."
"What?"
"You are creating memories to replace the blank spaces." Snape explained
crisply. "Instead of simply merging your thoughts together, you are
creating new memories. Things that never happened."
Hadrian frowned, "You can do that?"
Lord Voldemort huffed exasperatedly. "What a foolish question. Well,
obviously it's possible since you happen to be doing it!"
"For example," Snape hurriedly cut in, before his lord began to rant about
the stupidity of his heir, "When I was looking at your memory of a
potions class, I saw Potter's head lazily falling into cauldron in front of
him. That never happened. I remember, because I was there. But it
seemed like a real memory."
"I wasn't trying to create a new memory." Hadrian said slowly, "I was just
imagining unfortunate things happening to Potter." He grinned roguishly.
"Whatever you were doing, it resulted in a fake memory that seemed real.
Only the most skilled at Occlumency have been known to do that. Not
even Dumbledore can do this, yet." Lord Voldemort added.
"And yet you, you happen to stumble upon this skill accidentally? It took
me years to master this!" Snape seethed.
"Calm down, Severus." His father studied his nails uninterestedly, "It's a
gift he has inherited from myself. Just like the ability to speak
parseltongue." Suddenly he glanced up and stared at Hadrian with an icy
look on his face. "What I am more interested in is the secret he's hiding."
His father murmured.
Hadrian certainly was not prepared for the staggering force at which
Lord Voldemort attacked his mind. He snarled loudly as he could almost
see his father tear down each layer of his shields, one by one. Hadrian
forced himself to look into Lord Voldemort's bloodred eyes, and with an
overwhelming show of strength, he pushed back the mental probing and
whispered, "Legilimens."
For a brief second, Hadrian discovered the memories he was seeing were
not his own. He barely caught a glance of a shadowed figure before he
was pushed away. The battle in his own mind restarted, and that was
when realized that keeping a secret from his father was a horrible idea.
But he would be damned if he let his father find out about it.
He couldn't feel any part of his body and the thought was truly terrifying,
but he focused on strengthening his metal shields to keep his father out.
It was completely useless because as he put up every new layer, his father
would easily tear through it. As a last ditch effort, Hadrian decided to try
a fake memory. Snape said his fake memories looked real, right? As he
created a more solid shield, Hadrian stitched together a fake memory of
missing his true parents, and added the emotions of true sadness and
wistfulness.
After a couple seconds more of struggle, he pushed the memory in front
of his last shield, hoping is father would finally stop after seeing it. He
made sure to fight back until the last second, and inevitably his final
shield snapped.
The pain subsided and ever so slowly, Hadrian felt his father's presence
edging out of his mind. He fought hard to keep in the sigh of relief that
almost escaped from his lips.
"That's what you were hiding?" Lord Voldemort looked to his heir angrily.
"Precious memories of your parents? How pathetic." He scoffed. "They left
you. Deserted. Abandoned. They don't deserve your longing and sadness.
After all these years, you still care? Snap out of it. There is no such thing
as love. Love is for the weak. You don't need a family. Family does
nothing but destroy you." Voldemort spat.
"Parents?" Snape looked to Voldemort with a pale face. "You mean you
aren't his–"
"Obliviate." His father muttered carelessly and waved his wand, turning
his eyes back onto Hadrian.
Snape blinked for a minute and looked back at the Dark Lord. "So what
was the secret?"
"What do you have to say for yourself? These kinds of thoughts will only
limit your success." Voldemort said roughly, ignoring the professor.
Hadrian opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly his stomach lurched
and his head bowed to the side as he threw up a mixture of blood and
vomit.
Lord Voldemort had a disgusted scowl on his face as he unconcernedly
watched his heir throw up blood. Snape simply shrugged, "Well, you did
forcefully tear apart his mind for almost ten seconds. This much is
expected."
Hadrian finally stopped vomiting and choked up as he glanced at his
father. His eyes began to water and he cleared his throat, scowling at
Lord Voldemort. "Are you trying, to kill me?" He rasped, angrily wiping
his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Of course not. I'm simply trying to make you a better person." His father
scoffed.
"By trying to kill me?" He nearly shouted.
"No. You became ten times stronger when you realized you had
something to lose." Voldemort explained.
"I think that's enough for today." Snape cut in, glancing curiously
between the two.
Lord Voldemort moved towards the doors to the room silently, his cloak
billowing behind him impressively. As he opened the doors, he turned
back and shot Hadrian a cunning smirk. "Nice try, but it's going to take a
lot more than a fake memory to fool me."
Hadrian looked up from his chair with a gaping look of shock on his face.
"B-But how did you–"
"Did you honestly think you could outsmart me after a couple hours of
training? Of course not, brat. I am the Dark Lord. And I will find out
what you are truly hiding soon." He called back, slamming the doors shut
behind him.
Snape stared at Hadrian with a distasteful look on his face. He gestured
to the mess around the chair. "I'm not cleaning that up. Next lesson is in
five days." He muttered before apparating away.
Hadrian growled and kicked the chair in his frustration. He still had a
long way to go if he wanted to be as formidable as, if not more
formidable than Lord Voldemort.
Malfoy Manor [Christmas Day]
"No, Tilly!" Narcissa Malfoy nearly shouted. "What do you think you are
doing?" She asked sharply, her eyes narrowing to dangerous slits.
"Tilly is placing the centerpieces on the tables, Miss." The quivering house
elf stuttered, cowering under her Mistress's unforgiving gaze.
"These flowers are cornflower blue. I specifically requested powder blue!
Get this fixed, immediately." Narcissa hissed in a cold voice, pinching her
nose in anger. Her icy blue eyes scoured the massive ballroom and
reached for the nearest serving tray. She grabbed a glass of firewhiskey
and downed it in one big gulp.
"Slow down, Cissy." Lucius Malfoy grinned, leaning against one of the
many marble pillars. "I understand that planning a Christmas Ball is
stressful, but it shouldn't drive you to drink!"
She smiled an unnervingly sweet smile at her husband, who took a step
back hesitantly. "Lucius, dear you know I absolutely adore you." Her
teeth clenched together as her expression morphed into one of absolute
rage. "But if you open your mouth for anything, other than to
compliment the ballroom, I will have your head." She paused and
allowed for the sugary smile to return, "Understand, love?"
He smiled and said, albeit a bit more cautiously, "I do love the crystal
chandeliers, my darling. Are they imported?"
Narcissa beamed and smoothed down the magically enhanced silvery
tablecloth as she responded, "From Italy. I just got them in last night. And
look dear, the tablecloths were imported from a dear friend of mine in
India."
"They are quite lovely." He agreed.
"Draco, get your arse back here! You stupid, mangy little ferret! Give it
back!" A voice shouted.
The two adults turned their heads just in time to see two tall children
racing into the ballroom, swerving around tables and servers alike.
Destiny was clad in a satin pink robe over her pajamas and was barefoot,
running around the ballroom chasing after none other than Draco Malfoy
himself. She watched Draco across one of the tables as he moved right,
and she lunged for him, knocking down two chairs in the process.
"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Destiny! I just want to see who it's
from!" He hollered back, running around another table. Draco tripped
over the end of the tablecloth, causing him to fall down and take the
entire table setting with him with a loud crash. The box in his hands flew
into the air and landed atop another table.
Destiny grinned and let out a small, "Aha!" She ran over to where he had
fallen down and purposely stepped over him in her pursuit to get to the
expertly wrapped box that had landed on the table.
Destiny was about to grab the box, when she felt a hand wrap around her
ankle and she tumbled down onto the marble floor. Thankfully, her
hands prevented her from falling face first onto the ground.
Unfortunately, in her haste to pick up the present, she caused a server to
trip over her and he fell onto another table. The place settings and
centerpiece on the table teetered off the side, and shattered to pieces
onto the marble floor.
Narcissa Malfoy gasped as she saw the middle of the ballroom in a
shamble. Her dainty hands shook as she raised them to cover her mouth
in shock. She let out a shrill shriek that caused her husband to wince and
look over at the two children in immense disapproval.
"My-My beautiful hall." She whimpered as she held her heart shaped face
in her hands, horrifically glancing at the disaster. Her son and Destiny
stood up from their collapsed positions and glared at each other, before
turning to face Narcissa.
"What is the meaning of this?" Lucius commanded in an intimidating tone
of voice, although he tried hard to fight a smile at the children's antics.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Destiny slip the present inside her
robe.
Instantly, both of them pointed to the other and declared, "It's their
fault!"
"Do explain why you have destroyed your mother's hard work?" Lucius
drawled, staring them down firmly.
"Destiny got a present. I wanted to see what is was, but she wouldn't let
me. Then I asked her whom it was from, but she wouldn't tell me. So I–"
"So he grabbed the present and ran! Like an uncivilized hippogriff!"
Destiny cut in, folding her arms and huffing.
Narcissa stared at the pair before grabbing another drink and throwing it
back. She set the glass carefully on the nearest table before turning back
to the duo. She glanced at Lucius and spoke in a clear, calm voice, "The
ball starts at eight. You and Draco have exactly nine hours to get
everything ready and picture perfect. Otherwise..." She let her voice trail
off dangerously.
"Yes, dear." Lucius mumbled.
Draco glanced at his mother disbelievingly. "Why doesn't Destiny have to
help? She played a part in this too!" He complained.
"Because Destiny was right, and you were wrong. Now come along,
Destiny. We need to get you ready and then we need to go over the entire
schedule." His mother said.
Destiny smiled and stuck her tongue out at Draco before stepping over
the broken china so she could follow Narcissa Malfoy out the hall. Once
they were out of earshot, Narcissa turned to Destiny and smirked.
"I see you got my present."
"How did you know this plan would work?" Destiny asked, looking up at
the matriarch of the Malfoy family in awe. She set the empty present on a
decorative table outside the ballroom.
"Once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin. I told you I needed a break and this
would be the perfect way to ensure the ballroom is perfect, as well as
give me an extra stress free hour or two." Narcissa beamed, throwing an
arm around her niece.
"You are quite devious Aunt Narcissa." Destiny grinned.
"I know." She laughed.
Unknown Location: Muggle England [Christmas Day : 12 pm]
Hermione Granger sat quietly at her dining room table as far away from
her father as she could possibly be without seeming too obvious. She
quietly pushed around the soup in her bowl, keeping her head down as to
not attract any unwanted attention.
Honestly, this was not how she expected to spend her Christmas
afternoon. Usually, her mother would cook a casual breakfast in the
morning and then prepare superfluous amounts of food for Christmas
dinner. They had a tradition of opening presents after dinner because her
mother felt the long wait would allow her to appreciate her presents even
more.
But this year, her mother was absent from the yearly festivities and
Hermione was stuck with…the Grinch, so to speak. While her mother was
here, her father pretended to play along with the happy holiday cheer
and he seemed slightly bearable.
Since her mother was away, he was free to do whatever he liked.
Hermione wrinkled her nose in distaste as she watched him empty his
seventh bottle of beer since the day had begun. She glared at the side of
his head before forcing herself to look back down. How he hadn't died
from alcohol poisoning was a mystery to her.
Hermione stood up abruptly, nearly knocking the chair over in her haste
to get out of the room. Thankfully, her father did not seem to notice, nor
care. She picked up her uneaten bowl of soup and deposited it in the sink
with a loud clatter. She winced as her father turned around and shot her
a hateful look, although he didn't comment further.
She walked casually through the dining room until she was out of sight,
and then nearly sprinted up the steps to her bedroom. She made sure not
to slam the doors or make any loud noise as tiptoed into her bedroom,
her sock-clad feet nearly slipping on the hardwood floors. Hermione
swept her eyes across her bare room and launched herself onto the small
twin bed pushed up against the corner of her room.
She wistfully looked out the one small window in her room and wished
for her mother to come home sooner. She only felt safe in her own home
whenever her mother was here. This was the first Christmas she had
spent without her mother, and although Hermione prided herself on
being an independent girl, she missed her mother more than she would
care to admit to anyone.
Hermione sighed and got up from her comfortable position on the bed,
walking towards her Hogwarts trunk, which was pushed against the end
of her bed. It had taken almost half an hour for her to pull the trunk up,
since her father had
oh-so-kindly neglected to even offer his help.
She unlocked the trunk and popped it open; her hands immediately
reaching for one of the leather bound textbooks. Hermione was about to
open up a copy Hogwarts: A History, when her eyes landed on the cloth
pouch sitting next to her wand. Her eyes brightened with curiosity as she
grabbed her wand, opened the pouch and let the opaque vial fall lightly
onto her open palm.
Hermione shrugged and opened the seal, sniffing the contents slightly.
She was about to toss the contents down her throat when she paused and
stood up abruptly. Instead of downing the whole thing in one go, she
walked into her bathroom and picked up an eyedropper. She decided she
would dilute the substance, just to be safe since Hadrian hadn't specified
the correct dosage.
She placed a generous amount of drops in her mouth and quickly corked
the liquid, pushing it back into the cloth pouch. Hermione walked back
into her room and cautiously locked the door. She placed the pouch back
into her trunk and shut the top, securing it once again. Then, she walked
back to her bed and lay down, setting her wand on her bedside table. She
rolled onto her back and stared at the spider-web like patterns on her
white ceiling and closed her eyes for a second, reveling in the moment of
absolute stillness.
The peace did not last long.
The door to her room burst open, and Hermione's eyes snapped open. Her
father stood drunkenly swaggering through the door and Hermione
quickly sat up, panicking. She could've sworn she had locked her door.
Nevertheless, he was still here. Her father stumbled around her room
until he saw her cowering against her wall. He smirked maliciously.
Hermione sat up straight in her bed, and grabbed her wand from the
bedside table. "Don't come any closer." She said bravely, "I can do magic
now, and I'll sure as hell use it if you even lay a hand on me."
He snickered and walked over to her, ripping the wand away from her
grasp. Before she could even register what was happening, he snapped
the wand effortlessly over his knee. The snap caused her to flinch and she
stiffened incredibly.
"You can't do anything. Mother will be back in a couple days. And bruises
don't heal in a couple days, Father." She spat his title sarcastically, as if
the very word burned her mouth.
"She isn't here now, is she? Your mother is gone. So right now," He smiled
unkindly, "I can do anything I want." He grabbed her arm and dragged
her out of the bed, slamming her onto the ground.
He pulled out a belt, and Hermione's face paled. "No, you can't. She'll
know–"
The sharp pain of the belt cut off her pleas, and she let out a loud scream
that shattered the quiet of the neighborhood.
"Shut up." He barked, whipping her back with the belt, smiling at the
loud crack. Hermione whimpered, but held in her tears. He whipped her
again, and again until she could see her skin turning raw and red.
"Please." She pleaded, "Stop it. Please."
"Stupid children don't deserve happiness, Hermione. Stupid children
deserve to be beaten." Her father said, ignoring her tears. He kicked her
stomach one time for good measure and hauled her upright, staring his
cold blue eyes into her glazed brown eyes.
"Did you hear me?" He asked, slapping her face so hard, her head
snapped to the side. She was sure he had left a painful red imprint on her
cheek.
As she gazed at his aged face through a thick veil of tears, she saw no
resemblance to the father he once was. All she could see when she looked
at him was a monster. A monster that didn't even have a single flicker of
humanity left inside of him.
He slammed her head against the wall, and Hermione felt herself quickly
losing consciousness. Her pain began to fade away, and the last thing she
felt was the hotness of her father's breath whispering, "Always remember,
sweetie: Stupid children don't deserve happiness. Stupid children deserve
to be beaten."
Unknown Location: Muggle England [Christmas Day: 6 pm]
Hermione opened her eyes suddenly as the door to her room burst open.
Her room was dark and Hermione concluded she must've been sleeping
since the world outside her window was darkened as well, which was a
stark contrast from the glittering snow of the afternoon.
Her father stood drunkenly swaggering through the door and Hermione
quickly sat up, panicking. She could've sworn she had locked her door.
Her eyes went to the lock and saw it had been forcefully blown off off the
doorframe.
There was something in the way his movements seemed familiar and it
caused Hermione's breathing to rapidly increase.
Nevertheless, he was still here. Her father stumbled around her room
until he saw her cowering against her wall. He smirked maliciously.
And suddenly it all came back to her.
She could remember it all. Every single whip, every single slap and
forceful kick to her body. Hermione flinched suddenly as he came closer,
and made a move to grab her arm. Hermione jumped out of her bed, and
ran toward the door, picking up her wand in the process.
"Y–You stay away." She whimpered. Hermione was sure it was the potion
that caused her to hallucinate, but this–this was definitely real. She
turned her wand to point at him, and angrily glared at his lumbering
form. "Don't come any closer."
He ignored her warning and grabbed her by the shoulders, slamming her
roughly onto the ground. Fear flashed in Hermione's eyes as she saw the
unmistakable leather belt already in her Father's hands.
Her wand was safely tucked away into her pocket, but she doubted it
would survive this. She heard the whoosh of the air as the belt slapped
her side, and Hermione screamed. She felt the tears at the corner of her
eyes and she bit her lip hard to keep the sobs inside. Stupefy. She
frenziedly chanted in her mind. Stupefy. Stupefy. Stupefy!.
To her immense surprise, a bright jet of light shot out from her hands and
slammed right into her father's stomach. He glanced at it confusedly
before he fell down lifelessly against the hardwood floo.
Hermione stared at his limp body and pushed her feet to move her body
away from the sight. She didn't trust her feet to be stable if she stood, so
she settled for hugging her knees closer to her chest. She didn't know she
could perform wandless magic. Perhaps it had only occurred because she
was so desperate. Hadrian didn't warn her of this. He didn't tell her she
would be scarred, in more ways than one, for her entire life. Her eyes
narrowed in anger as she took in the unmoving form of her father.
There was a loud tapping noise on her window, and Hermione flinched
noticeably. She looked up and saw a snow-white owl pecking at the glass.
Cautiously, Hermione stood up and stumbled over to the window and
carefully snapped it open, still shaking with fear. The owl dropped a
letter in her lap and Hermione quickly unfurled the letter, glancing over
her shoulder in trepidation. A small bracelet fell out, and Hermione read
the letter with a confused look.
Dear Hermione,
I'm not sure if this has happened yet, but you need to get out of there. Your
father is going to come for you, and I don't think it will end well. Please take
the bracelet portkey I have included. Just turn the center charm once. I'll see
you soon.
Love,
Destiny
Hermione glanced over at her father and quickly made up her mind. She
was getting the hell out of this place. She walked over to her trunk and
held onto it, clutching the bracelet and letter in the other hand. She
turned the middle charm with her finger and waited for the tugging of
the portkey to take her to her destination.
Greengrass Estates [Christmas Day: 6:30 pm]
"Hermione, what are you doing here?" Daphne exclaimed as the shaking
witch dropped down into the middle of her bedroom, trunk in hand.
She took in Hermione's shuddering body and the terrified look in her
eyes, and Daphne gasped, dropping the diamond earring she was about
to fasten onto her ear. She raced to the brunette girl's side and pushed
back her hair, holding her hand tightly. "Hermione, talk to me. Are you
okay? Hermione?"
Her crystal blue eyes turned to steel as quickly realized what could've
happened. "Hermione, love, relax. You're safe now, okay?" She looked up
from her friend and called for her sister, "Astoria! Get in here! And bring
some water!"
A few seconds later, her sister flew in through her adjoining room and
took in the sight with a shocked look on her face. The crystal glass of
water in her hands dropped onto the marble floor and shattered to
millions of pieces. "Is that Hermione?" She asked, quickly turning to the
pitcher of water on Daphne's bedside table. She poured a glass and
quickly stepped over the pile of shards to Daphne's side. "Here." She
whispered.
Daphne nodded and hastily handed the glass to Hermione, who downed
it in one big gulp. Hermione's shaking gradually slowed, but the sad look
in her eyes never vanished.
"Are you alright?" Daphne asked, for what seemed like the millionth time.
"Do you need anything–"
"My father's a monster." Hermione muttered clearly, looking up at the
dusted gold ceiling of Daphne's room. She turned to look back at the
Greengrass sisters. "He's not my dad anymore."
"If he purposely hurts you, I don't think he was ever your father." Daphne
hissed, wrapping a blanket around Hermione's shoulders.
"No, he was. He was my daddy once." Hermione smiled nostalgically. "He
would tie my shoes for me and buy me ice-cream when my mother would
say no. He would try his best to tie my hair into pigtails when my mother
was busy." Her smile turned wistful. "He was my dad once. But that was a
very long time ago."
She pushed the blanket off her shoulders and wrapped her Christmas
sweater clad arms around herself. "He isn't my father anymore. I don't
think he's even human."
"I don't understand why he's even a part of your family." Daphne said
coldly.
"My mother still loves him. She doesn't want to believe that he's changed.
Even when he hits her, she still believes it's the same man she fell in love
with. But she's wrong." Hermione sighed.
"Daphne, Astoria are you ready yet–" The woman's voice stopped short as
she caught sight of the three girls in the room. She cleared her throat
elegantly and tried to mask her shock. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Girls, you didn't
tell me you would be having company."
"Er–She's going to the ball with us. She doesn't know her date all that
well, but Daphne does, so she's coming with us." Astoria explained
clumsily.
Their mother looked towards Daphne for confirmation, and Daphne
hurriedly smiled. "Yes, mother. Blaise Zabini has asked to escort her to
the ball, and since he's one of my good friends, I suggested that she come
with us."
Her mother shrugged her delicate shoulders. "Well, then I suppose it's
alright with me. But you girls better hurry, we're leaving in an hour."
They waited for her to leave, before Daphne turned to Astoria accusingly.
"Going to the ball! She's a muggleborn! Do you think she'll even be
allowed at Malfoy Manor?"
"They don't have to know! And I'm sure Hadrian will prevent Draco from
throwing a hissy fit. Better yet, lets give her a complete makeover so
Draco can't even recognize her!" Astoria exclaimed with glee.
"She isn't in an acceptable mental, or physical state to go to a ball!"
Daphne hissed. "You know what, I'll just stay home and keep her
company." She suggested.
"No, don't do that." Hermione cut in. "You already got ready and all
pretty." She smiled. "I don't know, I think I'll just go back home. Maybe
he's–"
"No!" Both Astoria and Daphne shouted. Hermione looked taken aback at
their extreme disapproval.
"You are coming with us." Daphne finally concluded. "We can convince
Blaise to play along. You can be some girl from France his mother set
him up with."
"But I don't speak French." Hermione pointed out the obvious.
"Minor details." Daphne shrugged. "Come on now, we don't have any time
to sit around. Let's get you ready for the ball."
29. Hatred
A/N: Er, sorry for the late update. Just so you know, I don't have the
story already written, so it takes a while to actually write the
chapter (all fifteen pages, 5,000 words of it). I hope you enjoy the
latest chapter. As always, if you have any questions/criticisms, feel
free to PM me or leave a review.
Also, the French line in this chapter ( tu as l'air trés eleganté ce soir)
means "You look very elegant this evening".
If you want to see the outfits for the Christmas Ball, i have the link
posted on my bio, but her it is again: dark_prince_fashion/collection?
id=3530300
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Malfoy Manor [Christmas Day 8pm]
Hermione Granger nervously adjusted her shimmering floor length gown
and ungracefully bunched the silky scarlet fabric in her small hands as
she climbed the luxurious marble steps of Malfoy Manor. Thousands of
brilliant lights illuminated the usually darkened manor and a ostentatious
fountain danced in front of the massive main doors. She tilted her head
upwards as she tried to take in the lavishness of it all, but ended up
almost tripping over the long dress.
"Her-Marie, do hurry, the ball has already begun! We wouldn't want to
miss out on the festivities, now would we?" Astoria called out as she and
her family waited at the top of the steps.
Hermione blushed, her cheeks turning almost as red as her dress. She
raced up the rest of the steps, wincing as her heels clicked forcefully
against the white marble.
Daphne discreetly leaned into her and whispered, "Remember, you are
Marie Brodeur, visiting our family from your school in France." She
paused and added, "Please try to act the part. Pureblood ladies simply
smile and nod, so no sarcasm tonight, understand?"
Daphne waited for her to respond, but Hermione was still staring at her
surroundings in awe. Daphne snapped her fingers in Hermione's face and
the girl jumped. "Oh, sorry." She apologized sheepishly.
Daphne smiled tightly and turned back around to face the doors. "This
will definitely go well." She muttered under her breath, although she
didn't sound very sure. She smoothed down her own dress as her father
knocked on the elegantly carved black doors.
Hermione blinked several times to get used to the bright flood of light
that assaulted her eyes as soon as the doors magically opened. Her eyes
swept across the beautifully decorated room with its opulent chandeliers
and expensive silver drapery. It was something she'd only seen in films
and shows. She simply wasn't used to the extravagance of it all.
"Lord Greengrass, Lady Greengrass. We are pleased at your attendance of
this year's Christmas Ball." A rich voice drawled from the side.
Hermione snapped out of her discreet (or so she thought) ogling, and
wrinkled her nose delicately at the sound of the voice. Her eyes landed
on the impeccably dressed platinum blond standing beside the door with
a courteous smile upon his features. They locked eyes briefly and
Hermione quickly turned away. Although Daphne had made up her face
and tamed her hair, Hermione feared the younger Malfoy would discover
her true identity if she looked at him for too long.
"Good Evening, Draco." Daphne greeted. She turned to Hadrian, who was
leaning coolly against the door. "Hadrian." She smiled.
"Good Evening, Miss Greengrass." Hadrian said as he kissed her hand
smoothly. His gaze fell upon Hermione, and he raised an eyebrow. "I was
not aware you were brining a guest."
"Blaise is escorting her. Her mother set them up, you see." Astoria cut in,
smiling innocently at Draco.
Lord Greengrass took his wife's hand and led her towards the people
scattered throughout the ballroom. "Well, have fun, children. We're off to
speak to the Minister and his wife." He called out as they strolled away.
"Miss Greengrass, would you care to dance?" Hadrian asked, a smirk
playing at his lips. He took her smile as acceptance and he offered her his
hand. Daphne's sapphire eyes sparkled as she placed her dainty hand in
his, and they walked together to the dance floor.
As the classical music began, Hadrian slid a hand around her waist,
gently bringing her closer. She raised her hand to rest on his shoulder
and raised her chin to smile shyly up at his face. They moved gracefully
together, letting the traditional music dictate their steps.
"You know, you do look very beautiful tonight." Hadrian murmured softly
as he twirled Daphne around.
Her pink lips twitched upwards and she said, "Thank you. And I suppose
you look handsome."
"You suppose?" He smiled mischievously. Without warning, he dropped
her into a dip and raised an eyebrow, "Now what was that?"
Daphne huffed as he raised her back upright. "Fine. You look magnificent
and every bit the charming gentleman."
"That's better." He grinned as they swayed around the ballroom, barely
noticing as other couples began to join them onto the dance floor.
Meanwhile, all the way across the enormous ballroom, Hermione Granger
cursed internally as she stepped in time to the music. She wasn't sure
what type of creature had possessed her to agree with this horrid plan,
but she was terribly regretting agreeing to it now.
"Not that I'm complaining about your presence, but honestly Hermione,
what idiot came up with this brilliant plan?" Blaise whispered as he
guided Hermione through the dance steps.
"This was Astoria's idea. Long story short, as horrible as it sounds, I
would rather be here than go home." Hermione finally admitted,
concentrating on the complicated footwork.
"No, you have to step right first." He corrected, showing her the correct
step. She sighed heavily and Blaise laughed. "Don't worry. The only
reason I know this is because of several years of dance lessons."
"Dancing is for girls, Blaise." Hermione teased.
"Tell that to my mother." Blaise shrugged. He spun her around and
Hermione nearly twisted her ankle. She glared accusingly at Blaise and
he shot her an apologetic look.
"But seriously, tu as l'air trés eleganté ce soir." Blaise said suavely, smiling
down at her petite form.
Hermione looked confused for a split second, but she nodded and said,
"It's nice to see you too, Blaise."
He snickered, "Yes, lying and saying you were from France was an
excellent idea."
She scowled, but before she could respond, someone tapped Blaise's
shoulder and he turned around sharply. Hermione glanced over to see
Draco Malfoy smirking at them.
"May I cut in?" He asked, smiling pleasantly.
Blaise turned to look at Hermione's frantic look and her vehement
gestures of disapproval. He grinned and said, "Of course. She's all yours,
Draco."
As Blaise walked away, Hermione was very tempted to throw the sparkly
golden deathtrap–er, shoe–at his head, just to see if it made a dent. But
for now, all she could do was smile congenially and accept Draco's hand.
"I'm very sorry, but we dance differently in France. I'm not aware of this
type of dance." Hermione lied. "So, I apologize in advance if I step on
your feet." She blushed.
"Don't worry. It's all in the leading. I wouldn't let you fall, now would I?"
Hermione wanted so badly to believe him. But once he figured out who
she was, he'd probably push her to the ground first. She concealed her
inner worries with a smile. "Right."
"Now, what did you say your name was again?"
"Marie. Marie Brodeur." She replied, her forced smile intact.
"Yes well, Marie, I just wanted to let you know you have the most
beautiful muddy brown eyes in this room." He murmured as they swayed
in the back of the ballroom.
"Er–thank you? I guess?"
Draco rolled his eyes. "That wasn't a compliment." He squeezed her hand
tighter and pulled her closer. "Mudblood." He hissed venomously, his lips
brushing softly against her ear.
Hermione gasped inaudibly, her eyes wide with shock. She tried to step
out of his hold, but he just held her tighter, almost painfully. "You know,
you almost fooled me." He said suddenly, looking at anywhere but her.
"You look virtually unrecognizable when you play dress up."
"What is your point, Malfoy?" Hermione growled under her breath, trying
to move away from him. "Let me go!" She snapped.
Her small cry of desperation attracted the attention of the other people
around them, and they shot the pair several odd looks. Draco's eyes
hardened and he whispered in a harsh tone, "You are making a scene.
These people will gossip about almost anything, so I suggest you simply
smile prettily, unless you want to be discovered by the rest of our
pureblooded guests."
She smiled sarcastically and discreetly stepped on his foot with her
pointy heel. To her dismay, he barely flinched.
"You can tame your hair, and you can cover your face with makeup. You
can put on a pretty dress." His hand dropped to touch the diamond drop
earrings in her ear. "You can even wear earrings that cost more than your
house." His expression turned so cold that it caused Hermione to shiver at
the sight. "But you will never be able to fit in with royalty like us. Because
nothing will ever cover up the stench of Mudblood coming from you."
The effect of his words was astounding. Hermione instantly stiffened and
despite her best efforts, her eyes glazed over with a film of tears. "Let.
Me. Go." She whispered, her voice cracking pathetically at the end. She
would not cry in front of him.
"Oh, you want to leave now?" He chuckled darkly. "Well, I regret to
inform you of this, but it is considered rude to leave the dance floor in
the middle of a song. Pureblood tradition and all." He glanced
offhandedly at the twelve-piece orchestra in the corner of the room. "And
lucky for us, this song just started."
"Well, I'm not a pureblood, so–" Hermione was cut off as Draco tightened
his grip on her waist.
"You should've remembered that little fact before you decided to waltz
into an exclusive Pureblood Ball, don't you think?" He snarled.
Hermione bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood. She could taste the
metallic substance in her mouth, and she pursed her lips into a thin,
white line. She refused to respond to him and his cruel words. Instead,
she glanced beyond his shoulder and tried to distract herself with her
beautiful surroundings. The couples dancing around them seemed so
elegant and refined. There was not a hair out of place and not a wrinkle
in sight. There were several flawless ice sculptures decorating the room
and even a tower of champagne in the corner.
They twirled gracefully around the room, and that's when Hermione
realized the sickening truth. Malfoy was right. Amongst the luxury and
the beauty in the room, she stuck out like a sore thumb. She might've
looked the part of a stunning lady, but inside she certainly didn't feel like
one. She was still plain old Hermione. Mudblood Hermione. She didn't
belong here. She didn't even belong in the muggle world with the horrid
muggles. She was trapped between two worlds and she didn't feel
welcome in either of them.
As the talented orchestra played the last note of the soft, lovely song, a
small tear rolled down Hermione's cheek. She hastily wiped it away as
Draco silently led her off the dance floor. He had said what he needed to
say, and Hermione refused to listen to any more.
Across the ballroom, Hadrian Riddle also escorted his companion for the
evening off the dance floor. Of course, this pair appeared to be happier
than the last, since they were smiling shyly at each other and he had yet
to drop her hand, even though they were already at their designated
table.
Daphne Greengrass swept her eyes across the ballroom. "I don't see
Hermione." She murmured. Suddenly her eyes widened at her slip-up and
she stared at Hadrian.
He laughed, "Don't worry, I knew it was her as soon as she stepped
through the door."
"Of course you would." She huffed, sitting down on the chair Hadrian had
pulled out for her. There was no one else at their table, although they
could see Draco approaching them from the side.
"You two look like you're having more fun than I am." He muttered as he
plopped himself down onto an empty chair beside his best friend.
"What's the matter, Draco? Can't find a pretty girl to dance with you?"
Hadrian smirked. "Why don't you ask Pansy? I'm sure she would love to
molest–I mean dance with you."
Daphne coughed to stifle her laughter. Draco glared at her and she raised
an eyebrow innocently as she took a sip of water. "Have you seen Marie
anywhere?" She questioned.
"You mean Granger?" Draco scowled. He waved his hand unconcernedly
at the mixture of surprise and worry on Daphne's face. "Yeah I danced
with her."
Hadrian nearly choked on air and Daphne dropped her pure whit silk
napkin in shock. Hadrian stared at his friend in disbelief. "You danced
with Hermione?" He repeated.
Draco scoffed. "Don't be so surprised. I called her a Mudblood several
times in the middle of it and she practically ran away in tears after I led
her off the dance floor. And she stepped on my foot! Can you believe it?
She might've ruined my new shoes!"
Daphne stilled and concentrated on tracing the drops of condensation on
her crystal glass with her finger. "What exactly did you say to her,
Draco?"
"Eh the usual 'Purebloods are better than Mudblood scum" speech. I
cannot comprehend why she hasn't understood this fact yet. Purebloods
are superior." He shrugged.
Daphne exchanged a glance with Hadrian, who seemed to mirror the
worry on her face. "Where did she go?" Hadrian asked urgently, helping
Daphne up from her chair.
Draco grimaced, "How am I supposed to know? You can't honestly be
concerned about the little Mudblood?"
"Well we are concerned because she's one of our best friends. So I would
appreciate if you didn't make her feel like she's dirt on the bottom of your
shoe." Daphne snapped.
Draco looked at Hadrian and frowned. "Are you seriously taking her side
over mine?"
Hadrian sighed, "Look Draco, I know she's not your friend, but she is
mine. She has done nothing to deserve your hatred and what's worse is
you keep doing it! Without any remorse."
"She's a Mudblood!" Draco hissed. "She doesn't deserve our pity let alone
our friendship!" He lowered his voice to a icy whisper, "You are the son of
the Dark Lord. The Dark Heir does not go chasing after sniveling
mudbloods!"
"Hermione Granger is no ordinary muggleborn. Blood doesn't dictate who
is unworthy of magic, Draco. People's actions do." Daphne explained.
"Hermione Granger has proven time and time again that she is worthy of
her magic. Her blood has nothing to do with it."
"Hadrian doesn't believe that bullshit. Do you?" Draco sneered darkly.
Hadrian pursed his lips. "We need to find Hermione." He said simply.
Daphne nodded, "You go in that direction and I'll go this way. She has to
be inside the ballroom. I'm sure we would've noticed if the doors opened
and closed."
"Not necessarily," Hadrian pointed out as they began to walk. "There are
many exits to this ballroom if you look hard enough. She could be
outside, in the gardens, or she could've even wandered into the main part
of the Manor for all we know."
"She wouldn't go into the Manor." Daphne insisted. "But you're right, she
may be outside. I'll find Destiny. She'll probably know where Hermione
is. In the meantime, you can look around the ballroom."
Hadrian nodded and quickly turned the opposite direction, nearly
running into a tall figure dressed in al black. "My deepest apologies, Sir."
He bowed, hoping to avoid another conversation.
"If only you were this polite in class." The voice drawled.
Hadrian instantly straightened his posture, sneering up at the man in
front of him. "Severus." He greeted, blatant contempt dripping from his
voice. "I see you've crawled out of your dark hole to celebrate tonight's
festivities."
Snipe sniffed. "And there's the insufferable brat. Forgive me; I thought
you had actually become a gentleman overnight. But alas…" He turned
his nose up in disdain, "I see that is impossible."
"Yes, well, if you'll excuse me." Hadrian muttered, clenching his fists and
attempting to step around the professor. Unfortunately, his efforts were
to no avail because Snape stepped to stop him in his spot.
"I need to have a conversation with you." Snape muttered under his
breath. He glanced at the people around him and added sharply, "In
private."
"I really don't think that's necessary–" Hadrian began, but Snape paid no
heed to his protests and merely dragged him off to the side. When they
were away from prying eyes and curious ears, Hadrian folded his arms
impatiently. "Well spit it out. What was so important that you had to drag
me away?"
Snape simply looked at him with an indistinguishable look in his eyes.
Hadrian had never seen it on Snape's face. It almost looked like…pity?
Snape opened his mouth to say something but instead, he clapped a hand
on Hadrian's shoulder and set his drink on a nearby table.
Hadrian stared pointedly at the offending body part on his shoulder, but
before he could say anything, the scene around him blurred and Hadrian
could feel the trademark whirling of apparition.
As soon as Hadrian Riddle felt the fresh, freezing layer of snow under his
feet, he whipped his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at Snape. "Is
this some kind of sick Christmas tradition?" He growled, jabbing his
wand in Snape's direction. "Kidnapping me?"
"I'm simply following orders." Snape revealed monotonously, rolling his
eyes at the boy in front of him.
"I have to get back!" He muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Take
me back!" He demanded, pressing his wand against Snape's throat.
"I'm afraid I can't do that." Snape said in a nonchalant tone. "As I said
before, I'm simply following orders."
"Are they my father's orders? Tell me!" He hissed.
"I'm simply–"
"Yes, I know!" Hadrian exclaimed. "You're simply 'following orders'. Now
give me one good reason why I shouldn't curse you till your ears bleed!"
"Well, you see…" Snape trailed off, swallowing anxiously. Before he could
finish, he waved his wand and apparated away with a swirl of his black
cloak.
"Snape?" Hadrian blinked, waving his hand in the spot where Snape had
stood not a second before. "Snape, you bastard! Get back here!" He yelled
into the empty winter air.
Sighing loudly, Hadrian trudged out of the cover of trees that Snape had
apparated them into. He frowned at the strangely familiar street on
which he had emerged. He tiredly made his way over to the bench that
was on the sidewalk. Hadrian softly brushed away the snow and sat
down, wincing at the cold trail of water left by the snow. He swept his
eyes across the street, noticing that all the houses seemed to look the
same and streetlights would flicker ever so often. Hadrian stiffened. This
was a muggle neighborhood. What was Snape thinking, bringing him
here?
He huffed angrily and leaned down, holding his head in his hands. How
was he supposed to get out of here? He couldn't apparate yet, nor could
he use any magic in front of these muggles.
He heard a small whoosh of wind beside him, and Hadrian looked up and
sprung back in surprise at the figure that had suddenly appeared beside
him. The figure looked at him in amusement and said, "Don't be so
surprised. You may not be able to apparate, but I can."
"Who are you?" Hadrian blurted out, staring at the man's dark brown,
almost black coloured hair and sharp, chiseled features. The man's eyes
were as shockingly green as his own.
"After so many years, you'd think that your own son would recognize his
father." The man said, folding his arms and leaning against the bench.
Hadrian stiffened. "I don't have a father."
The man smirked slyly, and with a wave of his hand, the image of the
familiar stranger flickered to one of Lord Voldemort. Hadrian jumped
back in shock, but as soon as he blinked the image returned to the one of
the stranger.
"Oh." Hadrian breathed in confusion. "That father."
"Yes. I casted a glamour to resemble myself when I was younger." He
explained.
"Reliving your glory days?" Hadrian smirked.
"No." Lord Voldemort snapped. "It's an extra precaution for tonight's raid."
"Why did it have to be tonight?" Hadrian complained.
"I'm sorry, were you too busy tonight? I knew I should've checked with
your personal assistant before springing this on you." His father rolled his
eyes.
"Fine. But can this be quick? I have a ball I need to get back to." Hadrian
sighed.
"Trust me." His father said as he rose from the bench. "You will want to
draw this out as long as possible."
"Why?"
"You'll see." His father said mysteriously. "Now come along. We have
someone we need to–ahem–" Lord Voldemort cleared his throat. "… speak
to."
And for some absurd reason, Hadrian predicted that conversation was the
last thing on his father's mind.
Hadrian nearly ran to keep up with his father's long strides as the walked
across the street. They strolled up the pathway of a house, and stopped at
its doorstep. Lord Voldemort turned to Hadrian. "Unlock it." He
commanded.
Hadrian shrugged and whispered, "Alohamora." The lock clicked and
Hadrian pushed open the door.
"Now, stay quiet and follow my instructions. Although this is quite
undignified, Dumbledore must not get a word of this, understand?"
Hadrian nodded mutely and followed his father into the still, dark house.
It seemed familiar, but only when his eyes landed on the outline of a
cupboard under the creaky stairs did his eyes widen in recognition. "This
is the Dursley residence!" Hadrian hissed under his breath.
"Yes Hadrian. I'm aware of that." His father responded dryly as they
silently walked up the steps. Hadrian glanced around nervously, a
carefully buried hatred slowly floating back up to rest on the surface.
They passed a couple doors in the narrow hallway, before finally
stopping at a door embellished with posters of trucks and cars.
Voldemort's pale white hand shot out to slowly turn the doorknob and
quietly push open the door. "Cast a silencing spell." He instructed.
Hadrian complied, just as his father moved over to the bed, which held a
large body under the lumpy covers. "Aren't you going to stun him first?"
Hadrian asked. "He'll be less of a hassle."
His father turned and a purely maniacal look came into his eyes. "Oh,
Hadrian. You should never underestimate the power of fear. It's often
more terrifying than the actual torture, you see."
Hadrian leaned himself against the door and raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure
you speak from experience."
Lord Voldemort smirked, the moonlight glinting off his sharp white teeth
dangerously. "Of course."
He turned his attention back to the young boy sleeping under the covers.
With a flick of his wrists, Voldemort aggressively pulled the covers away
from the youngest Dursley.
The boy stirred in his sleep, and sleepily cracked open an eye. "I'm tired
Mummy. Go away."
Lord Voldemort leaned down, and his eyes flashed red, causing the boy
to yelp and scramble up in his bed. "Hello Dursley." Voldemort sneered.
"Now, be a good filthy muggle and don't scream, otherwise I'll make this
so much harder than it should be. Understand?"
The boy nodded fearfully and Voldemort smiled. "Good, now Hadrian,
please take hold of my arm and we shall escort our guest to our
destination."
Hadrian smiled and stepped forward, closing his eyes as Voldemort
apparated them. When they landed, Hadrian frowned as he noticed a
small muggle children's park. "Why are we here? Where are the
dungeons? Where are the chains?" Hadrian exclaimed. "I thought we
were torturing this piece of lard!"
"T-T-Torture?" Dudley gulped.
"Shut up, muggle." Voldemort spat. "Don't worry. This will be interesting."
Hadrian sighed as he dragged his cousin along to follow his father. The
snow crunched under their feet and they came to a slow stop at the
frozen pond. Lord Voldemort paused and said, "I think that it's time to
test your training."
Hadrian looked taken aback. "What? Like right now? Now now?"
Instead of responding, his father turned his gaze to the pond. "Give me
your wand."
Hadrian was ready to protest, but his father shot him a warning look and
Hadrian reluctantly pulled his wand from the pocket in his robes and
handed it to his father.
"Your other one too." Lord Voldemort added, looking bored. Hadrian
sighed and picked up the wand hidden in his boot. As soon as Voldemort
held both wands in his hand, he cast a sticking spell on Dudley so he
couldn't move his feet. Then he pointed the wand at Hadrian and said,
"Levicorpus."
"What are you–hey!" He protested, as his father levitated him over the
frozen pond. "What are you doing!" Hadrian yelled.
"Alright brat, lets play a game." His father clasped his hands together and
sat onto the park bench. "For every time you successfully block my efforts
to get into your mind, I cast a cruciatus curse onto your dear cousin."
Hadrian shrugged as best he could, given the situation. "Sounds easy
enough."
His father held up a hand and a dark look came into his eyes. "I'm not
finished yet. For every failed attempt at blocking your mind, " He paused
and smiled a positively feral smile. "This happens." He flicked his wrist
and Hadrian yelped as suddenly he was dropped down, past the layer of
hard ice and into the freezing cold water of the pond. He shivered as he
was raised out of the water, and hung in the middle of the air once more.
"You can't do that!" Hadrian sputtered, folding his arms against himself
for some kind of warmth as the cold air bit his cheeks.
"I can do anything I want. Now are you ready?" His father didn't wait for
an answer as he launched himself into his mind. Hadrian gasped and
tried his best to push his father out, but he simply wasn't prepared. He
groaned as his father tore down his shields.
"That was pathetic." His father barked, wasting no time in dunking him
into the freezing cold lake. "Try again."
This time, Hadrian barely let his father inside his mind, before he pushed
him out with such great force. Lord Voldemort smirked and turned his
wand on the other boy. "Crucio." He hissed.
Hadrian smiled in triumph as his father crucioed his cousin. He sure did
cherish these father-son moments.
After about twenty seconds, Lord Voldemort turned back to his own son.
Hadrian already put up his shields as he felt Lord Voldemort attack and
tear at them. As his father was snapped back again, Hadrian grinned. He
was getting used to this.
"Crucio."
Dudley's screams echoed through the night, and Hadrian wondered how
no one had heard them yet. But he certainly wasn't complaining.
The next time his father attacked his mind, Hadrian groaned as his
shields crumpled down with barely a slight probing. "I just got tired that
time." Hadrian pleaded.
Lord Voldemort paused. "Oh. I suppose that's alright then. Why don't we
take a small break?"
Hadrian could've sworn his father submerged him in the water for longer
than needed.
As soon as he was pulled up for air, his father's eyes flashed in anger. "Do
you think Dumbledore or the rest of the Order will wait for you to take a
break? Do you think they will care if you get tired? No!" He snapped.
The next time, Hadrian made sure his barriers were twice as strong. He
refused to back down, even when his father pressed against his mind at
an unbearable force.
As this continued for almost an hour, Hadrian's shields, blocks, and fake
memories grew stronger and stronger. He became more concentrated on
organizing his mind and only showing what he wanted others to see. The
hazy wisps of fake memories became clear, and it was impossible to tell
them apart from the real memories. Eventually, even Lord Voldemort
could not detect a trace of Occulemency in his Heir's mind. Not that he'd
tell him that.
"Crucio," Lord Voldemort whispered for the seventh time in a row. He
frowned at the Dursley boy who was borderline unconscious at this point.
He would moan slightly and only show signs of life when he was being
tortured. It wasn't as entertaining if the victim didn't beg and plead for
him to stop.
"Careful father, if I keep winning, then he might die right there." Hadrian
beamed, the cold long forgotten. Or perhaps he was just too numb to
care. It was probably the later.
"Don't be arrogant, Hadrian." His father called out. "Arrogance is only
acceptable when you are the best."
That was when Lord Voldemort saw a new spark in his son's dark green
eyes. He hadn't seen that spark ever since the small, sniffling Harry Potter
decided to become the Dark Lord's prodigy. It was the look of an
accepted challenge.
Lord Voldemort filled with a strange warm feeling of pride. His son had
accepted the challenge to become the best, not unlike the way he himself
had vowed to become the best wizard at the mere age of sixteen. He was
confident his son would win this challenge as well. After all, success ran
in the family.
Instead of feeling threatened, like he might've felt several years ago, Lord
Voldemort felt only anticipation towards his heir's new goal. Hadrian
Riddle would do it. He would become the most feared, respected, perfect
man in the entire wizarding world. If there were anyone Lord Voldemort
could pick to leave behind a legacy for, it would be Hadrian Riddle.
It seemed as if a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. Suddenly, he
didn't fear the future as much. Of course, Lord Voldemort would still kill
his own mother for immortality, but he knew that if he somehow
vanished in the midst of his long, bloody fight, at least he was leaving his
dreams in good hands. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone.
"Are we done now?"
Lord Voldemort broke out of his thoughts and glanced wearily at his heir.
"I suppose." He levitated his heir to the safe, blanketed with snow ground
and handed him both of his wands.
Hadrian gratefully grabbed them out of his father's hand. He cast a
drying spell on himself, and then decided to cast a warming spell as well.
He stuck the wand back into his robe pocket and tucked the other wand
into his boot. "Shall we go?"
"Not just yet." His father said. "Hadrian, do you know why I'm making
you strengthen your mind with this torture?"
"Because you hate me and want to see me die?"
"That too. But I'm forcing you to learn this because you need to learn
how to use your mind to control your magic. Magic lies in the mind,
Hadrian. If you control your mind, you have full control of your magic.
First you need to learn how to protect it, otherwise anyone could try to
use you as a weapon against yourself." His father gave him a serious look
and continued. "There's also a second part to controlling your mind.
Controlling your own mine will allow you to eventually control others.
You can cast a spell and make them do things that they would rather die
than do."
"Like the Imperious Curse?" Hadrian breathed, his breath coming out in
little puffs of air.
"Yes. Since you already know how the mind works, you now can cast the
Imperious Curse. And it will be ten times stronger than someone who
simply casts it without training of the mind." Voldemort paused and
added, hesitantly, "Would you like to try, on your dear cousin? I know
you've always held a deep hatred for all the
things–"
"Yes!" Hadrian cut in quickly. "How do I do it? Do I just say Imperio?"
Lord Voldemort pursed his lips and shook his head. "You have to use
what you've learned. What is the easiest thing to block?"
"Memories." Hadrian answered in a heartbeat.
"And the hardest?"
"The senses." Hadrian answered. His eyes widened. "So I have to block
everything, so that he can only listen and do what I tell him to?"
"Correct."
Hadrian nodded and raised his wand to his cousin, "Imperio." He hissed.
The boy instantly stilled, and Hadrian smiled. "Walk in a circle."
Dudley go up on his feet, and began to walk in a nearly perfect circle,
stumbling over his own dead feet as he moved.
"Slap yourself." Hadrian grinned. He waited, but nothing happened.
"Telling someone to hurt themselves goes against their very human
nature. People, whether they are a muggle or a wizard, are naturally
selfish. They will try their hardest to protect themselves and do the thing
that provides them with the most gain. If you want to see someone in
pain, you really have to allow yourself to feel the hatred for him or her.
You have to project that feeling into their minds. You need to make them
hate themselves." His father explained.
Hadrian nodded, and tried again. "Slap yourself." He stressed, with much
more of his true emotion than before. He laughed as Dudley began to
slap himself silly. "It worked!" He exclaimed. Suddenly, his eyes darkened
and he glared at the boy. "Walk to the pond. Go for a swim."
The boy did as commanded and walked to the pond, almost as if he was
in a trance. As soon as he stepped onto the frozen slate of ice, it shattered
under his weight and pressure. He fell through the ice into the icy water
of the pond.
"Hhm." Hadrian smirked. "Hold your breath underwater for an entire
minute"
By the time the minute was up, Dudley Dursley was half dead. Hadrian
Riddle was pleased that he had caused this feeling of lifelessness and he
felt thoroughly vindicated.
He turned to Lord Voldemort, who raised an eyebrow at him. "Well?
Aren't you going to finish him off?" His father questioned.
"As in kill him?" Hadrian snorted. "Of course not. He's a terrible excuse
for even filth like muggles, but I can't kill him."
His father nodded and was silent for a second before asking, "Well, why
not?"
Hadrian stuttered. "Well, I …"
And that was when Lord Voldemort felt a small trickle of doubt cloud his
mind. If there was anything he hated more than death, and fear, it was
doubt. His eyes flashed a bloodred and he glared at his son.
"Kill him." Voldemort hissed, pointing to the boy.
"I can't! I don't know how!" Hadrian whispered.
"Don't lie or make up excuses, Hadrian." Lord Voldemort snarled. "You
won't kill him because you don't want to kill him."
"Why do we have to kill him? Why can't we just torture him and drop
him at his house?"
"Drop him off at his house?" Voldemort repeated in disbelief. "You want
to just crucio, torture, drown a boy, and then drop him off at his house?"
"Uh–"
"Shut up." His father barked. "We can't leave him like this. He has traces
of magic all over him. And if you won't get rid of him, I will."
"No, I can do it." Hadrian insisted. "Imperio." He paused and said softly,
"Go kill yourself."
Predictably, nothing happened. Lord Voldemort rolled his eyes and
whipped out his own wand. "You can't kill him because you don't want to.
I suppose it's understandable. I only became a killer in my sixth year." He
let out a deep breath. "I will let you off the hook this time, brat. Perhaps
you haven't felt enough true pain and hatred to take a life. But watch and
see how to properly dispose of someone you despise."
And he did. Hadrian watched in horrid fascination, the way some cannot
turn away from a tragic accident. His father cast the Imperious Curse
onto the large Dudley Dursley.
"Go to the pond."
"Step into the water."
"Drown."
Three simple commands that caused Hadrian to peer into the darkness
and discover that he was no longer able to make out the form of Dudley
Dursley. His father cast a spell that covered the pond with a sheet of
thick ice once more. All trace of the youngest Dursley had disappeared.
As they apparated back to Riddle Manor, Hadrian asked his father one
simple question. "How do you do it?"
His father knew exactly what his son was speaking about because he shot
Hadrian a sincere smile, although there was a strange look in his eyes.
"There are just some people that simply do not deserve to be saved."
30. Deadly Mistakes
A/N: Sorry for this late update, but in case you haven't noticed this
yet, unfortunately I am a busy person with way too many problems
in my life (mostly health related). So just know I will probably have
some sketchy update times in the future, but I'm trying my best!
Don't worry, I am not abandoning this story. Thank you for
tolerating my incompetence.
-LoveMyRomance
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Slytherin Dormitory [March 5th]
Ginerva watched in utter fascination as she dipped the brush in the dark
burgundy liquid, being careful not to spill a single drop onto the antique
black vanity. She furrowed her brows in absolute concentration, biting
her lip as she streaked the paint across her nail. The chemical scent was
overwhelming, but the activity of painting her nails was almost
therapeutic to the young witch so she had learned to ignore it. She had
been doing it for as long as she could remember, and now her nose only
wrinkled slightly at the scent.
Her concentration was shattered, however, when the massive black door
to her room was blasted open. Ginerva cursed under her breath as the
brush jolted to the side, dribbling a trail of the blood coloured paint
down the side of her finger. She quickly wiped it away, frowning as the
smudge of red refused to fade away. Ginerva was mildly surprised that
someone had managed to take down all the wards she had placed on her
door. It was simply a precaution to keep out unwanted visitors.
And the girl who entered the room definitely was an unwanted visitor.
Ginerva calmly placed the brush back into its glass bottle, and turned her
head to face her company.
"Can I help you?" She raised an eyebrow coldly, staring down the girl that
dared to enter her chambers without permission. Instead of cowering
away like most would, the girl stared back, with just as much – if not
more– venom.
"We need to talk." Astoria Greengrass spoke quietly, the icy tone
sounding foreign on her petite, wafer-like frame. She gently closed the
door behind her with a soft thud. The sound was enough to snap Ginerva
out of her indifferent posture, and she tilted her chin up defiantly.
"I don't remember inviting you to my room." Ginerva said haughtily,
narrowing her eyes slightly when Astoria began to walk slowly across her
room. She paused near the desk, and her eyes landed on a small, leather
bound book wedged between the stacks of textbooks. Ginerva stiffened
imperceptibly as Astoria flipped open the cover.
"Who is Tom Riddle?" Astoria questioned, looking over at her friend
suspiciously. Ginerva plastered an uninterested expression on her face,
and casually tucked a piece of flaming hair behind her ear.
"A friend."
Astoria nodded complacently, seeming to accept the vague answer. She
turned her attention away from the diary and sauntered over to the
quilted black armchair opposite the window.
Completely ignoring the threatening look on the redhead's face, she sat
herself down on the chair, throwing her legs over one of the arms. She
tilted her head back until it rested on the other arm of the chair. In one
fluid motion, she flipped her straight,, honey coloured hair out of her
eyes. As a result of the blue-green water outside her window, the light
cast a marbled pattern across her pale skin,
Ginerva sighed internally when she understood that Astoria would not be
leaving soon. She turned away, refusing to even acknowledge her
presence. Instead, she switched her attention back to her nails, although
the hard expression that had settled on her face expressed her discontent
far better than anything she could've said at the moment.
They sat in silence for several painful minutes, neither one willing to
speak first. Astoria tried to catch her friend's eyes, but Ginerva refused to
lift her gaze from painting her nails. Eventually, she sighed and realized
her friend was too stubborn to even look her direction.
She wrung her hands together and cleared her throat, "Look, I don't want
to fight, Ginny."
Her friend bristled slightly at the sound of her voice, but she showed no
other signs of responding.
Astoria felt her mouth go dry, and she immediately began to feel her
previous confidence quickly starting to fade away. "I just–"
"Why are you here?" Ginerva asked, finally turning her full attention to
her friend. Her eyes were hard and uncaring, like cracked pools of amber.
The sight itself caused Astoria to flinch involuntarily.
"I just want to talk to you." She mumbled, swinging her legs back down
to the floor. She ducked her head down and tapped her feet nervously.
"This person who you've become…" Astoria paused, searching for her
words carefully. "I know this isn't who you truly are."
Ginerva crossed her arms, glancing at Astoria with a slight smirk on her
pink lips, "Oh really? And what makes you such an expert?"
"I'm your best friend." Astoria raised her head with sudden determination,
looking her in the eye. "I know you."
She laughed, a low and dangerous chuckle. "No, you were best friends
with Ginny Weasley. You were friends with the raggedy, little blood
traitor."
"But I don't understand." Astoria said confusedly, her big bluish green
eyes widening. "You are Ginny Weasley."
"I was Ginny Weasley. We don't all come from luxurious childhoods with
so many connections to the powerful." Ginerva paused to throw a
meaningful sneer in Astoria's direction. "Some of us have to start our
journey to greatness in less than humble conditions, in less than humble
lives. That, my dear, is Ginny Weasley. The small, doe-eyed child who
grew up innocent, and unaware of the injustice around her."
Astoria rubbed her temples, "Injustice?" She repeated incredulously. "You
grew up in such a loving home. You had parents who actually cared for
you, despite having six other siblings. You know, they could've favored
just their eldest child, but your parents loved all of you equally." She
stopped abruptly and muttered, "You have no idea how lucky you are."
Ginerva sighed, "You wouldn't understand, sweetheart. I don't need love.
Love means nothing to me when there are other much more valuable
things in life. I need power, success, fame even."
"Ginny, please." Astoria pleaded, "I know you're still there. Please, just
listen to me–"
"My name is Ginerva." She snapped, a sudden fire returning to blaze in
her usually icy eyes.
"No, it is not!" Astoria exclaimed, leaping up from her chair and pointing
an accusing finger at her. "You are not Ginerva. You are Ginny Weasley.
You have six brothers and parents who love you very much. You love
chocolate frogs. You worship the Hollyhead Harpies and you have at
least ten posters of them in your room. Your favourite hobby is playing
quidditch and playing pranks on innocent bystanders. Your want to meet
Viktor Krum someday…A–and–and you hate socks!" She panted angrily,
trying to catch her breath after her furious outburst.
Ginerva regarded her friend with an apathetic expression, sitting up
straight in her chair. She cocked a brow disinterestedly, "Are you done?"
"No." Astoria dragged out her breath, "Why are you acting like some
stone cold Slytherin girl. This isn't who you are! As your best friend, I
deserve some answers."
"Listen here, Astoria. I owe you nothing." She hissed, flashing her eyes in a
menacing manner. "If you want answers, be a good little Slytherin and
find them yourself." Ginerva paused and a wicked smile graced her
features. "Oh wait, I forgot. Hanna Abbott from Hufflepuff is more
Slytherin than you are."
"Don't go there–"
Ignoring Astoria completely, Ginerva tapped her chin as she pretended to
think. "Now, the question is: Why would someone as… exuberant as you
want to place yourself in Slytherin?"
"The hat sorted–"
Ginerva rolled her eyes. "We both know that isn't exactly true, now is it?"
She continued on, barely batting an eye at Astoria's objections. "You
never told me, you know. Why did you deliberately place yourself here,
even though you knew you didn't belong?"
"Why would I tell you?" Astoria challenged, her upper lip jutting out
defiantly. "You aren't exactly the most dependable person."
Ginerva pursed her lips, "Touché." She stood up from her black velvet
vanity chair and tied her dressing robe tighter across her slender figure.
Her porcelain hands picked up an emerald green brush and held it
delicately. She leaned back against the vanity and her lips curved into a
saccharine smile. "Perhaps it's because you are afraid."
"Don't talk nonsense, Gin–Ginerva." Astoria mumbled, her voice wavering
slightly.
"That's it, isn't it?" Ginerva continued, her eyes glittering as she
discovered the untold secret. "You're afraid of ruining your family's
Slytherin legacy. You're afraid of being separated from your sister." She
tilted her head to the side and regarded her with a cunning sneer,
latching on to her solid theory. "You've lived in the shadow of your
"Perfect Sister" for so long, you're actually terrified that distancing
yourself from her would make you even more invisible in the eyes of
your parents. You're afraid of being invisible."
"Take that back!" Astoria hissed, her shoulders straightening to a rigid
posture. Her arm twitched against her side, and she was itching to rip out
her friend's perfect little red hair. She took a threatening step forward.
"Oh, dear. I seem to have upset you. I'm so sorry." Ginerva apologized,
although her insincerity was clear. "Do tell me, Astoria. How can you
preach about being true and honest, when you, yourself are terrified of
embracing who you truly are?"
Astoria lowered her voice to almost a whisper. "I told you about my
parents in strict confidence. This isn't something you can use against me.
And if you even try, remember that I know some of your secrets too."
Ginerva hummed distractedly as she slowly ran the brush through her
hair, watching the silky russet strands fall one by one. Without turning
her attention away from her hair, she spoke in a soft drawl. "Yes, and
how many of those secrets do you think are actually true?"
Astoria stumbled over her words, jerking her head to look at Ginerva. "T–
They're all true." She said assuredly, but the uncertainty in her eyes
betrayed the sudden seed of doubt that had been planted.
Her friend shrugged nonchalantly and stepped away from the vanity,
tossing her fiery hair over her shoulder. She crossed her room in a series
of long, quick strides, her carefully shined black shoes clicking against
the marble floor. She stopped in front of Astoria and grinned.
Her sharp eyes scanned Astoria's face for a split second, before travelling
down to glance at the shiny trinket around her neck. She raised an
eyebrow, as if saying May I? Instead of waiting for a response, Ginerva
let her hands trail down the silver chain and clasp the slightly heavy
locket. "New locket, huh? It suits you." She paused and yanked on the
long chain, causing Astoria to jerk forward forcefully and she glared up
at the taller girl's menacing expression. "Now, by the time I come back, I
want you out of this room. Do not even dare to stand outside my door
without my permission, do you understand?" She hissed in a harsh tone.
Astoria winced, and all she could do was nod reluctantly.
"Good girl." Ginerva smiled an unnerving smile and slowly released the
chain. She patted Astoria on the head in a patronizing way and continued
toward her washroom door.
Astoria stiffened. "I know what you're planning." She called out. Ginerva
froze, but didn't turn around. So she pressed further. "I know you're
trying to get rid of Evanna Rosier…for good. I don't know how per say,
but I don't need to know anything to report my suspicions."
When she did not show any signs of reacting, Astoria narrowed her eyes.
"I swear to Merlin, Ginny. If you walk away from me right now, consider
our friendship done."
Ginerva glanced back at her and scrutinized her face. Astoria thought
that she had seen a flicker of the old Ginny back in her face, and her
stomach warmed at the thought. But then Ginerva smirked and it
confirmed her fate. She flipped her hair dismissively over her shoulder
and walked into the washroom, without a second glance.
Only when Ginerva was gone, did Astoria rub her neck where the chain
had left violent red marks on her pale skin. She couldn't even wrap her
mind around what had just happened. With a sinking feeling, Astoria
realized she was alone. Ginny was one of the only people she trusted as a
friend, and now she was gone too.
Maybe Ginerva was right. She didn't deserve to be in Slytherin. Astoria
suddenly wished she had accepted the Hat's initial decision to send her
into Hufflepuff. Her family would have been disappointed, but at least
she wouldn't have to deal with …this.
Every fiber in her body was screaming at her to hate the girl, but she just
couldn't do it. Sighing heavily, Astoria sank down to the cold floor,
cradling her knees against her chest. When had her life gotten so
complicated? Despite every nasty comment she had ever received from
Ginerva, Astoria still believed there was some compassion, some
resemblance of the old Ginny still left inside her. Yes, although this plan
was almost destined to fail miserably, she knew she had to save Ginerva.
It was crazy, and utterly hopeless to even try, but Astoria was willing.
She blamed it on her loyal Hufflepuff nature.
Hogwart's Library [April 23rd]
Draco Malfoy ran a long, thin finger down the spine of one of the many
ancient volumes that were threatening to overflow out of the richly
coloured mahogany doors of the Hogwart's Library. His expression
morphed into one of disdain as he caught sight of the thin layer of dust
now covering his finger. Mumbling incoherently under his breath, Draco
vowed to speak to his father about such filthy conditions in one of the
most prestigious libraries in all of England.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a sudden movement. Draco groaned
inwardly at getting distracted so easily. What kind of a sleuth was he? He
cautiously crept behind the ceiling high bookcases, trying his best to stay
inconspicuous. Making sure to keep a distance of a minimum of three
shelves between them, he followed behind the curly haired witch.
A dark scowl came over his features as she disappeared further into the
shelves that housed the much thicker, and much more challenging books
on complex magic. With a sigh, he realized he would have to put more
effort into his studies if he wished to compete with the know-it-all. Or
else he would have to suffer the wrath of his father. Just the thought of
his father berating him for falling behind a mudblood was so unpleasant,
that it caused Draco to shiver. Shaking his head to clear it of horrid
thoughts, he followed her into the dimly lit part of the library where few
entered. He doubted that students under fifth year even knew this part of
the library existed.
Draco witnessed her stop and rifle through a couple pages in the book
she was carrying, and so he was forced to duck behind a bookshelf in
order to avoid being caught. He winced at the image of Granger and her
shrill little voice screaming at him like some kind of deranged banshee,
simply for breathing in her presence. He'd like to keep his ears in tact,
thanks.
The bookshelf he was leaning against had a book that was haphazardly
shoved into its space, and it was stabbing his back. He reached an arm
behind and pulled out the book, turning it over in his hands to read the
cover: The Study of the Origins of Rare Magical Creatures. Draco rolled his
eyes, how droll. He craned his neck around the shelf, and noticed that
Granger had moved up a couple shelves. Quickly tucking the book under
his arm, he continued in his pursuit of the bushy haired mudblood.
His keen silver eyes noticed her freeze suddenly, and she pulled a small
object out of her robes. Draco quickly opened the book in front of his
face, pretending to be intensely focused reading the less than interesting
text. When he was sure she had moved on, he lowered the book down
and let out the breath he wasn't aware he had been holding. But to his
surprise, she seemed to have completely vanished into thin air.
Unable to contain his curiosity, he softly walked through the aisles,
because Malfoys simply did not tiptoe through libraries like disgraceful
buffoons. He moved so carefully, intent on finding any signs of her
voluminous hair. It was very hard to miss. In fact, he was so focused that
he missed the shiny black shoe sticking out from the next aisle.
Draco Malfoy tripped over the shoe, as expected. Instantly, he heard a
voice mumble a spell and he felt ropes tie his hands and feet together,
and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He moved his head to the
side to catch a sign of his attacker, although it was quite problematic to
maneuver himself into such a position without his face grazing the floor.
He growled under his breath when he caught sight of the unmistakable
fiery brown eyes and afro-like mass of hair.
"You know, when most people read, they tend to hold the book in their
hands with the correct orientation. It's quite hard to read upside down,
you see." She muttered sarcastically, pacing around his tied up form.
"Ha ha, Granger." Draco laughed humorlessly. "Now untie me." He
commanded.
"No!" She snapped, crossing her arms across her chest. "What is your
purpose for following me around like some barbarian? " She asked
sharply, narrowing her eyes dangerously.
He plastered a faux expression of hurt onto his sharp features. "Why?
Aren't you glad to see me?"
"I would be glad to see Hadrian, Blaise, or Daphne." She huffed, "You?
Not so much."
He scoffed, "You should be lucky it's me you happened to tie up on the
floor, not Blaise. By this time he would've made some crude comment
about seeing up your skirt from this angle."
Hermione gasped and flushed a bright shade of pink before realizing that
she was wearing pants. She gritted her teeth together and stalked away
from the chuckling boy on the floor, which caused him to protest.
"Aren't you going to untie me?"
"No." She muttered from a couple feet away. She reached for one of the
books on a high shelf, and jumped up slightly to reach it. Her eyebrows
wrinkled in frustration as she jumped up several times, but failed to grab
the book.
Draco let out snicker from watching her continued struggles. She barely
cast him a glance and spoke with irritation dripping from her words,
"Well don't just sit there. Help me get the book like a proper gentleman."
The library was silent as Hermione mulled over her words and burst out
laughing. She pushed back her monstrous hair and shot Draco a smug
look. "Oh wait, I forgot! You can't move!" She laughed loudly, completely
ignoring the deadly looks she was receiving.
"You're a witch, aren't you?" Draco raised an eyebrow mockingly,
choosing to disregard her girlish giggles at his expense.
Hermione huffed and stopped laughing immediately. She shook her head
and levitated the book down, a wide grin still plastered on her face. She
flipped through the pages quickly, her eyes darting across the pages at an
almost inhuman rate. There was a small creaking noise behind them, and
Hermione dropped the book in her shock. She reached into her bag, and
pulled out a small mirror.
"What are you doing? I think you have more pressing matters to attend
to, rather than checking your reflection. I can give you one. How about
untying me?" Draco sneered, his frown deepening as he stared down at
the floor with an immense amount of frustration.
"Shut up, Malfoy." Hermione groaned, rubbing her temples in annoyance.
"You're giving me a headache."
"Well if you would just untie me–"
"You're a wizard, aren't you?" Hermione parroted his earlier words, and
she even managed to capture the dry, mocking tone that he had used.
"Do I look like I can reach my wand?" Draco hissed rhetorically.
"Where did you stash it?"
He smirked.
Hermione made a disgusted face and turned away muttering something
about dunderheads and repulsive imbeciles.
Draco sighed, "I'm kidding. It's in the inside pocket of my robes, but I
obviously can't move my hands."
Hermione shrugged indifferently, "Well, that's just too bad then." She
continued on before he started his protests again. "You never told me
why you are stalking me. Don't you hate people like me?"
Draco let out a loud, defeated sigh. In the process of getting tied up like
some prisoner and arguing with the mudblood, he had completely
forgotten why he had sought her out in the first place.
"Yes…the reason I came…" He trailed off, the tips of his ears quickly
turning a strange shade of pink and his face visibly scrunching up, as
though he was in pain. "I needed to speak to you."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "That much is obvious."
Draco mumbled something softly under his breath and Hermione turned
to look at him oddly. He mumbled again, this time louder, but twice as
fast. She shook her head and put her hands on her hips, plastering a stern
expression on her face. "What are you even saying? Don't they teach you
how to speak down in the dungeons?"
"I said, I'm sorry." Draco muttered, just loud enough for her to hear.
Hermione stumbled, dropping the mirror in her hands. She quickly
moved her hair to cover the side of her face, covering her shocked
expression while she knelt down to pick it up. Her mind was whirling,
and all her coherent thoughts flew out the window. It was rather sad to
see how much two simple words could befuddle her clever mind. Her
voice was rather throaty when she forced out, "Sorry–what for?"
"I am sorry for my cruel words at my family's pureblood only ball. It was
wrong of me to be rude to you…. even though you crashed the ball, so
technically it was justified." He said the last part almost inaudibly,
although Hermione seemed to have heard it judging by the small frown
that appeared on her face. Before she could respond, he pressed on
speaking almost as if he was reading off a script. "I'm sorry for treating
you like dirt, and I should not have treated you that way. I am a terrible
person, and I'm very sorry I made you cry. You looked nice at the ball
and I'm awfully sorry for insulting your appearance." He gritted his teeth
together and forced out a final sentence. "Please… forgive me."
"Alright." Hermione said contentedly, rising up from her crouched
position on the floor. She raised an eyebrow knowingly, and the corner of
her lip twisted up slightly. She looked almost amused. "So who forced
you to apologize? Hadrian or Daphne?"
Draco shrugged, the best he could under the circumstances. "Both.
Hadrian threatened me and Daphne wrote the apology on a piece of
parchment for me to memorize." He said monotonously.
"Did Hadrian threaten to take away your broom?"
"Sabotage my transfiguration essays for rest of the year."
Hermione nodded understandingly, "Ah, I see. McGonagall's wrath is far
worse than missing a broom." She sighed in relief. "Now that makes a lot
more sense. I thought I was going insane and hearing things!"
"Just to clarify, I still hate you and will probably hex all that bushy hair
off when you eventually untie me." Draco quickly said. "This changes
nothing, so don't let it get to your head."
Hermione made a face, "Well, then I guess I just won't untie you. What a
shame, after your apology, I was actually thinking about it."
"You can't leave me here forever."
"You'd be surprised what I can do."
"You know I don't like you." Draco murmured, staring at the ground.
"And you know I don't care." Hermione replied, scanning the shelves once
more. She reached in front of her to grab a book. From behind her,
Hermione heard a loud sound of something wet slapping against the
ground. She gasped and turned quickly to the boy on the floor, clutching
the mirror tightly in her hand. "Malfoy, whatever you do, do not look up.
Don't move." She said seriously.
There was a slight choking noise that came from the girl, and Draco
scoffed at her dramatics. He was studying a speck of dirt on the
floorboard, when suddenly a loud thud startled him. He fumed silently. If
the mudblood had tripped over her stupid feet, he refused to show any
signs of concern. After all, she had tied him up.
After a couple seconds of not hearing any angry words from the
despicable girl, Draco grew curious. What had made her finally shut up?
A strange sound of something sloshing around, and he was about to turn
his head when he remembered Granger's warning. Don't look up. Don't
move.
He was still for a moment, contemplating his next move. Stupid
Mudblood, making him think twice about moving. He listened to no
one…except maybe his father… and from time to time, Hadrian.
Eventually the sounds began to fade away, and Draco growled under his
breath. "Quit playing tricks and release me, mudblood."
When there was no response, he kept his head down and hesitantly called
out, "Hermione?" The name sounded strange on his tongue, and he
cringed. He sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes, turning to the
side. Cautiously, he opened one eye. After seeing no imminent threat, he
opened the other.
Hermione Granger lay still as a statue with mouth wide open, the
warning still frozen on her lips. Draco's eyes widened and he struggled
against his holds desperately. For the first time in his life, Draco Malfoy
was concerned for the well being of one Hermione Granger.
"I'm sorry." He whispered. And this time, he truly meant it.
Slytherin Dormitory [April 24th]
"All students are to return to their house dormitories at once. Teachers, please
report to the second floor corridor." McGonagall's voice boomed, reaching all
corners of the castle.
Hadrian Riddle glanced up from his food, catching the frightened looks
plastered on nearly every student. The next few minutes were absolute
chaos. Frantically, everyone rushed toward the exit and gathered there,
anxious to get out of the suddenly gloomy hall. Everyone ran through the
doors at an astonishingly fast pace, hurrying to the safety of their
respective common rooms. The entire hall was cleared in just a couple
minutes.
Hadrian and his friends took their time, carefully packing up their books
and possessions before leaving the hall behind the others. As they were
exiting the hall, he caught sight of a flash of red hair and he stopped
abruptly.
"I'll be back." He spoke in a low voice, nudging his head in a vague
direction. Draco nodded and offered to accompany him, but Hadrian
refused. He insisted that this would be done alone. After exchanging
goodbyes with his friends, Hadrian stalked off in the other direction.
He walked directly behind the redhead, ducking behind suits of armor
and tapestries as she walked towards the steps. She looked to be
engrossed in a deep conversation with another girl. Hadrian rolled his
eyes and walked forward, boldly grabbing her wrist and forcing her to
come to a stop.
"Hey, what the–" She faltered when she caught sight of his face, and her
eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Hello, Hadrian."
Her friend was staring at Hadrian with an expression of awe and
adoration, and she wasted no time in introducing herself. "Hello, my
name is Stacy. I'm in Ravenclaw and it's a pleasure to meet you."
Hadrian nodded in acknowledgment and allowed a small smile to grace
his features. "I hope you don't mind, but I need to borrow Ginerva for a
while."
Before she had any time to protest, Hadrian dragged her away, forcing
her to walk with him through the darkened corridors. They didn't speak
for some time, but Ginerva didn't dare to walk away from him.
Hadrian had forgone the school issued robes that evening, instead opting
to wear an expensive shiny black cloak over his immaculate clothing. His
dark hair was slicked back and although his face was void of expression,
his eyes were alight with green fury.
Soon the halls became deserted and the torches cast flickering shadows
on the walls.
"Ginerva." He spoke in a chilling tone, and it contained not a drop of
emotion. "Explain yourself."
She refused to look at him, and instead she created a curtain of red hair
to block his stony expression from her eyes. She shivered involuntarily,
and looked down at her feet. "I don't know what you mean."
"Ignorance does not suit you Ginerva." He drawled coldly, "You know
exactly what I mean."
"I have my suspicions, but feel free to enlighten me."
Hadrian bristled, but answered her anyways. "At exactly three forty-five
yesterday afternoon, a girl by the name Hermione Granger was petrified.
I'm sure you've heard of her."
Ginerva waved her hand dismissively, "Yes, we met briefly."
"Surely you must be aware of the friendship I shared with her."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course."
"Then you understand why I need a suitable answer as to why I should
not punish you for her absence. " Hadrian said crisply, walking though
the halls in a series of long strides.
That was when Ginerva Weasley did the unthinkable. A ghost of a smile
appeared on her face. "If this is what it takes for you to respond to my
many messages, then so be it."
Hadrian shook his head in disbelief. "Are you saying you did this, just to
get my attention? How pathetic." He spat.
Ginerva looked appalled at the mere suggestion, "Of course not. This may
come as a surprise to you, but I had nothing to do with the petrification
of Hermione Granger."
"Do you honestly expect me to believe you of all people?" Hadrian
scoffed.
She folded her arms defiantly. "If you had just read one of the owls I sent
you, you would've known that this situation was out of my control as of a
month ago." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "Hadrian, I lost the Diary. I
don't have access to the chamber anymore. Someone else did this."
Hadrian stiffened, and before Ginerva could say anything more, he
grabbed her arm and slammed her back against the wall. She was about
to voice her complaints with a loud scream, but Hadrian covered her
mouth. He was slightly taller than her, and he leaned down to whisper in
her ear. "Stay quiet, I hear voices."
True to his word, the sound of voices grew stronger as footsteps
approached the corridor where the halls intersected. Hadrian's eyes
widened as he identified McGonagall's voice speaking fearfully. "As you
can see, a student has been taken by the monster into the chamber itself."
She paused and her voice sounded pained. "This has become too
dangerous. I'm afraid this is the end for Hogwarts."
When he heard Gilderoy Lockhart butt into the conversation, Hadrian
turned back to glare down at Ginerva. "Answer me Ginerva, how did you
lose the Diary?"
"I didn't lose it! It was stolen out of my room!" She sneered.
"This is important. Who took the Diary?" He murmured, crushing her arm
painfully against the stone wall.
She gasped in pain and forcefully shook her head, struggling to get the
proper words out. "I–I don't know. It had to be someone that knew of its
existence, though."
"Think, Ginerva. Who has the Diary?" Hadrian growled under his breath.
"Who is it that the monster has taken, Minerva?" Another voice questioned
from the hall.
"Ginerva…" Hadrian warned, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "Think. Try
to remember anyone that could've stolen it."
"There's only one other person that has even seen it." Ginerva licked her
lips in panic and her eyes darted around the corridor uneasily. "So the
only other person that could've taken the diary is–"
McGonagall let out a shaky breath and spoke in a hushed tone, "Astoria
Greengrass."
**Remember: The Diary possesses has a greater effect on weaker, more
vulnerable people. Astoria currently feels alone, and her control is much
weaker than Ginny's. She is very easy to manipulate at this moment.
Hence, a stronger effect.
31. Year 2 Finale
A/N: I know, I know, I haven't updated in months. I'm sorry, but this is
my hardest year, and I just have 0 freetime. I can't even remember the
last time I turned on the T.V, its that bad XD. Anyways, here is the long
awaited Chamber of Secrets Chapter! I still plan on rewriting, but it'll
just be the earlier chapters, like pre-Hogwarts. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
"Astoria?" Daphne called out, her voice hoarse from yelling for her younger
sibling. She darted through the crowd that was gathered in the common room.
"Has anyone seen my sister?"
Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom [April 24th]
Ginevra Weasley stared at her reflection in the dust-covered mirror. She
bit her lip, fluffing her hair and smoothing down her skirt. She pulled out
a hairbrush from the folds of her robes, and started to brush her fiery
mane.
"Which one is it?" Hadrian Riddle muttered over and over again,
straightening himself up from his bent position underneath the sink. He
glared at the girl. "Your best friend is probably dead by now, and you're
fixing your hair?"
"What does my hair have to do with Astoria?" She retorted. Nevertheless,
she put the brush back into her robes and pointed to a sink near the
middle. "That's the one you're looking for."
Hadrian looked at her skeptically. He scanned the sink slowly, from top
to bottom. When his eyes caught sight of the small snake carved into the
side of the rusted faucet, he frowned.
"You knew which one it was this entire time and you didn't tell me?" He
seethed quietly.
Ginevra shrugged unconcernedly. "Did you ask?" She countered. "It
doesn't matter anyways. I can't open the chamber without the diary. And
unless you speak Parseltongue-"
Hadrian grinned wickedly and hissed, Open.
Her jaw slackened as there was a low rumble, and the sinks began to
separate. "You–You speak Parseltongue?"
He rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Ginevra. Tom Riddle." He pointed to
himself, "Hadrian Riddle."
She folded her arms defensively. "How was I supposed to know it was
genetic?" Suddenly a thought occurred to her and she looked suspiciously
at him. "Tom Riddle went to Hogwarts in the 1940s. It's 1993. You're his
son. But you're an orphan–" She paused, and her eyes glinted with an
undeniable sense of hope, "Unless–Is he still alive?"
Hadrian smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He stared curiously as the
final sink lowered to reveal a dark hole in the middle of the bathroom
floor. With a mocking bow, he gestured to the chute. "Ladies first."
Ginevra scowled. Refusing to respond, she instead turned to place a
cushioning charm, but Hadrian grabbed her wrist.
Slowly, he shook his head. "Unless you want your magic to be traced
back to you, no magic until we enter the chamber itself."
She paled at the notion of being caught, and tucked her wand back into
her robes. Taking a deep breath, she lowered herself into the Chamber.
Hadrian waited the customary amount of time, before he jumped down
the opening after her. With a breathless 'oof', he tumbled down the chute
into a heap on the floor. His head narrowly missed the rocks scattered
throughout the cave. There was a thud behind him, probably due to the
rocks falling frequently around them. By the time he had righted himself
into a standing position, the sink that had given them access to the
chamber concealed the entrance once more.
It was completely dark.
"What do we do now?" Ginevra whimpered, fearfully glancing over her
shoulder.
"We go save her!" He barked, "What choice do we have?"
She put her hands on her hips, "I know that! I meant, what's the plan?"
"We go in there and I'll grab her. Then I'll kill you and tell everyone else
that you tragically died fighting for your best friend. You'll die a hero.
Good plan?" He smirked. He could hear her sputter indignantly and he
broke out into a wide grin, although she couldn't see it.
"That's not funny." She snapped.
"I thought it was." He muttered to himself.
She let out a frustrated groan as she slipped on something slimy and
came crashing down. She took in a deep breath and allowed herself to
count to ten so she wouldn't break into a string of aggravated curses. She
stood back up and dusted the dirt off her robes, scowling at the back of
his head.
"Why are you acting like this is all my fault?" She huffed, folding her
arms.
"Because it is all your fault!" He spat, glaring around at his surroundings
as stumbled through the darkness. There was a disgusting smell in the
air, like rotten flesh. He cursed loudly as his foot collided with a large
stone boulder.
"My fault? I'm in this mess because of you!" She defended, angrily
pushing her long hair away from her face as she cautiously walked
around the big rocks.
"Well, if you had died just like I had planned, this wouldn't be
happening!"
"I'm sorry?" She said, although it came out sounding as more of a
question. "I should've just died like a good little girl." She said
sarcastically. "Darn." She snapped her fingers in mock disappointment.
"This is not the time for your…humor. Is that what you call it?" He
sneered.
"Some people find it endearing."
"Well, I do not." He announced. There was a small thump followed by a
loud, "Ouch!"
"Serves you right." She said haughtily, using her hands to feel her way
around. Her hands ran over something cool like metal. Suddenly she
paused and gasped sharply. "I think we found it."
Hadrian was at her side in a split second. His hands felt the metal door,
covered with filth and grime. Disgustedly, he swiped at his cloak.
Ginevra tapped her foot impatiently, "Well?" She questioned. "Open it. Do
your hissy snake thing."
He scowled. "It's called Parseltongue, the ancient and esteemed language
of snakes."
"I'm going to call it bullshit until it opens this door." She muttered under
her breath.
Ignoring the clearly aggravated redhead at his side, Hadrian hissed, Open.
A tense minute of silence passed between them. Hadrian's fingers tapped
impatiently at his side as he finally began to hear some clanking noises
coming from the door. There was a scratching sound of metal against
metal, and he could only wait until the door ahead of him swung open
and revealed the true Chamber of Secrets.
Hadrian stepped cautiously into the damp elongated room, pausing to
offer a hand to Ginevra and assist her into entering the chamber. He
raised an eyebrow haughtily and quickly surveyed his surroundings. In
all honesty, he had expected Slytherin's chamber to have a bit more
grandeur. While the enormous statue at the far end of the dimly lit,
greenish chamber was the epitome of narcissism at its finest, the rest of
the chamber was relatively bare, save for the finely carved snakes that
entwined the stone pillars lining the long hall.
The ceiling of the Chamber was so unfathomably high, he felt as though
he was staring up at an endless abyss. When his eyes finally focused in
the strange light, Hadrian was able to identify the small figure of a young
girl sprawled across the damp stone floor.
Hadrian quickened his pace, and distinctly heard the sounds of Ginerva's
footsteps hastening to follow behind him. She was muttering something
incoherently under her breath, though Hadrian was far more focused on
the scene ahead.
As soon as Hadrian approached the young girl, he cursed under his
breath and immediately dropped to his knees. His fingers reached out to
her wrist, and he nearly sighed in relief as he felt a weak, but still
present, pulse. He slowly pushed her messy honey colored locks off her
face, and winced internally as he felt the coldness of her skin. She may
have appeared to be utterly lifeless, but this was definitely Astoria
Greengrass. Her eyes were closed and her skin was deathly pale, but
Hadrian could see her chest was rising and falling with faint breaths.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Ginevra crouch down beside him.
"She's alive." She stated simply, though there was a touch of disbelief to
her tone. Her pale hand hesitantly reached out to touch her friend. She
stilled for a fraction of a second when she felt the iciness of Astoria's skin.
Ginevra shivered and delicately cradled her friend's hands in her own.
"Oh, Astoria." She whispered, "What have I done?"
Hadrian finally flinched. His eyes flashed, and he turned to Ginevra with
an expression of unadulterated anger, "What have you done? You nearly
killed your best friend, that's all!" He forced Ginevra's arms away from
Astoria, his fingers pressing hard into her skin. "She could've died. And
that's all you have to say?"
"Hadrian, you're hurting me." Ginevra winced at the way Hadrian was
nearly crushing her arm. She cowered visibly at the sight of true anger on
his features.
Hadrian glared at her, and slowly dropped her arm. "Be aware that I'm
not killing you simply because that would be wasting more time. But if
you ever do anything to anger me again, I will destroy you."
"Are you threatening me?" Ginevra gasped out, softly touching at the sure
bruises that would appear tomorrow.
Hadrian shot her a cruel smile. "Oh, Ginevra. You know I am."
There was a low clapping noise from off to the side, and Hadrian
immediately jerked his head up towards the direction of the sound. His
entire body stiffened, and his hands reached for his wand.
From the shadows behind a pillar, a tall figure stepped into the main part
of the chamber. He wore a friendly expression on his chiseled features,
but something about the way the stranger's green eyes glinted coldly
evoked a spark of familiarity in Hadrian's mind.
Hadrian's eyes narrowed as the man came closer to them, and his fingers
tightened around his wand. "Who is that?" He hissed. The stranger was
quite familiar, but Hadrian couldn't quite place him.
Ginevra paled at the sight. Her eyes softened slightly, but she frowned,
seeming to be fighting some internal battle. When the stranger was in
front of them, she sighed heavily and muttered, "This is–"
"Tom Riddle." The young man introduced himself regally. His lips curved
into something akin to a triumphant smile when he noticed the look of
astonishment on Hadrian's face. "So you've heard of me then?"
He turned his attention to Ginevra, who was staring very intently down
at the floor "Hello Ginevra. I haven't spoken to you in a while. Who's this
one?"
Hadrian raised his head up and stared back at the man with an equal
amount of intensity. "Hadrian."
"Hadrian…?" Tom Riddle trailed off expectantly, clasping his hands
behind his back.
"Riddle." Hadrian stepped forward, discreetly pulling out his wand. "My
name is Hadrian Riddle."
Though it was subtle and only lasted for a second, Hadrian quickly
caught the surprised look that passed over Tom Riddle's face. Riddle
seemed to be calculating the situation, and eventually he scrutinized
Hadrian from head to toe.
"How…Interesting." Riddle said slowly, deliberately. "Are you my heir?"
When Hadrian nodded, Tom Riddle's features flickered with a strange
tumultuous emotion. His eyes narrowed, and after a deep bout of silence
he murmured silkily, "It seems as though my future self has decided to
take a slightly… different path in life."
"Future self? Are you directly from the past?" Hadrian mused aloud,
crossing his arms across his chest.
Tom Riddle shook his head. "Not directly from the past, no. At the
moment, I'm simply a memory preserved from the past." He reached into
his robes and procured a black, leather-bound diary from its folds. "I've
been preserved for over fifty years in this diary, with only my own
memories to relive and not a soul to speak to. " He paused and smiled
charmingly at the redhead beside Hadrian. "That is, until Ginevra
stumbled upon my diary." His eyes flashed, before settling back to their
stormy nature. "How peculiar, Ginevra. You spoke frequently of a
Hadrian, yet you never mentioned his surname."
"You wrote about me in the diary?" Hadrian asked, raising an eyebrow in
amusement.
Ginevra's cheeks colored a brilliant shade of red. "Don't be too flattered. I
wrote about your idiotic fall from the quidditch pitch." She denied
quickly.
Harry looked to the younger version of his father. "Is that true?"
Tom regarded him with a smirk on his face. "Ginevra was correct, you do
have the nicest emerald green eyes."
Hadrian felt his lips twitch upwards, but before he could say anything,
Ginevra turned to him and hissed, "Shove it. We need to focus on the fact
that Astoria is nearly dead."
That effectively shut him up. His gaze dropped to the younger Greengrass
sister lying lifelessly on the floor, and his features immediately hardened.
"What did you do to her?" Hadrian glared coldly at Tom Riddle.
Riddle shrugged. "I certainly cannot remain a memory. I have plans. Miss.
Greengrass is simply helping me."
Hadrian gritted his teeth, "Helping you how?"
Tom Riddle smirked, "By trading her life, of course." He held up the diary
in his hands, "As the little Greengrass grows weaker, I grow stronger.
When her life is completely absorbed by these pages, I'll finally be truly
alive, and not simply a memory."
Hadrian stared at the other man. He shook his head in disbelief as he
pulled out his wand. "I always forget how fucking crazy my father is.
Where the hell do you even get these ideas?" He sighed heavily, "I'm
sorry father, but I can't let you do this."
Tom Riddle had a wand leveled at Hadrian in a split second, and his
mouth curved into a humorless smile, "And what makes you think you
have a choice?"
Hadrian stared at the wand, Astoria's wand, with an unimpressed
expression. "You can't kill me." He said very matter-of-factly. "I'm
essential to your future plans."
The elder Riddle growled, jabbing the wand in Hadrian's direction. "I
don't believe you."
Hadrian shrugged. "You don't have to. You can kill me. But that would
just be ruining your own plans." He grinned cheekily, "You wouldn't want
to sabotage yourself, would you?"
Riddle sucked in a deep breath, but instead of lowering his wand, he
instead turned it onto Ginevra and threatened, "I may need you, but I
highly doubt I need your companion here."
Hadrian waved his hand disinterestedly. "Oh, you can dispose of her. I
don't particularly care what happens to her. She's actually been quite
annoying lately."
Ginevra sputtered incoherently, turning redder with anger by the second.
Tom Riddle pinched the bridge of his nose to quell the rage that was
storming beneath his calm façade. He took in a deep breath, and gave
Hadrian a chilling smile. "If I can't kill you, I suppose I'll just have to
distract you."
He hissed a series of things in Parseltongue, and Hadrian stiffened. There
was a second of silence, and then the chamber was filled with the sound
of ancient rumbling as Slytherin's statue began to open its mouth.
Ginevra glanced frenetically between Tom Riddle, Hadrian, and the
statue. Her pale skin became even paler, and her fingers gripped
Hadrian's arm, digging her nails into his skin. "What's going on?" She
panicked, "What did he say?"
Hadrian clenched his teeth together, and a dark look came into his deep
green eyes. "He's summoned the basilisk."
Ginevra whimpered.
Hadrian shook her hands off, and raised his wand. "Unless you want to
die instantly don't you dare look at that basilisk, Ginevra." He hissed.
She could only nod, for she was frozen in fear.
Suddenly, a thought struck Hadrian and he glanced at his father. "The
basilisk obeys you because you're Slytherin's heir. And since I'm your heir,
the basilisk will obey my commands as well."
Tom Riddle seemed to be expecting this, because he shook his head and
laughed delightedly. "The basilisk will only respond to her Master. You
may be an Heir of Slytherin, but she will only respond to me, her
Master." He paused, "However, You do not need to worry. I have
instructed her not to kill you, only to keep you…entertained."
There was a sickening sound of something monstrous sliding across the
stone floor, but Hadrian was terrified to raise his eyes. He was sure the
monster could not kill him, but there was still the off chance that it could
actually kill him.
Sucking in a shaky breath, Hadrian carefully lifted his eyes. His shoulders
sagged in relief as he glanced quickly at the basilisk and still happened to
be among the living. Though he was nearly paralyzed with fear, Hadrian
still shakily pointed his wand at the basilisk, unsure whether his present
time father would Avada him for harming the creature. He decided to
take a chance.
As the basilisk slithered closer and closer to them, Hadrian could easily
make out the scaly spine and horrific features of the monster. It was
almost twenty feet in length, with the largest, and deadliest looking
yellow eyes Hadrian had ever seen. The creature snapped its jaws, and he
could easily make out the rows of razor sharp teeth dripping with deadly
venom.
Hadrian swallowed the lump in his throat fearfully. He forced himself to
think of all the things he knew about the King of Serpents, the deadly
basilisk. He knew they were poisonous, deadly, and could quite literally
smell fear. He knew their venom could kill within minutes, if the initial
bite didn't make the victim bleed out fast enough. He knew their armored
skin made it resistant to most spells.
As he tracked the weaving pattern in which the basilisk was moving
quickly towards them, Hadrian noticed the creature wasn't targeting him,
but the girl at his side. His eyes flashed, and Hadrian quickly pushed
Ginevra to the side in the instant before the basilisk snapped its jaws at
the spot where she had been standing.
"Run Ginevra! Get out of here! Don't look up!" Hadrian shouted.
Ginevra stood shakily on her feet, by now realizing that she was also a
target of the basilisk. Her eyes frantically tracked the shadows the
monster created on the floor, and she began to run. She didn't get far, as
the massive tail of the basilisk slammed into her, throwing her like a
lifeless doll to the other side of the chamber. Her back slammed against
the wall, and Ginevra groaned in pain, though she didn't dare look up.
She was certain she would not have the same immunity as Hadrian.
Meanwhile, Hadrian unwillingly shifted his attention from Ginevra to
notice that Tom Riddle was crouched near Astoria and watching her life
drain away with a sick smile on his face.
Hadrian wasn't sure how to stop the diary from sucking out Astoria's
life…but he knew he could delay it.
"Expulso!" He shouted, whipping his wand so that Tom Riddle was
blasted to the opposite end of the chamber. Quickly, Hadrian ran to
where Riddle had crumpled unceremoniously in a heap at the bottom of
a stone pillar. He pointed his wand and hissed, "Sectumsempra!"
Riddle's skin instantly became slashed with deep cuts, but to Hadrian's
horror, a misty substance began to flow steadily out of the wounds
instead of blood. Riddle smirked through his obvious pain long enough to
murmur, "You can't kill a memory, Hadrian Riddle."
Before Hadrian had any time to react, Riddle muttered an incoherent
spell and Hadrian bit his lip to hold in the scream that threatened to
crawl out his throat. His entire body felt like it was being squeezed to an
unbearable extent, and his air supply was quickly diminishing. Hadrian
wheezed out a counter charm, and to his relief it began to ease away the
pressure that was nearly crushing him.
There was a scream to his right, and Hadrian immediately turned his
head to the opposite side of the room where Ginevra was cowering from
the Basilisk. The monster had seemed to trap her into a corner of the
room, and it curled itself around Ginevra's form. Her eyes were glued on
her shoes, but Hadrian had no doubt she knew exactly what was
happening.
When he turned to look back at Tom, he was shocked to discover that
Tom wasn't there. His gaze shifted to the center of the room, where Tom
stood over Astoria's body, seemingly recovered from his injuries. Hadrian
helplessly looked between Astoria's lifeless form, and Ginevra who was
very much alive at the moment, but wouldn't stay alive for long.
Hadrian gritted his teeth together and shot a spell at the basilisk, causing
a spark to hit but deflect off the monster's skin. The creature let out a
screech, and turned in the direction of the offensive attack.
"Get away from Ginny, you monster!" A voice screamed from somewhere
behind the basilisk.
Hadrian stilled, frantically glancing around the Chamber but unable to
see anyone but himself, Tom Riddle, Astoria, and Ginevra. His gaze fell
on a small black diary that was thrown to the side of the stone pillar.
Deducing it must've fallen out of Riddle's robes when he flew against the
wall, Hadrian discreetly picked it up and hid it underneath his cloak. He
quickly made his way over to Astoria, and his eyes darted up to see if
anyone had seen. He was relieved to find out that everyone's attention
was still on the strange voice that had spoken.
As if on cue, a hand appeared out of midair, and pulled off a heavy
shimmering fabric-a cloak, perhaps- slowly revealing a familiar figure
underneath. The boy cast his eyes downwards, carefully shielding himself
from the basilisk as he pulled out his wand and began to cast juvenile
jinxes at the basilisk. The jinxes did not seem to injure the basilisk, but
they did seem to make the creature angrier.
Hadrian narrowed his eyes and tried to conceal his shock as best he
could. He wasn't sure how that idiot had gotten into the Chamber of
Secrets, nor did he understand how wasn't able to realize that he'd been
followed.
"Who's this?" Riddle hissed angrily, glancing down at Hadrian for an
explanation.
Hadrian was stilling staring at at the slightly pudgy boy in disbelief.
"Potter?"
Tom Riddle glanced at Alexander Potter, not bothering to contain his
disdain. "Please tell me I don't father that thing as well."
Hadrian shook his head, "You're insane, but not that insane."
Despite his hatred of Alexander Potter, Hadrian couldn't help but feel
slightly relieved that there was someone else to distract the basilisk since
Ginevra was of absolutely no help. And if Potter managed to get himself
petrified, or even killed in the process, it wouldn't be that great a loss.
At the moment, Alexander Potter was running around the Chamber of
Secrets, with his eyes trained on the floor beneath him, as he blindly
fired small curses at the deadly creature behind him. The sight was so
comical that Hadrian almost began laughing due to hysteria.
Tom Riddle hissed a command angrily in Parseltongue: Kill them all.
Hadrian suddenly froze in place, watching, as the basilisk seemed to
listen to the command. He turned to Riddle and growled, "You can't do
this. You'd be ruining your own plans."
Riddle smirked, doing nothing to hide the cold fury that brew in his eyes.
"I'm sure I'll find a way to handle any problems that arise with your
death. But you've annoyed me far too much for me to simply let your
misdemeanors pass. Enjoy hell, son."
Hadrian rolled his eyes, "Merlin, you're as dramatic fifty years ago as you
are in present time."
Hadrian aimed his wand towards the basilisk and cast a dark hex, causing
the basilisk to feel as though it were burning internally. The creature let
out a horrific screech and whipped its deadly gaze to Hadrian, beginning
to move quickly and steadily in his direction.
"I did try to give you a chance." Hadrian turned to the younger version of
Lord Voldemort. "I honestly did try to keep you alive."
Riddle looked at Hadrian with an indifferent mask, but after years of
living with Lord Voldemort, Hadrian was able to discover the small facial
ticks that allowed him to uncover the true confusion that hid under
Riddle's mask of apathy.
"Father is going to literally murder me for this." Hadrian muttered sourly
under his breath, reaching underneath his heavy cloak.
"I don't understand?" Tom Riddle raised an eyebrow curiously, eyeing the
quickly approaching basilisk with a sudden sense of unease.
Hadrian shot an almost illegally dark curse at the monster. The basilisk
hissed, opening its jaws wide and swaying from side to side in obvious
pain. The venom dripped dangerously from its rows of sharp teeth,
leaving sticky puddles of venom and blood to fizzle and steam on the
stone floor.
"I've got two words for you, father, " Hadrian said as he grabbed the diary
he had hidden earlier, and pointed his wand at it. "Wingardium leviosa."
The diary began to levitate in the air, and Hadrian moved it towards the
basilisk. In one swift moment, before Riddle had any time to even blink,
Hadrian had dropped the diary into the basilisk's mouth. With a quick
spell, he sealed the jaws shut, and he swore he could hear the exact
moment the basilisk pierced the center of the diary with its teeth.
The effect was instantaneous.
Tom Riddle began to scream, feeling as though the basilisk venom was
seeping through his own body, and his core began to glow a strange
shade of gold. Hadrian could only watch in awe as the man began to
claw at his skin, gasping and nearly biting his own tongue off in trying to
contain his screams.
Meanwhile, the diary inside the basilisk was exhibiting a dark smoky
essence, and the black began to pour out of the basilisk from every
crevice. Hadrian's skin turned ice cold and his ears began to thrum with
the sounds of the torturous screams that seemed to be emitting from the
black essence itself. The basilisk was drowning in the black smoke, and if
its distressing cries were any indication of the amount of agony it was
feeling, Hadrian reckoned the thing would be dead in the next few
seconds.
He was right.
The basilisk fell to the ground with an enormous thud only a small
moment after, covered in thick black soot and burnt to a crisp. Hadrian's
eyes watered at the smell, for 'burnt basilisk' wasn't exactly a pleasant
scent sold at the candle shop in Diagon Alley.
Tom Riddle, on the other hand, seemed to be exempt from the brutal
death suffered by the basilisk. His entire body began to disintegrate,
piece by piece, and the memory of Tom Riddle did not go quietly. He
screamed and hissed in pain and cursed everything within his sight.
Eventually, the Chamber of Secrets was silent, and the only sound
Hadrian could hear was from his own heavy breaths. He was covered in
sweat and thousand year old dirt and rubble and mud and all he could do
was sink down to the floor and wait for Astoria to wake up. He wasn't
exactly sure how the whole "soul sucking" worked, but he was positive
that once Riddle was gone, Astoria would come back to life.
Well, he hoped so.
Though he didn't move his eyes off Astoria, he could feel the other two in
the room come up next to him and hover behind his back. Without
looking up, he asked coldly, "How the fuck did you get down here,
Potter?"
Alexander Potter scowled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly and
shooting a quick glance at the pretty redhead beside him. It did not go
unnoticed. "I followed you both down." He admitted. His face turned pink
as he defensively added, "I saw you heading this way after we were
instructed to go to our common rooms. Looked mighty suspicious. It's a
good thing I decided to follow you."
"But how did we not notice even notice you?" Ginevra wondered aloud,
"You're not skilled enough to cast a dillusionement charm."
Potter grinned, holding up a shiny cloak he had picked up from the floor
before. Proudly showing it off, he explained "Its an invisibility cloak. An
old family heirloom, actually."
Hadrian tapped Alexander Potter on the shoulder. When the boy turned
around, he had an expression of fear on his face, no doubt remembering
his last encounter with Hadrian Riddle.
"Sorry about this." Hadrian shrugged. "Stupefy."
With a beam of bright red light, Alexander Potter flew to the side of the
room, landing in a sprawled position facing the ground. Hadrian Riddle
casually strolled over to him, and stood over Potter's unconscious form.
He knitted his eyebrows together, and muttered "Legilimens."
Hadrian shifted through Potter's memories of the night, trying hard not to
leave a trace of his magic in the idiot's mind. He watched the night's
memories through Potter's point of view: The brat had originally been
following Ginevra, and then decided to follow the two of them when they
entered the Chamber of Secrets. Hadrian pulled the night's memories out
of Potter's mind, pushing them into a small corner at the side of his
murky thoughts.
Hadrian took a deep breath, ignoring the headache that threatened to
take over his own mind. He raised his wand, visualizing the memories in
the corner of Potter's mind. His eyes glinted coldly and he whispered,
"Obliviate."
Hospital Wing [April 27th]
When Ginevra Weasley opened her eyes, she was met with the telltale
ceiling of the hospital wing above her head. From what she could see, her
limbs were scratched and bloodied with open wounds. Her entire body
felt like it was on fire, and every time she closed her eyes the only thing
she was able to see was the horrible basilisk's rows of teeth dripping with
sticky venom. She shivered involuntarily. She tried to sit up in her bed,
but was too tired to do so. Instead, she simply turned her head to the
sides to get a better feel of her surroundings.
To her right, she was relieved to see her friend, Astoria Greengrass.
Astoria was breathing steadily, and a healthy glow had returned to her
skin. Her eyes were closed, but Ginevra was just thankful to see her
friend alive. A tinge of guilt hit her then, and despite knowing that Tom's
diary had probably pushed her away from Astoria, she knew that it was
primarily her own behavior that was to blame. She had been vulnerable,
and she had nearly destroyed the one person in her life that had never
sneered at her because of her class, her lack of wealth, or her family.
Astoria Greengrass was a pure soul, and Ginevra felt as evil as Tom
Riddle himself when she realized that she had almost destroyed Astoria.
When Ginevra turned to her left, she caught sight of Alexander Potter,
who seemed to be recovered from his stunt with the basilisk. He had a
variety of injuries similar to her own, and seemed to be still in a heavy
sleep.
Ginevra frowned as she noticed that Hadrian Riddle was not present.
The doors to the infirmary slammed open, and along with Madame
Pomfrey, Dumbledore, Snape, and her elder brother, Percy strolled in.
Madame Pomfrey quickly assessed her condition, and shoved a few foul
smelling potions down her throat. When she was sure that her charge
would not pass out, Madame Pomfrey retreated to her office with one
warning to the visitors: "Don't exhaust the patient."
Dumbledore stroked his long white beard, and asked her a few questions
about her current condition. Ginevra barely restrained herself from
rolling her eyes at the obvious false sincerity and concern, and somehow
managed to answer his mundane questions.
"Miss. Weasley, I'm afraid you are the only one who remembers what has
happened to the three of you. Miss. Greengrass was not conscious the
entire time you three were in the Chamber of Secrets, and Mr. Potter
seems to have lost his memory of the night. Would you care to explain
what happened?" Dumbledore asked politely.
Ginevra frowned slightly. Three of you. Hadrian was nowhere to be found.
Three of you. They didn't know. Three of you. They had no idea Hadrian
was part of the Chamber of Secrets escapade. And for some reason,
Ginevra was sure Hadrian wanted to keep it that way.
So she lied.
Slytherin had really cultivated her already stellar lying abilities, and she
was sure even Dumbledore bought the web she had spun. It made perfect
sense, after all. She found out that the monster that lived in the Chamber
of Secrets had taken Astoria. She had entered the Chamber of Secrets to
save her best friend, unaware that Potter was following her. She fought
the basilisk, and she was the one that discovered who Tom Riddle was.
She was the one who was the Hero.
When Dumbledore had praised her bravery, insisting that the hat must've
made a mistake when sorting her into Slytherin, she had only requested
one thing: None of this knowledge was to be presented to the public.
Ginevra had blushed at the correct times, and calculatingly looked down
at her hands with just the right amount of shyness, effectively convincing
the Headmaster that she simply did not want any attention.
The old coot beamed and ushered Snape away, insisting the newly
redeemed Weasley needed her rest. Only Percy hung behind, and he
waited until the two professors had left before speaking.
He crossed his arms and pursed his lips into a thin white line. He peered
down at her and said crisply, "You're lying."
Ginevra raised an eyebrow.
Percy shook his head. "I've seen you lie your way out of trouble for nearly
everything you get caught for. I've seen you procure false tears to get Ron
and the twins in trouble for something they never did. I've seen you
manipulate so many people around you. Do you honestly think I'd be
swayed by a few demure expressions?"
Ginevra grinned wryly, "You've always been the smart brother, Percy."
"Are you going to tell me what really happened?" He questioned.
She shrugged, "I can't."
"All I need to know is that you're safe."
"I'm fine." She insisted. "How long have I been in the infirmary?"
"About three days."
Her eyes shifted to the door and she asked hesitantly, "Have Mum and
Dad come in?"
Percy bit his lip, but did her the pleasure of not lying to her and shook
his head.
She blinked, feeling the corners of her eyes sting a bit. She stared up at
the ceiling until the urge to tear up disappeared.
"The hat wanted to put me into Slytherin too." Percy said so quietly, she
barely heard it.
Ginevra looked back at her brother, who was staring at his hands
intently.
"The Headmaster was correct, Ginevra. You are brave. It doesn't matter
which House you belong to. You're much braver than me, at least." He
admitted.
"I thought you were-"
"Going to pretend you weren't my sister because you were a Slytherin?"
He rolled his eyes. "I care about you, Ginevra. I'm not concerned with
House loyalty."
Ginevra grinned sheepishly, "I think I might've misunderstood you my
entire life. You were always 'swotty Percy' and 'bookworm Percy'."
"And now?"
She bit her lip, her smile vanishing as she looked up at the pure white
ceiling. "Now you're my brother, Percy. Now you're my only family,
Percy."
Slytherin Dormitory [May 1st]
"Daphne, I do not need a chaperone everywhere I go." Astoria Greengrass
insisted as she blocked her sister from entering the bathroom with her.
Ever since the Chamber of Secrets debacle, Daphne hadn't let Astoria her
out of her sight. Her overprotectiveness had reached an all-time high and
it was starting to grate Astoria's nerves.
"What if-"
"No Daphne! Go talk to Hadrian or something, I don't need you to stand
guard while I shower. Understand?" She didn't even pause before
slamming the door in her sister's face.
Daphne grumbled under her breath as she made her way to the Slytherin
common room, barely noticing anyone else as she climbed the spiral
staircase. She settled onto her signature seat in the common room, and
raised her arm to cover her eyes. The more she thought about it, the
more she'd be tempted to rush back to Astoria's room and make sure her
sister was alright. She'd been exhausted the past couple of days, making
sure Astoria had gotten everywhere safely and uninjured.
The couch dipped slightly beside her, and Daphne didn't even bother
lifting her arm, for she knew exactly who it was. "Hello, Hadrian." She
murmured, forcing her heart to slow down as it began to beat faster.
"Daphne." He greeted silkily, bringing a smile to her face. He removed the
arm from her face and peered down at her, "Did you have a rough night?"
His eyebrows frowned slightly, "I told you, Daphne. Astoria is all right
now. She has Ginevra to help her. She has all of us. You don't need to
constantly worry to make sure she's alright."
Daphne sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder, inhaling his
comforting scent. She looked up at him, and said softly, "You know I'm
never going to be able to thank you enough for saving her, right?"
Only a few knew about what had truly happened in the Chamber of
Secrets, and one of those people was definitely not Alexander Potter (who
was convinced his love for Ginevra had foolishly led him to follow her
down to the Chamber of Secrets, and somehow also lose his invisibility
cloak).
Daphne, however, had nearly cried with relief when she saw her sister,
slightly weak and unconscious, but relatively unharmed. She'd insisted to
know exactly what had happened, and Hadrian had discovered that he
couldn't deny her anything, especially when it concerned her sister.
"Astoria is safe now, Daphne. You don't need to worry about anything
anymore."
"Except exams." Daphne grinned, "Hermione will kill us both if she finds
out we aren't worried about exams."
"Then it'll be our little secret. Deal?" Hadrian winked mischievously.
"Deal."
"I think we should make it official." He turned to her with a cheeky
smirk. "Seal it with a kiss?"
Daphne rolled her eyes, "Nice try."
Hadrian shrugged, leaning back into the couch. Then all of a sudden, he
turned towards her and grabbed her cheeks, pressing his lips to hers. He
could almost feel her shock, and he smiled against her lips. Her lips were
soft, like satin. He pulled away slowly, and before she could recollect
herself, he started to run towards the staircase leading to the dormitories.
When Daphne finally wrapped her mind around what had happened, she
jumped up from her seat, and trying to conceal her smile, she shouted,
"Riddle! Come back here, I need to hex you!"
The only response she received was the sound of carefree laughter.
End Year Two
A/N #2: I do plan on writing the later years, but I'm going to do that
in a sequel fic. I don't know when I'll start (or finish) the first
chapter of that, but when I finish I'll post it ASAP! Thanks you guys
for reading! I really appreciate every single follower, every favorite,
and especially every review. I swear, I have the nicest readers, since
I never get too bad reviews :P
P.S: The Sequel Fic will be called "The Allure of Darkness"
32. Sequel Up!
Hey everyone!
I just wanted to let you know that the Sequel to Dark Prince is now
up! It's called "The Allure of Darkness!" You can find it with my
other story, in the "My Stories" page under my account. Thanks to
everyone who read this fanfic of mine, and especially thanks to all
those who reviewed! I think your criticism has definitely made me a
better writer!
Follow me on Tumblr for more information on updates and other
stuff- Username: lovemyromance
Anyways, thanks for reading + reviewing... Now go read the sequel!
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