'You are entitled to your opinion, Mr Black,' he said. 'However, as I said to Miss Granger, you are not an expert, and I don't really care what you think. Ten points from Gryffindor.'
That settled, he went on with his lecture. Harry was far too clever, however, to consider the matter closed, and was completely unsurprised when his grandfather asked him to stay after class.
'I will not tolerate disrespect from you, Aries,' Abraxas said sternly.
'I meant none, Granddad,' Harry replied earnestly.
'Then what is your basis for disagreeing with those who know better than you? Why do you think it possible to improve on the Unforgivables?'
'I've done it,' Harry said simply.
Abraxas's eyes nearly burst out of their sockets. 'What do you mean, you've improved on the Unforgivables?'
'I've done some work on the Cruciatus Curse,' Harry explained. 'It tends to cause secondary damage in the victim, as well as leaving numerous traces that make it easy to detect. I created a different pain-inducing curse over the summer, based on the same basic principles as the Cruciatus. I haven't tested it at full strength yet, but the preliminary trials have been most promising.'
His grandfather stared at him curiously. 'Write up your research,' he told Harry. 'I should very much like to see what you've done. If you're right, that would utterly revolutionise one of our foundational presuppositions.'
'Yes, sir,' Harry said, and turned to leave. He stopped at the door and turned back. 'By the way, Granddad, have you ever heard of someone named Tom Riddle?'
Abraxas went deathly pale. 'Where did you learn that name?' he demanded.
'I read it somewhere,' Harry replied truthfully. 'Who is it?'
'No one you need concern yourself with, my boy,' Abraxas replied abruptly. 'Just a boy who was a couple of years behind me at school.'
That piqued Harry's interest. He had no idea why his grandfather was being so evasive.
'Thanks, Granddad,' he said, and made his way to lunch, privately resolving to find out exactly who this Tom Riddle fellow was, and why his grandfather was so hesitant to talk about him.
...
A few weeks into term, Abraxas and Remus met up with Sirius and Cassiopeia at the Three Broomsticks in order to discuss Harry's progress. Sirius ordered firewhisky for all the men, and gillywater for Cassiopeia.
'Very well, gentlemen,' he began after casting a muffling charm around their table. 'How's Aries doing?'
'He's back on the Quidditch team,' Remus said. 'Wood's thrilled about that. He got into a bit of trouble with some sixth-years on the Hogwarts Express, but he proved more than up to the challenge.'
'What did he do?' Sirius asked.
'He Transfigured a boy into a baboon and a girl into a parakeet because he wanted their compartment,' Remus said, shaking his head. 'I was probably too soft on him, but it reminded me very much of the sort of thing you or James might have done.'
Sirius chuckled. 'What else?'
'Snape blames Aries for Dumbledore's departure, and has been taking it out on him pretty strongly,' Remus said.
'Slimy git,' Sirius muttered.
'He also has dropped some fairly large hints that he suspects Aries of being deeply involved in the Dark Arts,' the werewolf went on.
Cassiopeia sniffed. 'As though that were a bad thing.'
'Filthy half-blood,' Abraxas snorted. 'It's a disgrace that he's Head of Slytherin House.'
'That aside,' Sirius interrupted, 'have you any more news about Aries?'
Remus shook his head. 'He gets along with some of his classmates, but not with others. He plays pranks in his spare time. He doesn't study much but seems to do well in all his classes. He's a Marauder, Padfoot.'
'I'm afraid I must disagree with you somewhat, Professor Lupin,' Abraxas said. 'Aries may be a "Marauder", as you put it, but there are other things going on. I think he's playing his cards very close to his chest.'
'What else would you expect from the heir of the House of Black?' Cassiopeia asked wryly. 'He's been specially bred for slyness.'
'You're right, of course,' Abraxas replied, taking a long sip of firewhisky. 'But I am nonetheless intrigued by his behaviour. The other day he informed me that he has invented a refined and improved version of the Cruciatus Curse.'
Cassiopeia cackled with glee, but Remus and Sirius spewed their firewhisky all over the table.
'I hardly object to that line of research, of course,' Abraxas went on. 'I asked him to write a paper describing his findings, and they appear to be sound. I should like your opinion, Cassiopeia.'
'Naturally,' the witch replied.
'You may approve, Dad,' Sirius said, 'but I don't much like the idea that my son has been secretly developing improved Unforgivables under my nose.' He sighed. 'I suppose he has been acting strangely of late, a bit colder, but I attributed that to Uncle Marius's death.'
'Don't worry, Sirius,' Cassiopeia said, patting his arm. 'We all have to go through this phase before we become adepts of special magic. There's nothing to be concerned about.'
'Actually, dear lady, there is,' Abraxas continued with a frown. 'At the same meeting in which Aries informed me of his new discovery, he asked me whether I knew anything about Tom Riddle.'
Remus and Sirius stared at Abraxas blankly, but Cassiopeia only narrowed her grey eyes.
'That is disturbing,' she said.
'Who's Tom Riddle?' Sirius asked.
'Tom Riddle is the birth name of the Dark Lord,' Abraxas explained. 'It is known only to a very select group of his closest followers. I, myself, had to pay a very high price before I learnt that the Dark Lord was in fact my old school fellow.'
'Did you tell Aries this?' Remus asked.
'I did not,' Abraxas replied. 'I see no reason to toss around such dangerous knowledge. My concern is simply as to why Aries was asking about it in the first place.'
'Did he give no explanation?' Cassiopeia asked.
'None,' Abraxas sniffed. 'He claimed that he had read it somewhere.'
Sirius stroked his beard pensively. 'He was nearly killed by Voldemort several months ago. Maybe he's trying to learn more about him.'
'I don't think that's it,' Abraxas said, shaking his head. 'The way he asked made me think that he hadn't any idea who it really was that he was asking about.'
'Keep your eyes and ears open,' Sirius said. 'Maybe we can find out some hint of what he's up to.'
'Aren't you going to ask him about it?' Remus asked.
'I trust my son, Moony,' Sirius said. 'He'll come to me if he needs to. I don't want to be overprotective.'
.....
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