'Sometimes I feel like there's nothing. Inside my body, where my lungs and stomach are. Just an empty cavern where potions go and slosh around. And I'm always so hungry.'
Dumbledore returned one afternoon, accompanied by Moody. Once entering the building, they were quickly shushed into the meeting room. Dumbledore couldn't help but feel amused as he spotted several curious faces look at him from the stairwell.
He took his seat, Alastor settling into another rickety chair heavily.
"Albus," Sirius nodded, closing the door behind as Mrs. Weasley hurried into the room.
"Albus, Alastor," She gushed, looking relieved at their appearance. At once, Dumbledore felt alarmed.
"Molly, what is it?" Alastor asked bluntly, recognizing that something was very much wrong.
"It's that boy," She spoke, voice hushed yet sharp, "Adrian!"
Dumbledore felt himself silently sigh.
"I hate to say it, but she's right, Albus." Sirius grimaced, pulling out a chair for himself, "There's something not right with him. Besides what we thought before."
Moody leant forward, scowling but listening intently.
"He eats too much!" Mrs. Weasley blurted, "Not that he shouldn't- he's a growing boy, but he ate five bowls Albus! Five bowls of stew, and half of the crumble I made! He still looked hungry!"
Sirius looked away guiltily, which confirmed it.
"Have you talked to Remus about it?" Albus asked quietly.
"I tried, but the little demon went savage on Mundungus again, stabbed him with a fork and looked right happy with it." Sirius grimaced.
"It was horrible, Albus!" Mrs. Weasley whispered sharply.
"That's expected, Molly. We've talked about this, that curse scar likely is making him more aggressive, twisting his thoughts in a way he doesn't even know. We're lucky he only went after Mundungus, and not after one of us in our sleep." Moody grunted.
"His hunger is suspicious," Albus confirmed with a small hum, "Has he been taking the potions Madam Pomfrey gave him?"
"Yes, I don't think they're doing anything. But look, there's more, Albus."
Mrs. Weasley looked at Sirius sharply, and in surprise.
"Out with it," Moody grunted.
"We were cleaning out the cabinets, just getting rid of some of the shite in here. He seemed affected by something, dazed and out of it as if he had been cursed, but he didn't touch anything. Ron was watching, said he wasn't anywhere near anything when he stalled out like that."
Albus brought one hand to his mouth, running his weathered knuckles against his lips.
"I grabbed him to help Sky and me with a boggart, just in case it wasn't a boggart. It was, we had Sky closest so we could deal with the Dementor. But ah…" Sirius trailed off, sounding unsure even as he remembered, "He...Adrian walked up to it, and it didn't shift. Said something about Occlumency, but, but when he was near the Dementor, he tried to touch it."
Moody straightened sharply, "How bad is he hurt?"
Sirius shook his head, "No...he, he...the Dementor looked bloody terrified of him. It was flinching away before Adrian got close. I've never heard of that before."
The room was silent.
"Neither have I." Albus murmered, removing his glasses to clean the lenses automatically, "This is...concerning."
Moody let out a sigh, reclining back in his chair as his magical eye lolled around crazily, "I'll look around. A Dementor shouldn't be scared of anything."
"I know, that's why I wanted to tell you." Sirius agreed with some sort of dreadful expression.
It was an alarming thing to think about, especially with all of the strange ideas and concepts that floated around in his head. Albus didn't have the time or resources to concern himself about Adrian Selwyn, but he was slowly being convinced that the child was something of interest.
"Molly, if you will?" Albus asked politely, nodding towards the door. She floundered for one second before wordlessly stomping out. It was rather rude on his part, and he would apologize to her dearly afterwards.
Sirius grimaced and leant back, crossing his arms, "I reckon Remus told you about the little incidents?"
Moody gave a gruff laughter, something curt and snappish. "Is that what we're calling it these days?"
Sirius' eyes flickered downwards, his expression blank but far past embarrassment or shame. "We have a good room setup, wards and all. I reckon if we ever get my bitch of a mum off the wall he'd send her screaming."
Dumbledore's fingers folded, curling under his chin as he contemplated his next words carefully. "You've been monitoring his emotional state?"
"Yeah, the potions and stabilizers are working well." Sirius gave a slow nod, "I think he shouldn't need them by the time the school year starts up again."
"He let anything slip?" Moody grunted, eye lolling as the scowl on his lips distorted his face even further.
Sirius felt a small shiver run down his spine, "no. He's...he's just a kid. A really really creepy kid, but still just a pup."
"What sort of unsettling things, Sirius?" Dumbledore asked cautiously.
Sirius looked uncomfortable. He was twitching slightly, looking as if he was caught between a lie and a betrayal. "He...he knows a lot of dark magic. I don't mean that he could go off and take down a herd of unicorns but...the spells he knows are...specific."
"Specific." Moody dryly echoed, arching one eyebrow as if skeptic of the word choice.
"Pureblood families tend to introduce children through more...neutral spells. Hexes and Curses but small things, you know, make someone sick or give them nightmares."
"Doesn't seem the brat's style." Moody grudgingly agreed. Sirius' face twitched ever so slightly, as if pained.
"I know Bellatrix," Sirius started, voice on the verge of being winded, "she teaches through example, and honestly Albus, most of the magic that child knows is all borderline torture spells. I don't think he knows anything about her anymore, but he knows how to throw slashing curses far too easily for my own comfort."
"How is everyone?" Adrian asked calmly, hissing lowly in such a way that could easily be mistaken as Lutain.
The Nagini Tattoo moved, tugging uncomfortably over his arm and shoulder, "Well. Master says plans progressing. Want names."
"Of the Order?" Adrian asked affectionately, heart swelling with happiness as his father talked with him, even through the tattoo.
Nagini paused, then hissed out a single unintelligent "Yes."
Adrian almost chuckled, there was something adorable about the tattoo's limited comprehension skills.
"Do you want all of them, or would you like me to break them up?" Adrian inquired, grabbing one of the recent additions to his room- this time, a claw.
He traced the ridges and the unique hook on the underside, likely belonging to some sort of crustacean. Completely mindless, a distraction from the unsettling tugging on his skin and muscles.
Nagini returned, "Break up, but all now."
Adrian hummed contently, "Moody. The real one. Nymphadora Tonks. The Weasleys, or at least all of the ones out of school. Mundungus, feel free to get rid of that one."
Nagini slithered away, returning ten seconds after her dismissal.
"Did...have you hunted Mundun-gadus?" Nagini faltered, struggling with the name and the question.
Adrian grinned, a large breathless smile that was infectious, "Only a few times. He's easy to scare, I stabbed him with a fork."
Nagini left, then returned.
"Master says, 'good'."
Adrian laughed, a bright sound that caused Lutain to peer out curiously, then excitedly as he saw the faintest shift of tattoo'd scales.
"Hello!" Lutain enthused, sliding over happily, "Hello!"
"Tell him Lutain says hello," Adrian instructed, stroking his familiar fondly.
"...Master says…'Hello.'"
"Alright, so we have the Potters, Sirius Black, and Remus here also." Adrian helpfully added. He was getting slightly used to Nagini slithering through his skin.
"Ministry?"
"Oh! Uh, let me think." Adrian paused, trying to remember, "There's some man here who I think is ministry. His name is something Kingston? Kingburn?"
Nagini dutifully slid out of sight, returning relatively quickly, "Kingsley?"
"Yes! That one!" Adrian enthused, "The house is under the Fidelius charm, it's the one Bella took me to- the-" Adrian's mouth clogged, leaving him floundering frustrated.
Nagini left, then returned, "He knows the one. Changed den, hidden."
Adrian set aside the claw he had been fiddling with, "Where? Where are you, father?"
Nagini vanished, and she was gone a long while.
"Where do you think they are?" Lutain hissed interestedly.
"Not sure, I don't know if father has any more houses. They're checking all of Bellatrix's houses, so nothing in her name."
Nagini returned, sliding out from his thigh over his hip towards his throat, "Rowle, near Kirkwall."
Adrian let out a hum, smiling and committing the location to memory. He was almost positive none of the Order would search in that area, or in that family. "I'll let you know if they begin searching around there."
Nagini left, and returned.
"Good. Bella misses you." The snake hissed, staring out with slit shaped pupils.
Adrian felt the warmth spread through his chest, and bitter pangs of nostalgia. He missed Bella, he truly did. But Bella had changed, she was different.
He missed his father more than anything. He was thankful beyond words that he had the tattoo to communicate.
"I miss you." Adrian spoke back quietly, "Skylar Potter is really bad at spell work."
"Is he?"
"The best spell he knows is a Patronus. I'm loads better, thanks to you."
The system of communication was poor, rather disjointed and he wasn't sure what exactly was making it through the low intelligence messenger snake.
"Pathetic. Know apparate, ani-magicus?" Nagini stumbled, unsure of the word.
Adrian felt guilt rise up slightly, "I remember how to apparate. Animagus I haven't- I need a thunderstorm for the potion to work. I'm just waiting."
"Christmas, animal apparate to den."
Adrian brightened happily, grinning and jolting upright into a sitting position, "Yes! Yes I can do that!"
He was going to see his father again, he was going home.
Skylar found himself daydreaming about Hogwarts more and more as the end of the holidays approached; he could not wait to see the castle again, to play Quidditch, even to stroll across the vegetable patches to the Herbology greenhouses. It would be a treat to leave the dusty, musty house, where half of the cupboards were bolted shut and Kreacher wheeled insults out of the shadows as you passed. His dad and mum felt bad about leaving him there, although Skylar knew that they had better things to do.
The fact was that living at the headquarters of the anti-Voldemort movement was not nearly as interesting or exciting as Skylar would have expected before he experienced it. Though members of the Order of the Phoenix came and went regularly, sometimes staying for meals (which were always a spectacle if Adrian chose to join them). Mrs. Weasley made sure that Skylar and the others were kept well out of earshot, and nobody, not even Sirius, seemed to feel that Skylar needed to know anything more than he had already. If it hadn't been for Skylar stumbling on the strange therapy Sirius and Adrian experienced, Skylar was near certain he would never have heard about it to begin with.
On the very last day of the holidays, Skylar was dodging Adrian's terrifying Gyrfalcon who was dive bombing Mundungus with shrieks and sharp talons. The white bird was beautiful in a strange way, Skylar was fond of her name, Hedwig.
"Oi!" Fred shouted, popping into existence on the second floor landing, carrying a wad of envelopes. George popped into existence only a second later, "Book Lists have arrived! About time, I thought they'd forgotten, they usually come out much earlier than this…"
Adrian whistled, pointing with one hand at George who held one envelope outstretched. Hedwig banked upwards again, leaving Mundungus alone with his many hair-thin scratches. Hedwig twisted, snatching one envelope with her talons to deliver it to Adrian's outstretched hand. Her razor claws were only a hair's breadth away from slicing soft skin.
"Bloody hell, that monster almost took my hand off!" George cursed, waving his fist dramatically upwards at Adrian, who grinned openly and carefree.
"Is he smiling?" Fred whispered loudly, almost in awe.
"You caught me in a good mood!" Adrian shouted down the stairwell, giving a two finger salute as he tore into the letter.
It contained two pieces of parchment, the usual reminder that term started on the first of September, the other telling him which books he would need for the coming year.
"Only two new ones," Adrian shouted down the stairwell, the first one to open the letter. "The Standard Book of Spells Grade 5, and Defensive Magical Theory."
Adrian didn't like the sound of the magical theory book. In his experience, all magical theory books were rather rubbish, written by authors who didn't know how to cast a stunner.
Hedwig chirped, shifting her weight and drawing blood with one sharp talon. She had grown restless; Adrian pointed downwards and whistled lowly, instantly the falcon leapt free in eager pursuit of raking talons across the screaming Mundungus.
Adrian returned to his room, a small prance in his step. He would be returning to Hogwarts, where at least he would be relatively free. Of course, he wouldn't be able to practice dark magic, although what Remus didn't know would never hurt him. Adalonda likely knew dozens of old spells, lost to history books just like their counterspells.
Packing all of his belongings back into his trunk was a harder endeavor than he had anticipated. It took a bit of thinking, mostly just to fit all of the claws and strange oddities he had obtained from the house inside. It took him hours, multiple times he had to tear out the stacked contents like he was removing the viscera of a slain deer. Once his belongings were scattered, he restarted with a more focused approach. He was occupied most of the day, only venturing out from his chaotic hoard when the promise of food wafted to his room.
Adrian descended down to the basement, Lutain wrapped snugly around his neck and shoulder. He paused in the doorway, eying the large scarlet banner which hung over the heavily laden dinner table. He didn't know that some sort of festivities were going on as well.
'Congratulations Ron and Hermione- New Prefects'
"What the hell." Adrian scrambled, blinking in amazement as he read the banner twice, just to assure himself he wasn't going mad.
"I know," Fred sighed, collapsing heavily on a nearby chair.
Sirius, Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody already were seated around the table. Adrian was rather smug to see Mundungus vacant. Remus had set a chair aside for Adrian, between him and Tonks.
"Prefect, eh?" growled Moody, his normal eye on Ron and his magical eye swiveling around to gaze into the side of his head. "Well, congratulations. Authority figures always attract trouble, but I suppose Dumbledore thinks you can withstand most major jinxes or he wouldn't have appointed you…"
Ron looked rather shaken, but was saved the trouble of responding by the arrival of his father and eldest brother. Mrs. Weasley was in such a good mood, she did not even complain when Mundungus walked in, wearing a long overcoat that seemed oddly lumpy in unlikely places. Mundungus had a few dozen scratches over his scalp, one particularly nasty gouge over his right eyebrow was sporting a dark red scab.
"You!" Mundungus growled, looking ready to chuck the nearest goblet at Adrian's head.
"He has dragon scales in his pocket," Lutain informed Adrian, shifting out from under Adrian's collar like a very curious rope like scarf, "And smells of blood. The bird got him." Lutain seemed especially thrilled by that. Hedwig must have actually gotten a few major hits if even Lutain could smell it, likely under the lumpy coat he had something which required bandages.
"Me!" Adrian continued, voice a happy chirp which seemed just joyous enough that everyone startled in surprise. Mundungus looked alarmed, so much so that he scrambled to have a proper response.
Tonks whooped, "Adrian! Want some Firebrandy?"
"No! He does not want Firebrandy!" Mrs. Weasley quickly interjected, shifting the bottle away from a pouting Tonks. Remus was chuckling softly to himself. What a strange atmosphere, lighthearted and suddenly, Adrian couldn't care about being angry.
"I think a toast is in order," Mr. Weasley said, when everyone had a drink. He raised his goblet, "To Ron and Hermione! The new Gryffindor prefects!"
Ron and Hermione beamed as everyone drank to them, then applauded.
Tonks drifted over, very subtly exchanging Adrian's goblet with her own. She winked at him in good nature, taking a swig of his juice from her goblet. In turn, he grappled for the goblet, chugging a gulp of the searing liquid down his throat. His eyes watered, she beamed.
"I was never a prefect myself," she said brightly, her hair was tomato red and very long. "My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities."
"Like what?" said Skylar, who drifted over curiously.
"Like the ability to behave myself," said Tonks.
Adrian laughed; a loud exploding sound that was both infectious and surprising. Perhaps the firebrandy was loosening him up. Hermione didn't know whether to smile or not, and compromised by choking on a gulp of butterbeer.
"What about you, Sirius?" Skylar asked, grinning boyishly at his godfather.
Sirius gave a loud bark like laugh.
"No one would have made me a prefect, I spent too much time in detention with James. Lupin was the good boy, he got the badge."
Adrian arched his eyebrows at Remus, who blushed furiously as Tonks leapt into a full round of teasing.
"Did someone say my name?" James asked, jumping into the room chaotically with Lily following with a grin.
"Dad! Mum!" Skylar grinned, rushing over with two goblets of Butterbeer.
Adrian's smile faltered slightly, he ignored the two recent additions and took his seat next to Remus.
He served himself a couple baked potatoes, as well as a large portion of chicken. He paused, looking at his plate and the gravy dish not that far away.
He had been raised to eat dignified, if he didn't, well, it annoyed his father.
But his father wasn't here.
He grabbed the gravy boat and dumped it over his food so much, the potatoes began to float.
"Making a mess there?" Tonks asked with a grin, poking his floating potato with a spare fork, "Want to see who can eat it faster?"
Adrian watched her slyly, "If you don't shift your mouth, you're on."
Adrian didn't pay that much attention to others around him, he only noticed Tonks' queasy face as she struggled to down one potato in the time it took him to eat two. The chicken didn't last that much longer, nor did the third or fourth large piece.
He slowed eating only when Moody watched him with both eyes, narrowed and scrutinizing.
Skylar flopped over nearby, peering at a folded picture in his hands, tracing the people inside.
"Whatcha got there, Sky?" Tonks asked curiously, looking back at the picture.
"The original Order, or the members of it." Skylar explained, showing the photos.
Adrian peered over lazily, already reaching for this goblet of butterbeer as he observed the photo, "Who are they?"
Skylar grinned and shoved his way between the two, "Dedalus Diggle here, and Emmeline Vance, Edgar Bones...brother of Amelia Bones, Sturgis Podmore, Elphias Doge, Aberforth who is Dumbledore's brother…"
Adrian looked at Lutain who was intently listening, most likely remembering the names for later.
Adrian poked one small watery-eyed man, snorting loudly as the man silently squeaked.
"Yeah, that's ah, Pettigrew." Skylar's tone was clipped, "Betrayed my parents, how Voldemort found me when I was a baby."
Adrian rolled his eyes, a thin cruel smile distorting his features. He didn't look at Skylar, instead his eyes were locked on the ink figure in the picture. "Don't give him credit, he's a rat."
Skylar jumped in surprise, "What? How...What?"
Adrian tensed, noticeably stilling before jerkily shrugging, forcing himself to try and relax as if the information wasn't important. "Target practice."
Skylar took a step back, paling and yet looking fascinating, "Wha- Padfoot! Dad!"
The two jolted over at Skylar's sudden yelp. "What is it, pup? You okay?"
Adrian noticed how the two adults quickly stood between the two. As if Adrian was the aggressor, the instigator in any sort of altercation.
"Whoa whoa!" Tonks assured, quickly, lifting both arms in a placating manner. "Nothing going on here! We're good!"
Sirius relaxed at once, James still looked wary, "what is it, Sky?"
Skylar pointed at Adrian in shock, "He says that he saw Pettigrew!"
The room chilled. It was as if a fog had descended, invisible yet a heavy discernible weight resting on everyone's skin. The hair on Adrian's arms rose, he resisted a shiver.
"What?" Sirius asked coldly, voice sharp and deadpan although obviously a question. Sirius' face twitched slightly, expression impossible to comprehend. He was distrusting, already shifting his stance ever so slightly into something cautious, as if ready to fend off an explosive attack. Adrian's heart throbbed against his will, at least Remus hadn't reacted sharply.
Adrian swallowed, feeling his skin chill as if he was about to sweat. "He- Wormtail?"
His voice was higher in pitch than he wanted, coming across tense and uncomfortable. Sirius nodded slowly, Adrian noticed how even James' body was tense as if a mere second away from hurling himself into his larger stag form.
"Target practice!" Lutain hissed quickly, "Made the rat dance!"
Lutain's quick thinking relieved some of the sudden stress, a cover story that was feasible and unheard to everyone else. Adrian felt nauseous, stumbling out words around his thick lazy tongue.
"I- I used him as target practice? I- I mean Bella and I did." Adrian stumbled over his words, stuttering like a panicking idiot. "He- he's shite at blocking."
Sirius relaxed slightly before giving a partially wistful smile. James snorted a loud ugly noise, which seemed to trigger Sirius' hard chuckles. They sounded genuinely amused, in a nostalgic sense that was throbbingly sore."Thank Merlin, he deserves that all right."
James gave a small smile, although he did tug Skylar away from Adrian as the festivities started up once again.
Remus was quite throughout the exchange. After a few moments when tensions simmer low, he leant over towards Adrian carefully. Not intruding on Adrian's personal space, but close enough to create a sense of privacy. "Why Peter?"
Adrian startled, and shrugged limply, reaching out for another buttered roll.
Remus stared at him for a few seconds longer, before he grabbed the entire basket of rolls, much to Adrian's delight, and sat it right in front of him. Nobody commented when Adrian nearly consumed the entire basket.
Adrian had a troubled sleep. His dreams were smattered with strange hissing noises, wheezed groans and something rattling incessantly. He awoke once to see Hedwig sound asleep on a perch above an empty wardrobe, he awoke the second time to smack the locket from where it was vibrating on the nightstand.
The third time Adrian woke up, sunlight was fighting its way through his curtains. He could hear the muffled noises of chaos and commotion; Adrian burrowed his head into his pillow in a futile denial that it was indeed morning. Eventually he couldn't ignore the morning any further, especially as the noises below picked up in volume. Adrian could hear shouting from the landings below, although he ignored them in favor of getting dressed quickly. He always found getting dressed the most difficult action of any morning, something about adorning clothing seemed so...fundamentally pointless, and exhausting to him.
Adrian hesitated once before grabbing the locket and slipping it over his head, it rested warmly over his heart.
"Time to go?" Lutain asked quizzically, sliding free from his enchanted box as Adrian stacked it on top of his chest.
"I think so," Adrian hummed to himself, tidying up his bed and snatching the one soft blanket he was attached to more so than the others.
He opened the door, scooting his heavy trunk out his door frame and in front of Remus'. The man was likely busy figuring out the final security detail that would follow Skylar, although the man was adamant that he would be accompanying Adrian.
Hedwig gave a small cry, clicking her sharp beak as she looked at her cage in disdain. She would much rather fly ahead, or pester Mundungus.
"Adrian!" Tonks whooped, peering upwards from the very very bottom of the stairs, "I'll get that trunk for you!"
"I like her," Lutain noted happily, "She shifted hair to look like my scales."
"Did she really?" Adrian asked his familiar, stroking his back. It wasn't a strange sight for Adrian to talk to his snake after all.
"Yes," Lutain hummed happily, "It looked horrible."
Tonks stumbled up the stairs, nearly tripping over the disgruntled Crookshanks. She pointed her wand with her tongue sticking out in concentration, carefully levitating the trunk over the railing and down the stairwell with calm movements.
With all the chaos, Mrs. Black's portrait was howling with rage.
"Adrian!" Remus smiled from below, dressed in a thick brown outer robe to fend off the September chill, "Come along! We're leaving first!"
Likely to avoid arriving with the Potter's and everyone else, and to save whatever reputation he had left. Adrian thanked Remus mentally a dozen times over.
Hedwig cried out sharply, rattling her wings on the small cage as she was stuffed inside. Lutain laughed over her dismay, before protesting himself about going into his crate.
"No! Not fair!" He whined, tail thrashing as Adrian stuffed him elbow deep into the enchanted box, "Treachery!"
"Shut up," Adrian muttered in good nature, locking the box shut from the outside. It wouldn't do for Lutain to get lost accidently in the chaos of King's Cross.
They approached the front door, Remus levitating the trunks behind them. The moment they stepped outside, the loud sounds vanished behind them, leaving them in the dreary September sunlight and the empty muggle road.
"We'll apparate to the station, it'll take less time." Remus explained, holding out his one arm politely.
An old lady with grey curled hair watched them shrewdly across the street. Then she winked once, grey hair shifting to neon blue before back to grey. She gave a subtle wave, before carrying on in a hunched walk.
With a disorienting squeezing sensation, they appeared in an entirely new sort of chaos. Adrian was thankful Lutain was hidden well in his box, he could easily imagine his lengthy familiar getting splinched.
Hedwig shrieked angrily, rattling her cage once again as she spotted a grey cat on a leash, walking next to one young witch.
"Well, look after yourself." Remus spoke, carefully impersonal as he offered his hand for a handshake.
Adrian smiled slightly, knowing that the relief in his eyes was visible. "You too."
"Keep your head down and your eyes peeled," Remus noted, giving a tiny wave to the irritated Hedwig, "Careful what you put in writing, but I'll be glad to owl you back and forth."
Adrian gave a small nod, grabbing his trunk with one hand and Hedwig with the other, "I'll see you around, Remus."
Remus nodded back, "Until then, cub."
Adrian blinked quickly and started walking, slipping onto the train and tugging his trunk after him. Once the trunk (and Lutain) made it up the several steep steps, he hoisted Hedwig onto the top of the mess and dragged all three containers behind him.
The frosted glass of the compartments were open, showing the collection of students inside. Adrian knew better than to even try to sit with anyone not in Slytherin, and even those inside Slytherin were tentative at best.
He found an empty compartment, mostly due to how early he arrived. He slid Hedwig into a special owl carrier on the top of the compartment, as well as his trunks. He dutifully unlocked the small latch and let Lutain free.
The black snake dropped from the ceiling with a dull thwack! Instantly, he sprawled out on the opposite seat, soaking up the dull sunshine and expressing in grumbles how annoyed he was. Hedwig cooed alongside, as if able to understand him.
Of course, his compartment wasn't empty forever.
"Hello, Adrian." Luna smiled, lugging her own trunk into the compartment. She struggled to hoist it, shifting and pushing the trunk until it slid into place next to Adrian's. "Oh, hello Lutain. You've grown, it suits you."
"Hello crazy lady," Lutain dutifully responded, not bothering to move. Lutain would never admit it, but he found it amusing how Luna talked to him as if she understood his language.
Luna hummed quietly to herself as she closed the compartment door, and then picked up Lutain's lower body to slide underneath him onto a seat. Once seated, she let the scaly lower half plop back onto her lap.
Lutain looked at her in surprise, and amusement over her generally uncaring attitude.
Adrian smiled, and glanced out of the window once more.
"How was your summer?" Luna asked curiously. "You look terrible."
"You know, most times you're supposed to compliment me first." Adrian dryly commented, "It's wonderful to know you're so sweet."
Luna shrugged, "You look like something's eating you."
Adrian rolled his eyes with a small affectionate quirk to his lips, "Is it the Blibbering Humdingers or the Snorkacks this time?"
Luna just smiled sadly, and pulled out a version of the Quibbler to read. It was upside down, although Adrian had no doubt she could read it fluently.
The train whistled and began to move. Adrian was hopeful that it would be just them inside the compartment.
The door opened just as the train was pulling out of the station, Skylar Potter and Neville Longbottom looking equally hopeful and rejected.
Adrian groaned and banged his head back on the wall behind him, "Merlin, I just got rid of you."
"Don't be mean," Luna tutted, smiling dazed at the newcomers, "Hello."
"Er, hi?" Skylar stated, staring at Luna a bit longer than necessary. Her hair was just as long as before, if only a bit more straggly. Luna did have an aura of distinct dottiness, either from her butterbeer cap necklace, or how her wand was jammed behind her left ear for safekeeping.
"You're Skylar Potter," She noted, tilting her head curiously. Skylar blinked, taken aback by the statement as if his identity was something to be debated. "Er, yes. I know I am."
Neville chuckled and tried to take a seat next to Luna, only to jump to his feet in alarm when Lutain reared angrily with a hiss. He hadn't noticed how Lutain had sprawled lazily across the entire bench seat and Luna's lap, staking a claim.
"Shhh," She soothed Lutain with a small bop to his snout, "Don't be rude. I don't know who you are."
"I'm nobody," Neville hurriedly explained.
"No you're not," Skylar frowned, "He's Neville Longbottom, he's in my year."
"Oh, hello." Luna smiled slightly, although her expression wasn't entirely welcoming, "I'm Luna Lovegood."
She raised her copy of the Quibbler high enough to hide her face, and fell silent. Adrian had his eyes closed and head resting on the headrest, all in all Neville and Skylar were very uncomfortable. It was very clear that although the two new passengers were free to stay, they weren't being exactly encouraged.
The train rattled onward, speeding into open country. It was an odd, unsettled sort of day; one moment the carriage was full of sunlight and the next they were passing beneath ominously gray clouds.
"Guess what I got for my birthday?" said Neville.
"Don't care." Adrian promptly replied, causing Neville to flush and lower his backpack. Skylar swallowed uncomfortably, ready to reprimand Adrian for how rude that had been. Adrian didn't look as if he had even realized it was rude. Once again, Skylar felt sad at the differences between Adrian and other people - the gaps where social norms and actions hadn't quite sunk into him. It was...Skylar didn't know how to explain it.
The compartment opened nearly an hour later, by then the trolley had already gone by. Lutain was energetically hunting a chocolate frog, lunging back and forth to direct the thing into his coils. He was careful not to bite the chocolate creation.
The door slid open just as the frog leapt out into the hall. Lutain leapt after it, grabbing it in his coils and wrapping tightly around it until he was a well formed knot at the end of a black rope. Adrian grabbed his tail and dragged him back inside the compartment as if a dog toy.
"Sorry uh, bad time?" Ron blinked, already stowing his small energetic owl Pigwidgeon next to the angry Hedwig. He threw himself into the seat next to Skylar, sandwiching him between the ginger and Adrian.
Hermione stomped inside and settled herself next to Neville, looking more dignified although more uncertain of Lutain rolling around near their feet.
"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each House," said Hermione, looking thoroughly disgruntled, "Boy and girl from each."
"Who is Slytherin?" Adrian asked curiously, not bothering to open his eyes.
"Malfoy," Skylar responded instantly, sounding as if he accepted the fate already.
"And that complete cow Pansy Parkinson." Hermione seethed, "Er, I mean, if you're friends with her-"
"She's thicker than a concussed troll." Adrian snorted sourly, "Greengrass would have been better, though thank Merlin she isn't."
"Uh," Neville smartly responded, not knowing the Slytherins that well.
"Who's Hufflepuff?" Skylar asked.
"Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott." said Ron sourly. Adrian groaned quietly at Ernie.
"Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw," Hermione added in.
"You went to Yule Ball with Padma Patil," Luna bluntly and tactlessly stated, looking at Skylar as if he was going to refute the fact.
"I did," Skylar blinked surprised, not at all denying it, "who did you go with?"
Luna beamed, "Adrian."
There was a small pause, a hesitation in breath from almost everyone in the compartment. Adrian didn't open his eyes, and breathing resumed slowly, cautiously.
"Oh!" Hermione looked happy with the conversation, "Yes! I remember that!"
Ron blinked, "Well I don't."
There was another heavy pause. Although Adrian's eyes were closed he could almost feel how eyes were flickering from his form to Luna and back.
Skylar sounded uncomfortable, "Oh, er...are you two…"
Adrian opened his eyes and looked at Skylar with a deadpan expression, Luna simply looked inquisitive. Skylar trailed off weakly, not finishing his sentence and struggling to rephrase.
"Are we what?" Luna's tone was gentle and neutral, yet somehow sharper and daring. Metaphorically poking a inquirious wyvern with a pointy stick.
Skylar's mouth opened and he floundered, unable to ask anything besides an awkward wheezing noise.
"We're supposed to patrol the corridors every so often!" Ron blurted, stopping the escalating unease with his sudden outburst. At once, the atmosphere cracked and everyone relaxed into their seats.
"Obviously, since you know, you're a prefect," Adrian sighed, looking very fed up with the conversation and chatter already.
Then the compartment door opened for the third time.
Skylar had been expecting it, but it did not make the sight of Draco Malfoy smirking at him from between Crabbe and Goyle any more pleasant. It was small mercies that Malfoy hadn't appeared only minutes prior.
"What?" Skylar asked aggressively, before Malfoy could open his mouth. Malfoy seemed stunned for a split second, as if he had anticipated someone else being inside the compartment.
Adrian's lip twitched, he hadn't seen many of Potter's fights with Malfoy in person, although they were known school wide.
"Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention," drawled Malfoy, who was barely restraining his glee, "You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."
"Yeah, but you, unlike me, are a git."
Adrian almost snorted. Lutain sniggered silently.
"Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?" Malfoy asked, lip curling in amusement. His tone was bitingly sharp, none of the fancy dainty duels of wits Adrian had experienced in the common room. This was mean and blunt.
"Shut up, Malfoy." Hermione spoke sharply.
"I seem to have touched a nerve," Malfoy huffed happily, smirking sharply, "Well, watch yourself- Selwyn?"
Adrian groaned, and banged his head back on the wall behind him. So much for small mercies.
Malfoy blinked in surprise once, then was overwhelmed by laughter so strong, tears slipped down his face.
"It's true!" He cackled in mirth, "You really were with that filthy werewolf!"
Adrian felt the locket against his heart vibrate, pulsing sharply and fueling his rising anger. Why couldn't Malfoy just leave him alone.
He recognized realistically that there was no need to get so...so furious. Malfoy was just being his usual jerk self, and he would leave and most likely tease him for it later.
But Adrian was angry, he really was. More furious than he had been with Mundungus in the past. He wanted to make Malfoy hurt.
"Hi Malfoy!" He spoke, voice chipper in a way that signified an approaching hurricane. He had his wand in his sleeve, and in the practiced movement Bellatrix had drilled into him, it slipped into his hand with one go.
Skylar inhaled sharply at his words. Skylar could remember almost instantly the same sort of chipper- nearly giggly tone of voice, as well as the leaking visceral stuffings of an old couch.
Skylar hurried forward, barely able to lean across before Adrian was pointing his wand with something delighted in his eyes. Lutain took some sort of invisible cue and lunged at the Slytherin trio. Crabbe and Goyle flinched back with an ugly expression of dismay.
"Incendio!" Adrian hissed, flicking his wand to target Draco's robes.
He intended only for a decently small segment to burn. Lutain had to recoil and retreat backwards as not only Draco caught on fire, but also Crabbe and Goyle. Draco's entire outer robe went up in orange flames, tongues lapping happily and spreading to the boy's hair as the patches on his cronies' robes spread over their back. A contained flame was quickly turning wild, sending off acrid black smoke as it burned through expensive silk and other materials.
Adrian startled in surprise, he certainly hadn't intended for an effect that strong.
'The potion…' He remembered in awe, Crouch had said that his magic would be stronger.
Adrian felt a grin split his face as Malfoy and his goons screamed in surprise and fear, skin turning pink then a vicious angry red. There was a strange disturbing cooked smell, mixing with the harsh smoke.
A bubbling laugh tumble from Adrian's mouth. The potion worked.
What more did the potion do?
Adrian's peripheral vision blurred as his blood pulsed quickly through his neck, the locket burning warm enough to almost be uncomfortable. He could feel his pulse all the way down to his finger tips, vibrating rhythmically. He pushed- as if trying to break through a permeable membrane, like a firm soap bubble.
He pushed, and pushed until his focus point stretched and warped- his hearing drowning out behind the pulsating thud-dud, thud-dud thud-dud
Then it snapped.
Boom
The flames roared, leaping upwards with the fury of an entire bucket of floo powder in a fireplace. The flames glowed red, licking and burning the top of the hallway and dancing off of the frosted glass and along the corridor down at least two carpet smoldered, peeling away from the wooden flooring like a leaf drying out. The wallpaper of the carriages curled like flower petals and waxy glue dripped as if the train was bleeding.
A sharp pain slammed into Adrian's face; his focus was broken as he stumbled back and raised both hands instinctively to clutch his nose.
Adrian stumbled back, blinking wildly as he noticed suddenly how hot everything was. And the screaming.
Hermione was casting something desperately, chest heaving as Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were lying pitifully and moaning quietly in the middle of the hallway, still on fire.
"Hermione?" Skylar breathed in horror, unsure of what to think.
"I- Flame-freezing charm," she gasped out, shaking in horror, "I- Flitwick made me do an essay last year."
Luna hurried to her feet, approaching the fire tentatively before reaching into it and feeling the pitifully mewling trio. She withdrew her hand slowly, skin untouched and unharmed although she did have a rather large frown on her face. "Ron, Hermione, could you fetch the Head Boy and Head Girl?"
"I- yes!" Hermione blubbered, flinching as the flames snapped angrily, crackling out as if snapping its jaws.
They could hear people shouting and taking cover in the compartments directly nearby, people were racing down the hallways and struggling to dispel the large fire. There was a shrill alarm, ringing painfully in Adrian's ears.
Adrian trembled, blinking wildly as the locket thrummed wildly against his chest. Hissing wordless praise like a proud mother.
"Adrian!" Hermione shouted, causing Adrian to flinch and look at her suddenly.
"I- yeah?" He croaked, blinking still as he seemed dazed. Luna slipped between Hermione and Skylar, folding her legs under her to trail her fingers gently along Adrian's jawline.
Ron looked particularly shaken, all the blood having drained from his face. The redhead was staring at something lower than Adrian's eyes; Adrian lifted a hand to his face, pulling away when his fingers were stained in blood and his face throbbed sore.
"Ron punched you," Skylar informed him, looking visibly shaken as well, "You okay? You with us?"
"Master?" Lutain asked quietly, curled up tightly and protectively over where Luna had been sitting.
"Adrian?" Luna asked, although her voice was sharper and clearer in the ringing haze.
"I- yeah." Adrian stumbled, feeling like he was talking underwater, "I- did I hurt you?"
Lutain lowered his head, resting it on his coils as he dutifully unraveled, showing tarnished scales that seemed a bit more black than usual.
Adrian's heart dropped.
"We're fine, I think." Luna assured him calmly, "I think that Draco Malfoy is hurt. As well as Crabbe and Goyle."
"Good." Adrian rasped out, blinking and flinching back in alarm when Ron's face shadowed in anger. His fist had pulled back, twitching into another punch. Luna hunkered forward slightly, shielding Adrian's trembling body with her own petite one.
"Yeah well," Skylar soothed, shaking from adrenaline as the fire continued to burn, thankfully impossible to feel, "they'll take care of this. The fire."
Adrian nodded rapidly, feeling whiplash. Adrian rasped something, unable to hear his own voice although he felt his mouth move in the shape of words. Luna tilted her head, nodding slightly before standing and reaching above everyone's heads. She had to balance on the tips of her toes, yanking at Adrian's classier trunk. It fell with a clatter, startling Hedwig and Pigwidgeon who were shivering from the scare.
"I- healing potions." Adrian swallowed, voice foreign in his own ears. He opened the compartment, snatching a half dozen hastily. Luna gently slipped them from between his unresponsive fingers, passing them along to Hermione. She kept one, likely for the sluggishly bleeding from Adrian's nose.
The fire outside was finally extinguished, thanks to several students rushing forward with water charms. The corridor and compartment felt musty, incredibly humid and damp from the water. Draco and his goons were escorted away by the Head boy and Head girl, already being treated with charms and potions to prevent the snitch sized blisters from forming. The train scooted along, resuming its original path. Of course, both the Head boy and girl had investigated thoroughly- they sighed in frustration the moment they spotted Selwyn, shaking slightly in the furthest corner of the compartment. Fire incidents went almost hand and hand with Adrian Selwyn. Skylar felt a small pang of anger- it wasn't fair that they had leapt to assumptions without even asking questions!
(He felt bad instantly after, given that the situation was due to the common assumption. Selwyn was a very unlucky bloke.)
The weather remained poor as they traveled farther and farther north. Rain spattered the windows, almost ironically with how muggy the train cars now felt. When darkness fell and lamps came back on inside the carriages, Luna rolled up her magazine and took to looking at Lutain who was still curled up protectively.
"Episkey," she cast carefully, gently attempting to repair the damaged scales. Trevor the toad croaked quietly.
"We'd better change," said Hermione at last, still glancing at Adrian with worry. Adrian was curled in on himself, staring out of the grimy window as if he couldn't see anything at all. He was painfully small, pressed in the gap between Luna and the window.
At last the train began to slow down, and they heard the usual racket up and down as everyone scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled.
Ron and Hermione prepared to leave, Hermione pausing as she quietly gave Adrian permission to skip the opening feast in favor of seeing Madam Pomfrey. He shrugged and ignored her, Luna pressed closer to him as if her weight and pressure would help reassure him.
The group shuffled out of the compartment, smelling the unusually sulfuric air as they avoided larger patches of still smoldering carpet. Adrian ducked his head low, trying to avoid the judgmental whispers when a few students spotted him leaving the smoking corridor. Slowly they moved toward the door, trying not to pay that much attention to how other students began murmuring to one another over the burnt smell.
They made their way towards the hundred or so horseless stagecoaches. The ground was wet and soggy, mud and wet trees making a familiar sappy smell; petrichor. The square shape of the carriages slowly emerged from the dark, familiar in shape except the new addition. Skylar gasped loudly, pausing and dragging the group to a halt.
One monster peered over curiously, huffing through large nostrils and sightless eyes. Their hairless skin reflected light waxily, something dark yet the strange shininess of a scar.
Adrian relaxed when he spotted the familiarity of the skeletal creature, and vast, black leathery wings. Skylar nearly gaped, noticing instantly how the other boy was much more lively and content in the presence of such...monsters. The others didn't seem to notice at all, as if they were invisible.
"What are those things?" Skylar nodded towards the horse creatures, trying not to stare too much with how reverently Adrian was sending glances towards them.
Adrian paused, wilting in on himself slightly. Adrian was holding Lutain tightly as he clipped out, "what things?"
The fact that Adrian was the one to respond drew more attention to the question that Skylar asked than originally intended. Skylar shrunk in on himself, lamely pointing with one hand.
"Those horse-..."
Luna appeared once more in the dark, eyes wide and almost as grey as the beasts. They had somewhat split away from the main group, lagging behind. "There you are, shall we get in now?"
"What were you saying, Sky?" Ron grumbled, opening the carriage door and shoving Pigwidgeon's cage inside.
"I was saying, what are those horse things?"
"What horse things?" Hermione piped up, emerging from Skylar's otherside behind a group of excited second years.
"The horse things pulling the carriages!" Skylar snapped impatiently; they were, after all, about three feet from the nearest one it was watching them with empty white eyes.
Ron just looked at Skylar perplexed.
"Thestrals," Adrian spoke quietly, walking past the trio directly towards the horse creature. He reached out, running one hand over the reptilian face and the bony snout. Skylar felt like flinching away, something seemed so...grotesque with touching the strangely reptilian monster. The thestral leaned into the touch without care, peering out with the eyes of a corpse.
"What?" Hermione huffed, too tense and high strung from Adrian's earlier outburst.
Adrian let his hand fall, dangling by the thestral's cheek before he lowered it to his waist.
"It's all right," Luna spoke quietly, vanishing into the coach's interior, "You're not going mad. I can see them too."
That wasn't very reassuring, if anything it made Skylar more uncomfortable. These...these strange demonic horses that were invisible to everyone except them.
Adrian huffed quietly, coming out of his shell. He almost smiled at how unsettled Skylar felt, "You're just as unfortunate as we are."