I didn't mean to. I think that's the worst bit. I honestly didn't mean for that to happen, It's like trying to keep sand from falling between your fingers. It's too much, it's always too much. The worst bit, the worst bit is that I know nobody believes that either.'
"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices. Before, I would like to apologize for the unimaginable fire, which broke out on the Hogwarts Express while arriving. Be assured, that we are investigating it as we speak. First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students."
"Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me once more to remind you all that magic is not permitted in the corridors. We have two changes in staff this year. We are pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking care of Care of Magical Creatures. We are also pleased to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Art teacher."
"Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the-"
Dumbledore broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why she had remained standing.
Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat back down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as if she was to declare an important announcement.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge smiled much too sweet, "for those kind words of welcome. Well, It is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say! And to see such happy little faces looking back at me! The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance…"
"Would you like to explain to me what happened, Mr. Selwyn?" Madam Pomfrey asked gently.
Adrian shifted, his jaw visibly tense. "I tried to spell Malfoy. It was a bigger reaction than I thought it would be."
Madam Pomfrey sighed through her nose, "I'll say," She smiled, trying to keep the conversation light and easy.
Adrian's face twitched.
"What spell did you use?" She asked politely, taking out a sheaf of parchment and a quill, already documenting the occasion. Adrian recognized his box, already filled with his extensive medical records. Adrian suspected that Remus was sending letters ahead of time, keeping her updated on his medical information.
"Incendio," Adrian muttered quietly, running his fingers over his wand. Madam Pomfrey paused, looking at him considerately.
"That was a big reaction for a basic spell, Mr. Selwyn."
Adrian shrugged, "It just happened."
Unfortunately, the few eye witnesses had confirmed that it was the spell Adrian had used. There were records of Adrian's special usage of fire charms or spells, it was possible that he simply performed pyrotechnic magic a hair better than others. Affinities were usually for a branch of magic, like healing spells or charms or transfiguration. The idea that fire magic was an affinity was...unusual, but not uncommon.
"Well, I have a few new questions to ask you," She smiled, taking out the new sheaf of parchment where she had written down questions earlier, "Can you give me a number? One for never, five for all the time?"
Adrian rolled his eyes, looking as if he had better things to do.
"Now, are you very anxious about a lot of things in your life?"
Adrian glared with a withering look, "No."
"The numbers, Mr. Selwyn."
Adrian paused, tensing and curling his feet on top of the bed, "two,"
She wrote it down dutifully.
"Do you feel that your worry is out of your control?"
Adrian snorted, looking bored already, "One."
"Are you restless, agitated, or tense?"
Adrian paused, looking considerate while chewing on his bottom lip. His cheek twitched, Poppy held her breath.
"...five."
"Do you have trouble sleeping? Or oversleeping?"
"...four."
They continued, Madam Pomfrey alternated between asking other questions about if his heart rate would speed up, or if he ever tremble excessively. It went on for a painfully long time, enough for Madam Pomfrey to feel very unsure and uncomfortable with some of the responses of the child.
"Are we done?" he growled out, looking irritable and unsettled.
"Yes, we are." Madam Pomfrey smiled; unsure, setting aside the parchment and his responses. Adrian leapt to his feet, stretching his back and looking ready to leave.
"Mr. Selwyn?" Madam Pomfrey asked politely, "If you'd like, I can write a note to your Head of House about your condition?"
Adrian tensed, "What condition?"
Pomfrey struggled, "You...You've experienced a traumatic event, and sometimes events leave us with sc-"
Adrian looked at her with the greatest deadpan expression.
Madam Pomfrey flushed and bit her tongue. Of course he knew about scars, physical or emotional.
"Thank you, but it's not necessary." He smiled sharply, "have a good evening, Ma'am."
Poppy sighed, locking up Adrian's record once more.
Adrian left hurriedly towards the Great Hall, his stomach twisting into something pained. They were to receive their scheduled classes, although they likely would only walk around to find the specific rooms today. Classes begin tomorrow, as per tradition.
Adrian shuffled into the Great Hall, sliding towards the Slytherin table and taking a seat. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were nowhere to be seen. The 'fire incident' had spread like, well, wildfire through the house. Everyone speculated it was Adrian who set it.
With a whoosh and a clatter, hundreds of owls came soaring in through the upper windows. They descended all over the Hall, bringing letters and packages to their owners and showering the breakfast eaters with droplets of water; it was clearly raining very hard outside. Hedwig swooped down low, her long white wings curved sharply as she landed right in front of Adrian, shaking water off of her back. She had a letter tied to her leg, low quality parchment he knew Remus liked to use.
Adrian grimaced and untied it, storing it in his pocket to read later.
A loud flash of lightning filled the room, seconds later it rattled the table with thunder.
It was a thunderstorm.
A thunderstorm.
Adrian scrambled upwards from his table, snatching his schedule from a highly annoyed Snape as he hurried down to the dungeons. He briefly glanced at his schedule, wincing as he noticed just how horrid it was. He was so busy with Crouch last year, he hadn't constructed that convenient of a schedule. His classes were poorly spaced, and overwhelming on certain days.
It didn't matter, he had better things to do anyways.
He hurried down to his room, closing the door behind him to search through all of his potions for the one bottle in particular that was unmarked. He grabbed it, peering inside at the one mandrake leaf he had adhered to the underside of his tongue for a month. He could run down to the chamber to undergo the transformation in ultimate privacy, but something about the seclusion wasn't appealing. It was incredibly unlikely that anyone would intrude on him inside his room- the door was locked, Lutain was on guard, and everyone dedicated the day to exploring the castle or relaxing. It was the best time now.
It was very anticlimactic. Adrian twisted the topper off and chugged the entire blood red vial, pausing only to shift the leaf around in his mouth so he wouldn't choke. After a moment of hesitation, he chewed the leaf and swallowed it along with the potion. The edges of the leaf were still sharp, and burned his throat as if it were broken glass.
Nothing happened, not for ten minutes. Not for fifteen. Adrian pouted, sitting on his bed quietly as he set his wand on his nightstand and stared at the wall.
A fiery pain erupted through his body, leaving him gasping and keeling over. His heart raced, beating faster and faster until- until it split, an intense double heartbeat that was much slower than his own one.
He opened his mouth, trying to speak or at least warn Lutain. Before he could do so- the room vanished, his eyes rolling up into his head as something scaled with yellow-green eyes stared at him milky, jaw unhinging and…
Adrian jolted his eyes open, everything stunningly surreal with a double vision. He twitched, struggling to move as his arms were broken…
He moved, oh- oh, he didn't have arms. He lifted his head like he was looking up, his neck extending and flexing as he just rose and rose and rose-
He groaned, the noise sounded warped and audible as something ringing, a thrum from a plucked string.
'How do I move?' He thought dazed to himself, struggling and wiggling in place like Lutain stuck in a mouse trap.
Thank Merlin his familiar wasn't out to see it.
He struggled, finally propelling forward shakily by tensing and pushing each side as if he was swimming. It was scarily easy to adapt, especially when he could lift or lower his upper body so easily.
Within moments he was thoroughly investigating his room, flicking out his tongue curiously only to flinch at the 'second' afterimage that burned through his mind. As if someone had flashed lumos brightly in his skull.
"Oh Merlin," He moaned, his voice hoarse but clearly audible to his own ears (or ear holes?)
He spotted movement, turning and lifting as something else rose also- he struggled to match it length for length.
'Attack! Attack!' something primitive hissed, compelling him to flex and sway his exposed underbelly in a dizzying pattern. His teeth clicked with a silent but noticeable snap, each lowering like a fist unfurling.
He blinked (he didn't think snakes could blink) and tilted his head in confusion at the long black enemy, "Lutain?"
His opponent pulled back, towering a solid foot above him although its body was much more slender. It tasted the air, a long whiplike tongue which moved much faster than Adrian could, "Master?"
Adrian stumbled, trying to lower himself slowly to the ground, only accomplishing a very human trip backwards, knocking his head on the corner of his bed. His body hit the floor with a dull thwap!
Lutain stared, then snickered wildly in amusement, "Master! You are noble kind! You have such large scales!"
Adrian stumbled to right himself, "How in the blazes do you use your tongue?"
Lutain wisely flicked his tongue twice, and didn't answer.
Adrian looked around curiously once more, his tail instinctively twitching and curling like a prehensile thumb around the very edge of his bed.
"You have pretty scales," Lutain noted wisely, "Like Nagini."
Adrian could tell that was true, his sense of size was thoroughly shot to hell but Lutain's own scales were much much smaller. Although his familiar was longer in comparison.
"Oh Merlin, it's filthy in here. I need to clean under my bed more often," Adrian commented, investigating under his bed and hearing the scrape of scales on wood.
Something tugged on his head, providing resistance. He yanked his head back, freeing himself from a dangling tail of one of his sheets. Lutain watched bemused as Adrian investigated, trying to understand how on earth the sheet got stuck to his face.
"This is confusing," Adrian admitted, thankful that his familiar could at least understand him.
"Can you go back?" Lutain asked curiously, hoisting himself onto the bed. Adrian attempted to follow, it was much much harder than he thought it would be.
He struggled upwards, learning quickly that he did not have as fine muscular control as Nagini did when climbing. Once thoroughly exhausted, he collapsed on his covers on top of his clothing and the locket he had abandoned.
In theory, he should be able to change at will back to his human form just by envisioning it. He didn't think it would be that easy.
It was.
He blinked, swaying dizzily as his senses oriented himself as well as his depth perception once more. He felt nauseous, obviously he'd need to practice.
"That was exciting." Lutain pointed out happily, overjoyed beyond words. Adrian blinked, fisting the clothing he had abandoned.
"I need to figure out how to shift without losing my robes," he thought smartly, feeling cripplingly exhausted. He slipped on his outer robe, abandoning his underclothing simply for convenience.
Lutain was positively thrilled for the next few days, refusing to leave Adrian alone. He prattled on and on about all of the finer things he would teach Adrian, from the fastest way to strike to how to pick out the best rat from a pile. Adrian tried to follow, although the physical transformation truly had taken everything out of him. He felt like something had grabbed his bones and stretched him, even his eyes hurt.
He knew that a proper Animagus transformation took attributes and applied them both ways. James Potter had a habit of tossing his head, or leaping across areas without thought. Sirius tilted his head when puzzled, and had his trademark bark-like laugh.
Adrian could only guess his scars had traveled over to his animagus form. He was very curious what had traveled back.
He was in contact with his father every other night, speaking through disjointed phrases through his tattoo. Once Adrian had fallen asleep, Lutain carried on the conversation except this time with Nagini.
Things were looking up, except for the horrid experience that was Defense class. Adrian was struggling to stay focused enough to read textbook, let alone read lines. The only thing which made the class tolerable was in his boredom, he tended to smolder the Professor's books or parchment when she wasn't looking. His classmates caught on quickly, and although Draco, Crabbe and Goyle had not forgiven him for the train incident, they at least found it slightly humorous as well.
It was good practice, not to mention very tricky to only singe a book instead of full out burning it. Adrian had his wand in his bag even, so as much as Professor Umbridge would love to blame him, she didn't have a target.
(With how often Adrian zoned out and refused to read the assigned passages, Umbridge had tauntingly stated that he must be illiterate. Adrian barely blinked, which infuriated her even further.)
Double transfiguration for some reason seemed much, much easier. They started with vanishing spells, each given snails. On the fifth attempt, the snail simply winked out of existence. Greengrass of course accomplished it one try before him, but the class ended with no other student successful.
Normally Adrian would be excited for Care, but for some reason it just didn't seem important to him. He didn't mind it, although he was curious whatever happened to Hagrid.
"Everyone here?" barked Professor Grubbly-Plank, "Let's crack on then- who can tell me what these things are called?"
She indicated to the heap of twigs in front of her. Hermione's hand shot into the air only a second after Adrian realized what they were. Small wood creatures with knobbly brown arms and legs, two twig-like fingers, and a funny flat barklike face. Professor Grubbly-Plank blinked as she saw Hermione, then peered around at the rest of the class. It was common knowledge that Hermione could answer nearly every question, regardless of class.
"So, anyone know the names of these creatures?"
The Slytherins collectively looked at Adrian, and took a double take at how he was barely even paying attention. They exchanged alarmed glances, realizing that Granger was going to get the answer.
"Miss Granger?"
"Bowtruckles," said Hermione, "They're tree-guardians that usually live in wand trees!"
"Five points for Gryffindor," said Professor Grubbly-Plank, "Yes, these are bowtruckles and, as Miss Granger rightly says, they generally live in trees. Anybody know what they eat?"
Once again, the Slytherins looked at Adrian, who wasn't paying attention. Lutain was hissing something, and Adrian was amusing himself with playing with his familiar.
"Woodlice! But fairy eggs if they can get them."
"Good girl, take another five points. So whenever you need leaves or wood from-..."
"What the hell, Selwyn?" Blaise hissed angrily, nostrils flaring in annoyance, "Get us some points."
Adrian rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Oh yes, like I want to waste my time on bowtruckles and five lousy points."
Blaise looked like he had been slapped. Pansy made a small sound of confusion.
"Go on! Grab one!" the Professor beckoned. They each methodologically approached, Adrian taking the flank of the line.
The moment he approached the pile though, the bowtruckles screamed, running away and burrowing as far as they could get from Adrian.
"Mr. Selwyn!" Professor Grubbly-Plank abruptly stated, "Remove that, that reptile from the area immediately!"
Adrian paused and looked at her as if they had insulted his family, but obligingly picked up the snake and set it loose. The snake paused, but obediently slithered away towards the castle.
The bowtruckles were still terrified. Adrian ignored them and reached out, the creatures scrambled away from his open hand as if he was a dementor. One stood tall and growled, jumping at him and biting his finger.
Adrian hissed, the sound would have made Slytherin proud. Even Draco would say that noise was perfect.
Adrian glared at the bowtruckle angrily, the bowtruckle froze.
"Well," The professor awkwardly stated, "I, ah, I heard you were good with the creatures. That's unfortunate, partner up and use someone else's."
Adrian scowled and simply went to sit on the grass on his own. They were to draw a bowtruckle, but Adrian seemed to be doing fine on his own.
When the bell echoed distantly over the grounds, Adrian rolled up his accurate bowtruckle picture and marched off. Skylar Potter stared at him unsure, heading towards the greenhouses. Hermione and Ron followed quickly, sneaking glares at Malfoy. It didn't even resonate with Adrian that it was rather odd that he wasn't fascinated by the bowtruckles in the slightest.
"You're right," Adrian agreed contently, "These pipes are amazing."
Lutain continued on in the lead, having traveled through the pipe system much more than he had.
"Yes! They go to every room!" Lutain enthused, "I watch whenever."
Adrian tilted his head curiously, chasing the white ghostly figure that he could see in the pitch black darkness. "Are you saying you've snuck around to watch me?"
"Yes, but not the potions. They smell bad." Lutain grimaced, sounding disgusted as he banked left at a fork, his long body traversing the pipe.
Adrian was skeptic of the pipes at first, assuming that they would be much too large to sufficiently sneak around. Slytherin must have been an animagus himself, since the pipes magically altered sizes to allow Adrian to slip through without too much difficulty,
"I can imagine. Where are we going?"
"Where do you want?" Lutain responded challengingly, allowing Adrian to take the lead and go exploring.
Adrian reasoned that he was somewhere in between Nagini and Lutain. Longer than Nagini, although considerably less stocky. He wasn't nearly as flexible as her, or with her level of muscle control. Lutain was disproportionately long, thin and fast. Adrian wasn't anything like that, although he could blink which was already weird. From what he had seen of his body, he had relatively large scales (or Lutain just had unusually small ones), and was a dark black color, almost iridescent blue and green in specific lighting. He didn't know what his head looked like, he hadn't the opportunity to find a mirror.
They moved down another pipe, the walls expanding to accommodate turning around. Adrian was getting the hang of slithering, although it frequently left him with incredibly sore sides the next day.
Adrian explored, happily moving down and up and left and right through the pipes, eyes able to pierce the darkness well. In the reflections of the pipe, he had spotted the vaguest shape of a strange fringed crest, starting between his eyes and back over the flat of his skull like the dorsal spine on a fish. It was red on the membranes between, striking to look at when extended but a hazard to bedsheets. Perhaps he was aquatic?
Adrian truly didn't care much for Quidditch. The only relief was that with the new season, Adrian had enough time on his own to explore around the pipes with Lutain.
It was a welcome stress relief, something he genuinely enjoyed doing. Lutain enjoyed it also, especially since they hadn't ever the opportunity to do something similar before. Lutain often challenged him to races- he always won.
"We should go to the forest!" Lutain enthused excitedly, "Hunt!"
"Lutain, I'm not eating a rat." Adrian almost chuckled back, the sound coming back in hitched hisses.
"No, you would get a squirrel." Lutain soothed, as if the rat was the offending part, "a nice big squirrel."
Adrian laughed, banking left and descending down a slope rapidly to avoid one open vent. He could hear voices inside, detention with Filch.
They continued at it, only retreating back to the dungeons when it was nearing a proper time to retire. Not that Adrian had been staying up too late anyways, he tended to oversleep.
(And skip classes. Madam Pomfrey must have talked to Snape because he hadn't made a ruckus of it. He still had to do the assignments, after all.)
He was smart enough to not skip Umbridge, who was quickly becoming a royal pain.
There was a decree where she would watch every class, evaluate it or some sort of rubbish.
He hadn't thought much of it, so what if some woman was being critical of how other teachers taught?
Well, it was worse than he had expected.
When he walked down the lawns towards the forest for Care class, he found her and a hideously pink clipboard waiting for them beside Professor Grubbly-Plank.
"You do not usually teach this class, is that correct?" Umbridge asked Grubbly-Plank, her voice too sweet to be anything besides suspicious.
"Quite correct, I'm a substitute teacher standing in for Professor Hagrid."
Adrian spotted Malfoy grinning wildly and whispering to Crabbe and Goyle, each decorated with the faintest pink marks of their burning incident. Adrian had a bad feeling that they'd take advantage of the Ministry worker here.
"Hmm," Professor Umbridge spoke, her voice dropping lowly although she was still clearly able to be heard, "I wonder- the headmaster seems strangely reluctant to give me any information on the matter- can you tell me what is causing Professor Hagrid's very extended leave of absence?"
Malfoy's head snapped up in excitement. Adrian subtly walked forward, closer to Malfoy and his group.
"'Fraid I can't," said Professor Grubbly-Plank breezily. "Don't know anything more about it than you do. I got an owl from Dumbledore, that's as much as I know. Well...shall I get started then?"
Umbridge started wandering among the students, questioning them on magical creatures. Many of the Gryffindors were able to answer, at least they had learned information in the prior years.
"Well, you seem to know what you're doing, at any rate," said Professor Umbridge, making an obviously large check on her clipboard. Adrian tensed as she neared Goyle, "Now, I hear there have been injuries in this class?"
Goyle gave a stupid grin, Malfoy fastened to answer the question.
"A hippogriff!" Malfoy blurted excitedly. "It attacked me!"
Adrian smoothly interjected, "It actually injured me, and it only injured me because we hadn't followed the directions. Like anyone would, in any class." Adrian continued, looking at Umbridge.
Umbridge paused in her hasty scribbling. She slowly turned her head to look at Adrian, her eyes widening and face shifting into one of disgust as she took in his scars and disfigurement.
"Mr...Selwyn, is it?" She spoke, her voice lacking its usual charm. "I believe that from what I see, you must attract injuries. Due to that, obviously I must ignore your claim and focus on the fact that there was an injury, not who was injured."
Pansy shrunk back, and Daphne mumbled something under her breath.
Adrian inhaled through his nose, and released it quietly, "Actually, Professor, I tend to excel in this class."
Umbridge whirled around, not expecting the conversation to continue, "Why- I'm sorry, I must have misheard you. Obviously your track record suggests otherwise-"
Lutain dropped from Adrian's shoulders, his thick coils had been hidden by Adrian's black robe. Now that he was moving, it was evident that the humongous snake had been around him from the very start. Lutain was long, likely nearing 6 feet now.
Umbridge's eyes bulged in surprise, she hadn't seen Lutain coiled around him until just before.
"Ugh," She huffed, raising her robe as if Lutain touching them would ruin it, "disgusting worm. Go on, banish it." She sniffed, looking at the Professor who was very much surprised and reluctant.
"I am not a worm!" Lutain shrieked outraged, "How dare you!"
"Come back," Adrian spoke calmly, outstretching one arm. Lutain hesitated, before obliging and returning.
Umbridge huffed, "Was that supposed to, to somehow display your innate talent?"
Adrian blinked in surprise and slight shock- he had a familiar, of course that meant he had above average skills with magical creatures.
"Uh, actually ma'am," the Professor interjected, sounding almost shy, "Mr. Selwyn is our best student."
Umbridge smiled sweetly, something very very sharp.
"Well obviously," she spoke, as if the idea was obvious, "Since he has creature blood, filthy half-breed, look at him!"
Adrian blinked in sheer bafflement.
Even Draco's breath hitched in confusion.
How the hell had she come to such an incorrect conclusion? Was she bonkers? Whispers began to spread, low murmuring voices that were just as confused as Adrian was. Nobody believed the rubbish.
On the Gryffindor side, Skylar bristled sharply. "Oi! Adrian's just good with creatures! Just like how you're a shite teacher!"
"He's stupid," Lutain fondly stated, tightening ever so slightly.
"Another night's detention, I think." She smiled at Skylar as if she was a shark, "Thank you very much, Professor Grubbly-Plank, I think that's all I need here."
"Jolly good," said Professor Grubbly-Plank.
Professor Umbridge turned and set off back across the lawn towards the castle. Without her noticing, the parchment she had written her evaluation on singed and furled in on itself, entirely useless.
Adrian only knew that Hermione was looking for him, because he had seen her peering around his usual haunts in the library.
Of course, he hadn't been there in forever, but she wouldn't have known that.
Adrian watched through the smallest gap in the piping, a vent that opened and looked down over the library. Lutain really had been right, Adrian had been missing out for years.
He moved, preparing himself for the disorienting after-image that always slammed into him after tasting the air. Unfortunately, it was much more accurate than his sight, which seemed more superior than Lutain's.
Hermione was retracing her steps, exiting the library although she had taken a direct path to where he had generally completed his essays. The likely conclusion was that she was searching for him, outside of class. Something personal then.
Slithering had become a lot easier, although when he was surprised or startled he had a nasty habit of accidentally raising the frill by his neck. Lutain made a game of it, trying to startle him as often as possible. Apparently the red of the membrane was 'striking'. Adrian still hadn't gotten around to seeing his reflection yet.
Hermione was easy to track by smell, her scent was obvious and pungent once he truly focused on it. She had left the library, ascending upwards towards the covered bridge.
She was looking for him, then. He did visit that bridge quite often.
Thankfully, the closer she got to the out of the way bridge, the less people were around to talk. Adrian moved swiftly, using his tail to push his upper body through the widened pipes.
Once he was positive that nobody was around, he anticlimactically nosed his entire bulk through one hinged ventilation shaft and out into the plain hallway. He hadn't a clue why the ventilation and the plumbing were connected, but he wasn't going to question it.
One short moment later, he stumbled upwards from his kneeling position, stretching his stiff shoulders and legs quickly. His sides ached, but they always had since he took up his late night slithering.
He slipped past the warming charm, wincing as the first bits of snow brushed by and chilled him. Hermione was staring off the edge of the bridge with a noticeable frown tugging on her face.
"Looking for me?" Adrian asked smoothly, shivering viciously as he tried to take a step out into the snow. Hermione spun, looking surprised and caught off guard before she smiled eagerly.
"Yes! Adrian! Yes, I- I, I was wondering, well, Umbridge is quite foul."
Adrian blinked slowly. It hadn't been a question.
"We- I mean myself and Ron and Skylar, were thinking of teaching others some proper Defense Against the Dark Arts. We, well, I was hoping you'd make it?"
Adrian balked in surprise, "Excuse me?"
Hermione shifted anxiously, peering around for any eavesdroppers, "I, I think you could help. I mean, I know you have plenty of spells and, and you may have more experience than we do-"
"My experience," Adrian growled curtly, "got me this,"
He gestured abruptly at his face. Hermione's eyes drifted slightly, over to his cheekbone where one mark was still painfully purple. Her eyes snapped back, she still looked determined.
"I want you to come," She huffed, "You, you could be really helpful."
"I'm in Slytherin."
She scowled and looked downright murderous, "House relations can bother someone else. Please? Please?"
Adrian really didn't want to. He had too much on his plate already, he really did.
Adrian squinted at her suspicious, "Is this because of the couch?"
Hermione paused and for the briefest second, she looked just as confused as he felt, "I...couch?"
So Skylar hadn't told his friends about Adrian and Sirius destroying furniture. She didn't know about his...spell arsenal. He already knew that his spell work was likely better than Skylars, given on Sirius' balking expression the first time he truly let loose.
But if there was anyone learning Defense, let alone Skylar, his father would want to know. He'd want to know what was going on in the Order, even if it was just Skylar.
Adrian swallowed his pride and very painfully wheezed out, "Alright."
Hermione leapt upwards excitedly, grinning ear to ear, "Thank you! We're meeting in Hogsmeade! The next one- in three days! At the Hog's Head!"
Hogsmeade, wonderful.
It was impossible to miss the group of people, trying very obviously to remain inconspicuous.
Adrian rolled his eyes and tugged his wool cloak tighter around him, it really was so terribly cold.
Adrian followed behind, lingering under one lamppost and a sad looking wilted flower basket while the crowd shuffled past. He lingered a while longer, until he saw the Weasley Twins and a boy named Lee Jordan sneak through the streets carrying a large paper bag crammed with Zonko's merchandise.
Adrian slunk up next to them, following into step. Lee Jordan looked hesitant, but from encouraging nods from the twins Adrian walked alongside. They continued with their mindless chatter, incorporating Adrian into the group with a sloppy arm around his shoulders, and tucking the shorter boy into their sides.
They entered the Hogs Head after the swarm, occupying space nearest the door. Adrian peered around, recognizing a few faces here and there. Angelina Johnson, Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbot, Cho Chang, and countless Gryffindor students.
Fred pushed through, grinning at the barman who froze in the act of wiping out a glass with a filthy rag. "Hi, could we have...twenty-five butterbeers, please?"
The barman glared at him for a moment, then, throwing down his rag irritably as though he had been in the middle of something very important, he started passing up dusty butterbeers.
"Cheers," Fred said with a smirk, passing out all of the bottles, "Cough up, everyone, I haven't got enough gold for all of these…"
Skylar looked as if someone had told him Sirius was actually a sensational pop singer. He looked baffled, disoriented and in awe of all of the chattering people. He turned on Hermione, speaking something under his breath rapidly.
"Cheers, mate." George offered, clicking a bottle against Adrian's with a small smile. Lee Jordan awkwardly smiled at Adrian as well, they hadn't met before.
Adrian kept near the back as everyone slowly began pulling of chairs, settling in a half circle around the still baffled and uncomfortable Skylar.
"Er," said Hermione, her voice higher than usual, "Well, er, hi."
The group focused its attention on her instead, although people did glance back at Skylar often.
"Well...erm, well, you know why you're here. Erm...well, Skylar here had the idea- i mean- I had the idea- that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts- and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us, because nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Hear, hear," said one student, causing Hermione to brighten with confidence.
"Well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands."
She paused, looking sideways at Skylar and went on, "And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but with real spells."
"Why?" One student asked, a Ravenclaw who seemed skeptic.
"Well, I want to be properly trained in Defense because...because...well, because Lord Voldemort's back."
The reaction was immediate and predictable. Cho Chang's friend shrieked and spilled butterbeer. Terry Boot twitched, Padma Patil shuddered and Neville gave a hoarse yelp that he managed to turn into a cough. Everyone looked fixedly, even eagerly, at Skylar.
Skylar shuffled uncomfortably.
"If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to-"
"Where's the proof?" said one Hufflepuff aggressively. Adrian was surprised at the malice.
"Well, Dumbledore believes it-" Hermione began.
"You mean, Dumbledore believes him." the boy snidely interjected.
"Who are you?" Ron asked rudely.
"Zacharias Smith," Adrian hummed as he recognized the boy now, he had made a deal with the boy once, or gotten in a fight with him ages ago. "And I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."
"Look," Hermione intervened swiftly, "that's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about-"
"It's okay, Hermione." Skylar quietly spoke, looking pale and somewhat sad, "I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you don't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."
"All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who. He didn't give us details, he didn't tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered, and I think we'd all like to know-"
"If you've come to hear exactly what it looks like when Voldemort murders someone, I can't help you."
Skylar's eyes were locked on the boy, flashing with restrained anger, "I don't want to talk about Cedric Diggory, all right? So if that's what you're here for, you might as well clear out."
Adrian almost felt like applauding. Just to break the tense atmosphere; even the barman was listening.
"So," Hermione began, her voice record high pitch, "so, like I was saying...if you want to learn some Defense, then we need to work out how we're going to do it. How we're going to meet, and where we're going to-"
"Is it true, that you can produce a Patronus?" A girl asked, interrupting and looking at Skylar mystified.
There was a murmur of interest around the group at this.
"Yeah," Skylar spoke, his voice cautious and his body language defensive.
"A corporeal Patronus?" She asked, tilting her head interested.
"Yes, an antelope."
"Blimey, Sky!" Lee blurted, looking deeply impressed, "I never knew that!"
"Mum told Ron not to spread it around," Fred grinned at Skylar, "Said you got enough attention as it is."
"And in our first year," Neville spoke, addressing the group at large, "he saved that Sorcerer's stone, from You-Know-Who!"
Hannah Abbott's eyes were as round as galleons.
"And that's not to mention, all the tasks he had to get through in the Triwizard Tournament last year- getting past dragons and merpeople and acromantulas and things…" Cho Chang spoke softly, she was smiling.
There was a murmur of impressed agreement through the group.
Skylar looked like he wasn't happy with himself.
"Look," he sighed, "I...I don't want to sound like I'm trying to be modest or anything, but...I've had a lot of help with that stuff."
"Not with the dragon, that was wicked."
"No no, look. The thing is, is that it wasn't just me." Skylar swallowed and looked unsure, "I- I've always had help. The Sorcerer's stone, Ron and Hermione helped me. The Patronus, Professor Lupin helped me for months. The dragon, bloody hell, the thing would have roasted me if Adrian hadn't-"
"Adrian?" Zacharias asked suddenly, looking defensive and angry, "Selwyn? The Potion's dealer?"
Adrian smiled a grin that was more vicious than friendly, "Hi."
Zacharias spun around, as well as a few other students. One Hufflepuff clutched her heart as if it would leap out from her chest. Zacharias' eyes widened in surprise before they narrowed in anger. "You! You bloody snake!"
Adrian lifted his hand and gave a little wave, wiggling his fingers just because he knew it annoyed others. Zacharias and he had gotten in a fight years ago. Adrian hadn't forgotten.
"Stop!" Hermione snapped angrily, "Look, Adrian has been a friend and helpful since I met him! He helped stop You-Know-Who going for the stone, he helped search for Slytherin's Monster, he helped Skylar with all of the tasks!"
"He can cast a Patronus too," Luna spoke quietly, a whisper that everyone heard, "He's fought Death Eaters."
Ernie MacMillan snorted, as if the idea was preposterous. Adrian blinked slowly and smiled once more, still as sharp as before, "I can cast a Patronus, apparate, and have a familiar. Still don't want my help?"
There was a pause before Fred whined angrily, "Why didn't you tell us you could apparate!"
"You could have helped us!" George pouted.
Adrian's cheek twitched, "Bellatrix taught me. I splinched my arm off, and she thought it was funny."
There was an uncomfortable pause as students who hadn't known about Adrian's relation slowly paled in horror. A few took a stumbling step back.
"I-I think everyone should write their name down, just so we know who was here. But, but I also think that we all ought to agree not to shout about what we're doing. So if you sign, you're agreeing not to tell Umbridge- or anyone else- what we're up to." Hermione shakily recovered the group, directing attention back to the matter at hand.
Adrian frowned slightly, that wasn't secure, "Give it to me. I'll bind it."
"Like hell you will." Macmillan growled angrily.
Adrian's face twitched again, he felt an overwhelming desire to curse the prefect.
"It's a good idea, and Adrian knows more binding spells than I do!" Hermione blurted, swallowing quickly, "I- what were you thinking?"
Adrian blinked, his temper fading quickly, "Ah, inability to speak about the list or who is on it. It would just...fade off."
Hermione paused, worrying her tongue, "A notice-me-not in language?"
Adrian gave a small nod, he had dealt enough of those back in his dealing days.
Nobody raised objections as Adrian spelled the paper quietly, pointedly signing his name and passing it on. There were a few hesitant, but ultimately everyone there did sign.
In groups of two and threes, the rest of the group took their leave too. Luna smiled, and once more Adrian was left wondering how she knew about his Patronus. Had he mentioned it to her in passing? Had Skylar interacted with her outside of the train and mentioned it to her?
"See you around, Adrian?" Hermione asked hopefully. Adrian only gave a brisk nod, tugging the hood of his cloak up and slipping out.
On the far side of Hogsmeade, Daphne Greengrass' eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she entered the completely abandoned creature shop. A fine layer of dust coated all surfaces, cages were left empty and barren.
"Hello?" She asked quietly, peering into the empty back room and into the storage room, bare except a pile of feathers.
"Dear?" Someone asked, looking in from the front window, "Oh hello! I'm so terribly sorry, I forgot to lock up! I was just in the other day, taking out the last of the documents."
Daphne blinked, "I- there was a man? Who ran the store?"
The woman paused, then looked at her sadly, "Yes, so terrible what happened. Did you know him well?
Daphne froze, then forced on a wide eyed innocent expression, "Something happened?"
"Oh you poor dear," the woman fretted, "Yes, got attacked by some pesky robber. Tried some sort of memory charm, did some real damage. Poor man doesn't even remember how to eat on his own, such a horrid thing."
Daphne nodded along, feeling frazzled and confused. When had that happened? Wouldn't it have hit the papers? It hadn't been that long, Astoria really did love her pet. She was hoping to get another.
It felt like just last year she had been inside with Adrian-
Her breath hitched and then she frowned.
Adrian...Adrian didn't know any memory charms, did he?
No, no it was one thing to presume that Adrian would attack a defenseless man, especially one that had interacted so positively with Adrian. There wasn't any reason, or rationale behind assuming Adrian somehow was involved.
Although….
"Do you know what happened?" Daphne asked, pitching her voice slightly higher, as if anxious, "did they ever catch the thief?"
The woman frowned, scuttling worriedly to try and reassure Daphne, "Oh! Oh I wouldn't worry about that! The thief ran off after what happened! Probably scared himself something terrible! Nothing was stolen!"
Something in Daphne's stomach sunk even deeper.
"Ah, thank you anyways." Daphne smiled weakly, and for once, it wasn't fake.
There was no reason to think Adrian was involved. There was no reason to think Adrian was involved.
(Being a brat was one thing, but actively attacking someone was something entirely different.)
Daphne was going to keep her distance. Adrian Selwyn suddenly seemed a lot more dangerous than she had ever assumed. She knew if she kept pressing, someone would end up terribly injured.
'I'm confused. I don't know what's going on, I feel antsy and on edge. Like I need to shed my skin, like It doesn't fit me right anymore. But instead of growing larger, I feel like I'm shriveling inwards.'
Adrian hadn't seen Luna in a while, not that he had been avoiding her outright.
He had been busy, distracted by adventuring through the castle and practicing his animagus transformation. It was rocky, stilted and uncomfortable in a way he knew was horrifying to watch. The way his eyes remained too large before they audibly popped and shrunk to size. The way his skin melted off before growing the thick scales. It was disgusting, and in a strange way intriguing. He'd been distracted with it.
He had seen Luna at the Hog's Head, in the crowd of people who listened to Skylar Potter's sermon. Besides that, he hadn't interacted with her much.
He still wondered how she knew he could cast the patronus, not to mention her unique way of knowing things she shouldn't. He assumed she had been out in the forest, tending to her thestrals and unicorns or other strange beasts she could find, not ignoring him but never running into him.
She would have liked that Grifdor he gave Nagini.
Winter started coming, and with that the cold was even more unbearable. Adrian invested in enhancing his clothing with warming charms, much to Lutain's delight. Once properly obtaining an Animagus transformation, traits of the animal form often leaked through to the human form. It seemed logical that Adrian would be more sensitive to the cold.
With that, Adrian shuffled down the path outside, heavily wrapped in warm clothing to fend off the chill. It was Tuesday, and Care for Magical Creatures had been moved with the swift return of Hagrid.
Adrian hadn't seen the man since he returned. He was startled outright when he saw the professor, wrapped in thick blankets and his face mottled sickeningly with bruises. Cuts along his cheek looked aggravated, weeping slowly and adding to his ominous picture.
Hagrid didn't notice Adrian, who stuck to the back. Hagrid hoisted what appeared to be half a dead cow over his shoulder, its back legs flopped limply.
"We're workin' in here today!" Hagrid called to the approaching students, jerking his head towards the dark trees behind him, "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark…"
Adrian cocked his head curiously, were they seeing Acromantulas? Adalonda had said they had cleared out.
"What prefers the dark?" Malfoy asked sharply to Crabbe and Goyle, a trace of panic in his voice. "What did he say prefers the dark- did you hear?"
Adrian smiled slightly, and brushed past Malfoy solidly enough to jolt the other boy.
"Ready?" Hagrid asked happily, looking excited, "Right, well, I've bin savin' a trip inter the forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studyin' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm the on'y person in Britain who's managed ter train 'em, not ter mention they're one 'er the oldes' 'erds…"
"And you're sure they're trained, are you?" said Malfoy, the panic in his voice even more pronounced now.
Adrian's mouth twitched, "Don't worry, Draco. I'm sure it won't bite."
Hagrid visibly lightened upon seeing Adrian, "Adrian! Nice ter see ya! They missed yer, tha' one female kep' lookin' fer ya!"
Adrian blinked before he realized what they were seeing. Draco and a few other Slytherin's looked collectively horrified that Adrian apparently was friendly with the monsters. Right as they should, Daphne in particular looked rather uneasy.
"Are you sure they're trained?" Malfoy hissed, sliding up to Adrian.
"Sure, they only attack if we tell them to." Adrian calmly added, trying his hardest not to smile as Draco instantly dropped back and out of his sight. He obviously remembered the train.
They walked for about ten minutes until they reached a place where the trees stood so closely together that it was as dark as twilight and there was no snow on the ground at all. Adrian walked over from the group, depositing his bag on one stump he commonly used as a chair. Luna had smoothed off the bark, making it a nice bench.
Hagrid dropped the cow, it bounced off the ground sickly.
"Gather roun', gather roun'," Hagrid encouraged, "Now, they'll be attracted by the smell o' the meat but I'm goin' ter give 'em a call anyway…"
Hagrid shook his shaggy hair out of his face and gave an odd, shrieking cry that echoed through the dark trees like the call of some monstrous bird. Nobody laughed; most of them looked too scared to make a sound.
Hagrid gave the cry again. A minute passed in which the class continued to peer nervously over their shoulders and around trees for a first glimpse of whatever it was that was coming.
Skylar gasped loudly, nudging Ron and looking between two trees. A pair of blank, white, shining eyes were growing larger through the gloom and a moment later the dragonish face, neck, and then skeletal body of a great, black, winged horse emerged from the darkness. It looked around at the class for a few seconds, swishing its long black tail, then bowed its head and began to tear flesh from the dead cow with its pointed fangs.
Ron was still staring around the trees and after a few seconds he whispered, "Why doesn't Hagrid call again?"
Most of the class were wearing expressions as confused and nervously expectant as Ron's and were still gazing everywhere but at the horse standing feet from then.
Theo stared at the horse with an expression of great distaste, and Neville was watching the swishing progress of the long black tail.
"Oh, an' here comes another one!" said Hagrid proudly, as a second black horse appeared from the trees, folded its leathery wings closer to its body and dipped its head to gorge on the meat.
"Excuse me," said Malfoy in a sneering voice, "but what exactly are we supposed to be seeing?"
Adrian smiled amused as Hagrid rolled his eyes and pointed to the cow carcass. The whole class stared, several people gasped as bits of flesh stripped themselves away from the bones and vanished into the air.
"What's doing it?" Parvarti, a Gryffindor, demanded in a terrified voice.
"Adrian?" Hagrid asked, beaming at his pride student. Adrian hopped up from his bench, looking very uninterested as the two thestrals paid him no mind.
"Thestrals." He sighed, "Superstitiously thought of as bad luck, but they're not. Only those who have seen someone die can see them."
"Here's another couple, look-" Hagrid hushed, pointing between two trees. One thestral emerged, enormous and larger than the two already there by almost double. It's thin ears brushed against a low hanging branch, causing it to sway. Near its flank a new one, a foal if that was the term, stumbled along. All knobbly knees and disproportionate head to its body.
Adrian heard something whisper, and instinctively his hand flashed to his neck. He wasn't wearing the locket that day- so what was whispering…
"Hem, hem,"
Professor Umbridge had arrived. She was standing a few feet away from Skylar, wearing a green hat and cloak, her clipboard at the ready.
Hagrid, who had never heard Umbridge's fake cough before, was gazing in some concern at the foal, evidently under the impression it had made the sound.
"Hem, hem,"
"Oh hello!" Hagrid smiled, having located the noise.
Adrian ignored it, and instead tilted his head curiously at the largest thestral, and clearly the oldest. He hadn't ever seen it before, which was surprising since he and Luna fed them quite regularly.
He stepped towards it, ignoring Pansy's shriek of fear as he neared something that was bending the tree's branches away.
The thestral exhaled, its reptilian nostrils flaring at the rush of air.
"Yeah, I was gonna tell yeh how come we got a herd. Yeah, so, we started off with a male an' five females. This one," Hagrid patted the first thestral to emerge, "name o' Tenebrus, he's my special favorite, firs' one born here in the forest-"
"Are you aware," Umbridge said loudly, interrupting him, "that the Ministry of Magic has classified thestrals as 'dangerous'?"
The largest thestral, the newcomer, tilted its head at Umbridge, as if it understood. It didn't seem impressed.
"Thestrals aren' dangerous! All righ, they might take a bite outta you if yeh really annoy them-"
"Shows...signs...of...pleasure...at...idea...of...violence…" muttered Umbridge, scribbling on her clipboard again.
The newest thestral snorted as if her words were just as outrageous. The younger one, a foal, chirped loudly like a vulture chick.
Ron blinked, peering around confused.
'...Hagrid protects…' Adrian heard, something hoarse and quiet, drifting on the wind through the trees.
"No- come on!" said Hagrid, looking a little anxious, "Thestrals jus' got a bad reputation because o' the death thing- people used ter think they were bad omens, didn' they? Jus' didn' understand, did they?"
Umbridge did not answer, only kept scribbling with the condescending smile on her face.
"Do you find," said Professor Umbridge in a ringing voice to Pansy Parkinson, "that you are able to understand Professor Hagrid when he talks?"
Adrian slowly turned, searching for her. It was almost as if Pansy knew better than to say anything bad, since Adrian simply adored the class. Her mouth opened, and she struggled to say anything. Umbridge frowned and looked disappointed.
'...vile witch…'
"Good stuff abou' thestrals. Well, once they're tamed, like this lot, yeh'll never be lost again. Mazin' sense o' direction, jus' tell 'em where yeh want ter go an' they'll take yeh. Some peopl' say yer can 'ear 'em speak, but onl' if yer related."
Hermione startled in alarm, "Excuse me, Professor. How can you be related to a Thestral?"
'Silly witch…' The largest thestral near Adrian spoke, it's breaths deep and calm, 'My children…'
Hagrid looked excited, "Well, tha' rumors say if a thestral think' yer died too young, they'll take yer breath and raise it."
Umbridge frowned, "Excuse me, but any animal or mindless beast that has the capability of killing a child is instantly deemed a category five-"
"No no! Yer misunderstan'-"
Adrian peered at the thestral behind him, even looking up it towered above, ancient and weathered. It arched its head, looking down at him curiously, "Hello, child."
Adrian flinched in surprise, looking at the thestral in awe.
Ron looked sick, and shaken as he peered around the clearing. The smallest thestral chirped again, pawing at the cow corpse curiously and struggling to pull off a tough tendon from the leg.
Umbridge finalized something and left, bounding across the clearing startlingly close to one thestral. It nipped at her head with its fanged mouth, stealing her hat and walking between the trees out of sight. A few Gryffindors giggled, even though they couldn't see them.
"I'm surprised so many people could see them," Ron spoke quietly, his voice heard simply with how quiet everyone was, "Four in one class-:
"Yeah, Weasley, we were just wondering," said a malicious Draco, "D'you reckon if you saw someone snuff it you'd be able to see the Quaffle better?"
The large thestral huffed, as if displeased. Ron flushed and the golden trio instantly started hissing insults.
"I see yer made a friend." Hagrid beamed, looking at the large thestral with obvious awe in his eye, "She' a real 'beaut. Rare, 'ard to find 'er. Rear's the 'oungings."
The thestral stretched its wings, the leathery folds were marked with scar tissue, silvery in the faint light.
"What's her name?" Adrian asked, swallowing and reaching out to gently stroke the thin emaciated side.
"Oh! Well I jus' call 'er Trymon, yer know, tha fairy princess?"
"Mylcades." It hissed, the word only and ancient yet very distinctly audible.
"Nice to meet you," Adrian swallowed, feeling the ridges in its side, "I'm Adrian."
The thestral tossed its tail, swishing over the ground and disrupting fallen leaves, "No. I came for you. You did not die."
Adrian flinched back, stepping back and away from the thestral.
Ron was still peering around, pale and confused. He was still bickering with Malfoy, but something was bothering him.
The thestral stepped forward, the giant hoof crunching leaves as it butted its reptilian snout into Adrian's chest firmly, "You brought me breath. I came for her, and she lives."
"I...I don't…" Adrian shook his head, gently pushing the thestral away, "Hagrid, what...how are thestrals born?"
Hagrid looked surprised, although still excited to talk, "Oh! Well, jus' like any normal an'mal, yer get two togeth'r an' yer get a foal-"
"Wrong," Mylcades whispered. Adrian wanted it as far away from him as he could get.
"- but they're rumors tha' thestrals take th' las' breath o' dyin children', and teach 'em t' fly. Bad reputation in ma' 'pinion, but only tha' bad deaths, the wrong deaths they take."
Mylcades blinked slowly disconcertingly as pale white eyes stared at him hauntedly.
"Yer know, the ah," Hagrid shuffled, looking somberly at the youngest thestral, playing with the cattle's hoof, "the one's who die too young, die badly or ah, suff'r t' much."
The youngest thestral flapped its wings, smacking uncoordinatedly into the male Hagrid liked. It snuffed, knocking its muzzle into the foal affectionately.
Ron flinched, and rubbed at his ears as if they were plugged.
Adrian froze.
"She's mine," the thestral hummed quietly, voice ominous in the gloom "You will be too."
Adrian shook his head, he felt stinging bile burn his tongue, "No, no- I- I'm not-"
"Adrian?" Hagrid asked concerned, his eyebrows pinching together worriedly.
"You smell like rot."
Adrian shook his head viciously.
"You're dying."
Adrian snatched his bag and ignored Hagrid's worried shouts, he bolted.
He had to get away from that monster.
December arrived, bringing with it more snow and a positive avalanche of homework for the fifth years. Adrian leapt on it, struggling to complete the lengthy essays and homework assignments to remain under the radar the best he could.
He had received an Owl from Remus just days before, a formal invitation to spend the holidays with him. Adrian sent Hedwig back, explaining how he was intending to stay at the castle over the Holidays. He wasn't sure if Remus would accept that, but it was a try.
In reality, he was already finalizing things and arranging his room, storing away the more illegal or questionable possessions in harder to find places. It was almost guaranteed that he would have his room searched by the worried staff. He was already working on shrinking his possessions, as well as constructing a rough harness to strap onto Lutain so the two of them could escape the castle through Adalonda's passageways. Once free of the wards, a simple apparation over to Rowle's manor and he was home for the holidays.
Until then, all Adrian had left to do was to attend the first meeting for Skylar's little tutoring session. Well, not the first, but he hadn't bothered showing up if it was over basic spells. A waste of his time. Hermione had very subtly slipped to him the date, as well as a spelled galleon that was so ironically similar to the Dark Mark Adrian was in stitches laughing.
He arrived after the main swarm of people had arrived. The large room was decorated by an assortment of christmas decorations, lanterns and tinsel and even wreaths decorated the walls, a large window had appeared showing a relaxing heavy snowfall.
Lutain had come along as well, and was investigating a bronze spiral french horn in fascination. Adrian couldn't tell if it was due to the shape, or how he could see a reflection.
"Okay!" Skylar shouted on the far side of the room, "I thought this evening we should just go over the things we've done so far, because it's the last meeting before the holidays and there's no point in starting anything new right before a three-week break-"
"We're not doing anything new?" said Zacharias Smith, in a disgruntled whisper loud enough to carry through the room, "If I'd known that, I wouldn't have come…"
"We're all really sorry Sky didn't tell you then," said Fred loudly.
Several people sniggered. Even Lutain looked amused from where he was methodically climbing up a Christmas tree.
"We can practice in pairs," said Skylar, "We'll start with the Impediment Jinx, just for ten minutes, then we can get out the cushions and try Stunning again."
It all felt so boringly simple for Adrian, he didn't bother pairing up with anyone. He saw Hermione frown, and make way as if to comment, but she stopped when Ron said something to halt her.
After the class had moved on to stunning (which was almost as cringe worthy as before), Adrian started to get bored.
If this was how normal teaching sessions went, it was no wonder everyone was so ruddy bad at spells.
"Are you going to join?" Lutain asked curiously, watching as Adrian pulled out his wand instead of lounging near Lutain and the Christmas tree.
"May as well," Adrian sighed, confident nobody would hear him over the shouting.
He pointed his wand upwards, aiming towards the strings of tinsel that hung from the ceiling, "avis."
Songbirds burst from his wand, chirping happily and excitedly as they flitted around the room. Already Adrian felt his blood thrumming, pushing excitedly through his body at the sound of cardinals.
The last time he had trained using birds- well, Bellatrix found him shaking in a training room covered in gore and feathers.
He was half tempted to just...cast the spell. Rumpervis, he remembered the incantation easily. He also remembered how blessedly wonderful he felt when he just...let go.
His hand clenched around his wand, looking at a single unsuspecting cardinal.
He could cast it once. Just once.
"Rum-"
"Master?" Lutain asked warily, "They are watching you."
Adrian bit his tongue, holding his wand shakily at the bird.
He couldn't. Not now.
"Stupefy." He muttered grouchily, sending out the stunner sharply. The spell was fast, much faster than it had been last year. It knocked into the bird, not only stunning it but throwing it across the room towards the other side. If the spell hadn't rendered it unconscious, hitting the far wall certainly did.
The other birds chirped and sang in alarm, starting to fly around frazzled in the room. Lutain watched energetically, climbing up to the top of his tree, coiling around a pixie tree topper as he struck out at the birds, biting dry and for his own amusement.
Adrian felt a small smile twitched on his mouth as he aimed and struck down two cardinals in quick succession, tracking a goldfinch with careful movements. It looked a bit like a snitch really.
"Bloody hell, mate!" Fred laughed, breaking away from George to watch Adrian entertained, "Sure you aren't a seeker?"
Adrian balked, "I hate flying."
Adrian noticed then, that Skylar had been watching him quite attentively.
The birds were all flapping, hiding out on the rafters out of sight and out of aim. Even with a different spell, Adrian couldn't hit them.
At the end of the hour, Skylar called everyone to a halt.
"You're all getting really good, when we get back from the holidays, we can start doing some of the big stuff- maybe even Patronuses."
There was a murmur of excitement through the room. Adrian rolled his eyes and stretched, watching the birds above in case one swept down.
The room began to clear in the usual twos and threes; most people wished Skylar a polite Happy Christmas as they went. Ron and Hermione began stacking cushions away neatly, practicing levitation charms as they went.
Luna looked at Adrian, staring at him with an expression that was so incredibly sad.
"What did you do to her?" Hermione asked sourly, obviously seeing how heartbroken and upset Luna was.
Adrian shrugged. He hadn't done anything.
"You head out, I'll wait behind." Skylar smiled at Hermione and Ron. They left, soon only Adrian and Skylar remained.
"So," Skylar awkwardly started, clambering onto some cushions to sit down, evidently Adrian was in for a conversation, "I saw you with those birds."
Adrian shrugged, reaching to Lutain and helping him climb off of his Christmas perch.
"That was really impressive... like," Skylar struggled, "even my dad isn't that good at some spells. I was worried you'd start slashing them, I mean I don't know what you have arranged, er, if you need something to be arranged. I mean, I could try to find a...a desk or-"
Adrian snapped his head around, eyes narrowed and face carefully flat, "What would your precious father say, knowing you're encouraging dark magic."
Skylar gaped, gasping like a fish before he weakly laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, I guess that does sound bad. I er- I just want...er…"
Adrian paused, and sighed, "What is it, Potter?"
Skylar chewed on his lip, "I just...I'm sorry."
Adrian blinked in surprise.
"I mean, I just…" Skylar gave a long exhale, "I've just been thinking a lot. Since...since last year. And I just...I'm sorry. I know, that you've had a tough time growing up and…" Skylar's voice became quiet, almost fragile, "I couldn't imagine it."
Adrian stilled, his heart sounded heavy in his ears. The snowfall outside was heavier, now swirling and looking so bitterly cold, "What's brought this on?"
Skylar looked out the window as well, into the swirling white, "I think it was the thestrals. Well, bloody hell it's been a lot of things. Like, when you...when you came back from Mungos and attacked me- and...and when you were with Sirius and you were laughing and…" Skylar licked his lips, as if his mouth were dry.
"The thestrals were it though. Like, I saw them and i'll be honest they freak me out. It's just, you knew them and I remember Hagrid saying that you helped feed them for years and I just..." Skylar's jaw flexed, twitching as he refused to look away from the window, "Cedric really...I saw Cedric die. I saw him die, and you saw someone die, right in front of you, years ago."
Adrian flinched.
He wasn't going to think about it.
He wasn't.
David kept bleeding and bleeding. The bloodstain bloomed and spread larger and wider until it touched grass, and then it kept spreading. He was gasping, short shallow breaths
How was he bleeding so much? How could someone bleed so much?
David stopped moving.
Then he stopped breathing.
"I was young," Adrian swallowed, his throat felt dry, "I barely remember it."
Skylar gave a single bark of laughter, bitter and sharp, "You don't- you don't just...just forget about it."
"Yes you do." Adrian blurted, not even hearing the slightly pained whine in his voice.
Skylar looked haunted, "I...I remember his eyes. They...Merlin, his eyes."
Adrian didn't think, he moved. He slashed his wand through the air, speaking the curse but he couldn't hear it.
Blood splashed over his face, soaking through his cloak and touching his neck, hot and wet.
The man was gurgling, one hand attempting feebly to hold his chest together, to stop his entrails and viscera from spilling out on the grass.
His eyes were bulging, gasping something wetly that sounded faintly like a plea.
Nagini moved, her teeth biting and tearing his throat to shreds as if it was wet newspaper.
His eyes were bulging and bleeding, broken vessels from the fear, the panic.
He didn't plea anymore.
"I don't think I'll ever forget it," Skylar admitted quietly, "What Cedric looked like. Laying there, on the grass. He, he was just...alive, and then… and then he wasn't."
"It wasn't your fault." Adrian spoke, his voice a hoarse whisper.
Adrian's hands were twitching, his breaths through his mouth felt cold, foreign. He felt like he was watching his body from the outside, he was a spectator.
He couldn't stop shaking.
Skylar laughed, something pitiful and angry and something Adrian heard coming from his own mouth a hundred times, "I was useless. I should have just done something!"
"You didn't kill him." Adrian repeated monotone.
"I let him die!"
"No- you...you didn't-" Adrian struggled, voice cracking and warbling.
He, Cedric's bright red ha- no, no brown hair-
'Let her starve to death.'
Adrian crumbled, he didn't even feel the impact of his knees on the floor.
"Adrian?" Skylar asked in alarm, stumbling upwards as he saw the other boy collapse.
Adrian wasn't seeing, he was shaking and his breathing was too hoarse and too quick. His hands were spasming, clenching in his hair and tugging backwards painfully.
"Adrian- you…" Skylar stumbled, nearly tripping and he hurried off the cushions, "Hey are you oka-"
Skylar stopped talking abruptly the moment he saw the tears, rapidly welling and falling out of Adrian's eyes as the other boy curled up even smaller and tighter, hiding his face in his legs.
She was a person. She was a person with a life. Not an abstract idea, or a thing. A person, he had- she was a person.
The thestral- the thestral.
"Hey," Skylar whispered, lowering to the ground guiltily. He shuffled slowly over the ground, cautious as he reached out, "Hey, are you okay?"
Adrian wasn't responding, too lost in whatever sort of fit this was.
The snake was nearby, watching him carefully although it didn't make any moves to get closer. Skylar took that as permission.
"Adrian," Skylar tried again, reaching out with a shaking hand to gently try and remove the other boy's fists from his hair, "That- that doesn't look comfortable. Come on, l- lets go."
He stumbled, and flinched when Adrian jerked away at the touch, curling in even further.
The snake was hissing something, a constant series of hissing that was disconcerting. Skylar watched it warily, as he very slowly wrapped his arms around the other boy.
Adrian froze, tensing in his arms as if he was under attack.
"Relax," Skylar spoke, his voice cracking halfway through, "Breathe with me, is that okay? I, ah, I could, uh…" Skylar floundered struggling to figure out what to do.
Adrian twisted and with almost vicious force he slammed his face into Skylar's chest, out of sight. His entire body was shaking, trembling as if he was terrified.
Skylar awkwardly used one hand to gently pry the slightly blueish hair out from the pale fingers, tucking his hands down somewhere less precarious. He took over, smoothing the ruffled messy strands with one hand.
"My mum used to do this when I was younger," Skylar spoke, his chest vibrating with his words, "When I was upset. I- I had a brother, I thought Moony told you. He ah, well…" Skylar tapered off slowly clearing his throat harshly, "she used to do this. Do you mind being hugged? Is this okay?"
Adrian mumbled something, barely understandable through the slur, "Havn't 'ver b'n hugg'd."
Skylar blinked in alarm, "O-Oh, well, ah, well, good thing I'm not going anywhere."
Adrian shook more, as if just reassuring him was something horrifying to hear.
Sweet Merlin, what the hell had Lestrange done to this kid.
"I'm not going anywhere," Skylar stated, trying to ignore how his throat felt so clogged, "actually, I got a letter from Remus about how excited he is to see you. He makes really good hot chocolate, it's amazing. And don't tell him I said this, but he does this thing where he'll snuggle you and fall asleep on top of you. And you can't get up because he just wants to make sure nobody can get to his cub."
Skylar gave a little laugh, only slightly sniffly. Adrian was vibrating like a twig in a harsh gale, "He really loves you, he talks about you all the time. Half of the letters I get from him are questions about how to make you comfortable, hell I think we talk about you more than anything else!"
"He d'snt." Adrian mumbled again, it sounded wet and horrible.
"He does." Skylar scrambled to assure, feeling more and more horrified by the second, "Remus loves you-"
And Adrian seemed to fall apart. If Skylar thought before was a mess, oh no. Adrian lost the ability to even sit upright, nearly collapsing into the other stockier boy. His harsh breathing shifted into something shrieking, bawling and hoarse cries that sounded more infantile than anything his age. Skylar's robe was being twisted through clenched spasming hands, white knuckles that pounded hard enough to bruise. Skylar grunted wordlessly, accepting the blows without question.
'What did Lestrange do to you?' Skylar thought in horror, holding onto Adrian who tried to shrink away and burrow further at the same time.
Adrian was repeating something over and over, a mantra that was sounding more and more unhinged the louder it got, until he was screaming muffled into Skylar's robe.
He was apologizing. He was apologizing over and over and-
Skylar felt like something was tearing inside him.
"It's okay, it's not your fault." Skylar swallowed down the lump, "Adrian it's not your fault! It's not your fault!"
"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry," Adrian repeated, not even hearing Skylar.
"Adrian!" Skylar shouted, and without really knowing what else to do, he slapped him.
Fire.
The room caught on fire, burning hot and bright and so much worse than the train. The cushions Skylar had been sitting on just moments before bubbled, hissing and melting into greenish puddles. The Christmas trees had crumbled, crackling loudly in seconds as the fire had somehow turned blue.
The glass to outside was cracking, hair thin fractures spreading faster than broken ice. In seconds, Skylar was sweating.
He was going to- he was going to burn alive.
"Adrian!" Skylar shouted, shaking the boy who was still repeating a mantra as if entirely out of it, "Adrian! Adrian it's not your fault, it's not your fault!"
The fire died down instantly, although the room was still suffocatingly hot. Adrian was shaking, quiet and fragile as a leaf although thankfully out of whatever trance that was.
"It's not your fault." Skylar repeated, throat sore from the hot air and his shouting, "I don't know what happened, but it wasn't your fault."
Adrian shook his head, "I-" He whispered, voice distorted from distress, "I left her there to die. I left her, and she died."
"It- I'm sure it wasn't your fault." Skylar argued. Adrian laughed, something fringing on insane and hysteria, "She was begging me and I left her there to starve!"
'I killed her, I killed her,' Adrian thought to himself, bordering on broken sobs, 'I killed a person, I killed a little girl.'
Adrian knew, that he could never go back.
The snake was silent. The room was silent.
Skylar didn't know what to say.
And Adrian collapsed, more sane and more lucid than before, but crying as if the entire world had fallen apart around him.
Tomorrow morning, when the sun rose, Adrian had vanished from the Hogwarts grounds.
Hedwig carried a letter, explaining vaguely to Remus how he had, simply put, snuck out to have Christmas on his own.
Adrian wasn't feeling any better as he traveled down to the Chamber, cramming his illegal or more questionable objects in a corner. Wormtail was nowhere to be seen, neither was Adalonda.
"Ready to go?" Lutain asked excitedly, although slightly timid. Adrian snappishly pulled out the shrunken bag, sliding his wand into a crude harness and strapped it onto Lutain's body. It only had to hold until they were beyond the wards.
He shifted, moving more fluidly than before as his scales roughly scraped over the floor. He was mindful to keep his mitre down, lest it get stuck in the piping.
They escaped the warding, traveling through a pipe that extended nearly all the way to Hogsmeade. It opened into an underground cavern, slowly sloping up towards the surface in the disguise of a cleverly hidden cave.
Adrian shifted back, adjusting to arms and legs as he grabbed his wand and shrunken bag, reversing the charm and sliding it over his shoulders.
"Hop in the bag, you won't get splinched," Adrian instructed coldly.
Lutain knew better than to argue, especially with Adrian's splinching record.
He tensed, held it, then twisted.
There was a sharp crack, and they vanished.