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Classes continued on as normal, though the Transfiguration teacher was really starting to get on his nerves.
His desire to change and rip out the woman's throat was a dark day dream that often lingered throughout the class.
Arianna was avoiding him now, which only irritated him more. She was overreacting in his opinion and just needed to accept the truth.
The longer she played this out, the more she just hurt herself. She may be a good friend of his, but she was not irreplaceable, nor was she so invaluable to his plans that he would give into her.
Perhaps he had made her more important than she deserved. Haydn spent a lot of time with that French girl, Emma Dubois, and while Aries could see her beauty, the girl was far too giggly for his liking.
Hopefully Haydn would have his fun and dump the girl after the Ball. Harsh, but she was a distraction, as he could not focus on his essay when the girl's insufferable giggling made him want to curse her into oblivion.
Aries had been looking for an opportunity to talk with his mentor, but he had been busy lately with an unknown matter.
A simple note to the old man had allowed him to set up a time in his office on the ship. Professor von Reich spent much of his time in the castle, but spent his mornings and evenings in his cabin, drinking firewhiskey and reading a book.
Aries was grateful for this as a glass waited for him when he entered the cabin. Vladimir von Reich was old, though he did not know his actual age.
His mentor had been young when he turned against Grindewald, but old enough to have extensive crimes in Germany, not to mention a wife and child.
His head was bald and much of his face was hidden by the black beard that came to a point below his chin.
The man could be beneficial to his plans, if he managed to live that long.
"Dumbledore has the Elder Wand." It was better to get straight to the point than beat around the bush. Neither wizard preferred small talk if it could be avoided.
"Ah so our theory is proven correct." Von Reich responded as he stroked his beard. "And how did you find out?"
"Phrasing of course." Aries relayed the story to his master, who displayed a look of pure outrage when he heard that Dumbledore had asked to see his wand.
Wands were a personal matter, and many witches and wizards would rather walk naked before the Wizengamot than allow another to handle their wand, besides a wandmaker of course. It was just different somehow.
"So, at last I know the truth. Grindewald possessed the Elder Wand, and therein lies the reason why he defeated me."
A moment of vulnerability came for the old wizard, and Aries wondered just how deeply the man had wanted revenge, to challenge the most feared dark wizard of their time to an honor duel.
Grindewald had soundly defeated him and had left him in a coma.
When he recovered, Dumbledore had finally subdued the would-be tyrant, and so revenge eluded Vladimir von Reich.
"Will you attempt to take the wand?"
"No." Aries said with a shake of his head. "At least not yet. Dumbledore is too powerful, and Hogwarts is his home turf. I'll wait until I have the advantage and have need of the wand."
"Good, I see my lessons of patience were not useless after all." Aries flushed with embarrassment at the many memories of those awful lessons.
"Cassi told me of your meeting with Sirius before she left. I hear James Potter was rather rude."
"Yes, that light bigoted idiot thought to insult Germany and me, and by extension of the House of Black. Practically everything Aunt Cassi loves. Seeing her rip into him was brilliant."
"Yes, the Potters are rather loyal to Dumbledore, though your revelation may shed some truth on their situation." Aries gave him a curious look.
"What do you mean?"
"Tell me Aries, how much do you know about Harry Potter?" The boy who had mysteriously died? What did he matter? He was dead.
"Something happened the night the Dark Lord was defeated that made him sick and then he died three years later."
"I see." Von Reich said with disappointment.
"Cassiopeia has not told you the truth. You see, Harry was abandoned by the Potters. The events that led to the Dark Lord's defeat left him a squib, and so they gave him to Lily Potter's muggle sister."
"Sometime shortly after, the boy disappeared, and no one found out until three years later. The muggles had told no one, not even his mother. They looked everywhere, and he was later confirmed to be dead. It was a tragedy that Dumbledore covered up."
Aries was furious inside. He knew of what some purebloods did with squibs, and it was an issue he longed to rectify one day.
"I can see your anger, but I believe there are a few clues that lead to something rather interesting anomalies. The first being a man: Remus Lupin."
"Let me guess. He's a werewolf?" Aries asked sarcastically.
"Yes, he is." Now that was ironic. "Remus Lupin was one of James Potter's three best friends, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew being the other two. We know of Pettigrew's betrayal, but did you know that Lupin had a falling out with both Black and the Potters shortly after the fall of the Dark Lord? It's curious indeed."
"I doubt Black nor Lupin would have believed this illness story, considering Lupin was Thomas' godfather and Sirius was Harry's, though Sirius is now Thomas' as well. Even if the child was truly sick, why could he not be raised with Black or Lupin?"
"Such an illness would not have been contagious. So, what caused it? What caused such a loving family to abandon a child? It does not seem likely the Potters would do this, no matter the circumstance. I give you my conclusion: a compulsion charm."
"Absolutely not."
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