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"Father, there’s something I need to discuss with you."
Lucius studied the serious face of his son. "What might that be?"
"It’s about Nalian." Draco said. He noticed his father was suddenly more interested.
"Is something wrong?" Lucius asked. Was his son finally starting to suspect the boy?
"Wrong isn’t really the correct word." Draco replied. "I’m concerned about his progress in your class."
"He’s one of the top students, Draco. Unless he’s been cheating?" He raised an eyebrow.
"No he hasn’t, and that’s just it! He does the assignments with ease, as if he already knows the material. Let’s face it, he’s quite advanced in Defense." Draco said.
"And this is a bad thing?" Lucius sighed in exasperation. "Get to the point, Dragon."
"The point is," Draco frowned, "he’s not learning anything. Isn’t the point of a school to learn?"
Lucius suddenly knew where his son was going with this. "What exactly would you have me do about this?"
"I thought maybe you could tutor him."
"Why would I wish to do such a thing?"
"Because he’s a quick learner and his skills should be put to use." Draco said promptly.
"I don’t even like the boy." Lucius point out.
"You don’t even know him." Draco stared at his father. "Would you at least try? Give him a trial run, if you will. I really think Nalian has a lot of potential and it’s being wasted right now."
Lucius shrugged, "I’m sure I could get one or two teachers or aurors to further his knowledge."
Draco rolled his eyes, "And how far would that get him? You’re the best here when it comes to dark arts and the defense thereof."
"Severus could teach him."
"Sev wouldn’t. While you don’t like Nalian, Severus really seems to hate him."
"He just doesn’t trust him." Lucius said.
"Neither do you."
"True, but I hide it better."
"The fact remains that you’re the best candidate to teach Nalian."
"I’ll consider it." Lucius finally conceded, knowing his son wouldn’t let the subject go until he succeeded in getting what he wanted.
Draco smiled. "Thank you. Are you coming to lunch? I’m heading up there now."
Lucius shook his head, "I’ve got a lot of paperwork to deal with. Why don’t we have dinner together tonight?"
Draco nodded. "Sounds perfect." As he left his father’s rooms his smile grew into a smirk. His father would eventually agree. All that was left was getting Nalian to go along with it, which would be easy since Defense Against the Dark Arts was his favorite subject. Everything was falling into place. This was too easy.
-------
Draco was just arriving for lunch as Nalian exited the Great Hall. "Leaving so soon?" Draco asked.
"I’m going down to Hogsmeade. Besides, you’re the one who took forever to get to lunch in the first place." Nalian grinned.
"It’s not my fault you manage to eat your entire meal in only ten minutes." Draco said. "I’ll walk with you. Planning on going to the Potters’?"
Nalian sighed. "Oh that was discreet, Draco. But no, I’m not going there. I was planning on stopping at the bank and finally picking up a Yuletide gift for you, since you will for once not be with me when I shop."
"Well then, I’ll have to leave you to your shopping won’t I?" Draco said. "My gift is important after all. I want to pick up a thing or two myself though, so there’s no harm in walking down together."
Nalian snorted. "Yes there is. I wouldn’t put it past you to spy on me just to learn what your present is."
"I have much more dignified ways of finding out what you buy me than spying, Nalian Morthen." Draco replied haughtily.
"I’m sure you do."
"Defense is your favorite subject, isn’t it?" Draco said.
Nalian blinked at the sudden change in subject. "Yes. Why?"
"I was just wondering..."
"Yeah, right, Dray, and I’m the Queen’s horse."
"Well, it’s just that," Draco paused, seemingly hesitating. "Father’s noticed how advanced you are in Defense, and I think he’s considering offering you special one-on-one lessons."
Nalian stopped walking. "What?"
"I don’t know for sure." Draco added hurriedly, backtracking to where Nalian had stopped. "I was just wondering if you’d want to do something like that."
"Your father doesn’t even like me, Draco. Why would he offer to teach me privately?" Nalian said.
"Really," Draco scoffed, "he’s a professional, Nalian. Father’s not going to let any personal feelings get in the way of the best way to teach his students." When Nalian nodded in acceptance and they started walking again he continued, "You haven’t answered my question."
"What? You mean would I like taking private DADA lessons?" Nalian said. "Yeah, probably. I would have to make sure I’d have time for them and everything, but it’d be very interesting."
"Since you’re so good in Defense already and if Father does agree to give you private lessons then perhaps you two could talk to the Head of Slytherin and the Headmaster about dropping the regular DADA class." Draco pointed out.
Nalian nodded. "It’s certainly something to think about, if your father does offer the opportunity to me. And this is my stop." He gave a small wave to Draco. "See you for dinner?"
"I’m eating with my father, but I’m sure I can squeeze you in beforehand."
"Ever the gracious one." Nalian rolled his eyes as Draco waved, walking on down the street.
He paused to look at the plain, sturdy, wooden door. A sign hung over it, reading ‘Gringotts Wizarding Bank: Hogsmeade Division’. The ‘store’ he was about to enter didn’t look very big, with only a foot of wall on each side of the door. Entering the place, Nalian found it to be completely empty except for a desk with a small pot of ink and a clipboard sitting on it; a piece of paper clipped into the board and a quill attached to it by an old bit of string. It was a guest book the customers were to sign.
Nalian frowned and shrugged, grabbing the long-abused quill and signing his name. Not even a second later he felt as though a hook behind his navel had been suddenly jerked forward. When the portkey finished its transportation Nalian found himself standing in a designated portkey arrival area in the lobby of the Gringotts bank in Diagon Alley.
"Isn’t that handy." He muttered, rubbing his stomach. "They at least could’ve given a bit of warning."
"Mr. Morthen." A gravelly voice said behind him.
Nalian turned, "Ah, Murkshank, isn’t it?"
"Indeed." The goblin glowered at him. "How may the bank be of service?"
"Actually, I wish to look at an account I’ve been previously unaware I had access to. If we could discuss this somewhere more private?"
Murkshank nodded and led Nalian to his office. "You would be referring to the Slytherin account, Mr. Morthen?"
"Yes."
"Then you should be made aware that two more of the four accounts we mentioned to you have also been opened to your access." Murkshank told him.
"Really?" Nalian said. "May I know what accounts?"
Murkshank handed him some files. "The first is a savings account opened by a Mr. And Mrs. Potter in 1980 for their son, Harry James Potter, who was reported missing in 1981. The only thing currently in that account is wizarding money, no artifacts of any sort. You should also know that the Potters would be notified if you accessed that particular account."
"Quite all right," Nalian said, flipping through the account information. "I don’t have much interest in that account anyway. And the second one?"
"The second account is owned by Baron Evander Hassforth. He has however given clearance for your free use of his vaults."
"Is owned? Has given clearance?" Nalian asked. The files said the Baron had opened the account centuries ago.
"It’s really a matter of perspective." Murkshank said.
Nalian’s eyebrow rose at the goblin’s elusiveness. "What does that mean?"
"The Baron is, for all intents and purposes, a ghost."
"A ghost?"
"Indeed."
"He still owns and uses his accounts?" Nalian asked curiously.
Murkshank scowled, "Ghosts are sentient, therefore still possess their monetary properties unless willingly passed on to others."
"Yes, of course." There was a minute’s silence and then, "but what do ghosts use money for? I didn’t think they’d need to buy things."
"It is not the bank’s place to question the customer’s daily spending habits."
"Right." Nalian coughed. "I take it the fourth account that my bloodline allows access to is the Potter account?" Nalian inquired.
"The Potter accounts, rather," Murkshank conceded. "You were aware of your connection to the Potters?"
"Ah, no, not quite. I’ve only recently learned that they are my... That they are relatives of mine." Nalian said. He rose from the chair he’d been sitting in. "Thank you for this information. I would like to see the Baron’s and Slytherin’s accounts please."
-------
Severus entered Lucius’ quarters with a sheaf of papers shoved under one arm. "I’ve jotted down a rough family tree for the Potters, for our Parselmouth research."
"Did you find anything interesting?" Lucius inquired, shuffling through his own paperwork.
Snape dropped into an armchair. "I’ve found some things on Voldemort’s family lines, though nothing interesting. His father was a wealthy muggle who abhorred magic and his mother was a witch who died in childbirth. You can have the pleasure of researching them further. Then there’s been two known Parselmouths in the Potter line in the last six centuries. Both men kept their ability as quiet as possible."
"Caleb Potter, James Potter’s great grandfather, and the second?" Lucius said.
"The Baron Evander Hassforth." Severus said.
Lucius looked up in shock. "The Potters are descendants of Baron Hassforth?"
Severus smirked, "I thought it was rather amusing as well."
"The proverbial skeleton in the closet," Lucius chuckled. "After all, what Gryffindor wants to admit they’re descended from a scheming Slytherin?"
"Indeed." Severus said. "Getting back on track, there have been no other known Parselmouths in the Potter line, and while I haven’t fully explored the earlier line of the Hassforths, there doesn’t seem to be any unknown Potter child out there; such as a child born out of an illicit affair."
"Nothing at all?"
Snape paused before adding, "There is one unknown."
Lucius frowned, "Which is, Sev?"
"Harry James Potter, kidnapped, presumed dead." Severus said.
"More than likely dead." Lucius pointed out.
"Besides that, we know what that Potter brat would look like: black hair, green eyes. Morthen has red hair and brown eyes." Snape said in a tone that dismissed the possibility.
"We would be able to tell if he were wearing a disguise, wouldn’t we?" Lucius asked.
"Of course we would." Severus snapped.
"We already checked for glamours, but if he did have a way of hiding his appearance that we didn’t know about..."
Severus sighed, "In other words, the possibility of Morthen being Harry Potter can’t be ignored."
"Precisely. There has to be a way to confirm or deny the possibility." Lucius said thoughtfully. "Isn’t there a potion for listing a person’s genealogy chart?"
"There’s the Genealogia Potion." Severus said, "but we’ll need at least one drop of Morthen’s blood. One drop of blood will give us Morthen’s parents’ names. However if we want more generations of his family listed we’ll need more blood. The potion works as such: one drop for one generation. For example, one drop for his parents listed, two drops for his parents and grandparents listed, three drops for his parents, grandparents, and great grandparents listed, and so on."
Lucius smirked, "you fall too easily into ‘teacher’ mode. Speaking of teaching, you should have your students make this potion as a class assignment if it’s not too advanced."
Severus returned Lucius’ smirk. "If it’s a class assignment I can have the students test their potions. Mr. Morthen will have to try it."
Lucius added, "and if he refuses to we’ll at least know he’s hiding something about his family."
The blond paused for a moment. "Again speaking of teaching, Draco came to me with an interesting request."
"What might that be?" Severus asked.
"He wants me to give advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons to Morthen."
"WHAT?" Snape yelled, rising from his seat like an erupting volcano. "Train him? Has that boy lost all common sense?!"
Lucius rolled his eyes and pushed Severus back into his seat, shoving a snifter of brandy into the man’s hands. "I see it’s a good thing he didn’t bring up the subject in front of you."
Severus gulped the amber liquid down in one go. "Bloody insane." He muttered. "Morthen can’t be trusted and he wants you to further educate the boy in offensive magic?"
Lucius chuckled, pouring another round of brandy. "Draco’s insistent. I don’t think I have much choice but to accept his request."
"You bloody well do have a choice, Lucius Malfoy! Or have I been mistaken all these years about who is the parent in the family?" Severus snarled.
"It’s rather odd, how much Draco is pushing this. He’s up to something." Lucius said mildly. "I suspect the only way we’ll find out what he’s plotting now is to go along with his scheme."
"His scheme being to have you tutor Morthen?" Severus grumbled. He sat up suddenly, setting the snifter aside, "But that might just work to our advantage. Lucius I think you should tutor him."
Lucius’ eyebrow rose at the sudden change, "Oh?"
"You’ll be teaching Morthen privately, yes? You’ll have plenty of time to make friends of him, gain his trust, question him discreetly, find out what he’s hiding." Severus smirked.
Lucius didn’t look convinced, "Do you think that would work? He’s obviously skilled at lying, Sev."
"It’s worth a shot, isn’t it?" Severus said.
"Mhm, I suppose."
-------
It was the second time Nalian had overslept in as many days.
"If you’re planning on getting out of bed, I’m just heading to lunch." A voice said nonchalantly.
"Go’way, Blaise." Nalian muttered.
"You can’t sleep through the whole day. If you do you’ll never be able to get up for classes tomorrow." Blaise pointed out sensibly.
"Fine, but don’t expect me to be in good cheer." He shoved the covers off. "Mind I’m only doing this because I don’t want to have to deal with Draco’s bitching about missing classes come Monday morning."
Blaise grinned, "I think everyone can agree with you on that. I’m going, catch me up when you’re dressed."
"Yeah, yeah." Nalian waved him off, digging out some robes he could throw on before following Blaise up to the Great Hall.
As Nalian settled at the table for a bite of lunch a barn owl landed on his shoulder and gave his ear a sharp nip before holding out its leg. "You didn’t have to bite," He grumbled at the bird, untying the letter quickly, "just because I wasn’t here at breakfast to receive the letter. You could’ve gone and slept a bit, or have found me in the dorms." The owl bit his finger when he offered it some bacon and flew off. "Rude thing."
"It probably thinks the same thing about you." Millicent pointed out. "What’d you get?"
"A letter." Nalian said, looking over the parchment. "It’s from my uncle." It had only two lines.
N-
I’m coming for you.
Be in the forest at midnight.
-D
-------
"Wonderful news!" Draco said cheerfully.
"Yeah?" Nalian asked, not looking up from his homework.
Draco shoved the books out of Nalian’s reach and sat on the table the redhead was working at. "Father’s agreed to tutor you."
Nalian looked at him in surprise. "Really? I thought that would fall through, to be honest."
"I told you student education comes before personal feelings." Draco reprimanded. "Now, why don’t go talk to Father and settle dates?"
"At this time? Draco, it’s nine at night, and besides I’ve a lot of work to finish up." Nalian said.
Draco pouted, "Fine. Father thought it’d be best to work out regular times during your first lesson anyway. He said to meet him on Tuesday a couple hours before dinner."
Nalian nodded absently, "Thanks, Draco. You think you can give me a hand with this Transfiguration work?"
An hour later Draco sighed with exasperation, "It’s no wonder you’re having problems on homework! You can’t concentrate on anything for more than two minutes! What’s with you, Nali?"
Nalian gave a frustrated sigh of his own. "Nothing’s wrong! I’m just preoccupied."
"Does it have to do with your avoidance of the Potters?" Draco asked quietly, so no one would overhear.
Nalian made a face. "No. Yes. I don’t know. I just can think right now." He rubbed his hands over his face. "I think I’m going to head to bed,Draco. If I can’t do anything useful I might as well get some rest."
Draco nodded, still looking concerned. "All right. Goodnight."
Nalian left the common room and entered the dorm, flopping on to the bed before flinging the curtains shut.
Derek was coming for him tonight. It wasn’t permanent, Nalian knew, but he wondered what was so important that Derek would risk Nalian’s cover like this. It was all he could think about. Well, that and the fact that he would have the perfect opportunity to tell Derek and maybe even Darian about his birth parents. It was an opportunity Nalian wasn’t sure he wanted to have. Should he tell them, or keep it hidden for a little while longer?
At least Nalian would have the chance to drop off the elven artifacts he’d already found with Derek. The objects he had collected had already been stored safely in a secret pocket on his robe.
He looked at his watch, it was twelve past ten o’clock. Greg and Blaise were already sleeping. Nalian just lay there and watched his wristwatch. Eleven came and went. Draco went to bed a quarter past. Blaise passed out on his bed just after half past eleven.
It was nearing ten minutes to midnight.
Nalian slid off his bed silently, quietly casting a spell to make it look like he was still in bed, sleeping peacefully, before letting the curtains fall back into place.
It was disturbingly easy slipping out Hogwarts without being caught. Nalian made his way along the shore of the lake before slipping into the Forbidden Forest. Not ten meters in he heard familiar hissing.
Chaos, Order. Nalian hissed. You’ve been gone awhile. Have you enjoyed your time in the forest?
Very much, brother. Chaos hissed. Where do you go now?
Nalian smiled, Derek has summoned me. I will be away for a day at most. Do you wish to join me or remain here?
We’ll remain. Order hissed. We ran across Derek not far from here. Be wary, brother, for he may try to attack you.
I suspect he will, as is his wont. He likes to make sure I keep up my training.
Chaos curled around his leg. There are several with Derek. Six in the beginning, but four were sent off, heading west.
Thank you. I will bear that in mind.
Farewell, brother.
Farewell.
Nalian continued his trek into the forest, keeping his senses alert. When the attack came from behind him, he was expecting it.
Nalian dropped to the ground, the dagger only missed his skull by an inch and embedded itself in a tree. He jumped up and whirled around, crouching low in a fighting position while releasing the two daggers he had strapped to his wrists.
There were two people now standing before him, which meant there was still one body unaccounted for.
"Really Derek, I wouldn’t have thought you to be the type to skulk in the shadows while your minions did all the work." Nalian tsk-ed.
"Ah, but I’m not skulking." A voice said behind him.
Nalian smirked and sent a elven freezing spell behind him while letting loose a dagger towards the woman in front of him. He laughed softly as he heard Derek cursing behind him.
"I hate that damn curse!" The vampire growled, moving in to help his two, for lack of a better word, bodyguards. Nalian was giving them hell, shooting off minor curses and using his dagger efficiently simultaneously. Still, Nalian was outmatched.
They had Nalian immobilized in seven minutes, which Nalian personally thought was pretty good, considering the fact that all three of them were physically ten times more powerful than he was with naturally faster reflexes. Derek didn’t take just anyone with him on important missions. He took the best.
It was true that Nalian had the advantage of magic on his side and he had known how many assailants there would be, but the vampires’ superior hearing meant they probably knew when he was approaching them long before he had known, and he couldn’t use strong magic lest they attracted unwanted attention from either Hogwarts or any Death Eaters lurking in the forest.
"That wasn’t too embarrassing on your part." Derek stared at him. "Still, you are sorely out of practice."
Nalian rolled his eyes. "It’s not exactly like I have all the time in the world here to perfect my fighting abilities. And it’s good to see you too, Derek. I’ve missed you too. I’m well, thanks-for-asking, and how are you?"
Derek grinned, "Annoying brat." He pulled the youth into a hug. "Let’s move out." He motioned to the other two. "I want to get to further into the forest before we transport ourselves. Less chance of drawing attention from any Hogwarts inhabitants."
"What about drawing attention from the forest dwellers?" Nalian asked.
Derek shrugged, "Spiders don’t talk, and centaurs don’t like discussing forest happenings to outsiders. The rest of the creatures in this forest most humans never come across, unless they’re what’s next on the menu." He gave a predatory smile.
"I’ve heard Voldemort’s got followers in here." Nalian said.
"Do you think we’d be caught by a bunch of humans who can’t see past their own noses?" Derek snorted. "I didn’t realize your opinion of me was so low."
Nalian grinned at the vampire’s mock indignation, "Accidents happen."
"I don’t make errors."
He snorted, "Need I remind you of the time you were in Italy to visit-"
"Do shut up." Derek glared at him. "I get your point. Let’s not bring up that subject."
Nalian snickered quietly.
"I’ve got four of my men keeping track of the Death Eaters and their activity. They’re also seeing if there are any vampires among them." Derek said. "We’re nearly there. We’ll be to the clearing we arrived at in about five minutes."
"Derek... Why have you come for me?" Nalian asked softly.
"I took your information to the council. They want proof, unsurprisingly. None of us will act if there isn’t some form of evidence. I want you to show us your memory of when you learned about these rogue vampires." Derek explained, brushing back a strand of hair that had escaped his ponytail.
Nalian nodded, "easy enough. How long will I be gone from Hogwarts?"
"Only the night."
Nalian nodded again. "That’s for the best. I just hope none of my dorm mates notice I’m gone." Suddenly Nalian wished he had a few more days with Derek. Things were so confusing at Hogwarts, but here with Derek he knew that he and Darian were his family and where his home was. It didn’t matter if Nalian had found his birth parents. They weren’t the people he wanted to live with. Nalian only hoped his muddled thoughts remembered that when he returned to Hogwarts.
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