Arcane Academy

Chapter 13

Two days passed before Harry could implement his plan of revenge against Bill because the redheaded prat had cowardly fled the cottage, claiming that he had been called in on urgent business at the bank. That was alright, though. That just gave Harry two extra days to think of ways to torment the curse-breaker. And the torment began now.

Harry waited until the entire family had gathered at the table to eat before making his move. As Bill took a bite of his food, Harry pulled a familiar potion’s phial out of his pocket and set it on the table. He calmly pushed the phial toward Bill and gave the redhead a sweet smile.

“Hey, Bill? Do you think you can get me some more of that potion you had Ginny give me?”

Bill choked on his food at the question and stared at the empty phial in disbelief. “You’ve used it all already? What kind of orgies have you four been having in that room? There was enough lube in that phial to last at least two weeks.” Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, Bill’s jaw snapped shut with an audible click, and he turned slowly to face a softly growling Remus. He flinched at the dark look on the werewolf’s face and opened his mouth to say something… anything, but he really couldn’t think of anything to say in the face of Remus’ murderous rage.

“You gave my kit lubricant?” Remus snarled quietly.

“Bill!” screeched Molly, glaring at her oldest son. “I would expect this kind of stunt from the twins, but you’re supposed to more responsible than that. And using poor Ginny in your prank like that was just cruel.”

“It was just a joke, Mum,” said Bill defensively. “He didn’t have to use it. Why aren’t you yelling at him?”

Remus and Molly immediately turned expectantly toward Harry. He just gave them an innocently confused look. “Lubricant? I thought it was massage oil, so I used it to soften the cracks in Zenith’s wings. See?” He gestured toward the glistening, leathery wings fluttering gently behind Zenith.

Molly sighed in relief and sat back down to eat. Remus, on the other hand, was by no means placated. He calmly grabbed Bill’s arm and pulled him away from the table with a muttered, “Excuse us.”

Harry blinked at the abrupt departure and said, “I wonder where they’re going. Perhaps we should put a warming charm on their food until they get back.”

“You’re such a thoughtful young man, Harry,” said Molly proudly, casting the warming charm on Remus and Bill’s plates. “If only my boys were more like you.”

Harry just flashed her a sweet smile and went back to his meal, ignoring the awed looks the twins kept giving him. He had barely put his fork down after his last bite when Fred and George jumped up and dragged him away from the table. They pulled him into their bedroom and locked and silenced the room.

“You are absolutely,” started Fred.

“Positively evil, Harry,” continued George.

“We love it!” they said together.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” said Harry primly. “I just asked Bill for some more of what I thought was massage oil. How is that evil?”

“Yeah, right,” snorted Fred. “We know you too well to believe that.”

“You may not have known what it was at first, but I’m quite sure one of your suitors did and informed you,” said George.

“The question is, was it brash and bold Tristan, arrogant and aloof Octavius, or nice and quiet Zenith?” asked Fred. “I’m betting it was Tristan.”

“I’m betting it was Octavius,” added George.

“Well, you’re both wrong. It was Zenith,” said Harry, watching the pair in amusement.

“We should have guessed,” said Fred.

“It’s always the ones you least expect,” said George.

“I wonder what Moony is going to do to Bill,” mused Fred.

“Let’s find out,” said George mischievously.

Harry snickered softly and calmly dismantled the charms on the door. “Let me know what you find out.”

“Will do, partner,” said the twins cheerfully.

XxX

Harry walked into the kitchen the next morning and stopped short. There was a long-haired, red Irish Setter laying in the floor beside the kitchen table. He started to ask where the dog had come from when he got a whiff of the scent under the initial dog smell.

“Bill?” he asked hesitantly. The dog whined softly, looking thoroughly miserable.

“He’s been like that since Remus dragged him out of the kitchen last night,” said Molly sympathetically. “Arthur and I tried to change him back, but nothing we’ve tried has worked.” She gave the dog a stern look. “Maybe next time you’ll think a little before you pull another stunt like that, William Weasley.”

Bill just whined again and buried his face in his paws. Looking at the pathetic picture, Harry kind of felt bad for incurring Remus’ wrath against the redhead. As he sat down at the table, he decided to have a little talk with Remus after breakfast. Yes, he'd wanted to torment Bill a little for his stunt with the lube, but the poor man looked so miserable, Harry just didn't have the heart to watch him suffer anymore.

Tristan and Octavius walked into the kitchen, and Harry gave them a wan smile. “Where’s Zenith?”

“He’ll be here in a few minutes. He was still getting dressed when we left,” said Octavius calmly. He looked down at the dog curiously. “Where’d the dog come from?”

“It’s Bill,” said Harry with a guilty frown.

Tristan snickered softly. “Now that gives new meaning to the term, ‘being in the doghouse,’ doesn’t it?”

“Look at him, though. He looks miserable,” said Harry.

“He’ll be fine, Harry,” said Tristan dismissively. “I’m sure your guardian won’t make him suffer for too much longer. He’s rather like you when it comes to hurting others.”

"He's much cuter like this. Your guardian has good taste," said Octavius teasingly.

"Octavius," spluttered Harry, trying not to laugh. He had to agree, though. Bill made one adorable dog.

A few minutes later, Ginny bounded into the kitchen with a happy smile on her face. She smirked at the dog and sat down at the table, stepping on one of Bill’s paws as she did. Bill yelped in pain and growled at Ginny, but she just gave everyone an innocent look and claimed it was an accident.

At a sharp look from his mother, Bill slowly quit growling and flopped back down on the floor. A few minutes later, however, he yelped again as the pointed toe of Ginny’s shoes dug into his side. This time, he knew the brat had done it on purpose. Apparently, Harry did too.

“Ginny! You stop that right now,” snapped Harry angrily.

Ginny looked at him in confusion. “Stop what, Harry?”

“I saw you kick Bill, Ginny, so don’t even bother trying to deny it,” said Harry irritably.

“It was an accident, Harry,” said Ginny carelessly. “I thought I felt something crawling on me and kicked out in reflex.”

“You’re an awful liar, Ginny,” said Harry bluntly. “You’re just being cruel because you’re still angry about the prank he played on us.”

“Well, he deserves it,” snapped Ginny defensively. “He sent me to your room just so he could rub your new relationships in my face.”

“That’s because you don’t know how to give up gracefully,” said Tristan, glaring at the girl. “Harry isn’t interested in you, and he’s told you that himself. Get over it and move on already.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Ginny with a haughty sniff.

“Does your mother know you came to our room dressed like a whore when you brought that potion?” asked Octavius snidely.

“I’ve lost my appetite,” said Harry abruptly, pushing his plate away and standing. “I’m going to go have a talk with Remus. Come on, Bill.” The dog eagerly got to his feet and trotted out of the kitchen after Harry.

“I don’t know what he sees in you two,” muttered Ginny disdainfully. “You’re both arrogant pricks.”

“At least we’re not total whores like you are,” sneered Tristan. “Do you even remember how many guys you’ve fucked while chasing after Harry?”

“I am not a whore,” hissed Ginny venomously. “I’ve only slept with one person. Can you say the same?”

“No, I can’t,” said Tristan calmly. Ginny looked smug at the admission, but it was quickly wiped away with Tristan’s next comment. “I haven’t had sex at all, yet.”

“Y-You’re a virgin?” spluttered Ginny, staring at the faerie in shock.

Octavius smirked at the faerie. “That somehow doesn’t surprise me. Harry’s the only person you’ve allowed to get that close to you, isn’t he?”

Tristan nodded. “He’s special. He’s got so much power at his fingertips, but he’s so damn soft-hearted that he just can’t bring himself to truly hurt someone.”

“Like with Sheila,” said Octavius. “Even though he was only defending himself from her attack, he still healed the damage he inflicted on her.”

Tristan smiled wryly. “He did the same thing to me. I threatened to hurt one of his kits the first day we met, and he set my feet on fire.”

“And then he promptly healed the burns,” Octavius concluded.

“You two act like he’s some kind of saint,” said Ginny scornfully. “I can assure you that he’s nothing of the sort. It’s his fault that Sirius died this June.”

“Ginny Weasley, how dare you say that,” snapped Molly angrily. “Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius, so don’t you go trying to pin the blame on Harry.”

“If Harry hadn’t gone to the Ministry, Sirius would still be alive,” said Ginny.

“That is enough out of you, young lady,” said Molly sternly. “Go to your room, and if I hear you say another word on the subject, I’ll tan your hide.”

Ginny scowled at her mother and stalked out of the kitchen with a huff. Molly sighed and looked at Tristan and Octavius. “I’m sorry you had to hear that. I just don’t know what’s gotten into that girl lately. She’s always idolised Harry because of the whole Boy-Who-Lived thing, and it just got worse after he saved her from the basilisk, but I thought she’d mellowed out over the last two years.”

“She’s tainted by black magic,” said Octavius softly. “There are tendrils of magic, almost like shadows, wrapped around her body.”

Molly gasped in horror. “She was possessed by You-Know-Who when she was eleven, but we thought everything was alright after Harry destroyed the diary. Is she still being possessed?”

Octavius shook his head. “She’s not being possessed. The shadows are too faint for that, but they can still influence her to a small degree, mostly through her emotions rather than her mind. It certainly would explain why she’s so obsessed with Harry. As you said, she already idolised him, and the black magic remnants are amplifying those emotions to a dangerous degree.”

“Can they be removed?” asked Molly worriedly.

“Yes, but it would be costly,” said Octavius. “The only ones capable of purging a person of black magic like that are fae healers.”

Molly looked devastated at the news. Her baby was hurt, and there was nothing she could do about it.

“Excuse me, please,” said Tristan quietly. He quickly stood and left the room, heading straight for his bedroom. He saw Zenith heading toward the kitchen and passed the Dracken with barely a glance. He had a call he had to make.

Once he reached the bedroom, Tristan pulled a small blue orb out of his trunk and said, “Aunt Marissa, I need to talk with you, please.”

A few minutes later, the orb turned clear, and a woman with silvery blonde hair and violet eyes appeared in the glass. “Tristan, it’s been months since you last called. Is something wrong?”

“I’m courting someone,” said Tristan.

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” said Marissa happily. “Who is it? What are they like? How many rivals do you have? I can’t wait to meet them.”

“I’m courting a Kitiara named Harry Potter, and he’s amazing. He has two other suitors besides me, but we all actually get along rather well.” Tristan sighed and looked at his aunt pleadingly. “The reason I called, though, is because I need your help. One of Harry’s family members was possessed by a dark lord years ago, and she is still being influenced by remnants of black magic from the possession. You’re the best healer I know, Aunt Marissa.”

“Tristan, you know you only had to ask,” said Marissa gently. “I never blamed you for what happened to Callandra, and it just makes me so angry every time I see the way my sister and brother-in-law treat you. Tell me where you are, and I’ll be there tomorrow morning.”

“We’re in Egypt, but I’m not sure about the exact location. If you’ll just go to the Gringotts in Egypt, I’ll have one of the family members meet you there,” said Tristan.

“Have them meet me at nine o’clock then,” said Marissa firmly. “And, Tristan? It’s really great to see you so happy. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Tristan nodded and smiled at his aunt. “Bye, Aunt Marissa.” The orb turned blue once more, and Tristan set it carefully back in his trunk. Now he just had to make arrangements for someone to meet his aunt in the morning.

XxX

Harry opened the door to Remus and Bill’s room and promptly blushed at the sight of Charlie bent over with his bare arse facing the door as he pulled a pair of briefs up his legs. “I-I am so sorry,” stammered Harry, closing the door quickly. He looked down at Bill, face still warm with a blush, and said, “He’s not here. Do you know where he might be?”

Bill chuffed softly, inwardly cackling at Harry’s embarrassment, and headed off toward the library. Remus always spent at least an hour in the library each day, especially now that the house was overrun with guests and family. It was pretty much the only place in the house where he could get any peace and quiet these days.

Although the room looked empty when they walked in, Bill knew exactly where the werewolf was hiding. He lead Harry to a corner in the back of the room, hidden in the shadows of a bookshelf. Remus looked up in surprise at Harry’s arrival and slowly put his book down.

“Hello, Harry. Is there something I can do for you?” he asked politely.

“Change him back, Remus,” said Harry, gesturing to the dog beside him.

“No,” said Remus bluntly.

“Moony, I know you’re upset about what he did. So was I if for no other reason than the fact that he used Ginny to play his prank, knowing how she felt about me. But you can’t leave him like this,” said Harry softly.

“What happened?” asked Remus, knowing there was another reason Harry was so insistent on this.

“Ginny kicked him twice at breakfast, and you know Bill won’t do anything to hurt her no matter what she does to him. At least if he were human, he could defend himself a bit better,” said Harry.

“She what?” growled Remus angrily. “I hope Molly took that girl in hand because if she didn’t, I’ll-” He cut off what he was about to say and took a deep breath. Pulling his wand out of his robes, he swished it toward Bill and reversed the transfiguration spell he’d cast. “You can deal with her yourself now, Bill.”

“Now that that’s taken care of, I’ll just be leaving,” muttered Harry, sighing slightly when neither Bill nor Remus even acknowledged his comment. “I swear, they act more like teenagers than I do,” he said as he walked out of the room.

Harry decided to go outside and play with his kits for a while. It had been a while since he last transformed, and he wanted to run and play for a bit. As he stepped outside, though, he was surprised to see Octavius sitting on the ground playing with Shadow and Eclipse. The shadow demon just didn’t seem the type to enjoy playing with animals like that.

“Having fun?”

“It’s relaxing,” said Octavius easily.

“I know. I had the same thought myself,” said Harry ruefully, sitting on the ground beside Octavius. Shadow immediately jumped into his lap and nudged his stomach. Harry smiled and obediently stroked the kit’s furry ears,

“Why don’t you transform and play with them for a bit?” Octavius suggested. “There’s been so much going on lately that you haven’t really gotten a chance to do so since we got here.”

He smiled eagerly and gently set Shadow back down on the ground before transforming into his fox form. Soon, three black kits were running and rolling across the sand. Octavius snickered slightly when Shadow and Eclipse pounced on Harry, pinning him on his back with one kit happily nuzzling his neck and the other nuzzling his belly.

“He looks like he’s having fun,” said Zenith softly, sitting down beside Octavius. Almost as soon as he did, Harry bounded up to him and jumped in his lap with a happy yip. Shadow and Eclipse decided to pounce on Octavius this time.

Harry suddenly cocked his head and looked toward the door. Zenith looked back, as well, but the door was still closed. However, a moment later, the door opened to reveal Tristan on the doorstep. Harry yipped softly and bounded up to the faerie, nudging the redhead’s leg demandingly.

“Okay, I get,” said Tristan with an exasperated sigh. He picked Harry up and started petting the dark fur. He snickered softly as Harry almost started purring when he scratched behind his ears. “As amusing as this is, you might want to change back. I’ve got something to tell you.”

Harry cocked his head curiously and immediately transformed back, forgetting that he was still in Tristan’s arms. Tristan gasped in surprise at the sudden transformation and quickly shifted his hold on Harry to keep from dropping him. Tristan slowly set Harry on his feet and smiled ruefully.

“I guess I probably should have put you down before I said anything.” He sat down beside Zenith and pulled Harry into his lap. “My Aunt Marissa is coming to visit in the morning. I’ve already asked Bill if it was alright, and he agreed to meet her at Gringotts and to bring her here.”

“I’m happy to meet your family and all, but why is she coming here?” asked Harry curiously.

“She’s a fae healer,” said Tristan softly.

“She’s coming to heal the Weasley bint,” said Octavius bluntly.

“What do you mean? What’s wrong with her?” asked Harry worriedly.

“Mrs. Weasley told us about the time she was possessed by Voldemort, Harry,” said Tristan. “Well, Octavius’ power involves shadows, and he could clearly see the shadows black magic left behind on the girl. While she’s not being possessed, the shadows do still have the power to influence her emotions, such as her obsession with you and anger in general. Only fae healers have the magic capable of purging black magic from a person, but it’s almost impossible for a human to contact them.”

“That was over three years ago,” Harry murmured. He suddenly had a horrifying thought. Ginny had been possessed by a fragment of Voldemort’s soul. He, however, had been possessed by Voldemort himself. Was he being affected by remnants of magic, as well? He turned fearful eyes toward Octavius. “Do I have those shadows, too? That bastard tried to possess me just this June.”

Octavius quickly shook his head. “I don’t see any magical remnants on you at all.”

“I wonder why. Ginny was possessed by a soul fragment while I was possessed by a resurrected Voldemort. Maybe it affected her more because she was under his control for so long,” said Harry musingly.

“What do you mean?” asked Zenith.

“Voldemort had stored a piece of his soul into a diary,” said Harry hesitantly. Before he could say anything else, Octavius growled angrily.

“That bastard created a horcrux. That fucking coward.”

“What’s a horcrux?” asked Tristan.

“A horcrux is created by murdering someone and ripping a piece of your soul off and storing it another object,” said Octavius. “It’s black magic at its worst, and it’s designed to keep a person anchored to the living world even if the physical body is destroyed.”

Harry had a sinking feeling in his stomach. If what Octavius was saying was true, did that mean he was a horcux, as well? He felt sick at the very idea of a piece of Voldemort residing in his body.

“H-How do you tell if something is a horcrux?” asked Harry fearfully.

“The Soul Reveal spell,” said Octavius promptly. “A dark red light will surround the object if a foreign soul is trapped inside.”

“Can you cast that spell on me?” asked Harry nervously. At their shocked looks, he hurried to explain. “The scar he gave me hurts whenever he’s close or very emotional, and I sometimes have visions of what he’s doing. I just need to know if he somehow turned me into a horcrux the night he tried to kill me.”

“I already told you that you have shadows of black magic on you, and horcruxes certainly fall under that category. However, I will do the spell if it will make you feel better,” said Octavius gently. He got up and knelt down in front of Harry. He slowly reached out and gently traced the faded scar on Harry’s forehead. “Animus Aperio.” A soft blue light encompassed Harry’s body unmarred by any other colour. Octavius released the spell and brushed Harry’s hair back with a smile. “See? No black magic at all.”

Harry threw his arms around Octavius’ neck and buried his face in the shadow demon’s neck. The relief he felt almost made him dizzy in its intensity. Of course, now that he thought about it, he hadn’t any pain in his scar or visions since he’d awakened from his coma. He pulled back and looked up at Octavius.

“Do you think my inheritance may have purged any black magic in me away?”

“It’s very possible,” said Octavius thoughtfully. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I haven’t had any trouble with my scar since I woke up after my inheritance,” Harry explained.

“Then I would say your theory is most likely correct,” said Octavius.

“Now we just have to find any other horcruxes the idiot wizard created,” said Zenith.

“Dumbledore would know, but we can’t exactly ask him,” said Harry. He sighed in frustration. “All we can really do now is hope that he mentions them to Bill or Snape.”

"You still have time to figure things out, Harry," said Zenith soothingly. "You have quite a bit to learn before you're ready to face him, and even then you won't have to do so alone."

"Yeah, Harry. No matter what happens, we'll stand beside you," promised Tristan.

"Besides, he won't know what hit him with two demons involved," said Octavius confidently. "As a Dracken, Zenith can command dragons, and I, of course, command the shadows."

"So just relax and enjoy the holidays. The Weasley girl will be back to her old self by tomorrow, and Christmas is only six days away," Zenith concluded.

"Speaking of Christmas, what'd you get me, Harry?" asked Octavius slyly.

A dismayed look crossed Harry's face. "I knew I was forgetting something." At the crestfallen look on Octavius' face, Harry laughed softly and said, "Just kidding, Octavius. I bought your present days ago, but you'll have to wait until Christmas to find out what it is just like the rest of us."

"But it's still days away, and I want to know now," whined Octavius teasingly, smiling slightly at the resulting grin on Harry's face. It still amazed him that this little brunet could evoke such feelings of happiness in him. He hadn't smiled or laughed this much since his mother was still alive.

"Poor baby," taunted Harry. "I'm sure you'll survive the wait somehow." Despite his teasing, though, he felt a pang of sadness about the upcoming holiday. He'd only gotten to spend one Christmas with his godfather before he was taken away so cruelly. However, Sirius' death had taught him one thing. Life was short, so he should cherish every moment he had with his family and friends.