His Teacher

His Teacher

Chapter Two: Moving Shadows

Two people strode through a silent alley. Apart from their footsteps, complete silence hung around them; it seemed that every living creature was afraid to breathe in their presence.

“Did you bring him?” questioned a cold, raspy voice.

“No,” came the curt reply.

“…Why?” his voice began to tense, but he kept it steady, not wanting to provoke a dangerous reaction from his minion.

“I think he must be ready to meet you,” Lauren replied after a thoughtful pause.

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t you want to defeat him in a duel?” she asked, appearing surprised.

“Yes I did…”

“That’s why I will train him,” she answered simply. She did not seem to be intimidated by the Dark Lord’s presence in the least.

“But the prophecy?” he inquired.

“My research has improved… I have almost found a way around it,” she affirmed, smirking.

“But, the boy will become stronger-”

She stopped and stared at him pensively. “Are you afraid?”

A feeling of utter resentment washed over him, but he hid it adeptly, laughing cynically. “You fascinate me, Lauren…”

“That’s my job.”

“Still-”

“Every fighter has his own weaknesses…I will inform you of his.”

“…Very well, I believe everything is according to plan.”

She glanced at agaiagain. “You should probably train yourself a bit too, you know.”

After not receiving any answer she continued, “Well I’m going to train him after all…”

“I will think of that….”

Lauren laughed.

“What about Adam?”

“I feel that he has great potential as long as his sensuality doesn’t get in the way,” she scoffed. “However, I will attend him for information. I have instructed him well…he knows his act.”

“Very well…you are free to go.”

With that, they bowed to each other and Lauren vanished.

* * *

“Son, what did you wish to talk about…?” Lucius Malfoy muttered absently, not glancing up from his papers.

“Well, I talked to Professor Snape, and he-” Draco was cut off unexpectedly by a voice from behind them.

“Hello Lucius…”

Draco looked up at the woman that had suddenly stepped out from nowhere. Something unexplainable in her presence made him feel at ease with his surroundings. She wore long robes of the deepest ebony that matched her hair unerringly.

“Oh, Lauren.” He stood from his desk and kissed her hand. “How do you do that?”

“I have my tricks…” She smiled and looked directly at Draco.

Draco inspected the woman and came to a conclusion. If she would’ve been paler, her hair would’ve been greasier, and if she was not indeed a female, he would simply mistake her for Snape.

“Oh, this is my son Draco.” He motioned for Draco to come closer.

“Nice to meet you, Draco,” she said smoothly, smiling mysteriously.

“Draco, I’m afraid I have some businesses to take care of…”

* * *

Ron sat on the couch in the living room, almost unaware of his sister’s arms wrapped around him. He stared blankly at the wall before him, the sounds coming from the kitchen not reaching his mind…

How did something like this happen? Weren’t there things protecting Harry?

He was truly worried…He had cared so much about Harry…He had been like a brother to him…Wait…he still was.

‘This is too much….’

“Ron?” came Ginny’s somber voice. She had calmed down, her emotions subsiding slightly, the rational realization of what had happened beginning to creep into her mind.

Ron was startled out of his thoughts, and made an unidentifiable sound as a signal for her to continue.

“Is Harry okay?”

“I hope…” was his simple response. He knew that he had to say something more comforting, like, ‘He’s alright. Dumbledore and the others will find him. Just a matter of time,’ something. But he couldn’t lie to his sister; he didn’t know what was happening to Harry right at the moment. He was worried, but still, he didn’t want to jump to conclusions…

“I want them to explain,” Ginny said.

“Me too, me too…”

‘God Harry. I hope you’ll stand through this…’

* * *

Draco walked out of his fathers’ office and straight into the living room where Narcissa Malfoy was sitting.

“Mother?”

“Oh, Draco darling, good morning,” she nodded, grace radiating from her every elegant, captivating motion.

“Mum, who is Lauren?” Draco asked.

He watched as his mother’s face dropped. She slowly stood from the couch and quickly exited the room.

‘What the…? Maybe dad’s cheating on her?’ With that thought, he followed his mother out of the living room and into Lucius’ office.

As soon as he had opened the door, he heard his mother exclaim, “Lauren, darling! How nice to see you!”

He stood in the doorway and watched as his mother greeted the woman like an old friend. Lucius turned to Draco. “Son, I’m afraid I’ll have to talk to you later.” He motioned his head to the door; that was the sign for Draco to get the hell out. Turning to Lauren, he continued, “Lauren…will you stay-”

Draco didn’t hear the rest, for he had already closed the door and gone to his room. There was one person he had to talk to…

* * *

Harry was tired, mentally, despite the fact that the books he had read throughout the day had been incredibly interesting. He was finally starting to identify with Hermione’s love of books. He also realized that he could find books fascinating only if there was something very fascinating written in them.

He sat with his back against a tree, staring…at what, he wasn’t sure. Although the scenery displayed before him was breathtaking, his mind was wandering into the most dangerous territory of all. And right now, that territory was full of images of a dark-haired teenage boy he knew was somewhere in the house behind him…

Adam had told him to wait for him there. So that was exactly what he did.

“So Harry, what you thinking about? Me?” Adam said as he flopped down onto the ground.

Harry tried to laugh, “Nothing specific.”

“Again, so.”

“Can I ask some questions?”

“Sure. Anything.”

“Lauren. Who is she?”

“She is my aunt. I just moved into her house, I lived with my grandparents.”

“Why?”

“I would rather not talk ‘bout that now.”

“Okay.”

“Anyway, we should take some laps we can talk then.”

Harry felt that he somehow put Adam off with the topic that almost came up. So he agreed. “Yeah, let’s get the brooms.”

“Accio Hawk.” Adam pronounced and after a minute a black broom fell right before his legs.

“Hawk? Wandless magic?”

“Yeah, that’s my broom. The Black Hawk. And yes, wandless magic.”

“Hawk? Never heard of that.”

“That was made especially for me, ‘Ren’s present.”

“Amazing,” Harry said as he inspected the broom in his hands.

“Get yours, too.”

“But, I don’t have my wand.”

Adam looked at him strangely and Harry blushed. “Okay, what’s your broom?”

“A Firebolt.”

“Good, good. Accio Firebolt.”

* * *

Draco sat down in front of the fireplace in his room. He cautiously looked around, making sure that there was no one who could somehow find out what he was doing. He whispered a few words, and in a short number of minutes, a black-haired head appeared.

“Professor…”

“Mr. Malfoy,” Snape started, “do you have something to tell me?”

“Yes, someone called Lauren was here…” he trailed off as he saw Snape’s eye start twitching.

“Professor?”

“…What did she want?”

“I don’t know, but it seemed that she was in great relations to my parents. Lucius especially. Do you know who she is?”

There was a long silence before Snape continued. “Do you have anything else to report?”

Draco shook his head.

“Veell,ell, keep in touch.”

“But wh-” Draco was cut off with a poof as Snape’s head disappeared. “What the hell is going on…?”

* * *

Molly gasped as an old wizard wearing dark green robes came through her kitchen door.

“Molly,” the man said, kissing her hand. “Gather everyone in the living room.”

She complied, calling for her children to come downstairs. Arthur was already sitting on the couch next to Ron and Ginny.

As Dumbledore sat down into an armchair, he nodded in acknowledgement at the twins’ and Bill’s greetings.

“Good afternoon…and I’m afraid I come with ill news…”

Ron actually rolled his eyes at this. “I think I shall begin with yesterday’s evening.” Dumbledore sighed. “Nothing peculiar caught my attention that evening until I sensed a huge breakthrough in the protection spells-” there were a few confused glances between the younger Weasleys, so he added, “-as I cast them, I could feel them. That was only after Harry had already been taken… ”

“But who, Professor?” asked George.

There was a long pause. “I think it was Lauren Masters, she is probably the only one who can break my pattern…”

With this Dumbledore looked straight at Bill Weasley for a long moment. “As I understand, she cast a very strong blocking charm onto the Protection spells…She Apparated with Harry to somewhere…and that was when the alarms went off. I don’t know where Harry is, I cannot sense him…”

* * *

He walked through the forest, not risking Apparition. If he did, Dumbledore might sense the shift in the air, which could lead to some unnecessary questions. The situation surrounding his ‘loyalties’ was tight enough as it was.

As he came to a slightly more open part of the forest, he saw a shadow in the trees. He smirked. This should answer a lot of his questions.

“How nice of you to come,” he drawled, sarcasm dripping from his acidic voice.

The man lowered the hood of his cloak and smirked.

“You are unusually pleasant today, Severus.”

There was a tense pause. “I believe you have the information I need?”

“Indeed I do, have you finished the potion?”

“Almost.”

“Ahh, I have the poison, if it is what you are implying.” The man paused. “Peter is rather-how should I put it? More…‘bendable’ than most of our acquaintances.”

Snape’s jaw clenched at the mention of his connections. “Well, I shall start with the questions that-”

“No, Severus, I would like to take my potion first. Just being overly cautious, nothing to worry about,” the man added quickly as a dangerous-looking expression fell over Severus’s face.

“Very well,” Snape agreed, and he took out a vial filled with a deep blue liquid. “You should add a one standard drop of the poison exactly two hours before ‘applying’ the potion. Questions?”

“No, I think I’ll manage.” The man smiled with triumph as he observed the way the liquid potion shimmered in the light. “Will I be mistaken if I say that you wished to know something?”

“You certainly wouldn’t be. First, I can be certain that this shall stay between us?”

“Of course.”

“Do you know about Lauren Masters?”

“She is well known.”

“How did you find out about her?”

“Lucius introduced us in the Ministry. As far as I understood, she became an Unspeakable.”

“An Unspeakable?”

“Are you surprised?”

“Highly. I didn’t know she had a clean enough reputation to become an Unspeakable.”

“I could have agreed, but apparently, she has done something to earn the respect of many within the Mystery Department. They fully support her, as do the Unspeakables and the agents. Of course, you cannot forget about the Death Eaters in the Ministry. They all support her to the fullest. Why? I have no idea.”

“Mystery Department, agents and Unspeakables?” Severus questioned and the man nodded. “Understandable, they’re just the type of people to do that. Interesting. What happened the night Voldemort made her presence known?”

“It was a rather simple meeting. He was in a good mood, though. He mentioned Lucius finishing his mission.”

“Mission?”

“I heard something along the lines that Lucius’s mission was directly involving Ms. Masters. Nothing more.”

“Hmm. Why exactly was she invited?”

“I quote: ‘she will help us all achieve our goal’. I have no notions about her mission, but it surely involves Potter. She has retrieved him. What was supposed to happen, I do not know.”

“Do you know where she might be?”

“No one knows, I don’t think even the Dark Lord knows.”

Severus let out a low snarl.

“Don’t waste your breath, Snape. If he isn’t dead already, he’ll be so soon.” And with that, the man Disapparated.

* * *

“Boys! Come down!” Lauren shouted at the two boys flying over the garden area.

Harry felt overwhelmed. He and Adam had decided to fly a few laps, but Harry repeatedly became distracted by the other boy, who seemed to be popping up everywhere. Despite his reservations, Harry could not deny that he was growing quite infatuated with the boy.

“Had a nice day?” Lauren asked as the boys landed.

“Harry’s a great flyer,” Adam said, his smirk ever-present.

“I noticed that,” Lauren stated with a suspicious glance toward the black-haired teen. “Adam, make sure that dinner is being prepared. Harry, follow me.”

“I’m off then.” Adam winked at Harry, who blushed for the hundredth time that day, and ran ahead of them.

Lauren followed him with her eyes to make sure that he left, and only then started walking towards the house. “I hope he doesn’t embarrass you too much.”

Harry quickly followed. “Huh?”

“Just his way of showing affection, don’t worry, he won’t jump you or anything...yet.”

Harry decided not to question anything further.

They made their way through the garden and into the house. Harry tried to memorize as much of the house as he could and desperately tried to keep up with her pace at the same time.

Harry remembered the huge corridor from earlier. With no Adam to distract him, he was looking around with curiosity. When Lauren stopped suddenly, Harry noticed another turn which led into a side corridor similar to the one they were walking through. There were doors too, but the corridor was darker. Harry could’ve sworn that he saw something move there, but he tried to dismiss it. He watched Lauren as she narrowed her eyes at something in the corridor, then sighed and continued walking.

“Lauren?”

“Yes?”

“Where do these doors lead to?” Harry started feeling uncomfortable and almost walked into her, not noticing that she’d stopped before the door to her office.

She turned and smirked at him - Harry recognized that smirk immediately.

‘Must be in the genes,’ he thought and shivered slightly. Maybe with Adam, that smirk looked sly and seductive, but with Lauren, it was only cold and arrogant.

“Curiosity killed the cat,” she said simply and opened the door.

Lauren took of her robe and placed it on the back of her chair. e wae was a long moment of silence as she sat down onto the chair.

“Well, sit down…relax,” she added.

Harry sat down into a chair that stood directly in front of Lauren.

“Harry, do you know why I brought you here?”

“Um, you said something about training in your letter.”

“Yes, Harry, training. You have a difficult time ahead of you. I know I’m repeating myself, for many people have probably told you something similar, but it is very true.”

Harry swallowed.

“I have received a request from a… friend of mine to see to it that you are fully prepared for the things that are ahead of you. That’s why tomorrow will be your first lesson. I believe Adam has instructed you on how to work with the literature.”

“Yes.”

“Now, let’s find out what needs the most work.” She came round her table and stopped in front of Harry. As she put her cool hand against his forehead, a chill ran through his body.

“Well, well, well.” She withdrew her hand. “Everything seems to be fine. We will start on Apparition and ‘pain-control’ tomorrow.”

“Pain-control? Apparition? But, I’m not of legal age…”

She laughed. Something about that laugh reminded him of the Dark Lord... As he tried to remember, he didn’t even notice as she leaned in. “If you have control over your magic and know how to hide it, anything is legal. Besides, this won’t be your standard Apparition. The art of Movere is difficult, but very necessary.”

She moved back and crossed her hands over her chest. “I must warn you, this won’t be just any training. The things that you will learn are dangerous. The lessons will be exhausting, sometimes painful.”
Harry swallowed again.

“I hope I didn’t scare you too much.”

“No, no. I just-”

“Harry, this is very necessary for you. Also, you must give one-hundred percent, if you don’t, then...let’s not even go there. Anyway, tomorrow evening there will be a gathering held here, so you will see a tailor first thing in the morning, then attend your first lesson.”

“What if I say no?”

“No is not an answer to me,” she snapped. “You won’t survive if you won’t do this. I thought that you made it very clear yesterday that you wanted to do this?”

“Yes, yes, of course, that was just a question...”

“Good,” she stated firmly and sat down again. She took out a few papers and started examining them. Harry wasn’t sure if he should leave or stay.

“What about my friends?”

“What about them?”

“Well, they might get worried...maybe I should write to them and say that I’m okay.”

“So now you are worried about your friends.” Harry saw disappointment cross over her features. “You may, but nothing must be said about anything that happens to you here or anything else involving this house.”

“What am I going to say to them then?”

“I don’t know, you have your own head on your shoulders, figure it out!” she spat.

“Okay.” Harry started getting up.

“You are free to go.”

He almost opened the door to leave, but he felt that he must somehow reassure her; strangely enough, he didn’t want to disappoint her at all. He wanted her to be proud.

“Don’t worry, I won’t disappoint you,” he whispered before leaving the room.

Lauren looked up sharply in surprise at the already closed door. “Disappoint me, eh? This is going to be easier than I thought.” She looked back at the papers on her desk. “Ha, disappoint me.... pathetic,” she muttered to herself. She let out a low snarl as she planned their first lesson.


* * * * *