Sacrifice - Chapter 1; A New Face

Sacrifices – Chapter 1; A New Face

There was a time when the sun shone brightly on the wizarding world. These days, darkness seemed to permeate everyone and everything. There were those that knew the final confrontation between good and evil was close at hand. The Ministry of Magic on the other hand, either didn’t know or didn’t care.

Rufus Scrimgeour, along with the Governors decided to keep Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry open citing claims that they would not allow Voldemort to dictate wizarding lifestyle. However, the rules had changed slightly. Professor McGonagall, who was now officially the new Headmistress, recommended that they allow only 5th through 7th year students to return to finish their training for their O.W.L.E.S. and their N.E.W.T.S. The Ministry announced they would also be heavily recruiting new, older students that show magical abilities but were not invited to Hogwarts in the past for various reasons. Scrimgeour initiated Educational Decree Number Thirty to make it official.

Headmistress McGonagall was not very pleased with the Ministry’s decision but willingly tolerated their intervention, as they would be providing continual Auror security for the school throughout the year. Letters were sent home to apprehensive students throughout Great Britain. It seemed, as a result of the replies she received, many students were eager to return.

These new recruits were approached by Ministry Officials with the opportunity to attend. Most were teens with troubled pasts. One of those teens was Muggle born boy with a dark and troubled history.

The clock tower chimed in the distance. It was 2 o’clock in the morning. Tiberius Ogdan lay wide awake. For the first time in 17 years, time had meaning. For the first time since he was old enough to realize what was going on around him, he wanted nothing more than to see the sunrise for it meant that he would be leaving this desolate place. He would be going to a place that had no steel bars and iron doors that locked you in. He would be going to a place called Hogwarts. He would be going to school…a real school.

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Tiberius Ogdan was an orphan. He was basically discarded by a mother who didn’t want him. She had left him as an infant on the doorstep of a homeless shelter in Reigate on a frigid November night. He was taken in and quickly sent to the Infant Orphan Asylum at Melville Place in Liverpool. He remained there, un-adopted due to his strange attributes and behaivior until he was five years old. He was then transferred to the Dorset County Boys Home in Andrew where he began school.

It turned out that Tiberius was a gifted student. He was so far advanced that he was placed in special classes at nearby universities at the age of ten. He possessed a photographic memory and his ability to remember everything he saw and read was only one of Ti’s unusual gifts. He would have dreams. He would see pictures of people, places and things that meant nothing to him. He didn’t know what they meant. There was one dream in particular. He had it when he was 8. It was so vivid and clear. He held on to it in his memory like a post card. It was face…nothing more. But it was the face of a girl, the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. The image burned itself into his mind, her sparkling eyes, her crooked, dimpled little smile, her hair. Tiberius thought she must be an angle. He would recall her face sometimes when he was angry or hurting and it would always calm him.

He also had the ability to manipulate objects with his mind. It was an ability that seemed to manifest itself when he was feeling a strong emotion. He didn’t seem to be able to control the ability to move and change things at will but it was enough to make those who knew him uneasy when he was near. He was treated like a freak.

As Tiberius grew, he became hauntingly handsome. His dark features were accentuated by his ever-changing eyes. His hair was jet black, stringy and hung down to the middle of his back. He worked his body hard and became lean, muscular and powerful. By the age of 15 he was 6 feet tall and 200 pounds.

Life in institutions had taught him to be tough. He worked his body relentlessly when he became a teenager, building it into machine. Fighting was a way of life. You were either a leader or a victim. Tiberius Ogdan had no desire to be a victim. He became a leader without even trying. With superior intelligence, demonic eyes and an imposing physical presence, all the other boys were terrified of him as well most of the adults. But their fear, for the most part, was unfounded. He only became violent when provoked or attacked, but when he did he was utterly terrifying. He spent most of his time in solitary confinement because of it. Otherwise, he was reserved, quiet and kept mostly to himself. He would read everything he could get his hands on. He would spend countless hours any library he could find. He rarely ever spoke to anyone. He had no true friends because he trusted no one. Even the adults in his life in institutions were either corrupt or sick twisted freaks but they all learned not to push him.

There was something else…something that lived within him. It was something evil that lurked within the dark recesses of his soul. He had no idea what it was or why it was there but he knew it was powerful. Sometimes when he would become angry, he could feel the evil thing within him try to push its way to the surface. He had to fight to keep it hidden. Something told him that if this evil thing ever broke free he would loose control of it. The thought of that terrified him.

When Tiberius Ogdan was approached by an official from the Ministry of Magic, he decided very quickly that this would be his ticket to freedom. He realized very quickly that this was probably the only chance he would have in his life to make something of himself, a fresh start.

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Tomorrow he was to leave for this new school to the north. It seemed almost too good to be true. He hung on every word as the man from the magic world described what Tiberius could only imagine as being the next closest thing to Heaven.

A castle, hidden away from the rest of the world out in the wilderness was to be his new home. He was going to learn magic. He wasn’t sure what that was but he didn’t care. He was going to meet new people, real people, not the type that were in the boy’s homes. There was something else. Girls! Tiberius remembers girls from the orphanages when he was little. He remembered that they were mostly mean to him. It didn’t matter, because he wasn’t much interested. There was only one and she lived only in his mind.

The next morning came, finally. Tiberius was dressed in what most people would consider rags but he was ready when Headmaster Billington came to get him. He heard the keys in the heavy iron door and he jumped to his feet.

“Tha’ odd bloke is ‘ere ter fetch ya’,” the Headmaster growled. He thrust an arm to block the doorway as Tiberius made his way out of the room. A cruel, twisted smile appeared on his old, leathery face. “You’ll be back…you will, Waistin’ ‘ere time if ya’ as’ me. You’ll never ‘mount ter nuthin’. They’ll be gettin’ shed o’ ya’ in a hurry an they’ll give ya’ right back ter’ me.” His beady eyes sparkled with the look of twisted joy. Tiberius looked him right back in his eyes.

“I’ll die before I come back here.” His gleaming red demonic eyes bored holes into the back of the Headmaster’s head with his gaze. Billington seemed to shrink in size, turned white and dropped his arm. The smile faded from his face as Tiberius left the cell without looking back.

The Ministry Official was waiting near the entrance. Tiberius had to shield his eyes from the bright sunlight as the guard opened the heavy iron doors that separated him from the rest of the world. He still couldn’t believe it. It was like a dream. He was going to be free for the first time in his life. A mixture of excitement and fear filled him.

“Ready to go?” The Ministry man asked him. “Do we need to fetch your things?”

Tiberius gave the Ministry man an odd look…

“I don’t have anything…” he replied.

“Really,” the Ministry man said raising his eyebrows, “well, not to worry,” he patted his robe pocket and Tiberius heard the jingle of coins, “the Board of Governors has instructed me to provide you with everything you’ll need.” He smiled a friendly smile. “Well we better be off. You’ve much to do before you catch the train for Hogsmeade tomorrow.”

They stepped through the open door and onto the sidewalk. The sunlight was warm on Tiberius’ face. He closed his eyes and turned his face up toward it with a smile. He felt a fresh cool breeze surround him as he stood there enjoying the very first moments of freedom he ever had.

The Ministry Official looked at Tiberius amused at his peculiar behavior. He cleared his throat and Tiberius looked at the man. The ministry mad was startled. Tiberius’ eyes had changed to a very vivid green.

“Yes…well,” the Ministry man collected himself as they set off toward the Leaky Cauldron, “you will be staying at the Leaky Cauldron this evening. The Ministry has provided you with a room.” The man handed Tiberius a slip of parchment, an envelope and a rather heavy pouch that seemed to contain coins. “This,” he said, pointing at the parchment, “is the list of books and equipment that you will need during the school year. As you can see it’s quite extensive. You’ve got quite a bit of catching up to do starting in your 7th year and all. You will be able to find everything you need in a place called Diagon Alley. There is an entrance behind the Leaky Cauldron. The envelope contains your official Hogwarts letter and inside you’ll find a ticket for the Hogwarts Express. The train leaves at 11:00 a.m. sharp from Platform Nine and three quarters at Kings Cross Station in London. There should be more than enough wizards gold in the pouch to purchase everything. You should have enough to get yourself some clothes as well. It can become quite cold at Hogwarts so I suggest that you obtain a wardrobe that’s suitable.”

The Ministry Official was speaking so fast that Tiberius’ head was starting to spin. The Ministry Official saw a look of confused worry appear on Tiberius’ face.

“Now lad,” he said with a smile, “not to worry. I don’t expect you to remember all this. You really didn’t think the Ministry would throw all this upon you then just leave you on your own did you? You will be meeting a fellow Hogwarts student that will guide you through it all. I do believe this student has also been assigned as your tutor once the school year starts.”

They reached the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.

“This is where I leave you,” The Ministry man said with a smile, “Make no mistake,” his face became serious for a moment, “you are in for a most difficult year. You have only one school year where your fellow students have had seven to learn what you’ll need to graduate. And there are rules. The staff has little tolerance for rule breaking. Good luck to you lad.” He patted Tiberius on his thick shoulder and turned to go. Then, something suddenly occurred to Tiberius as the man walked away…

“Excuse me, sir,” Tiberius asked, “how will I know who I’m supposed to meet?”

“Of course…” the Ministry man thumped his forehead with his palm, “how silly of me.” He reached in his pocket for a piece of parchment. “You will be meeting a young lady by the name of Hermione Granger. They tell me she’s the brightest student at Hogwarts. She’s Head Girl this year as well. I suspect you’ll be in good hands from here on.”

“Thanks,” Tiberius said as the man walked away, “for everything.” The man threw his hand up and waved before he disappeared into thin air.

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