Rewritten History

Chapter 13

Abraxas mulled over what Astus had told him even as they prepared the fireworks for the evening. Voldemort, scared? Those two things in the same sentence sounded weird. Really weird.

What could the Dark Lord be scared off?

Looking around, none of the children were nearby so he decided to ask:

"Hey, do you know what he's scared off, Astus?"

The younger man looked over at the blonde. He stuck down the last of the fireworks on his side in the snow, wondering if the magical ones worked the same as the Muggle ones and then answered:

"Dying."

"Dying?"

"Yeah," Astus said and rose up, dusting away the snow from his knees. "He fears death."

"Why would he fear death?"

"Because that's the only enemy you can't conquer," Astus replied with a shrug. "Even those called immortals, such as vampires, will face death one day. Either by fate or by their own doing."

"Their own doing?"

"Do you think you can live forever without slowly losing your mind?" the younger man asked. "People you know dies around you while you remain as young as you've always been. Who can live like that in the end?"

Abraxas had no answer to that.

-o-

The youngest children ran up to Astus and Abraxas when they came through the door, snow decorating their robes and they shook them off before hanging them up. It was strange for Astus to see Slytherin children with such careless and large smiles but made his heart ache all the same. They were just kids and they were terrified of what would happen to them. Just like he had been from time to time. Not all of them were Slytherins but all shared the same fear to the future. He hoped this was helping them a bit. The parents thought they were at Hogwarts, but in case they had come looking for the kids they were safe here at Mentis Manor, now turned into a safe-house. Astus doubted he would ever return and live in this house.

He shook his thoughts away and greeted the elder ones. He saw the house-elf, Herma Abraxas had supplied, scurry around in the kitchen and prepare lunch for them all. He heard footsteps at the second floor and said:

"It sounds like a whole horde of elephants have moved in on the second floor."

"Well, they are over twenty children in total," Abraxas said. "Most of them are young, and realize that here they are allowed to run in the house. Plus they're only allowed out when we're here; I can practically feel the energy vibrating in here."

The two adults were invited to eat lunch, and Astus, who now were used to take care of young children, helped those around him when it came to stretching over for the potatoes, they couldn't quite get the salad, the chicken was just out of reach, and some who didn't quite get the point of why to have a napkin.

They barely had any time to rest after lunch when Abraxas shouted:

"Alright, who wants to go outside?"

That was what they had been waiting for. The volume went from two to ten, everyone tried to get their clothes on at the same time, and Astus snatched his robe and dove out first into the snow-filled air. He laughed as the children poured out, and Abraxas ushering the last ones out, even the oldest ones. Their complaints died down when they finally got to run around in the snowy landscape, and soon even the seventh-years were running through the garden, finally allowed to get rid of their energy that had gathered over the days.