Whose side is truly the dark one?

Hadrian protection squad - 17

Edited - May 14, 2023

   When Hadrian woke up the next morning, he was confused. His body felt sore and he wasn't in his bed. He stared up at an unfamiliar white ceiling and felt the soft sheets underneath his fingers. His eyes shut tightly again as the light sends a dull ache to the back of his head. He tries to get up but his ribs lightly throb and a soft groan slips from his mouth. "Hades?" He freezes at the voice of the woman who had practically adopted him over the past year. "Open your eyes again for us sweetheart." A soft hand gently grips his cheek and rub their thumb up and down in a comforting fashion. He lets his eyelids flutter open and lean his head into the hand. His eyes follow the hand, across the arm, and up to the worried faces of Narcissa and Lucius.

"Do you remember what happened last night?" Lucius asks. Hadrian tries to answer but coughs as his throat feels dry and sounds like someone scratching in sandpaper. "Here" Lucius quickly spells a glass of water on the small side table and lifts Hadrian's head to help him rehydrate. "A troll got into Hogwarts last night and attacked you. You knocked it out but got hurt in the process, is that right?" Hadrian just nods his head. Narcissa runs her fingers through his soft locks of hair, "Draco is worried sick, do you feel up to seeing him?" Hadrian just sleepily nods his head again. Only moments later, the doors to the room he is in, fly open with a bang with Draco running in at full speed. His eyes are lightly bloodshot as if he had been crying and his beloved hair had a few hairs out of place. "Are you okay!? Uncle Sev wouldn't tell me much, all I know is you got attacked by the troll! And when Sev rushed you in your head was covered in blood and you weren't moving!" He rambles worriedly as he carefully pulls his little brother into a long hug.

   "I'm okay... just a bit sore at the moment." Hadrian whispers, fighting the sleepy state the potions held him in. "You should see the state I left the troll in." He weakly jokes as he sits up and snuggles into Narcissa's side with a happy sigh. Draco climbs onto the bed's other side with his father as Lucius expanded the bed earlier to easily fit them all. They all sit next to each other in silence, just enjoying one another's presence when Severus dramatically sweeps into the room.  "Albus just announced that classes have been canceled for the rest of the week at breakfast so Hadrian, you better take all the time you need to rest and recover." He gives Hadrian a look to let him know he is being dead serious and then turns his attention towards Lucius and Narcissa, "If you want a chance to embarrass the old fart in front of the entire school, I suggest you hurry before breakfast ends." Severus had never seen his friends move so fast. He blinks and they were already out the door.

   Despite them not having been in the schools halls in many years, the furious married couple know exactly where they are going. Dumbledore was unaware of their presence at the moment as they had flooed in through Severus quarters, but not for much longer! With a flick of his wand, Lucius bangs the unnecessarily large doors wide open. The old man's crescent moon shaped glasses slip down his nose as he jerks up in surprise at the thud echoes around the room. He had never faced such powerful pure blood's wrath before as they tended to prefer threats in private and he was worried. Seeing as how Hadrian had no legal guardian he hadn't expected word of his injuries to cause anyone to create any ruckus.

    "ALBUS PERCIVAL WULFRIC BRIAN DUMBLEDORE HOW DARE YOU ALLOW A TROLL TO ENTER HOGWARTS! NOT ONLY DID HADRIAN GET INJURED, YOU ALLOWED A FULLY GROWN MOUNTAIN TROLL TO GET PAST THE SCHOOL'S WARDS YOU ARE SO BLOODY PROUD OF!" Narcissa scolds and is filled with so much anger that her magic could be seen flying around her in a beautiful grey hue. Lucius calmly sets a hand on her shoulder and waits for her to calm down. "Albus I suggest you watch yourself as the school board will be hearing about this. Another slip up and you may find yourself no longer holding the job you are so proud of. You are supposed to protect these children not allow harm to befall them. Good day headmaster." The hall is silent as the couple walks out of the hall with their heads held high and the aura of their strong magic still lingering.

   All eyes turn towards Dumbledore as he had told all the children that the troll had been taken care of and that no harm had come to anyone. Seeing as how the heads of the houses had been busy cleaning up the mess, even they hadn't been aware of his manipulation of the situation. A seed of distrust begin to grow in the teachers as whispers of shock from the students slowly fill the hall and their breakfast lays in front of them cold and forgotten. Albus just sits there in silence as he quickly finishes his breakfast and panics in his head as he attempts to calmly storm his way up to his office.

   Once the Malfoy Lord and Lady arrive back in Severus's quarters, they hold back a laugh at Hadrian's pouting face as he doesn't want to take any more nasty potions from his godfather. They graciously save him from the potions master and announce that they are taking him and Draco back to the manor for a few days until class starts back up the next week. Both boys let out a cheer at the good news and share a smirk as they realize their disappearance will only add more rumors against Dumbles. Hadrian being gone will make it seem like his injuries caused him to be sent home to fully recover and help discredit Dumbledore as only Snape, Andria, and Marcus knew the true extent of his injuries.

   Lucius helps Draco pack up both his and Hadrian's trunks as Narcissa helps Hadrian floo to the manor. They spend the next four days together from Thursday to Sunday as Halloween that year took place on Wednesday. Hadrian writes a letter to Rita Skeeter with Lucius's approval and has her over for tea on Friday to discuss what all had taken place. She discusses the situation with Draco as well for his side of the story who happily tells her that "the headmaster must be loosing his mind as the troll was said to be in the dungeons and tried to send everyone to their dorms when everyone knows that Slytherin dorms were also in the dungeons. Hufflepuff is down there too!"

   On Saturday Narcissa takes the boys to Diagon and Knockturn Alley for some treats and just for them to have a bit of fun. Sunday is more relaxing as Hadrian still has to be careful not to over work himself so soon after being healed. With Willard and Milly's help, he makes them all some snacks for the whole family to have a picnic outside the manor by the garden. Sooner than either of the boys would have liked, they floo back to school. The boys give both adults a hug after dinner and Lucius places a featherlight charm on their trunks to easily transfer them back into their shared room.

   Monday morning arrives and so did Rita's article. It would seem she happily gossiped about the information with her fellow reporters as several articles from different papers appeared with similar titles. From the daily prophet, DUMBLEDORE ENDANGERING STUDENTS! to the Quibler, A TROLL ENTERED HOGWARTS!, and Hadrian's favorite, from Witches weekly, HAS DUMBLEDORE FINALLY LOST IT? Seeds of doubt were now not just in the school but being placed and spread all throughout the wizarding world in Britain and perhaps even to those outside of Britain! The only part Hadrian didn't like about it was that now he is going to have even more looks of pity and curiosity following him everywhere he may go.

   To his great annoyance, some admirers and haters within the castle quickly grew very vocal on their opinions of the attack. The loudest hater of Hadrians could currently be seen fuming and idiotically rushing towards him despite only having finished his first of his three months worth of detentions. "You brat! You just can't ever get enough attention can you? Noooo, being a creature and Peverell wasn't enough so you decided to let in a troll and got hurt in the process! Serves you right you weak and slimy snake!" Ron sent a cutting hex at Hadrian but due to his magic being rather weak and using his older brother's old wand, it only made a small cut on his eyebrow as the boy turns to tiredly face him.

   Gasps could be heard around the hall as Ron once again accuses Hadrian of being a liar and has now physically attacked him with magic. "Was that supposed to hurt? If anything you're the weak one as your magic barely cut through the skin. Call me a liar all you want I don't care... but attack me again and you may not like what happens after." Hadrian calmly responds as a thin trail of blood slides down his face. "You threatening me!?" Ron stupidly screeches loud enough to match his mother and fails to notice some of the Slytherins surrounding him. "No" Hadrian pauses, "that was a promise." He nods to the other Slytherins and Vincent and Gregory each harshly grab an arm and drag him out of the hall kicking and screaming. The two seventh year prefects follow and close the doors behind Ron and breakfast continues on as if Ron had never said a word.