08 | PROTECTIVE CROW
Informing his cousin about the dementors did not seem like a bad idea until he did it. Once he had activated the mirror, he had seen his dear cousin along with an unfamiliar young man.
Then he found out the boy was Rigel Lestrange, the son of two death eaters. Harry was quite hesitant to meet his cousin's friend, but upon seeing the excited and childish grin he wore in the mirror, he relaxed somewhat.
"WHAT?!"
He flinched as Lucian looked utterly furious at what he was told. Harry knew what dementors were after Lucian had encouraged him to scour the library in Potter château. Which allowed him to experience the intense curiosity that he had suppressed for the sake of his know alleged friend; Hermione Granger.
"Er... I Uhm... They kinda also got on the train when we were going to Hogwarts, and I... It got do close to me and made me faint." He explained, which was extremely difficult as Lucian turned pale before rage took over.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?! Hades, Dementors aren't supposed to be in such close vicinity to people, especially a school full of children! Hogwarts is a feast to them with young magical souls gathered in that castle."
Harry frowned as he nodded in agreement. The dementor incident in the train was horrendous, and he had constantly forgotten to inform Lucian with all the classes and pestering duo he had to juggle.
"Are you hurt? How close did the dementor get? Damnit― you're a Peverell, they must have gotten curious."
"What's that got to do with our family?"
This time, it was Rigel who spoke, pushing himself just for the mirror to give Harry a full view of the young man. "Your family is deeply connected to Death. Dementors are magical creatures of death, so a Peverell tends to be the cause of curiosity. You from the family that has a relation to their creator."
"Good point." Harry sighed, checking on the rest of his roommates that were still in the common rooms. "Wait what time is it over there? It's already around six in the evening here."
"It's seven in the evening here. Back to the topic, did someone cast a Patronus?" Lucian asked, looking distressed as he ran a hand through his hair.
"A what?" Harry tilted his head, finding the word familiar.
"The Patronus charm summons a guardian of light that takes the form of an animal depending on the castor. The incantation is expecto patronum." Lucian explained, taking out his wand and silently whispering the spell. A glowing animal, which Harry had trouble discerning appeared from the tip of his wand, before vanishing.
"Yes! There was one, thanks to our new defense teacher riding on the train. We have classes with him tomorrow."
"Thank goodness then. Hades, I need you to contact Matushka and tell her what has happened. I can't handle the situation since I'm still at school, and it's my NEWTs year. Mother can help." Lucian suggested― insisted as he gave Harry a determined stare.
Sputtering at the suggestion, Harry looked hesitant. From his experience, telling adults about the bad things happening around him never meant well... But his Aunt Katya wasn't that poor excuse Petunia.
"But... She can't even come to Britain―"
Rigel immediately cut him off, a sad yet nostalgic smile gracing his lips. "Don't underestimate Katya's protectiveness to her family. She's comparable to a mother dragon if one of her own were to get hurt. The dementors are enough for her to come back to Britain."
Rigel, who Harry noticed, was adorning a rather envious look in his eyes. Lucian seemed to have noticed the same, as his cousin sighed and rubbed the other young man's back.
"She'd come back to Britain to protect you. Katya Voronina is a ferocious woman, don't doubt her. Maybe during the holidays, we can officially meet Little Lev!" Rigel grinned, and Harry couldn't help but blush at how eager the boy was to meet him.
Lucian chuckled in amusement, before bidding his cousin goodnight. "Goodnight little lion."
Harry slumped as he hid under the covers of his bed. Having someone care for you so much felt overwhelming, but it caused something to stir in him. A joy that felt ready to burst from the years of lack of familial warmth.
He smiled, burying his head in his pillow before drifting into Morpheus. His dreams filled with his entire family celebrating so many things, even if it were just trivial.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
"Have you heard?" Hermione whispered, cautiously glancing around the hall.
She and Ron were huddled close to Harry, who looked extremely irritated. Not many had noticed the look of displeasure on him, except for a small few―which were a bunch of Slytherins, no surprise.
The Potter heir sighed, taking a sip of juice and bacon. He could care less of what Hermione was gossiping about, he was more concerned about what we were to happen after he has already informed his aunt of the dementors―which was two days ago. He could never forget the cold rage that his aunt's eyes showed.
He swore that he saw her eyes flash gold from the pure anger she felt. He was afraid to imagine Lucian with the very same flash of gold. If the mother was already terrifying, what would happen if the son with black blood showed such a spark.
"What of it?" Ron asked, devouring the chicken he had been hoarding. "What happened now?! Don't tell me Sirius Black was sighted close to Hogwarts!"
Hermione vehemently shook her head, whacking Ron's head in the process. She gave Harry a skeptical look at how passive he was with the subject of Sirius Black.
"No, someone―I think it was from Ravenclaw―heard Professor McGonagall fussing about how the headmaster would get a lashing! That is simply outrageous. Who would come to fight Dumbledore?"
"A filthy death eater I bet! Ever since Sirius Black's escaped, I'm sure that some of you-know-who's followers are hoping to escape."
Harry tightly gripped at his fork, biting at his lip to stop himself from telling Ron to shut up. He distracted himself as he checked his schedule, which had brought anger to Ron and Hermione.
Rather than his original choices that were comparable to Ron's, Harry had analyzed his choices over the summer. Which lead him to take four electives; Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes, and Arithmancy. He only chose Care of Magical Creatures after having met Everett and realized how he could easily communicate with Snakes and Dragons.
"Well whoever it is, it sounds as if they're in a warpath," Harry murmured, which caused the two to stare at him in bewilderment. Usually, his answer would have been to scold the mysterious person to come slander Dumbledore.
And as if his words summoned the mysterious Wix, Filch came dashing into the hall, looking pale and distressed. "She's here! She's here!" He yelled and looked ready to faint.
All the students were silenced as both McGonagall and Snape stood up abruptly. Dumbledore looked sick to the stomach, and it caused a stir among the student populace. But they all kept silent.
The next thing they knew, the air turned cold as the sounds of footsteps, heels clicking in the stone floor echoed through. It caused others to shudder in fear, intimidated by the sound and what people suspected was raw magic in the air.
If the rumors called this person an unsatisfied Wix, then the truth was a person walking through their halls ready to tear down the headmaster.
People's breath hitched as a woman with long and beautiful blonde hair arrived at the hall. Wearing black robes that covered her black blouse and dark blue skirt. Black sunglasses over her eyes and thank Merlin they were hidden.
If not, golden flashes would be seen in those amber eyes that were filled with cruel fury.
"So it's true. Dementors are surrounding a school. Have you lost your mind?! The students are a feast of souls to them."
Many flinched as the woman snapped, her Russian accent clear and smooth as she removed her glasses and glared fiercely at the headmaster.
"Lady Po― Lady Voronina!" McGonagall greeted, quickly striding away from the head table and to the Russian woman who looked furious if Dumbledore.
However, the Russian lady gave McGonagall a respectful smile, before continuing her glaring at the headmaster.
Dumbledore stood up, pleading a grandfatherly facade as he smiled at Katerina with a pseudo fondness.
"Lady Voronina, it has been so long since I last saw you. I do worry that coming to Britain shall trigger unpleased memories, perhaps you should rest first. Your husband would be―"
"Don't. You. Dare... Speak of my husband Dumbledore. And I am not here for what has happened to him. I am here for the fact that my nephew and so many more children's lives will be endangered by those dementors!" Katerina hissed, her voice drilling venom as her magic yearned to attack Dumbledore.
She did not care that she was in front of so many children, she was hell-bent on keeping her kin safe. Truly, Rigel did not lie when she could be compared to a mother dragon.
Dumbledore's eyes twitched, "My dear. It is necessary. Sirius Black will not rest until―"
Yet again did Katerina cut him off, ignoring the appalled looks of staunch Dumbledore supporters. "Better a criminal that can be apprehended by Aurors than creatures that feed on your happiness, devour your soul, and leave you as a husk of a human being!"
Many flinched at the reminder of what dementors were, and it caused a massive distrust among the students. To Dumbledore's chagrin, many teachers were nodding in agreement to Katerina's words.
McGonagall sighed, before whispering soft words to Katerina's ear. Although Katerina was still outraged, she seemed to relax a bit.
"Tsk. You know my Husband's family Dumbledore. You know what had happened to my nephew to cause such awful memories to resurface upon the presence of dementors." She grit her teeth, and the students seemed to be apprehensive and kept glancing at one another for this supposed 'nephew' lady Voronin was talking about.
"I bet all of my savings that it's a slimy snake!" Ron whispered in displeasure, but he still looked fearful of the furious woman. Hadrian snarled, although skilfully hid the deep resentment he had for Ron to declare his aunt as 'evil'.
"If the dementors continue to haunt this school, then I shall take my nephew and teach him the Patronus. Be thankful for Minerva because if not for her promise to take care of your students I would have pulled him out of this school for your awful security."
Katerina turned on her heel, and Dumbledore relaxed and was frustrated at the same time. And his fear came to life as Katerina yelled out a name.
"malen'kiy lev(маленький лев), follow me!"
Students began to whisper about the nephew's name. Only a very small few knew what the words meant, translating to; little lion. Unfortunately, all students capable of understanding Russian were Slytherins and immediately turned towards the Gryffindor table. It was a clear implication on where Lady Voronin's nephew was sorted into, and the snakes were quite disgruntled to hear it was a lion.
But they gasped or gaped as Harry Potter stood with a lazy smile. He diligently followed his aunt, not caring for the prying eyes that followed him. But he was annoyed as Dumbledore called out for him.
"Harry my boy! You mustn't―" and just like his aunt, Harry cut him off.
"Headmaster," he spoke with the same venom his aunt did. "refrain from restricting me from my own family. It's already a miracle that my aunt Katya has decided to return to Britain after the death of my uncle Altair. You wouldn't deny me of my beloved aunt who came all the way to keep me safe, right?"
Dumbledore gulped, nodding hesitantly as Harry wore a smirk and left. "Thank you, professor. You were quite benevolent to allow me some time with my aunt after... Eleven years being apart." The three teachers who had witnessed Lucian meet Hadrian flinched at the implications. Dumbledore had kept him from his family for eleven years and if it weren't for how brash and angry Lucian was capable of, he would still be stuck with the Dursleys.
At the moment, so many didn't see the Gryffindor golden boy, but a snake in a lion's colors. Such an antagonizing gaze directed to the headmaster the all thought he revered and admired, it was ironic to everyone. Yet at the same time, some felt like it was the correct reaction to the Headmaster.
Which rendered all the Slytherins speechless and many kept staring at the grand doors to the great hall. Many knew the name of Voronin. They all glanced at one another, some gulping, some paling, some even horrified that such an influential family was related to the Gryffindor golden boy.
But a certain Draco Malfoy was speechless, confused as his brows furrowed at the woman with who he was familiar. The very woman who he heard nothing but constant praise and admiration from. Influential, rich, respectful of the wixen traditions, and someone suspected to be a dark witch. But at the same time, someone his mother felt resentment and jealousy for. He couldn't understand what his mother's grudge with the Voronins was but regarded something about their family.
He couldn't fathom how Potter of all people was her nephew.