The crispness of the night air failed to touch Caelum as he prowled the streets of Alexandria. His magic was swirling right beyond his shields and he knew without looking that his eyes were glowing with it. One word had been enough to send him out on the streets that only the stars and the waning crescent's light illuminated.
The idea of killing sixteen men should have horrified him, the mage knew. But the idea was fuel to the abyss of shadows he had collected in the deepest corners of his mind. They demanded blood now that his more noble side had found a way to justify killing these men. More blood would stain his hands but he found it very difficult to care. He was teetering on the brink of something very familiar and found it almost easy to let go. The darkness surrounded his thoughts.
The midnight was drawing closer and the lights on the windows cast shadows on the streets. They played around his feet but there was no true sustenance to these shadows. They had no life, unlike the darkest shadows licking at the edges of his thoughts.
There was a light on the window of his destination. A shady, dirty light that reflected the state of the house's atmosphere. Loud noises could be heard all the way to the street through the pitiful flap that acted the role of a door. He did not know the words but he could recognize anger and fear in the men's tone of voice. They had lost their slave and they feared for their secret - emotions ran high.
The claymore he'd relieved from the Black vault jumped to his hand. His shadows demanded blood, and blood they would get. He wanted no magical law enforcement after him so it was better for the Muggles to dub this as a the gruesome killing spree it truly was rather than a series of unexplainable deaths that the Killing Curse would make it look like.
He paused behind the fabric. Four men. He only knew the faces so hearing their voices did not help. Stepping into the room his magic automatically put up a privacy ward. All noise cut off in the inside as the four men stared at the stranger with a sword that had walked right into their midst.
One. Two. Three. Four. Twelve left.
His body fell into the familiar stance the goblins had drilled his muscles to accept. The sword's magic stayed docile as he forced his own to stay behind his shields. His blazing green eyes scanned the room for any movement and when finally one of the men opened his mouth, the mage moved.
The claymore flashed in the light of the oil lamp and blood sprayed over the three alive members of the quartet. The dead man gurgled, his hands going to his stomach where his intestines where falling on the dirty floor. The fingers slipped over the bloody organs and his knees gave out. The look of astonishment would be forever carved on his dead features.
The blazing green eyes turned on the remaining men, their power already ripping into their minds looking for the location of the remaining victims. A sadistic smile curved on his lips as the dark killer found what he was looking for and let his grip on the victims' minds loosen. The sword flashed again and a decapitated head smacked against the once white wall.
The screaming began.
The two remaining men tried to get away only for the first one to fall to a stab in the back. Caelum weighed the weapon in his hand. It fit himsurprisingly well and responded to him immediately. Sometimes it took a while for a magical weapon to accept its new master but he was a Black and the sword was forged for them. It had slept in the vault, waiting for a time it would be used again. A sword was used for killing humans, not to hunt animals. This sword had slept and calmed its bloodlust but now it had awoken. It was a perfect weapon for killing. Even if he did specialize in staffs.
The last man had reached kitchen before Caelum caught up with him. He was grovelling on the ground, begging in Arabic, tears streaming down his face. The wizard wanted to wish him well in Hell but kept his mouth shut and thrust the sword through the blackened heart. On his way out of the house he dispelled the conjuration of the bottle. No one would know magic had been involved.
The fifth man he dropped off the balcony of his house after piercing his brains through the eye socket. He was long dead by the time his body hit the dirt of the street.
The sixth and seventh man he discovered in a port house. They never left the place alive. The screams of the women echoed in his ears as he left the place behind, undetected by all and any.
The eighth, ninth and tenth man had been home with their families. He'd crept silently into their houses and slashed their throats open without any fuzz. Even if they deserved to die, their families did not deserve to face the shame. And Zahra had been a secret to these men. A secret they had not easily shared with others. She'd changed hands many times, even if his first victim had been her true master, in possession of her bottle. They'd all taken the time to enjoy her and her powers. But the families did not need to know that. Ignorance was bliss.
Eleventh man was out in a restaurant. Caelum stayed beneath his Cloak, waiting for the moment to strike. Watching the man for an hour, watching him eat, laugh and drink coffee like any normal person had forced him to doubt his justification but the darkness had easily smothered the feeble attempts of forgiveness he was grasping at. He was not Dumbledore. Some deeds were unforgivable.
The man died in the bathroom. Caelum cut through half of his neck and left while the blood was still pooling on the tiles, the head hanging to the body by the flaps of skin.
He hated red.
The twelfth man never woke up from sleep. The thirteenth on the other hand screamed like murder. Which it was.
Caelum caught a sight of his reflection of a store's window and paused in his hunt. His white shirt had small dark spots scattered on it and he had not bothered to clean the claymore even once. The once gleaming steel blade was now coated in red and the wizard's eyes were blazing with power and magic through the gap on his veiled face. He looked dangerous and deadly. A side of himself he had not seen since the battlefields.
It was quite good that the Muggles were so ignorant. One simple spell and everyone walked past him.
The three remaining were not in Alexandria. Tracking them down proved to be more difficult than he'd expected and the horizon was lighting up by the time he made it back to the hotel. Harry and Zahra were waiting.
oooOOOooo
He took a shower first. Vanished the clothes, cleaned the sword. That was before he even let Harry see him. He knew his two charges were together but he had given strict orders to Zahra concerning Harry. He knew the boy was alright, and after tonight even Zahra would be more right.
As the hot water cascaded down his back, washing away the blood, the make-up, the grime and the sweat, the mage had to wonder about his sanity.
Was he further gone than he even realized?
The entire bathroom was quickly bathed in green light as the Emerald appeared from non-space. He barely gave it a sideways glance, his mind too occupied with that one thought. He'd taken another person under his wing when he was not even equipped to care for the first one. He would end up poisoning Harry with his darkness, if the horcrux did not do it first. He was a Dark Wizard with the power to kill gods and his mind was this great maelstrom of anxiety.
True, he had not broken down. Not since he'd lost it at Voldermort's headquarters. Neither could Apophis get to his mind because it was the one thing he had best shielded. But what good were the shields if the problem lay within? He processed things on so many levels, and remaining a feeling human being was harder without a focusing point. Severus. He needed to figure out his lover's past in this world.
"Caelum?"
He nearly scowled at the door but the man knew he should not take out his rotten mood on Harry. Calling out he stepped out of the shower and regarded his reflection on the mirror. The green light made his tattoos sparkle and gleam and it disgusted him to cover his face again. Harry had seen them, and he had not really cared about hiding them in France but Zahra... He grimaced at the thought of sharing one of his greatest secrets with someone he had only met yesterday.
"This would be so much easier if I could only glamour them away," he grumbled at the floating Staff that had again shortened to only a foot's length. With evident resignation he summoned the jar of cover-up and set to work. He and Severus had spent three weeks working on the best way to cover his markings as soon as it had become clear Caelum couldn't stand showing them to other people. He had had an anxiety attack even at the thought.
So Sev had fetched a fifty different kinds of muggle cover-up and they'd set out to find the perfect formula. In the end they had managed and not only did the cover last for three days, the repetitive Sticking Charms and Finites made certain the remnants of the spell made it stay on his face through every weather.
"You haven't drowned yourself, have you, mage?" Zahra's composed voice drifted through the door. Caelum did not reply, simply checked his face, neck and hand and magicked some clothes on him. Hardened green eyes stared back from the mirror before he turned his back on the reflection and opened the door to his bedroom.
Both Zahra and Harry were there. Harry was sitting on the bed, the blue spread grumbled beneath his legs. Zahra had chosen a chair and had pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. She looked oddly defensive in that position, as though trying to keep herself together. Even through their more serious talk the man had not managed to gauge a proper reaction out of her and he had to wonder whether this was part of her act as well. He bought time by walking to the window and pulling the curtains shut. The room was cast in the green light of the Emerald before he snapped his fingers, turning the electric lights on.
"Are you okay?"
Harry. Was he? "There are things that I know I must do, things that I know I should not allow to have an effect on myself," he replied with a shrug, taking a seat on the bed as well. It was comforting to know Harry did not flinch away from him even though Zahra must have told him what he had been up to this night.
"Did you get them all?" the girl in question asked, her voice betraying her satisfaction. Caelum nodded, keeping his eyes on Harry so he could not miss the darkening of his expression. The air turned heavier.
"Will they take you to prison?"
He supposed Harry deserved some answers. And he had promised to tell him the fullest truth he could. So the man shook his head, and said, "They do not know it was me. They cannot even connect it to a magical person."
"So they won't take you away?" The boy seemed relieved when Caelum simply shook his head. Zahra snorted on the background but Caelum had a much bigger commitment for the boy next to him than the girl his instincts had told him to save so he ignored her. He noticed the glare Harry sent her, though.
"You truly are almossst too much for a sssnake to handle," Syl whispered from where he was curled around Harry's throat. Caelum had neglected his presence earlier but let his eyes meet those of his familiar. "You leave me with your sssnakeling and then bring home a Genie. And then you go on a murder ssspree for her. I do not underssstand your intentionsss." Even Harry looked intrigued.
Caelum extended his hand and the snake abandoned his earlier perch in favour of his arm. The man raised him before his eyes. "Sssometimesss we know what we mussst do. I do not claim to be a perfect warrior of the Light. I am a Dark Wizard, you sssilly ssserpent. I found a reassson to kill thossse men and ssso I did. I do not regret it, and it doesss not affect usss." His eyes flickered over to Harry only to find the boy lost in his thoughts. If he was honest with himself he had expected accusations, had expect being forced to justify his actions to Harry. It was clear Zahra could not understand Parseltongue but neither was he comfortable posing such personal questions before the snake. He would ask them once they were alone.
"Will you kill the Dursleys, too?"
Harry had managed to surprise him but Caelum only blinked and paused for a moment. "...Not without your permission." No lies.
The familiar green eyes widened in surprise. Then they clouded over. "Would you have killed the men if she had told you not to?"
"No," he answered almost immediately, turning his attention to Zahra and directing his next words mostly to her. "She knows she's as much to blame as I am. I killed them because they deserved it, and because if I had not they would not have ever had to face any consequences. But I did it for her, and their blood is on her hands as much as it's on mine."
"...She's not really a kid, right?"
Now they were both regarding the girl and she scowled at them over her knees but did not say anything. Still deferential, and her magic had sensed the likeness between the two. She had even asked if Harry was his son and had blatantly refused to believe him when Caelum had denied it.
"I am not. But I thought I made it clear earlier." She smiled coolly. Harry narrowed his eyes and glared at her again. Children. By the way Syl hissed out a laugh, the snake was thinking the same.
"So what now? She's going to stay with us?"
"For now." Caelum regarded Zahra and she endure his scrutiny patiently. She did not even twitch. "Through the bottle I am her Master even though I have no inclination of using my power over her. Other than making sure she does not harm us or try to expose us."
Harry visibly wanted to protest but held his tongue after one hard look from Caleum.
"May I have a question?" She continued at Caelum's nod, "Who are you really?"
"I am Caelum Orion Black, Head of the House of Black. This is my ward, Harry James Potter. He is somewhat famous among the wizarding folk and no one except for the goblins know that I have custody over him. Though the word might have spread at this point."
"Famous?" She was looking at Harry as though the boy was a slightly interesting bug. Not worth much of her attention.
"Actually, Harry survived the Killing Curse when he was fifteen months old."
The dark eyebrows shot up. "I thought that was instant death sentence? No shield against it? What did he do? What did you do?"
"Why do you think Caelum did something? He wasn't even around then!" Harry sounded bemused, and offended.
"He wasn't? I thought he was your father, or maybe a brother? Your eyes are the exact same shade of green."
"That's because-" Harry shut up and shot Caelum a suffering glance. Why did you have to save her? his eyes accusingly asked him. Caelum hid a smile and took on a serious expression.
"There are some secrets that we will not trust you with yet, Zahra. Perhaps in the future. At the moment you are welcome to stay with me and Harry and live with us." The Emerald sparkled. "I do not require anything of you, simply know that I saved you trusting my instincts and as such am responsible of you."
"You are my Master," she overly simplified, shrugging. Caelum nearly groaned.
"No, you silly girl. I am not your Master, just as I am not Harry's or Syl's or Kreacher's Master. We form a different kind of group with different power levels and my age and power give me some say in things. But I do not decide things without explaining them as much as I can. The fact simply is that I have far more experience than them, possibly even more than you if what you said about spending centuries alone is true."
"You simply want me to come along? Because you feel that is the right thing to do?" Caelum could easily tell what her thoughts on this were. She thought he was a fool.
He thought she was a bigger fool for not simply accepting his apparent generosity and keeping her thoughts to herself. Did she want to go back to the bottle and possibly be discovered by people just as uncaring as the men who had used her earlier had been? So far he had not done anything to her and only acted on her behalf yet she was not showing any gratefullness. She definitely lacked cunning and foresight. Good thing he had the perfect excuse to move things along.
"We're leaving. Tomorrow. To France. You and Harry can stay in my house while I deal with a meeting in England two weeks from now. Consider it a test period, if you like."
The next day they Apparated back to the La Taniére d'Ombre and settled in. Zahra was quiet and reserved and her violet eyes continued to observe her surroundings with alarming alertness. It was as if she kept waiting for the other shoe to drop when Caelum revealed himself to be a monster that collected children and ate them in the quiet of the night.
Even Harry had noticed the distrust that the Genie showed towards them and it was affecting the way the boy behaved. He wasn't used to dealing with unknown people from gods know where with a suspicious attitude and he became quiet and slightly withdrawn. Caelum tried to figure out a way to ease the Genie into their lives because that was what his instincts were telling him to do but there was no easy way of doing it. Especially not when Zahra did not want to be included.
Perhaps he was just being too subtle.
"Can I come in?" Caelum asked after knocking on the Genie's door and waited for an answer. After getting it he opened the door and stepped in, closing it after him. Zahra was sitting on her bed, her legs pulled up and a suspicious look on her face. The same look that had not let off for a second during her stay with Caelum and Harry.
"I thought we could talk about things. Mainly about why you're acting like this." He leaned against the door frame, not liking the way he was blocking the exit but aware that he had to force Zahra to talk and make her see things this way.
Her eyes narrowed but she did not answer. Caelum sighed.
"Okay. First of all, you are with us and we are not going to harm you. You are a quest at the moment and I think it's a great improvement on your earlier situation. I could just dumb your bottle somewhere and be done with it but I'm not going to do it. For some reason I think you're supposed to stay with us but we can't live together if you're not at least willing to try." He paused. "Think about it. Even if it is only about supposedly deceiving us with a more pliable front, you have to give us a chance and let us prove ourselves to you."
He waited while the girl mulled over his words and then nodded very slowly. At least she had listened.
"The other thing is about your powers."
Caelum immediately regretted asking the question when Zahra tensed and closed off entirely but he had to know. "I still have two wishes left. I could use those - right?"
The Genie's purple eyes were again narrowed to slits but she answered, "If I don't have a master to serve I'm forced into the bottle until another comes and summons me."
"Do the wishes have any regulations with them? You know," the wizard waved his hand, "rules that cannot be broken?" The Genies in his world had had those but he had to be sure they were the same.
"There are three..." She paused to stare at Caelum before continuing, "First is that true love cannot be wished into existence. Just as magic cannot achieve it, I cannot. Second is not to kill. One life has enormous potential and taking a life damages the soul. I cannot do that for my master, and the second rule also coincides with the third one - not to go against the Fates who rule over all that which is within magic."
Caelum's eye brows had kept climbing higher and higher while Zahra spoke and his hope began to diminish. Well, it would have been too easy that way. "So, if I were to ask you to kill Voldemort...?" She shook her head. "To tell me the location of his soul pieces-" This caused a shudder. "-or to tell me what the horcruxes are...?" Zahra wrapped her arms around herself and Caelum fell silent.
"Breaking the rules two and three," the Genie whispered. "I can't."
oooOOOooo
"Caelum, what a pleasure it is to see you again."
The blonde man gripped his hand and they exchanged a warm handshake. Next Caelum got to kiss Narcissa Malfoy's cheek and comment on her dress robes. He had hoped this would be a simple Spring meeting for the governors but now it seemed inevitable that he would be subjected to his family yet again. Fortunately that would only follow after hours of dull discussion on the school's current affairs.
Fortunately... yeah right. He had been far too much around Syl and Harry. Sarcasm would be dripping from his ears if he did not put a stop to this soon.
"The mansion is truly a welcome sight to my eyes", his sweet tongue replied to the pleasantries. "I have never noticed how much the outback of Australia can wear one down."
"I hope your business has been concluded for the time being." Malfoy was guiding him towards the same room they had held the meeting in last time. Lady of the house had disappeared with an excuse of checking on the house elves' progress on dinner and Caelum kept his eyes on his host. His Sight was picking up on the most interesting flashes of magic and he could not allow his attention to waver from the Dark Wizard with him. He had... a feeling.
"Almost. Thank the goddesses I do not need to return to Australia for the time being. I found some of the company... most lacking."
"Whatever do you mean."
The tone was only slightly mocking but Caelum had the horrible sense that they were actually making friends. Getting comfortable with each other. Sharing. The thought disgusted him but he reminded himself of Harry's words: this was not the Malfoy he knew. This one could have redeeming qualities. The fact he had never participated in torturing Caelum should be redeeming enough. But how could he judge so easily? Not a week ago he had brutally murdered sixteen men and he still could not feel any regret at the fact. At least he had tried to make it as quick as his anger had allowed.
The silence had gone on for far too long and he knew Malfoy needed no verbal answer and simply smirked, receiving one in return.
"This time you are the first one to arrive. Excuse my rudeness but I have to return to the floo. I really cannot trust the elves with this." He rolled his eyes and left Caelum alone in the meeting room. He took a seat in the same recliner he had used last time he had been in this situation.
As time stretched on the worry he felt became more prominent. Harry and Zahra were alone in La Taniére d'Ombre and he had no way of reaching them. He knew Zahra was forced to heed his commands because of the wish but the Genie had been alive for thousands of years and leaving him alone with Harry was another decision Caelum might come to regret. Whatever happened, he was also aware that there was a point to which Harry listened to him but cross that line and the kid could become dangerously stubborn. When he had suggested he shut Zahra in her bottle for the time being Harry had had one of his temper tantrums that had Caelum wondering whether or not the kid was approaching puberty a bit early.
On the other hand, it was relieving to know the boy was not afraid to speak his mind.
And Syl was there. The snake certainly had experience to sort through the problems two children could cook up in a couple of hours.
Then again, he was only a snake...
What was he going to do with Zahra? He damned his instincts and he damned the Genie and everything that came with her. She complicated things. She disrupted his plans. How would he explain her? He could not tell of her true power as people would come for her and try to control her. She did not deserve it, not after her life.
Caelum sighed and sank into the softness of the recliner. He stared at the visible Black family ring and heaved another heavy sigh. Would she even want to? Would she want to have a normal life if he offered it? So far they were on shaky ground and the girl trusted neither him nor Harry. Him less because he held her bottle and Harry still held that speck of innocence that made him right endearing. It was quite difficult for Zahra to outright refuse Harry, Caelum had noticed. And the kid had made an effort to tolerate this other presence that disrupted their family, especially after Zahra settled down after their talk.
Zahra was not a child but she chose to look like it because it had been her body's age when she had been cursed. And Caelum seriously doubted how much the Genie had matured under the servitude of her masters. She sometimes acted as a petulant child might and at times she was wise beyond her years. Caelum could relate. Harry could understand to the extent his ten years of experience in the Dursley household allowed.
At least the kid had not yet found out about the extent of the Genie's suffering. Caelum did not want to have that discussion but it was inevitable. So many things had become inevitable and he simply waited for the time to pass. So many things to talk about with Harry but the kid needed to mature.
Perhaps I should write a letter. I really have no guarantee that I will stay in this world. Say I vanquish Voldemort? Am I propelled back to Teddy and Mione, Andy and Mike? I have no idea of what is going to happen and if something does happen I would leave Harry hanging. I need to make sure he can own his life without Dumbledore immediately seizing control. Put that on the to-do list.
He rolled the ring around his thumb as a shiver ran through him. The family magic was agitated but he supposed it was normal. They were in the family home of someone Caelum perceived to be a possible enemy. His agitation must have transferred to the magic uniting all of the Blacks.
But Zahra... What am I going to do about her? What can I do about millennia old Genie? Maybe... His eyes were drifted back to the ring. Doable. Might be possible. I just have to...
The door opened without warning and that idea was stored away for further pondering. The witches on the Board came through the door being escorted by an elf. Caelum did a double take at seeing Dobby but kept his composure and got to his feet, bowing to the women. "Ladies. You are a pleasurable sight to tired eyes."
Suzanne Little actually blushed at the compliment while the two others regarded him with thinly veiled suspicion. Huh. "It is a joy to see you again, Mister Black." Eliza Plumpton took the lead and settled on her chosen recliner. Caelum made sure to sit down only after the witches had arranged their robes appropriately. He wondered whether it was possible to feel approval in the portraits' magic.
"It truly is! Tell me, Mister Black, how have you been? It has been too long since I've seen you. Certainly not since that horrible Wizengamot incident."
That had made the front page of Prophet even if it had not been the main story. Fudge obviously had some sway with the newspaper. "News" in a relative context.
"I was unfortunately called to Australia to settle some family emergency that had arisen quite unexpectedly. These last few weeks I have spent in France."
"France you say? The Blacks' country mansion?" Noira LaFolle knew what she was talking about and was clearly intrigued. "My father has spoken of the place. He visited it in his youth."
"The place truly is marvellous," Caelum admitted, with a wistful smile on his face. "So much history, I cannot even begin to explain it. I am truly grateful to be a part of a family with such long roots."
"The Blacks have always been respected," Suzanne Little intercepted neutrally. Caelum knew all of their thoughts were cast away to the most recent history of the family. Death, murder, Dark Arts... The room in the London house was only the tip of the iceberg with the Blacks. Caelum knew of the history but it did not mean he wanted it thrown in his face from a near total stranger, no matter how subtle the reminder was.
"Blacks always have been in a position of power." His eyes flashed intensely at Little while the two others' attention was focused on the door. The woman froze for a second and her nostril flared in fear. Then the moment passed and Caelum turned to greet the rest of the governors.
"The Defence teacher will again be replaced. The woman will not even risk it." Clearwater shook his head in dismay but did not volunteer any further opinions.
"Then I believe I have some good news that Dumbledor relied to me two days ago," Penrose smugly informed them. He waited until everyone was paying close attention and declared, "Quirinius Quirrell will be returning to Hogwarts and will accept the post of Hogwarts Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
Oh, merde.
While Caelum was having an "oh shit"-moment the rest were quite clearly intrigued by the idea. And Penrose was not finished. "What better, he will be observing the lessons for the last month of semester so that the transition is as smooth as ever. I believe he arrived back to England at the end of May."
"His trip was a success?" Rupert Williamson seemed surprised.
"Headmaster assures me he will be capable of handling the job."
Caelum realized he probably should comment somehow. This frozen shock like state was unusual and would prompt questioning should anyone notice his state. He cleared his throat.
"Excuse me but who exactly is this Quirinius Quirrell?"
A moment's silence and Malfoy answered him, "He used to be the Muggle Studies Professor." Caelum found it amazing someone could sneer in that manner and still form coherent words. "He is a young man of average strength who last year took a sabbatical to ready himself for the Defence post." The sneer deepened but no further explanation was forthcoming.
"He is a capable man with high NEWTs in the subject?" Caelum supposed this was something he should be concentrating on. Instead of wondering how easiest to kill the tumbling weakling that had allowed Voldemort's sweet promises to enslave him to servitude. Behind his shields the magic whirled in anger and in glee. His enemy was coming closer and with his approach, so did their final encounter.
"At least we know the man can teach. With the curse some of our teachers have truly been disgustingly incompetent."
"Oh, Nolan. Do not speak of that. It is one the most controversial topics. The curse has never even been proven to exist!" Suzanne Little scolded the aged wizard that only scowled in response. Caelum interrupted before their argument could develop further.
"I had read of this in my research to familiarize myself with the school but I paid it little attention. It is true? There is a curse that forces wizards to quit after a year?"
"It is not as much a curse as it is a rumour," Norman Waffling smoothly intercut. "I am certain the Headmaster would have discovered the source had there been one. It began as a consequence and has turned into a self-fulfilling curse. Everyone believes that something will happen so it will."
"Please." Noira LaFolle sounded exasperated. "I do not know why Dumbledore has not rid the school of it but the curse does exist. Over thirty teachers and none of them lasted for over a year. Even consequence can be stretched so far before another reason must be searched for."
"I notice you are quite divided on this question," Caelum attempted to mollify the situation. He was getting over his shock and parts of his mind were already dedicated to planning his next attack. Move in the spring or in the autumn when Voldemort more likely was going to be with him? Could he trust any of his memories from his original world?
Later, he admonished himself.
"Yes, it is a long time issue and a stain on Hogwarts' record. Even if we have tried to maintain some level in the choosing of instructors it is the Headmaster that makes the choice. We can at most recommend someone and I am afraid the significant drop in DADA OWLs and NEWTs has been noted in the academic circles." No one seemed particularly happy at that. Finally Penrose broke the silence.
"Let us hope Quirrell will be up to the job. At least with the month's initiation he will not be completely unprepared."
The meeting moved on to budgetary decisions. Hogwarts was an expensive school to attend and while Caelum had noted the sums in passing in his old world he now had to wonder. Of course purebloods paid less, the admittance fee getting cut in half for every other sibling that attended. That was what had saved the Weasleys from turning to home schooling or the Brighton School of Magic. There was also one other in Wales but they were decidedly smaller than Hogwarts. There was one school for magic in Ireland as well.
Nearly all of the Muggleborns were attempted to be introduced to the magical world through Hogwarts because solid education ensured they did not expose the world of magic. Every untrained Muggleborn posed a risk of exposure and it was the only reason the purebloods had been forced to admit them into their world. They could not just kill them - though many wanted and attempted - but they also guarded the Secrecy of their world. There was no other option that they had been able to think of and the fees were not that horrible on the general British scale. There were scholarships that were to assist those Muggleborns with no money to attend. The difference between the sums was explained by the Muggle seclusion of tax paying - not their discrimination against the Muggleborns - and it was also the reason Hogwarts paid a heavy tax to the government. After the food expenses and salaries and equipment cost not much was left over and that went into the Hogwarts fund that was to be used in emergencies. Only the Hogwarts Headmaster could access the fund.
It all was familiar to Caelum and he easily slipped into his Deputy Headmaster persona. There were no raises in salaries and the budget stayed about the same as the previous years. It was still horribly time consuming and it was very close to the agreed dinner time that the other governors finally took their leave, leaving Caelum and Malfoy standing before the Floo. Dobby appeared before them and the mage had to again curb in his surprise. It did not help that that one memory of a drunken Dobby and bunnies kept popping up in his head.
"Missus tells Dobby to tell Masters is being waited in the dining room."
Malfoy completely ignored the small creature turning to his quest instead and with his gesturing Caelum turned towards the room where yet another confrontation with his "family" awaited. He squared his shoulders and straightened his back before the door that he knew led into yet another confrontation with the Black family elders.
The doors opened and the two men strolled inside only to be frozen by the sight.
"Lucius! He's having a heart failure!"
Narcissa was crouched down on the floor next to Arcturus Black whose hands were clawing at his chest. Cassiopeia was surprisingly absent but Melania and Lucretia were both frozen in their chairs, expressions full of disbelief and shock. Caelum's eyes took this in in a fraction of a second until instinct took over. He heard Narcissa call for Lucius to floo the St. Mungos. He had no experience in heart conditions but he was good with magic and the family magic was telling him the old man would not last even a minute.
"Move."
His power pressed against the witch casting diagnostic spells and she flinched away. The family magic swirled to the front and Caelum placed his hands over the heart that was failing and the head that would soon be lacking oxygen. His shields faltered before his command and magic poured into his great-grandfather of this world.
A frown marred his features as Caelum worked. Arcturus kept shaking and there was only so much the mage could do. The old man's entire body was covered with old Dark Magic wounds and they were stirring with the nearing death. Caelum was not a Healer and his meagre abilities in that area consisted of battle wounds and direct magic channelling. The family magic was helping him, flowing through Arcturus' familiar channels. This man had once been the Head of the family and now his life was slipping through Caelum's fingers.
His magic wanted to attack the Darkness of the old wounds. It wanted to rip it right out in the open and dominate it. Caelum held back with all the strain he could muster from himself. This was not a fight. If he turned it into a battle of magics he would lose and Arcturus would die.
The seconds trickled by and the old man kept slipping further and further. Caelum's magic and the family magic were all that was keeping the heart beating but the mage knew there was nothing else to be done.
He heaved a sigh and opened his eyes just as Lucius burst through the door with three Healers. All eyes focused on him and he shook his head, letting his hands fall off the still body.
Arcturus Black was dead.
Caelum forced his legs to move him from the crouch he had descended into in his hurry to help the old wizard. He staggered a couple of steps coming finally to lean against the oak table as the magic returned to him bringing with it the echoes of Arcturus' pains. He shivered as his heart hammered against his chest and was only minimally aware of the Healers rushing to his supposed grandfather's side. He exhaled loudly. Magic sharing was dangerous and intense and he would be feeling the side effects for days. And still the man died.
Pulling out a chair the mage let his aching body unceremoniously fall into it and pushed his head back.
That was when a very familiar presence entered his range of senses and his head snapped back up right when the Potions Master of the Hogwarts School of Wizardry entered the room his robes billowing in his wake. The familiar black eyes scanned the room, quickly coming up to date with the situation and eventually locked with Caelum's.
It was a good thing he was sitting already because his legs would have certainly given out under the intense stare.