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The Black Heir	By : gpsassi Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Voldemort Views: 42492 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 19
- 20
- 21
Disclaimer:
This story is based on characters created and owned by JK Rowling, various
publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and
Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright
or trademark infringement is intended.

AN: About
the updates, I used to update every one or two days but that�s not going to
happen again. I got loads to study, but I�ll update at least once a week and if
I have time, twice. Please understand. Thanks for all your reviews!

I know
that the main pairing HPLV is taking very long, but Orion is still very young
(14), it wouldn�t make sense if they both jumped at each other to be together
when they still have so many issues to resolve. Their interest in each other is
still very subtle, perhaps LV�s is a little bit more marked, but it�s not love
for him, it�s possession. But things will eventually change. So I�ll ask for
some more of your patience. The story will slowly but surely get there.

When
Orion grinned at LV, he was drunk. That little scene doesn�t mean that Orion
has seen the light and now fancies LV. He was just drunk and therefore had
fewer inhibitions and could honestly admit to himself that he felt an
attraction towards LV. But when he�s sober again, all the negative thoughts
that he has about LV will prevent him from realizing his attraction towards
him, or to act upon it.

And I�m
sorry for those who are already tired of Lez, but he�s going to be Orion�s
boyfriend for a while still. I need him for my plot and I like him, he�s a good
first boyfriend for Orion. About what will happen to Lez in the future�.can�t
tell, sorry �wink-.

About the
physical similarities between locketTom and Voldemort, Orion thinks they�re
distant cousins, since that�s what Tom told him, so any resemblance between
them is swept under the rug as family traits. And Voldemort is in his
mid-thirties (since his 17 years old soul merged with his 60 something year old
one) while Tom is in his early twenties, so they are different; the main
difference would be LV�s red eyes and whiter skin. But Orion still doesn�t
suspect anything.

And Orion is 14 already!!, not 12 as some reviewer wrote. And he has
always been very mature for his age, remember that he reads a lot and is highly
intelligent. That�s why he sometimes behaves better than the adults and in the
case of the Death Eaters, he simply has more morals than some of them, or seen
from another point of view, he is still somewhat na�ve and idealistic.

Thanks EmpyrealFantasy for your reviews. I also like your fic very much.
Hope you
update it soon �wink-. The Dementors were at Hogwarts on that night because
Sirius had attempted to get into Gryffindor tower weeks before and that had
alerted the Aurors that he was back in action. After the Fat Lady said that it
had been Sirius Black who had attempted to get in, Fudge had ordered the
Dementors to stay around Hogwarts. That�s why Orion made Sirius promise him
that he wouldn�t go back. Alas, Sirius was always stubborn and impulsive.

Enjoy and
Review!

Chapter 20 � After the World Cup &
Necromancers

As soon
as they stepped out of the tent they were almost trampled over by the running
and shrieking mob. Not far away, Orion could see a tight pack of Death Eaters
pointing their wands upwards, where the family of the muggle campsite manager
floated in the air spinning around. The Death Eaters had been joined by a crowd
of jeering and laughing wizards that seem to enjoy the spectacle. There were a
lot of tents that had been trampled over and destroyed, and others were
burning. Loud shrieks of fear could be heard from the running crowd; children
were crying; anxious shouts and panicked voices were reverberating around them
in the cold night air. It was pandemonium.

Narcissa
clutched their arms tighter and started running with them towards the woods,
but the mob of hysterical fleeing light wizards was very disorderly and
violent. Orion was knocked over by someone and he heard his name being shouted.
He was pulled to his feet by Draco who had a pale face and concerned look.

Draco
yelled above the loud noise, �We have lost my mother! I can�t see her!�

Orion
looked around but it was impossible to find Narcissa in the large crowd. He
tightly grabbed Draco�s arm and shouted, �We have to get to the woods. She�ll
go there looking for us! Let�s move!�

He took
out his wand and started casting mild electrifying spells in front of him to
make their way. Orion and Draco stumbled their way through and after several
minutes they reached the woods. It was already very dark and Orion saw in the
distance how Ministry officials were trying to reach the Death Eaters through
the crowd that were cheering them on. He looked around and saw Draco catching
his breath leaning against a tree. He heard someone approaching and he spun
around and was faced with Ron Weasley and two other boys, which had to be Dean
Thomas and Seamus Finnegan according to Draco�s description of Weasley�s
lackeys.

Draco
strode to his side and said mockingly to the Weasley boy, "I suppose your
daddy told you all to hide? What's he up to - trying to rescue the
Muggles?"

"Where're
your parents?" said Ron furiously, "Out there wearing masks, are
they?"

Orion
took a step forwards and said angrily, �Watch your mouth, Weasley. It�s not
smart to make false accusations.�

Ron
rounded on him and spat, �Everyone knows that his father was a filthy Death
Eater, no matter what lies he said to avoid Azkaban.�

Orion
arched an eyebrow unimpressed and said calmly, �Mr. Malfoy was cleared of all
charges and he is a respectable and influential wizard.� Then he sneered at
Ron, �Unlike some others. I hear that your father works at the Misuse of Muggle
Artifacts Office. Not very impressive or important work, is it? Rather pathetic
if you ask me.�

Ron
turned red and spluttered angrily, �Better than having a Death Eater father
that got what he deserved and got Kissed!�

Orion
whipped out his wand, took a threatening step forwards and hissed, �Never dare
to say anything disparaging against my father in my presence or I�ll make you regret
it for the rest of your life.�

A blast
like a bomb sounded from the campsite, and a flash of green light momentarily
lit the trees around them.

Draco
placed a comforting hand on Orion�s shoulder and nodded towards Dean Thomas
while saying coldly to Ron, �Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You
wouldn't like him spotted, would you?"

"What's
that supposed to mean?" asked Dean Thomas confusedly.

Draco
snorted, "Thomas, they're after muggles and mudbloods. Would you like to
be spinning around midair? Because if you do, hang around. . . they're moving
this way, and it would give us all a laugh."

Ron
turned an angry shade of purple and spluttered incoherently, but Finnegan
pulled him and Dean Thomas away and they disappeared into the forest.

Orion
turned towards Draco and said with curiosity, �You warned them. You didn�t want
the Death Eaters to find Thomas. Why?�

Draco
shrugged his shoulders and answered calmly, �I don�t care either way. I just
wanted them to leave.�

Orion
nodded, �Let�s get deeper into the woods. It�s not safe here.�

They
walked for several minutes when suddenly they heard someone nearby shout,
�MORSMORDRE!"

Orion�s
eyes widened when he saw a colossal skull, comprised of what looked like
emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue. As they
watched, it rose higher and higher, blazing in a haze of greenish smoke, etched
against the black sky like a new constellation. Orion cursed under his breath.
No one was supposed to cast the Dark Mark! He frowned, the Death Eaters
wouldn�t have done it. Then who-?

Suddenly,
the woods all around them erupted with screams. And Orion turned around and saw
Weasley and his two friends looking confused and scared in the middle of a
clearing a few feet away from them. Popping noises announced the arrival of
twenty wizards, appearing from thin air, surrounding Weasley and his friends.
They all roared at once, �STUPEFY!�

Orion
pulled Draco to the ground when several Stunners flew over their heads. He could
see the clearing from their position and thankfully the trees concealed them
from sight.

Orion saw
Mr. Weasley advancing towards the three boys and yelling "Stop! STOP!
That's my son!"

"Out
of the way, Arthur," said coldly a wizard with a short squared moustache.
It was Crouch Sr., Orion recognized him from newspaper articles.

"Which
of you did it?" Crouch snapped, "Which of you conjured the Dark
Mark?"

"We
didn't do anything!" said Ron, who was rubbing his elbow and looking
indignantly at his father. "What did you want to attack us for?"

"Do
not lie, sir!" shouted Crouch. His wand was still pointing directly at
Ron, and his eyes were popping; he looked slightly mad. "You have been
discovered at the scene of the crime!"

"Barty,"
said a witch in a long woolen dressing gown, "they're kids, Barty, they'd
never have been able to-�

"Where
did the Mark come from, you three?" said Mr. Weasley quickly.

"Over
there," said Finnegan shakily, pointing at a place not far from Orion and
Draco, "There was someone behind the trees. . . they shouted words, an
incantation -"

Orion
didn�t bother to hear the rest. He realized that Barty Crouch Jr. had to be the
one to cast the Dark Mark, none other could have possibly done it since the
Dark Lord had specifically prohibited it. And he couldn�t allow Barty Jr. to be
captured again, they would surely send him to be Kissed. No one else was going
to suffer that fate if there was something he could do about it. He turned
towards Draco and whispered, �Stay here. I�ll disillusion you. I�ll be right
back.�

Draco
shook his head and whispered back, �Orion, no-�

But Orion
quickly cast the spell and saw Draco disappear from his sight. He quickly ran
towards the place Finnegan had pointed to. Orion could hardly see anything in
the dark forest so he quickly spelled his eyes for night vision, using a crafty
little spell that Master Golmirn had taught them in Human Transformation. He
reached the place and saw Crouch�s house-elf stunned on the ground. He
frantically looked around and gasped when he saw the body of a wizard, which
was invisible from the waist down. It had to be Barty Jr. with the invisibility
cloak! The stunners must have hit him.

He heard
a voice nearby saying "I don't think so, our Stunners went right through
those trees. . . . There's a good chance we got them. . .�

"Amos,
be careful!" said another voice.

Orion
tensed. They were coming this way! He had to get Barty away. But he hadn�t
learned how to apparate yet and he couldn�t carry Barty�s body, it would weight
too much for him. And he needed to incriminate someone else or they would keep
searching the woods. Orion snatched the wand Barty had in his hand and quickly
placed it in the elf�s hand. No one would be so stupid as to believe that the
elf had done it but it would give him some extra time. He pulled Barty�s body
away from the elf and dragged him to a corner shrouded in shadows. He pulled
the invisibility cloak over the wizard�s body and had just finished
disillusioning himself when he saw a wizard approaching.

The
wizard spotted the house-elf and shouted, "Yes! We got them! There's
someone here! Unconscious! It's - but - blimey. .� He said when he crouched to
see that it was a house-elf holding a wand.

"You've
got someone?" shouted Crouch from the clearing, "Who? Who is it?"

Orion saw
the wizard picking up the house-elf and grabbing the wand and striding away
back to the clearing.

Orion
sighed in relief. He heard the wizards arguing between themselves. Some were
skeptical that the elf had done it and Crouch sounded furious. The wand was Ron
Weasley�s and the idiotic boy was shouting his innocence.

Orion
grabbed Barty and pulled him further away, towards the place where Draco was
waiting for him. He snapped his head around when he heard someone approaching
the place where the elf had been. Orion kept still and watched through the
shadows as Crouch Sr. desperately looked around. Orion frowned. Crouch must be
looking for his son. He must know that it was him who conjured the Dark Mark.
The wizard looked half-crazed while searching the woods and using his foot to
step the ground to find someone hidden under an invisibility cloak. The wizard
finally gave up and angrily strode away.

Orion
tiredly dragged Barty and reached the place where he had left Draco.

Orion
flicked his wand and cancelled his disillusionment charm and whispered,
�Draco?�

Orion
felt a hand grab his arm and heard Draco�s disembodied voice whisper, �Yes, I�m
here.�

Orion
nodded and whispered back, �I have someone with me. We must wait for the
wizards to leave before we move.�

�Okay,�
replied Draco in a low whisper.

Orion
laid on the ground and looked towards the clearing.

"Perhaps
Amos is suggesting," said Crouch, cold anger in every syllable, "that
I routinely teach my servants to conjure the Dark Mark?"

The
wizard that had found the elf replied horrified, "Mr. Crouch�. not. . .
not at all.�

"I
trust you remember the many proofs I have given, over a long career, that I
despise and detest the Dark Arts and those who practice them?" Crouch
shouted, his eyes bulging.

"Mr.
Crouch, I - I never suggested you had anything to do with it!" Amos
muttered again, now reddening behind his scrubby brown beard.

"If
you accuse my elf, you accuse me, Diggory!" shouted Crouch. "Where
else would she have learned to conjure it?"

After
more arguments, Crouch fired his house-elf and Mr. Weasley took Ron and his
friends away. The other wizards started disapparating and Orion sighed in
relief.

He
flicked his wand to cancel Draco�s disillusionment charm and Draco appeared
before his eyes.

Draco
asked worriedly, �What has happened? Who cast the Dark Mark and who do you have
with you?�

Orion
knelt where he had left Barty and pulled the invisibility cloak away from the
body. Draco gasped and Orion turned towards him, �Do you know who this is?�

Draco
shook his head and Orion said, �It�s Barty Crouch Jr., he�s the one who cast
the Dark Mark. He escaped Azkaban, I still don�t know how or when. But he was
under his father�s Imperius Curse. It seems that today he was able to throw it
off and attempted to escape. The stunners that the Ministry officials send
through the woods hit him. So I went to look for him. We have to take him to
the Dark Lord.�

Draco
paled and said, �Can�t we take him to my father? Or let�s cast the green sparks
and wait for my mother to find us.�

Orion
shook his head, �No. We don�t know where Lucius is. He must have had to
apparate away. And we cannot drag Barty back to the tent, even if the tent is
still up, which I doubt. Someone might see us. And if we cast the sparks we
might draw the attention of someone else and if they see us with a Death Eater
we are in serious trouble.�

Draco
said worriedly, �But how do we take him to the Dark Lord? And my mother must be
frantically looking for us, if we just leave she�ll be worried sick.�

�We can
ask the Dark Lord to summon Lucius. Your father will take us home and your mum
will be alright,� replied Orion, �And the only way to take Barty to the Dark
Lord is to wake him up and ask him to use his Dark Mark to apparate us to the
Dark Lord�s side.�

Draco
sighed and replied, �Very well, let�s do it.�

Orion
nodded and said, �Take out your wand, be prepared to stun him if he becomes
violent.�

Draco
nodded and whipped out his wand. Orion cancelled his night vision, straddled
the wizard�s waist, placed a hand over Barty�s mouth and pointed his wand
towards him with the other hand and said, �Ennervate!�

The
wizard woke up with a gasp muzzled by Orion�s hand and his hazel eyes
frantically looked around.

Orion
applied more pressure on Barty�s mouth and pointed his wand�s tip against the
wizard�s neck. Orion said quietly, �Don�t move. We are here to help you.�

Barty
started struggling and Orion sunk his wand�s tip painfully against Barty�s neck
and used his knees to trap Barty�s arms, and hissed angrily, �I said don�t
move! You were stunned and I prevented your father from finding you! Stay still
or I�ll stun you and turn you in!�

Barty�s
wild eyes turned to his and he said something under Orion�s hand.

Orion
looked at him suspiciously and asked slowly, �If I remove my hand, will you
speak quietly? There are still wizards around that could find us if you shout.�

Barty
nodded and Orion removed his hand from his mouth but used it to grab Barty by
his throat.

Barty
said hoarsely, �Who are you? What happened?�

�I�m
Orion Black and this is Draco Malfoy,� Orion said jerking his head towards
Draco.

Barty�s
eyes widened looking from one boy to the other, and said, �Where�s my wand?
What are you going to do with me?�

Orion
calmly replied, �As I said before, you were stunned. I found you and covered
you with your invisibility cloak and placed the wand you were carrying in your
elf�s hand. Your father came looking for you but I had dragged you away. The
other wizards believe that your elf was the one to conjure the Dark Mark. I
saved you and now you will do what we ask of you or I�ll turn you in.
Understood?�

Barty
quickly flicked his tongue out and replied, �What do you want?�

Orion
frowned at Barty�s weird nervous tick but replied, �We are both supporters of
the Dark Lord. It was very stupid of you to cast the Dark Mark. But we want you
to use your Mark and apparate us to the Dark Lord�s side. You have nowhere else
to go and Draco and I need to leave this place.�

Barty
replied zealously, �I cast the Dark Mark to show the traitorous Death Eaters
that were partying around what a true loyal servant of the Dark Lord is! I went
to Azkaban for My Lord while the others pledged to be under the Imperius Curse!
They renounced him! I am his most loyal-�

Orion
said sharply, �Enough! That�s not important now, the Dark Lord returned and he
accepted them back. Now you will take us-�

Barty�s
eyes widened and he interrupted excitedly, �He�s back? My Master is back?�

Orion
frowned at him and replied, �Surely you saw your Dark Mark turning darker. You
must have felt your Mark burning when he summoned his Death Eaters.�

Barty
shook his head and said frantically, �No! I was only able to throw off the
Imperius Curse for short periods of times and only this last month. I didn�t
know that he came back!�

Orion
said impatiently, �Well, he did. Will you take us to him?�

Barty
seemed uncertain and Orion added, �The only way we are letting you go is if you
take us with you. You don�t have a wand and you need to use one of ours to go
to him. It�s your only chance to get back to your Master.�

Barty
flicked out his tongue again, just like a snake would do, and replied, �Very
well. Lend me your wand then.�

Orion
shot Barty a suspicious look and addressed Draco, �Give him your wand, Draco.�

�What? No
way I�m giving him-� said Draco indignantly.

Orion
retorted in frustration, �Draco, I�m better at dark curses and dueling than you
are. If one of use needs to give him a wand then it has to be you! I can
protect us much better from him than you can!�

Draco
huffed indignantly and muttered, �That�s not true. I�m just as good as you are
with dark curses�� But he nonetheless gave Barty his wand.

Orion
pressed his wand to Barty�s neck and said icily, �No funny business. I saved
your life. You owe me.�

Barty
nodded and Orion stood up and helped him to his feet. Orion pointed his wand
against Barty�s chest while grabbing him by the waist and said to Draco, �Grab
him by the waist as well so that he can apparate us.�

Draco
complied and grabbed Barty by his other side. Barty looked down at them and
pulled his left sleeve up while pressing Draco�s wand�s tip against his Dark
Mark.

Orion
felt the familiar squeeze and they apparated into an elegant mahogany-paneled
study. Orion quickly stupefied Barty, who felt to the floor with a loud 'thud',
and just when Orion was about to turn around he heard a shouted �Crucio!�.
Without thinking it twice he lunged towards Draco and they hit the floor
painfully.

Orion
rolled off Draco while yelling, �STOP! It�s Orion Black and Draco Malfoy!
STOP!�

Another
spell had flown by, missing them, but then they stopped coming.

Orion
huffed and stood up. Voldemort was standing up behind a large desk with his
wand aiming towards them. He had his scarlet eyes narrowed at them and seemed
furious.

Voldemort
pierced Orion with his eyes and hissed, �What�s the meaning of this?! How did
you get in?�

Draco had
stood up besides Orion after snatching his wand from Barty and was looking at
Voldemort warily.

Orion
dusted off his robes, which were soiled and muddy, and replied highly miffed,
�The meaning of this, is that Barty Jr. here,� he said jerking his head towards
the body on the floor, �Decided to escape his father after the Quidditch World
Cup and also decided to show his undying loyalty towards you by stupidly
casting the Dark Mark! He was almost discovered and I had to rescue him from
his father�s clutches!�

Voldemort
cocked an eyebrow and shot a glance towards Barty before looking at Orion
again. He said quietly, �You make no sense, boy. Explain it better before I
crucio you.�

Orion
huffed but said flatly, �Barty was at the Quidditch World Cup wearing an
invisibility cloak under Crouch�s house-elf�s supervision. He managed to throw
off the Imperius Curse and steal a wand. After the game, when your Death Eaters
were having fun twirling some muggles in the air,� Orion shot him a glare and
continued, �Barty cast the Dark Mark. Ministry officials apparated and started
sending stunning spells everywhere. Draco and I were hiding in the woods and I
suspected that it had been Barty, since I had seen his hand stealing the wand.
So I went looking for him. Both he and his elf were hit by the stunning spells.
I placed the wand in the elf�s hand and covered Barty�s body with his
invisibility cloak and dragged him away.� He paused for breath and then added,
�A Ministry official found the elf and the wand. They believe she conjured the
Dark Mark. Crouch Sr. knew the truth, of course, and went to look for Barty.
Since I had dragged him away he wasn�t found. I returned to Draco with Barty�s
body and when we woke him up, we asked him to bring us to you since we didn�t
know where Lucius or Narcissa were and we needed to get away.�

Voldemort
smirked at him, �Quite an adventure you had there.�

Orion
crossed his arms over his chest and replied moodily, �Yes, nothing as exciting
as rescuing a fanatical Death Eater from his own stupidity.�

Voldemort
arched an eyebrow and interjected coldly, �You could have left him there.�

Orion
frowned at him and retorted, �He would have been Kissed if discovered. I don�t
wish that to anyone. And anyway, now you have your loyal servant back.�

�Indeed I
do,� replied Voldemort while approaching Barty�s body. He cast a quick
Ennervate and Barty woke up. As soon as he saw Voldemort he lunged himself at
his feet.

�My Lord-
My Master,� said Barty fervently, �You�re back! I knew that you were too
powerful to die! I knew you would return to us!�

Voldemort
thinly smiled at Barty and coldly petted his head.

Orion
looked away in disgust as Barty blabbered some more. Draco was fidgeting by his
side and Orion shot him an inquiringly look.

Draco
whispered to him, �I wonder if mother is alright...�

Orion
nodded and turned towards Voldemort and his obedient pet. Orion said icily,
�Excuse me for interrupting this heart-breaking reunion but I wonder if Lucius
could be summoned so that Draco and I can leave.�

Barty
shot him a glare and said angrily, �You insolent brat! How dare you address My
Master in such-�

Voldemort
interrupted him while locking his scarlet eyes with Orion�s, �Yes, he is quite
insolent. Maybe he needs to be taught some manners.�

Draco
stiffened by his side and Orion fiercely clutched his wand. Just let him try,
Orion thought angrily, I�ve had enough for one evening.

Voldemort
smirked at Orion and silkily hissed in parseltongue, �But perhapsss I could
posssstpone that immensssse pleasssure for another time. After all, you did me
a ssssservice today. Asss I�m ssssure you�ll keep sssserciving me in the
future.�

Orion
shivered at Voldemort�s tone of voice. He wasn�t sure what Voldemort was
implying but the way Voldemort slithered his words when he spoke parseltongue
in that way�it felt almost like a caress. And there was something in the way
Voldemort was intently looking at him, almost predatorily and possessively.

Orion
involuntarily gave another shiver and Voldemort smirked at him knowingly. His
smirk turned into what Orion considered to be a seductive small smile and Orion
looked away hiding his flush. Really, what was he thinking about, Voldemort�s
smile being seductive? He must be exhausted to have such ridiculous thoughts.

Voldemort
approached Orion and with a gentleness Orion would have never expected,
Voldemort lifted his chin. Voldemort locked gazes with him and Orion felt as if
those scarlet eyes were trying to see into his soul. His scar started prickling
painfully when Voldemort�s thumb started trailing along his jaw. Orion closed
his eyes trying to numb the pain while reinforcing his ever-present mind
barriers.

Voldemort
softly hissed, �Open your eyesssss. Let me sseeee them.�

Orion
opened his eyes and a small quiver ran through his skin when he saw Voldemort�s
scarlet eyes looking at him possessively. Voldemort silkily hissed, �Why did
you turn your face away from me? What were you trying to hide?�

Orion
stuttered a nervous hiss, �N-nothing�

Voldemort
kept trailing his thumb along his jaw and started to trail another finger down
his neck. Orion shivered again when he felt the pleasant touch and he was
starting to get very confused. He made a move to pull away but Voldemort
lightly grabbed his throat and gave him an amused smirk. Voldemort hissed while
piercing him with his red gaze, �It wasss sssssomething. Tell me, why do you
ssssshiver when I ssssspeak parssssseltongue to you? Why do you sssshiver when
I caresss you?�

Orion was
asking himself exactly the same thing. He looked into Voldemort�s eyes and
dazedly realized that they were beautiful; they were of a unique indescribable
deep scarlet hue. As Voldemort rubbed his thumb against Orion�s throat, the
pain in his scar spiked and his forehead throbbed painfully and Orion was
unable to suppress a small moan of pain. Orion hissed beseechingly, �I don�t
know�. Pleasssse, let me go.�

Voldemort
frowned at him but released him. Orion stumbled a step backwards and quickly
turned his face away.

Voldemort
paused to look at him but then turned and approached Barty, who was standing up
looking at them with an dark scowl. Voldemort lifted Barty�s sleeve and pressed
his wand�s tip to the Dark Mark while saying Lucius� name.

After a
few short minutes, Lucius apparated into the room and took in the scene before
him with an arched eyebrow. He saw his son looking at Orion with a deep angry
frown; Orion trying to hide his face from everyone; his Lord looking intently
at the boy; and another young wizard scowling at Orion. Then he realized that
the young wizard was surprisingly Barty Jr.. What in Morgana�s name had
happened?

Voldemort
turned towards Lucius and said calmly, �Lucius, you can take your boys away
with you. I�m sure Narcissa must be worried.�

Lucius
deeply bowed at him and replied, �Yes, My Lord. Thank you.�

Lucius
took out a portkey and motioned the boys to take it. Orion took a last glance
of Voldemort and the last thing he saw before being pulled away, was Voldemort
looking at him with a satisfied pleased smirk on his face.

As soon
as they dropped in Malfoy Manor�s main parlor, both Draco and Orion were
confronted by a stiff Narcissa. Only the pallidness of her beautiful face and
the way her fingers jerkily clamped on their shoulders gave Orion any
indication that she had been frantically worried.

�Where
have you been?" she said, her voice very quiet yet with a slight tremor.
" I looked for you everywhere."

Ignoring
her, Draco spun around to face Orion, and demanded angrily, �What the bloody
hell was that all about?�

Orion was
deeply confused. What mind games was Voldemort playing with him? What did he
want? Why had Voldemort caressed his jaw? Why did he speak to him in that tone
of voice? It must be a trick to confuse him, to throw him off, thought Orion
angrily. He was up to something and it certainly wasn�t something good for him.

�I don�t
know,� he replied quietly, glancing at his friend.

�What do
you mean you don�t know?" snapped Draco angrily. "He was speaking in
parseltongue with you. He was- he was touching you!�

One of
Lucius' eyebrows slowly crept upwards, while Narcissa's restraint over her
composure seemed to flake, since her voice slightly raised when she demanded,
"Do you mind telling me what you are talking about? Where have you been?�

�We found
Barty Crouch Jr.," said Draco sharply, turning towards her, "and he
took us to the Dark Lord since we couldn�t find either you or Father. And the
Dark Lord threatened to curse Orion to teach him some manners and then he
started speaking in parseltongue with him. And Orion just stood there while the
Dark Lord caressed him! It was disgusting!�

Narcissa�s
eyes marginally widened, and she looked at Orion with concern, her voice a mere
whisper, �He caressed you?�

�Yes! No,
no! No, he didn�t!� said Orion with frustration, shaking his head in confusion.
�He just- he just asked me some things. He wasn�t caressing me!�

�Yes he
was!" bit out Draco furiously, rounding on him. "And you let him! You
practically leaned towards his touch!�

Orion�s
eyes widened, and he replied frantically, �I didn�t lean towards his touch! He
wasn�t caressing me! He was playing mind games with me!�

�Did you
enjoy it?" snarled Draco, angrily seizing Orion's shoulders. "Were
you enjoying his touch?!�

Orion
shook his head in desperation. �He wasn�t touching me in that way!�

�Enough,
Draco!" cut in Narcissa sharply. "Leave him alone.�

Draco
released him but crossed his arms over his chest and furiously scowled at
Orion, who nervously shifted his weight on his feet .

�What did
the Dark Lord do to you, Orion?� asked Narcissa softly, lifting his chin with a
long and delicate finger.

Orion
looked into her concerned blue eyes, and replied quietly, �Nothing. He did
nothing. He asked me some questions and touched my jaw, but that was only to
confuse me and make me reply. He didn�t do anything else.�

Draco
snorted but didn�t comment.

�Very
well," said Narcissa, sighing softly. "Go to bed, you two.�

When the
boys left the room, Narcissa turned around to face her husband, her poise calm
and dignified, as she inquired quietly, �What happened, Lucius? Is the Dark
Lord interested in Orion?�

Lucius
regarded her in silence, and replied evenly, �He has shown an interest in
Orion�s powers and parseltongue ability. He also wants to decide whom the boy
is to marry.�

�But is
he interested in Orion himself?� pressed Narcissa, a slight frown crinkling her
smoot face.

Lucius
arched an eyebrow. �As a lover?�

She
nodded, and he calmly answered, �I don�t know. I haven�t seen any clear
indication suggesting it. But he has taken lovers before and he appreciates
beauty and power, and Orion has both.�

�Orion is
too young," she said, with a hint of apprehension in her voice, "and
the Dark Lord shouldn�t be interested in him in that way, Lucius. We can�t
allow it. We must protect him.�

�If the
Dark Lord wants him for a while," said Lucius coldly, "there�s
nothing we can do.�

Narcissa's
eyes slightly narrowed, before she calmly smoothened her robes with a hand, her
eyes all the while piercing her husband as she said placidly, "There is
something we can do. Haven�t you told him that you want a match between Orion
and Draco? He must know that he can�t interfere with that only to satisfy a
passing interest.�

�He knows
about the planned match," said Lucius coolly, "but he didn�t comment
on it. I don�t think the Dark Lord has any serious interest in the boy.�

�But what
if he has?" she said, her calm voice masking her troubled worry.
"Maybe he wants to keep Orion for himself. Maybe he isn�t planning on
supporting the match between Orion and Draco.�

Lucius
waved his hand dismissively. �The Dark Lord has taken numerous lovers in the
past and has never considered a serious relationship or marriage with anyone,
Cissy. He uses them and discards them. He has always thought that he has no
equal, and he wouldn�t take someone whom he considers to be inferior as a
spouse. And he knows that a match between Orion and Draco would produce a
powerful heir. I�m sure he doesn�t plan on interfering with that.�

�You must
insist on getting his approval for Draco�s and Orion�s match," said
Narcissa impassively, looking unconvinced by his assertion, while her voice
carried a hint of hard determination. "It�s the only way to be sure. And
if he approves, you must hint that Orion won�t be allowed to have lovers in the
meantime. I don�t want the Dark Lord using Orion to satisfy his lust. The Dark Lord
isn�t gentle with his lovers, Lucius.�

Lucius
arched an eyebrow, and coldly replied, �The Dark Lord has seen Orion with his
vampire, Cissy. He knows that Orion is allowed to be with others until his
marriage.�

�Orion
and Lezander are boyfriends," said Narcissa, a stern expression crossing
her beautiful features, "but they aren�t lovers yet, I could tell. You
will tell him that, Lucius. You must tell him that Orion isn�t allowed to have
lovers." She intently regarded him, and said coolly, "Or do you want
your nephew to be used in such a way? Don�t you care for him, my husband? For
his, and therefore, our reputation?�

Her barb
seemed to strike home, since a muscle in Lucius' jaw briefly clenched, before
he replied impassively, �I do care, Cissy, and I will protect him if I can, but
there�s little that I can do against the Dark Lord if he wants to take Orion as
a lover before he gets married. I will dissuade him of the notion as subtlety
as I can, if I see any indication that he plans on doing that. I will tell him
what you asked.�

Narcissa
nodded in satisfaction, and after a quick peck on Lucius� cheek, she left for
her bedroom.

Orion
dropped tiredly on his bed. He didn�t understand why Draco was so angry with
him; it wasn�t as if he had encouraged Voldemort to treat him that way. And
Voldemort hadn�t exactly caressed him either. He had done it to get an answer
from him, as a sort of manipulation. But why had Voldemort insisted on knowing
the reasons for his shivers? It was all very confusing. Voldemort didn�t do
things without a good reason and his actions were unexpected. He didn�t
understand himself why Voldemort�s hisses got such a reaction from him. It
hadn�t happened before, though Voldemort hadn�t spoken in parseltongue in that
tone before either. Orion sighed tiredly and rubbed his eyes.

He
decided to consult his confidant and quickly cast warding and silencing spells
around his room. He took out the locket from his trunk and laid back on his
bed.

As soon
as he opened the locket, Tom looked at him and asked, �How was the match?�

Orion
grinned at him, �It was great. Ireland won but Krum got the snitch. It was
really unexpected.�

Tom
nodded and Orion said, �We found Barty Jr. after the game. It seems that the
Death Eaters still hadn�t gone to rescue him.�

Tom
raised an eyebrow and asked, �The wizard that was being held under his father�s
Imperius?�

Orion
nodded, �Yes. Apparently he was a favorite of the Dark Lord�s during the first
war. He took Draco and me to the Dark Lord since he had cast the Dark Mark and
Ministry officials were looking around for the one who had done it.�

Tom
pierced him with his dark blue eyes and perceptively said, �Something happened
with the Dark Lord and you want to ask me about it. Out with it.�

Orion
chuckled, �You know me so well. I wonder how you do it.�

Tom
smirked at him, �I�ve known you since you were eleven, Orion.�

Orion
raised his eyebrows and replied, �That�s true. Time has flown by.� He gave Tom
a warm smile and added, �You realize that you�re my oldest friend, then.�

Tom
retorted in mock despair, �Yes, it�s not as if I could escape your
acquaintance. I�m practically your prisoner and have had to endure your babbles
for many years. Alas, we portraits suffer such injustices.�

Orion
laughed and replied, �You would be extremely bored without me, Tom. Whatever
would you do without me in your life?�

Tom
smirked at him, �Probably sleep and have a peaceful existence.�

Orion
rolled his eyes and Tom quickly asked, �What happened?�

Orion was
unsure as to what to say, �Er�I don�t really know.� Orion frowned and
continued, �He threatened to teach me some manners and then he spoke to me in
parseltongue, but in a weird tone, very silkily. He said something about me
continuing to provide services to him, because I was the one to sort of rescue
Barty Jr.�

Tom
quirked an eyebrow, �That�s it?�

Orion
fidgeted and replied softly, �No�er�he asked me why I shivered.�

Tom
raised an eyebrow and smirked victoriously, �You shivered? Because of him?�

Orion
flushed and replied nervously, �Not because of him! Well, not exactly. It was
the way he spoke and the way he touched me.�

Tom�s
eyebrows shot upwards and he asked silkily, �He touched you and it made you
shiver? Did you enjoy it?�

Orion was
beginning to get very flustered and he replied confusedly, �He didn�t touch me
per se, not the way you�re thinking about. He kind of caressed my jaw and neck
but only to get a response from me.� He frowned and added, �I think he did it as
a sort of manipulation.� He looked at Tom and asked, �Does he do that sort of
thing often?�

Tom
smirked at him knowingly and replied, �Only to those he likes.�

Orion
scoffed, �That�s rubbish. He also touched Bellatrix and Barty Jr. and it wasn�t
because he likes them. He treats them as his pets. And if that�s what he has in
mind for me, he can forget about it. I won�t turn into a subservient and
adoring follower like them.�

Tom eyed
him and asked smugly, �But you didn�t answer the most important question. Did
you like his caresses? If they made you shiver it clearly indicates that you
enjoyed his attention.�

Orion
glared at him and replied sharply, �Not necessarily. It was merely unexpected
that�s all. One minute I�m expecting to be crucioed by him and the next he
starts hissing in that way and caressing me. Of course I�m going to shiver! The
man is completely bonkers!�

Tom
snorted, �Of course he�s not. He knows perfectly well what he does at all
times.�

Orion
replied warily, �Yes, that�s what worries me. He has something in mind and I
don�t like it one bit.�

Tom
smirked at him and said slyly, �It sounds to me as if you like it a lot. And
you still dodge my question. Did you enjoy it or not?�

Orion
replied in frustration, �Yes I did, alright! I liked the way he spoke to me in
parseltongue and I liked the way he trailed his finger on my neck. But I won�t
be manipulated in such a way! If he expects me to turn into a blabbering and
adoring fool just because he showed some gentleness, which is obviously faked,
he doesn�t know me at all!�

Tom
raised an eyebrow and retorted, �Why do you think his caresses and attentions
are faked?�

Orion
snorted, �Come on, the Dark Lord doesn�t do anything without an ulterior motive
and he is vicious and cruel. An act of gentleness coming from him is to be
suspected and avoided in the future.�

Tom
scowled at him and replied, �He may be vicious and cruel but that doesn�t mean
that his attentions towards you are insincere.�

Orion
frowned at him and asked desperately, �But then what does he want from me? Why
did he act in such a way?�

Tom
lifted an eyebrow and replied calmly, �I would have thought that to be
obvious.� He paused and then said, �He wants you.�

Orion�s
eyebrows shot upwards and he asked nervously, �Wants me for what?�

Tom gave
him a wicked smirk, �That�s for you to discover�and enjoy.�

Orion
became flustered and he insistently asked, �Wants me for what, Tom?!�

But Tom
refused to say anything else and just observed him with a pleased smirk on his
handsome face.

Orion
shut the locket and placed it inside his trunk under powerful wards. He
uneasily fell asleep dreaming of intense scarlet eyes and silky hissing sounds.

It was
the end of August and Orion had convinced Lucius to take him to Diagon Alley to
buy a new wand. Orion had read that during the Triwizard Tournament the wands
of the contenders were inspected and he didn�t want anyone to look at his wand.
Gregorovitch had implied that it was special and Ragnarok had told him to never
say anything about his wand�s double core, so he needed to get a new one.
Besides having two wands could prove to be very useful. He could use the new
one as a replacement and perhaps he could learn to cast spells with his left
hand as well. That would be very advantageous in a duel. Though he knew that a
new wand would never be as powerful or attuned to his magic as the one he
already had. Wizards usually only bonded with one wand and a second one never
worked as well as the first. He had told Lucius that his wand had started to
fail sometimes and that perhaps it had been damaged during the break into
Azkaban.

They
strode into Ollivander�s wand shop and a tinkling bell rang inside the shop.
Orion stepped forwards while Lucius remained behind him. He saw thousands of
narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling.

"Good
afternoon," said a soft voice. And an old man came out of the shadows,
with wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

Ollivander
looked at him curiously and asked, �Who might you be?�

Orion
calmly replied, �Orion Black.�

Ollivander
scrutinized his face and his eyes widened marginally momentarily before
assuming a calm expression again. He softly said, �I was very sorry to hear
that your father had been Kissed. I remember the first time he came into my
shop. He favored a beechwood wand, thirteen inches, very pliable and excellent
for transfiguration and charms. A pity it was snapped when they send him to Azkaban.
Well, I say your father favored it - it's really the wand that chooses the
wizard, of course."

Orion
nodded. He knew these things already.

"Hmmm,"
said Mr. Ollivander, giving Orion a piercing look. "Well, now Mr. Black,
let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his
pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"I
want it for my left hand," said Orion evenly.

"Very
well, hold out your arm. That's it." He measured Orion from shoulder to
finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round his
head.

When he
finished he brought several boxes and after Orion tried several wands
unsuccessfully, Ollivander went to the back of the store and returned saying,
�I wonder if it will work with you. Unusual combination, made of holly and with
a phoenix feather in its core, eleven inches, nice and supple."

Orion
took the wand and felt a sudden warmth starting in his fingers, then trailing
throughout his body. He brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a
stream of green and black sparkles shot from the end like a firework.

Ollivander
pierced him with his eerie moon-like eyes and then quickly glanced at Orion�s
forehead. Orion tensed and wondered why the wizard had looked at his forehead.
Could it be possible that the man had some creature blood in him? It would
explain his weird eyes. But could he see through his scar�s glamour? Orion
surreptitiously grabbed his real wand with his right hand.

Ollivander
said quietly, �I knew that my suspicions were correct. I remember every wand
I've ever sold, Mr. Black. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is
in your wand, gave another feather, just one other. It is very curious indeed
that you should be destined for this wand when its brother, why, its brother
gave you that scar-"

Before
Ollivander could finish his sentence, Orion wandlessly stunned Lucius and aimed
his Death and Life wand, as he called it, towards Ollivander. He pocketed the
new wand with his left hand.

Ollivander
looked at him with raised eyebrows and Orion said sternly, �You know who I am.�

�I do
indeed,� replied Ollivander, �Though it surprised me that you are a Black,
though the resemblance is there. But your mother was really Lily Potter?�

Orion
nodded, and said dryly, �I�m sorry but I cannot let you speak of this with
anyone.�

�I
wouldn�t-�

�You
would tell Dumbledore,� retorted Orion harshly.

Ollivander
remained silent, and then said, �He could help you. Dumbledore needs to know.
He has been looking for you-�

Orion
didn�t need to hear more. That had just sealed Ollivander�s fate. He quickly
stunned him and knelt by Ollivander�s side, behind the counter. He looked into
his eerie eyes, which remained opened, and pointed his wand towards
Ollivander�s face. Orion concentrated on the memories he wanted to remove.
Ollivander had looked at him weirdly since the first moment he entered the
shop. He must have seen his scar since the beginning. He would eliminate all
the memories of his visit and Ollivander would never remember that he had met
him. Orion concentrated harder and said �Obliviate!� Orion saw in his mind all
the memories he was destroying and flicked his wand to stop the spell when the
last one was deleted.

He sighed
and stood up, before quickly casting several spells to send all the boxes with
their wands back into the shelves, including the empty box of his new Phoenix
wand. If Ollivander ever opened it he would wonder what had happened to the
wand but would thankfully never know the truth. But the problem still remained
with the weighing of the wands during the Triwizard Tournament. Ollivander
would probably be asked to do it. Well, he would think of a solution if he ever
had to cross that bridge.

He turned
and knelt by Lucius� side and cast a quick Obliviate to eliminate just the last
memories where Ollivander spoke of his new wand and his scar. When he was done
he stood up and cast an Ennervate.

Lucius
woke up and Orion helped him to rise. Lucius frowned at him, and demanded
coldly, �What has happened? Why was I on the floor?�

Orion
looked at him innocently, and replied in a concerned voice, �I�m sorry. It
seems that one of the wands didn�t like me. There was a weird explosion and you
fell back. I think you hit your head. I�m sorry. Are you alright?�

Lucius
narrowed his eyes at him, but said coolly, �Don�t worry. I�m fine.� He looked
around with an arched eyebrow. �Where�s Ollivander?�

Ollivander
was still stunned behind the counter and couldn�t be seen. Orion replied
calmly, �He went to the back store. He said he had something to do. I have already
paid him. I have a wand that worked for me.�

�Very
well, let�s leave,� commanded Lucius.

Orion
nodded and just before closing the door of the shop he send a wandless
Ennervate towards Ollivander.

He walked
through Diagon Alley wondering about his new wand. It had been truly
unexpected. In short, Ollivander had said that his phoenix wand was the twin of
Voldemort�s wand, of the one he had used to cast the Avada Kedavra curse and
forge the link between them. Was it because of the link that the wand had chosen
him? But it went beyond that. For two wizards to carry twin wands it meant that
the wizards were similar at some level and that their magic was compatible. The
wands recognized those similarities between the wizards when they chose them.
Orion frowned, in which sense was he similar to Voldemort? Why did they have
compatible magic?

Orion was
seating with his friends at Durmstrang�s Welcoming Feast. They would be leaving
at the end of October for Hogwarts but still had two full months of classes at
Durmstrang.

They were
all commenting on their summer adventures and Evander said amusedly looking at
Orion, �And our friend here got drunk for his very first time during his
fourteenth birthday! It was hilarious!�

Calypso
chuckled and said, �He acted like an idiot! Really, Orion, you should
definitely never drink again,� she said in amusement, �You even grinned at the
Dark Lord and waved at Mr. Malfoy! I was sure Mr. Malfoy was going to berate
you for it.�

The
others laughed and Lezander shot Orion an angry look. Orion asked horrified, �I
grinned at the Dark Lord?�

Calypso
raised an eyebrow and replied calmly, �Don�t you remember? You were all giddy
and had this goofy smile on you.�

Orion
frowned and replied a little bit flustered, �I don�t recall- I barely remember.
It�s all clouded by a kind of haze.�

Calypso
said succinctly, �Well, you did.�

Orion
looked at her wide-eyed and asked, �And the Dark Lord didn�t crucio me right
there?�

Calypso
chuckled, �He could hardly crucio you in the middle of the ball.�

Orion
shook his head and said with a groan, �I can�t believe I grinned at him! What
possessed me to do that? I can�t imagine anyone grinning at the Dark Lord and
surviving to tell the tale.�

Calypso
rolled her eyes, �Don�t be so melodramatic. Surely he doesn�t take offense when
people grin or smile at him.�

Orion
snorted, �The man would consider it a disrespect, I�m sure.�

Calypso
scoffed, �Nonsense. I bet a lot of wizards and witches smile at him to get his
attention and that he doesn�t mind. He�s very interesting and extremely
attractive, he must have quite a crowd of people trying to entice him-�

Orion
snapped at her, �I�m certain that I didn�t grin at him to get his attention!�

Calypso
raised an eyebrow at his outburst, �I know you didn�t. You were simply drunk
and in an alcohol-induced state of happiness and stupidity.�

The
others snickered while Lezander remained stonily silent.

Orion
nodded and prevented himself from banging his head against the table. He had
grinned at Voldemort? He had GRINNED?! He was definitely never going to touch a
glass of scotch again.

After the
feast, Vagnarov asked the students selected for the delegation to stay behind.

The
students grouped around Vagnarov and he said to them, �As you know, I will be
taking you to Hogwarts on October 30th. I will remain with you throughout the
Tournament. Regrettably, Hogwarts� education isn�t up to our standards and
therefore you will be portkeying back to Durmstrang to attend the classes that
aren�t taught at Hogwarts.� He looked at Orion, Calypso and Lezander and said,
�You, that are fourth year Hydras, will be coming back to attend Dark Arts,
Human Transformation, Dark Spell Creation, and Occlumency & Legilimency.�

Vagnarov
turned to the other students and told them the classes they would be having at
Durmstrang as well. When he finished he looked at the group at large and said,
�You�ll be taking the rest of your lessons with the Slytherins of your
corresponding year and you will be sharing guest rooms that are located in the
dungeons near their dorm.� Then he added with a smirk, �I wouldn�t subject you
to the pain and bigotry of being with any other house.�

He ran
his eyes over them and continued, �The selected Champions of Hogwarts and
Beauxbatons are exempt from their final exams but that will not be the case for
our Champion. I will not have your grades falling just because you�re indulging
in the Tournament. So I expect excellent marks and no excuses will be
tolerated. I must impress upon you that you will be representing this school
and I will have you behaving exemplary. Anyone who acts in any way that soils
Durmstrang�s reputation will be sent back immediately. You will proudly wear
Durmstrang�s uniform at all times and you will behave according to our rules.
You cannot practice dark spells on Hogwarts� grounds but our ship is, under
law, Danish territory and you can practice your spells there. After much
negotiation, an exemption has been made, and you will be able to use dark
spells during the Tournament, with the exception of the Unforgivables.� He
pierced them with his eyes and asked, �Do you have any questions?�

Calypso
quickly raised her hand and said, �Yes, Headmaster. I would like to know if the
age restriction is going to be imposed.�

Vagnarov
smirked and replied, �Since three of our ten candidates are fourteen year olds,
we managed to convince the English Ministry of Magic that the age restriction
needed to be set on fourteen for us. So, Ms. Rosier, I can assure you that you
will be able to put your name forth.�

Calypso
beamed at him and Orion grinned. That was great! He still didn�t know if he
wanted to compete, there were a lot of other things that interested him, but at
least now he had the option. And Draco would be ecstatic when he found out!

No one
else had any more questions and the students quickly trailed away. Orion
motioned to Lezander and Calypso that he needed to speak to Vagnarov and they
left him alone.

Orion
approached the wizard and said, �Excuse me, Headmaster. I wonder if I could
have a word.�

Vagnarov
raised an eyebrow and replied, �Of course, Mr. Black.�

They sat
at the nearest table and Orion looked at him, �I�m aware that I cannot learn
Necromancy until I pass your test in my sixth year but I would appreciate if
you could answer some questions.�

�I�ll do
my best to answer your questions if they don�t require me to divulge
information that only a Necromancer has the right to know, Mr. Black,� replied
Vagnarov sternly.

Orion
nodded, �I understand,� He fidgeted but then locked his eyes with Vagnarov�s
and said with determination, �I would like to know if it�s possible to recover
a soul that has been Kissed by a Dementor.�

Vagnarov�s
eyebrows shot upwards and he replied softly, �I was sorry to hear that your
father was Kissed, Mr. Black. It was a great tragedy indeed. But such a thing
has never been done before. A Dementor�s Kiss is irreversible.�

Orion
frowned and said persistently, �But I understand that a soul that has been
Kissed remains inside the Dementor, it doesn�t leave the mortal plane. So there
could be a way of capturing the Dementor and summoning the soul out of it.�

Vagnarov
frowned, �That is theoretically true. A soul slowly feeds a Dementor and it
doesn�t leave the mortal plane until it has been completely consumed by the
Dementor and that usually takes decades. But Dementors aren�t simply dark
creatures. It would require an extremely powerful Necromancer to capture one
and even then I doubt that he could defeat the Dementor and steal the soul away
from it.�

Orion
quirked an eyebrow, �What do you mean that they aren�t dark creatures. What are
they?�

Vagnarov
pierced him with his eyes and replied quietly, �The origin of the Dementors is
unclear. But the most supported theory is that Dementors were once powerful
Necromancers who evolved into their new form when they delved deeper into the
Arts than anyone else. You see, interacting with the spiritual plane
irreversibly changes you. Few have the magical strength and power to survive
it. That�s why it�s only taught to those few who posses the power. That�s why
the Necromantic Arts are so secretive. It would be catastrophic to have the
knowledge of a Necromancer made public.� He made a small pause and continued,
�It is believed, and I personally agree, that the Dementors were Necromancers
who got consumed by the Arts. They started living more in the spiritual plane
than in the mortal one and after time, it became a need for them in order to
exist. They were biologically altered by their frequent interaction with Death
and the price they paid was to lose their humanity and to hunger for souls
forever. A Dementor hasn�t been created in centuries. They are said to be
immortal in their cursed existence but they also provide a useful service. They
are the ones who act as guardians between this world and the next.�

Orion was
in awe. He had never read that anywhere! It was fascinating. He asked quickly,
�I see that they are extremely powerful but surely a very powerful and gifted
Necromancer could defeat a Dementor.�

Vagnarov
replied sternly, �The few who have dared to try in the past have failed and
died. A Dementor has a much higher level of necromantic power than a
Necromancer for the simple reason that they interact constantly with the
spiritual plane and that reinforces their powers. Necromancers now are much
more careful in their summons and have to exert restraint in order to avoid the
temptation of dwelling for too long in the spiritual plane. A true Necromancer
is altered with each interaction, that�s inevitable. But he will never interact
with the spiritual plane as long and as frequently as it is needed in order for
him to match a Dementor�s power. And even becoming a fairly powerful
Necromancer comes at a high price. A dark wizard that wishes to become a
Necromancer needs to relinquish their hold in the mortal plane. He will
conscientiously have to become isolated and will cover his body and face,
rejecting human touch and interaction, in order to attain the level of
concentration and mental state of mind to create a gate into the spiritual
plane. A dark wizard that wants to truly become a Necromancer, starts behaving
in this way as early as possible. Some have even started at your age. And it is
a high price indeed.�

Orion was
shocked. He was confused and angry and uncertain and wanted to rage against the
world. If he wanted to help his father he would need to renounce his humanity,
he would need to become isolated from everyone else and delve in the Arts until
he became powerful enough to defeat a Dementor. And he would be physically
affected. It was horrible! Was he willing to give up everything to have his
father back? And when he had him back he wouldn�t be able to be with him! He
would have to forsake Sirius, Remus, Draco, Calypso, Narcissa, Tom, Lezander,
Vol- �It was a cruel choice to make, but it was his only option. No, Orion
screamed in his mind, there had to be another way!

Orion�s
voice shook when he asked pleadingly, �Isn�t there another way? Can�t a dark
wizard become a powerful Necromancer without renouncing human contact? Without
abandoning his friends and loved ones?�

Vagnarov
looked at him and said softly, �There isn�t. As you can see I studied the Arts
but was unwilling to pay the price to become a true Necromancer. What I teach
at Durmstrang are just the basics, to give those who have the power an
opportunity to follow the path if they truly desire it. It is a personal choice
that each has to make. But you must think hard on it. There is no turning back
once you cross a certain line.�

Orion�s
heart fell. But then he remembered. He looked into Vagnarov�s eyes with a new
hope and whispered, �But what if there was a tool? A tool that allowed a dark
wizard to have more than usual necromantic powers without needing to lose his
humanity?�

Vagnarov
frowned at him, �Necromancers use many tools for their summons and to open the
gate to the next plane but those tools only focus their powers, they don�t
create them.�

Orion
shook his head and said fervently, �I�m talking about something unique.� He
looked at Vagnarov uncertainly but made his choice, he needed to know. Orion
whispered, �I�m talking about the Resurrection Stone.�

Vagnarov�s
eyes widened and he asked urgently, �Where have you learnt about it?�

Orion
looked at him and replied evenly, �There are hints about it in several books.
If one takes the time, it can be deduced from the little clues that it indeed
must exist and it seems to be the perfect tool for a Necromancer.�

Vagnarov
eyed him warily and replied quickly, �Its existence has never been proved. Even
if it did exist no one knows about its true powers or how it could be used. It
could be extremely dangerous for one without the knowledge to use it
carelessly.�

Orion
said excitedly, �But what if there was a dark wizard who studied the Arts and
became a Necromancer, but without losing himself, without delving too deep. If
one such Necromancer used the Stone then it could not be dangerous for him, he
would have the power and knowledge to control it.�

Vagnarov pierced him with his eyes, �If it exists and if a dark wizard
wanted to use it to defeat a Dementor and retrieve the soul inside, then he
would need to become a powerful Necromancer. He would need to delve deeply into
the Arts. There�s no other way. Dementors are too powerful to be defeated by a
mediocre Necromancer, even if he had the Stone, because he wouldn�t have the
power in him to use it properly.�

Orion was
unconvinced but he said, �I understand. I thank you for your candidness.�

Vagnarov
gave him a curt nod and when Orion was about to stand up he grabbed his arm
tightly and said quietly, �Orion, be careful. I understand the drive behind
your desire to become a powerful Necromancer, but don�t take it lightly. The
price is too high.�

Orion was
startled by Vagnarov�s use of his first name and by the concern that shone in
the older wizard�s eyes, but he smiled warmly at his Headmaster and replied,
�Thank you, sir. I�ll heed your warning.�

He left a
highly perturbed dark wizard behind him and went to the library to read more
about Dementors and whatever he could find about Necromancers. He had much to
think about.
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The Black Heir