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The Black Heir	By : gpsassi Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Voldemort Views: 42493 -:- 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
- 22
- 23
- 24
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: Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad that you liked the previous chapter
so much. It didn't have much action and I was wary that you would find it
boring. Glad to see that wasn't the case. This chapter has a bit more action
and the next one is one of the most exciting chapters, at least in my opinion.
I have already written it but I think I'll wait for four days or so before
posting it, so that people have time to read and review this one.

I hadn�t read the Dark Kingdom, but since so many of you talked about
it, I did! It�s amazing, it�s quite what Orion was talking about. I did get
ideas from one fic to form Orion�s opinion of how to integrate muggleborns in
the wizarding community. I read about the obliviate thing in one fic whose
title I don�t remember, muggleborns were wards of the state there, they weren�t
adopted but they were raised as wizards and therefore didn't have problems
integrating. But the Dark Kingdom is more similar, but the main differences
with my fic is that muggleborns wouldn�t be adopted by purebloods �those
families don�t need additional social standing so they wouldn�t have the
incentives plus they dislike muggleborns too much, the social and political
incentive wouldn�t be enough for them � they would be adopted by impurer dark
families who aren�t as supercilious about blood since they themselves aren�t
100 percent pure and they would benefit politically with going along with the
new Ministry�s muggleborn policy; the muggleborns would live with a lesser dark
family but they wouldn�t be given the status of a pureblood, not like what
happened in Dark Kingdom where Hermione was given the status of a Malfoy; they
would simply be accepted as part of an unimportant dark family and they would
marry into another such family in order to start producing children with muggle
and dark blood, whose descendants would have darker blood as they kept marrying
with other dark families; and finally muggleborns wouldn�t lose their memories,
they would be taken very young, around three or so, and in time it their
adoptive parents would tell them the truth since they would find out when
they�re older anyway and they need to learn to accept that it was done for the
best. In general, that�s the idea. As you can tell it's not a perfect solution,
the prejudice against muggleborns wouldn't disappear overnight. It's mainly a
long-term plan to mix their blood with dark blood without loosing the dark
magic and to make the dark purebloods accept them eventually. It was my
intention all along to make Orion's solution imperfect, since he's not aiming
for an utopia, just a practical solution, and it wouldn't be credible that
Orion was able to resolve all the problems of the wizarding world on the spur
of the moment.

Thanks for your review, Perfect Marionnette, and to answer your
questions about how Snape treats Orion: Snape doesn�t know that Orion is a
follower of Voldemort since Voldemort is still suspicious of Snape and when
Orion has been summoned, Snape wasn�t. But the reason why Snape dislikes Orion
so much is because he�s Sirius Black�s son, even if he knew that Orion was in
the Dark Order, he would still dislike him and probably even more because at
this time Snape is truly loyal to Dumbledore, just like in the books.

Read and
Review please!

Chapter 23 � First Task & Entrance found

Weeks flew by and Orion started a tentative acquaintance with Hermione.
He had to admit that despite her bias against the dark wizards, he had started
to like her. After all, her prejudiced opinions weren�t completely her fault.
She was closed-minded and it took a lot of debates to sway her opinions but at
least she was interested in learning the truth. She had pestered him for books
- since Hogwarts� library didn�t contain books about the dark wizarding community
or their magic - and Orion had relented and had lent her some of his favorite
books on their history. They surreptitiously met � after Orion�s insistence of
keeping their meetings a secret since he didn�t want Dumbledore to find out -
to discuss what she had read and Orion proudly realized that she was
progressing and becoming a little bit more objective about the dark wizards.

Lessons were easy and though Snape was always nasty with him he couldn�t
find anything to criticize about his potions. Orion wasn�t excellent but he
could easily follow instructions and his potions always turned out alright. He
had immediately purchased by owl his Potions textbook but he still kept the
tattered old one. He had started to read it during the nights, not the text
itself but the writings the student had made. The owner of the book was someone
that called himself the Half-Blood Prince and Orion had to admit that he had
been brilliant. The boy had created a lot of useful dark spells and his insight
of Potions was amazing.

The classes he attended at Durmstrang, using the portkey, were becoming
more interesting. In Human Transformation they were beginning to study the
animagi transformation and Orion was surprised to discover that dark wizards
used a ritual to discover their inner animagus, if they had the ability of
becoming one. The professor had told them that they would be going through the
ritual after Christmas holidays and Orion wondered if his revealed animagus
would be his eagle form or another. Was it even possible to have several forms?
He couldn't ask the teacher since he didn�t want anyone knowing that he was
already an animagus, so he would have to wait patiently for the ritual. At
Occlumency & Legilimency, Orion kept practicing his legilimency and was
slowly but constantly improving. They had also learned how to use a pensieve
and the ways of seeing memories, making duplicates, manipulating and altering
them. Orion had known only the basics and those lessons had been fascinating.
Dark Spell Creation and the Dark Arts classes were as interesting as ever and
were still his favorites.

Orion had also received a letter from Skeeter, where he was surprised to
discover that she was an animagus and she had asked to meet some students in
her beetle form. He had written to her saying that Calypso and Draco would be
meeting with her to give her information for her articles. He had other things
to take care of. Draco had accepted the task but he was still acting weirdly
around Orion.

On November twenty-first, the first Hogsmeade weekend and three days
away from the First Task, Orion decided to confront Draco.

Before they were about to leave the castle with the group of Slytherins,
he pulled him into an empty classroom and after casting silencing spells around
them he asked, �Draco, what�s going on with you? I know that I screwed up with
the whole age restriction thing. I�m really sorry that you couldn�t compete-�

Draco said quietly without facing him, �I know that it wasn�t your
fault.�

Orion frowned, �Then why are you still mad at me?�

�I�m not mad at you, not anymore. I was angry at the beginning because
of the whole age line issue but I realized that you couldn�t have known about
the change,� replied Draco tonelessly, �And Father wrote to me saying that he
isn�t too disappointed, that I will have other ways of showing my worth.�

Orion grabbed Draco�s shoulders and turned him around. Draco�s face was
unreadable, he wore a stoic mask but Orion could see some tendril of emotion in
his eyes, a kind of fear and uncertainty. And Lucius� words to Draco sounded a
bit harsh to Orion�s ears.

�You don�t have to show your worth, your father is already very proud of
you,� said Orion in an attempt to reassure his friend.

Draco laughed mirthlessly, �Is he really? Do you think I can�t see the
disappointment in his eyes when he looks at me?�

�That�s ridiculous, Draco!� said Orion in agitation, �You are extremely
intelligent, you get excellent grades, you are a leader in Slytherin House and
a good seeker-�

Draco cut him short, �A muggleborn Gryffindor girl surpasses me in some
of my classes, I�m not as good a dueler as you are, I have no especial dark
abilities, I haven�t even learned how to cast Unforgivables-�

�You have time to learn the Dark Arks and you can practice in order to
become an excellent dueler, Draco!� said Orion, �And Granger doesn�t matter,
you�re still one of the top students!�

�You don�t understand, Orion,� said Draco in exasperation, �Everything
comes so easily to you. I see the interest that my father takes in you; you�re
a parselmouth, which is a highly desirable and unique dark gift, you go to
Durmstrang and you know more about the Dark Arts than anyone our age, you won
Durmstrang�s Duelling Tournament and you are a Triwizard Champion, you are my
age and you�re already included in the Dark Lord�s circle! Don�t you see that
my accomplishments mean nothing next to yours?!�

�I didn�t think that it would bother you so much that I became a
Champion-� Orion said uncertainly.

�I�m not jealous of you because of that! I�m not jealous of you at all!�
said Draco angrily, �Don�t think that I�m so immature as to be bothered by
that. I�m not as shallow as you perceive me to be-�

�I have never thought that you were-� Orion said softly.

Draco interrupted him with a snort, �I know the image that I portray:
the rich spoiled pureblood that has no concerns above how he�s going to fix his
hair for the day.� He paused and said tensely, �I know what�s coming, Orion. I
might appear to be carefree and unconcerned by I know that things are going to
get serious very soon.� He sighed, �I don�t know if I�m ready for it. I don�t
know if I�ll survive.�

Orion�s eyes widened and he clutched Draco�s upper arms while whispering
urgently, �You�re concerned about the impending war? That�s why you�ve been
acting so weirdly?�

Draco nodded and said in resignation, �I�m concerned about not having
what it takes to be a Death Eater. Father has always expected me to become the
Dark Lord�s right hand, just as he is now.�

Orion pierced him with his eyes, �But what do you want, Draco?
Excuse me, but bugger your father, it�s your life. You don�t have to become a
Death Eater just to fulfill his expectations.�

Draco scoffed, �Do you really think that the Dark Lord would allow me to
turn him down? Are you insane? He would torture me and punish Father if I ever
rejected the Dark Mark!�

Orion sighed. As much as it pained him it that was the truth, especially
for someone like Draco who came from a very powerful and pure dark bloodline.
Voldemort would never allow him to escape his clutches. �But do you dislike the
idea of becoming a Death Eater?�

�I don�t know,� said Draco truthfully, �I have been brought up with
wonderful heroic tales about the Dark Lord and his loyal followers who fight
for our rights. From infancy I knew that my father expected me to follow his
path. But I�m not blind. I have seen my father coming back from Death Eater
gatherings barely able to walk due to the lingering pain of the Cruciatus. That
was not what I had imagined and I don�t know if I have the stomach for it. You
have already been to Death Eater gatherings-�

�Only to two-� interjected Orion but Draco continued, �And you did very
well. I heard Father talking to Uncle Rodolphus over the summer about it. You
impressed them. You�re my age and you�re able to stand in the Dark Lord�s
circle and do what is required of you-�

Orion shook his head, �Draco, I�m not as strong as you believe. I was
horrified about the things I saw and it was really hard for me, but I think
that in time one can become used to it. I was only able to torture Greyback and
Pettigrew because I have personal reasons to hate them. Do you really think I
could easily induce pain to anyone else? To some stranger? Perhaps I could but
not without feeling sick for it, at least at first. But I understand that in
the end I�ll have to stomach it, there�s no other way. I came to the conclusion
that I can�t feel guilty for my actions during the war because to be a good
fighter I need to be indifferent to the pain of others. But sometimes I wonder
if I�ll be able to live with the memories of what I have done when everything
ends.�

�But at least you�re prepared for it, both mentally and magically,�
insisted Draco, �You�re extremely good at the Dark Arts and even my father
respects you for it, but what do I have to say for myself? Will I crack under
the pressure? Will I be powerful enough to become an Inner Circle Death Eater?
Will I even survive the bloody war?�

�You will, Draco,� said Orion with determination, �I�ll make sure of it.
You�re not alone in this whole thing. I�ll always be there and Calypso and some
of our friends as well. And your father will help you also. He loves you,
Draco, never doubt that. And I know he�s proud of you, he might not show it but
I know that he truly is proud of you and that he loves you very much.�

Draco looked uncertain and said, �If he does why does he want to put me
in a dangerous position? Why does he want me to become a Death Eater?�

�You answered that question yourself a while ago,� replied Orion calmly,
�The Dark Lord will want you to become a Death Eater and your father knows
that, so the only path that�s left for him is to make you as good as a Death
Eater as you can be. He has already started giving you lessons in the Dark
Arts, by preparing you he�s protecting you the only way he can. And besides, he
believes in our cause and I think he wants you to be involved because after all
it�s our responsibility to change things for the better. If we want our kind to
prosper we have no choice but to fight.�

Draco smiled wanly at him, �Maybe you�re right.�

He still seemed very despondent and Orion wondered if Draco would really
be able to manage the horrors of being a Death Eater. He was powerful and smart
but had been sheltered his whole life, the transition would be very tough on
him. Maybe there was something he could do to spare Draco from taking the Dark
Mark. He would have to convince Voldemort somehow�.

Orion hugged him and whispered, �We�ll manage, don�t worry. I share your
concerns as well, you aren�t alone in this.�

Draco hugged him back tightly and sighed softly against Orion�s hair.
They stood embracing for a while and Orion finally broke the hug to look at
Draco in the eyes, �Is everything alright between us, then?�

Draco smiled, �Yes, everything�s fine.� Then he frowned and added
sourly, �I still don�t like your boyfriend, though.�

Orion rolled his eyes and asked beseechingly, �Could you at least try to
be civil towards him?�

Draco huffed in annoyance, �Why don�t you just ditch him?�

�Why do you dislike him so much?� asked Orion in exasperation.

Draco seemed to hesitate and then he looked at Orion and said evenly,
�He�s not good for you.�

�Is this just because he�s a vampire? I never thought you were
prejudiced against dark creatures, Draco,� said Orion angrily.

Draco scrunched his nose and replied, �I have nothing against the
half-breeds-�

�Draco-� said Orion in warning.

Draco simply waved his hand dismissively and continued, �As I was
saying, I have nothing against dark creatures but I think that dark wizards
shouldn�t mix with them. I simply think you could do better.�

�Well, that�s my decision to make, isn�t it?� said Orion defensively, �I
don�t criticize your choice in partners.�

Draco rolled his eyes, �That�s because I don�t have one.�

Orion smirked and gave a false cough that sounded like �Pansy.�

Draco glowered at him and hissed, �She isn�t my girlfriend!�

�Could have fooled me by the way you let her coil around your body every
time you stay still for two seconds,� said Orion scathingly.

Draco elegantly arched a pale eyebrow and said silkily, �Jealous much?�

Orion scoffed, �Of that empty-headed little twit? Sure, as much as I�m
envious of the Red Buffoon�s mental skills.�

Draco snorted and Orion asked with curiosity, �Why don�t you have a
partner? I know that you have a hoard of girls and boys pinning after you.
You�re the Slytherin Prince after all. So why don�t you date?�

�I�ve dated and I�ve fooled around- a lot,� Draco said with a smug
smirk, �but I�m simply not interested in them.� He scoffed, �There isn�t anyone
at Hogwarts who catches my attention enough to have a relationship with.�

Orion arched an eyebrow but didn�t comment. Draco�s love life was his
own affair after all. Then he said, �Will you behave around Lezander? I want to
spend this year with you but I won�t be able if you�re going to be antagonizing
him every second.�

Draco scowled at him and bit out, �Fine, I�ll leave him alone.� Then he
added dryly, �For the time being.�

Orion shot him a glare but decided to take what was being offered and he
patted Draco on the back, �Thanks. Now, let�s go to Hogsmeade!�

As the two of them walked towards Hogwarts� immense oak doors to join
their friends that were waiting for them outside, Orion saw from the corner of
his eyes the Weasley twins huddled together in a corner whispering between
themselves. Those two were always conspiring about something and it always made
him curious. Looking at them he saw that they were staring at some piece of
parchment. He slowed his pace and surreptitiously flicked his wand to cast a
listening spell and their voices traveled to his ears as if he were standing
right besides them: �Gred, look, Filch is moving in the third floor corridor�
Shouldn�t we wait after Hogsmeade?...No, I want to set those dungbombs before�
But we have to track Bagman down, Forge, and he�ll be at Hogsmeade now�. Mmm,
you�re right about that dear brother of mine, alright, let�s go� Mischief
managed!�

Orion�s eyes widened and he cancelled the spell just when he went
through the doors. He almost tripped on the stairs from the shock. Those two
had the Marauder�s Map! By Mordred�s wand, how did they manage to obtain it?!
Sirius had said that Filch had taken it during their Hogwarts schooldays.
Blessed Morgana, that map was priceless! It could help him avoid the teachers
during his search for the Chamber of Secrets. How could he get hold of it?

He couldn�t plan much since Draco and the other Slytherins dragged
Orion, Lezander and Calypso all around Hogsmeade, barely giving them time to
absorb everything they were being shown.

It was around midnight and Orion was seating alone at Durmstrang�s dorm
common room. He was thinking about all the things he had to do and he still
didn�t have a clue of how to go about it.Tournament aside, he needed to
retrieve his invisibility cloak from Dumbledore�s clutches, find the Chamber of
Secrets, get the Marauder�s Map and somehow discover what Voldemort was up to.
He had been thinking about starting to lower his Occlumency shield during the
nights. He didn�t have any visions anymore because his shields were always
raised and it was a blessing to be able to sleep peacefully, but perhaps he
should lower them for a few nights� but he was still reticent because he
remembered that in the past Voldemort�s mind had sometimes jerked, as if trying
to get rid of an itch, when Orion�s emotions got too strong during the visions.
He didn�t think that Voldemort suspected anything since he quickly drew up his
Occlumency barriers to block his emotions when that happened�but if it happened
more times Voldemort would soon detect a foreign presence in his mind�.but
Voldemort hadn�t summoned him yet and he should already know that he was a
Champion. He wrote to Narcissa and Lucius frequently and even if Lucius hadn�t
told Voldemort, which Orion was certain he must have, Voldemort would have seen
the article in the Daily Prophet. But yet, no summons. He didn�t have a choice,
he needed to know what was going to happen, so he decided he would start
lowering his barriers.

Orion stood up and paced the room, he needed to clear his mind, perhaps
a stroll in the night breeze would help him. He grabbed his wand and cast a
disillusionment charm and left the dorms. He reached Hogwarts� entrance and
snuck out. The night�s cool air soothed him immediately and he sat down at the
stairs contemplating the stars. There was Sirius� star, he thought
melancholically, he would give anything to be able to speak with his father, to
tell him all that had happened. At least his father�s body was in perfect
health according to Narcissa�s letters�and here he was at Hogwarts, where his
father had spent the best years of his life. He could imagine a carefree and
young Sirius strutting around with James and Remus. Orion smiled, he could
almost see them in his mind: Sirius charming the teachers�.girls giggling and
casting glances at him�James with his ruffled hair and his snitch trying to get
Lily�s attention�.Sirius sneaking out of Gryffindor Tower with James�
invisibility cloak, meeting Lily at midnight in that room that Sirius had often
spoken of, the Room of Requirements�Padfoot, Prongs and Moony running wildly
through the Forbidden Forest�Orion grimaced, of course Wormtail didn�t appear
in his fictional memories. And Lily�his mum�He knew so little about her, only
what Sirius had told him but that wasn�t enough to get a clear picture of her,
of her personality, her mannerisms, likes and dislikes, her interests�Orion
sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

He was suddenly startled out of his musings when he saw a huge man and a
boy coming towards the castle. Orion quickly stood to a side and as they
approached he saw that it was Hagrid and Neville. Neville was pale and visibly
shaking. Orion frowned, what had happened to him? Hagrid said something to
Neville and turned around towards his hut while Neville quickly entered the
castle. Orion shrugged his shoulders and decided that he should get back as
well.

As he went inside he suddenly crashed into something and fell painfully
to the floor. He looked up and saw that he had crashed into someone, and it was
Moody! Orion�s eyes widened when Moody�s magical eye zeroed in on him. Damn it!
The wizard could see through his disillusionment charm!

Moody grabbed him by his pajama top, pulled him up to his feet, and
grunted, �What are you doing walking around the castle in the middle of the
night, Mr. Black?�

Orion hated the man, for his bigotry and hatred of the Dark Arts but
especially because he had killed Calypso�s mother and uncle. The classes with
him were alright, he guessed, but that didn�t lessen his dislike. He scowled at
him and replied, �Just out for a midnight stroll, to clear my mind. Surely
there�s nothing wrong with that?�

Moody released him and said roughly, �Go back to your bed, boy, before I
give you a detention. I don�t want to see you sneaking around the castle again
or next time I won�t be so lenient.�

Orion shot him a nasty look but then froze when he saw Moody�s tongue
quickly flicking out of his mouth. He gasped and looked at Moody with
wide-eyes. Orion regained his composure and whipped out his wand to quickly
cast silencing spells around them. Moody had instantly taken out his wand as
well and was aiming it at Orion.

Orion hissed angrily, �For Merlin�s sake, Barty! Point that thing
elsewhere!�

Moody�s real eye widened and he growled, �I don�t know what you�re
talking about, Mr. Black!�

Orion rolled his eyes and said in exasperation, �Barty, you have this
weird- this kind of nervous tick were you flick your tongue out! You idiot!
Your father has been around what if he had seen your tick, eh? He would have
recognized you immediately! He would have told Dumbledore! You must do
something about it or you�ll be discovered!�

Moody dropped the hand that was aiming the wand at Orion and spat, �I
think I�m able to manage my father, Black! I�m doing just fine.�

�Look, just take a Calming Draught or something that will help you with
it,� said Orion impatiently, �It�s something that can be easily fixed and
you�re jeopardizing whatever mission you have by not taking care of it.� Then
he cocked his head to a side and asked, �What are you doing here anyway? Why
are you impersonating Moody?�

�That�s none of your damn business,� growled Moody, �I�m under Our
Lord�s order to keep my mission a secret.�

�Your Lord,� said Orion under his breath. Then he looked up at Barty and
said, �Fine, but do a better job at it! Does he know that I�m a champion? Is he
going to summon me?�

Moody sneered at him, �He knows that you�re a champion but do you really
believe that he�s going to summon you to share his plans with you? This is
adult stuff, Black, not children�s games. Keep your nose out of it.�

�Whatever,� said Orion dismissively and then narrowed his eyes at him,
�What are you using, anyway? Polyjuice Potion? I hope you�re not nicking
ingredients from Snape�s store room, the man checks them regularly according to
Draco and you could be caught-�

Moody snarled, �I don�t need advice from you!�

Orion cocked an eyebrow, �Or does Snape know? Is he helping you with
your mission?�

�He doesn�t know!� said Moody angrily, �And you�ll keep your trap shut
if you know what�s good for you!�

�Fine, I understand,� snapped Orion, �I was only trying to help you,
next time I won�t bother!�

Orion spun around and went back to his dorm. Really, thought Orion
angrily, I saved his ungrateful ass and now I have to put up with his bad
moods. Should have left him to fend for himself at the Quidditch World Cup, he
thought mutinously. And what the hell is he doing here? How is he managing to
frequently get hair from the real Moody? Where is the real Moody?! Well, at
least it�s clear now that Voldemort is planning something for the Tournament.
That�s it, my mind barriers are going down! I need to know what�s going on!

Finally, the day of the First Task arrived. After his friends had wished
him good luck - Draco hugged him tightly, Lezander snogged him to death and
Calypso spewed a barrage of spells that could be useful for any situation -
Vagnarov led him into the Champions� tent and patted him confidently on the
back.

Fleur was sitting in a corner on a wooden stool. She didn't look nearly
as composed as usual, but rather pale and clammy. Neville looked green as if he
were about to throw up all his breakfast and Cedric was pacing up and down.
When Orion entered, Fleur gave him a small smile, which Orion returned. And
Bagman was almost jumping up and down from excitement.

"Well, now we're all here, time to fill you in!" said Bagman
brightly. "When the audience has assembled, I'm going to be offering each
of you this bag" - he held up a small sack of purple silk and shook it at
them - "from which you will each select a small animated model of the
thing you are about to face! There are different - er - varieties, you see. And
I have to tell you something else too�ah, yes... your task is to collect the
golden egg!"

Orion frowned and Cedric looked at Bagman in confusion. Orion noticed
that only Fleur and Neville hadn�t reacted at all. And in no time at all,
hundreds upon hundreds of pairs of feet could be heard passing the tent, their
owners talking excitedly, laughing, joking�

Bagman opened the neck of the purple silk sack and said happily,
offering it to Fleur, "Ladies first."

She put a shaking hand inside the bag and drew out a tiny, perfect
breathing model of a dragon. Orion and Cedric gasped.

Dragons? We have to face dragons?...thought Orion in shock. Well that
was unexpected� he looked at it and saw that it was a Welsh Green if he
remembered his Durmstrang lessons correctly. It had the number two around its
neck and Orion knew, by the fact that Fleur showed no sign of surprise, but
rather a determined resignation, that she had known beforehand what the Task
would be. And the only ones to possibly know were their own Headmasters and
Headmistresses. So Madame Maxime was cheating, was she?

The same held true for Neville. He pulled out a Hungarian Horntail. It
had a number three around its neck. He paled but didn't even blink, just sat
back down and stared at the ground. Orion frowned, who had told Neville, then?
Dumbledore perhaps? He wouldn�t put it pass him but then he remembered last
night, the shaky Neville with Hagrid. Hah! Hagrid had told him! Under
Dumbledore�s orders?

Cedric put his hand into the bag, and out came a blueish-gray Swedish
Short-Snout, the number one tied around its neck. And Cedric�s eyes widened. He
clearly hadn�t been told, so that ruled out Dumbledore then. Orion guessed that
if the old man told Neville he would also tell Cedric. So Hagrid must have told
Neville of his own accord.

Orion sighed with resignation and put his hand into the silk bag and
pulled out a scarlet Chinese Fireball, the number four. His eyes widened. It
was possibly the most vicious dragon, only the Horntail was up to par with it.
It stretched its wings as Orion looked down at it, it bared its minuscule
fangs. Orion chuckled, it was really a cute little thing. He knew just what to
do with it when he was done with the Task.

"Well, there you are!" said Bagman. "You have each pulled
out the dragon you will face, and the numbers refer to the order in which you
are to take on the dragons, do you see? Now, I'm going to have to leave you in
a moment, because I'm commentating. Mr. Diggory, you're first, just go out into
the enclosure when you hear a whistle, all right?�

Bagman left them and shortly after a loud whistle was heard. Cedric
moved forwards, looking green and tense and Orion wished him luck as he walked
past. Cedric didn�t even acknowledged him, not that Orion didn�t understand, he
was the first one to go, after all.

Orion and the other two sat there and listened. The crowd screamed�
yelled� gasped like a single many-headed entity. And Bagman's commentary wasn�t
helping either: "Oooh, narrow miss there, very narrow". . .
"He's taking risks, this one!". . . "Clever move - pity it
didn't work!"

And then, after about fifteen minutes, Orion heard the deafening roar
that could mean only one thing: Cedric had gotten past his dragon and captured
the golden egg.

"Very good indeed!" Bagman was shouting. "And now the
marks from the judges!" But he didn't shout out the marks.

"One down, three to go!" Bagman yelled as the whistle blew
again. "Miss Delacour, if you please!"

Fleur was trembling from head to foot and Orion wished her luck as well.
She paid him back with a smile and then left the tent with her head held high
and her hand clutching her wand.

Orion tuned out the sounds and concentrated on planning what he was
going to do�.He already knew how to get the egg when he had already
incapacitated the dragon, but how to make the dragon harmless was the
question�I can�t hurt it because maybe it would crush the eggs�So that rules
out dark offensive spells�I could transfigure it into another animal, and even
though I could easily do it, it requires a lot of power and I can�t show that
I�m powerful enough to do that� I doubt that even McGonagall would be able to
do it�There are a couple of parseltongue spells that would work, but then
again, can�t use them� Damn it!... I could use Switching spells, I have very
good aim...switch his fangs into small kitten-like teeth�.and transfigure it�s
tail into a dog�s tail�at least it�s not a complete transfiguration, it
wouldn�t raise suspicions�and the wings, must to something about the
wings�again, transfiguration, no other spells could get through it�s hide�.But
what about it�s breath of fire?...I could use Aguamenti any time it shoots fire
at me�.Well, that�s it, a series of spells and I�m done. Poor thing, it won�t
be a pretty sight when I�m done with it.

He heard the crowd erupt into applause once more. Fleur must have been
successful too. Then, for the third time, the whistle. Neville shakily stood
up. He really didn�t look well.

�Are you alright?� asked Orion.

�Eh?� said Neville absentmindedly, �Yeah, fine- know what to do.�

As soon as Neville left the tent, Orion switched wands. There was no way
he was confronting a dragon with Lez�s wand. He hid Lezander�s wand in his
inner pocket and the next minutes flew by and the whistle blew for the last
time.

Orion walked out of the tent with his head held high and in confident
strides. He entered the enclosure and there were hundreds of faces staring down
at him from the stands that had been magicked there. And there, was the Chinese
Fireball, at the other end of the enclosure, crouched low over her clutch of
eggs, her scarlet wings half-furled, her evil, green eyes upon him, a
monstrous, scaly, crimson lizard, thrashing her spiked tail, heaving yard-long
gouge marks in the hard ground.

The crowd was making a great deal of noise and he quickly raised his
wand and shouted, �Accio Firebolt!"

Soon, his broom came speeding through the air from the dungeons and
Orion mounted it midair. The crowd was making even more noise�Bagman was
shouting something�but Orion was solely concentrated on his dragon.

As he soared upward, as the wind rushed through his hair, he looked down
at the clutch of eggs and spotted the gold one, gleaming against its
cement-colored fellows, residing safely between the dragon's front legs.

"Okay," Orion told himself, "barrage of spells� here we
go�"

He dived towards the dragon�s head and quickly cast a powerful jet of
water when she released a huge breath of fire. He swerved to a side to avoid
her snapping jaws and to get a good aim and quickly cast the switching spell,
and her long threatening teeth became tiny in her large mouth.

Her crimson spiked tail flashed in the air and as it was going to crash
with him he shot upwards with his broom while he cast another spell and
transfigured her tail into a fluffy tail that looked quite ridiculous on her.

"Great Scott, he can fly!" yelled Bagman as the crowd shrieked
and cheered.

Orion soared higher in a circle; the Chinese Fireball was still
following his progress; its head revolving on its long neck, while shooting
jets of fire that Orion easily avoided.

The crowd gasped and shrieked each time he dived or swerved to avoid her
fire. He used Aguamenti a couple of more times and looked down at the dragon.
She didn�t seem to want to take off, she was too protective of her eggs. Well,
he needed to change her wings just in case. He dived towards her and swiftly
transfigured her wings into large thin bat wings that would be unable to
support her weight.

She looked now like a weird monster from some child�s nightmare, with
the body and head of a dragon, the fluffy tail of a dog, tiny teeth and large
useless bat wings. But she wasn�t hurt or furious, she just seemed highly
irritated.

Now he had to get the egg. She was hunched over the eggs on her four
legs. Her claws were still a threat. He dived towards the ground and pulled up
just a foot above it and sped horizontally towards her. He quickly dodged
another shot of fire and she opened her jaws threateningly, but only bared tiny
pearly white teeth. Before the dragon knew what he had done, he shot a spell
that shrunk her large claws, while he sped towards her as fast as he could go,
towards the eggs now unprotected by her small harmless claws. He took his hand
off his Firebolt and swiftly seized the golden egg, and with a huge spurt of
speed, he was off with his egg, soaring over the stands.

For the first time, he became properly aware of the noise of the crowd,
which was screaming and applauding as loudly as the Irish supporters at the
World Cup.

"Look at that!" Bagman was yelling. "Will you look at
that! One of our youngest champions is quickest to get his egg! And completely
unharmed as well! And what flying skills! Well, this is going to shorten the
odds on Mr. Black!"

Orion saw dragon keepers rushing forward to reverse all the spells he
had used on the Chinese Fireball and casting stunning spells to subdue her. He
flew back over the stands, the noise of the crowd pounding in his eardrums, and
came in smoothly to land on the front of the Champions� tent.

As soon as he dismounted his Firebolt he saw Calypso, Lezander, Draco,
Blaise and Krum rushing towards him.

"Orion, you were brilliant!" Calypso said while hugging him.
"You were amazing! You really were!"

Lezander cupped his face as soon as Calypso released him and said, �I
nearly had a heart attack watching you out there. I�m never letting you get
into these kind of dangerous situations again!� Then he proceeded to give him a
deep kiss that left him dazed but with a deliriously happy smile on his face.

Draco spun him around and gave him a hug while saying, �You were
incredible! The best without a doubt!� He broke the hug and smiled warmly at
Orion, �C�mon, they�ll be putting up your scores soon. I want to see how you
humiliate the others with your perfect scores.�

�Great flying,� said Krum with a pat on his shoulder, �Vhen ve get back
at Durmstrang you have to play for your Order�s team. The Headmaster vill never
forgive you if you don�t.�

Orion nodded his head and Krum said with a grin before leaving, �And
party tonight at Durmstrang�s dorm! Ve vill vin the Cup for sure!�

�Party at Slytherin�s common room!� yelled Draco at Krum, �We will fit
more comfortably there and we also want to celebrate with Orion!�

�Alright, I vill see you there!� said Krum before disappearing into the
crowd.

Picking up the golden egg and his Firebolt, feeling more elated than
ever, Orion and his friends walked towards the edge of the enclosure.

Calypso started talking fast, "You were the best, you know, no
competition. Diggory did this weird thing where he Transfigured a rock on the
ground�turned it into a dog�he was trying to make the dragon go for the dog
instead of him. Well, it was a pretty cool bit of Transfiguration-�

�But yours were much better,� interrupted Draco smugly, �Your spells
were more powerful and impressive because you transfigured a living dragon�s
parts! I even saw McGonagall looking at you proudfully! And she�s a tough one
to impress!�

�Yes, well, as I was saying,� continued Calypso with a glare towards
Draco for interrupting her, �Diggory�s transfiguration sort of worked, because
he did get the egg, but he got burned as well - the dragon changed its mind
halfway through and decided it would rather have him than the Labrador; he only
just got away. And that Fleur girl tried this sort of charm, I think she was
trying to put it into a trance - well, that kind of worked too, it went all
sleepy, but then it snored, and this great jet of flame shot out, and her skirt
caught fire - she put it out with a bit of water out of her wand. And
Longbottom at first seemed to freeze when he saw his dragon. Only when the
Gryffindors started yelling at him, he reacted, but he was too late to avoid a
jet of fire that burned his left arm. Then he accioed a huge poisonous plant
with large fangs from the Greenhouse! Remember the one that we saw that day in
Herbology class? The one that almost took a bite out of Pansy? Well, that was
the one. He levitated the plant towards the dragon, but in mid air his spell
failed! I think it was because he was nervous. Luckily for him the plant�s pot
didn�t crack! Finally he managed to place the plant in front of the dragon and
it took a bite. The dragon fell asleep but only after it went trampling around
in pain and squashed half the real eggs - they took marks off for that, he
wasn't supposed to do any damage to them."

Calypso finally drew a breath as they reached the edge of the enclosure.
Now that the dragon had been taken away, Orion could see where the five judges
were sitting - right at the other end, in raised seats draped in gold.

"It's marks out of ten from each one," Draco said, and Orion
looking up the field, saw the first judge - Madame Maxime - raise her wand in
the air. What looked like a long silver ribbon shot out of it, which twisted
itself into a large figure eight.

"Not bad!" said Blaise as the crowd applauded.

Draco huffed, �She should have given him a ten! He wasn�t injured and he
finished first!�

Crouch came next. He shot a number ten into the air.

�Well, at least he�s objective,� said Calypso.

"You�ll win, love" said Lezander to him while he squeezed his
hand. Orion flashed him a smile.

Next, Dumbledore. He put up a nine. The crowd was cheering harder than
ever while Draco huffed indignantly.

Ludo Bagman - ten.

And finally Vagnarov, who Orion saw, even from here, sending Dumbledore
a satisfied smirk, gave him a ten.

The crowd exploded into a bang of cheers and Calypso said over the
noise, after doing fast calculations in her mind, �You have the first place!�

Lezander kissed him again and when he came back to earth, Orion turned
around to face Draco. He was scowling at Lezander but as soon as he saw Orion
looking at him he assumed an innocent expression on his face. Orion rolled his
eyes and dug into his pocket to retrieve what he wanted to give to Draco. With
his hand closed around the gift he said with a smile as he revealed it, �Here,
for your collection. Just something more to feed your unhealthy obsession with
them.�

Draco looked down at Orion�s opened hand and saw a little breathing
model of the Chinese Fireball that Orion had faced during the Task. He looked
up at Orion with sparkling silver-grey eyes and said, �Really? You�re giving it
to me? Don�t you want to keep it as memorabilia?�

Orion grinned at him, �No. Come on, take it. I know you�re dying to have
it.�

Draco beamed at him, �Thank you!� He gently took the little dragon in
his hand and petted it with his fingertip. The scarlet dragon belched a little
ball of fire and Draco laughed delightedly.

Orion returned to the Champions� tent as the others hurried back to
Slytherin�s common room to get everything ready for the party.

One side of Cedric's face was covered in a thick orange paste, which was
presumably mending his burn. And Neville had a thick bandage wrapped around his
arm. Fleur only had a few mild burns on her legs, lightly covered in the same
paste.

"Well done, all of you!" said Ludo Bagman, bouncing into the
tent and looking as pleased as though he personally had just got past a dragon.
"Now, just a quick few words. You've got a nice long break before the
second task, which will take place at half past nine on the morning of February
the twenty-fourth - but we're giving you something to think about in the
meantime! If you look down at those golden eggs you're all holding, you will
see that they open�see the hinges there? You need to solve the clue inside the
egg - because it will tell you what the second task is, and enable you to
prepare for it! All clear? Sure? Well, off you go, then!"

When Orion left the tent he was confronted with Rita Skeeter. She was
wearing acid-green robes today; the Quick-Quotes Quill in her hand blended
perfectly against them.

"Congratulations, Orion!" she said, beaming at him. "I
wonder if you could give me a quick word? How you felt facing that dragon? How
you feel now, about the fairness of the scoring? I noticed you didn�t use any
dark spells, I was rather looking forward to seeing some. Do you feel that the
Dark Arts shouldn�t be used openly, is that�s why you didn�t use them?"

Orion sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He was already
feeling tired and he had a long night ahead of him, especially with Draco being
in charge of the party. He was sure that he wouldn�t be able sneak out of it to
have a nice well-deserved restful sleep.

�Rita, can�t we do this another time?� said Orion, �I�m really tired..�

�Come, come, Orion,� said Rita sweetly, �My avid readers will want to
know everything about you now that you�re on the first place. And we had a
deal, remember?�

�Fine,� said Orion in defeat, �The scoring seemed fair and facing the
dragon wasn�t too bad either. I didn�t use dark spells because, well, there�re
many prejudices against Dark Magic, especially here, if you catch my drift...
but apart from that I have no problems in using dark spells openly, they�re
magic, just like any other kind.�

�Ah, so you�re saying that Dumbledore wouldn�t like it if you used dark
magic in his school?� said Rita with glinting eyes, �That he�s prejudiced?�

Orion gave her a smirk and winked at her, �Your words, Rita, not mine.�

�Of course,� she said with a satisfied smile. Then her eyes sparkled
wickedly and Orion just knew that something unpleasant was coming his way. She
adopted a sugary tone of voice and said, �And do you have any romantic
interests, Orion? I saw you very chummy with the Malfoy Heir, any comments?�

�I will not be discussing my love life with you, Rita. Surely there�re
far more important things to write about,� said Orion firmly.

She gave him a nasty smile and pressed on, �But the evidence is
overwhelming. You live with the Malfoys now, you spend a lot of time with him,
and now he hugs you in public�and you seem to very close to Viktor Krum,
perhaps there�s some romance going on there as well, after all, he goes to
Durmstrang with you�or maybe that handsome boy that was grabbing your hand when
they were giving you the scores�.Who is he? What�s his family name? Or maybe
that black-haired girl?�

Orion narrowed her eyes at her. Should he tell her that Lezander was his
boyfriend?�but his last name is Zraven, she would recognize immediately that it
isn�t a pureblood family name and if she ever dug for more information on him,
could she discover that Zraven was a vampire clan? No, he would never give her
his name.

�They�re all simply my friends, Rita,� said Orion calmly, �I have no
love interest at the moment.�

Rita smiled at him but he could already see, by the glint in her eyes,
that she would write whatever her imagination came up with.

�Very well,� said Rita, �I�ll be speaking with Draco Malfoy soon,
perhaps he�ll be able to tell me a little bit more about this relationship you
two have.�

�As you wish. He�ll tell you the truth, that we�re just friends,� said
Orion dismissively.

He went to Durmstrang�s dorm first to get a nice long shower and change
his clothes. When he reached Slytherin�s dorms, Crabbe and Goyle were standing
as if doing guard duty in front of Slytherin�s portrait. Goyle grunted the
password and Orion could feel Slytherin�s eyes on him. But evidently the
portrait wouldn�t say anything to him while others were around. He would speak
to it soon.

The party was in full swing, all the Slytherins and Durmstrang students
were there and as soon as they caught sight of him they started clamoring for
him to open his egg, which he had brought with him.

Finally relenting, he opened the egg and instantly the most horrible
noise, a loud and screechy wailing, filled the room. People bellowed for him to
shut it and he immediately did.

�What on earth was that?� asked Blaise horrified.

�It sounded like a banshee,� said someone.

�No, like a Veela, you know, when they transform into those ugly
bird-like creatures,� piped in a girl.

Calypso approached him and said, �Let me see that.�

Orion thankfully handed her the egg. He really had no idea what that had
been. She inspected the egg and made a move to open it again when Pansy
shrieked, �Don�t you dare open that thing again! It was horrible! It has
already given me a terrible headache!�

Calypso snapped at her, �Well, how do you pretend that we find out what
the next task is if we don�t open it again?!�

�I don�t care, it�s not my problem!� said Pansy angrily.

�Why, you selfish little-� started retaliating Calypso.

Orion interrupted her, �It�s fine, let�s enjoy the party. The task�s on
February the twenty-fourth, I still have time to figure it out.�

Calypso huffed, �Fine, but I�ll help you and you should really solve it
before leaving for Christmas holidays.�

Orion nodded and stuck the egg on a corner. Draco came towards him with
an older boy and said, �Orion, this is Marcus Flint, my Quidditch captain.�

�Marcus, nice to meet you,� said Orion extending a hand.

Marcus shook it, �Likewise. Great moves on your Firebolt. Do you play
Quidditch at Durmstrang?�

�No,� replied Orion, �I�ve been too busy, but perhaps next year I will.
I like it a lot.�

Another older boy approached and Draco said, �This is Adrian Pucey.�

As the party progressed, Orion and the rest of the Durmstrang students
were introduced to almost all the Slytherins. They all got along splendidly
well, though it was to be expected since some knew each other from childhood or
were distantly related in some way. Butterbeer and food circled all around and
Orion finally cuddled with Lezander on one of the black leather couches and
fell asleep exhaustedly while Lezander gently carded his fingers through his
hair.

He was seated on his throne, looking directly at the only wizard in the
room, �Is Dumbledore still seeing the boy after class?�

As soon as he said the words Orion realized that he was having a vision.
Well, it finally paid to have lowered his barriers. His scar didn�t even hurt
much, possibly because Voldemort was rather calm at the moment.

�Yes, My Lord, but I couldn�t find out why Dumbledore is spending so
much of his time with the boy,� replied Snape.

�This worries me. I thought that with Harry Potter dead, Dumbledore
would stop his manipulations, but now it seems that he thinks that the
Longbottom boy could stop me.� He pierced Snape with his crimson gaze, �Does
Dumbledore truly believe the boy could defeat me, Severus?�

�He is uncertain, but since he�s the only one left, he has taken the
task of preparing him.�

�Is the boy powerful?� asked Voldemort impatiently, �Does he have any
unusual talents?�

Snape�s lips curled into a nasty smirk, �He�s practically a squib, My
Lord. He�s no match for you.�

�But Dumbledore must have some faith in him,� said Voldemort contemplatively.

�The old man is desperate, My Lord. All his assumptions regarding the
prophecy proved to be incorrect when the Potter brat died, so now he believes
that perhaps the prophecy spoke of Longbottom all along.�

Orion mentally gasped. His theory was correct! There was a prophecy
about him and Neville! Finally some answers!

�Yes, that damned prophecy! And still you�re unable to convince
Dumbledore to tell you what it said!� Voldemort hissed furiously, �We only know
the beginning and that�s not enough, especially if Dumbledore is taking the
prophecy at face value. You must renew your efforts to learn the complete
prophecy, Severus, or I�ll make you very sorry for your constant failure.�

Snape bowed deeply, �Yes, My Lord.�

Voldemort�s eyes narrowed and he snarled, �And Dumbledore truly believes
that Harry Potter is dead, are you certain of this?�

�Yes, Master. He has stopped all attempts to look for the boy. He thinks
he must have died in the streets a few years back. There has been no sign of
him anywhere and too many years have gone by.�

�Yes,� murmured Voldemort, �My spies have come up empty handed as well.
The boy simply vanished�.he must be dead.� Then he said aloud, �You may leave
now, Severus.�

�Thank you, My Lord,� said Snape humbly before dissaparating.

Voldemort turned around and said, �You can come out.�

Barty Jr. appeared from thin air, neatly folding his invisibility cloak
and Voldemort asked, �Did Severus tell me truth?�

�Yes, Master, as far as I could tell. But he omitted something that perhaps
he knew,� said Barty.

�Well, what is it?� asked Voldemort impatiently.

�Dumbledore has asked me to tutor Longbottom in Defense Against the Dark
Arts. He told me that the boy was sorely lacking in that area and that he
wanted him to come up to par with the rest of his classmates,� replied Barty.

�Then Dumbledore truly wants to use him against me,� said Voldemort
quietly. Then he narrowed his eyes at Barty, �The boy completed the First
Task?�

�Yes, Master. I subtlety hinted to the half-giant to tell Longbottom
about the dragons and the next day I pulled the boy into my office to offer him
some advice. Apparently he�s only good at Herbology so I suggested that he used
a poisonous plant. Everything went as planned and he passed the Task.�

�And what about the Second Task?� asked Voldemort curtly.

�I gave him a Herbology book that will help him as well,� replied Barty,
�I think this Task will be easier for him.�

�Very well, I�m pleased with you,� said Voldemort coldly.

Barty�s face shone with devotion, �Thank you, Master.�

Voldemort narrowed his eyes at him, �And no one is suspicious of you?
Not even Severus?�

Barty froze and said shakily, �S-snape doesn�t know, but- er-�

Voldemort hissed furiously, �You were discovered! By who?�

�No one important, Master,� said Barty with a pale face.

Voldemort quickly aimed his wand at Barty and hissed, �Legilimens!�

Orion saw flashes of his encounter with Moody, when he discovered that
he was Barty. And then flashes of the First Task from Barty�s point of view.
Whoa, he thought in wonder, did I really look so small while facing the dragon?

Voldemort cancelled the spell and gave a small laughter, �Ah, little
sharp Orion. So he was the one to discover your true identity.� Then he
narrowed his eyes at Barty and snapped angrily, �And the boy was right. Are you
taking a potion to fix your nervous tick?�

�Yes, M-my Lord,� said Barty still shaken from the mind invasion.

�And did you steal ingredients from Severus to brew the Polyjuice
Potion?� hissed Voldemort.

�Master,� said Barty pleadingly, �I didn�t know that he checked his
inventory-�

�He�s a Potions Master, you fool!� snarled Voldemort angrily, �Of course
he keeps a tight control of his ingredients! Crucio!�

Barty fell to the floor with a shriek and started convulsing violently. Orion
felt a sharp intense pain, the scar reacting to Voldemort�s anger.

Voldemort flicked his wand and hissed, �Get up! And never steal
ingredients from Severus again. He must already know that someone is brewing
Polyjuice, thanks to your stupidity! Even Orion had more sense than you!�

Barty got to his knees and said in a hoarse voice, �Forgive me, Master.
I�ll buy the ingredients-�

�If you�re discovered because of this I�ll be very displeased with you,�
said Voldemort threateningly, �I will not tolerate another one of your slips.�

Barty bowed his head, �Yes, My Lord, I will not fail you again.�

Voldemort pierced him with his eyes, �You�d better not. Are you ready
for the Third Task?�

�I know which spell to use and I�ll be able to cast it before the Task.
I only have to make sure that the boy gets it first,� replied Barty.

�Orion is not be harmed,� said Voldemort coldly, �You�ll make sure of
that or you�ll pay with your life.�

Barty blanched and stuttered, �Perhaps � if you t-told him-�

Voldemort waved a hand dismissively and calmly replied, �I�ll let him
know what he needs to know when the time comes, just like with the others. It�s
too soon yet, I want this to be kept as secretly as possible.�

�Yes, My Lord,� replied Barty with a low bow.

Orion woke up with a muffled gasp. Lezander�s hand was pressed on his
mouth and he was looking at him with concern.

He removed his hand and asked in a hushed voice, �Did it happen again?�

Orion nodded his head and rubbed his forehead. There was still some
lingering pain. He looked around and sighed in relief when he saw that no one
was looking at them. He turned towards Lezander and asked, �Didn�t anyone
notice?�

Lezander shook his head, �No, as soon as you started squirming I tried
to wake you up. I thought you were having a nightmare. When I saw you wouldn�t
wake up I placed my hand on your mouth just in case you screamed as you usually
do when this happens to you.�

Orion beamed at him, �Thanks, Lez.�

�Don�t thank me, Orion,� said Lezander with a hard voice, �I don�t like
it when this happens. It could be very dangerous. What if he detects you? What
if he tries to hurt you through the link? You have to make it stop.�

Orion squirmed and said quietly, �I had to do it. I needed to know-�

Lezander interrupted him by grabbing him forcefully by his upper arms
and he said angrily, �Do you mean to tell me that you did this on purpose! What
were you thinking, Orion?! Of all the stupid things-�

Orion snapped at him, �I needed to know, alright! I learned a lot of
useful information! It was only once. I won�t do it again unless I have to. It
was well worth it!�

�Nothing is worth your pain! Or the possibility of Him finding out!�
spat Lezander furiously.

Orion shook his head and exclaimed, �You don�t understand!� He looked
around and then looked back at Lezander, �I�ll tell you later, when we�re
alone, but you�ll see that the information is extremely valuable.�

Lezander didn�t relax his grip and he said sternly, �This is getting
very bloody tiresome, Orion.�

Orion�s eyes widened in hurt and he said in a small voice, �What do you
mean? Our relationship is getting tiresome for you?� Then he narrowed his eyes,
and hissed angrily, �Am I too much of a burden for you, Lez? Me and all my
problems?�

He quickly stood up and shook his arms from Lezander�s grip, �You know
what, perhaps you�re right. I have too many things to worry about right now and
they don�t concern you. You would probably be better off without me and I would
have more time to concentrate in the things I must do.�

He took a step to turn around but Lezander grabbed his arm and said
angrily, �Oh, no you don�t. You won�t walk away from this conversation-�

�GET OFF ME!� bellowed Orion wrenching free from Lezander�s grasp.

The party seemed to come to a halt. Everybody was looking from Lezander
to Orion and back. Lezander had withdrawn his hand and was looking at Orion
angrily. Orion quickly spun around and without looking at anyone he walked away
briskly and left the Slytherin common room.

He was fuming and deeply hurt. With all the things he had on his mind
and Lezander chose now to get difficult. And fucking Voldemort was up to
something! And the bloody prophecy existed! And the fucking red-eyed moron
hadn�t even heard the complete prophecy before acting on it! - He wrenched open
the door of his dormitory and angrily started disrobing. - Voldemort doesn�t
want to share his plans with me, does he? Well, he can stuff it! I�m sick and
tired of the man! - He rubbed his forehead angrily. - And I�m sick of this
bloody link! Why should I be in pain whenever he gets angry?! Sod it! It should
be the other way around! Let�s see how he likes it! And what the hell is Barty
doing trying to help Longbottom get through the Tasks?! And bloody Dumbledore
is preparing Neville for the war! - Orion laughed mirthlessly. - Have they all
gone insane?! The old goat must be really senile if he thinks Neville has a
chance against Voldemort! What a laugh! I would pay to see that! � He
practically ripped the sheets from his bed and got inside. Then, as his head
rested on the pillow, it hit him. � Lezander is tired of me. � His heart
clenched painfully and he swallowed a sob. � Well, what did I expect? It was
too good to be true. I always lay all my problems at his doorstep, of course he
would get fed up with me at some point. And really, what�s the point anyway?
I�ve got too many issues, too many concerns. It isn�t fair of me to ask him to
be my support, to always remain by my side. He deserves to enjoy his life, not
to be involved in all my problems. He�s not even a dark wizard, for Morgana�s
sake! He shouldn�t have to deal with Voldemort, however indirectly. But without
him... � His throat tightened � Oh, Merlin, without him I would feel so empty.
To see him and not hug him? Not kiss him? Not confide in him? Mordred, can I do
it? � Orion shook his head � I must! It�s for the best. It�s for his sake! As
well as mine! How could I have been so stupid! I have too many things to deal
with, I can�t have a boyfriend! Not now! I must�I must concentrate� that�s it.
Think, Orion, think of what you have to do.

First I must deal with the egg and get the Map; then, find the Chamber
of Secrets; afterwards, retrieve the Cloak�and I have to keep practicing my
magic, just like the spirit said. Ok, then, how to go about it? For the egg and
Map I can use Calypso�s help, for the Cloak I have to speak with Phineas�
portrait during Christmas holidays, for the Chamber of Secrets I must talk with
Slytherin�s portrait. Alright, so concentrate on doing these things and forget
about Lezander!

And what about the prophecy and Neville? Well, there wasn�t much he
could do to learn about the prophecy. If Voldemort himself, with all his
resources, wasn�t able to learn about it what real chance did he have? None at
all. So forget about the prophecy for now. And Neville...well, let Voldemort
and Dumbledore do whatever they want with him, it�s not my problem. And
Voldemort�s plans about the Tournament�.Voldemort had asked Barty to keep him
safe, so again, not much cause for concern there� He would leave it alone for now
as well.

The next few days Orion avoided any attempt Lezander made to speak with
him and he dodged his friends� questions about their fight. He simply went to
class, did his essays, and plotted. He had started staying at Slytherin�s
common room to avoid Lezander as much as possible.

He was now sitting next to Calypso, who had been wise enough to not
pester him about his fight with Lezander, and he was eyeing the egg. They had
read books about Veelas and Banshees and those kinds of creatures but had found
nothing. Orion sighed and took out his Half-Blood Prince book. He welcomed the
distraction and the spells were interesting.

He was leafing through the book, which he had almost finished, when
Calypso turned around and asked, �What�s that?�

�Ah, remember the first Potion class when I didn�t have a textbook? This
is the used book that I took from Snape�s shelf,� replied Orion.

�But why are you reading it? You have your new textbook,� said Calypso.

Orion leaned towards her to show her the book, �I�m reading what the
past owner of the book wrote. See, it�s full of dark spells that he either
created or that were popular during his time at Hogwarts.�

Calypso frowned while she read the scrunched letters, �This hand-writing
seems familiar� Who was the owner?�

�I don�t know,� replied Orion, �I just says the Half-Blood Prince. And
he�s brilliant at Potions as well, see how he improved many of the brewing
instructions?�

Calypso looked at Orion with wide-eyes and squeaked before rushing away,
�I�ll be right back!�

And she did, while waving an essay in front of him. She sat down and
looked at the book, then at the essay, and back, and gasped, �Morgana�s tits! I
was right!�

Orion looked at her in shock, �Did you- did you just swear?�

Calypso turned to look at him with an arched eyebrow, �I�m around you
all the time, Orion, what did you expect?�

Orion huffed, �I�ve never used that expression! It�s extremely vulgar!�
Then he looked at her with amusement and said tauntingly, �And what happened
with my sweet little Calypso anyway? I�m the bad influence here, not the other
way around.�

Calypso chuckled, �I grew up! Besides, this is the result of your
influence,� Then she added excitedly, �And never mind that now, look! Look at
the writing on my essay and at the writing on the book.�

Orion frowned and looked at her essay. It was a graded Potion�s essay.
What did it have to do with-? He gasped. Snape�s commentary on her essay�his
writing�it was the same as the one on the book!

�No, it can�t be!� said Orion shaking his head, �No way!�

�Yes it is,� said Calypso in excitement and started to ramble, �It makes
perfect sense! I don�t know how I didn�t realize it before, but his features,
Orion! Half-Blood Prince�Prince, from the dark pureblood line! He�s a Prince!
He has some of their distinctive features! The black piercing eyes, the
straight black hair, the thin body, the high cheeks! Only the nose is
different! He�s the last living member of the Prince bloodline! And he�s a
half-blood�well, that�s unexpected, I thought he was a pureblood� but it
matters little, he�s so brilliant and powerful��

Orion gaped at her and then broke into fits of laughter. She sharply
turned her head to look at him and scowled, �And what�s so funny?�

�Merlin�s be-ard, Cal-ypso,� he said choking on his laughter, �You have
it bad!�

�What in Mordred�s name are you babbling about?� she snapped.

His laughter subsided and he looked at her with a taunting smirk,
�Calypso, did you hear yourself? Talking about Snape�s body and high cheeks and
sparkling deep dark eyes! And how brilliant, powerful, strong, magnificent, he
is?�

Calypso blushed fiercely and huffed, �I did not say all those things!�

�You most certainly did,� said Orion merrily.

�Can we get back to the issue at hand?� she snapped.

Orion chuckled, �Alright, but only if you admit that you have a crush on
him.�

�I�ll admit nothing of the kind,� she said primly, �Now, this is his
textbook. That�s certain. What are you going to do with it?�

Orion arched an eyebrow, �Keep it, of course!�

Calypso glared at him and said heatedly, �You must return it to him!
It�s his and I�m sure he would like to have it back!�

�You�re bonkers if you think I�m going to relinquish this book,� said
Orion, �It�s a treasure-�

�But it doesn�t belong to you!� interrupted Calypso angrily, �And if
anyone found out that he had written dark spells in his Potions textbook and
then left it lying around for a student to find it, even if it wasn�t on
purpose, what do you think will happen to him? He�s a professor in a light
school! It could get him in trouble! He could be sacked!�

Orion looked at her thoughtfully, �You�re right about that, it would get
him in trouble, not that I wouldn�t mind seeing him in a tight spot�� Calypso
shot him a nasty look and he continued in an appeasing voice, �I will return it
to him, but first I�ll make a copy-�

�You mustn�t!� interjected Calypso.

�I�ll remove his name and change his writing, Calypso,� said Orion
soothingly, �Don�t ruffle your feathers; I won�t get your paramour in trouble.�

�He�s not my paramour!� said Calypso indignantly, but she couldn�t avoid
the dark blush that spread over her cheeks.

Orion looked at her knowingly and replied, �There�s nothing wrong with
it. If you�re into dark, brooding, ill-humored, nasty men-�

�He isn�t nasty!�

Orion rolled his eyes, �Whatever, I�ll return it after I make a copy,
alright?�

�Fine, make sure you do,� she bit out.

�Now, I need your help�.� said Orion while casting silencing spells
around them.

He proceeded to tell her about the Marauder�s Map that was in possession
of the Weasley twins. How it was a map that had been made by his father and
some friends and that it showed the position of every single person inside the
castle as well as all the rooms and hidden passages.

�That�s amazing,� said Calypso in awe.

�It is,� said Orion proudly, �But you must understand that no one must
know about this map,� He eyed her seriously and said, �Not even your father or
any other dark wizard.�

Calypso looked at him in confusion, �Why?�

�Because it was my father�s and by right it�s mine,� said Orion sternly,
�It�s like a family heirloom and it could be dangerous in the wrong hands. I
think I�m in my rights to claim ownership. Wouldn�t you do the same if it
belonged to your dad? Wouldn�t you keep it a secret?�

Calypso softened her expression and said softly, �I understand that it
must mean a lot to you. Alright, I won�t utter a word about the Map to anyone,
not even my father.�

Orion smiled at her, �Thanks. Now, how do we get it back?�

Calypso turned thoughtful and said, �Well, you want to claim it�remember
that spell in second year Blood Rituals? The one used to protect possessions?�

Orion widened his eyes and said excitedly, �Yes! I know the one that
you�re thinking about! I can claim ownership over the map if I place a drop of
my blood on it while casting the �Cruor Meu� dark spell, then if anyone else
but me touches it, they would get burned! It�s perfect! That way no one would
be able to use it but me!�

�Exactly,� replied Calypso with a satisfied smile.

�But the problem still remains of how I get my hands on it in the first
place�� said Orion pensively.

�That�s easy, first cast a disillusionment charm on it and then accio
it,� replied Calypso calmly.

Orion frowned, �I would need to wait until I saw the twins take it out
again and then we need a distraction, so that they won�t notice when I cast the
spells.�

�Uhmm, I could probably distract them,� retorted Calypso.

Orion shot her a look, �How?�

�Starting a fight with them, of course. That way when they realize they
lost it they would think they lost it during the fray, and not that someone
stole it. If I just bump into them or something like that they could get
suspicious. And besides it would be easy to start a fight with them. I would
just criticize their brother and say something scathingly about their family
and that�s it,� explained Calypso nonchalantly.

�I sounds like a good plan but I don�t want you to be dueling one
against two,� replied Orion uncertainly.

Calypso huffed, �I can hold my own, Orion. I�m not a little girl. I think
I can manage two light wizards.�

�They�re not stupid, not like their brother. They�re quite ingenious and
they would prank you endlessly to get even,� interjected Orion.

�We�re always around Slytherins,� said Calypso, �If I start a fight with
them I�m sure some Slytherins would soon get into it as well, so I won�t be
alone. And then they would need to prank a whole bunch of people, who will
afterwards retaliate as well...�

�And we would be starting a prank war,� finished Orion.

Calypso smirked at him, �Yes, so what? It would be fun.�

Orion laughed, �I�ve created a monster!�

Three days afterwards, they got their chance. They were walking with
their group of friends from Slytherin towards the Great Hall to have breakfast
when Orion saw the Weasley twins in front of a painting of a bowl of fruits;
painting that Orion knew led to kitchens, since Sirius had been the one to
discover it. He saw one of the twins quickly hiding the Map in his robes�
pocket when they caught eye of the Slytherins. Orion elbowed Calypso and she
immediately understood.

She turned towards Draco and said in a loud voice, �I�m really tired of
that Weasley boy. He�s an unbearable prat, I don�t know how you�ve been able to
stand him all these years. He�s barely literate and wears such tattered
clothes, he�s pathetic, all of them are�What a family! Disgusting
bloodtraitors! I would have drowned myself during infancy if I had ever been
born to them!�

The Slytherins laughed and started making more scathing remarks when the
twins strode towards them angrily. A verbal spat ensued and wands were quickly
drawn. Orion swiftly went to a corner and while spells started flying by, he
used a levitation charm to bring the Map out of the twin�s pocket, just a
little bit, enough so that he could see it and cast the disillusionment charm
on it. Once done, he quickly accioed the invisible map. He grinned in
satisfaction when he felt it in his hand. He dug his nails on his palm to break
the skin and rubbed his bloodied palm on it while pointing his wand at it and
whispering �Cruor Meu�. A scarlet haze surrounded the invisible map before
dying away and Orion knew it had worked. He immediately pocketed it.

The twins had managed to hex quite a few of the Slytherins but not
unscathed, and just when things were going to get nasty, McGonagall came
walking briskly towards them. Everyone stopped, hid their wands and adopted an
innocent expression. She wasn�t fooled at all and deducted a whole bunch of
house points before sending them away.

During the following week, a prank war erupted. Slytherins unexpectedly
turned into large squeaking green canaries or sprouted horns and devil tails.
Gryffindors found themselves wearing Slytherin colors while sporting green hair
or having kitten whiskers and ears while meowing any time they spoke. When the
pranks started getting nasty � boils, contagious rashes, swollen heads,
bleeding noses � Dumbledore put a stop to it by deducting house points and
threatening with making the Slytherins and Gryffindors sit in their dorms
during the next Tasks. After that, the houses glared at each other but peace
reigned again.

Meanwhile, Orion and Calypso had spent the whole week exploring the
castle at night under disillusionment charms and using the Map to avoid
detection. They explored the hidden rooms, the passages, the Room of
Requirement, every single corner but found nothing.

On the last night of the week, Orion snuck out of his dorm under the
disillusionment charm and went to speak with Slytherin�s portrait.

When he was in front of it he hissed politely, �Good evening, Lord
Ssslytherin.�

Slytherin narrowed his dark green eyes, while looking around, �Where
are you, boy? I can�t ssssee you.�

�I�m under a disssilusssionment charm. I think it�s sssafer if I�m
not ssseen speaking to you. I�m ssssure that Dumbledore makessss the other
portraitsss sssspy for him. I hope you don�t mind sssspeaking to me like thisss,�
hissed Orion respectfully.

Slytherin smirked at him, �I�m glad that you were able to ssssee
through the old man. But I wissssh to sssssee you. Do you know how to create a
disssssillusssssionment bubble?"

"Yessss," replied Orion, "I'll cassssst it immediately." He took
out his wand and extended the dissilussionment charm so that it covered him and
the portrait, allowing Orion and Slytherin to see each other while those
outside of the spell wouldn't see them.

"Good to ssssee you," said Slytherin with a smirk, "I wassss wondering when you would
be paying me a visssit.�

�Forgive me for taking sssso long,� replied Orion.

Slytherin nodded in acceptance and hissed, �Tell me, my heir, what do
you want to know?�

Orion frowned, �Excusssse me, sssir, but I�m not your heir.�

�And how isss it then that you�re a parsssselmouth?� said
Slytherin with a knowingly smirk.

�Er�well, I don�t really know,� said Orion uncomfortably under
Slytherin�s piercing gaze. He couldn�t tell Slytherin about Voldemort and his
scar. �But I came here to assssk you about the entrance to the Chamber of
Secretssss.�

Slytherin�s eyes hardened, �Why do you wissssh to find it?�

�To look for ssssome ansssswersss,� replied Orion calmly, �And
because it issss a hisssstorical place, it�sss unique-�

�I can�t help you,� interrupted Slytherin coldly, �I once told
my heir where it wassss and he usssed the knowledge for his own purposssses,
dissssregarding my orderssss. I will not make the ssssame misssstake twice.�

Orion�s eyes widened in realization, �It wasssss you who told Tom
Riddle about the Chamber!�

Slytherin arched an eyebrow in surprise, �Yessss. How do you know
about him?�

�A friend told me, her grandfather had been Tom�sss friend,� lied
Orion evenly, �And he told her about how Tom had opened the Chamber while he
wassss at Hogwartsssss.�

�Yessss, and Tom went against my wisssshes and he called Orsssana and
ordered her to kill a muggleborn,� hissed Slytherin angrily.

Orion cocked an eyebrow, �Orssssana?�

Slytherin smirked at him, �My preciousssss and loyal bassssilissssk,
who guardssss my Chamber.�

Orion widened his eyes, �It�sss true then? About the basssssilissssk
that can only be controlled by your heir?�

�It issss,� said Slytherin succinctly, �But my heir wassss not
meant to usssse her for hissss whimssss. Sssshe wassss meant to protect
Hogwartsssss, as a lasssst resssort if mugglessss ever attempted to attack the
sssschool.�

Orion nodded, �Yesss, I ssssusssspected that that wassss your real
objective when I read that you had supposedly left a dangeroussss creature
here.�

Slytherin arched an eyebrow and said with a small smile, �You did?
Good, I�m glad to sssse that you have ssssome sssssense.�

�I would never do anything to harm her and I can�t control her
anyway, so there�ssss no reasssson why you sssshould think that I would go
againsssst your wissssshessss. I ssssimply want to ssssee the Chamber,�
said Orion in earnest.

�I can�t take the risssssk,� replied Slytherin sternly.

Orion sighed and then frowned, �You ssssaid that Tom made the
bassssilissssik kill a muggleborn? Who wasssss the muggleborn? And why did Tom
do that?�

�Sssshe wasssss a muggleborn girl, quite annoying from what I heard,
alwayssss crying. I can�t remember her name�.Martha, perhapssss. Sssshe wassss
a Ravenclaw,� said Slytherin nonchalantly, �I believe Tom wanted to
tesssst hissss control over Orssssana. He wanted to ssssee what sssshe could
do. He wassss quite sssatissssfied when sssshe killed the muggleborn with her
gaze and I think that the muggleborn had discovered something about him that he
didn�t want anyone elsssse to know, that�s why he targeted her.�

Orion didn�t like the idea of Tom having killed so ruthlessly, but if
the girl had known a secret, well, it would be just like Tom to shut her up
irrevocably. He hummed and asked, �Did he order Orsssana to kill anyone
elsssse?�

�No, he had the proof already that Orssssana would obey any command,
sssso he had no need,� hissed Slytherin.

Orion nodded and then said pleadingly, �Won�t you at leassssst tell
me ssssomething that could help me find the entrance? I asssssure you that I
have no intention of releassssing Orssssana, even if I could.�

Slytherin pierced him with an appraisive look for a long time and then
said, �I sssssee that you�re ssssincere about your intentionssssss. Very
well, I�ll give you a clue: find the muggleborn and you�ll find the entrance.�

Orion frowned. Find the muggleborn? She was dead- ahh, she became a
ghost! But he hadn�t spoken to any ghosts. The only ones he knew were the
Bloody Baron and the annoying poltergeist Peeves. He had seen others floating
around but he hadn�t paid them much attention.

Orion bowed and said respectfully, �I thank you, Lord Ssslytherin. I
promise that won�t go against your wisssshesss in regardssss to Orssssana.�

Slytherin gave him a curt nod, �I�ll hold you to it.� Then he
pierced him with his dark green eyes, �You WILL be able to control her. You
refuse to ssssee that you are my heir ssssso I�m telling you now that you are.
Ssso make sure that you don�t releasssse her by accident. If you call for her
at the Chamber of Sssecretssss, ssssshe�ll come to you and sssshe�ll obey any
command you give her. You only have my permisssssion to usssse her if it�ssss
to defend the casssssstle or to help our kind, but don�t fall into Tom�ssss
folly, don�t ussse her for your own benefit.�

Orion was startled and he hissed incredulously, �But I can�t be your
heir! I don�t have your blood-�

Slytherin interrupted him curtly, �I matterssss little how you came
to be my heir, but you are. I�m able to sssssensssse who belongs to my
bloodline.There�ssss no doubt in my mind.�

Orion frowned and returned to his dorm deeply confused. How could he be
Slytherin�s heir? It wasn�t possible�unless the Black bloodline derived from
Slytherin�.but that couldn�t be true, the Blacks would have proudly announced
it to the world�It had to be because of the link with Voldemort�but the link
was purely a mind connection�it made no sense!

When he entered Durmstrang�s common room, Calypso was waiting for him.
He cancelled his disillusionment charm and quickly explained what Slytherin had
told him, leaving out the whole heir issue and their discussion about Tom.

�So you think that the muggleborn girl became a ghost and that she knows
where the entrance is?� asked Calypso with a thoughtful expression on her face.

Orion sighed and carded his fingers through his hair, �I don�t think she
knows where the entrance is. The most probable is that she�s haunting the place
where she died and therefore if we find her we find the place where the
entrance is located.�

Orion could almost see the wheels turning in Calypso�s mind. She finally
frowned and asked, �What was her name again?�

�Martha or something like it,� replied Orion tiredly, �She cried a lot
according to Slyth-�

Calypso widened her eyes and gasped, �What fools we have been, Orion! We
had it in front of our noses the whole time!�

Orion cocked his head, �What are you talking about?�

�Remember the wall Draco showed us, where the words that the Chambers of
Secrets had been opened had been written, according to him?� she said
excitedly. Orion nodded and she continued, �Two nights ago, when we split and
explored that floor, I went into a girls� bathroom that no one ever uses. There
was a ghost there of an annoying and crying girl. She�s Moaning Myrtle, Orion!
Myrtle, not Martha! And it makes perfect sense, the bathroom is near that wall.
And how can a basilisk move around the castle undetected and unseen? Through
the pipes of course! And pipes begin at bathrooms! If the basilisk killed her,
the basilisk had to come out of a pipe! And if she died in that bathroom it
means that there�s some huge pipe hidden there!�

�A pipe that leads to the Chamber of Secrets!� added Orion with
excitement.

Calyso smirked at him victoriously, �Exactly!�

Orion fiercely hugged her, �You�re a genius!�

Calypso laughed and Orion immediately stood up, �We must go there now!
To be certain!�

�It�s one in the morning, Orion!� Calypso moaned in dismay.

Orion grabbed her hand and dragged her with him, �Now�s the perfect
time. No one will be around and I have the Map. Let�s go!�

They disillusioned themselves and before entering the bathroom, Orion
asked, �Is there any way to make the ghost leave? I don�t want her to know that
we�ve found the entrance. She could tell Dumbledore.�

�Leave it to me,� said Calypso�s disembodied voice, �Wait till I tell
you to come in.�

Orion stood patiently outside the bathroom and soon he heard Calypso
whispering his name. He went in and Calypso visibly stood there with a
satisfied smirk.

Orion looked around and cancelled his disillusionment charm, �She�s not
here. What did you do?�

�Used a convenient little spell,� said Calypso with a glint in her eyes
while twirling her wand, �I conjured the image of the Bloody Baron and as soon
as she saw him she fled away wailing.�

Orion chuckled, �Quick thinking. Excellent!�

Calypso grinned at him and then said, �Alright, let�s see where this
pipe is.�

She inspected the bathroom stalls while Orion went to the sink. It
looked like an ordinary sink. He examined every inch of it, inside and out,
including the pipes below. And then he saw it: scratched on the side of one of
the copper taps was a tiny snake. And he knew he had found it.

�Open,� said Orion in a low hiss.

At once the tap glowed with a brilliant white light and began to spin.
Next second, the sink began to move; the sink, in fact, sank, right out of
sight, leaving a large pipe exposed, a pipe wide enough for an adult basilisk
to move in.

Calypso had come to stand by his side and she gasped, �This is it! It�s
the entrance! You found it!�

�We found it,� said Orion smiling at her, �Couldn�t have done it without
you.�

Calypso beamed at him but then said uncertainly, �Er, you want to go in
now?�

Orion frowned, �We should perhaps leave it for another day. The pipe
goes vertically downwards, we should bring our brooms next time to have a way
to come back.� And he wanted to go in with Tom�s locket, just in case he would
need his help. He still wasn�t sure if he could command the basilisk,
regardless of what Slytherin had said, and if Orsana was out and about, perhaps
she would obey Tom, even if he was just a portrait.

Calypso nodded. Orion closed the entrance and they returned to their
dorms with satisfied smiles on their faces.
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The Black Heir