Capítulo 28: Boggart
Care for Magical Creatures was an exciting class, especially since Adrian had already established a strange relationship with the now-teacher.
The books required for Care for magical creatures were fascinating. They had teeth, snarled, snapped, and looked less like books and more like creatures. It growled and tried to eat Adrian's hand first time he picked it up in Diagon alley. He fed the book a few things, and the poor paper monstrosity went surprisingly docile after eating a raw carrot. It seemed that other students were not nearly as lucky with Adrian's discovery; one student was sporting a rather striking set of papercuts all along his forearm.
Draco found the book ridiculous, he struggled to even hold the monstrosity with its impressive added girth of well spun rope. Adrian spotted Skylar Potter scowling at his book, bound with a black belt. At least he had the foresight to bind it shut.
They stumbled over roots and gnarled stumps, a few plants along the trail reached out with thorny barbs to ensnare the students. Adrian and his fellow classmates ignored them easily. Longbottom paused on his trek to pet and coo over one disgruntled stem and leaf.
"These things, are bloody useless." Draco growled out, struggling to catch his book as the rope once more slid from his grip.
Adrian glanced down at his own book, contently blinking at the surroundings as its teeth gnashed quietly.
"Figures, Adrian Scamander here manages to tame his," Draco continued, not bothering to see if Adrian was even paying attention. At this point, it was more Draco scathingly grumbling to himself.
"I fed it a carrot," Adrian offered helpfully, "It enjoyed the crunching."
Draco rolled his eyes and sniffed in annoyance.
Hagrid emerged from his hut, slightly uneasy yet not lacking enthusiasm. Draco joined in vehemently, shouting insults about how impractical the books were. Almost instantly, the large man faltered, looking obviously distressed with himself.
Adrian was mentally bemoaning how disastrous the first class was going. Why couldn't he act like the other professors and simply provide them all a syllabus?
Hagrid of course, wasn't like the other professors.
He left, trying to salvage the first lesson by introducing the students to a disastrous large dangerous creature. It was so unmistakably Hagrid, Adrian almost found the action endearing.
He had a large smile as he returned, thick hands grasping hefty rope attached to a leather collar. Once the alpha was led, others followed after like a herd of gentle deer.
But they were not deer.
Huge winged horses crossed with lovely birds. Sharp intelligent eagle eyes set in gentle cream and brown feathers sparkling in the sunlight. Some were speckled and painted, mottled grey or entirely arabian with glossy crow feathers.
"Hippogriffs," Adrian found himself mouthing along with Hagrid's loud proclamations of what the amazing creatures were.
"So, he speaks." Draco drawled, and elbowed Adrian. "Finally chose to grace us with your presence?"
Adrian scowled, his complexion much more pale in the sunlight. Adrian wouldn't be surprised if the other students started jokingly teased him with his likliness to a vampire.
"Hey Crabbe, think those things puff up like the owls do?" Draco muttered under his breath, eyes alight with the desire to wreck Hagrid's class.
"Don't," Adrian muttered. "Hippogriffs are vicious. They'll gut you before you even start laughing."
Draco looked startled, as if he hadn't actually thought that they were dangerous, or it hadn't occurred to him anything would attack him.
Hagrid went on to ask for volunteers to get closer to the Hippogriffs, right after enthusiastically describing the dangers of the beautiful - and vicious - animals.
"Righ'- who wants ter go first?"
Adrian knew full well if he made eye contact, he wouldn't be able to resist himself from volunteering. Most of the class took a step farther away in answer, even the Potter trio stepped back. The Hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings, they didn't seem to like being tethered. Which wasn't too surprising; they were creatures of air and sky, affiliated with freedom and new, and being roped like this was… rather dangerous… for everyone involved.
Adrian would have loved to walk forward, to brush his hand and feel the silky difference between fur and pointed feathers. He'd love to gently touch the talons and feel the sharpness of the curved claws.
He couldn't, he couldn't. Not because of Hagrid or the Gryffindors, in all honesty he would have the previous year without a thought. The dangers of it be damned, he was fascinated by the Hippogriffs.
But he couldn't, because he knew Draco would boast about it or prattle on about it behind closed doors in the dungeons. The last thing Adrian needed was the first years curiously listening in.
He couldn't risk the attention, especially so soon.
"No one?" Said Hagrid, with a pleading look. You could almost see his shoulders lower like a wounded hound.
Adrian bit his tongue, chewing on it gently to resist the urge to speak up. The class was split with Gryffindors, there would be at least one student who would be reckless enough to want and see the creatures closer.
"I'll do it."
In hindsight, Adrian should have expected it would be that Gryffindor.
'Freaking-'
Only the thought of what his father would say if he finished his sentence kept him from repeating a few interesting phrases he'd heard Rabastan use.
"Oooh, no, Skylar, remember your tea leaves!" A female Gryffindor gasped, brushing against Skylar's robes with a wide eyed horrified look.
What the... what did that mean?
Skylar ignored them as he climbed over the paddock fence. What a surprise.
"Good man, Skylar!" Roared Hagrid. "Right then- let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."
Adrian had to choke back the jealousy rising up the back of his throat. Of course it was Skylar that was doing this- why was that moron able to meet a Hippogriff up close? He was the one to specialize in magical creatures, he was the one that loved them, blood and bone, heart and soul!
He was the one who deserved it, not that selfish brat who had everything-'
Adrian's fist clenched as he forcefully shut down on the scathing jealousy fueled train of thought.
Adrian's jaw clenched and his teeth bit sharply into his tongue. He tasted the disgusting tang of blood and exhaled sharply through his nose.
He had to remain calm, he had to remain in the background and not draw attention to himself.
It almost physically pained him to do so. Hagrid untied one of the chains, pulling a grey hippogriff away from its fellows and slipping off its leather collar. The class inhaled collectively at the sight.
"Easy now, Skylar," said Hagrid quietly, "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink...Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much…"
Buckbeak the hippogriff had turned his great sharp head, and was glaring at Skylar with ferocious eyes.
Skylar bowed.
A heartbeat of breath-held silence, and the hippogriff bowed back.
"Stupid birds," Lutain sniffed, hiding under Adrian's clothing like he always did. "Smart as pigeon."
Didn't change the fact that it was Skylar who was getting bowed to.
Then, it managed to get worse.
Skylar was prompted onto the back of the mighty creature, then it had the audacity to actually start to fly away. Skylar Potter, was riding a hippogriff.
That was a once in a lifetime opportunity. One that Adrian could have had, if it wasn't for Suzie.
Adrian felt frustrated needles prick behind his eyes. His teeth gnashed and once again the tang rose. He felt nauseous.
"It's a stupid bird," Lutain whispered. "Adalonda would give you a ride."
Adrian would have smiled at the mental image if he hadn't wanted to start screaming so badly.
Skylar returned looking breathless and overjoyed. From there, everyone carefully climbed over the paddock, cautiously approaching the other creatures and bowing respectively. Adrian stuck close to Draco as the blond haired boy selected Buckbeak.
Draco grew more arrogant the moment the large creature bowed to him. It really wasn't as difficult as they had been led to believe, even though the danger still existed.
"This is very easy," Draco drawled, loud enough for Skylar to hear him. "I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it...I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?"
And of course, saying that was exactly what he shouldn't have done.
Draco sauntered forward, Buckbeak's feathers around his neck rose alarmingly as if hackles on a wolf. It's pupils constricted sharply as its neck jerked, face staring intently and beak clicking sharply.
"Don't!" Adrian jolted, pushing Draco out of the way the moment the large creature let out an ungodly wail of half bird-call half horse-knicker. The Hippogriff spread its wings partly, primaries sliding over secondary feathers with a sound like silk. In contrast, It lifted one razor sharp talon, preparing to slash across Adrian's body.
The series of events smoothly transitioned from one to the next, yet together took enough time for Adrian to find himself puzzled over his own actions. Why had he moved, jerking forward to shove another student out of the way? It wasn't as if Adrian would get anything out of taking Draco's place...In fact, he should have let the boy get struck.
There was a primal instinct, something deep in Adrian's core which simply whispered to him that he should move. That he should help. Call it humanity, call it his fear for someone who tentatively was his friend- his first friend.
If all of Adrian's friends jumped off the covered bridge, Merlin be damned he sure wouldn't. Yet apparently that expression didn't apply to bloody Hippogriffs.
This was going to hurt.
"Master!" Lutain gasped, scenting the threat just before it came to fruition.
Buckbeak's eyes locked with Adrian's, and Adrian felt something unfurl, in his raging fear. Borderline hysteria, the unrelenting tide of oh god, oh god, that seemed to pulse over his skin.
He couldn't think, but he could feel; almost like he was peeling off a tight layer of clothing.
Buckbeak froze, one claw high in the air poised to strike yet it didn't come. Its eyes shook, alarmed and in shock, widening in panic as the creature seemed to be covered in small treamors.
Adrian couldn't move, his body was straining and his eyes burning and his blood was on fire.
A second, two seconds...long enough for Adrian to know it was unnatural. Impossible.
"Adrian! I got yeh!"
Hagrids shout ruined it and seemed to snap Buckbeak out of his trance. Adrian felt his body burn, tingling through his skin from the backlash. The creature whirled, flaring his wings and lowering its leg with a mighty swipe. Adrian stumbled backwards trying to avoid, only managing a gash on his left forearm.
Adrian curled inwards instinctively, twitching ever so slightly and gasping audibly as the wound finally registered.
Buckbeak skittered away, snapping angrily and glaring at Draco who looked much too horrified at what had occurred.
"You..." Draco gasped, growing more pale as he noticed blood welling up and trailing down the ruined sleeve of Adrian's robe. Adrian blinked, seeming to snap out of the exhausting haze that was his accidental magic. His absolutely useless accidental magic.
"I'm fine!" Adrian snapped, his arm complaining loudly as well as the rest of his limbs from his terrible and exhausting day.
His eyes stung again, an uncomfortable tightness near the back of his throat due to his frustration and helplessness over the situation.
He was supposed to be nobody! That was the entire reasoning why he didn't get to ride Buckbeak! And now, and now because Draco was so bloody stupid...
"Master, are you-" Lutain silenced himself when Adrian stood stiffly and glared. He knew his skin was pale, his eyes bruised and sunken. His limbs shook from the effort of standing after such an event. His heart thumped loudly in his chest and every exhale felt the slightest bit sour.
"I can take yeh to the-" Hagrid cut off as Adrian pointed his wand at his arm and casted a healing spell to close the gash. It stung, itching painfully as the blood clotted and scabbed something ugly. He was thankful he knew this spell after all of the dueling and curses he had experienced.
The class was silent, Skylar looking horrified and taken aback.
Everyone was looking at him. He was just...he just wanted to not have attention on him, and then this...
"Er- class dismissed." Hagrid added, looking quite faint. His large hands fumbled around each other- he looked quite horrified with how the events had progressed.
Adrian felt like crying, he couldn't tell if it was from anger or frustration.
The first Quidditch match was Slytherin vs Gryffindor. Draco didn't shut up about it, boasting about his practice sessions, the state of the uniforms, and the unparalleled speed he could achieve. Adrian spent the time sleeping in his bed, drawing the covers to his chin to try and relax his mind through the stress he had been putting it under. It was almost painful, at times his paranoia and stress over simply attending classes was enough to make him retreat to his room.
The Animagus transformation potion, the upkeep for the occlumency walls, not only that but it seemed that the newest Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher had taken a personal liking in him.
(It was nice in a strange way, he hadn't ever gotten favoritism from anyone except Hagrid, but considering how that lesson went… Then again, Adrian found all of the attention ridiculously annoying. He'd take a Hippogriff claw again anyday.)
He was drawing attention from Dumbledore, and it would only be a matter of time before he was interrogated on who his father was. Thank Merlin his name was Selwyn and not Riddle.
The first practical defence class with Professor Lupin, Adrian knew it would be different. The class was not split with other houses, a wise decision because in the earlier years it led to more cross-house attacking then actual learning.
"No books today," Professor Lupin smiled kindly, "Only your wands, today will be practical only."
Daphne exchanged surprised looks with Adrian. Not many teachers would forgo books entirely.
"If you would all follow me," Professor Lupin smiled and guided them out of the classroom and down a deserted corridor into the teacher's staff room.
The massive wardrobe stood out clearly in the otherwise bare space.
"Now then," Professor Lupin started, beckoning for everyone to enter the room. They spread out, clinging to the external walls and as far as possible from the wardrobe, which wobbled suspiciously.
"There is a boggart in there." Lupin announced calmly, almost proudly as he secured the hallway door behind them.
Trapping them. In with a boggart.
Adrian paled and mentally cursed the fact he left Lutain in the dungeons.
"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces. Wardrobes, the gap under beds, the cupboards under sinks. This one moved in a few days ago, I asked the headmaster and staff to leave it to give you all some practice. So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?"
'Don't forget the cupboard under stairs,' Adrian scathingly thought, already setting himself in a bitter mood.
Eyes of his yearmates instantly fell on Adrian.
'Wonderful.'
"Oh? Seems like you're the one everyone looks to for help." Professor Lupin smiled politely, nodding to the uncomfortable Adrian, "Would you like to give it a shot?"
"Adrian knows every ruddy magical creature" Pansy, shut your bloody mouth- "What they look like or how to find it. He's a walking textbook."
Lupin looked similarly alarmed and impressed. He smiled, tilting his head slightly as he leant against a nearby table. He beckoned with one hand politely for Adrian to take the stage.
"It's a shape-shifter." Adrian muttered. "It takes the shape of what the closest person fears the most, or what will incapacitate us best."
"Well done," Lupin confirmed with explanation, gazing over the other students to take notice of the atmosphere. "So the boggart is currently waiting and has not assumed a form. He does not know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when it is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears. This means, that we must use our advantage of numbers."
Pansy looked squeamish.
"The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires a certain force of mind. You see, the thing that finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find funny. The charm is...Riddikulus!"
Everyone repeated it with varying levels of confidence.
What did Adrian fear the most, what could be plausibly pass off the best? In this situation, anything could compromise him.
Time blurred and moved too quickly, passing down Theo (who had a banshee monster) to Blaise ( who had an unrecognizable man.) Draco scoffed and cast the spell perfectly against a gigantic wraith-like monster which Adrian recognized faintly, followed by Crabbe who was nearly shaking at a miniature troll.
Pansy stepped forward, the second to last person to go. She held her wand daintily as the boggart shapeshifted into a giant aractromantuala. It hissed and spluttered angrily, snapping its fangs.
"Ridikkulus!" Pansy barked out, changing its body into a spinning ball which sent it whirling into the cabinet once more.
Pansy grinned, and stepped aside, allowing Adrian to step past.
He could see Draco and the others lean forward excitedly.
The cabinet rattled before opening slowly. Bright, unmistakably green eyes stared out blankly.
Adrian's jaw clenched and he pointed his wand viciously at the cabinet.
"Why did they go?" It crooned, voice childish and high pitched, unmistakably young. "Why did mummy and daddy-"
'None of that' Adrian thought, using his occlumency shields to suddenly cut down on the memories the boggart was feeding on.
It stuttered, the eyes stumbling before wilting and turning dark inside the cabinet. Adrian could see its strange mass bulge and bubble, warping and distorting as it struggled to create a tangible form. Adrian struggled to snap down on anything he could possibly fear, anything which made his hair stand on end.
It must have found something, and with a sense of dread Adrian saw it stumble outwards.
There was a pause, the whispers of confusion started before the boggart stepped out in its next assumed form. The lighting was poor, yet the shape was unmistakable.
Adrian gasped audibly and stepped backwards against his better judgement.
Dark wine red eyes belonging to a face with high cheekbones morphed into a disgusted, revolted expression. Tall, confident, regally posed with expensive silk.
Draco startled upright, the other Slytherins reeling in surprised noises as they quickly glanced between Adrian and the mystery man. Adrian's dark black hair, almost as blueish tinged as the mans'. The tall cheekbones, the aristocratic nose and pale complexion- Adrian's was actually naturally paler.
The resemblance was uncanny.
Adrian felt fear swallow him as he glanced at Lupin in barely restrained horror.
The man was at an angle where he was unable to see the boggart's face. Small mercies.
The boggart scoffed, a disorienting sound that made Adrian nearly instinctively whimper.
No, it wasn't real.
Adrian's hands curled until his nails left crescents in his palm.
"What a pathetic-"
It's fake. It's fake. It's fake.
Adrian pointed his wand coldly. His expression became flat, emotionless and concerningly casual. He didn't need emotions, he could lock them behind shields. He could remove feelings, he didn't need feelings.
"-weak vermin. I should-"
It's fake.
You know what to do.
"Ridikkulus."
His father popped backwards, head shifting into one of those comically exaggerated heads he had seen in the store windows of Knockturn Alley. Leather and sun-kissed, embroidered in crossing stitches over its eyes and mouth with bright red floss. It stumbled backwards, blinded and on ungainly limbs.
How clumsy and distorted it looked, like something had grabbed its limbs and stretched it out like a scarecrow.
Oh Merlin, Adrian had turned his father into a window decoration.
Adrian felt himself snickering in amusement and trying to hide his smile. He failed dramatically, his body shaking slightly.
Adrian glanced over in surprise as Professor Lupin rushed forward, interjecting himself between Adrian and the Boggart.
It shifted into something white, ethereal...and then vanished into the wardrobe.
"Merlin, what was that." Daphne breathed, looking vaguely ill.
Adrian glanced at her in confusion, before he felt his amusement rotting away.
"Nothing," Adrian bit out snappily, glaring and almost curling his lips back in a snarl.
Daphne looked like she had been struck, or Adrian had offered something entirely illogical as rational fact. Mandrake roots dance the tango.
"No I…" Daphne blinked completely baffled once again, "I'm sorry, I can't think right now."
Mandrake roots dance the tango and sometimes waltz with centaurs.
Adrian scowled slightly, finding her confusion and obvious dazed expression somewhat aggravating. What was so wrong with his boggart? Like hers would be any better!
"Bloody hell," Theo swallowed, looking even more ill than Daphne, "If that's what you think is funny…"
Theo trailed off, swaying where he stood as he grimaced and looked nauseous.
Adrian paused and looked over his shoulder where Professor Lupin was instructing the rest of the class how else to hinder or identify a boggart before releasing it.
What was so wrong with the distorted heads in Knockturn? Adrian considered getting one for Bellatrix's birthday once.
"I thought they were funny," Adrian crossed his arms, feeling fairly defensive now, "I once almost bought one."
"Merlin…" Daphne breathed, blinking and gazing off into the distance. She looked eerily similar to Luna in that moment.
"Almost?" Theo inquired weakly.
"We don't talk about it."
The Hogsmeade weekend in November left Adrian walking with a thick wool scarf around his mouth and Lutain nestled against his chest. Lutain was certain he was going to get one of those exotic mice bred in Africa which somehow tasted twice as good and was half as easy to digest. The others were planning on starting early holiday shopping.
Adrian had been tasked with even more supplying and selling than the year earlier. Somehow his status had become well known in slytherin, to the point that now the upper years were asking for his help in ordering and dealing questionable goods to the other students. Lutain made an excellent lookout, as well as intimidation technique if students didn't want to comply with his brokering system.
Dementors still circled around the school, staying high above the quidditch pitch in a silent guard to the wizarding school. They were expecting something big, something deadly. It was rather annoying, since the students were not permitted to know why the dementors were at Hogwarts. Draco had already made a fuss about them, raving about how his father refused to tell him information besides how he was upset with the new addition. The Dementors wre generally used to guard Azkaban- so why were they at Hogwarts and not protecting the wizarding prison?
The only thing Adrian could possibly think of was perhaps they were placred at Hogwarts by the Ministry to try and halt the Slytherin Monster from attacking other students. It would be a smart idea, especially since the death of Ginny was still mentioned through hallways.
Nobody seemed to like the dementors, they found them creepy. Ghastly beings that croaked and whistles shallowly while they breathed through rotten lungs. Pansy had sworn she heard one talk, a hoarse croaky noise that sent hairs upwards on end.
Adrian thought they were beautiful.
Adrian didn't often have the opportunity to see them up close, mostly due to his reclusive pattern. He only ventured out when he was positive that he wouldn't be spotted, or when he wouldn't draw attention to himself. So far, he hadn't actually talked to any of the first years, although Theo informed him his usual clients were getting fed up with his hermit status.
Mostly for appearance's sake, he agreed to venture into Hogsmeade. Already he had seen a quarter dozen clients, each looking somewhat relieved or pissed with him.
Daphne found it interesting, the Pureblood politican that she was.
Hogsmeade was alight with lanterns and loud voices. Children ran from a joke store into a candy store and back again repeatedly. The crowd at the resident pub was overflowing with people.
"Mouse! I want a mouse!" Lutain cheered, inaudible to everyone else there.
"I'll head to the pet store." Adrian found himself saying, already turning without care if anyone heard him or not.
"Oh! I'll come with!" Daphne chirped excitedly, nearly jumping onto his arm with enthusiasm. She smiled widely, actually pretty in comparison to Millicent and Pansy, and started to drag him along.
The protesting noise Draco made was lost in the atmospheric background noise that was Hogsmeade. Her arm was firm, leaving him no room to escape as they walked along the well trodden path towards the store.
The pet store was an old, rustic-looking building with aged wooden side panels and a resident cat that, although it lived in the store, was not for sale. It watched them with friendly blue eyes, brushing against their black robes and leaving calico cat fur in its wake.
"Aren't you adorable?" Daphne cooed, bending down to pet the affectionate cat. "Who's a good boy?"
"Girl," Adrian instantly corrected, "Calicos with multiple colors can only be female."
Daphne had a wistful smile on her face as she eyed the calico as it ran away, the sound of its bell tinkling in the quiet store.
The owner was an elder man with a kind smile more trademark for a candy shop store. He wore small glasses which had an uncanny resemblance to Ollivanders', yet skittered slightly on the anxious side Theo always displayed.
"Hello!" Daphne chirped with pureblood politeness, "This is a wonderful store you have."
The man smiled and Adrian almost snorted at how straightforward Daphne was coming across. Daphne sharply elbowed Adrian's side.
"I have a younger sister and I was wondering if you have anything I could gift her for the approaching holidays," Daphne smiled brightly, her blue eyes sparkling as she looked around the store calmly, "I'm positive that you could find me something."
The man smiled and peered out on of the larger windows, "You may have better luck at Diagon Alley, missus."
Adrian wandered over to one side of the store, which was charmed with a shimmering reddish spell to keep the heat at manageable levels. An assortment of old or full grown animals peered up curiously.
"You resale animals," Adrian stated, looking over his shoulder in surprise, "Doesn't seem much profit in that."
The man looked somber, and more uncomfortable with Adrian than he was with Daphne.
"Too many wizarding children get pets and don't know how to care for 'em. Or don't want 'em anymore. It's a pity, such beautiful creatures."
Adrian smiled sadly and looked down at the assortment. A full grown lizard blinked at him and burped a green bubble.
"Oh no," Daphne exhaled, "Oh no, I know that look."
"What look?" Adrian quickly blanked his face, lifting one sleeve to let Lutain slide out and investigate the shop. The owner didn't see.
"The look you get right before you do something stupid," Daphne crossed her arms with a pointed look, "Adrian Selwyn, you are not bringing something back with us."
Well of course he wasn't. That would be making a large glowing sign practically shouting his name to everyone. He was trying to remain anonymous
"Master! Look!" Lutain cheered, peering in at something unseen, "It is a bird but noble kind! It is like hatchling but large!"
A cockatrice?
Shit
On one hand, he would be proving a point to Daphne and remaining hidden. He was here only for a mouse, or something for Lutain. Maybe an updated heating charm.
But on the other hand….
A Cockatrice.
Adrian kept full eye contact with Daphne while he elevated his voice, "How much for the Cockatrice?"
The man spluttered, "The- you mean The Grifdor?"
Daphne groaned, "Don't do it, don't do it, it sounds like bloody Gryffindor."
"Master! It is so stupid!"
A Grifdor? The man had a Grifdor?
Adrian was trying to remain anonymous….but there was a Grifdor!
"I want it." Adrian snapped, looking at the man, "How much?"
The man paled, "Eleven galleons but young man, that animal is very dangerous and was given to me by a very experienced reptile tamer-"
Lutain hissed loudly, rearing up and over the cages to look at the man right in the face. Lutain's scales were darkening back to the usual black and slightly blue tint, his belly starkly yellow in the light.
"That's a Taipan." The man stated bluntly, entirely dumbfounded, "That...how did that-"
"That's my familiar," Adrian said pointedly, "And I want the Grifdor."
How the bloody hell was he going to care for a Grifdor? He didn't have any of the requirements or the objects needed to take care of it.
Then, Adrian was struck with a sense of genius.
"Yes!" Lutain cheered excitedly, "I shall name you -" Lutain let out a series of hisses Adrian would only be able to replicate in Parseltongue.
He could gift it to Nagini, explicately saying that it wasn't for consumption. If Lutain loved it, Nagini would love it too. Then Adrian would still have a Grifdor, and better yet, he could visit it over the holidays. The joys of an exotic creature without the work of actually caring for it.
His father couldn't exactly return it, especially with how he was the one hiding.
Daphne groaned and rubbed her eyes tiredly, well past the point of tired with Adrian.
"What's its name?" Adrian asked, the man floundered.
"Er... Walter."
Adrian turned to address Daphne seriously, "His name is Walter."
Daphne glared angrily, "I hate you so much sometimes."
Daphne stormed out with an old caramel coloured Puffskein under one arm, and an advanced cage in the other.
Adrian stayed behind, shushing the anxiously chirping Grifdor which seemed to hop around and flare its trimmed wings angrily. Lutain curled on the table, cooing over his new pet with strange serpentine complements.
"Alright, here's a supply of frozen food, should last Walter a month or so." The man worriedly instructed, placing a decently sized parcel on the countertop, "He gets a bit messy but isn't too bad to handle."
Walter squawked and pecked at his foot.
"It's a pity nobody wanted him," Adrian mentioned, glancing at the creature with utmost fascination, "He's beautiful."
And indeed Walter was. He had the upper body and sharp beak of a partridge, yet from the base of its wings he sprouted cream coloured scales which warped into a long serpentine tail. He had slit pupils and the strange mixture of two short nubby fangs on the inside of its beak.
Adrian doubted that he could properly fly, although perhaps he was similar to a pheasant, able to use the long tail as a rudder or for balance as he ran at high speeds.
His father was going to hate him.
"Oh I know," The man wheezed with a smile, running a finger down Walter's head and neck with the affection of an old friend, "People just throw away magical creatures all the time. Treat them with no respect."
Adrian found himself nodding along with a wistful smile.
"So! How did you tame a Taipan? I'd expect an enthusiast to have an Ashspore or a Dagger-mouth."
"Lutain?" Adrian blinked, glancing at his darkening friend.
The man's expression lit up, "Oh what a lucky boy you are, to have the fabled Fierce Snake." He smiled and hesitantly reached out with his hand.
"Fierce snake!" Lutain crowed, pausing before boasting wildly, "I am fierce."
Adrian smiled as Lutain nuzzled his face against the hand of the man who looked nearly about to pass out from excitement.
"How often do you get rare creatures like this?" Adrian asked, nodding to Walter who had settled to clucking to himself and coiling its tail around his feet, "I could take a few- only the ones that really need it."
Okay, he really couldn't.
Not that he was going to say that to the man, but what if he came across something like a basilisk?
The man smiled, timid yet his eyes shone hope like a single star in a blackened night, "Would you, Mr. Selwyn?"
Adrian felt a smile curl on his mouth against his better judgement. Walter looked around and ducked as Adrian ran a single finger down his head and neck, brushing over his wings and smooth scales.
"Is there an owlry around here? For larger parcels?" Adrian inquired carefully, shushing Walter back towards his carrier container. The man nodded and scrambled to find a scrap of parchment, writing out a company on the top.
"Here, if you use the messenger eagles in a hawthorne box, they deliver faster for the holidays." The man added helpfully, scribbling out instructions and which postal service in particular was best for live animals.
"And, I just need to send a confirmation arrangement to the Headmaster now," The man hummed.
Adrian froze.
"No," He blurted instantly, struggling to think on his feet, "That's, that's really not necessary."
The man's face skewed in concern, "I'm sorry, it's store policy…"
"No no, I mean, I'm not sending him to the castle. So he doesn't need to know." Adrian desperately added, the relaxing aura he had achieved started to crumble.
His arms felt cold as a chill raced down his neck and spine, his breathing was hitched and his hands shook slightly.
"I'm sorry, but it really is store policy." The man apologized, looking genuine.
"No no," Adrian shook his head, blinking three times and swallowing quickly, "I...please?"
Adrian didn't hear anything the man said, he could hear his heart pounding loudly. Dumbledore was going to find out, then he would try and take it because he isn't allowed to have a Grifdor. Then he would ask where it went, he'd ask about Adrian's father and he would…
"Whoa, whoa," The man stumbled, reaching out to try and ease Adrian as the younger boy's legs collapsed. The man lowered, trying to help Adrian to the floor as he panicked, entire body shaking.
"Mr. Selwyn," The man fretted nervously, looking for his wand to possibly call for aid.
"You can't," Adrian choked out, eyes blown with panic, "Don't...don't tell Dumbledore."
"I have to, I'm not sure why you're so worried." The man tried to soothe, "Can you breathe with me? You're breathing too fast."
Adrian couldn't let him tell Dumbledore.
He didn't know how to do this, but his Father had somehow left him the Occlumency shields, he must have heightened the other skills too.
Adrian couldn't breathe as he jerked his head up, staring at the man's worried eyes.
It couldn't be that hard, could it?
He stared, and tried to push…
The man paused, seizing his body as it went tense, a low groaning noise escaping his mouth as Adrian shoved himself in, confused and disoriented and scrambling as much as he could- enough that it would, it would work out.
It was going to be okay, it was going to be okay.
The man's eyes rolled into his head and Adrian gasped in surprise, skittering backwards as the man collapsed. He lay stiff, shuddering twice before resuming a normal breathing pattern.
"Master? What did you do?" Lutain asked quietly, looking at the man in a masked emotion.
"I...I think I scrambled his memory, of us." Adrian swallowed anxiously, "I...we need to go."
Lutain didn't say anything as Adrian quickly scooped the Grifdor, feeling all of the stress he had been working to hide crush downwards on him. His legs wobbled, his bones ached and he just wanted to...he just wanted Bellatrix
Adrian choked on a sob as he made his way outside, stumbling away towards the one postal service the man had recommended, hurriedly ordering the fastest hawthorne package and silencing the upset Grifdor.
He regretted ever venturing into Hogsmeade.
He should have just stayed in bed.
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