Chapter 8
"Welcome," Tom-Alaric said quietly but warmly to the third year Slytherins and Gryffindors once they'd all sat down. "Severus asked me to teach today, as he wasn't feeling well.
"You can put those books away, you won't need them. Just wands today."
There was a rustling as the class obeyed.
"Today," Tom continued, "we'll be facing a Boggart." Most of the class paled. "Can anyone tell me what a Boggart is?"
Several raised hands, mostly on the Slytherin side. Tom called on Harrison.
"A creature that, when feeling threatened, will transform into their threat's worst fear," Harrison said calmly.
"Correct, five points to Slytherin," Tom said softly. "As we will be dealing with one's worst fears, and there's no way to know if one's fear is traumatic, you will enter my office-" he gestured to the room at the top of the stairs, which were at the back of the classroom "-one by one, and face it with just myself and Madam Pomfrey in the room with you.
"I know that some of you will not want to face this creature," he continued when some students looked uncertain. "I will certainly give you the choice to face it or not, but it is important to learn how to protect yourself, and to face your fears. Madam Pomfrey and I will be close by, and will not let you get hurt."
There was a knock on the door, signalling that the healer had arrived. Tom waved his wand, and the door opened.
"It's about time someone taught children how to face Boggarts correctly," Poppy snapped as she swooped down the aisle, earning quiet giggles. "The previous professors either didn't teach them at all, or had them face it in front of their peers!"
Tom's expression darkened. He had, of course, taught students how to face a Boggart the same way while he was possessing Quirrell, but it was disheartening that most adults didn't take children's fears seriously.
"Now, the way to fight a Boggart is to try to think of something funny," Tom continued with a little smile. "Laughter confuses the creature, making it easier to subdue. Think of your worst fear, and try to make it funny. Focusing on this image, you will then point your wand at the Boggart and cast, Riddikulus! Try it without your wands first."
"Riddikulus!" the class chanted.
"Well done," Tom praised softly, causing the class to relax. "We'll go in alphabetical order. Miss Brown? Have you decided whether to face the Boggart or not?"
Swallowing, the girl stood and said shakily, "I'll do it."
She followed both of them up the stairs.
Tom's office looked more like a sitting room with several shelves of books. There was a huge platter of chocolate chip biscuits -- and a smaller platter with dairy-free, gluten-free sugar biscuits next to it -- on his desk, for after the students faced the Boggart. Brown looked surprised when she saw the cookies, but then her eyes fell on the large, shaking wardrobe beside the desk and gulped.
"Miss Brown, do you know what to do?" Tom asked. "Do you need assistance?"
She shook her head. "I'm fine." She pulled out her wand. "What... what are the biscuits for?"
"Sweets, especially chocolate, provide endorphins that-" Tom stopped when he saw the confused look on the girl's face. "They trigger the happy hormones," he said dryly.
The girl blushed deeply. "I'm ready," she said quickly.
Tom refrained from shaking his head in exasperation. He'd always thought that the sex education class should be taught before a student went through puberty, so they could be warned beforehand what was happening to them. He shook this thought from his head and released the Boggart with a flick of his wand.
A swarm of wasps emerged, buzzing angrily, and Brown screamed. "Riddikulus!" she squawked. The wasps transformed into bumblebees, who began bumping around harmlessly. The girl giggled, sounding a little hysterical and relieved.
"Well done, five points to Gryffindor," Tom said gently. "The sugar buscuits are dairy- and sugar-free, if you can't eat chocolate, flour, or milk products."
Brown took one of the chocolate chip biscuits.
"Send in Miss Byrne, please," Tom said as she opened the door. "Take a seat and wait, I'll dismiss the class once everyone who wants to has faced the Boggart." Nodding, Brown left, shaky but relieved.
The students filed through slowly. None of them needed Tom's or Poppy's assistance. And it appeared that the promise of sugar was enough to persuade all the students to participate, as no student had failed to show up.
When Parvati Patil had finished with her Boggart, Tom asked her to send both the Potter-Black twins up. He didn't think he could handle Harley without Harrison's assistance. Poppy went a little gray.
"What's wrong?" he asked her.
She shook her head. "Patient-doctor privilege. But I believe I know what Mr. Harlequin Potter-Black's Boggart would be."
She was referring to the pedo Harley had killed. Tom tilted his head; he had a hunch that Harley's worst fear was definitely not the pedo.
Harley burst in, looking a little insane with excitement, and Harrison followed, expression blank. "Harley, one biscuit after you've faced the Boggart," he said sharply when Harley made a beeline for the dessert.
"Aww." Harley bounced over to the wardrobe. "Let's go, I wanna biscuit!"
Poppy laughed shakily, and Harrison sent the woman a shrewd look. Tom glanced between the boys and released the Boggart once more.
A familiar boy stepped out.
Except while the real boy's expression was unreadable, the fake Harrison Potter-Black had a dangerous glare on his face. Poppy went white.
"You failed me, Harley," the Boggart said with a cold, disappointed tone. Harley froze. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you go." The real Harrison's face was calm, but Tom saw the murderous fury in the boy's eyes. The Boggart raised his wand, "Goodbye, brother dear."
Harrison shoved his brother out of the way, raising his own wand. The Boggart did nothing for a moment, but then it was replaced by an unmoving body on the floor.
Harley's body.
Harley's bloody, broken, blank-faced body, the light in his AK green eyes gone. The real Harley's jaw dropped, and Harrison let out a dark, deep, low snarl.
Harrison's magic exploded out of him, wrapping around the Boggart. Dead Harley screamed, and Poppy fainted.
"Harrison," Tom said sharply, stopping the poor woman from smacking her head with a flick of his wand. "There are students who haven't faced the Boggart yet. I'll let you destroy it after every student has faced it." Technically, only the second years and half of third years hadn't faced the Boggart yet, since the rest of the school had had that lesson two years ago, and first years weren't allowed to face it, but Tom didn't want to have to look for another Boggart.
Harrison sucked in a breath, his eyes still murderous, but he managed to reign in his furious magic, which instead wrapped protectively around his brother. Tom quickly put the Boggart back into the wardrobe and cast a Renervate at Poppy.
The woman sat up, blinking. "What..." she paused when she saw the two boys, Harley still looking half-panicked and Harrison's expression completely blank again. "Calming Draughts?" she suggested as she got to her feet.
"That would be... helpful," Harrison said carefully, a faint snarl still present in his tone. Harley started, then slammed into his brother, clinging to him tightly.
"Always yours?" he asked in a muffled tone as Poppy pulled two potions out of her healer kit.
Harrison responded too quietly for Tom to hear, running his fingers through Harley's messy, fiery locks. Harley sobbed and relaxed, but still didn't let go of Harrison.
Tom felt an unexpected wave of sadness and wistfulness sweep over him. He frowned inwardly. He'd stopped wanting a family after he was sent back after the fourth adoption. He didn't-
Nagini popped into his head and he stifled a sigh. Okay, he did want a family, and while he the Maledictus was as close to a sister as he ever would have, they would never have as close a relationship as the Potter-Black twins had.
"You can have my biscuit as well, I suppose," Harrison said reluctantly, after both boys had taken a calming draught. Harley lit up again, earning a tight smile from Poppy, and snatched two of the chocolate chip biscuits off
the plate.
"Send in Miss Rookwood," Tom told Harrison, who nodded. "If you would like to try again this weekend, you may."
"Thank you, Professor, we will take that offer," Harrison said stiffly. The two boys left.
"What...?" Poppy couldn't finish, a look of concern and fear on her face.
"I know," Tom agreed quietly. "Poppy, they need a mind healer, but they don't really trust anybody."
"Perhaps Lady Malfoy?"
"While the twins trust her more than most people, they don't trust her as much as their friends, or Severus," Tom corrected her softly, unable to stop a light blush from appearing on his cheeks at the mention of his boyfriend. He'd never had a lover before, mostly because he'd never trusted anyone enough, at least until Sev.
Poppy's lips thinned. "You like Severus?"
"I -- well-" While Tom wouldn't have stammered like this when it came to Severus, definitely not, Alaric would.
"You had best treat him with the love and respect he deserves, Alaric Belanger-Reid," Poppy said sharply. Tom blinked in surprise. "Otherwise -- well, I am a Healer, and I know how to find untraceable poisons."
Tom's lips twitched; he hadn't realized how fiercely protective Poppy was of her students, past or present. "I would never," he promised.
The door opened, halting their conversation, and Selene Rookwood entered, looking uncharacteristically nervous. Tom released the Boggart again, focusing on his teaching again.
"Ah, Alaric," Albus said as Tom entered the office. "How has your first week of teaching been?"
Tom smiled slightly, although what he really wanted to do was strangle the man with his own beard. "I think I'm doing well, but you'd have to ask the students that."
"I haven't heard anything negative," Albus hummed. "Your teaching style, especially with the Boggart, is... unusual, but effective."
"Thank you?" Tom said in a quietly puzzled tone.
Albus' lips twitched. "I called you here for two reasons," he said, sobering. "The first is this: I need you to teach the Potter-Black twins advanced magic, specifically how to duel."
Severus had told him about this, so Tom's look of surprise was faked, but his intrigue wasn't. "As long as they're okay with that," he agreed. "What was the second thing you wanted me for, Albus?"
A grave expression fell over the man's face. "I know you believe Voldemort is dead, but... I'm afraid that he wasn't. He has returned."
Tom kept his expression blank for a moment, only showing (fake) anger in his eyes. "Are you sure?" he asked in a very calm voice.
"I wish with all my heart that I was not," Albus said heavily. "My spy confirmed it."
Tom gripped the arms of his seat.
"I created a little group in the first war, before Voldemort disappeared," Albus continued. "It's called the Order of the Phoenix. I reformed the group, although half of our members died or vanished, and we need all the help we can get."
Keeping a look of shock on his face, and not the laughing glee he was actually feeling, Tom said incredulously, "You want me to join your Order?"
"While a great many people despise the man, no one is as angry at him as you are," Albus explained. "Or nearly as powerful and talented. Would you consider it?"
"I don't need to consider it," Tom said, now allowing the glee to appear on his face, accompanied by a look of (fake) fury. "I want his head on a ssspike." He blinked when his words became borderline Parseltongue and faked a look of embarrassment. "Sorry," he apologized to the wide-eyed old man, "that sometimes happens when I'm angry...."
"You are a Parselmouth?" Albus said cautiously.
"I don't broadcast it, but yes," Tom replied. "Most of my powers and talents I only associate with myself, not him, even if I did inherit them from him, but... Parseltongue is different. Very few people are Parselmouths, and... most people will instantly think I'm descended from Slytherin, rather than literally any other Naga of which there were hundreds."
Albus tapped his chin. "That talent may be useful. You do not have to use it," he added. "But he does have a snake, Nagini, and perhaps you could send a snake spy of your own."
Tom pretended to go a little pink. "I, uh... I have a snake," he admitted. "Her name is Iris. She's a baby garter snake." He'd named her after the baby rainbow snake he'd had when he was a child, the one that had been smashed by that bastard, Billy. "She's really adorable, and not a danger to anyone, and she knows not to eat people's pets -- she's too young to hunt, anyway; she's not allowed to leave my quarters.
"I would like to meet her," Albus said with a smile on his face, but Tom could tell the man was alarmed. "Does the staff know?"
"I told Poppy and Severus, so they could create an antidote to her venom just in case," Tom replied. "She's a sweetheart and a literal baby, so I don't foresee her biting anybody," he added when Albus' eyes widened. "She wouldn't hurt a fly."
"Good." Albus stood up. "The next Order meeting is next Saturday at noon; will give you the address beforehand, as I'm the Secret Keeper."
This just kept getting better and better! Albus was literally inviting his enemy to join the Order, and handing him the address to their headquarters to boot! He couldn't wait to tell Severus and Nagini!