Chapter 2
Meet me in the Astronomy Tower at midnight. The words lingered in his mind; his mouth growing dry. Alec's stomach twisted in an unexpected knot of joyful anticipation and ice-cold panic. Merlin's Beard, what could Magnus Bane possibly want from him ? He had made his stance on Alec and his family quite clear during the trainride.
Deep in his thoughts, Alec hadn't even realized how he had crushed the delicate note in the palm of his hand. Hastily, he smoothed out the paper, making sure he hadn't just imagined the words. Alec gently slid the note into the pocket of his cloak and leaped to his feet. In his hurry his thighs bumped into the dining table, plates and silverware clanking harshly. Just the slight twitch of his mouth suggested that the noise had startled him.
“Where are you going?” Simon shouted after him, his mouth still filled with food.
“Um...homework,” Alec replied half-heartedly, without even glancing at the other Hufflepuff.
“But it's the first day,” Underhill added confused, cocking his head slightly. His light eyebrows furrowed in a worried frown as he prepared to follow Alec.
“Well, you can never start too early,” Alec replied, scratching the back of his neck nervously. “I just want to sort through a few things and clean my Quidditch equipment,” he stammered awkwardly, turning his back on them and striding across the Great Hall.
Without even thinking about it, Alec's feet carried him down the great stone staircase until he reached the school's dungeons. He still hadn't fully grasped what had just happened.
The Hufflepuff common room was located in the same corridor as the entrance to the school kitchen, which had proven to be very helpful in the past. On particularly stressful days, he had sometimes snuck in to the lovely house-elves who had provided him with Earl Grey and freshly baked chocolate biscuits.
But today he left the fruit still life behind him, which marked the entrance to the kitchen. Alexander stopped in front of a stack of large barrels. He reached out to the second cask from the bottom in the middle of the stack. By now, the Hufflepuff no longer had to think about the password while he let his knuckles knock against the smooth wood to the rhythm of ‘Helga Hufflepuff’.
A moment later, the entry to the Hufflepuff common room opened up, a gently sloping tunnel through which Alec immediately passed. He paused for a moment and leaned against one of the plush sofas as soon as he entered the circular room. The pleasant smell of vanilla, mixed with a slightly earthy, woody note, greeted him. Alec had always felt more at home here than in the estate he had grown up in. His fingers clawed into the grey blanket that was draped over the back of the chair. Alec let his eyes glide over the walls, adorned with golden tapestries, and the large fireplace, whose mantel was decorated with artfully carved dragons. For a moment, he thought he saw the large portrait of Helga Hufflepuff wink at him. Upon closer inspection, however, it remained motionless in its simple brass frame.
Meanwhile, the sun had set and darkness was creeping through the small, round windows. The scene was illuminated only by the flickering light of the crackling fire, which covered the room in whirling shadows.
Alec forced himself to continue and tiptoed into his dormitory, accessed through a barrel-shaped door. He made his way straight to the bed, his unopened suitcase resting at the far end. The tightness in his chest eased a little as he felt relatively safe here. Alec adjusted his uniform and let his shoulders drop. It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted from them. With relief, he let himself fall onto the soft mattress of his neatly made four-poster bed.
Alec wasn't quite sure how to proceed. Torn between two options, he sighed deeply into the growing silence. ‘’What could he be up to?‘’ he whispered to himself, staring at his bedpost as if it could answer his question.
Alexander slowly took out his wand; with a casual flick of his wrist, he made his bandage, now somewhat dirty, disappear. “Tergeo,” he exhaled, gently cleaning the slightly red and swollen edges of the wound. He could have healed the cut with ease, probably without his father even noticing, but obedience had become second nature to him. Sighing, he looked at the dark crimson, which contrasted with his fair skin. “Ferula,” he mumbled quickly and tapped the tip of his wand against the palm of his hand, unable to bear the sight of his failure any longer. In an instant, a pristine white bandage wrapped itself around the cut, as if it had always been there.
The Hufflepuff sat up with a jolt and left his common room with long strides. He would take a risk for once. What could possibly go wrong? It certainly wouldn't be the first time in his life that he had to expect a punishment or a dressing down.
Since all the students and teachers seemed to be enjoying their desserts in the great hall, it was easy for Alec to slip unnoticed through the corridors. To his displeasure, the astronomy classroom was located in the highest tower of Hogwarts. So he had to climb a myriad of steps and small staircases on his way. He made sure to avoid the hostile glances of the surrounding paintings as much as possible.
Once he finally arrived on the seventh floor, Alec was a little out of breath, admittedly.
If Hufflepuff wanted to win the Quidditch Cup this year, he would have to work on his stamina. Opening the respective doors was not particularly challenging for a seventh-year model student like Alec. The narrow spiral staircase twisted into the sky like the scaled tail of a sleeping dragon.
His heart began to quicken its pace, even though the arranged time was still two hours in the future. A little hesitant, the young wizard stepped out onto the small platform that offered an ideal view of the entire horizon. A cool wind greeted him, ruffling his dark hair and tugging at the fabric of his tailored cloak.
Alec shivered slightly and rubbed his hands together for warmth. He flopped down onto the hard stone floor, a little awkwardly. Reaching into the pocket of his cloak, the Hufflepuff pulled out a well-worn copy of ‘The Tales of Beedle the Bard’. The pages of the booklet curled slightly under the influence of an unknown liquid that had left some words barely legible and smudged. It was an heirloom from his grandfather, full of countless annotations and notes, not even half of which Alec could decipher. Nevertheless, the familiar words gave him a sense of security and control.
He gently ran his thumb over the fading ink on the well-worn paper: ‘The Magician and the Hopping Pot, the Fountain of Fair Fortune, Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump and, of course, the Tale of the Three Brothers. A tiny smile crept across his mouth as he waited for Magnus, engrossed in his reading.
“I didn't think you'd actually show up, Lightwood,” a velvety voice interrupted his thoughts. Startled, Alec raised his head and drew his wand, as he couldn't make out anyone in the darkness.
“S-show yourself,” Alec stumbled over his words in a sudden wave of nervousness and came to his feet. Frustration welled up in his chest, digging into his heart like the claws of a griffin. “Why did you ask me to come here? You made your opinion of me clear enough, as I recall.”
“Now, now. There's no need for rudeness, Mr Lightwood,” Magnus chastised, stepping out of the cover of darkness into Alec's line of vision. Once again, he was overwhelmed by Magnus' striking beauty. Even in the pale light of the moon, his skin seemed to have a golden glow. Still awe-struck, Alec barely noticed how the Slytherin flicked his wrist and disarmed him, like a clueless first-year. Magnus skilfully caught his wand and tucked it into his robes.
“I'm just taking a few security precautions. No need to worry,” he explained calmly, with the same casual boredom he had shown before. The cold, calculating look in his eyes revealed nothing at all. “Merlin, you are so gullible, I almost feel bad for doing this. I really don't know what you thought would happen. Suits me just fine though, so I have nothing to complain about. 10 galleons to give the precious Lightwood heir a taste of your own medicine, seems like a pretty good deal to me.” The predatory smirk on his lips caught Alec off guard. “If I hurt your feelings you can always try to send a complaint to mommy and daddy. The door should automatically open at sunrise.” With that, the lock clicked shut and Alec was left outside alone.
Stunned into silence, Alec gaped at the locked door. Staggering, almost tripping over his own feet, he stepped up to the heavy wooden door and tried to turn the handle. Of course it wouldn't budge. He was stuck here until morning without access to his wand. A choked sound rose in his throat as he slowly sank to the floor.
"Why?" the Hufflepuff whispered and bowed his head. Even the constellations in the night sky seemed to mock him. In the end, he was always alone. He had only the shadows on the wall to keep him company.
*****
“I am going to fucking kill him. What the actual fuck?” Underhill snarled angrily, slamming his jug of pumpkin juice down on the table with a loud bang. A furious glint appeared in his blue eyes. Several other Hufflepuffs raised their heads in surprise at the sudden noise.
“Merlin, what is this guy's problem? You didn't even do anything.” Andrew grumbled, now in a more subdued voice.
“Calm down, it's not that big of a deal. I definitely had worse.”Alec tried to reassure him in a hoarse voice. He had been feeling an unpleasant itch in his throat for several hours. Grabbing his coffee cup, he quickly washed down his hoarseness with the bitter brew. Shortly after Magnus had left, heavy rain clouds had darkened the horizon. When the Hufflepuff finally managed to leave the platform and retrieve his wand, he was completely drenched, his dark hair stuck to his forehead and his squeaky boots leaving puddles wherever he went. Of course, Underhill had immediately demanded an explanation and had been plotting Magnus Bane's painful demise ever since.
“If Isabell and Jace knew about this, they would..” Underhill started, but was immediately interrupted by Alec. “No!” he replied firmly and shook his head. Before he could say anything else, a raw cough broke from his throat. “I really don't need to bother them with such nonsense." Just thinking about it made his forehead crease in worry. The Hufflepuff really had enough on his plate already. Tugging nervously at the crisp white fabric of his bandage was promptly punished with a stinging pain. Alec sighed in frustration and reached for a piece of golden-brown toast that looked about as appetising as Isabelle's omelettes to him. Knowing that his moods would become unbearable if he missed a meal, he spread a thick layer of raspberry jam on his sandwich. This time he didn't even bother to remove the crust.
“At least the Quidditch tryouts are starting soon,” Underhill tried to cheer him up a little, flashing his best friend a mischievous smirk. “That'll take your mind off all this. Lucy, Christopher and Thomas aren't here anymore, so we're missing two chasers and a beater,” Andrew mused aloud, frowning as he counted on his fingers.
Alec bit into his toast and gulped it down without chewing. The only good thing about this terrible morning was that Simon was sitting at the Gryffindor table, chatting happily, and couldn't get on his nerves. One less reason to leap off the Astronomy Tower. He was grateful for the distraction Andrew provided and let his head be filled with thoughts of the oncoming Quidditch season. “I think this year I'll make everyone work for their position. Anyone who wants to make the team has to prove that they are willing to give their all. That's our only chance of beating Gryffindor. Jace is an excellent chaser as well as a great captain, but he's a bit too sure of himself. If we train hard enough, at least no one can say we didn't do our best.”
Alexander started when a sheet of paper was suddenly pressed into his gesticulating hand. In his rambling monologue, he hadn't even noticed that Professor Garroway had started handing out the timetables. Tall and broad-shouldered as he was, the head of Hufflepuff house had no trouble at all navigating the maze of breakfasting students. His brown eyes lingered briefly on Alec, giving him a friendly smile. Beneath the short stubble of his beard, he had a few dimples. Over the summer holidays, more silver strands had mixed into his dark coils. “Good to have you back, Lightwood, Underhill,” he beamed, adjusting his round glasses. Professor Garroway taught History of Magic. Although Alec had always done well in his class, his passion was clearly elsewhere. After his O.W.L.‘s, he had decided to drop the class. As he strode away, his faded plaid robe billowed behind him.
Alexander eyed the sheet of parchment warily and quickly added a few notes with his quill.
“Potions with Slytherin,” he mumbled, barely audible. Potions with Magnus Bane, he added in his mind, and shuddered. The Hufflepuff tried not to let the shiver that ran down his spine show.
“My condolences,” Underhill piped up cheerfully, who wasn't taking Potions anymore. Which was understandable, considering he was a far bigger disaster than Alec and that was really saying something. Andrew was infamous for almost blowing up the entire classroom in his very first Potions lesson. Professor Morgenstern had been able to prevent serious damage, luckily. But since that day, he had harboured an unbridled hatred for Hufflepuff students that he didn't even bother to hide.
“Well, thank you very much,” Alexander groaned, feeling glum. If he had his way, he would have dropped Professor Morgenstern's class the moment he had the chance to, but he needed potions in his N.E.W.T.s to be able to train as an auror. His parents would have preferred their firstborn son to go into politics. Fortunately, they weren't too bent on stopping him from pursuing his plans. Until now, that is. Of course, his father hadn't been able to resist sending him a few disappointed letters and making a few subtle jibes in front of his siblings.
“At least we have Defence against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration and Charms together,” Underhill interjected, slapping his friend on the back. Astounded, Alec watched Underhill's mouth turn into the Bermuda Triangle. With an alarming speed, he swallowed the rest of his porridge. Funnily enough, the actual Bermuda Triangle in the Atlantic Ocean didn't consist of maelstroms, as some Muggles believed. Rather, it was home to a sea monster, which could be witnessed on a cruise with Terror Tours, a travel agency for adventurous wizards. Alec was jolted out of his thoughts when his best friend started talking again: “Speaking of Defence against the Dark Arts: it's almost nine o'clock. We should get going soon, don't you think?”
Alec nodded in agreement as he washed down the rest of his toast with coffee and rose to his feet. Side by side, they strode through the Great Hall, which was slowly emptying.
From the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught sight of a wisp of silver blonde hair. He turned his head discreetly in the direction of the figure and saw Camille Bellcourt pushing her way through the crowd, followed by her entourage. Like shimmering ripples on the ocean, soft curls fell across her narrow shoulders. Every step was graceful and light, making it seem as if she were floating across the floor. Her haughty, pouted mouth and fair skin made her look like an ancient statue with cold, gleaming emeralds for eyes. Alexander couldn't help wondering if there was a little Veela blood in her veins.
No wonder someone like Magnus had gotten involved with Camille.
Alexander almost knocked over a tiny first-grader on his way up to the third floor. He had completely overlooked the boy, who hardly reached past his thighs. Unsettled, Alec had scratched the back of his neck and apologised profusely. His cheeks were still flushed when he entered the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom alongside Andrew.
The arches that spanned over their heads had always reminded Alec of the bleached skeleton of a dragon. Conversations and chatter filled the room, enveloping the senses in a blanket of sound. Before he could drift off further, Unterhill grabbed him by the arm and gently pulled him towards their usual seats. Once there, Alec glanced at the group of hooting Gryffindors in the back row. They reminded him of his brother. It had been so long since they had spent time together. Just the two of them. Deep inside, the old wound kept eating away at his core. Yearning seared through his veins like burning poison, making him tremble. He missed his siblings so much. But Alec was just their overprotective big brother. Why would they spend their time with someone like him?
‘’Stop overthinking, Alec. I can literally see the cogs turning in that brain of yours.‘’ Andrew scolded, shaking his head disapprovingly. A gentle smile spread across his face. “So, are you ready for our last year together?”
Alec knew that this was a rhetorical question. Yet the Hufflepuff's answer was a clear no. He wasn't ready for any of it, never had been and never would be. Therefore, he only nodded reluctantly and tried to contort his face into an enthusiastic expression.
“Welcome back to Defence against the Dark Arts.”, announced a familiar voice.
Immediately, the room fell completely silent and all eyes turned to Professor Starkweather, who was leaning casually against the edge of the teacher's desk. “I hope you haven't forgotten everything I taught you during the holidays."
Dressed in a tailored tweed suit, the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher almost resembled a Muggle insurance salesman. And yet, Alec would have described him as one of his best teachers. Defence Against the Dark Arts had always come easy to Alec, making it one of his favourite subjects.
With his usual air of composure, the professor scanned the eager faces of his students with his keen grey eyes. A thick, silvery scar ran across one side of his face like a stream diving a valley. Its origin had always intrigued Alec, especially since the professor had never discussed it, remaining tight-lipped about most aspects of his past and private life. He was definitely not one to torture his students hourlong of anecdotes of his glory days. Candlelight reflected in his rectangular glasses, as he ran his hands through his thinning hair. As a few students started pulling books out of their satchels, Professor Starkweather waved them off dismissively. “You won't need any of those today. I'm not a monster. I can hardly torture you with dull theory in the first lesson after the summer break. Roll up your sleeves and find a partner. Let's see if you've mastered your defensive spells.”
Underhill gave him a long look. “Go easy on me. I don't want to spend the rest of the day in the hospital wing.”
Alec gave him a mocking curtsey and raised his wand. “As you wish, good sir."