heavy is the crown

Rian was six the first time he had a vision, not that he knew what visions, seers, or the Potter Family Magicks were at six; let alone the Pandora's box known as the Black Family. 

To his eternal, everlasting embarrassment, it was Draco who hauled him to the Malfoy Manor's library, and throw books about the Black, Potter, Peverall, and Gryffindor families at him when he got tired of Hadrian's bitching. Back in their first year, when Rian was a bit (a lot but he was as good as gaslighting himself as he was other people) disconnected from his Mother's side of the family; and before he accepted his visions for what they were. 

Hadrian had repaid the favor by making him the first one to know of what exactly, happened in a vision; to a disturbing degree. It was up to Draco how he would use the knowledge however. Draco would, usually, send any knowledge of importance to his father, who sent it to his allies, who ensured the faux peace the wizen enjoyed lasted till it couldn't hold out anymore. 

It was a group effort and Hadrian was leading the group project. 

But, nevertheless, he was six the first time he had a vision. He was staying with Mother, Uncle Siri, and Uncle Reggie. Back then, it was more of a fifty fifty custody arrangement than the full one hundred percent that it was now; but Rian of that age was too young to comprehend it.

Then again, modern day Hadrian mused, it had taken him a full decade or so and a hunt through the newspaper collection of the Hogwarts' Library to truly understood the circumstances behind his parents' divorce; especially since no one was saying anyhting outright about it. 

(By the time Mother sat him down for a talk on his fifteenth birthday, Hadrian had already knew all there was to know. He dedicated that knowledge to his persistence in digging through a decades worth of gossip rags for information, bribing ghosts and portraits alike, and getting some rather graphic answers from Uncle Barty when he was particularly drunk on Uncle Reggie's birthday. All in all, Hadrian may have done too much in his snooping efforts but no one except Draco -who may have and may have not done some similar acts in regards to his own family- would know.)

Hailey and Charlie were with Stepmother (though Lily Potter hated to be called that like it wasn't the truth, Hadrian still called her that to spite her) and Father. 

Rian was with Mother, Uncle Siri, and Uncle Reggie. 

Rian was with Grandfather and Grandmother, he was with Aunt Cassiopeia and Aunt Dorea. He was with the Noble Father and the Noble Mother; as Hadrian had started to call them as he got older. The One of Three Faces, The End of All, The Spinner, The Alloter, and The Inflexible. 

The thing with divine gifts sometimes, is that even the Fates in all their infallible knowledge can't predict what path they would lead to sometimes. Hadrian may have been given Sight then gifted his Ancient Family Magicks in compensation by the Noble Father, but he was no follower of the Noble Mother. 

All of wixen origin followed the One of Three Faces, though some noble family followed others. Potters followed the Father, Lovegoods - as Hadrian would come to learn from Luna - followed the Mother. 

Hadrian didn't pity his fellow Oracle, though she did for all that choice mattered little. He was, Hadrian supposed, the Cassandra to her Delphi. Cassandra who was forever tragecially destinted to attempt to save her homeland even if destruction was its only future, and Delphi, the noble prophet who remained neutral at all times. 

He didn't go to sleep well that night; when he realized what role Luna would end up fulfilling, and what he had to play in the coming war. 

"Morning," Draco said to him, already dressed on well ready to go the Great Hall for breakfast. "Thought you were skipping for a minute there," the blond had added, as though he hadn't basically dragged Hadrian out of bed. 

"If I could I would," Hadrian said in response, letting himself be dragged away and puppeted. 

"Why would you?" Blaise had said, ignoring how Theo had followed that by a "Why don't you?"

Hadrian shrugged in response, mind sadly losing to the invasion of memories that Came to him last night. 

It appears, Hadrian mused, letting Draco dress him as he pleased, that the Spinner was not pleased with him. 

On the marrow, the Dark Lord would attack an Order stronghold, spurred to action by the news of the McKinnon deception? Hadrian supposed the name fit, though the McKinnons weren't solely to blame. 

Symbols of defiance, were however, symbols of defiance. 

And, Hadrian supposed, war was war and the Dark Lord wanted a dictatorship in all but name (like he wasn't already named 'The Tyrant' by all the pureblooded families that mattered.)

Tom Marvolo Riddle would stop at nothing to ensure his reign lasted long and true, that Hadrian knew for sure. Be it achieving his made quest for immorality or ensuring no one was able to defy him, the Dark Lord’s ambitions would carve out a path of ruin until all the Lords that spurned him bent their knee in loyalty.

Hadrian clenched his fists, the leather of his gloves protesting under the strain. He could remember an alternate future to his universe, that ended in exactly all the Dark families swearing fealty while the others were slaughtered as though the scale of the Three Faced One did not require balance. 

Hadrian remembered that one clearly because of how high the odds were. That he won was of minuscule worth, considering just how close they were to losing. 

The McKinnon deception had been clever, a masterstroke of misinformation woven through whispers and lies, almost unheard of during the first few years of war from Dumbledore's side, but cleverness wasn’t a shield. It bought the family time; nothing more, nothing less. In war, time was a currency paid in blood.

Those Fated to meet the Father by the hands of the Dark Lord will die by his hands, even if they were able to escape both for a decade. Prophecies were inevitable; excluding the rare cases where they were nulliffied but even that required its own set of conditions. 

In no universe that Tom Marvolo Riddle turned dark and the McKinnons joined the rebellion that they lived. Hadrian liked to organise his information in a flowchart of sorts. 

Voldie turns evil, McKinnons join the gaot, equals wipe out. 

It was one simple flowchart, but did the job. 

Symbols of defiance were just that: symbols. Ideas given form, flickers of hope to keep the fire burning. But fire could consume as easily as it could illuminate. And if there was one thing Riddle understood, it was how to snuff out light before it ever became a blaze.

Had he been in Dumbledore's position, Hadrian mused, absolutely paying no attention to what Snape was dwindling about in potions, he would have killed the young upstart counterpart the minute he turned sixteen, child or not. 

It was for that reason that Hadrian knew he was about to be hunted down; no matter if he survives the chase. 

He was too alike Tom Riddle to deny it. Had Hadrian been dealt a worse hand in life, he would've been well on his way to join him. Except, all things considered, this life could have been worse. 

While Hadrian knew that better than anyone, it still didn't stop him from feeling bitter. First world problems, Tracy would have said had she been here, then she and Hadrian would have laughed at the absulute confusion on the others' faces. 

Hadrian breathed in deeply, trying to balance remembrance and getting lost in memories, his mind racing with contingencies. They needed more than bravery and clever words, even if Hadrian wasn't really a paragdam of courage and braveness and general Gryfindorness, Luna was; Dumbledore was. And at the end of the day, Hadrian would have to help Dumbledore in some shape or form since they'll end up on the same side.  

They needed strategy, alliances bound tighter than blood, and plans forged in secrecy sharper than any blade. He would play this game, not for glory or power (Hadrian swears he isn't referring to Draco), but to see a future where symbols could grow into something stronger than fear. Where defiance wasn’t a death sentence, but a promise of freedom.

Tom Riddle was almost a symbol of hope before he went insane, so was the dark lord before him even if Hadrian was not opening that pack of worms any time soon. 

For now, though, while the Dark Lord moved his pawns and knights to protect his king, keeping his queen safe, and the Light Lord moved his pawns and queens to counter, Hadrian needed to prepare his own allies. 

Starting with the knights, queen, and king. 

Pawns will come and go, but Hadrian needed his king ready. 

For all that he sucked at wizarding chess, tactics were his strong suit. 

Even if Hadrian would to die tomorrow, he wanted to have enough preparation done to be a pain in the Dark Lord's hide like Regulus almost became. 

"Hades," Luna Lovegood had said that afternoon, greeting him with that damned nickname as she sat down on the Slytherin table during thier lunch, "The Old Ones are displeased with your chosen Paths," she continued, taking a plate and choosing food. It was shaping to be a long conversation however, so Hadrian didn't blame her much. 

They were twice damned pawns in the game being played, between gods, men, and a quasi immortal man. 

Hadrian did not fancy himself a player yet, and he was humble enough to admit to that. 

"I told you not to call me that," was all he said in response, choosing his own food all the while. Out of sight, out of mind, as the muggles like to say. 

Luna didn't give up, staring him down like he often did to her. "They are displeased," she insisted, "and it won't do well for either of us if it continues," she said, voice almost pleading. 

Ah, Hadrian thought, caming to a realization, the warnings of the Archer's Orcale were alaways dissmissed by arrogant men. Hadrian knew himself well enough to admit to the very real possibility of him disregarding one of Luna's prophecies in the near future simply due to his arrogance. But that did not mean admitting defeat. 

Hadrian rolled his eyes in reponse, "so what? They send you to interfere?"

Arrogance is talking, his brain warned him, heed your flaws, it continued. 

The girl shook her head, then tilted it to stare into the enchanted cieling of the Great Hall like she could summon a hearing if she tried hard enough. Hadrian could, though it never ended up being pleasant for him. He wasn't as liked he could say, as Luna Lovegood was. 

"The end is near," was all the girl said, looking back down into her plate of assorted fruit and biscuits, "It draws upon our shores."

"And yet," Hadrian said in response, "I remain as Cursed as Cassandra herself."

The Noble Mother herself said his gifts would be recisnded once the war was over, like it wasn't rude to take back a gift once it was gifted. Hadrian was too young and innocent to fight that back then, but his visions were only growing stronger; and Luna could not deny that. 

Silence befall upon them as they focused on thier food ignoring the stares from the Slytherins like they were both blind. Hadrian was, to be fair, though Luna had a long way to go before she succumbed to that curse. 

The first prophecy Hadrian ever gave was to his own sister, on the train to Hogwarts during the twins' first year. He was less of a prophecy speaking seer and more of a vision seeing one, but well, whatever the Noble Mother decreed and all that. 

At least, that was what Charlie had told him when they met up after the feast, after both of the twins were sorted into Gryffindor and Hadrian had won a bet with his mother on where Hailey would be sorted. 

"It was as creepy as the Dark Lord is," Charlie had recounted to him, swinging his legs on one of the many benches just outside the Forest. "Your eyes just went full on green and your voice was like three old women speaking at the same time."

Unpleasant, Hadrian had thought then, though he never personally recived a prohecy. He heard it, of course, but hearing it in dreams is different from getting one in life. 

Nevertheless, he didn't envy Hailey. 

Hadrian, as he came to realize, was not an envious person; for all that his eyes were green. It took a long time for people to stop bringing the bastard reference when it come to his eyes and Lily Potter's. Hadrian didn't bother telling them it was a sign of his curse, for while Lily Potter's eyes were akin to a forest, Hadrian's were more alike acid and the killing curse than anything. 

"Do you remember it?" Hadrian had asked Charlie then, looking at the stars above them like he wasn't ass at astronomical divination. Other people don't need to know that though. 

"Well," Charlie started, "definitely had something about death rising twice, doom of the land, and a ceasefire."

Lovely, Hadrian had thought, just lovely. But considering how Hailey had received his prophecy, Hadrian now needed to place his knights in place. 

"Hailey!" Ginny exclaimed, racing down the ever moving stairs of the magic castle to catch up to her, "I can't believe you left me."

Hailey, like she had for the week since they started Hogwarts, didn't respond. Ginny would have been worried, but she knew the girl since they could walk and wasn't that concerned yet. 

Something had probably happened on the train, the youngest of the Weasleys had concluded correctly; though she wasn't sure what and how bad. 

Definitely bad, Ginny corrected herself, leading the Potter girl away from the Astronomy tower. 

It wouldn't do her good to contemplate jumping again. 

"My sister tried to off herself," was what Hadrian choose to start the day with, ignoring how Blaise took his coat and speed walked out of the dorm room. Hadrian didn't blame him. 

"Interesting," Theo said, half dead like he was every morning. Hadrian, half dead as he was too, felt sympathetic. 

"What stopped her?" Draco asked, too early to be moral but still as much of a gossip.

Hadrian shrugged, as though he wasn't really sure of last night's events. "The youngest Weasel daughter dragged her off from the Astro Tower."

"Lovely," Draco said, far too polite to tell him to go off himself. 

"Why would she though?" Theodore asked him, still looking dead but to a lesser degree. 

"Might be the prophecy I gave her earlier," Hadrian shrugged, getting into the bathroom and locking it behind him; before either Theo or Draco registered what he said and chased him down. 

"What's this I hear about prophecies," Blaise had asked him in divination, sitting next to him and acting like Hadrian had an obligation to divulge information. 

He did, but the general populace did not need to know that. 

Hadrian didnt say anything, just looked at the boy and considered it. For it wasn't his prohpecy, he was still considered a 'main character' in it and he didnt exactly fancy being subjacted to both prophecies at the same time. 

Blaise however, was as much of an outisder as anyone could be. He really was the perfect choice, Hadrian mused. Draco and Theo had thier father situation, and Hadrian's family was three generations deep into a rebellion that Hadrian was actively planning to contiue. 

He hummed, reaching into his bag and grabbing a piece of parchment and handing it to Blaise. He took the parchement and unfolded it, reading it as he did so. Once he was done, the parchment went up in flames, though Trelawney was too focused on her tea cup to notice the slight flame. 

"And this is for your sister?" Blaise asked, playing around with his teacup as he did so. 

"Indeed," Hadrian confirmed, ignoring the Grimm that was beginning to show in his cup. Out of sight, out of mind. 

"Merlin help the poor girl," Blaise muttered under his breath, making up stuff for their tea reading report, pointedly ignoring the very clear Grimm in Hadrian's cup. 

Hadrian couldn't agree less. 

"The stars foretold death as the moon rose," one Luna Lovegood said in greeting.

"I foretold a war last week," Hadrian said in response, ignoring how the girl almost tripped in shock and quickly getting away. 

The Noble Father and the Grimm weren't a good combination, and Hadrian really wasn't in a mood to decipher Fate's grand plan after the horror story of a vision that was yesterday's dream. 

Ergo, he basically ran away from Luna. 

"You can't hide from the Hunters forever!" Was all Luna said as she recovered from shock and as he retreated, ignoring how Hadrian ignored her. 

Which fair, but two could play that game; and Hadrian never started a game he was meant to lose.