Until The End

Until The End

Chapter 13: Investigations

"Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired."

Ron Weasley's P.O.V:

The Library – Friday, January 21st, 1992

Almost a week had gone by since the trial, and the bad dreams for Ron had subsided. The Prodigy duo still got the complete looks of utter awe from the student body, and even sometimes the professors and the ghosts.

"Ron," Neville said, and Ron turned to him.

"What were the ingredients for the Wiggenweld Potion again?" Neville asked.

"Oh, it's Salamander blood, five Lionfish spines, Flobberworm mucus, honey, and boom berry juice," Ron answered, and Neville quickly scribbled it down on his parchment.

"Are you stuck on your conclusion, Harry?" Xavier asked as he examined Harry's parchment. Harry nodded with a sigh.

"Just restate the purpose of the Wiggenweld Potion. It heals injuries and is an antidote to the Sleeping Draught and the Draught of Living Peace," Xavier advised, and Harry got to work while nodding his thanks. Hermione huffed; she clearly disliked the idea of her two Gryffindor friends asking for help when they should have just studied properly as she, Ron, and Xavier did. Oh, give them a break Hermione…

"Now, what were you saying about aeroplanes?" Xavier questioned as he faced back to Hermione. What the bloody hell is an aeroplane?

"Ok, I think I'm done," Neville said, before correcting a spelling mistake on one of the words.

"Me too," Harry added, and he rolled up his parchment.

"Have you guys finished your Astronomy essay?" Ron asked, and the Gryffindor boys nodded.

"Ooh, we were going to go have tea at Hagrid's," Hermione reminded. "Would you like to join us?"

"Yeah sure, why not, eh?" Ron agreed, and they then turned to Xavier.

"Yeah, I'll come," Xavier responded, and the five friends began to clear their books and parchment before heading out of the Library.

They first decided to head for Gryffindor Tower, so that Harry and Neville could put their work back in their dorms, and once they reached the Gryffindor Tower, Harry and Neville went inside, while Ron, Xavier, and Hermione waited outside for them.

Two minutes later, the two Gryffindor boys appeared, and Harry smiled excitedly.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Ron asked with a laugh, and Harry then pulled out something from his pocket.

"I forget to mention this to you and Xavier both, but look what I got for Christmas," Harry replied, and he slipped on something. Immediately, his whole body disappeared, and only his face could be seen peering at his friends. What the bloody hell!

"What in the name of Merlin! What happened?" Xavier asked in full surprise, and Ron shared his look of shock, while Neville and Hermione just laughed away.

"It's an Invisibility Cloak!" Harry exclaimed, and he then took it off and put it on Ron. The cloak made no noise at all when it contacted Ron, and Ron just stared down to see absolutely nothing of his body. It was just gone.

"This is wicked," Ron muttered, and Harry nodded fervently, while Xavier just stared with wide eyes.

"Who gave it to you?" Xavier inquired, as he tried on the cloak for himself.

"Dunno. It just came with a note saying that it used to be my dad's and I should use it well," Harry explained. Ron and Xavier both exchanged a quick look. Xavier had been giving something of his father's, and so had Harry?

"Why do we need it tonight?" Ron asked.

"Well, we might come back later than expected, especially as it is a Friday night," Neville replied for Harry.

"Well, I've got no complaints, we should definitely try this cloak out," Xavier said excitedly, and the other three boys nodded vigorously. Hermione just rolled her eyes but smiled faintly.

With that, the five set off to Hagrid's Hut, and Ron was intrigued to see how the hut would be like. Ron and Xavier both had never talked to Hagrid like the Golden Trio did.

Once the five neared Hagrid's Hut, Ron could see smoke billowing out from the wooden chimney, and he could see remains of the immense pumpkins for Halloween sitting by the side of the hut.

Harry knocked on the door four times before the giant man opened it and smiled widely at them.

"Good to see yeh three as always. And yer must be Ron Weasley and Xavier Desmond," Hagrid said, and the duo nodded respectfully as they all stepped inside.

"You have a wonderful home, Hagrid," Xavier complimented as he sat down and glanced at the warm fireplace, the slightly chipped wooden furniture, and the animal parts hanging on the walls.

"Reminds me a bit of my own home," Ron added truthfully, and Hagrid smiled warmly at them.

"Thank yer boys. That's very kind of yer," Hagrid said happily, and he began to pour tea while passing a plate of rock cakes onto the table.

Harry, Neville, and Hermione kindly rejected the cakes, but Ron was starving, and Xavier was intrigued to see how it tasted. They both obviously missed the Golden Trio's ever-growing grins.

Ron and Xavier bit into their rock cakes, and they were met with a rock-hard surface. Xavier frowned, while Ron repeatedly bit at it. Harry and Neville roared with laughter and Hermione giggled. What the hell, it's going to make my teeth fall out!

"Oh, sorry abou' that, shoulda warned yer," Hagrid said sheepishly.

"You don't say," Ron exclaimed, and they all laughed. Hagrid studied Xavier, and he smiled sadly.

"I must say, Xavier, I knew both yer dad and yer mum. Fine folks they were. Powerful and intelligent, but very kind, especially yer mum. She was always nice to me," Hagrid informed, and he patted Xavier's back.

"I'm glad to hear that, Hagrid. I'm sure they were great," Xavier replied. He ignored the sympathetic looks from Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid.

"How's Charlie, Ron? He was me favourite," Hagrid told as he turned to the redhead, and Ron smiled warmly.

"He's doing fine. I haven't seen him in a while though, work must be keeping him busy," Ron explained, and Hagrid nodded. Hmm, I must send a letter to Charlie…

"Fine lad he is," Hagrid said with a nostalgic smile and Ron nodded in agreement.

"What does your brother Charlie do?" Hermione asked as she drank some of her tea.

"Oh, he works with dragons," Ron replied, and Hermione gasped. Harry and Neville looked impressed.

"Dragons," Hermione muttered; she was in awe too.

"Yep. Dragons," Ron said with a laugh.

A few good hours had gone by and they were all having a great time. The fireplace was crackling, and it all felt cosy inside the hut. Hagrid was currently recounting the time he had to chase the twins out of the Forbidden Forest.

"An' there I was, just talkin' to Bane, the Centaur. An' then all of a sudden, I hear bloody broomsticks in the air. An' guess who was on those broomsticks?" Hagrid asked rhetorically, and he was met with shocked looks from Ron and Hermione. Xavier, Harry, and Neville were all just roaring with laughter.

"Bloody hell… Fred and George really did that?" Ron asked in disbelief. Hagrid nodded, while Hermione just tutted.

"Those two are insane," Xavier retorted, while Harry and Neville were having trouble with controlling their laughter.

"Well lads and lass, I reckon yeh lot must get to bed now. It's getting late innit," Hagrid suggested as he got up to head to the door. "I have some important business to attend to tomorrow,"

"What important business?" Harry asked, and Ron smirked. Harry always loved getting involved.

"Oh well, Professor Dumbledore instructed me to pick up somethin' for him from Gringotts," Hagrid informed as he puffed out his chest proudly.

"Well, let's get going now, shall we guys?" Hermione asked and the four boys nodded.

The five first years all stepped out and squinted their eyes to adjust to the darkness that had fallen over. Harry got out the cloak and threw it all over them, and Ron was surprised to see that five first-years could perfectly fit under the cloak.

"Well, goodnigh' yeh lot. Stay safe," Hagrid said, and the five bid their goodbyes, before heading back to the castle.

Quirinus Quirrell's P.O.V:

Headmaster's Office – Friday, January 21st, 1992

Quirrell muttered 'chocolate frogs' and the Gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office leaped aside. Quirrell stepped forward and knocked on the Headmaster's door.

"Come in," Albus said, and the door opened, revealing Albus and Severus.

"Oh… g-good eve- evening H-headmaster," Quirrell started, and Albus smiled while Severus just eyed Quirrell with contempt.

"What may I do for you this fine evening, Quirinus?" Albus asked politely, and the Quirrell just smiled nervously.

"Well, y-you see… A f-friend of m-mine wants to… to visit meet-tomorrow at the L-Leaky C-Cauldron… he's f-from Romania a-and we're w-working on a project…" Quirrell lied, and Albus just studied Quirrell, while Severus saw right through Quirrell's lies.

"Very well, you may," Albus said with a smile, and Quirrell nodded shakily. He then scurried out of the office, eager to get away from Snape's death glare.

"Well done, Quirrell. Tomorrow will be our chance to retrieve the stone. We will get there before that oaf Hagrid does," Voldemort hissed.

"I… I can't believe the Headmaster allowed me. He's an absolute fool," Quirrell exclaimed softly, and he then laughed evilly.

"Do not take that old man for a fool, Quirrell. He always has a trick up his sleeve," Lord Voldemort warned, his tone bitter.

Ron Weasley's P.O.V:

"Ouch Neville, that was my foot!" Hermione groaned and Neville apologised quickly.

"Xavier, Ron… are you all good?" Harry asked.

"Yeah mate," Xavier replied.

"Where will we go first?" Ron whispered to Harry as the five all entered the castle and shuffled down the hallway.

"We're going to drop you and Xavier off first by your common room, and we'll head back to Gryffindor Tower," Harry explained, and Ron nodded.

"Sounds like a plan," Xavier chimed in.

The five carefully continued past the Great Hall, but as they neared the entrance to the Dungeons, they heard voices and stiffened immediately.

They all listened in hard and then stared at each other with wide eyes when they heard Snape and Quirrell's voice. Fuck! If Snape catches us, we're done for!

"You don't want to make me your enemy, Quirrell," Snape said with a low voice, and they could hear Quirrell's voice chuckled nervously.

"W-what do y-you m-mean?" Quirrell asked with his unmistakeable stutter.

"You know exactly what I mean," Snape replied with a dangerous tone.

The doors to the Dungeons suddenly burst open, and the five first years all watched the purple-robed professor scurry away. They held their breath and waited for what seemed like an eternity before Snape's footsteps could be heard going back down the Dungeons.

"It's not safe to go to the Dungeons yet, Harry," Xavier whispered firmly, and Ron nodded.

"Snape could be patrolling through the corridors," Ron added in, and the three Gryffindors agreed.

"Alright, I've got a good place to while we wait for some time to pass," Harry stated, and Xavier looked at him.

"You want to take these guys to the Mirror of Erised?" Xavier questioned, and Harry nodded. The Mirror of what?

"What's this? Where are we going?" Hermione whispered.

"Just wait until we get there," Harry responded, and they all followed Harry and Xavier's lead along the corridor. They then stopped and turned into an empty classroom, and Ron closed the door behind him.

They took the cloak of themselves, and Harry tucked it into his pocket. Xavier then gestured Neville, Hermione, and Ron over to a large mirror at the corner of the room.

"What's that?" Neville asked in confusion.

"The Mirror of Erised," Xavier answered, while Harry beamed at the mirror. Hermione gasped.

"I heard about this in Hogwarts: A History. The mirror is meant to show you your deepest desires," Hermione informed, and she approached the mirror.

"Erised is desire spelled backwards!" Ron exclaimed, and Xavier nodded.

"Hermione, what do you see?" Harry asked, and Hermione didn't reply. She just stared in the mirror with her mouth slightly ajar. She looked awed.

"I see… I see myself standing and everyone standing around me is clapping and shaking my hand. I… I'm the Minister for Magic!" Hermione exclaimed, and the four boys grinned. Hermione would definitely make a fine Minister, that was for sure.

Hermione then stepped back, and Ron patted her on the back with a chuckle. Hermione just stared in wonder. Merlin, she's frozen in surprise!

"Neville, you're up," Harry said, and Neville looked hesitant.

"I don't know guys… maybe the mirror won't show me anything," Neville said softly, but Xavier shook his head.

"Nonsense, mate! Go on, you might regret it if you don't see your deepest desire… everyone has one," Xavier encouraged, and Neville took a deep breath before standing in front of the mirror.

They all watched as Neville stared in the mirror, and slowly, Neville's eyes widened in shock. He softly put his right hand on the mirror, almost as if trying to feel someone.

"Mum… dad…" Neville whispered, but everyone heard those two words. Harry instantly looked sad for his mate, Xavier sighed heavily, Hermione whimpered and sniffed. She turned to Ron and hugged him, and Ron hugged her back.

Ron had heard about the two brave Longbottom's fate, and it truly disgusted Ron. How could people even fathom torturing someone else into fucking insanity?!

"Nev…" Harry whispered, and he put his hand on Neville's shoulder. Neville slowly faced him, and a tear trickled out of his eyes.

"I saw them… my parents…" Neville said with disbelief, and both Harry and Xavier nodded in understanding.

"We know bro…" Xavier trailed off, and he stared at a wall.

"I saw my parents too," Harry added in, and Neville nodded.

"Ron, you're up," Xavier said, and Ron approached the mirror.

Ron stared into the mirror, and his mouth fell open. There he was, surrounded by his whole family and everyone looked well and healthy. Even Fred was there, and Ron felt his heart pound. His family were all there…

Ron and Ginny had their arms around each other, Fred and George were behind them and they were beaming proudly. Percy was next to them and he had his hand on Ron's shoulder with a smile. Their mum, dad, Charlie, and Bill stood behind the twins and Percy.

Ron chuckled softly; this is what he deeply desired… his whole family living happily together. Ron wanted this, no, he needed this. He would protect his family no matter what. He had to. That was his destiny that he placed upon himself.

"What do you see, Ron?" Hermione asked, and Ron just kept staring at the mirror.

"I see my whole family… Gin, Fred, George, Percy… Charlie, Bill… mum, and dad… they're all here," Ron answered softly, and he missed his friends smiling happily at him.

Ron was about to turn away from the mirror, but something caught his eye. The Ron in the mirror now stared back with glowing, dark purple eyes. Ron froze; what the hell was this?

"Ronald Bilius Weasley… Your destiny has been written," a deep, dark voice spoke, and Ron felt his heart stop. What…what am I hearing? Who is this speaking?!

"Only you can hear me, Saviour… We will stop the Dark Lord from his mission… We will…" the mysterious voice then faded away, and Ron staggered back.

Xavier Demond's P.O.V:

"Ron… what's wrong, mate?" Xavier asked quickly, as he caught Ron.

"Are you alright, Ron? You look horribly pale," Hermione pointed out worriedly, and Ron just shook his head.

"Nah, I'm fine guys, honestly. I just… I never thought this mirror could really show your desires, you know," Ron mumbled, and Hermione smiled softly, while Harry and Neville nodded in agreement. Xavier, however, frowned softly. Ron was lying, but why? Did he… did he see something else in the mirror?

Xavier felt chills go down his spine, but he knew he had to do it. He had to face the mirror once more. So, Xavier approached the mirror, while the others made sure Ron was alright. With a deep breath, Xavier faced the mirror, but he was left shell-shocked.

There was no demon anymore… but the two dark-skinned humans staring back at Xavier. And Xavier instantly knew that these two were his parents.

His father was very tall, at least 6'3 or 6'4, and he had a strong build. His father sported an afro-type hairstyle, and he had the same smirk that Xavier had. He wore jet-black robes and winked at Xavier.

His mother was fairly tall, around 5'8, and had long braids running down his shoulders and back. She was in purple robes and had an emerald perched on a necklace around her neck. She smiled softly, and Xavier smiled back.

"Mum… dad… it's really you…" Xavier whispered, and they smiled at him.

"Is that what you wanted to see, Warrior?" a terrifying, demonic voice said, and Xavier stared in horror as his parents disappeared, and two gleaming red eyes stared instead. It's back!

"What are you? And why do I only see you?" Xavier started, but he then stopped. "Are you… are you The Grim?"

The red eyes began to move closer, and Xavier could see the outline of the huge, black dog.

"Well done, Warrior… you are correct…" the demon replied, and it almost sounded impressed.

"But why are you here?" Xavier inquired firmly.

"I can't tell you… but in time... I will show you…" the horrific voice faded away, and Xavier stepped away from the mirror. He held himself with the help of the wall, and he missed his friends' concerned looks. So, this thing… is The Grim? I was right… and what does it mean by 'I'll show you'?

"Xavier! What's going on?" Ron asked firmly.

"Why were you talking to the mirror?" Neville asked with a scared expression.

"Guys, I'm fine, but I think we need to leave-"

A mischievous cackle made Xavier stop, and they all looked at each other. That sounded like Peeves.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Not one, not two, not even three, but FIVE firsties out on a late-night adventure! How exciting!" Peeves exclaimed, and he then cackled loudly. Fuck, he is going to get us caught!

"Please Peeves… we'll go back now," Harry started urgently, but Peeves had other plans.

"FIRST YEARS OUT OF BED! FIRSTIES OUT OF BED!" Peeve shouted.

"Run!" Ron yelled, and the five quickly departed the room, not before Xavier cursed at Peeves. They could still hear Peeves laugh manically.

"Where do we go?" Neville asked in distress and Harry was about to answer, when a 'meow' came from behind them.

The five turned around and panicked when they saw Mrs. Norris glaring at the five students. The cat hissed while its' two yellow eyes glowed through the darkness like dim lamps.

"Fuck, we got to go before Filch finds us!" Xavier stated firmly, and without thinking of a plan, the five friends all ran for the shifting stairs. They got off at the third floor and bolted down the corridor.

"Hold on, isn't this floor forbidden?" Harry asked, and Hermione's eyes widened.

"Yes, it is! Professor Dumbledore warned us when we first came remember?" Hermione recounted.

"Quick, let's go into one of these rooms! Filch may still find us," Ron suggested, and they followed his lead into one of the rooms. As soon as the five stepped in, they shut the door behind them and tried to catch their breath.

"We'll be safe here-"

Harry never finished his sentence as he stared in horror. The other four all followed his terrified gaze and were met with a humongous three-headed dog snarling viciously at them. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!

"Everyone, get out!" Xavier ordered, and they all exited the room and ran further down the forbidden corridor. They stopped after a good distance and panted heavily.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron asked in exasperation.

"A monster…" Neville muttered, while trembling terribly.

"Never mind that, did you see what was underneath the animal?" Hermione asked indignantly, and the four boys just gave her incredulous looks.

"Er, no Hermione, we were all busy trying to get out," Harry responded, and Hermione huffed.

"There was a large trap door! Clearly, it's guarding something, and it must be extremely important," Hermione theorised, and Xavier's frow burrowed.

"Well, I reckon that we all should talk about this later. We all still need to get back to our Dorms," Ron said firmly.

"Ron's right. Let's go guys," Harry said, and he then took out his cloak and threw it over them.

The Great Hall – Saturday, January 22nd, 1992

Xavier and Ron entered the Great Hall, and it seemed that they were the only two students who were late for breakfast. Both of them had a late night and all the events that happened yesterday kept regaling in their minds.

Xavier had experienced not a nightmare, but a weird dream. He could hear voices, and they sounded struggled and in need of help. What was this? Was this what The Grim was trying to show me?

Ron, for some reason, looked as if he had been experiencing some things too, which confirmed the suspicions from Xavier that Ron had seen something else in the mirror. Xavier didn't intend on asking, however.

They both sat down between Blaise and Theo, and their friends immediately faced them.

"You two slept in," Tracey pointed out, and the duo shrugged.

"Late night," Ron replied, and he tiredly put some toast and eggs onto his place and began to eat.

"Are you two alright?" Pansy asked with concern, and Ron nodded absentmindedly, while Xavier just focused on his plate.

Daphne reached over and placed her hand on Ron's forehead, and then on Xavier's. Her cold hand felt amazing on his forehead.

"Is he purring?" Millie asked with amusement, and Theo grinned.

"Merlin, he is!" Theo confirmed, and Xavier frowned.

"Her hands feels nice," Xavier said, and Daphne smiled. She kept her soothing hand on Xavier's forehead for a few more seconds, before taking it off and frowned.

"Both of their foreheads feel very warm," Daphne reported, and Blaise looked at the duo.

"You two should go check it out with Madam Pomfrey," Blaise suggested, and Xavier sighed.

"Fine," both he and Ron responded.

"Good news, Xavier. My private investigator searched my father's study, and I got a package from her yesterday," Theo announced, and Xavier immediately sat up straighter, while everyone leaned in.

"You mean about the Black Lotus Society?" Xavier asked, and Theo nodded. Yes!

"Well, open it up," Ron instructed anticipatingly, and Theo placed a thin package on the table. It was an envelope really, and Theo opened it. He then took out the letter inside and read it out loud.

Dear Theo,

I have done as you have instructed and gone through your father's study. I indeed found old newspaper clippings of this society, but I found something more interesting. A list with names, or rather, nicknames of some of the members in the Black Lotus Society. It will be enclosed with this letter.

Take care,

Alexandra

Theo then checked through the envelope again and found an old piece of parchment and handed it over to Xavier. The dark-skinned boy took it and read through it carefully.

Black Lotus Society Members:

Blade

Klaw

Spike

Blitz

Longshot

Nightwing

Orion

Nova

Silver

Fender

Xavier realised that these were all nicknames and he also noticed that some of the members had a line crossed through their names. Does that mean Theo's father killed some of the members? Maybe the members with lines crossing out their names were already killed…

Xavier read through the parchment once more before handing it over to Blaise.

"Thanks, Theo. You've done me a great favour here, mate," Xavier said gratefully, and he patted the weedy boy's back proudly. Theo just smirked arrogantly.

"Woah, Longshot sounds like a cool name," Tracey commented, and Blaise chuckled.

"I rather like Nightwing," Blaise said, and Tracey grinned at him.

"You reckon there are more members to this society though?" Ron asked, and Theo shrugged.

"There's a definite possibility," Theo answered as Daphne handed the parchment over to Millie.

As the parchment was handed back to Xavier, he tucked it into his pocket and looked at his friends.

"What do you lot know about The Grim?" Xavier asked, and the girls shuddered.

"The Grim?" Theo asked, a confused look on his face.

"The Grim is a spirit or rather an omen that haunts the cemeteries and churchyards. I'm pretty sure it's closely linked to Death," Blaise provided, and Xavier just stared at his plate.

"Isn't it a myth?" Millie questioned and Blaise shrugged.

"Some say it is, some say it's real," Blaise answered and Pansy shuddered.

"Well, I hope not," Pansy said, and Tracey chuckled at Pansy's frightened look.

"That's how my Uncle Bilius died," Ron said, and he then bit into some buttered toast and everyone blinked at him. Wait, what?

"What do you mean?" Daphne asked, and Ron swallowed his food.

"He saw the Grim and died twenty-four hours later," Ron explained, and Xavier was left in shock. This demon… it killed Ron's uncle…

"Mate, I'm so sorry," Theo started sincerely, but Ron waved it off.

"It's alright mate. He died before I was born," Ron stated, and he went back to his eggs.

"The Grim... the Omen of Death," Daphne murmured to herself, and Xavier stared at his plate as her words echoed throughout his mind. Omen of Death…

Just then, a sea of Owls all came flying into the Great Hall and dropped the Daily Prophet newspapers everywhere, taking everyone by suprise.

Millie picked up the newspaper and her eyes widened in surprise. Xavier noticed that many students from the other tables, and even the professors, had the same reaction when they picked up their copy of the Daily Prophet.

"What happened, Millie?" Daphne asked quickly, and Millie cleared her voice.

"It says that someone had attempted to rob Gringotts a few hours ago," Millie stated, and everyone was left shell-shocked.

"Impossible," Theo said with a frown, and Millie just handed him the Daily Prophet article.

Xavier gazed at the article in Theo's hands, and he saw the moving picture of the Goblins inspecting a Vault.

"That can't be… Isn't it impossible to break to Gringotts?" Ron asked with a furrowed brow, as Theo passed Blaise the newspaper.

"Yes, it is and whoever tried to is incredibly stupid," Tracey added in, and Xavier suddenly felt a realisation hit him. Hagrid had told him, Ron, and the Golden Trio that he had important business that involved getting something from Gringotts. Xavier nudged Ron, and Ron looked at him.

"Mate… what is this has something to do with Hagrid?" Xavier asked, and Ron just stared in confusion. The redhead then looked with wide eyes and shook his head.

"No, Hagrid was getting something for Dumbledore. There was no way he would be the one to steal. See, look! He's sitting by the professors," Ron pointed over to the professor's table, and they both saw Hagrid reading the newspaper with a confused look.

"Yeah, you're right, Ron. But Hagrid said that he had to do some important business with Dumbledore. What if this important business what vital to someone else?" Xavier theorised, and Ron thought deeply.

"And they tried to steal whatever Hagrid was retrieving?" Ron asked, and Xavier nodded.

"You could be onto something, you know," Ron said, and Xavier just looked over to the Gryffindor table. He nudged Ron, and the two looked over to their three Gryffindor friends, who were all staring back with wide eyes. It seemed that they had been thinking the same as Xavier and Ron.

Once breakfast was over, Xavier and Ron made their way out of the Great Hall after telling their friends that they were going to Madam Pomfrey. But they weren't. Instead, the Prodigy Duo were going to go link up with the Golden Trio in the Courtyard to discuss everything.

The two Slytherins entered the Courtyard, and when they spotted their three Gryffindor friends, the two walked over to them.

"I'm guessing that you all saw the Daily Prophet," Ron said, and the Golden Trio nodded.

"We did too, and there's definitely something going on here," Xavier stated, and Hermione nodded firmly.

"Do you think we should ask Hagrid on what he had to get for Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked, biting her bottom lip.

"Would he spill?" Ron questioned with doubt.

"Yeah, Hagrid has a knack for letting out information on accident," Harry responded.

"Why… why do you think there's a monster on the third floor?" Neville asked as he shuddered at the thought of the vicious three-headed dog.

"It was on top of a trap door, remember? It's obviously guarding something," Hermione indicated.

"Wait! What if whatever it's guarding is meant to do something with the Gringotts' situation?" Xavier asked, and everyone's eyes widened.

"Hmm, that is… possible. But why now? If Hagrid were getting this important item now, why would there be a three-headed dog placed in that room?" Ron rebutted, and Xavier was left at a dead end. Ron suddenly gasped.

"Xavier, Quirrell wasn't sitting with the rest of the professors today!" Ron exclaimed, and Xavier's eyes widened. Shit! Yeah, where the hell was he?

"Wait, what are you guys talking about?" Harry asked, and the two Slytherins faced Harry, Neville, and Hermione.

"Well basically, Ron and I believe that Quirrell is not who he seems to be," Xavier started, but Neville cut in.

"Quirrell? Why him?" Neville asked with a lost look on his face.

"You see, Quirrell was behind Harry's broom malfunction in the first game," Ron stated, and the three Gryffindors' gasped.

"He cursed my broom?" Harry asked in shock.

"Why and where's your proof?" Hermione asked quickly.

"Well, when Harry's broom was moving weirdly, I checked throughout the whole crowd, and guess what I saw? Quirrell muttering rapidly and he was staring right at you, Harry. And then as soon as he looked away, your broom went back to fly normally," Xavier spilled out, and Harry sat down and rubbed his forehead. Hermione, however, bit her lip.

"Xavier, your theory is correct, but Nev and I saw Snape muttering under his breath instead," Hermione said, and Xavier snapped his fingers.

"Yeah, I saw him muttering too. I still don't get why though…" Xavier trailed off.

"So, both of them were muttering at Harry's broom?" Neville asked, and he had doubt written all over his face.

"Well maybe Snape was trying to counter Quirrell's curse," Ron suggested. "I mean, remember last night? Snape clearly tried to warn Quirrell about something…"

"Agreed," Xavier said.

"Or it could be the other way around," Neville piped in.

"Well, we'll go ask Hagrid about-"

Harry was cut off by a familiar pompous voice, and Xavier instantly frowned when he heard it.

"Look at this. These two are associating with puny Gryffindors… what a disgrace," came Malfoy's arrogant voice, and his two cronies laughed. The Prodigy Duo and the Golden Trio turned to see that Malfoy was all flanked by a few third and fourth years.

"Piss of Malfoy," Harry spat out.

"Yeah, your face is a disgrace," Ron snarled, and Malfoy sneered.

"You're a Blood-Traitor! You can't speak-"

"Just shut the fuck up, Malfoy," Xavier interjected with a roll of his eyes. "No one here gives a flying fuck about your useless words you stupid cunt,"

Malfoy snarled, and his two gorillas cracked their knuckles, while Ron stifled his laughter.

"You see!" Malfoy exclaimed as he turned to the third and fourth years. "They disrespect our House and its' values by associating with stupid Gryffindors!"

"We're not stupid, Malfoy," Neville said defiantly, though his voice came out a bit weaker than he anticipated. Malfoy and the other snakes all laughed mockingly. Xavier then recognised one of the fourth years and grinned evilly.

"Aye, Ron," Xavier said, and Ron turned to him and followed Xavier's gaze towards the fourth-year. "You remember how that cunt tried to ambush us with his three friends and we taught him a lesson,"

The fourth-year's eyes widened and slowly backed away. Ron recognised him and grinned evilly. Malfoy just looked in confusion and the Golden Trio glared at the fourth-year.

"How about you warn these dumb cunts of what we'll do to them if they don't back the fuck away right now," Xavier growled with deadly anger. The fourth-year shot a look of panic at Malfoy and the others.

"Let's leave guys… before a professor sees us, you know," the fourth-year advised with a nervous chuckle and he flinched at the deadly glares from Xavier and Ron.

"You hear that, Malfoy? That cunt is begging to leave… if you had half the brain of a Banshee, you would take your boyfriends and leave right now," Ron suggested venomously.

"What's going on here?" came the stern voice of Professor McGonagall.

"Nothing, professor! We were just talking," Hermione replied quickly, and McGonagall saw right through her lie. The professor just stared at them with a piercing look and cleared her voice.

"Well, I must break this up. Go on," McGonagall commanded, and Malfoy's group slowly backed away. The Prodigy duo and the Golden Trio all glared hatefully at Malfoy.

"We'll go talk to Hagrid, ok?" Harry reaffirmed, and the two Slytherin boys nodded. With that, they all departed before McGonagall could turn to them.

Harry Potter's P.O.V:

Hagrid's Hut - Saturday, January 22nd, 1992

"Hey Hagrid," Neville said, as the trio approached the giant man. Hagrid was fixing up his garden as usual.

"Oh, hello there yeh lot," Hagrid replied happily, as he tied some thick rope around a fence.

"Did you see the Daily Prophet?" Harry asked, and Hagrid nodded.

"Utterly stupid, if yer ask me. It's bloody impossible to rob Gringotts!" Hagrid exclaimed, and the trio exchanged a look.

"Hagrid… did you… did you see anything weird when you went to Gringotts?" Hermione asked slowly, and Hagrid just thought deeply.

"No' really, Mione'. I did run into the same bloke I met at the pub a while ago," Hagrid said, and he chuckled. "Sold me this three-headed dog named Fluffy yer see-"

"You mean the one on the third floor?" Harry asked, and he quickly cursed himself for asking that. Neville and Hermione both smacked their foreheads.

Hagrid turned to the trio with a surprised look and asked with a suspicious tone, "How'd yer know tha'?"

Harry stammered, but Hermione came to his aid and quickly said, "We heard it as a rumour, but judging by your look, it's right, isn't it?"

"Oh," Hagrid said, and Harry thanked god for Hermione's quick reply. "Well, yeah…"

"Why is it there?" Neville asked, trying his best to put on an intrigued look.

"Well, yeh see… it's there to guard-"

"Yes?" Harry inquired eagerly.

"Sorry yeh lot, but I shouldn't be telling yer," Hagrid said gruffly, and he went back to the ropes around the fence.

"But what if someone can get past the dog and steal the object?" Harry asked, and Hagrid frowned.

"Fluffy is a grea' guard! The only way to get pas' him is to play music-"

Hagrid's eyes widened; he had revealed too much, and the trio had heard it all. You need music to get past Fluffy…

"Alrigh' that's enough! Yeh three shouldn't be meddlin' in things tha' don't involve yer! This is strict business between Professor Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel-"

"Aha! So, this involves someone called Nicholas Flamel," Harry noted quickly, and Hagrid just looked furious with himself.

Ronald Weasley's P.O.V:

The Great Hall – Tuesday, March 1st, 1992

As the month of February sped by and the first day of March rolled in, Ron couldn't help but almost forget about his own birthday. There were still other things that ran through his head, such as the mysterious, inhumane voice he heard in the mirror. Was Ron dreaming? Was he imagining things? Had he gone crazy? Ron didn't know. But Ron would have to find out, maybe without telling Dumbledore this time.

Ron entered the Great Hall, and as he looked over to the Gryffindor table, Percy and Hermione were waving at him with bright smiles, Fred and George were grinning at their brother, and Harry and Neville were beckoning him over. Ron chuckled and headed over to his three older brothers and his three Gryffindor friends.

"Hey guys," Ron said, and Hermione smacked his arm lightly.

"Ron! You didn't tell me that your birthday would be on the first of March!" Hermione exclaimed, and Ron shrugged.

"Guess I forget, Hermione. Sorry," Ron quickly added, and Hermione hugged him tightly.

"Happy birthday Ronald," Hermione wished, and Ron blushed.

"Hey, it's our turn now," Fred's voice said. Hermione let go of Ron, and the twins ruffled Ron's hair. They both then handed Ron a bag full of sweets and grinned at Ron's overwhelmed reaction. Merlin, I'm going to have a sugar rush if I have all of these!

"Thanks, guys," Ron said with a smile, and the twins ruffled his hair once more.

"Happy birthday Ron," Percy said as Ron turned to him, and the older brother hugged the smaller one.

"Thanks, Perce," Ron replied, and Percy ruffled his hair.

"Remember, we're all proud of you, Ron," Percy said firmly, and Ron smiled awkwardly.

"Erm, thanks Percy," Ron repeated, and Percy smiled. Ron then walked over to Harry and Neville, and the two boys smiled widely at their red-haired mate.

"Harry birthday Ron!" Harry said firmly and he patted Ron on the back firmly.

"Stop it, Harry, you're making me blush," Ron joked, and the twins sniggered, while Hermione giggled.

"Here Ron," Neville said, and the slightly chubby boy passed a book on magical plants and their properties to Ron.

"Jeez, thanks Neville," Ron said with a wide smile as he flipped through the pages of the book.

"Honestly Ronald, if you had told us earlier, Harry and I could have gotten you gifts as well," Hermione scolded, but Ron waved it aside.

"It's honestly fine Hermione, all I care is about our friendships," Ron replied truthfully, and his Gryffindor friends smiled, while his brother nodded proudly.

"I'll get going now, thanks for the birthday wishes guys," Ron said.

"Wait, when is Xavier's birthday?" Harry asked, and Ron paused. He turned around with a mildly shocked look and he laughed.

"Merlin, I don't even know! He's never told me…" Ron explained, and he chuckled at how he didn't even know his best mate's birthday. What kind of friend am I?

Ron then proceeded over to the Slytherin table, and once he spotted his friends eating their breakfast, he approached them and sat in between Tracey and Theo. Guess our seating positions are different today…

"What happened at the Gryffindor table?" Blaise asked, though his voice sounded aloof as always.

"Well, they called me over to wish me a-"

"Happy birthday, Ron," Xavier cut in, and he dropped a package onto Ron's lap. The others all looked up and stared at Ron. Oh shit…

"It's your birthday?" Daphne inquired, and Ron slowly nodded.

"Why didn't you tell us?!" Pansy screeched.

"Well, I was about to tell you-"

"She means why didn't you tell us before," Theo explained for Pansy, and Ron sighed.

"Well, no one really asked, and on top of that, all of us did have a long split…" Ron answered, and the group all flinched slightly.

"Well, happy birthday Ron," Blaise said, and he patted Ron on the back.

"Thanks, Blaise," Ron smiled at his dark-skinned friend.

"Ron, do you want anything?" Daphne asked, and Ron shook his head firmly.

"No, I'm sure Daph. Thank you for asking," Ron replied, and he smiled at the blonde girl. Daphne just smiled back.

"Seriously Ron, you deserve some good presents! We can order something, and it can come by mail later on the day," Tracey urged, and Ron paused. It would be good to see what his friends would get him.

"No, you guys are too kind-"

"That's it, I'm going to go order something for you when Lunch comes around," Millie said firmly. Daphne, Tracey, Theo, Blaise, and Pansy all nodded firmly to what Millie said.

"You deserve it, Ron," Theo praised, and he patted Ron on the back.

"You're absolutely brilliant, mate," Xavier spoke, and he fist-bumped Ron.

"You're hard-working and always help us with our work," Tracey added in, and Ron felt his face heat up. I love my friends…

"Thanks, guys…" Ron said quietly, but they all heard him and chuckled.

"Aww, he's flustered," Pansy cooed, and Ron's face heated up even more.

"Come on Ron, open my present," Xavier requested anticipating, and Ron chuckled as he ripped off the neat wrapping paper. Ron's jaw fell to the ground, and it was the reaction that Xavier hoped for too.

"What is it?" Millie asked quickly.

"What did Xavier get for you?" Daphne questioned.

"Xavier… how?" Ron asked weakly, and he, along with the others, looked over to Xavier. The dark-skinned boy with neatly assorted dreadlocks shrugged and grinned at Ron.

"I hope you like it, bro," Xavier said, and Ron just stared at his gift. Xavier had somehow gotten Ron a permanent opponent to play in with Chess. It was where a dummy would be summoned as an opponent to Ron, and it would match the skill level of Ron.

"So, can someone please explain to me what Xavier has bought for Ron?" Theo asked impatiently, and Ron laid the present on the table for the others to see.

"Basically," Xavier started. "When I was spending the holidays at Ron's place, and I was strolling around in Diagon Alley after finding an Owl, I saw a shop called 'Chess: for Beginners and Professionals' and so I stepped in. I then found a rather unique gift on the highest shelf, and I asked the store owner to grab it, so that I could see what it was. It's a thing where when you play chess, it summons a dummy to play as your opponent and it can really be fun since it matches with the skill of the player. I know for a fact that Ron is way ahead of us, and his own family in the game of Chess, so maybe the dummy could be a much better opponent,"

"Hmm, it looks legit," Blaise commented as he inspected Ron's gift.

"That was a good choice, Xavier," Daphne complimented, and Xavier smirked.

"Woah, it even comes with custom coloured Chess pieces," Theo informed with awe, and he then pointed to inside the package. "See, the Rooks are purple, the Knights are dark blue, the Pawns are bronze, the King is silver, the Queen is gold, and the Bishops are dark red,"

"Looks so colourful," Pansy gushed, and Tracey nodded.

"Thanks, Xavier, you really didn't have to, mate," Ron smiled weakly, but Xavier shook his head.

"I wanted to get you this, I didn't have to," Xavier simply said, and Ron smiled more strongly at Xavier. Yep, I definitely love my friends…

"What an amazing gift, Xavier," Pansy complimented, and Xavier chuckled.

"It must have been loads," Ron muttered, and he looked through the colour-coded Chess pieces.

"Yeah, it was really rare too apparently. But when I was going to buy it, the owner recognised who I was and he started saying things like 'bless you, boy' and 'your parents were the greatest'. He then offered the give me the gift half of its original price, and I was startled, you know. I told him it was fine and that I would pay the full price, but he then told me that my mother saved his daughter's life,"

"Seriously?" Tracey asked, fully intrigued by Xavier's story.

"What happened?" Daphne asked.

"The owner told me that his daughter had tripped on something and he ended up falling on something very sharp," Xavier explained, and the girls gasped.

"Luckily, my mother was around the store and she saw what happened. She quickly barged in and healed the girl, and the girl survived," Xavier finished.

"Damn, your parents really were more than saviours to the Wizarding World, mate," Blaise said, and Xavier shrugged.

"So yeah, I had to cave in and get the gift half price of its' original price. I felt bad, but the store-owner kept assuring me that it was fine and all," Xavier stated, and the others nodded.

"Well, either way, mate, thank you so much," Ron said firmly, and Xavier shook hands with Ron.

"It's all good mate, use it well," Xavier advised, and Ron nodded. I will, I promise…

There was a pause where eight Slytherins all smiled at each other, and Blaise then cleared his voice.

"I guess we should all tell our birthdays," Blaise suggested; he was obviously trying to avoid all the sappiness, something that the other three boys quickly joined in on.

"Of course, good idea, Blaise," Theo said. "Mine's on the 12th of September,"

"Mine's on the 17th of August," Daphne followed up quickly.

"Mine's on the 21st of August," Tracey added in with a grin.

"My birthday is on the 28th of September," Millie supplied.

"Mine is on the 6th of July," Pansy provided with an excited giggle.

"The 23rd of March is mine," Blaise informed with an indifferent face.

"What about you, Xavier?" Daphne asked with a smile, and they all turned to Xavier.

"Er… I don't know…" Xavier shrugged, and he turned back to his breakfast. Everyone just blinked at him. Wait, what?

"Come on now, Xavier, tell us already," Theo said, but Xavier shook his head.

"I don't celebrate my birthdays," Xavier replied curtly, and everyone shot him a confused look.

"What?" Pansy asked, looking truly confused.

"Why not, mate?" Ron asked, trying to get to the bottom of Xavier's reasoning.

"It's the day you were born!" Tracey exclaimed.

"And if I was to celebrate my birthday, I would feel like I'm just another year closer to my death," Xavier responded, and they all stared with wide eyes and open jaws. Merlin, I've never thought about it like that…

"Way to ruin the mood," Theo joked, and Xavier shot them all a look of sorry.

"I know, I'm sorry for that guys. I just… I grew up in an Orphanage and my time there was mostly quiet, so…" Xavier trailed off, and Ron realised what his friend meant. Xavier had no proper friends or loved ones there to even celebrate his birthday with…

"You grew up in an Orphanage?" Millie asked softly with a surprised look.

"You never told us that…" Pansy said. She was clearly caught off guard, and so were the others, except for Ron.

"Damn… I always thought you were hiding away, or you were adopted into some family," Theo admitted, and Xavier shook his head.

"What was it like?" Blaise asked, and he looked genuinely interested.

"Well, for starters, it's the most private Orphanage out there. And the reason why it's so special is because it was more than Orphanage. It was more of an Institution. You grew up there and learned many skills for special jobs in the Muggle world," Xavier explained, and everyone seemed awed and intrigued, especially Tracey.

"Like for the Government?" Tracey asked excitedly, and Xavier nodded.

"Anyway, if someone came and they wanted to adopt you, then they had that choice. Some people were adopted into families, while others stayed back at the Orphanage and learned the values and skills that were taught there," Xavier informed.

"Well, that sounds sorta cool," Theo started, but Xavier laughed coldly.

"In some ways, it was, Theo. But that's just what everyone wants to hear. The good of things. Not the bad of things. Because there is always the bad of things. And I saw it all," Xavier said coldly, and Ron felt a chill run down his spine. Xavier could truly be scary at times…

"What did you see?" Millie asked, but she instantly regretted asking that question.

"Many things… Rape, drug dealings, brutal fights, all types of slurs, and even death…" Xavier muttered coldly, and they all flinched. What?! He has seen death…

"Bloody hell," Ron said as he rubbed his forehead.

"I'm so sorry that you had to see all of that," Daphne said sincerely, and she placed a hand on top of Xavier's. She looked frightened by even thinking of those things, and Ron couldn't blame her. The other girls shared the same expression as Daphne, while Theo and Blaise were shaken.

"No, Daph, it's fine. Without those… I don't think I would have gained many lessons and vision from it," Xavier reassured, and he squeezed her hand comfortingly.

"Will you ever go back there?" Blaise asked, still reeling from Xavier's revelation.

"Maybe… who knows," Xavier answered with a shrug.

"But why?" Ron asked quickly, and Xavier smiled at his friend.

"Because I will do anything to find out where my parent's Manor is located, and if that means that I have to go back to that place, then I will," Xavier simply replied.

There was some silence between the group, and the bell suddenly rang, alerting them to head off to their classes. Merlin, that was the longest breakfast ever…

"Ugh, we have History of Magic," Tracey groaned, and they all sighed tiredly. Hey, it's not that bad…

"Blaise, keep me awake, will you?" Theo asked, and Blaise looked at his olive-skinned friend with an amused look.

"I was going to ask you to do the same," Blaise stated, and Theo sniggered.

"Xavier, you coming?" Ron asked, and they all faced Xavier. The boy was clearly having a debate in his mind, and after a couple of seconds, he looked and faced the group.

"20th of July," Xavier said curtly, and he began to head off. Ron and his friends understood what Xavier said, and they smiled as they walked behind Xavier.