Talks and revelations
As soon as the seven had left, Harry and Cedric has bolted after them. They looked around frantically as they exited, and Cedric pointed.
”Professor! Wait, Professor Skull!” Cedric yelled, taking off into a run. Harry followed quickly.
Skull and his company turned, and Skull quickly patted Fon’s arm.
”Ah, wait, wait. It looks like they want some answers,” he said as the boys caught up.
”Professor,” Cedric said, looking worried. “Are you alright? Did you get hurt?”
”Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine,” Skull said, waving a hand.
”If you can call an internal injury and several sliced ribs ‘fine’,” the green haired man snorted. Skull scowled at the man.
”Don’t be mean, Verde,” he said, then looked at the boys. “So, what did you guys want?”
”Well, I just, for one, wanted to say thank you,” Cedric said.
”Yea,” Harry agreed. “I uh... thanks for getting me out of there. It was... a pretty tight spot. And um, Reborn was right about Moody not being... well, Moody.”
”No worries,” Skull said. “I’ll pass your message along to Renato as well. Anything else?”
Cedric shook his head, but Harry nodded. “OK then, Harry, I have a feeling this may be private. So, congratulations on winning the tournament, Cedric. You too Harry. Cedric, go back to the feast. I’m sure you’re hungry. Harry, walk with us,” Skull instructed.
Cedric hurried away and the rest began their walk again. Harry hesitated, before talking.
”Um... at the graveyard... Wormtail- Pettigrew, I mean, he... recognised you...” he said. Skull nodded, humming softly.
”Yes, he did. We... were year mates back then.”
”...he said you were dead.”
Skull grimaced, and the only woman in the group patted his head. Harry backtracked quickly. “I mean, it’s none of my business-”
”Sirius is your godfather. Right?” Skull asked abruptly, and Harry stiffened.
”I...”
”Don’t worry. I know he’s innocent. Sirius and James... heh, they were pretty close.”
”...you knew them too?” Harry asked eagerly. “...but that doesn’t explain-”
”I’m Sirius’s cousin,” Skull sighed. “But I hope you can keep that a secret. Even from Sirius.”
Harry hesitated, but nodded. He had an inkling as to where this was going.
”I swear I won’t tell anyone.”
”Haha, that’s fine. You don’t have to swear anything. Ha... you see, my name is Rigel. Or, it was. My Father was Alphard Black. He gave me the name ‘Rigel Artemis Black’ when he found out I existed. Sirius and I... Well, we just clicked since our first meeting. James too. Remus was a nice guy. The whole werewolf thing... when I found out, I was shocked, but I didn’t mind. Anyway, I was sorted into Hufflepuff. And... during my last years at Hogwarts... a few... things happened.”
Harry noted how Skull didn’t mention anything about Pettigrew. He listened as Skull continued to speak. “Long story short, I was framed. By Pettigrew. No one knew at that time, of course. And no one knows it now. And I bloody well can’t do anything about it. I have a ‘kill-on-sight’ warrant. I’m only alive because I fakes my death.”
It was then Harry realised that Skull de Mort really was someone amazing. This person had been hunted, framed, been through despair and hope and was currently still growing strong. Harry swallowed thickly.
”Do you... do you really not want me to tell Sirius about... about you being alive...?”
”Positive,” Skull said firmly. “I’ll tell him myself when I’m ready. But... now isn’t exactly the best time.”
”Oh... ok,” Harry said. Then looked at him quickly. “Professor... um... what Reborn said... about him being a murderer...”
”True, all true,” the Asian man cut in. Harry looked at him, and the man smiled gently. “My name is Fon. It’s a pleasure to meet one of Skull’s students.”
”Ah... nice to meet you too,” Harry said. The man smiled and explained a little.
”Reborn and the rest of us... aren’t your typical ‘muggle’. We’re a little bit more... ah... dangerous, to say the least,” Fon said, and Skull snorted into his sleeve.
”Dangerous my ass,” he muttered. “The lot of you could take down an entire army, I bet. You guys are down right lethal.”
”I’m flattered, Skull, but that’s an exaggeration,” Fon said.
They’d arrived at the Lake, we’re the Giant Squid and Oodako were playing around happily. Leon and Reborn nodded as they walked up.
”Is that all you wanted to ask, Harry?” Skull asked, and Harry nodded slowly.
”Yeah... yeah, that’s all. Thank you for answering my questions,” Harry said.
”It was no trouble. Have a good day, Harry,” Skull said and Harry nodded. Giving a quick ‘thank you’ he hurried away from the strange group- his mind reeling at the new information handed over so willingly.
POV SWITCH...
“That boy...” Lal said, frowning as she stared at Harry’s retreating back. “His Flames Aren’t quite right...”
”I know,” Reborn said darkly. “It feels like someone’s forcefully attached a piece of their Flames to him. The kid’s an inactive Sky. Not very powerful though. But there’s a hint of something weird there. The thing on him doesn’t even feel like a Flame.”
”Speaking of Harry, he said thanks. And you were right about Moody,” Skull said. “Which begs the question: how’d you know it wasn’t Moody?”
”His Flame,” Reborn said. “The intruder I found had something blocking their Flames. Suppressing it. When we arrived at the graveyard and those... Death Eaters arrived, they gave off the same feeling. Adding to that, ‘Moody’s’ Flames felt a bit off. Fake. So I dug around for a bit, and realised that ‘Moody’ had no Flames. And if he did, then they were suppressed, much like the Death Eaters. I put two and two together and got four.”
”...and you didn’t bother mentioning this because...?” Skull asked, raising his eyebrows. Reborn raised his eyebrows right back at him.
”For chaos, of course,” everyone sighed when Reborn didn’t answer.
”Precisely,” Reborn said smugly.