FANFIC: best left unknown

[Mary Slewllwen]

And Unstoppable
Heat. Heat was the only thing he was aware of. His arms burned and his face seemed to melt right off with his sweat as he worked. The shelling of dead scales was never a pleasant chore, but this poor creature was in great pain. He couldn’t help but struggle with anything that got within a hundred feet; the level of pain heightened the dragon’s anxiety and even the calm nature of Todd Barrie couldn’t stop him from thrashing into random directions at any touch but the wind’s. The cold thunder storm raged on underneath the sky, but Todd’s eyes were filled with the images of broken fire and crumpled, diseased, lighting blue dragon scales.
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My name is Todd Matthew Barrie. I am seventeen years old, a Ravenclaw at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and I am also a dragon breeder. Todd wrote silently and steadily, until he stopped, considering the bland words in front of him. With a glance around the common room, as if his classmates could tell what he had written just by the sounds of his scratching quill, he scribbled it all out completely, darkening the lines so they were unreadable. He tried again.
My name is Barrie. Todd Barrie. I like my drink shaken, not stirred. Todd shook his head at himself and crossed out the line once more. It was a good few minutes of silence as he pondered this book, staring at the almost blank paper.
“Todd, it’s a journal, not the final draft of your life story,” said a melodic voice behind him. He felt her arms wrap around his neck as she leaned in to his cheek. Prudence walked around the couch and sat down next to Todd, close and comfortable. Todd looked down into her face. The standard Ravenclaw blue tie matched her eyes, and the slightly lighter blue velvet couch brightened the specks of silver that were found scattered within them. Her long black hair fell over her shoulders and onto Todd’s as she leaned against him. Her nose tipped upward slightly and her jaw line was strong, like his mothers. A sign of strong will, if his memories of Divination served him correctly. Her pale skin flushed after a few moments of her boyfriend simply staring at her. “What is it?” Todd simply laughed at her embarrassment and leaned in to her, pulling her into a deeper kiss than the measly peck she had given him. One hand moved behind her head, gently pulling her closer; he knew she would be self conscious. Kaelen whistled from across the room and Todd smiled into their kiss, waving him off with his spare hand. He leaned back from Prudence laughing.
“d**n, Barrie!” his friend shouted, frightening a first year who had just walked ahead of him. Todd smiled cheekily at Prudence, her flushed face skeptical.
“If you think that is going to get you out of writing a journal, think again,” she said, ignoring the call from Todd’s friend. “You’ve got so much to say, Todd, and it can’t all be to me.” She looked amused with him, but Todd could tell he wasn’t going to get out of this. He dropped his hands on the book and sighed.
“I don’t know how to start,” he told her lamely. She knew it was a dumb excuse, her face told him so. He didn’t deny it. “Well, I’d much rather be flying, or experimenting, or with you.” He watched her face react and was not disappointed. She made none, she remained perfectly skeptical. He smiled again.
“Yes, but what are you going to do when you can’t sleep, and have to chat off my ear, what then? I’ll be earless,” she smirked and looked away, looking for Penelope, no doubt. Right on cue, the short dark haired young girl strolled from the dormitory, hands full of books, looking for her sister. Prudence stood, ready to tutor her younger sibling, but apparently not quite ready to leave Todd. This time she leaned over, standing, and kissed him gently before walking towards her sister and out of the common room. “Now, write!” she told him before walking away.
With his own smirk, he shouted playfully, “I love you!” while grinning unabashedly. Todd laughed, satisfied, as she looked over her shoulder where her sister went through the passage, eyes glaring, as her lips smiled, and her face returned to Todd’s favorite shade of bright red.
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A lot is said when I tell people my name. There tend to be three different reactions I have gotten at school. The first is simple, anyone Muggleborn wouldn’t know my family. That’s probably why many of my friends used to be Muggles; they don’t judge, and they don’t ask questions. I told Prudence myself. The second is the most common. These are the Half-bloods and Purebloods with good morals. They have heard of my family, and know the rumors, but most of the time they don’t ask outwardly. Their questions are generally easy to avoid. Kaelen doesn’t know, but I think he’s figured out the truth because of my reluctance to say anything on the matter.
The last are those that know. Their parents know my parents. They know what my family does, how Dark they are, and just how weedy the whole business is. These children know better than to spread the truth; they know that my father and his brothers take no mercy on those that break contracts, and their fathers would pay the price. But that doesn’t mean they don’t corner me whenever they can.
“Do you take care of the dragons yourself?”
“Have you ever killed anyone?”
“Are you going to take over when you leave Hogwarts?”
The last is the only one I ever answer. And the answer is indefinitely, unquestionably, completely, “No.” Well, I wish it was, anyways. Being a Barrie means dedication the family and our secret; it means selling to Dark folk and evading the ministry, and taking whatever you can get, whenever you can get it.
Heaven help the rebellious son.
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Todd and Kaelen strolled through the corridors of Hogwarts, heading back to the Ravenclaw common room. Todd was holding a chunk of ice wrapped in cloth over his left eye, and Kaelen was smiling rather smugly. Todd would have loved to hit him, but the black eye forming under his hand was his own fault, so he didn't have much reason. Plus, he knew Kaelen would hit back.

"I told you that wasn't a good idea," Kae said, looking at him from the side. His smirk was still evident. His face was swelling underneath the cloth. The tiny, contained explosion that had emitted from his experimental charm really had not been a very good idea, he admitted to himself. He had better in the past, anyways.

"Yes, yes, I know, just drop it. I'm already gonna get enough crap from Prudence," Todd sighed, slowing his pace slightly. What was that up there, farther down the corridor?

"Man, you must really love her to put up with that nagging. You're a prodigy in Charms, you can't be held back," he mentioned, shaking his head in confusion. Most of his male classmates agreed with him. Prudence, though supportive and amazing in every way, was not spontaneous, nor did she take risks often. His female friends, however, loved them together. Todd wasn’t ashamed of him and Prudence being known as the cute couple. As far as he was concerned, they were adorable, because they were perfect for each other. They would be together as long as possible. Sometimes Todd just knew things; he was intuitive like that.

"We'll be married someday, and she's only worried I’m not careful enough," he mentioned, as if he were stating the weather. Kae looked incredulous for a moment at the word ‘marriage’, but Todd was looking intently on the scene they were approaching, despite his one blinded eye. "Hey!" Todd quickened his pace, moving towards the scene with speed. A small group of sixth year Slytherins were huddled around a tall red-headed girl, who seemed to be rooted to the spot. Her feet stuck to the ground like glue and she looked furious. Todd parted the circle, trying to see what was going on, and Kae joined him, a little surprised at the sudden action.

"Oh yes, because three against one is so impressive, you should all be proud," the feisty Gryffindor said. She glanced at Todd and Kaelen, impassive, probably wondering if they were there to help or hurt. The tallest sixth year stepped closer to her. He had black hair, darker than any of them, and was particularly nasty looking. He sneered at her and laughed in her face. “Nice breath, troll,” she muttered, cringing away from the Slytherin.
“Oh, shut up, pregnant dog – you think your name will save you now?” He didn’t seem to notice the two Ravenclaws that joined the group, though his minions did. They stepped aside, clearly recognizing Todd. What Pureblood wouldn’t? Kae looked slightly confused as they backed off, staring at his friend with wide eyes. As far as he knew, Todd didn’t have a reputation for being particularly intimidating.
“Did I mention anything having to do with my name, you twit?” snapped the girl, clearly becoming frustrated at her inability to move.
Todd’s face dropped into anger and annoyance as he approached the tallest of them, pushing him aside. His wand pressed quickly into the sixth year’s shoulder and he stepped still, moving him away from the girl. Kae performed the counter curse and the fiery redhead quickly snatched up her wand behind Todd. “Alright, Macnair, you shove off and stop harassing girls because they don’t like you. Get a grip, will you, you’ll find someone eventually, try by a dung heap, at least then she’ll smell like you,” he hissed. The blundering idiot swung his right fist at Todd, and he caught him by the wrist; but then, at the sudden freedom of his left arm, swung again and hit his target. “nuts!” Todd said, stumbling backwards, now clutching his cheek. He raised his wand to curse Macnair, but he was suddenly turned upside down in the air, hanging by his ankle.
Todd looked first at Kaelen, who was watching the girl with a rather stunned look on his face. She stepped forward towards the bully, her wand raised as she held him up by the ankle. It wasn’t a spell he’d seen before, and she seemed to have performed it wordlessly. Who was this girl? “Alright, troll, what do we say when we hit people?” she crooned, looking down at his face. At his lack of reaction, she moved her wand down so that his head hit the floor hard. She jerked him back up again. “What do we say??” she demanded.
“Sorry, Barrie! Now let me go, brat!” he said in his muffled dumb grumbly voice. The vivacious girl dropped him hard on his head as she let him go, and he did his best to get away as quickly as possible, dreading the embarrassment that would soon follow. Todd had rejoined his place next to Kaelen and picked up his make-shift ice pack, though he was not holding it to his face. Both of them looked at the girl curiously, Kaelen with an amused smirk. Her head reached their shoulders, but it was clear she wasn’t done growing. She looked young, but not stupid; she was very skinny and her long fire red hair made her look even longer.
If I had had to make a guess right then, I would have put her in fourth year. She certainly seemed skilled enough to be a fourth year. She was funny, too, and brave, I’d say.
“Thanks,” she sniffed, still annoyed at the situation. Hadn’t Macnair said something about her name? Todd wondered whether he should ask; he too knew what it was like to avoid telling people his name; Kaelen, however, beat him to it.
“No problem. Kaelen Cavvan. What’s your name?” A glance from the side of his eyes told Todd that they were on the same page. She seemed very interesting.
“Linda Snape, not that it matters very much, now does it? No, it does not,” she huffed, crossing her arms. Snape? Severus Snape? Todd’s mind shifted through any knowledge he had of the Death Eater and found he did not ever remember him having a daughter. He had never personally bought anything from his family, but his father mentioned him at times, after a meeting with a few other scumbags. She was in Gryffindor, though, and didn’t seem to like her name… perhaps he shouldn’t ask just yet. She still looked angry.
He noticed Kaelen looking at him curiously now, wondering what significance the name had. “Death Eater,” he told his friend calmly, aware that she was watching them. He moved on before she had a chance to interrupt. “I’m Todd Barrie. How old are you, Linda?”
“Eleven,” she answered calmly, glancing between the two seventh years. A first year had frightened Macnair away. Todd grinned in astonishment and at the hilarity of the situation. Kaelen made a noise like “dayummm” and offered his hand for the girl to punch, his own classic way of showing respect. Linda was smiling now as her knuckles touched Kae’s. He asked what spell that was and somehow Todd knew they would be good friends with Linda… Sometimes, Todd just knew things.
I guess I’m just intuitive like that.

[Mary Slewllwen]

The Ravenclaw common room was practically deserted. It was late, and only a very few seventh year Ravenclaws were lounging in the armchairs around the round, dome room. This was very specific however, not a simple coincidence. There were still two fifth years huddled in the back, studying for their OWLs, but they would be gone soon. Until then, Todd remained rooted to his seat next to Prudence, his arm around her. Her pencil moved across the small sketchpad she held in her lap, drawing and shading in the features of a quill that was resting on the small table in front of the sofa. Next to it was a jar of Mystery-Colored Ink that switched with every letter. Underneath both, she added in her drawing a piece of parchment with the date of a day ten years into the future scribed across the top. Her addition made Todd smile and worry at the same time; the future was indeed a mystery, wasn’t it? The only thing Todd was really sure of was that Prudence would be there. Neither of them really knew what they wanted to do for a living… Todd quite enjoyed Charms, he supposed. Perhaps he could do something for that. He wrote about the future as she drew about it, their sounds of scratching the only in the room.
Kaelen entered from the entrance and Todd wondered where he had been. His friend didn’t have any books with him, and the library was closed anyways. He didn’t look happy. Questions for later, he supposed. It seemed that trauma surrounded him and his loved ones. Kaelen sat down in front of him and Todd could see his eyes were red, though he was clearly trying to forget about it.
Terry Boot came down from the dormitories and immediately rooted out the younger students. “Alright, kiddies, time for sleep,” he shouted across the room to the fifth year girls, pouring over a book. The sudden noise made a few of them jump, Prudence being one of them. The girls in the corner glared at him and stood up, complying easily enough. Terry sat next to Kaelen and the few other seventh years in the room moved closer. Among them was Lisa Turpin, a blonde girl and the shortest of everyone there, who sat in an armchair close to the sofa; Anthony Goldstein was also there, who sat in the chair opposite Lisa, and looked very serious; the last was a girl called Piper Belacqua with short black hair and big eyes, who sat on the floor, leaning against Kaelen’s legs. They all seemed to face Todd and Prudence; he shifted.
“Oi, Barrie, what happened to your face?” Terry asked with a grin. Todd smiled lightly, aware that what had happened was embarrassing, but not really caring. The dark purple bruise across his eye was evident, though it was fading thanks to Prudence. There was a redder bruise on his cheek that was also fading quickly.
“The usual, a charm decided to backfire on me,” he said nonchalantly. “And also Macnair caught me off guard.” He didn’t think it was worth telling the whole story; they had business to get to. Kae didn’t seem to think so, however, and went on to tell the story himself.
“He had a first year caught and we uncursed her, but then – get this – she used this spell I’ve never heard of to pull him upside down after he hit Todd.” They looked curious up at Kae, who seemed to have gained back his usual joking animation. Todd glanced at Prudence, who was looking at him curiously. Todd hadn’t mentioned the whole story. “She was dead funny, too, that first year. What was her name, Todd?”
“Linda. Linda Snape,” he said looking around at them. Indeed, the school’s Potion master and reigning Death Eater had a daughter. “And she’s a Gyffindor,” Todd laughed and the others chuckled, too. Prudence smiled. She knew what it was like to have a father to be ashamed of. They both did. “But we need to start, sleep calls,” he said with a yawn. “I call the beginning of a faction meeting for the Order of the Phoenix,” he said quietly, but officially, waving his wand around the room. The soundproofed area was safe; from what, he didn’t know, but it was always good to make sure. The small group looked to him as he continued. “Hermione Granger said all of the Hogwarts members are meeting up in Hogsmeade instead of travelling home for the spring holiday. She says we should travel together, and I quite agree. Only a few of us have been there before, and only Ron Weasley knows the secret, so he’ll have to lead us in.”
“With Weasley leading, we won’t be there ‘til summer holiday,” Terry commented.
Lisa glared at him and told him, “Oh, shut up Terry, just because his sister dated Michael Corner instead of you doesn’t mean you have to be a thingy.”
“And the fact that you’ve crushed on him for a third of your life has nothing to do with your opinion of him,” Piper snorted, picking at her nails, bored. Lisa blushed furiously and looked as if she was about to retort when Prudence cut in.
“This is a great way to show Dumbledore how mature we can be. You should save the actual dueling until he’s here to see it, you guys,” Prudence commented, glaring at them seriously. A deep silence set in on the little crowd, and Todd gave it a few moments before he started again.
“Prudence is right. We’re lucky to be invited to the meeting. It’s thanks to the Weasleys that the other Hogwarts students that want to help are going. They’re going to put us up for the night and then arrange our travel home for the rest of the break afterwards. We’ve been told we can’t do much until we’ve graduated, but this is our chance to get information.” He paused for a moment, looking at them all. These were his friends , forevermore, despite their differences. Lisa Turpin was so shy, but everything she said had a purpose. Terry was a hard worker, though he could be rude. Piper was as sharp as a tack with her wit but she had one of the kindest hearts he knew. Anthony Goldstein was just blatantly intelligent, a quiet leader, and a good man. And Kaelen, of course, his best friend. Kaelen was such a joker when he wanted to be. He was protective of his friends, but not to himself; he hid everything. And Prudence… there was no describing her.
“Leave before anyone is here to pick you up next week. We’re meeting at the Hogshead before we Apparate together. Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot, and Justin Finch-Fletchley from Hufflepuff will be coming, and then the lot of Gryffindors –Dean, Seamus, Honey, Hermione, Ron and Ginny, Peter, Neville– “
“They’re letting Longbottom go? We’re doomed,” Terry commented once more.
“Not going to argue there, Terry,” Lisa said with a laugh. They all laughed and stood up, ready for sleep at last. Todd shook his head at them all, reluctant to laugh at Neville, though he thought it was partly true. Lisa went up to her room quickly, apparently not so keen on facing Piper. Anthony, too, wandered to the dormitory without another word. Piper lingered only long enough to flutter her eyes at Kaelen and walk away slowly before she disappeared through the door, leaving a scent of an exotic perfume behind. Kaelen and Terry started talking Quidditch in front of the fire, while Prudence placed her hands on Todd’s shoulders and smiled up at him.
“You know, this whole leadership thing suits you, Todd,” she said, looking up into his eyes. Her navy blue cloud storms drilled into his dark brown orbs, and he immediately caught onto this new tone of hers. Her eyes looked up from under dark eyelids, her blunt bangs shadowing them even more.
“Does it?” he asked, amused. He was a little surprised she was being so flirty with Kaelen and Terry in the room, but he supposed they were pretty immersed in their conversation, and on the other side of the room. He wasn’t embarrassed, but she usually was, in front of other people. Apparently not tonight.
“Oh, yes. Very sexy,” she told him. He raised his eyebrows and moved closer to her, his hands placed gently at her hips. This was definitely new. Todd and Prudence as a couple weren’t completely innocent, but they’d never done much more than kiss, and Prudence didn’t really flirt too often.
“Well, then…” he grumbled in a deep voice. His right hand moved up behind her neck, tangled in her dark hair. She laughed as their lips met and they kissed deeply. Prudence actually grabbed hold of the collar of his white button up and pushed him down on the couch. He plopped onto the couch in surprise; their teeth crashed together in momentary pain, but they were both too distracted by the other to care. “d**n, Pru…” he managed to say before she regained her balance on top of him.
“Oh, shut up,” she muttered, attacking his mouth again. Todd laughed and complied, wondering where her sudden lust had come from. They had been together for nine months, and she had never expressed this kind of desire before. Prudence was usually conservative; embarrassed just by his admittedly long goodbye kisses. Where had this come from?
I think it may have been fear... No one is sure what is going to happen at the Order meeting, nor what we will be able to do to find Harry Potter and the other taken children. Prudence and I have no idea what we’re going to do with our lives. We’ll be together, but what else? I suppose people react differently to fear. I’m her constant, I think. She’s mine.
“Hey - !” Terry had stood up and shouted over to them. Kae was walking towards a place on the other side of the room, but Todd wasn’t paying attention. Prudence had broken from him and turned bright red at his shout, but Todd’s grasp on her waist prevented her from pulling away.
“If you tell us to get a room, we will kick you out,” Todd told them, still looking at his girlfriend’s glorious face. She laughed into his chest, blushing madly, but happy. Todd laughed with her and glanced over at Terry, who was still looking at them.
“No, lover-boy, there’s an owl at the window,” he said, pointing to where Kaelen had walked. Through one of the many windows spread across the circular room, you could see a dark grey owl perched, tapping the window furiously.