A new student. And a new pet project for the headmaster, no doubt.
As the boy spoke his pathetic and uncertain tale, a frenzy of red flags and alarm bells went off in the acerbic professorās mind. He had a formidable instinct for danger. He nodded gravely in acknowledgement of his loss. An orphan withĀ āwrongā magic, of all things? That was a story that had trouble written all over it, and the sensible side of Severusā brain (oh, if only he would heed that more!) kept niggling at him to hand the wretch over to the headmaster and get it over and done with.
But the headmaster had beenĀ ā¦ mistakenĀ about these types before. And there was something more to this young wizard than a sob story and a promise of relentless bullying for the next 7 years to come. Something hopelesslyĀ solitary, and perhaps not so innocent. Something perhaps even Albus couldnāt comprehend in all of his revered wisdom.Ā
A single eyebrow travelled further up his creased forehead in a majestic arch, unfailingly questioning that deliberately vague statement. What a primitive notion. Magic is not right, or wrong, he thought. Magic is a chaotic neutral, highly explosive power. Severus knew from first hand experience that whatever negative effect it produced had to do with the medium through which it was channeled, rather than the source itself. Whoever suggested this fragile muppet go off to practice without supervision or guidance was, in his mind, an unredeemable idiot. He looked forward to a modicum of sadistic fun tearing said idiot a new one.
But first things first. āYour nameāā he demanded with renewed professorial authority; it was time to don the sternĀ babysitter of HogwartsāĀ Potions Masterās robes, something he routinely resigned himself to at the beginning of every academic year.Ā āāand House.āĀ
Heād thankfully missed most of the Sorting Ceremony, tasked to deal with a rogue gargoyle that had been terrorising the East Wing. He could easily have taken an educated guess but he had to check if the boy himself knew where he was supposed to go, considering everything about his behaviour suggested otherwise.
Standing there beneath the harsh gaze of scrutiny, under the indomitable eye of the Professor, Credence felt chills running down his spine and dampened his ivory skin with cold sweats. He gulped a sore dryness in his throat but even so, he could not find the will or strength to look away from the manās eyes. He simply waited, looking up at him from beneath his bangs, fidgeting idly with his hands inside his robe, twitching uncontrollably as if he was unsure if he wanted to hug himself for comfort or keep within the boundaries of his feeble skin, a darkness that he only recently fell aware of but never understood.
No one took the time to explain to him what the obscurus was and after the death of a mother that never loved him, he found himself cast away into a place of magic and wonders and as much as he enjoyed the wondrous land he found himself in, there was an air of unsettling confusion for never having gained the social skills that one might need in a place such as this.Ā
Far away from all that he knew and the small corner of his world that he was torn away from, Credence felt his oddity even more heavy on the shoulders of a body too consumed by the hauling coils within, the auguries of ruin that he cannot even begin to grasp onto.
āMy name is Credence, Sir. B-barebone, Credence Barebone.ā he repeated as if that alone would save him from his own befuddlement āI am in.. uhm... Ravenclaw house.ā the added note was laced in a softer tone and more sure of himself this time as he enjoyed the Ravenclaw tower most of all and the myriads of books and the smell of ancient knowledge wearing him onto lands of dreams and possibilities of self discovery but at the same time yank him away from a past in which he knew nothing of worth value.Ā
āI havenāt left the tower in three days and I just figured that it might be good to practice maybe... away from...ā he shrugged and looked back to the way he came from, not finishing his sentence, thinking it odd to say that he was worried that he might hurt someone or worse, have someone killed.
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