Verus

three

10th century, Hogwarts Castle

Age ten, a year before he was set to get his Hogwarts letter, things changed for Harry. There were more whispers travelling throughout the castle, Merlin visited far too often for it to go unnoticed, he was spending more and more time alone, focused on his studies, and the founders wore concerned looks whenever they thought he wasn't in sight. It wasn't worrying per se, Harry knew that they would tell all in due time, though he couldn't help but feel a little ostracised. It seemed as though something big was brewing. A storm, perhaps.

"And where do you suppose we are to go from here?"

Harry stiffened in his step upon hearing the familiar drawl of Salazar echo around the upcoming corner. He had been wandering throughout the castle halls aimlessly for the better part of an hour now, in search of something to keep him occupied, seeing as dinner had yet to be prepared. Not that he blamed the elves for his grumbling stomach, it was Godric who much preferred later lunches, which then set back everything else too, dinner included. But it wasn't Sal's voice which had made him pause, there was just something rather odd about the strain that had wavered the man's tone, Harry had never heard Sal sound quite so apprehensive.

Cautiously, Harry pressed his body up against the nearest stone wall. He felt its cold, jagged edges stab at the blades of his shoulders as he crept along its path to listen in closer to the conversation.

"That, I am unsure of, Salazar. I fear my meddling is what has caused this obvious change to become."

That voice was decidedly Merlin, Harry would recognise his grave tone anywhere (it also tended to add a certain ardour to his retelling of old tales).

A brief flutter of questions flitted through Harry's mind after having heard the elder wizard's answer, but his attention was quickly drawn back to the matter at hand. The group seemed none the wiser to his presence.

"Simply altering the life of one child can't be merely enough to set off something like this!" Came Helga's unexpected response, and Harry was rather surprised to hear the vitriol in which lined her tone. The witch was usually so soft spoken.

"Helga, my dear, nothing yet is set in stone. Although, as I have said, it is a theory that concerns me greatly." Merlin acquiesced, and Harry didn't have to see the wizard to know what kind of expression his face was set in. "You must know that I did not see much of the path that the child was set to start on all those years ago, mainly just a glimpse at the hardships he would face during his youth, and the beginning years of his schooling. And then as you know, his demise."

A sombre quiet tore through the castle, and Harry forced himself to hold his breath.

"We can understand that, Merlin," Godric's resounding voice bled through into the conversation, though Harry found it lacked its usual enthusiasm. "But do you believe this... lost wizard's attempts at searching are all in vain?"

Merlin gave only a sombre reply, "He is close, that much I know."

"What is our best option here?" Rowena questioned after a sharp inhale sounded, taking the lead.

"We sit and we wait. That is all we truly can do."

—

Since having overheard the odd conversation between his mentors, Harry's mind had been some what out of sorts. He was far too transfixed on finding out what was going on. Not that anyone else seemed to noticed, what with all the mayhem happening behind closed doors and the rest of the castle's occupants, or so Harry had thought.

§Snakelet. I thought that you would be more privy to the fact that sneaking around without a Muffliato charm would only end up getting you caught.§