HP: Harry From The Ancient House Of Black [ Chapter 65 ]

It had not taken long for Aries to come up with a plan to explain Barty Crouch Senior's disappearance.

When Potter and Dumbledore arrived he simply told them that the crazed man had run off into the forest and he had not wanted to use magic to restrain an adult, let alone an esteemed member of the Ministry of Magic.

That had made sense to Potter, but Aries could tell that Dumbledore was skeptical. He felt a slight probe in his mind and used his Occlumency to keep his mind guarded as he locked eyes with Albus challengingly.

The look of surprise was well hidden on Dumbledore's face but his eyes gave it away. They might have had a confrontation if it had not been for the sudden arrival of Mad-Eye Moody.

Mad-Eye had been an anomaly to Aries all year, choosing mostly to ignore the retired Auror.

Aries was not sure of the man's opinion of his Death Eater father and had decided that it was better to avoid him rather than risk a confrontation.

But there was something different to the Auror now. Often throughout the year when they had crossed paths in the corridors of Hogwarts, Moody had paid him little mind but now the Auror was studying him closely.

It was not in the same way that Dumbledore was. The only way Aries could explain it was that Moody was looking at him with a new surprised calculating look, perhaps all too similar to the way Barty Crouch Junior had looked at him moments before he disappeared with the corpse of his father.

The days leading up to the task were filled with training sessions with his mentor. Spells flew into the dummies as they moved around the room.

Aries ran through his arsenal of knowledge, focusing on curses and charms that affected magical creatures more than anything else.

Draco's Care of Magical Creature's homework had illustrated Hagrid's immense love for dangerous creatures and it only allowed for the number of dangerous spells Aries knew to increase.

His mentor and master, Professor von Reich, watched his apprentice with a critical eye, looking for any mistake or sign of weakness. Aries suddenly changed tactics, turning to spells that would be found more frequently in a duel.

He knew that it might come down to another duel between champions to decide the victor, and the dummies were blasted apart, cut in half, and disintegrated until Aries and Vladimir were the only ones left.

The Room of Requirement had become his training ground since its discovery and it had proved far more useful than he had ever imagined. Aries was unsure if Potter used it for more than talking to the portrait Godric Gryffindor, but he could not blame the boy.

He had spent many hours talking to Salazar Slytherin's portrait as well, and it had only increased his repertoire of spells.

"Excellent Aries," Vladimir said approvingly and with a thought, two chairs appeared. "Sit. I believe you are ready for the final task. There is nothing else to learn so let us enjoy this moment of peace." Aries was thankful for his mentor's approval and took the seat, letting the tension that had built up between his shoulders disappear.

"You have done well for yourself this year."

"I have always tried to make the best of any situation." That was an understatement if there ever was one.

Aries had accelerated so many of his plans that at this point he was just waiting for the Dark Lord's return.

Between Sirius, Daphne, Fleur, and Remus he had been able to accomplish years of work in barely a years' time.

There were still a few tasks that needed to be completed, such as the meeting with Jean Delacour, but it was of little consequence.

This summer would change things forever and he eagerly awaited the end of the tournament.

"Yes indeed." Von Reich ran a hand over his beard. "You've managed to win Sirius back to your side with Dumbledore none the wiser. The Greengrass girl has given you your connection to powerful members of the Wizengamot, among other things.”

“Remus has provided us with the information needed to eventually take down Albus. You've gained a life debt to the daughter of a powerful man in France. You've also discovered the location of the Elder Wand."

The last statement hung in the air, but Aries had a feeling that his mentor did not think that was the most important. "And you've brought Potter under your wing."

"What makes you think that?" Aries disagreed entirely. Sure, he had helped the boy at times, but under no circumstance did he actually care for Potter.

"How haven't you? Throughout the year you've looked after him. You were there for him after his friends abandoned him, helping him to move on and branch out. You taught him to look beyond the simplistic views of his family, in a way.”

“You led him to his lineage, helping him to realize that he is far more than just a wizard that survived the Killing Curse. In the Third Task, you went after him in an attempt to save his life. That night you went to protect him from the unknown, even though it was only Crouch." Vladimir gave him a curious gaze.

"It seems to me like Potter is as much under your protection as your other friends, or am I mistaken? Regardless of what you know may come to pass in the future, you have helped him on numerous occasions. Not for any political gain, but because it was simply the right thing to do."

"Does it matter?" Aries was unsure why it annoyed him, but it did. He did nothing without reason.

Yet he could not deny that what Professor von Reich said was true. Every time something happened with Potter, he had looked out for him.

Even he did not know why, but he still did without a care for how it would benefit him. It was unlike him, and yet it had always felt right.

"It does not matter to me. My question is this: what does it mean for you?"