Chapter - 011 Days passed by, and there was hardly any interaction between the siblings. Nicole was gloomy all the time. There were times when Alex wanted to go and talk to her, but he stopped himself from doing so. The world was cruel, and she needed to understand that not everything will go according to her whim. Today they had flying lessons for both Gryffindor and Slytherin. At three-thirty that afternoon, Alex, Daphne, and the other Slytherins hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance. The Gryffindors were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Nicole and Hermione were standing side by side. Alex looked at Nicole their eyes met but Alex looked away leaving Nicole dishearted. Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, grey hair, and yellow eyes like a hawk. "Well, what are you all waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up." Alex glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles. The brooms looked as if they were a hundred years old and would possibly break any second if used with slightly more power. "Stick out your right hand over your broom," called Madam Hooch at the front, "and say 'Up!' " "UP!" everyone shouted. Only Alex, Malfoy and Harry's broom jumped into their hand at once. Alex had heard Malfoy brag how good he was at flying. He complained loudly about first years never getting on the House Quidditch teams and told long, boastful stories that always seemed to end with him narrowly escaping Muggles in helicopters. Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Neville's hadn't moved at all. Perhaps brooms, like horses, could tell when you were afraid, thought Alex, there was a quaver in Neville's voice that said only too clearly that he wanted to keep his feet on the ground. After a while when everyone's brooms were in their hands, Madam Hooch showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years. While Madam Hooch was explaining how to fly on brooms, suddenly Neville shot from the ground. After circling around the whole school for a while, he fell to the ground, breaking his wrist. Madam Hooch carried Neville to the hospital wing but not before warning the class "You leave those brooms where they are, or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch' ". As soon as Madam Hooch left the Slytherins burst into laughter. Malfoy picked a crystal ball from the ground. "Isn't it the stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him?" "Give that back Malfoy" Harry jumped out of the Gryffindor cloud and said to Malfoy. This kind of irked Alex. Why was he looking for unnecessary trouble? Malfoy smiled nastily. "I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find — how about — up a tree?" Malfoy said, pointing towards a tree. "Give it here!" Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he could fly well. Hovering level with the topmost branches of an oak he called, "Come and get it, Potter!" Harry grabbed his broom. "No!" shouted Hermione Granger. "Madam Hooch told us not to move — you'll get us all into trouble." but Harry ignored her. "Idiots" Alex whispered. "Hmmm... how can they just ignore Madam Hooch's warning?" though surprised by Alex's remark, Daphne agreed. "I am leaving, I don't think there will be a class today," Alex said and turned back to leave. "You don't want to watch them?" Daphne asked, pointing towards Harry and Malfoy who were playing mouse and cat in the air. "What good will come from it?" Alex shrugged and continued to leave. "Let's go" Daphne too walked behind him. "Where are you going Alex?" Hermione, who saw Alex and Daphne leave asked. "To the dormitory," Daphne said. "What about the class" ignoring Daphne, Hermione asked Alex. "I am sure when Madam Hooch will return she would be busy scolding those morons, I don't think there will be anything noteworthy today," Alex said. Saying this Alex left followed by Daphne. As the two of them entered the school building, the Slytherin prefect Gemma Farley came up to them. "Ashbridge, professor Snape has called you in his office," she said, looking at Alex. The boy never talked to anyone in the Slytherin common house. He was like a shadow whose existence was barely noticed. "Thanks" Alex nodded towards her and left them. Alex reached Snape's office and knocked. "Come in" a voice came from inside. "Professor you called for me," Alex asked. "Sit down," Snape said, gesturing towards the chair in front of his desk. "How is it going with Nicole?" Snape asked. "I am still giving her a cold shoulder, she needs to learn the bitter truth," Alex said. "And what's that?" Snape asked curiously. "If I am gone someday, no one will care about her. She needs to get rid of the mentality that the world revolves around her and whatever she does, she will be forgiven" Alex explained. "Aren't you being too harsh on her? You may have matured early, but she is still eleven" Snape said. "The privilege of enjoying your childhood is only for those who have a family or fortune behind them. For us orphans it's different. For muggles, they have to study and work harder than anyone else because there is no one to support them. For us wizards, if unknowingly we offend some dumb young master of a powerful family what awaits us is something unimaginable. She needs to understand that" Alex explained. "Well, I understand but don't take it too far" Snape was impressed. If there is no misfortune, the boy will be among the greatest wizards of his generation. "Yes professor". "The reason I called you here is to give you this" Snape said taking out a piece of paper from his desk. "What's this?" taking the paper from Snape's hand, Alex asked. "It's a map. It will tell you the location of anyone you want to know, and those who are within fifty meters will automatically show up" Snape explained. "You want me to keep track of Harry?" understanding Snape's intentions Alex asked. "Yes," Snape nodded. "Mast... I mean professor you obviously care about Harry, so why... I mean... you know..." Alex didn't understand. From his master's actions, it was clear he cared about Harry, so why would he criticise and humiliate Harry all the time, that too in front of everyone. "It's not him that I care about it's someone else. You don't need to know more." Snape said with a tone of longing. It was clear that he was very sad at the mention of that certain someone. "Yes, professor. Professor, how do I use this?" sensing the sadness in Snape's voice Alex asked changing the topic. "You just need to infuse the map with your magic and mark it. It will recognise you as its owner. For anyone else, it will be just a piece of paper" saying this Snape waved his hand, gesturing him to leave. Alex nodded towards Snape and left his office. Since there were no more classes, Alex left for his dormitory. In his room, Alex sat on his bed with a book in one hand and with the other he was caressing Erebus who slept in his lap. After some time Alex placed his book aside. "How long do you think I need to follow master, Erebus?" Alex asked looking at Erebus. Erebus continued to lay on his lap. "Do you think someone like Potter needs my protection? He was the one who defeated the dark lord when he was an infant" Alex asked again while lifting Erebus, and turning his face towards himself. "Should I just go and talk to Nicole. She looked kind of down". "How good it would have been if you could talk" Alex continued to talk with Erebus, and the latter just licked Alex's face. Alex picked up the Map Snape gave him and with his wand infused some magic in it. The map began to unfold itself and words and lines began to appear on it. Soon the whole blueprint of Hogwarts was on the piece of paper. Alex saw his name and footprints surrounded by some other Slytherin students. "Harry Potter," Alex said. Soon Alex's footprints appeared on the map. His footprints left the Gryffindor common room and were moving towards the Great Hall, he was probably going for dinner. "Nic..." Alex was about to look for his sister when he noticed her footprints along with Hermione's outside the Slytherin common room. A bunch of Slytherin students along with Malfoy were also there. Alex left his room with Erebus in his arms and came to the common room. Students were gathered in the common room and were leaving the common room in groups. Alex too left with them and came outside. "Why don't you understand? I don't want to enter inside, just call him for me" Alex could hear Nicole's voice among the crowd. "You can meet him outside or just wait till tomorrow, Just leave," one of the Slytherins said to Nicole and Hermione. "Let me call him, why are you making a fuss out of nothing" Daphne tried to mediate between the two groups. "Stay out of it Greengrass, how can two filthy mudbloods come to the Slytherin common room" Malfoy who was at the forefront of the group suddenly said. "Do you want to die so bad Malfoy?" a voice rang in the corridor. Everyone present looked at the back. Who was bold enough to curse the Malfoy's. Alex walked slowly towards the crowd. His grey eyes had turned blood red. The corridor was filled with huge pressure, most of it was directed towards Malfoy, who felt week in his legs. Alex glared at Malfoy to which the latter felt death staring at him. Everyone created a path for Alex. Alex reached Malfoy and put his hand on his shoulder and the latter collapsed on the ground. * * * * *