The Prophecy of Absconditus

Chapter Five: The Four Mages

"Mr. Weasley, I'd like to see you after class."

Professor Valmont sat at his desk, feet kicked up on a pile of parchments while he leafed through a large textbook that would not be out of place in Hermione's collection with its large, yellowed pages. At Valmont's words Malfoy snickered, causing Crabbe and Goyle to smirk with him. Pathetic, that, the way they followed Malfoy into everything. Standing from his seat, Valmont shook his head and half-rolled his eyes.

"Mr. Malfoy, is there a problem?"

"There never is a problem, Professor. It would probably do you good to stop asking."

"It would do you good to keep your tongue."

Malfoy arched his eyebrow and Valmont crossed his arms over his chest. They stared at each other, refusing to break eye contact. After several moments, it was Malfoy who caved. His lower lip trembled and his feet shuffled until he broke the connection to fumble with a roll of parchment. A smile curved Valmont's lips and he stood.

"Today we're going to do a combination notes and discussion class. It would do you all well to pay close attention because I'm warning you right now that this is a big part of your curriculum this year. My better judgment begged me to teach this at a later date, but circumstances that I could not foresee have forced me to change my schedule. I need to get this in before Halloween, and now is just as good a time as any."

Valmont rounded his desk and took a seat upon it.

"The Prophecy of Absconditus. Who here has heard of it?"

Several hands inched into the air. Hermione's was not one of them, and she gaped when Ron, after a bit of hesitation, raised his hand. Harry snickered.

"Ron knows something you don't?" he said. "Hermione, have you been slacking off?"

"Shut up, Harry," she said.

"As I expected," said Valmont. "Keep your hands in the air. Now, Miss Granger, what do you notice about the people who know about the Prophecy? What do they all have in common?"

Hermione looked from Ron to Crabbe to Goyle to Malfoy to Neville, and continued around the room, taking inventory of who had a hand raised and who did not. After some time, she said, "They're all pureblood." Valmont nodded.

"Very good, Miss Granger. Excellent observation. Take five points for Gryffindor. Anyone know why this is? Mr. Malfoy?"

"The Prophecy of Absconditus is really more myth than fact. My father told me that it's never been documented, but only passed down by word of mouth. Folklore."

Crossing his arms, Valmont nodded.

"The Prophecy of Absconditus is wizarding folklore passed down from the fourth century when four convicts disappeared from their holding cells and the city they were held in collapsed. Some of this story has been proven true. There was once a city called Absconditus, though the exact location of it is not documented. Many scholars believe that it was Unplottable, but I'll get to theories later in class.

"Absconditus, in the fourth century, was a prosperous kingdom and a magical center rival to our modern London. The year was 372 A.D., and Absconditus was ruled by King Reegan Alcor. His first wife died by this time, and he was now married to Larrissa Mizar. She was wealthy and beautiful according to the surviving records; everything fit for a king. Together, they had three children, two from Reegan's first marriage, and a third, a bastard son, born to Larrissa before she wed the king.

"King Reegan's two sons were named Starvos Reegan and Ryan Sloan; Larrissa's son was named Bade. Now, Starvos was the older of the two brothers, and the rightful heir to the throne. Ryan, being the younger, was often overshadowed by his brother and his stepmother. Bade, being a bastard child who did not know his father, was looked upon as a blight on the family. It was only inevitable that the two would become close friends.

"There wouldn't be much to this story if it were not for two more people. Lorenzo Merak was the middle child of ten from a family of drunkards. At the age of eighteen, he ran away and met Reynaldo Lynx through an old family friend. Lynx was advisor to the king at that time, introduced to Reegan through Larrissa. Lynx's line can be connected to the Mizars, and it is believed that he was a cousin to the unknown father of Bade Mizar. He was a highly respected wizard, who would have not looked twice at Merak if it were not for his rare gift of freezing time.

"I told you the first day of class how rare the gift to freeze time is if you aren't a Keeper. Merak was born with this ability, and Lynx found it impossible to refuse the boy.

"The last of our characters is Hero Veriatice. At the age of four, she was enslaved to the Alcor family, and her name was changed to Ana. It was said that a handmaid could not hold a name such as Hero. Veriatice came from a broken home, and she was raised by the overseers whom she had been sold to. As she grew older, she was placed as a handmaid to Prince Ryan.

"For those of you who know the story, can any of you give us the synopsis? A basis? Sum it up as you've heard it. Mr. Zabini?"

"Well," said Blaise, tapping the desk, "the way I heard it was that one day, King Reegan and Prince Starvos were found dead in their chambers. Somehow, the blame came to falsely lie on Ryan Alcor, Bade Mizar, Lorenzo Merak, and Hero Veriatice. They were convicted and sentenced to die. The thing was that they each also held a rare gift, like Lorenzo's gift of time. Those gifts were also to be taken at the time of their death.

"On the night before they were to be executed, they disappeared. The next day, the city collapsed. No one knows what happened to them or to the city, but it's said that they scattered their magic in the collapsed city and would return in another life when evil returned."

"Excellent. Thank you, Mister Zabini. Ten points to Slytherin. It's been proven that Absconditus existed, that our four key characters were sentenced to death, and that they disappeared. It's also been proven that Absconditus fell the very next morning. What we don't know is what evil ruled before. Who really killed Reegan and Starvos Alcor? Why?

"Another interesting point worth mentioning is the relationship between Hero and Ryan. Just before the murder, Starvos exposed an affair between the Prince and his handmaid. She was pregnant, and with the knowledge of her relationship to Ryan out in the public, the people of Absconditus reacted. They stoned her, and she almost lost the baby. What part does that have to play in all of this? Anyone have an opinion they'd like to share?"

*

"Mr. Weasley?"

Ron shoved his notes into his bag and looked up at Professor Valmont. He nodded, slung his bag over his shoulder, and turned to Harry and Hermione.

"Wait for me, okay? We won't be long, and I'm going to have to tell you what he said anyway."

When Harry and Ron first told Hermione about their plans to depart from Hogwarts, Hermione thought it was ludicrous. In time, though, she began to pick up on differences between the Dumbledore they had known and the Dumbledore that now frequented the school halls. From the moment she agreed to leave, Ron could tell she was scared. As Halloween loomed closer, Hermione was nervous about everything. Her eyes grew wide at Ron's words, but she nodded, and Harry directed her out of the classroom.

"You wanted to see me," said Ron.

"Yes. Please pull up a chair."

Ron walked to the front of the classroom and grabbed a chair. He pulled it over to Valmont's desk and sat. Clearing his throat, Valmont fingered the edge of his robes before starting.

"I've spoken to Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and Professor Leiss many times about your vision and Mr. Potter's dream. We've reached a conclusion that I can't say I'm happy about, but it's the best we could come up with. Considering that we do not have Professor Dumbledore or the luxury to send students home without sending out warning signals, secrecy is the biggest issue. After many debates, we've decided that there's nothing else to do but to accept the siege."

"But, Professor --"

"I'm not finished, Mr. Weasley. We cannot fight them with such short notice. There need to be more of us. Those we can trust must be notified. Members of the Order, for one. No one can be overlooked, and it all has to be done without tipping off the Death Eaters. Such actions cannot be done before Halloween. It's only four days away.

"When I say 'accept the siege,' I do mean that some of the students will be held by the Death Eaters. This is the part that I'm against, but Professor Snape insists that it's our best bet. The siege is about control, but what they really want is Harry. He's the first person we have to get out of here.

"We're setting up three camps. Six members of the Hogwarts staff will be leaving; the rest will stay during the siege with the younger students. Professor McGonagall insists that those only fifth year and up leave the school, because those leaving are those who will be fighting. These students will be scattered between the three camps, each camp with two members of the staff."

"Why three?" said Ron.

"What happens if one of our camps is attacked? If Death Eaters found us and we were all in one place, it would all be over. We'd lose half our people with two. Three just seemed like a decent number."

"Who's going?"

"Me, Professor Leiss, Professor Marcositi, Professor Snape, Professor Sinistra, and Madam Pomfrey. The rest will stay with the students who are either unwilling to fight, or who will not believe us if we told them."

"What about the students?"

"That depends. Harry, of course, must go, or he'll be killed. I assume you still intend to go."

"And Hermione."

Valmont made a note on a slip of parchment.

"Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape made up a list of students who they think will be willing to go and fight, or who would at least believe us. Miss Granger was on the list. So are most of the surviving members of Mister Potter's fifth year D.A. class. I believe Professor Snape is taking care of the few Slytherins who made the list. Professor Leiss is working on the Ravenclaws, and I have the Hufflepuffs. Professor McGonagall, of course, has the Gryffindors, but I've been asked to speak with you since I had you in my class today. If you could let Harry know --"

"Harry's been ready to leave since he first had the nightmare."

"Very well. Tell only who you must."

"When are we leaving?"

"Halloween. You must be at the harbor where the first years arrive at Hogwarts before five o'clock. We'll leave promptly at five -- not a minute before, not a minute after. All day long we'll leak people out of the school. Can't let them all go at once. But you must be there at five. The same thing goes for Miss Granger and Mr. Potter. If you have any questions, see one of us before then."

"Thank you Professor Valmont."

"No need to thank me. Now run along. I'm sure there are people you're going to want to contact, and I have plans to work out."

"Yes, sir."

"And Ron?"

"Yes?"

"Be sure to pack your notes on the Prophecy of Absconditus."

Ron frowned.

"I'm sorry?"

"Trust me."

Ron left Professor Valmont's classroom and headed into the corridor. Harry and Hermione sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. Silence mounted between them, and both heads snapped up when Ron emerged. He gave them a grin.

"We leave Friday. Five o'clock."

"That's cutting it kind of close," said Harry.

"I know, but we can't tip anyone off. We're only supposed to tell the people we can trust."

"Like?"

"I don't know. McGonagall is supposed to take care of most of the Gryffindors, but I want to tell Ginny."

"That's a good idea," said Hermione. She stood from the floor, and Harry followed. They brushed their robes off and headed down the hall.

*

"Ryan."

Ron rolled over in bed, and saw a figure moving through the dark. The portrait on the far wall shut, and footsteps crept along the hardwood floor. The sheets pulled back and a lean body slid beneath the material.

"Couldn't sleep?" said Ron.

"No. You were all I could think about."

Bade twined his fingers into Ron's hair, a light ash blond rather than the usual vivid red he was accustomed to. He would have never noticed the difference had it not been for the moonlight that shone between thin curtains. It illuminated Bade's fingers, which had these blond stands wrapped around them. He smiled, gave a soft tug on it, and leaned forward to capture Ron's lips.

"Do you know just how exquisite you are?" said Bade.

"No, but that's probably a good thing."

"Mmm." He nodded. "It makes you all the more attractive."

"You shan't be in here. Anyone could see you."

"I'll be where I wish. No one, especially not my mother, is going to tell me where I shall and shan't be."

"What about Starvos?"

"That brother of yours has far too much time on his hands. If all he does to entertain himself is get you in trouble, he lives a sad life. Don't think on it, love. You think too much."

"It's my biggest flaw."

"Let's pretend it doesn't exist, if only for a moment."

Ron parted his lips as Bade touched them with his index finger and slid one between them. His tongue stroked the length of Bade's finger; his mouth closed around it and sucked. Bade moaned, shifted, and bit his bottom lip when Ron kissed the tip.

Shifting their positions, Ron forced Bade onto his back and pulled his head back to expose the throat. Wrapping his mouth around the Adam's apple, Ron sucked on the flesh, determined to leave a mark. Bade twisted his arms around Ron's waist and hooked his thumb into the waist of Ron's trousers. His palm opened flat against the small of Ron's back, and Bade pulled their hips together so that there was no room left between them.

Ron cupped his hand around Bade's neck and pulled him forward to meet his lips. They tasted sweeter than they had before, softer, wetter, and Ron found that he needed more. It was a strange sensation, pouring everything that consumed him into another being. Bade responded, met each kiss, each stroke of the tongue, with more zeal than Ron ever experienced. Familiar and foreign, here and yet somewhere else, Ron ripped the material from Bade's body as he searched for the flesh he craved.

"Ryan," said Bade, clinging to Ron's back. The muscles of Bade's stomach twitched beneath Ron's fingers as he ran his hands over naked skin. Sweat collected as they filled each other, salt on Ron's tongue when he lapped his way across Bade's nude chest.

*

"Ron!"

Pale fingers wrapped around his sweaty arms faded into freckled fingers gripping at his shoulders. Soft pants of love, desire, and other things that lovers say vanished to be replaced by insistent shouting. Bade's soft angles and thick black hair transformed into soft curves and flaming red. To say that it was disturbing would be an understatement. It was just under enough to drive him insane.

"Ginny?"

It was enough to quell the hint of an erection that had been forming.

"You're getting better about the visions," said Harry. "You didn't scream at all that time, and you didn't look like a catatonic patient. You didn't even look asleep. Just like you were staring into space."

Ron tried to laugh, but it sounded strangled to his ears. He winced.

"What's wrong?" asked Hermione.

"Nothing."

"What was the vision about?" asked Ginny. "Was it about -- today?"

Ron shook his head.

"No. I don't really want to talk about it."

"Getting secretive again?" said Harry.

"I would have been secretive about the Halloween one if it weren't going to put all of our lives in danger. I'm selfish, but I'm not that selfish."

"You aren't selfish, Ron. Don't be an idiot."

Ginny smiled at Harry's words and sat beside her brother on the plushy sofa. They were in the Gryffindor common room on Friday afternoon. Lessons just got out on Halloween, and everyone prepared for the feast. It was hard to go through the last couple days of lessons. There was no way to know who was leaving today and who wasn't. Some students had already gone -- boats left every hour on the hour since one o'clock, two hours ago. Ginny was scheduled to leave with the other Gryffindor sixth years (including Colin Creevy) in an hour.

From the moment Ron told her about his fears and his vision, Ginny jumped at the chance to get out of there. She didn't have a hard time sensing her brother's unease. It radiated off him in waves that someone as close as a sister could read without ever having to be told. Now he blocked himself off. She couldn't place a single emotion that she recognized on his blank face. Ron had always been so expressive, but the older he got, the harder it was to tell what was on his mind. He had grown so complex when he matured. Ginny often didn't know what to make of it.

"I have to pack," said Ginny. Ron didn't look at her as he nodded, but he squeezed her wrist as she rose to leave.

"Be careful," he said.

"I will. I'll see you out there."

"Did you write Mum and Dad? So they know we're safe?"

"I was going to write once we got there. There's always a chance the plan could go wrong and then they wouldn't know if we got out or if something was fouled up."

"Sending owls isn't secure. You have to be careful."

"I will be. Don't worry."

"I mean it, Gin. This isn't just something to mess around with. This is big, important stuff. Life or death."

"I know, Ron." She kissed him on the forehead. "I'll be careful."

Ron pressed his lips together and nodded. Ginny grinned before heading out of the common room. Walking across the room, Hermione took Ginny's place on the sofa and patted Ron on the shoulder.

"Ginny's a big girl."

"She's still my little sister."

"We all need to be careful. Not just Ginny."

"I know, but I don't want her to get hurt. Too many people are going to be left behind already. We can't lose the people leaving."

"Like Hagrid," said Harry, frowning. "Hagrid is staying."

"Well, honestly, can you imagine trying to sneak Hagrid out of here?" said Hermione. "Come on. We should pack, too."

Forty minutes later, Ron watched as Ginny and Colin left the common room. There was nothing left to do now but wait. The five o'clock boat was the last one to leave, and they had to be down at the harbor in an hour. In an hour and it would begin. The Death Eaters would attack a school missing six of its teachers and a portion of its older students, Harry Potter being one of them. Hogwarts students would be within the clutches of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Ron felt for the first years. If the siege of Hogwarts happened in his first year, he wasn't sure he'd have ever come back for a second.

They passed the next sixty minutes in silence. Harry chewed on the collar of his cloak, his green eyes blank and fixated on something far beyond what Ron and Hermione could see. Hermione sat in a corner, and stared at a book like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Ron would bet his right arm that she wasn't reading a word, and that if she was, she wasn't registering it. Around the common room, it was obvious who would be on that final boat. Mannerism said everything.

Neville, like Harry, stared at some point beyond the average field of vision. Maybe they looked at the same thing, Ron thought. Lavender Brown hadn't talked to Parvati Patil since Charms. While Parvati was off with her twin sister somewhere, Lavender checked her watch and tugged on the strap of her bag. Seamus and Dean laughed, played chess. They were two of those who had no clue what was about to happen tonight. Ron felt a pang sear through his chest. This just wasn't right.

Thirty minutes to five and Neville left the common room with his bag (probably wanting to be early so that he didn't get left behind). It was a little something like insurance, as it is better to be safe than to be sorry. Lavender left after, not ever looking Ron's way, but her eyes settled on Harry for half a second before she crawled out the portrait hole. After all, it was naive to think that Harry Potter wouldn't be among those who left for the camps.

Ron left the common room with Harry and Hermione. His thoughts tore back and forth between the realization that he may be leaving Hogwarts for good and his vision that danced in his mind. That vision made his body react. Another man kissed him, Ron kissed him back, and it had felt so right that it was hard for his mortal mind to comprehend.

The boats left at five o'clock just like Professor Valmont said. A few fifth year Ravenclaws and sixth year Hufflepuffs were with the five Gryffindors. Memories of being dropped off here in first year replaced his vision while they set sail, and then the vision of Bade was back.

That was the second time he had a vision where another man kissed him, but this time he was certain that the man called him by another name. This would have been all well and good if it weren't for the fact that it still felt like Ron. When he told Professor Leiss about this, she said it sounded like a past life experience, but a soul-bind was needed for one of those since he wasn't a Keeper. Why would anyone want to use a soul-bind? What could this Ryan and Bade . . .

Ryan and Bade.

Ron sat, staring, as the boat pulled up at Hideout A. Professor Sinistra and Madam Pomfrey were already there, and when the boats arrived, they read off the list of students. Hermione, Neville, and a few of the younger students were called to leave the boats. The goodbye wasn't tearful. It wasn't very emotional at all. Hermione stepped out of the boat, said that she'd see them soon, and followed Professor Sinistra into the woods. The boats took off again.

Digging through his bag, Ron pulled out a roll of parchment, bound together by a strip of orange material that used to be part of a Chudley Cannons T-shirt. Undoing the binding, Ron unrolled the parchment and looked over his scrolling words. There it was, plain as day, and unmistakable in his own handwriting: Ryan Alcor and Bade Mizar, stepbrothers, and one half of the Four Mages.

"Lorenzo, help me get him up."

"Hero, take his other hand."

It was the first vision in this charade. The first time Bade -- Bade Mizar -- kissed him and called him Ryan. Lorenzo must have been Lorenzo Merak, and Hero must have meant Hero Veriatice: the Four Mages.

"Exactly. Wizards are single natured. They don't go through reincarnation, and the only people that do are Keepers. Wizards who do go through reincarnation do so only because a Keeper binds them. It's a complicated process. Not a lot of people want to go through it. And binds are only done in times where it's absolutely necessary."

Professor Leiss when mentioning the first vision. He had been so confused. Pieces clicked in his head. It started to come together and form a picture. Then, just as things swam together in front of his eyes, the boats came to a stop. Professor Snape and Professor Valmont walked out to the shore, and Valmont clutched a piece of parchment.

"Those of you who aren't on this list will be going to Hideout C with Professor Leiss and Professor Marcositi," said Snape.

Valmont unfolded the parchment and started to read.

"Lavender Brown, Kerry Daubert, Jonathan Maccaeden, Gene Stark, Ronald Weasley."

Harry's mouth hung open, staring at Ron.

"I bet Snape split us up on purpose," said Harry.

"I'll see you soon."

It was something Harry had done very few times before because he didn't like to seem weak in front of anyone, but as Ron rose to leave the boat, Harry wrapped him in a hug. During moments like these, emotions are okay. Ron hugged Harry as tight as he could before pulling away, saying goodbye, and he stepped out of the boat. His bag hung on his shoulder as he followed Snape and Valmont through rock and stone until they came to a crevice hardly noticeable if you weren't looking for it.

"This is the entrance to the hideout," said Snape. "We'll teach you about Hideouts A and C for when you need to go back and forth. Don't worry, you will see your friends again."

"Follow us," said Valmont. Snape slid through first, Valmont went next, and the students followed. Ron entered after Lavender.

The lighting was low; candles and lanterns sat all around to create a soft glow. Magic -- Ron soon learned -- was limited down here thanks to the possibility that Voldemort may try to track them that way. Despite the prehistoric atmosphere and limits on magic usage, the hideout was cozy and more hospitable than Ron would have imagined. The main room held a large, long table covered in plans, parchment, quills, and ink. Several chairs and sofas sat around, which Ron presumed Valmont or Snape must have transfigured from rocks or the like.

Hospital beds were down a stone corridor and set up in some sort of infirmary station. A potions lab was also set back up this way, and thin pieces of material hung from the ceiling around each bed. Apparently, even if you were underground, you still deserved your privacy when recovering from some sort of illness or injury.

Sleeping quarters were nothing more than lumpy mattresses strewn about the floor. There were several rooms of these, each one with two, three, or four mattresses. Not many were needed seeing as how most of the students were still at the school. It was in one of these rooms where Ron first saw him. Setting up around one bed was Kerry Daubert, a Ravenclaw fifth year. One of the makeshift beds was assigned to Ron by Professor Valmont. Sprawled across the last one in the room was Draco Malfoy, half asleep, with his head resting on his arm.