The Prophecy of Absconditus

Chapter Seven: Revealed

"Wait," said Malfoy, "Weasley's a Mage?"

"I always thought you might be," said Valmont. "I've been interested in the Prophecy for years, and Harry's practically proven a Mage. A time when the future of magic is uncertain? There wasn't a much better time than when Harry was born. When you were born."

"Phoenix --"

"Ever since Rebekah told me you were a Seer, I had my suspicions. A pureblood with foresight in Harry's year? You may as well had a blinking sign above your forehead!"

"Phoenix --"

"Imagine my excitement. I've always been fascinated by the Prophecy because it's such a mystery, and to be finding the Mages in my time --"

"Phoenix!"

"Draco, what are you babbling about?"

Malfoy glared at Valmont.

"Me, babbling? What about you?"

"Sorry, but this is a momentous occasion."

"Why? Because Weasley isn't insignificant? Don't fool yourself. Mage or not, Weasley will never be worth anything."

"Malfoy, do you ever do anything but insult people and stare at yourself in the mirror?"

"Very observant of you, Weasel. How ever did you manage to pull yourself away from Potter's feet to figure that one out?"

"Stop it before I'm forced to attack," said Valmont. He fixed Draco with his eyes, and then looked to Ron. "Draco, if you can't be a little more mature, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. This Mage business is more important than you seem to think."

"It can't be that important if Weasley is a part of it."

"Voldemort is strong enough, cunning enough, to siege Hogwarts. Before Harry was born, he wasn't that strong, and he had been collecting power for eleven years. He's had a body for little over two and is already this powerful. We don't have the means to stop him. No matter how many battle plans we come up with, unless we find something else, we're all dead. Even you."

"What do you mean by something else?" said Ron. Valmont tried to mask the smile that spread across his face, but it shone through. Malfoy scowled.

"You read the article. The Mages are supposed to save the wizarding world, and the focal point is that fountain. I figure they've got to get to it and tap into that magic. It may not guarantee survival, but without it, there is no hope."

"I can't believe my future rests in you," said Malfoy, sneering. "You and Potter. We may as well start digging our graves."

"There's two more Mages, you know," said Valmont.

"But Potter and Weasley? And Weasley was Ryan? Wasn't Ryan the Prince?"

Valmont nodded. "Prince Ryan Alcor."

"Weasley, what did you do in that last life to go from being a Prince to being -- well -- what you are?"

"And what am I?"

"Pathetic."

"Draco, what did I tell you?" Malfoy looked to Valmont and shrugged. "Try to get along, will you?"

"Fine. Weasley's a Prince. Who was Potter? The bastard child?"

"Actually, you know, when souls are bound -- well, gender isn't always remembered -- and --"

"Potter was the woman?"

Malfoy's eyes grew larger than Ron thought they could. Ron knew he should have been shocked by this revelation. Harry would go crazy when told, but Ron found it came natural to hear, and perhaps this had a bit to do with the fact her (or his) name had been Hero. Isn't that how the wizarding world saw Harry? The jokes would be fun, though.

"Does Harry know about this?" said Ron.

"I'm not sure. Rebekah -- we've been figuring this out together, and we split you up to tell you. It's her job to tell Harry, though I don't know when or how she'll do it. I wasn't sure when I would, either, but you gave me an excellent opportunity."

"Potter was a woman?"

"Draco, yes, and don't you dare taunt him about it. If he takes it the way Rebekah and I expect -- well, let's just say that Harry will not be comfortable with it for awhile."

"I agree," said Ron.

"But he was a she! She was a slave! This is too funny."

"Hero Veriatice was a slave because her parents racked up outstanding debts that couldn't be paid any other way. She had no way out because her father murdered her mother and was beheaded."

"Wait," said Draco, turning to Ron and grinning, "didn't Ryan get Hero pregnant?" Valmont turned bright red.

"Well -- actually --"

"No," said Ron, shaking his head. He hadn't realized he spoke until Valmont and Malfoy looked to him, waiting for more.

"No?" said Valmont. "History records show that Hero Veriatice was pregnant when she was sentenced to die. Her curse -- and Ryan Alcor's -- was that the baby be lost, and just after Rune was born, furies kidnapped him."

"The baby wasn't Ryan's -- mine. They were misinformed. They -- Starvos overheard Hero telling me that she was pregnant and assumed it was mine, but he was wrong. I was never connected to Hero that way." Valmont stared, his mouth gaping. "I had a vision."

"You -- you had a vision about this?"

"I have a lot of visions as Ryan. My first -- actually, I think my first one was when Absconditus collapsed. I told Professor Leiss about it. She was just as confused as I was, because she said it sounded like a past life recall, only wizards are single-natured. I suppose she figured it out by now. Ryan and Hero were not lovers."

"Who was the father, then? And why didn't Ryan Alcor lose anything by the curse?"

"Because whoever cursed me already thought I lost something with the baby. They never stopped to think that Starvos might have been wrong. Hero and I were close -- she was my handmaid for years - but she wasn't my lover. Ryan and Bade were lovers."

"Weren't they stepbrothers?" said Malfoy, his upper lip curling. Valmont's eyes grew huge. He looked like Malfoy had only moments before, and it was all too easy to see the family resemblance. Ron shivered.

"Yeah, they were stepbrothers. That doesn't mean they weren't lovers."

Valmont glanced from Ron to Draco, and then back to Ron again.

"Are you sure? Bade and Ryan? Ryan and Bade? Lovers?"

"Well, if they weren't, then Bade better explain why he stuck his tongue down my throat."

"That's just -- that's incredible."

"I have a question," said Ron, picking at the edge of the sheets.

"What?"

"Are you sure about all of this? I mean . . . me? I'm not --"

"I agree," said Draco. "A Weasley a Mage? These Mages are supposed to be special."

"Well, let's go over a few things, and you let me know when things start sounding familiar. Okay, Ron?"

He shook his head, shrugging. "Sure."

"Ryan Sloan Alcor was born on the twenty-eighth of February in 352 to Reegan and Alexis Alcor. Alexis died when Ryan was six, and Reegan remarried to Larrissa Mizar. By the time he was thirteen, the people of Absconditus dubbed Ryan 'The Forgotten Alcor.' Reegan wasn't a great king, and he wasn't a bad king, he was just a king, and is remembered because he was Absconditus's last. Because Starvos was the elder brother and heir to the throne, he and Larrissa took up Reegan's time, leaving little for Ryan, which was where the title came about.

"Hero Veriatice had been a slave to the Alcors from the time she was seven. Larrissa and Ryan never got along; history reports that they fought whenever they were in the presence of the other. She appointed Hero to Ryan as a joke, because Hero was weak and pathetic. When he became her friend, he was looked upon as even more of a black sheep.

"He had the gift of foresight -- he, too, was a Seer -- and it earned him a place in the Knight Court. Shortly after, Starvos exposed Hero's pregnancy, and the public stoned her. Days later, Starvos and Reegan were found dead. Ryan was the primary suspect. He was accused of plotting the murder of his father and brother, and sentenced to die.

"Still not sure if you're Ryan?"

"It feels like a dream that happened a long time ago, but it's familiar."

"It should be. It was your life. You see, it's a popular theory among those who follow the Prophecy that the four Mages will each be in different houses here at Hogwarts. You read the article. All four are supposed to learn the craft together at Hogwarts in the same year. It's almost taboo to suggest that two of the Mages could be in the same house, but I'm not convinced of that theory.

"You see, you were much easier to trace than Harry was. The only survivor of the Veriatice line was the baby, Rune, but he was kidnapped by furies. But then, I discovered, twenty years later, a man by the name of Rune Potter arrived in England. There's no record of where he came from, and Godric Gryffindor can be traced as a direct descendent."

"Big surprise. Potter's the Gryffindor Mage. Heir to Gryffindor, is he? Only one problem. You need an heir from each of the founding families. Voldemort is the heir to Slytherin," said Malfoy. Valmont grinned.

"Draco, you're such a simple creature. Didn't father ever teach you about the Malfoy line? How about you, Ron? Do you know the history of the Weasley family?"

"A little more than I'd care to," said Ron, nodding. "When I was little, my grandfather insisted that we learn the history of our family, where we came from."

"Then it isn't much of a surprise to you if I tell you that until two hundred years ago, all the Weasleys were in Ravenclaw."

"Aren't Ravenclaws supposed to be smart?" said Malfoy. "Weasley doesn't fit that description."

"Not that I'm not offended, but I'm not in Ravenclaw," said Ron. "I'm a Gryffindor. All he said was that the Weasleys used to be in Ravenclaw."

"You two bicker like an old married couple," said Valmont.

"Don't say that," said Malfoy.

"Anyway, if you know about the Ravenclaw history, do you know about the twins? The origin of the Weasley name?"

Ron fell silent and looked to Malfoy from the corner of his eye. Malfoy fell quiet, clasped his hands in his lap, and stared at the ground. His back hunched. It was almost impossible to tell if you weren't looking for it, which was unfortunate, because Ron was. Malfoy knew.

"I learned about it when I was seven. I remember because it was all I could think about for weeks. Especially since I already knew about the feud."

"Good. You already know about the connection. That makes things easier. Do you know who the twins were born to?" Malfoy and Ron shook their heads. Valmont nodded. "It isn't common knowledge. I found it researching the Alcor line by accident several years ago. Surprised me, too."

"Would you get on with it? Honestly, it's no wonder people avoid you."

"Watch your mouth. You sound more and more like Father every day."

"That was cruel."

"It was honest. Now keep your tongue while I'm trying to talk."

Malfoy crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Valmont. Ron's head felt as if it was spinning. This was surreal. His mind tried to wrap itself around Valmont and Malfoy being brothers, to process how that could be possible. As hard as it was to accept, though, watching the two fight like he did with Fred and George made it a lot easier.

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted . . ." Valmont glared at Malfoy. "Harry is a direct descendent of his own child. The Potter line first appeared with Rune out of nowhere. There is no history before except for the vague suggestion that Rune Potter may have been the child of Hero Veriatice and Ryan Alcor, although you said the baby wasn't Ryan's."

"It was Lorenzo," said Ron. "Lorenzo was the father."

"Blaise," said Valmont.

"Zabini?" said Draco.

"Yeah. Blaise was Lorenzo Merak. He was the easiest to trace of all four Mages. Helga Hufflepuff was a descendent of Casey Merak, Lorenzo's brother. Then she married into the Zabini family. Blaise comes from there. Though you wouldn't believe how many of the Meraks I had to go through to find Casey. He was the youngest of the ten."

"Zabini is the Hufflepuff descendent?" said Malfoy. "But he's in Slytherin. How does that work?"

"Ron isn't the Gryffindor descendent. That's Harry. The Zabinis have always been neutral in the wars. They slip under the radar, and they are in this one as well. The Meraks and the Hufflepuffs were the same way. Probably one of the reasons Helga was so attracted to the family. Just because he has Hufflepuff blood in him doesn't mean he belongs in that house."

"Hufflepuffs do not belong in Slytherin."

"Oh, get off your pedestal. I'm the Prince around here, not you."

"You know what, Weasley --"

"No, Malfoy, I don't. Why don't you tell me?"

"There you go again," said Valmont. "Bickering like an old couple."

"Are you going to continue to do this just to annoy me?" said Malfoy. "Or is this some attempt to shut us up?"

"Both. Or neither. I'm not sure yet. May I continue? The faster I get done with this, the faster you can leave."

"Please, then. And hurry it up."

"If you'd stop interrupting me, I could. Now where was I?"

"Zabini being a Hufflepuff."

"And Harry being a descendent of himself," said Ron.

"Oh, right. Well, like I said, Godric Gryffindor was born to a Gryffindor and a Potter descended from Rune. In fact, historians and genealogy suggests that the Potters may not have been human at all until Rune came into the line. I'm sure you've heard that."

"I didn't," said Malfoy, grinning. "The Potters weren't even human. That's rich."

"I heard about it," said Ron. "My grandfather knew Harry's. They -- er -- didn't get along very well. In fact, Harry's grandfather tried to kill mine once. He tells the story anytime someone will listen. He finds it humorous." Ron frowned. "My grandfather is kind of strange."

"On your father's side?" said Valmont. Ron nodded. "Maddock Weasley used to teach Pureblood Ancestry and Mythology when I went to school at Hogwarts. I thought you might know a lot already thanks to him. He was one of my favorite teachers. A little out of sorts, though."

"A lot out of sorts," said Ron.

"Well, you know. But, yes. The first human blood in the Potter line belonged to Rune. After him, it came down to Medea Potter, who married Orestes Gryffindor. Centuries later, the Gryffindor line united with the Potters again, and it went through several generations until James, and then Harry."

"The Potters were furies," said Malfoy.

"Though, to be perfectly fair, there is no fury in Harry's blood," said Valmont. "It's just that the Potters kidnapped Hero's baby. And you're one to talk with that veela in you."

"You have it, too."

"Malfoys have veela in them?" said Ron.

"It's several generations old, but still enough to make us slightly temperamental. Or annoyingly temperamental in Draco's case. Now, the twins are more interesting."

"More interesting than Potter coming from furies?"

"I told you to stop interrupting me." Malfoy smirked at Valmont. "I'm not sure who to tell you is your Hogwarts founder. Technically, you come from both the Ravenclaw and the Slytherin line."

"Slytherin?" said Ron the same time Malfoy said, "What?" Valmont snickered.

"Yes, the Weasleys comes from both the Slytherin and the Ravenclaw line. Rowena Ravenclaw was married, but she never had children. Her younger sister -- Risika -- married Salazar Slytherin only months before Hogwarts was founded. The Ravenclaws can be traced back to Stephan Alcor, a cousin of Reegan Alcor. Salazar, and this is interesting, can be traced back to Reynaldo Lynx. Together, they had five children, four of which were boys. The two oldest were twins, Terence and Cane Slytherin. Growing up, all eyes were on them, especially when it was time for them to go to Hogwarts. Terence was in Slytherin like his father, but Cane was in Ravenclaw.

"After leaving Hogwarts, sick of being referred to as two of the Hogwarts Babies -- a name that was given to all the children of the Founders -- they changed their surname. Terence and Cane tried to disassociate themselves from the title ever since it was given. This was the only option that seemed to work. Slytherin, who was going through several feuds with Godric Gryffindor at that time, was not pleased. His sons were disinherited, and the third son, Androcles, became the official heir. That should answer your question about how Voldemort could be Slytherin's last heir, and yet have a Mage descend from Slytherin."

"Voldemort is a descendent of Androcles?" said Malfoy.

"Exactly."

"Does that mean that Weasley and Voldemort are related?"

Valmont stared, his face blank.

"I -- I suppose so."

"Talk about the black sheep of the family," said Malfoy. "And here I thought your father was the crazy one."

The absurdity of the statement hit Ron. It was so insane it was funny. Ron tried not to laugh, but couldn't resist. Related to You-Know-Who when Ron couldn't even say his name? He would have thought Valmont was mental if it weren't for his grandfather. Most of the story Ron already knew. Valmont only filled in the blanks.

"I'm glad you find it funny," said Valmont. Ron choked on his breath as he tried not to laugh.

"Could -- could you imagine -- family -- reunions?" said Ron, clutching to his blankets. Malfoy snickered.

"Once you've laughed yourself into an aneurysm, may I continue?"

"Go ahead." Ron tried to keep a straight face as Valmont sighed.

"Anyway, the two brothers each decided to start their own line. Terence suggested that they choose surnames with similar meanings behind them, and so they became Cane Weasley and Terence Malfoy."

"The Malfoy-Weasley connection," said Malfoy. "Father says it's the single most disgusting piece of wizarding history, and that Terence was smart to disassociate himself from Cane."

"Actually, they found it extremely entertaining," said Valmont. "Just think on it. Weasley and Malfoy. Weasel and bad faith."

"At least our line picked something adequate."

"Bad faith, Draco."

"It's French." Valmont's upper lip curled. Malfoy snickered. "You're more prejudiced than I am."

"If I was prejudiced, it's only because I was raised by Lucius Malfoy."

"All right, all right," said Malfoy. "So that explains the first three Mages. What about the fourth?"

Valmont arched an eyebrow, staring hard at Malfoy.

"Oh, Merlin," said Ron, covering his mouth with his hand. Valmont turned his attention to Ron.

"Have you figured it out?"

"Oh, Merlin. He's Bade. Oh -- oh -- oh, gross. I -- Ryan -- oh, that's so gross."

"What's so gross?" said Malfoy. "Someone want to clue me in?"

"You're thicker than I thought," said Valmont. "Father's worn down your brain cells over the years. You used to be quicker than this."

"That is so gross!"

"Would you shut up, Weasley?"

"Old married couple."

"Don't say that," said Ron.

"What is your problem?" said Malfoy.

"Honestly, would you stop for a second and just use that lump in your head most people call a brain," said Valmont. "Ron's a descendent from Ravenclaw and Slytherin because the twins were born to a Ravenclaw and a Slytherin. We're categorizing him as a Ravenclaw because Cane Weasley was a Ravenclaw at Hogwarts. For centuries, all the Weasleys were in Ravenclaw. Risika and Rowena were descendants of the Alcor line."

"What are you getting at?"

"You're the Mage, you moron," said Ron. "You're Bade Mizar."

"What?"

Valmont nodded.

"Sorry, Draco, but true. Our line starts with Terence Malfoy, and we're direct descendents. Terence comes from Salazar. Salazar descends from Reynaldo Lynx, and he was related to Bade's father. Bade's father was unknown, but Lynx makes references to him as a cousin. That much is known."

"How -- I can't be a Mage."

"Why not?"

"Well, to start with, I would never bind my soul to Potter's."

Valmont rolled his eyes.

"You might not, but Bade would."

"But if I'm Bade --"

"Bade Mizar was not raised by Lucius Malfoy."

"Stop blaming everything on Father. He's not responsible for everything that's wrong with us, you know. Mother is just as much to blame."

"Fine, but I veto your first reason. You might never bind your soul to Harry's, but Bade would bind his to Hero's. Next reason?"

"I would never fuck Weasley."

"I told you it was gross," said Ron.

"Same principle. You might never do it, but Bade seemed to think Ryan wasn't so bad. Veto."

"Fine. Then how, exactly, did this happen? Why are we here? What are we supposed to do? Because, honestly, I don't think I'm cut out for this. Looking good, that I can do. But this?"

"Besides being a shitty piece of journalism," said Valmont, brandishing the old Daily Prophet, "this gives the basis, a lot of which I'm skeptical about.

"The only thing I can tell you is that you need to go into Absconditus. You need to find the entrance, and you need to get in. That fountain needs to be found, because without it, we're lost.

"Alecto bound the souls of the four Mages for a reason."

"Wait. Who's Alecto?" said Malfoy.

"Alecto was the oracle of Absconditus at the time of the fall. She was also a Keeper by the original name of Livia. That should sound familiar." Malfoy hesitated, and then nodded.

"Does she know?"

"She has no idea," said Valmont. "I don't know how to break that to her yet. I mean, she knows something is up. She always has ever since Father decided to have a little fun with her, and just between the three of us, I think Mother was behind that."

"I think Mother was behind a lot of what Father has done."

"For once you and I are in complete agreement. But as I was saying, Alecto was an oracle in Absconditus. It's from Alecto that the Prophecy originates. When the Mages were to die, their gifts were to be taken, right? She foresaw that they were innocent, and if their gifts were to be taken, the times would grow dark and the wizarding world would be destroyed. Because it was innocent blood that would be taken, Alecto went to the four and told them of what she had foreseen. Ryan was the first to believe her. He had the gift as well and knew what was coming, but once they had believed her, he was the most reluctant to comply.

"They were already decreed to die. There was no other choice to set things right but to bind their souls. When the future was uncertain again, the Mages would return with the people who had condemned them. The real murderers of King Reegan and Starvos Alcor would return, as would the Mages and Alecto. Of course, Alecto, being a Keeper, would have been back anyway, but, you know."

"If Voldemort -- in this time -- is the one trying to take over the wizarding world, does that mean he was the one who murdered Reegan and Starvos?" said Malfoy. "And if he was, and he can be traced to Lynx, does that mean it was Lynx who killed them?"

"It's possible that it was Lynx," said Valmont. "I'm almost certain he was the one who committed the murders."

"Who are the blonde women?" said Ron, more to himself than anyone else. Valmont and Malfoy frowned.

"What blonde women?" said Malfoy.

"From your vision?" said Valmont. Ron nodded. "Great question. Haven't figured that one out yet."

"What blonde women?"

"During Ron's vision of the siege --"

"The siege --"

"He saw Voldemort with two blonde women. One was bound, and the other was free. Voldemort shook hands with Dumbledore, bound him, and then freed the bound blonde. That's where the theory about someone switching with Dumbledore came from."

"You had the vision of the siege?"

Ron didn't answer. He looked to Valmont, refusing to meet Malfoy's eyes. It was unsettling, the way Malfoy stared.

"You know," said Valmont, "I think that's enough for today. Ron, I want you to get some rest. We're going to need you for a lot more than visions."

"Okay."

Valmont gave him a soft smile, grabbed Malfoy by the arm, and they both left. Ron leaned back against the wall, and tried to process everything he was just told. He expected it to feel more shocking. How natural it felt was more of the shock than anything else. It was familiar, like a long ago memory that just resurfaced. The hardest thing to accept was Malfoy. Not because Malfoy was Valmont's brother, though that still tripped him out, or that Malfoy was fighting against the Death Eaters rather than with them.

Malfoy was Bade. Bade was Malfoy. Being Ryan felt nothing but right to Ron. He could accept it far easier than he could accept being Weasley number six, but Malfoy? Malfoy as Bade? Vision after vision as Ryan had displayed Bade as a dedicated lover, and Ron loved him for it.

The first time, he told Rebekah about it, and she assured him that there was nothing wrong with it. Ron hadn't been sure how he felt. He didn't think he was gay, but Bade was too perfect to be bothered with labels like that. With each vision, Ron found himself falling in love. It was disturbing to love a man he'd only seen in visions. Now that he was Ryan, it made a lot more sense, but for Malfoy to be Bade felt blasphemous.

Lying back, Ron decided to take Valmont up on his advice. He needed sleep, and a lot of it. Hoping he wouldn't dream of Bade (or Malfoy), Ron prepared himself for sleep.