The Traveler's Secret

CHAPTER 16 WHAT VIKIOUS BEHELD

Professor Vikious paced viciously in front of the school entrance, his steps jagged and halted. The dour Professor looked haggard, his face paler than normal, and his lips skewed in, what seemed to be, a permanent curl. Hair of a dull brown color hung around his face like uneven bits of string. Dressed entirely in black, he savored the cool shadows of the castle, finding the blinding sun of summer to be too bright. His black eyes glinted malevolently as he stared out of the open main entrance of the school. Professor Vikious watched as Jean Fulver strode down the hill towards the lake. The thought of the Muggle presumptuously thinking he could go wherever he pleased incensed Vikious. Who was this Jean Fulver, but a Muggle, and what right did he think he had doing whatever he wanted whenever he wanted?

It had infuriated the Potions Master when he had learned that the Muggle was to share the same corridor as he, but he had expected the Muggle to figure out his place, and accept that he was amongst his superiors. Either the Muggle was incredibly stupid, or incredibly defiant because Fulver had not accepted that position. In fact, the Muggle swaggered about the castle as if he actually belonged there.

Vikious hadn't been too happy with having Sergei Krum living amongst the staff either, but he figured a Squib was better to have than a plain Muggle. Jean Fulver didn't even have a milligram of magic in him, and had never known that the magical world existed until a few days ago. Plain and simple, a normal Muggle could not be trusted. Wasn't that why the founders had originally created Hogwarts, and hidden it away from Muggle eyes? Witches and wizards had always been persecuted by the non-magical community, and why was it any different now? Vikious knew that something wasn't right with Jean Fulver, and he was going to prove it. Somehow this Muggle had fooled everyone into believing that he was trustworthy, but the Potions Master knew better. No Muggle could be trusted. Professor Vikious had a hard enough time as it was excepting Muggle-born witches and wizards, but at least they had magic in them, even if they came from a background that was thoroughly non-magical.

Vikious stopped pacing, annoyed with the very floor beneath him. He had walked over those familiar gray slabs of stones so many times in the past half hour that he wanted to spit. Professor Vikious tried to tune out his rampaging thoughts, and focus his logic. He knew that Jean Fulver could not be trusted. The way the Muggle had reacted towards Professor Frederick, and the trip to the caretaker's office proved it. Professor Vikious had seen it all.

The Professor was first aware that something odd was afoot when Jean Fulver and Sergei Krum had not left the Great Hall after breakfast as everyone else had. Vikious didn't know the particulars as to why Sergei Krum and a Muggle were staying at Hogwarts; he didn't think it the wisest thing for the Headmaster to allow to happen. He had heard from the lips of a certain brainless caretaker that Sergei Krum had something important that concerned Professor Dumbledore. This elevated Sergei Krum in Vikious' esteem. Vikious had a high respect for Dumbledore, and his great works, but nothing even Dumbledore could say would ever redeem the Muggle in the Potions Master's eyes.

After breakfast, Vikious had waited outside the Great Hall, his slouching figure hidden by the shadows in an alcove next to the door. It wasn't a respectable task that Vikious had given himself, but he gritted his teeth, and did it anyways. As students and teachers glided past him, everybody either ignored Vikious, or sheepishly turned their eyes away, which was basically the same thing; no one ever said hello, or acknowledged the Potions Master. Maybe some of his Slytherin students would have, and that would have ruined Vikious' cover, but no Slytherin that had passed had even noticed he was there.

Vikious wasn't like Professor Frederick; students didn't respect him as they respected Frederick. He wasn't like Albus Dumbledore either; nobody ever came to Vikious, and asked for his professional opinion on anything, but out of the two Dumbledores, Vikious respected and was loyal to Albus. Albus was brilliant, and as far as Vikious was concerned, Dumbledore's father was a hero for what he did to those Muggle boys. If it had been Vikious' daughter, those boys wouldn't still be alive, but such thoughts of violence rarely came to fruition for the Professor. When it came to extreme violence Vikious, oddly, didn't have the stomach for it.

As for Frederick, if there was one Professor that Vikious did not like, it would be Frederick. He didn't trust Frederick's squeaky clean record, and friendly to everyone attitude. In fact, the Potions Master had, on more than one occasion, become suspicious of Frederick, and his knowledge of the Dark Arts. Most would say that a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher should know all the dark spells out there, in order to teach a defense against them, but Vikious knew that Frederick knew more than he let on. Vikious hated false people, and thought that Frederick was the biggest one of them all, except maybe the damnable Muggle.

The Potions Master had heard rumors of a traitor amongst them. Though nothing was said as to what had prompted those rumors, the skulking Professor planned on finding the traitor himself. His obvious suspect was, of course, the Muggle. That was what Muggles did. Seeing Frederick today with this Jean Fulver had brought, in Vikious' mind, the traitor suspects up to two.

When Sergei Krum and Jean Fulver had left the Great Hall, Vikious had followed. He had shadowed them up the staircase, winding his way up to, what he supposed would be, conclusive evidence he could give the Headmaster to prove that Jean Fulver was the traitor, and Frederick was his evil cohort. Vikious followed the Muggle as Jean Fulver walked alongside Sergei Krum. The Potions Master wasn't quite sure where Frederick was, seeing him nowhere nearby, but he had a suspicion that wherever Jean Fulver was, Frederick Dumbledore would not be far behind.

Vikious was disappointed to see that Krum and the Frenchman had only followed Dumbledore and the American to Albus' office. That was not what the Potions Master had expected at all. Feeling angry that Jean Fulver was not showing his real colors, and handing Vikious the evidence he needed to get the Muggle kicked out, the Potions Master, who was hidden in the utility closet at the end of the hall, stewed in his tumultuous feelings. He watched as the Muggle tried to follow Sergei Krum into Dumbledore's office, and once again Vikious anger flared up even more. How dare this Muggle assume he had a right to barge into a Professor's office when even most students would never dream of doing that!

When Jean Fulver wasn't allowed into Albus' office, Vikious' anger had turned to a malicious joy. The Potions Master had almost burst out laughing; he had to bite his hand to control the swells of giddiness inside him. For once he was glad the American was there, and had put some sort of fear, though not much, into the Muggle.

Vikious often didn't feel too comfortable around Wolfbane. The American was a powerful wizard; Vikious had never heard of someone being able to change into any creature they wanted to at will. In the Potions Master's opinion, Johnny Wolfbane, though powerful, was an untamed wizard, one step off from a beast, but it had been this very wildness that seemed to scare the Muggle into compliance. Though Vikious didn't like Wolfbane's volatile nature, he was glad that something had gotten through to the Muggle.

Vikious had been relishing this new tidbit of information about what scared Jean Fulver, and had not expected to see what happened next. At some time, Frederick had entered the corridor. Vikious wasn't sure when it was Frederick had appeared, and berated himself for his lack of attention, but there the mild mannered Professor stood just outside Dumbledore's office, seemingly shocked to see Johnny Wolfbane and Jean Fulver there as well.

Vikious rubbed his callous hands together. This was it, this was what he had been waiting for. His theory that Frederick was going to show up wherever Jean Fulver was had been correct. Vikious inched closer to the crack in the door he had been staring out of.

What happened next confounded Vikious. The Potions Master watched as Jean Fulver tried to force his way into Dumbledore's office again, and was rebuffed, once again, by the much bigger Wolfbane. Vikious watched as Wolfbane shifted responsibility of the Muggle onto Frederick, and how that seemed to anger the Muggle. What confounded Vikious was Jean Fulver's reaction. He observed Jean Fulver as the Muggle walked over to Frederick, and placed, what seemed to be a friendly hand, on the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher's shoulder. Vikious knew that this was not a good sign, and was soon vindicated in his assessment when Fulver started to dig his fingers into Frederick's shoulder.

The Potions Master had to admit that he was surprised by how easily Frederick had been controlled by the Muggle; the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher never had a chance of getting to his wand. Jean Fulver had paralyzed Frederick in pain, and thus had gotten the teacher to cooperate with him. Vikious was inwardly delighted and disturbed at the same time. He loved seeing Frederick twist in pain like a worm, but he also didn't like the idea that Jean Fulver had full control of the situation. This Muggle just couldn't learn his place amongst his superiors.

When Jean had asked to go to Mr. Borden's office, Vikious was slightly puzzled, but also gleeful that soon he would have answers to the multitude of questions he had. When Frederick had led the way back down the stairs, Vikious had followed, moving like a shadow, lithe and silent. Frederick and Jean Fulver had not even seen him following them.

As the Potions Master reached the end of the stairs, he watched, in anger, when Frederick had had the door to the caretaker's office slammed in his face by Jean Fulver. Vikious hated Frederick, but hated the Muggle even more for not showing the respect that was due to a wizard.

Now Vikious stood outside the caretaker's office, feeling that the evidence he had been searching for was just beyond the caretaker's door. He had waited until Jean Fulver had left Mr. Borden's office. Vikious licked his lips in delight. He was going to, not only, get the Muggle, but Frederick as well.

The Potions Master looked one last time out the main entrance. The sun began to dip lower in the sky, turning the heavens into a deeper shade of gold. Soon the gold would meld into the lavenders of evening. It was now or never. Vikious turned toward the caretaker's door, and knocked on it loudly.

The Potions Master heard the surprised grunt of someone who had been awakened from a nap, and the angry footsteps of the plump Mr. Borden as he came to his door. The door jerked open.

"Look Fulver, I don't know anything else about your letter, or who..." Borden froze, his mouth agape in shock as he looked out the door onto the Potion Master's face.

Vikious grinned, his black eyes lighting up. He had found his evidence, and he had no intention of letting it go so easily. Frederick pushed his way past Borden, who yielded to the Professor.

"And what letter would you be talking about Mr. Borden?" Vikious said, as he shut the door to Borden's office close, trapping the caretaker and the Potion's Master inside.