The Traveler's Secret

CHAPTER 24 A LETTER AND A TRAITOR

The blazing sun scorched the back of Professor Vikious' neck as he performed the last of his spells. It had been a hard few days after the Hogsmeade attack, but he was glad that he was finally finished. He had done what he had come up to the Astronomy Tower roof to do.

Vikious stood up from the crouch he had been in and pocketed his wand. He wiped the sweat from his slick forehead. As he did so, a soft summer breeze ran over him, instantly cooling his warm body.

Vikious closed his eyes and let the wind caress his face. He felt his life force surge inside him. He opened his eyes and let them fall across the emerald hills below that surrounded the castle. Green lands and blue waters stretched ahead of him, turned golden by the fading afternoon light. He looked up into the perfect blue sky and knew it was a good day to be alive. He felt his heart beat all the more stronger in his chest.

Vikious looked about the rooftop and remembered all the spells he had placed on the Astronomy Tower roof. This was now the safest place to be in the school. The Potions Master didn't have full knowledge of all the defensive spells out there, but he knew enough. With this traitor amongst them and the attack on Hogsmeade, he had felt an urgent need to make some place that was safe. Professor Vikious knew that in some time in the near future this place may become useful.

Vikious turned and started to head towards the door of the Astronomy Tower. His heart and conscience felt lighter. He had done all he could do to fight the impending darkness he felt was looming on the horizon. Despite this gloom that was hovering over them all, he felt there was hope. Albus Dumbledore was on their side and nothing bad could happen if he was here. Vikious' steps grew lighter. He almost smiled, which was something he was not used to doing.

"THIS MESSAGE IS FOR ALBUS DUMBLEDORE, A PROFESSOR AT THE HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY. LORD GRINDELWALD WANTS WHAT IS HIS BACK!"

Vikious stopped, frozen in his tracks by the harsh words that rang around him. The air vibrated as the words seemed to hang on the edge of the wind, dispersing themselves in every direction. He quickly looked about him. The voice had been amplified to be heard everywhere. Vikious knew that the doom he had been sensing was closing in fast. His heart turned to ice, a cold and hard place inside him, making it hard to breathe. His breath was caught in a wire netting in his chest.

"LORD GRINDELWALD WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A TRADE," the voice continued. "AT THIS VERY MOMENT, I, MARABELLA KRUM, HAVE UNDER MY CONTROL, WITH SOME HELP FROM MY PARTNERS, A LITTLE PUB NAMED THE LEAKY BUCKET IN LONDON, WHICH IS OWNED BY A MUGGLE NAMED TOM. IF BY THE TIME THE SUN SETS THE OBJECT LORD GRINDELWALD SEEKS IS NOT BROUGHT TO THE LEAKY BUCKET, I WILL START KILLING PEOPLE AND I WILL START WITH THE BARTENDER'S SON!"

Vikious exhaled, but not in relief. He felt his horror rising in him. He had never been too keen with the bartender or his son, but he had never wanted harm to come to them either. He couldn't allow this to happen. Something inside him urged him forward. He felt his anger rising because he knew this was the work of the traitor and he was almost certain he knew who it was. He was not going to allow this to continue any longer. Someone must do something. Someone must confront the traitor.

Vikious pulled out his wand and charged the door of the Astronomy Tower. He had a feeling that he was going to face chaos below, but that didn't deter him. That voice caused him to seethe inside. Never before had he ever been this reckless or bold. He was a Slytherin. Reckless was not apart of their vocabulary, but he had also felt something snap inside. He hated that no one had listened to him when he spoke out about Frederick being the traitor.

He may not of had evidence before, but he did now. He had recently saw Frederick post a letter by owl, but what Frederick hadn't known was that the owl he used had had a tracking charm placed on it by Vikious. Vikious had known that Frederick liked to use that owl to send out his letters and he was determined to get proof of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher's guilt.

Today had been the day that Vikious had learned that the owl had returned from the Leaky Bucket, but he had only been able to put together all of his evidence when Marabella had mentioned that she had gained control of the Leaky Bucket. For Vikious, this sealed Frederick's guilt in his mind.

Vikious felt his pride bloom in him when he thought of how people would treat him when it was discovered that he had found and brought to light the traitor and his guilt. No longer would people praise Frederick over him. No longer would Vikious be ignored. Vikious strode down the stairs, his steps growing lighter by the moment. He planned on confronting Frederick and forcing a confession out of him. If he could publicly humiliate him, so much the better, but first there was one thing he must do.

He had to insure that the knowledge he had, made it to Albus Dumbledore in case something should happened to him that he hadn't anticipated. Out of thin air, Vikious conjured up a quill and a piece of parchment. He placed a self-writing charm on the quill and dictated to it what to write. He clearly laid out his evidence and the spell he had used on the owl. He also made it known that the Astronomy Tower was now the safest place for people to be, in case there was ever a need or the castle was compromised, which could easily be done with Frederick as the traitor. It would be absurdly easy for Frederick to create a hole in the protection around the castle, to let the enemy in considering that he had put up all the extra defensive spells around the castle since the rise of Grindelwald had made the wizarding community worried.

Vikious continued down the stairs and was striding towards the Great Hall. So far he had seen no one and this had been very odd to him. He had expected panic. The Potions Master took this as a good omen for him because it allowed him to finish his letter in peace.

Once the letter was done, he sealed it and placed a charm on it so that only Albus could open it himself. The Transfiguration teacher was the only one Vikious trusted with this information and he was not going to take any chances.

As he neared the Great Hall, he finally spotted another person, but when he got closer, he felt his irritation rise. Borden the caretaker came prancing towards him, his wand held high in the air. Vikious knew that Borden could do more harm than good with the wand through his own stupidity. The Potions Master swallowed back his growing annoyance with the pompous little man, who approached Vikious with a look importance.

"Well, I see you have decided to join me and protect the castle while the others have gone to the Leaky Bucket. A wise choice, if I may say so myself. I need you to help guard the front door. With so few people here to guard everything and Professor Frederick being used to guard Mr. Krum and..."

Vikious choked on the very air that come into his mouth. He felt his hand tightened on the letter he held, his knuckles turning white.

"What did you say?" Vikious stammered.

"Well, I said we need more guards at the front door..." Borden began again.

"No, about Frederick!" Vikious snapped, his irritation no longer hidden away.

"Now, now Professor. I am in charge of protecting the castle and I will not be spoken to in that tone..."

Borden's voice trailed off as he saw a look of murderous anger bleach the Potions Master's face. Vikious raised his wand and pointed it threateningly at the caretaker's chest.

"I said that Frederick was guarding Mr. Krum and the Muggle, Fulver," Borden replied as he cowered under Vikious' wand.

"Where?!" Vikious spat out.

"Mr. Krum and Mr. Fulver were on their way back to their rooms where Professor Frederick is waiting for them," Borden replied shakily.

Vikious quickly lowered his wand and shoved his sealed letter into Borden's face.

"I need you to keep this letter with you and if anything should happen to me, give it to Albus Dumbledore and only Albus Dumbledore."

"But my job is to protect the..."

"You're job is to be the caretaker," Vikious finished off. "And the caretaker delivers letters when an owl can not. Do your real job and take the letter!"

Borden glared at the letter and then snatched it from Vikious' hand. He mumbled something and then stumbled away from Vikious. The Potion's master didn't wait to see if the caretaker turned around or not. He didn't wait for any sort of approval. He had to get to Krum and Fulver before they got to their rooms.

Vikious began to run.

***********

Sergei Krum was terrified, that much Jean Fulver could tell. Ever since they had heard that terrible message, his friend kept looking behind him as if he expected to see a horde of monsters or worse. Fulver knew that Sergei had every right to be afraid. He was helpless against magic and Fulver, himself, could only do so much against a magical attack.

Jean held his gun lowered at his side, his gun hand aching from the firm grip he had on the weapon. The moment he had heard those fateful words from Marabella Krum, Fulver had not let go of his gun. He didn't know what was faster, a bullet or a spell, but it was better to have some protection than none at all. He stalked by Sergei's side, staying low to the ground and silent.

Sergei had gone mute, his face pale and his hands visibly shaking. Fulver had tried to get his friend to speak, but Sergei had not been able to utter a cohesive word. Albus had sent Fulver and Sergei back to their rooms where they were to stay under the protection of Frederick. This should have calmed Krum, but it hadn't and it was the same for Fulver. Jean's instincts warned against Frederick, though he could find no rational reasoning behind this feeling. He guess he and Krum would have to trust Dumbledore's judgment, for what else could they do?

Albus Dumbledore, Johnny Wolfbane and many others were already on their way to the Leaky Bucket. Fulver hoped they would reach the tavern before the sun set. He couldn't bear the thought of Tom Jr. being killed. That also seemed to be the one thing that Sergei couldn't bear either. Any word that Jean did get from Sergei was about the boy. He seemed to be wrapped up in his world of doubt and guilt for something that was not his fault. Fulver knew that because Sergei was a father, he would never be able to forgive himself if Tom Jr. was ever hurt.

Jean felt a surge of emotions as he thought of Tom Jr., but instead of guilt or fear, he felt rage. He wanted more than anything to join the others and go to the Leaky Bucket. He was not used to walking away from a fight, especially one that was so crucial, but he also knew that Sergei was the most important person to protect right now. Jean couldn't shake the feeling that something was not right about this situation. As evening drew closer and closer, Fulver felt as if a doom was speeding towards them, a bullet aimed right at their heads and hearts.

Jean Fulver sped up and he noticed that Sergei did the same. Their footsteps rung out like gunshots in the still and silent corridors. It was eerie walking down them without a sign of life. Fulver felt his muscles tighten in stress, but he showed none of it on his face. Though there was no one around them, Fulver still scanned everything with his eyes, looking for danger. Sergei's heavy breaths could be heard by his side and he knew that the fear must be eating Sergei up inside.

Suddenly Jean caught something, but it wasn't with his eyes. It was with his ears. He heard a rapid spatter of footsteps as someone ran in their direction. Jean stopped Sergei and pushed him against the nearby wall and behind a suit of armor. As the footsteps got closer, Jean positioned himself in front of Sergei and raised his gun. This could be just a witch or wizard heading towards their defensive position, but then why would they be running. Jean lowered himself to the ground.

"What...what is it, Jean?" Sergei stammered.

"Someone is coming," Fulver said coolly. He tightened his crouch up, ready to spring. His finger inched towards the trigger of his gun. The footsteps came closer. Whoever it was, was heading in this direction. Jean felt his heart beat steady itself and his ears strained to hear everything. The person coming towards them was close now and he knew that any second he would be seeing them. Jean raised his gun. He was still and ready. He counted the steps as they pattered closer and closer.

Professor Vikious came careening around the corner and Jean jolted in shock, but he wasn't the only one. Vikious skidded to a halt when he saw Fulver and his gun. The Potions Master's eyes narrowed in anger and distrust. He directed the aim of his wand at Fulver.

"What are you going with that thing, Fulver? Are you going to use that weapon on me?" Vikious snapped.

"Are you going to use your wand on me?" Fulver answered back.

"Depends..."

"On what?" Jean spat out.

"On whether or not your working with the traitor or not," Vikious answered.

"For the thousandth time, I'm not. Are you?"

"No!" Vikious shouted. "I would never work with that vile person."

Jean remained silent for a moment. He didn't drop his gun, but neither did Vikious drop his wand.

"Where's Sergei Krum?" Vikious asked.

"That's none of your..." Jean started.

"I'm right here," Sergei answered as smoothly as he could. He stepped forward, out from behind the suit of armor. Jean scrambled to get in front of Sergei, but by the time he did, he saw that Vikious had lowered his wand. Jean lowered his gun, but his finger remained on the trigger. He planned on giving Sergei a stern talk about safety precautions.

"Why were you running?" Jean asked.

Vikious stepped closer. "I had to find Sergei Krum before he reached his room. I don't know what it is he has or why he is so important to Professor Dumbledore and Grindelwald, but I do know that he is in danger."

"We know. We heard the message earlier from his cousin..."

"No, there is a threat much closer to him than his cousin. There is a traitor here. You're no longer safe in Hogwarts. The traitor is..."

Suddenly, a terrified and painful scream sounded below them and then was just as suddenly cut off. Both Vikious and Jean looked down the hall they both had come and then back at each other. A cacophony of noise sliced the air as screams and shouts shot up to them.

"You have to get to the Astronomy Tower roof. It is the safest place in the school right now. I placed defensive spells around it. Get up there and stay there until either I come and get you or Albus Dumbledore. Trust no one else!"

"How do we get there?" Sergei asked.

Vikious turned to a nearby portrait, which was of a nymph by a river.

"Egeria, show them the way to the Astronomy Tower roof. Be quick. They have to get there safely," Vikious stated.

Jean watched in awe as they tiny nymph nodded in compliance and then beckoned them to follow her. Jean looked at Vikious and then grabbed Sergei's arm and pulled him after the Nymph, who began to run ahead of them.

Sergei resisted for a moment as he looked back at the Potions Master. Vikious was already heading in the direction towards their room.

"Where are you going?" Sergei asked.

Vikious turned around and for a moment the ghost of fear showed in his eyes.

"I'm going to deal with the traitor. Get to the roof!" he shouted.

Sergei nodded and then followed Jean after the nymph. Soon the corridor was empty.

************

Homer Borden cursed silently under his breathe as he stomped down the stairs away from Vikious. The letter that had been unceremoniously shoved in his face was clenched tightly in his hand. He had no idea what could be so important that Vikious had to act like that, but he knew better than to ignore the Potions Master's demands when he made them.

As Borden headed to his office, he scrolled in his mind through a long list of people he wanted to talk to and places that still needed to be guarded. He was determined to do a good job. He kept picturing the praise he would receive from Frederick when all this was over and the castle remained safe under his protection. Borden also began to think of all the tasks he would make Vikious do once he had dropped this letter off in his office and smiled gleefully to himself. It was at this moment that he came to a sudden halt.

The main door of Hogwarts was ajar. No one was nearby. Homer crept forward, the wand in his hand shaking violently. He heard rustling in his office as if someone was looking for something inside. Homer came to his door and noticed that it was also open. The fear he had once felt was replaced by anger. The one place he had ever felt accepted was his office. It was a second home to him.

Homer pushed open his door boldly with the hand that still held tightly to the letter. He was not going to allow this sort of intrusion to continue. As the door slowly swung open, a man he hade never seen before in his life was standing in the middle of his office. Papers littered the floor and Homer's bowl of strawberries were scattered everywhere. The man was feral in appearance, wearing rags and was covered with dark, haphazard hair. He saw the man freeze, the huge muscles in his back taut with tension.

"What are you..." Borden asked shakily.

Before Homer could say another word, the man spun around. His fierce yellow eyes fixed on Borden. He whipped his wand around and murmured a spell. The last thing Homer Borden saw was a bolt of green light shooting towards him. The last thing he heard was the sound of his high pitched scream of terror that was suddenly cut short.

Homer Borden fell dead to the ground, the letter in his hand slipping from his fingers. It slowly revolved in the air and then slid under his desk when it landed.

The feral man strode past his victim and out of the office where he joined a growing group of wizards as they streamed through the main door into the castle. The battle had begun.