The Dark Angel

Angel tried to sit up to see his father but a slim pale hand pushed him back, “you still need to rest for a few hours.” Angel looked up and blanched at the sight over his head. Coming out of the collar of the black robe, was a thin neck with a bone-white, skull shaped head on it. Angel gulped at the sight of the reptilian features, the snake like nostrils and flat nose, the ugly smile playing on the thin pale lips and the non-existent eyebrows raised in amusement. It was only the eyes that made him recognize the man. The red eyes with pupils like a cat’s, a result of a complicated disguise charm invented by his father himself.

“D-dad?” he stuttered.

“So you still know your father.” The ugly smile widened. Angel suppressed a shudder but his father noticed it.

Angel nodded hesitantly then asked in a quiet voice, “it is a new kind of disguise charms, isn’t it?”

“No, this is how I really look like after my…resurrection.”

“What do you mean? You weren’t dead, were you?”

His father’s expression darkened and he said in a low voice, “I can’t tell you exactly. I wasn’t really dead, but I had lost my body. It took quite a long time until one of my loyal servants decided to come after me and help me to be reborn.” He smirked. Angel gulped.

“What? Am I any different to you?”

Angel hesitated for a moment before saying, “well…your hair’s gone…and your nose…you are so thin…and even paler than before.”

“Nobody would have looked better after a killing curse backfired at them and they lived without a body for fifteen years.” His father snapped.

“Fifteen years?”

“Yes, and you were sleeping all this time while I was struggling to get back what is my right,” he grabbed Angel firmly by his arms and put his pale face an inch from his, “you’d better get used to this whether you like it or not. I’m still your father and master.” Angel shook his head fervently.

“No dad. You got me wrong. I didn’t mean you have changed to me. It’s just your looks. Who the hell cares about looks?” He wrapped his arms around his father’s body, “I love you in any form dad. I love you so much. And I was so worried about you.” His father pushed him back.

“You are no more a five-year-old, honestly,” he said, but his tone was milder.

Angel flushed a bit. “I just wanted to say I’m happy you are back safe, dad,” he said quietly.

His father smiled dimly. “You…should take some rest,” he ordered, getting up from the bed.

“I’ve been sleeping for…fifteen years,” Angel said with widened eyes, “I can’t believe it. It didn’t feel like more than a few hours!” he said as he covered himself. His father laughed out aloud at his astounded tone and face and turned to go but Angel grabbed his hand.

“No, please stay,” he said meekly. His father hesitated for a moment and seemed to be about saying something but changed his mind. He smiled a crooked smile and sat at the other end of the bed with his legs crossed studying Angel in his usual thoughtful manner. Angel smiled brightly despite himself and shut his eyes. It was going to be hard. He always felt nervous when looking at the red eyes and was very thankful that dad saved them for the gatherings. But now he had to see them always. He clenched his hands into fists under the blanket. He would get used to it. He wouldn’t hurt dad even more, he vowed silently.

*****

“Now you are quite very old my dear Dark Lord,” Angel shouted as he scored again.

“Ha! That was really so funny let’s see what you have for this one. Fumato!” Angel dodged it and sent another hex at his father who was about to score but failed, trying to dodge the spell and a bludger, which came toward him at the same time.

“Well, maybe I’m not really as young as I used to be,” his father said resignedly as he returned to the ground followed by Angel who got hexed as soon as his toes touched the ground.

“Still,” his father said with an amused smile on his face, “it doesn’t mean I’m not faster than you Sleeping Beauty!” He then undid the spell, laughing at his son’s glare.

“Now I call for truce as I certainly need to get some lunch.”

“Me too,” Angel said, accepting his father’s hand to get up; he shouted and jumped to his feet as an electric

“What was that?” he asked his father who was in a fit of laughter, “You called for truce!”

“How can you share Salazar Slytherin’s blood, I have no idea,” his father said, still smiling with a strange look of triumph and contempt on his face. He then swung his broom on his shoulder and headed toward the Manor, followed by Angel who was muttering under his breath.

“By the way dad,” Angel asked on their way back.

“Hmm, mm?”

“I was wondering who was the Death Eater who came after you. I bet it was Lavinia or that Crouch boy, but why so late?”

“It was none of them,” his father said in a dark voice, “Lavinia is still in Azkaban and Crouch was in no better condition, he helped a lot in the process but not before I broke his father’s Imperius curse, under which he had lived for thirteen years.”

“Who was it then?”

“You won’t believe if I tell you. It was Wormtail.”

“You can’t possibly mean that Pettigrew guy, right?”

“That’s exactly who I mean. He didn’t do it because of loyalty though; both sides were hunting him at the time. He was simply left without any other choice.”

“I am happy he was how ever,” Angel said, “but it is strange that nobody else tried, not even Lucius.”

“The most loyal of my servants have spent all this time in Azkaban. Many of the rest are cowards; the others spent some time in the prison and after being freed didn’t want to attract any kind of attention to themselves. Some denied having any attachment to me, claimed that they were under Imperius curse for all those years. Many are back in their high social status now. Severus is a professor in Hogwarts and I have heard that he was saved by Dumbledore himself and Lucius has a high position in the ministry. And you should know that Lucius, Severus and many others are not loyal to me. Yes, they may enjoy killing and torturing other people, but in the end they just think about their own benefit. They will sell you away for their wealth or social status.”

“I see. Now will you tell me about your time in Hogwarts when you pulled that prank on Dumbledore? I think it was your fourth year,” Angel said in an attempt to change the subject.

“I am teaching you the most important points in leadership and all you can think about is some stupid prank?” his father said angrily.

“Sorry,” Angel mumbled, “I just wanted to…change the subject.”

“Why?” his father snapped.

“It made you…sad to talk about.” His father stopped and stared at him for a few moments then lowered his head to be in eye level with the boy.

“Nothing and absolutely nothing can affect me. I’m untouchable. Is it quite clear?”

“Yes dad.” Angel answered quietly, looking at his shoes. His father turned and walked away in long steady strides. Angel lingered and walked in a distance behind. Dad was definitely touchier than when he remembered last.