9 Ice

There were cries of disappointments from the three other houses, but those from Slytherin had satisfied smiles as they elegantly clapped. Atreus walked over to their table and noticed something strange.

The three kids Atreus met during the trip to Hogwarts were sitting next to each other. Tracey was in the middle, with Blaise on her left and Daphne to her right. However, the boy on the brunette's right was sitting almost a full seat away from her. It almost seemed as if she was being alienated, and he found it weird, but he decided not to question it since at least he could get to sit next to someone he already knew.

Some held their breath, and a few gasped in surprise as if they were expecting something. When nothing happened, everyone congratulated Atreus for being sorted into the noblest of the four houses.

They all seemed to have questions on their mind, but none got the chance to voice them as Dumbledore brought everyone's attention to him. An announcement that there would be no Quidditch Cup this year seemed to have disappointed a majority of the students.

Dumbledore followed up with some rules like prohibited items and no magic in the hallways, but one thing really caught his interest. The Forbidden Forest, which was, well, forbidden for students to enter due to how dangerous it was. Atreus hadn't gone hunting in such a long time, and it was finally time to change that.

At the end of his speech, Dumbledore introduced the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor.

"Alastor Moody!"

The doors of the castle burst open at that moment. A man in a black cloak entered, wobbling with his left leg and a dull clunk echoed each time he took a step with it. Dark grey hair covered his heavily scarred face, and he had a magical eye, which continually kept moving around, replacing his original left one. A wooden staff was held in his hands, and he used it as a walking stick. His head swiveled left and right in paranoia as if he was expecting to be attacked at any moment.

Just from the first impression alone, Moody looked like a fighter that had experienced a lot in his life. If he was supposed to teach the students how to fight, then it seemed like a wise choice of picking him to Atreus. However, most of his house members didn't seem to agree with that. The moment they heard his name and spotted him, they let out hisses as if they were imitating a Parselmouth. They were unsuccessful if that was their intention.

After Dumbledore greeted Moody, he ordered the start of the feast. Food magically appeared on all five tables, sneakily teleported there by the House Elves of Hogwarts. Atreus lazily put something on the plate in front of him. He enjoyed eating, but it wasn't really a necessity for him.

Atreus looked around to see how the rest of the students interacted with each other. The Gryffindor table was a rowdy bunch. Talking loudly over each other, but they seemed to be having a generally good time.

The Hufflepuff table was all smiles. They were interacting with each other in a more subdued manner, but their eyes sprinkled with joy.

The Ravenclaw table was discussing something, and if he heard right, they were talking about him, or more like his dad. One girl, who slightly resembled a younger Daphne, was staring at him in surprise. Atreus thought he recognized her from somewhere, but he wasn't sure.

And the Slytherin table... they were all looking at him with wide eyes and open mouths. Atreus was a bit startled at that and asked, "What?"

A blonde boy with slicked-back hair was the one to speak up, "How are you doing that?" His hand was pointed at Atreus' neatly sliced food that was jumping inside his mouth, piece by piece.

"Oh..." To him, it had become a habit to use magic for all mundane tasks. Atreus barely remembered when was the last time he had to use his hands to eat. All the Slytherin seemed to be expecting an answer, so he decided to indulge them.

"Where are we?" Atreus asked.

"Hogwarts?" The blonde boy replied, uncertain why that mattered.

"Yes, Hogwarts, a school that teaches magic. So, how do you think I'm doing this?" Atreus questioned with a slight smirk.

"But..." All of them seemed to share the same thought. Using magic like that shouldn't have been possible for someone as young as him.

The blonde shook his head and took a more confident posture. He picked up a napkin and made sure his hand was clean before offering it to Atreus with a slight smile, "I'm Draco Malfoy."

"Atreus Flamel," he shook his hand, noticing that despite Draco not being the oldest one, the rest almost looked up to him, keeping quiet when he spoke.

"The hat sorted you in the correct house. You will find out that only the best of the best are in Slytherin, the elite of the elite. The perfect place for a pureblood like you and a member of a prestigious family like the Flamels. If you need help in picking your... friends, I can help you with that."

Draco's statement almost seemed like a test to see where his views stood, and in a way, it was. Multiple owls were bound to be sent out that night by the students, all informing their parents about Atreus. The way Dumbledore had worded, "the son of a dear friend of mine," made it clear who he was to anyone that knew his history.

Draco would also be mailing his father, and he already knew what kind of response he will receive. It will probably be along the lines of, "Make him an ally of ours and confirm if he was Dumbledore's spy or not."

"If I need any help, I will take you up on your offer," Atreus' reply slightly offended Draco. Flamel hadn't readily agreed to his offer, but it also relieved him a bit, thinking that he might not actually be Dumbledore's spy.

Draco nodded and returned to elegantly eating his food. Atreus looked around the table now that they weren't all staring at him in wonder. Some of the students gazed at him from time to time while whispering with those close by. A few, however, had... haunted and worried looks, for lack of better words. Something was weighing heavily on their mind as they stared at the food without touching it one bit.

"Nott hasn't tried hitting on you. Maybe he had learned his lesson?" Atreus heard Tracey whisper to Daphne with a giggle.

"I think he has other things to worry about. Maybe you haven't heard, but both his father and uncle were found dead after the incident at the Quidditch World Cup," Daphne quietly whispered back.

Had they been part of those that were attacked... or were they part of the attackers?

"Really?" Tracey sounded surprised.

"Their funeral was a few days ago. From what I heard, Nott's father was found with his head completely gone." Daphne was as quiet as possible, so only Tracey could hear, but Atreus picked it up as well.

Well, wasn't that a surprise? So, those terrorists, who called themselves Death Eaters, had their kids studying at Hogwarts. Atreus looked over at the teacher's table, staring at Dumbledore and wondering if he knew. The old man seemed to have sensed his gaze and smiled kindly at him. Dumbledore then leaned over and whispered something to a man with black, greasy hair and a crooked nose. The man looked at Atreus with slightly narrowed eyes, but his expression remained completely neutral beside that.

"That's Professor Snape," Draco informed Atreus after seeing where he was looking, "he is the Head of our House and teaches Potions."

Atreus' time at Hogwarts might end up being more interesting than he had imagined. Sons and daughters of Death Eaters, a rune he had trouble explaining, and... also girls. Atreus peeked at the three sitting to his left, Daphne, Tacey, and Blaise. He found them likable but wondered where exactly they did stand in all of this.

When the feast ended, a Prefect, a student who had been given extra authority and responsibilities by the Head of the House, gathered the first-year students, leading them to their Common Room. The rest were allowed to wander the castle hallways until 10 pm when they had to return to their dormitories.

However, before they could leave the table, Snape walked over.

"Mr. Malfoy, I would appreciate it if all the fourth-year students are gathered in the Common Room. I will be there shortly," Snape said with a monotone, almost sleep-inducing voice.

With just one word from Draco, almost all of the fourth-years followed after him like ducklings after their mother duck. Blaise, Daphne, and Tracey were a short distance behind them, not really part of the large group.

Blaise and Tracey were walking side by side with their shoulders brushing against each other. Daphne was a bit to their side, giving the two some space as they whispered to each other. Atreus walked over and kept up with their pace.

"I wonder," he said, and Daphne looked at him, "why do they all follow Draco like that?'

"Malfoy..." Daphne started, choosing her next words carefully for a moment, "is considered as the Prince of Slytherin."

"And why is that?" Atreus asked, and Daphne stared at him, wondering if he was being serious.

"His father, Lucious Malfoy, is one of the wealthiest, and some even consider him the wealthiest wizard in all of magical Britain. He has a lot of political clout, and some may even say that the Minister of Magic puts a lot of importance on his words."

Atreus nodded. Some things were starting to make more sense to him.

"Is he the reason the Death Eater's deaths were covered up?" Atreus quietly asked with the bluntness of a Gryffindor. Daphne paused in her steps, staring at him with wide eyes before quickly looking around to make sure no one else had heard him.

"Don't ask questions like that," Daphne hissed quietly and looked at the group in front of them, "they might think you are Dumbeldore's spy.'

Her response answered his question, and even some he hadn't asked.

"I can honestly tell you that I'm not. Hogwarts wasn't even my first choice, but I found out that there will be an event happening here this year," Atreus replied.

"An event? What kind of?" Daphne asked.

"A tournament of some kind, which will involve other schools as well," Atreus answered her.

"So that's why the Quidditch Cup was canceled this year," Daphe nodded thoughtfully and continued, "and it seems Beauxbaton will be coming over." The Flamels were a french family, so Daphne made the connection with relative ease.

Soon enough, they reached the Common Room down in the dungeons. The entrance of it was located behind a bare stretch of a stone wall.

"Anilius," Draco said, and a passage to the Common Room opened up. It was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling, from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece, and luxurious furniture decorated the room.

After entering the Common Room, Draco looked over at Atreus and Daphne, "You'd best be careful around Greengrass, Flamel. She's known to treat others very coldly if I do say so myself."

"Mind your business, Malfoy," Daphne said with narrowed eyes.

"And watch your tongue, Greengrass," Draco shot back, but before the situation could escalate any further, Snape walked in with a bunch of parchments in his hands. His gaze passed by them all, pausing for a moment over Atreus before he spoke up in his monotone voice.

"You are at a stage where you tend to make... questionable choices. You are elite members of our society, and I would appreciate it if I don't get called by Madam Pomfrey or your parents due to an accident that could've been avoided with but a simple spell."

"Mr. Malfoy," Snape called over Draco and handed him the parchments, "those are to be handed to ALL of the fourth-year students."

Snape looked at them once more and continued, "You'd all best memorize the spell and use it in the appropriate situations."

Snape watched as Draco handed the parchments and turned to Atreus, "Mr. Flamel, I understand you are a new student and may have many questions on your mind. Your fellow housemates would be happy to assist you with that."

His message was loud and clear. Don't bother me, bother them. Snape then turned around and left without saying another word.

After Draco handed him the parchment, Atreus checked it out. It was a simple description of how to cast a... birth control spell. Well, wasn't that interesting?

"Flamel," Draco addressed him, "in our house, we can either take a single or double room. I've had a roommate for the past three years, but..." Draco looked over with a frown at Nott, a tall and thin boy, "I might be willing to change that."

"I will consider your offer," Atreus said, and Draco nodded with a pleased smile.

"I can show you to our dormitories if you would follow me."

Atreus accepted, and Draco showed him the way with a satisfied smile on his face, thinking that he was already making good progress with him. His father may be considered the wealthiest wizard in magical Britain, but... how could he compare to a man who could create gold whenever he pleased? The Flamels would be an incredible ally to have for the foreseeable future.

Dracon showed him the dorms, and Atreus picked a single room, telling him that he might switch in the future. The room had a bed, a few wooden pieces of furniture, and a green carpet in the middle with a snake on it. At most, he would use the room to sleep, but he won't be leaving his stuff there. Everything he needed was in his bag of holding, which never left his sight.

Atreus inspected it quickly, but he didn't stay for much longer. After all, he had a place to visit.

After returning to the Common Room, he looked around. Some students were talking with each other in groups, while a few others were already reading. Blaise and Tracey were nowhere to be seen, but Daphne was in one of the chairs with a book in her hands.

"Daphne," Atreus said after approaching her and placing a hand on her shoulder. That startled her, judging by how her shoulders jumped and by the... ice block that covered his entire hand.

"Well, that just happened," Atreus mused, caught completely by surprise. The castle continuously pulsated with magic, making it harder for him to sense when a spell was being cast, but... he was sure that Daphne hadn't used any magic to freeze his hand.

"I told you, Flamel, Greengrass treats others very coldly," Draco said with a sneer.

"I... apologize," Daphne said with a bit of shame, ignoring Draco's words.

"It's okay, I startled you," Atreus replied and flexed his hand, breaking the ice block. There was a moment of silence as everyone just stared at him in shock.

"I was wondering if you could show me around a bit?" Atreus then asked. He hadn't really paid attention to the path they took, so he wasn't sure how to get back to the Hall room.

Daphne looked at him, seeing him smile as if what had happened had never occurred. She nodded in reply and closed her book, "As you wish."

Most people had a different reaction when Daphne happened to freeze them. The worst part was that she couldn't even control it. Daphne didn't even mean to do it most of the time; it just happened whenever she got surprised. She had already made a few enemies in her house because of her ability, and she really hoped she hadn't made a new one.

When they left the Common Room, Atreus offered his hand to her, "Can you do that again?"

Daphne stared at him as if he was a madman. People usually stayed a distance away from her whenever she did that. They didn't ask her to do it again. She hesitated for a moment, but since he asked, she reached out and covered his hand in an ice block.

"Interesting," Atreus looked it over and asked, "You don't use magic for that, do you?"

"What do you mean?" Daphne asked.

"Well, there are no traces of magic. The first time might've been me not sensing it right, but now I'm sure. You didn't use magic to create the ice."

Daphne had a thoughtful look after hearing that. Everyone else had told her that it was a unique magic gift so far. This was the first time someone said otherwise.

Atreus raised his other hand, and an ice cone formed above it, "I can do something similar, but it still requires me to use magic." He had some control over ice as well. After all, his mother was a frost giant. Daphne stared at him in absolute shock as he continued.

"The cone is made of magic, but this ice block is not. You simply froze the air around my hand, which is remarkable. I've never seen anything like this before."

"Are you sure?" Daphne questioned.

Atreus flexed his hand and broke the ice block before offering it to her once more. "Do it again, so I can be absolutely sure."

Daphne nodded and noticed something about his hand. Usually, whenever she froze someone, her ice left frostbite marks on them. However, his hand looked as if nothing had ever happened to it. This Atreus Flamel sure had more to him than meets the eye.

The two made a trip over to the Great Hall and back. They did a few more experiments, and Atreus confirmed to her more than once that whatever she was doing, it wasn't magic. He didn't seem to be lying, but that gave her more questions than answers.

When they reached the entrance to the Common Room, Atreus told her with a smile, "Thank you for showing me around, but I have a place to go now."

"It's almost past curfew. You will get in trouble if the Prefects catch you outside the Common Room," Daphne said.

"IF they catch me," Atreus said with a wink and turned around. Daphne stared at his back for a moment before shaking her head. She then returned to the Common Room, having a lot of questions on her mind.