Incapable

for those who think that the story is copied it is not

I am just re-uploading it on Web novel

if the stories i write will ever be copied you guys will be informed as such

Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk, head in his hands. For the first time in years he felt completely at a loss.

He had been so sure, he had his faith in Skylar Potter and with all his careful work with the Order as well as Skylar's own education, he felt that they had a chance.

But the child...revealed something to him he hadn't ever considered before. Something horrifying that left him feeling as if wraiths were squeezing his heart from its place in his chest.

The child Adrian Selwyn was something which brought him much pain.

He had heard things about the boy, of course, although his numerous duties kept him from meeting him over the summer or when Remus had told him he took the boy on himself. He had heard and seen the child in passing, discussing with a few medi wizards and curse breakers the probability of healing the poor child of such disfigurements.

He hadn't ever met with Adrian Selwyn before, even when numerous teachers came forward with concerns for the child. Of course, rumors of illegal activity had circulated widely around the child but Albus had dismissed them simply as rumors. Now with the knowledge that somehow this child was able to obtain illegal goods for other students left him deeply concerned.

How was he getting the goods? Of course, a case of firewhiskey wouldn't be too difficult for a seventh year to smuggle into the castle, or the Weasley Twins knowing their knack at somehow managing outrageous feats. But a fourth year?

Albus immediately wondered if the child had an external supplier sending him parcels in the mail, although the wards would search and reject illegal objects even if sent to the Owlery. Adrian Selwyn must have discovered some way to sneak in and out of the castle grounds, or perhaps found a loophole in the wards themselves. That meant he had connections outside the castle with less reputable sources, perhaps even with Bellatrix who was rumored to be the child's mother.

He hadn't believed the stories, but after the encounter he had no doubt that the child had interacted with the witch. He couldn't possibly fathom Bellatrix being permitted to rear or even give birth to a child given her position- he couldn't imagine Tom permitting it.

He had never known Tom to let something important to him slip out from between his fingers; he would have kept a closer eye on the child if he truly was what he than that, if Tom had accepted the child to be raised, he would have found some form of use for the child. He wouldn't have permitted such harm to occur to the boy if he was as vital as he seemed to even live.

Unless... unless the horrific damage to the boy was on purpose.

"Oh Tom," Dumbledore sighed, rubbing his temple as once again he was overwhelmed by the horrors of his old student.

Adrian Selwyn had to be removed and relocated to a safer place immediately, before he could be disposed of like a pawn in Voldemort's savage path of damnation. The boy had to be rescued, or at the least, guarded. He couldn't allow this sort of… this atrocity to continue.

Yet he had never considered his old student to actively seek the tactic of using children, especially with the time and investment required to raise a child from birth.

Yet Adrian showed significant trauma and abuse both mentally and magically. No child should have such tight, restrained, control over accidental magic, even as impulsive and explosive as it was. Adrian Selwyn had experienced nothing of a normal childhood, which left Albus with an unsettling train of thought.

What if there were more? What if Tom had simply reared a large supply of children to pick and select the strongest or most charming for whatever his plans?

A disguised spy could slip into the castle and open the Chamber of Secrets, especially if his rival had long since raised it for such purpose. Of course, to open the Chamber of Secrets it had been rumored that only the heir of Slytherin could access it- was it a blood ward? Parseltongue? A different skill that Dumbledore didn't know of?

Albus stood and made his way towards his fireplace, grasping a small pinch of Floo Powder before he tossed it into the low flame. It burned green, flickering wildly as Dumbledore tucked his head into the embers and peered out at the Order Headquarters.

He knew his call would alert someone, and just as he expected, one of the youngest Order members skipped into the room curiously.

"Dumbledore!" she enthused excitedly, face lighting up and hair flashing an electric shade of blue in excitement, "Fancy seeing you here!"

"Hello, Nymphadora." He smiled politely, charmed by her constant enthusiasm, "Perhaps you could contact James or Sirius for me?"

"It's Tonks," she pouted, eyes alighting at the prospect of having a mission, "And hang tight Headmaster sir! I'll getcha them!" She skipped off excitedly, already shifting her eccentric hair to a startling shade of bubblegum pink.

Sure enough momentarily later Sirius Black skidded into the room, hair askew and worry in his face. "What is it, Albus? Something wrong?"

"No no, none of that." Albus assured with a grandfatherly smile, "I was wondering perhaps, if you could once more tell me the story of the stranger you encountered in the Forbidden Forest last year."

"The bloke who got Moony on the ice?" Sirius scowled, features darkening sharply at the memory, "Yeah, what you want to know?"

Adrian returned to the common room after his head of house had informed everyone of his broken spell.

He slipped inside quietly, trying to not draw attention to himself despite the glaring eyes.

"Looky here!" One student crowed out happily, "Little Selwyn isn't so protected anymore!"

Millicent watched him with amused eyes, her lip twitching upwards as others joined in the cheers.

One upper year grinned rudely. "What's wrong, mudblood? Not going to get us anymore potions?"

Adrian didn't respond, although felt his neck prickle as tensions continued to lift.

"You know," a different Slytherin mentioned, "You had me go snatch some leaves from Sprout last year. Got caught and Filch made me clean the whole fourth floor."

'Don't say anything…'

The Slytherin glared and pulled her wand quickly, throwing a jinx at him before he could cast a shield, "There, that's what you get mudblood for getting me in trouble!"

A few Slytherins whooped as Adrian stumbled to the ground, his left leg locked up in an uncomfortable jinx. He exhaled slowly through his nose, stumbling upwards undignified as he limped horridly towards the staircase.

"You're going to get in trouble," Daphne singsonged towards the other students with a dignified sniff, "Professor Snape won't like that."

"Oh please, that kid's been a pain in our arse since he's been here." A quidditch player Adrian didn't know the name of protested with an amused glint in his eye, "I bet he's made deals with the Gryff's about hexing us."

'I haven't…' Adrian mentally protested, but knew better than to talk.

"I bet those Weasley Twins hired him to get in here," Pansy sniffed, glaring at him with teeth showing.

"Bollocks! He brought a Gryff here two years ago!"

"You're right! I bet he was in line with that mudblood!"

Adrian knew that it was going to hurt, and hurt it did.

Draco watched impassively as Adrian was hit with another curse, belching large spotted slugs across the floor.

"Why is he not fighting back?" Millicent asked Draco, watching fascinated but not joining in on any of the casting.

"With the trouble he's likely in?" Theo sadly chimed in, watching with a small wince, "I bet if he threw a single charm Snape would have him kicked out."

Adrian stumbled downwards as his legs locked and he nearly collapsed on top of a particularly slimy slug, trying to skitter out of the way to the corner of the room.

Draco's jaw twitched as he watched the pitiful sight. He didn't particularly like Adrian, but the other boy hadn't ever gone out of his way to bother Draco.

Crabbe and Goyle chuckled as a bat bogey hex was thrown into the mixture, leaving Adrian in a small heap of embarrassment and hiccuping slugs.

"Go let his snake out," Draco muttered, trying not to flush embarrassed when Pansy gaped at him in shock. Theo skittered upwards without question, running towards the joined room.

Blaise shook his head quietly, knowing the fun would soon be over.

Sure enough, the moment the large black snake slithered into the room the older students started mumbling and staring at the creature with annoyed eyes. The snake hadn't ever actually bit anyone before, but never knowing if his familiar had a dangerous bite was incentive enough to stay away.

Draco always felt that the black snake always knew a bit too much, or seemed a bit too understanding of spoken words. Just another thing that didn't sit right with him, like how Blaise's mother seemed to always remarry every winter. With that, Draco knew that Selwyn had always felt strange, knowing a bit too much or having too many secret looks. Even on the floor, belching slugs, Draco never felt the sense of danger leave him. Selwyn could at any point, send all of them to the infirmery- Millicent on fire was testament to that. He wasn't now, because he had been dealt a poor hand and responding would only make it worse.

So Draco ignored him, and went back to his book.

Theo watched as Adrian seemed to pet his snake quietly, still hiccuping slimy invertebrates as he struggled into a more dignified position. With the slugs in his throat and the leg locking curse still in effect, he wouldn't be able to speak the incantation to remove it.

"Poor bloke," Theo muttered under his breath, fiddling with an empty inkwell simply for something to do. Pansy snorted in disdain but didn't say anything further. They all pretended to ignore as Selwyn dragged himself by his elbows across the floor towards the stairs where he struggled upwards one step at a time. Theo spotted a few of the students who had actually cast the spells sniggering at how pitiful the sight was. Thankfully the snake in question reared and hissed in the perfect portrayal of aggression and fury.

It took a few painfully slow minutes for Adrian to drag himself out of sight. Draco knew without a doubt, that his godfather wouldn't do anything about the attack anyways.

"What a shame," Daphne shook her head primly, "He should have known better than to play with fire."

Millicent snorted, delighted, "Oh he got burned alright."

Adrian's official punishment came from Hedwig who delivered the letter in her tight grip.

Written by the Headmaster himself, the note instructed that he would be serving his time with Professor Moody helping him with whatever tasks he needed.

Knowing how volatile and how impulsive the older man was, Adrian dreaded that nearly as much as he dreaded attending his classes.

When classes ended the next day and Lutain's black body was the only thing preventing Adrian from being attacked by more than just two angry students; Adrian made his way slowly toward Professor Moody's private office. The last time he had been there was before the First Task, when he had pressed and pushed too hard into Moody's mind (not Moody- if only he knew his real name) and been kicked out.

The teacher hadn't made any movement to tell anyone else of Adrian's claims, which meant that he was right in the fact the imposter served his father.

The office door swung open when Adrian knocked, and he let himself in. Lutain tightened slightly, flickering his tongue wildly in the new surroundings.

"And so," A deep gravelly voice grunted, rising from a chair where he had been grading scrolls of parchment, "the spy comes back."

Adrian's nose wrinkled ugly as he crossed his arms with a glare, "Careful what you say, imposter. I hear the portraits are charmed."

Moody gave a bark of laughter, his false eye rolling wildly in its socket. "Hah! You think Albus would listen to you? Oh you bloody moron, this entire school already wants you gone after your last stunt."

Adrian's jaw tightened and Lutain hunkered down slightly, remaining silent.

"Anyways, I thought about having you clean out the classroom where fifth years were learning blasting curses," Moody grinned, something manic and dark in his expression, "But then I decided we should go for a stroll in the forest. I heard since the Dragons left something's been a bit, ah," Moody's eyes practically glittered, "not right."

"The forest?" Lutain hissed, repeating it to make sure he had heard correctly.

"The forest?" Adrian asked, licking his lips nervously, "It's forbidden to students."

"Not with a teacher," Moody grinned, standing and taking a limping step forward with his prosthetic leg, "I'll make sure the werewolves don't getcha, Selwyn."

There wouldn't be any werewolves in the forest on a normal night.

They turned and walked out, Adrian lingering after as he cast a meaningful glance as Lutain. The smaller snake flickered his tongue unsure, "You wish me to tell the noble one, Master?"

Adrian nodded his head, not trusting the Professor to not hear his verbal words.

Lutain hesitated slightly longer before he started to uncoil, dropping down heavily onto the carpeted flooring and making his way towards a nearby ventilation pipe. Adrian assumed all pipes led to the Chamber, if you were a serpent that is.

The walked across the covered bridge, no students approaching since it was beginning to linger fairly late into the day.

They passed Hagrid's hut, ignoring the large man who briefly waved as they descended stone steps into the main path of the forest.

It felt to Adrian that he was swallowed up by the trees and plants only steps past the boundary. Sounds felt muffled and echoed, a birdsong ringing from every direction without revealing where it originated.

"Stay close," Moody grunted as he firmly stepped over a thick root, "The acromantulas don't like trespassers on their territory."

"I'm not afraid of acromantulas." Adrian retorted, watching the forest carefully.

Moody laughed, looking at him in amusement, "You should be! The centaurs at least let you know before they kill you!"

Despite the assurance that nothing in the forest would touch him, and Adalonda would be on her way, Adrian couldn't help but shiver against the sensation of fear.

An owl hooted loudly in the murky woods, mist swirling around their feet surreal. Adrian could have sworn he saw something like a thestral leap through the forest far away, dancing between ancient oaks.

"I think you better start talking, Mr. Selwyn," Moody gruffly spoke, turning on the spot with his prosthetic like a pivot. He drew his wand, holding it in a strange stance that undoubtedly must have come from years of practice.

Adrian stopped walking instantly, pausing and holding his arms up slightly to show he was unarmed. His exhale was visible in the light, clouding in front of him in a foggy puff.

"You wouldn't curse a student," Adrian swallowed nervously, eyes meeting Moody's narrowed real one. He'd been cursed enough as it already was.

"We're outside the wards," Moody gestured to the woods around him, "nothing an Imperio wouldn't fix."

So that was his game, a quick Unforgivable to assure that Adrian didn't slip up the entire year.

"That's hard spellwork to keep up," Adrian found himself talking, his mouth growing drier by the second, "You must have experience with that spell."

"I'm an Auror, Selwyn."

"No you aren't," Adrian blinked, not noticing his blurt until too late.

Moody barked a laugh, before his features twisted sourly once more, "Listen here, boy. I don't know who you work for, or how you know legilimency, but you better start talking real fast…"

Adrian spotted faint movement in the distance, and he dearly hoped it was who he thought it was.

"I learned that from a book, like everyone does." Adrian rapidly spoke, hands shaking where they were held up above his waistline, "Are you using Polyjuice? Where's the real Moody then?"

The imposter's left hand curled into a fist as he pointed his wand sharply at Adrian, "You're talking nonsense-"

"Master! Hello!" Lutain cheerfully alerted from where Adrian couldn't see him, although he certainly heard him from where Moody was standing.

Moody looked puzzled, glancing down and paling dramatically.

Lutain was curled up affectionately twice around the prosthetic leg, head nuzzling the real leg with adoring small boops, "You smell horrible!" Lutain cheerfully informed the imposter.

"You!" Moody snarled, looking at Adrian in fury, "Your blasted familiar! I ought to banish this ruddy worm before…"

"He'll bite you the second you try and curse me," Adrian informed him, feeling much calmer over the situation now that Lutain had Moody in a metaphorical headlock, "and Lutain's bite is deadly."

Moody scowled, pausing and slowly sheathing his wand on a holster on his forearm. Although put away, Adrian knew all too well how easy it was to draw again.

"Fine, I see you've got me pinned." Moody confessed calmly, looking strangely content with a dangerous creature wrapped around his leg, "What do you want, boy?"

"I…" Adrian floundered, suddenly unsure of the situation. He hadn't really planned out what to do this far.

"Oh Cerastes, what a mess you've made." Adalonda rumbled, voice low and deep as it vibrated over the ground like a dragon's grumble.

Moody tensed, peering into the fog with his magical eye to try and see what beast had made such a noise, "Selwyn, call this worm off. Something isn't right-"

"I know," Adrian cut him off, looking around as well, "It's a basilisk."

Moody froze and a split second later drew his wand and pointed it at Adrian. Lutain hissed loudly again, causing the man to freeze.

Moody's eyes rolled around, his complexion paling sickly.

"Selwyn, I don't know what you're playing-"

"Her name is Adalonda," Adrian continued quietly, rolling his shoulders from the tight state they had been in all day, "she's here as assurance and because you may be able to help."

Moody spluttered, gazed behind Adrian and screamed. His eye slid closed; his magical eye spun around randomly as if seizing.

Adrian turned and saw Adalonda slowly slide into the clearing, cracking twigs and uprooting small trees as she moved.

"He looks terrified," Adalonda tisked as if disappointed, "You spoke that perhaps this man could help you?"

"He knows dark magics." Lutain contributed to the conversation, "If he doesn't, you could just eat him."

Adalonda hummed contently, the high pitched whistling noise uprooted a nearby crow.

"You can open your eyes, she won't hurt you." Adrian offered, reaching out to rub his finger gently under her eye, feeling an uncomfortable ridge of flaking clear scales.

Moody slowly cranked his eye open, before it bulged and he gasped wordlessly like a fish.

"Oh yes," Adalonda crooned, "That's been bothering me so. Could you tear it just…" she sighed happily as Adrian tugged and gently removed the stuck eyecap from her last shed away from her clouded eyes.

"Merlin's beard." Moody swore quietly, trying to stop the rapid shaking of his hand.

"Who are you?" Adrian asked sharply, dropping the thin eyecap to the ground so he could address the man in front of him fully, "Don't lie, or she'll eat you. Alive if you're not cooperating."

Adalonda opened her mouth with a loud hiss, revealing the rows of sharp teeth like a python.

"I-" Moody licked his lips impulsively in a stressed habit, "My name's Barty Crouch."

Adrian stumbled and looked at him in confusion and amusement, "Adalonda, dinner."

"No!" Moody snapped, licking his lips twice in succession, "Barty Crouch Jr. I was in Azkaban, I got out."

Adrian's eyebrows rose in surprise, "Did you escape with the raid for Bella?"

Crouch sniffed angrily, "No, before that. I was the first one to escape, first one who got out."

"Azkaban, that's the prison." Lutain informed Adalonda, who blinked slowly and exhaled from her wide nostrils.

"Why are you here?" Adrian asked, tilting his head curiously, "Why enter Potter in the tournament?"

Moody's nostrils flared in anger, showing just how much he resented the current situation, "The last task, it's a maze. The cup is a portkey, and I was going to spell it to take Potter far away, and finally finish my Lord's work."

"Your father doesn't know about this man, if he got out before the mad lady." Lutain offered helpfully, "He doesn't know that he's back."

Adrian's expression softened slightly, "Alright, Barty, ah, the Dark Lord has already risen again. He's already back, you don't need to kill Skylar."

Barty shifted Moody's expression into one of absolute perplexity, confused beyond words.

"But…" Barty trailed off confused, "But, he hasn't...he hasn't called…"

Adrian didn't know the workings of the dark mark, but he certainly could inform his father that someone called Barty Crouch Jr was alive and well and established quite a good place at Hogwarts.

"I don't know, I just thought you could help me with spells." Adrian offered simply, looking at his feet unsure.

Barty laughed, an edge of insanity- trademark of Bella- slipped into his tone, "Good work with that. You've already nestled yourself a nice spot of shite."

Adrian scowled, "I'm trying."

"Yeah, well your try is shite, kid."

Adalonda snuffed and scented the air with a tongue as long as a grown man's leg.

"How did you get a basilisk?" Barty asked, having thrown his guise entirely to the wind now that his name was known, "They're near impossible to hatch. And it's huge."

"Isn't she?" Lutain thrilled, looking positively overjoyed with another's recognition of Adalonda's size.

"Her name is Adalonda, and that's not important." Adrian clipped out, peering at Barty with a frown, "I need you to teach me spells."

Barty snorted, shifting the noise into an unsettling snicker as well as another lip lick and a head roll, "Sorry brat, you're not going to learn anything."

Adrian faltered slightly, blinking in alarm, "Is that a threat? Do you not-"

"No no," Barty rolled his eye, the magical one still rolling around crazily, "You're in my class. You don't have any apt, or skill. I bet you're still stuck under dark magic addiction."

Adrian didn't say anything but somehow his expression must have given him away because Barty looked positively gleeful (something which was disturbing on Moody's face).

"Oh kid, you're so disposable." Barty cackled, "what do you have going for you? So what you're good with animals. Like the Dark Lord can use that."

Adrian felt like he had been struck, like something punctured hard and was pressing further by the second.

"He speaks truth," Adalonda hissed, blinking slowly and looking considerate, "Your father had higher skills when he woke me before."

"Not true! Master has many skills!"

"The only thing that he can do that others cannot," Adalonda retorted, "Is speak the noble tongue. And truly, is that a talent between the strong and the legend?"

"But…" Adrian trailed off, his voice high pitch and sounding on the edge of something hoarse. Moisture welled and he hated it.

Adalonda lifted his head, leaving Barty to stumble back and hold his wand in shaking hands.

"See this?" Adalonda hummed contently, something wicked in her eyes, "See how he trembles? Because I am not simply strong, I am a legend which will be told over and over."

She turned, opening her mouth and displaying saliva and venom soaked teeth, as long as dinner plates, "And do you, Cerastes, have anything to your name that make others cower? Or are you a hatchling child who dreams of prey far too large for his teeth."

"That's not true," Adrian shook his head in denial, knowing his face was flushing ugly with his anger. His scars itched and his eyes were burning and his nose was filled with disgusting snot.

"Are you crying?" Barty asked, sounding like he was going to burst out laughing, "as if the Dark Lord would find you useful!"

"Master," Lutain unhooked from Barty's leg, slithering across the distance, "Master that is not true,"

"It is," Adrian swallowed, a lump the size of a walnut was lodged in his throat.

Barty heard it, and ignoring the grammar inaccuracies he assumed the denial (or confirmation in Lutain's case) was directed to his sentence.

"Kid," Barty grinned, unhinged madness suiting Moody's face, "you are the most nondescript, replaceable person in this whole castle. Everyone thinks you should be gone already, bollocks, even Dumbledore thinks you should be dropped!"

'I won't be left behind again,' Adrian thought, a whispering voice struck by tears and screaming, 'Don't ignore me. I'm useful.'

"I'm useful." He repeated out loud, not aware of anything past how violently he was shaking.

"You really aren't." Adalonda commented blandly, "You said a transformation of blood and bone, but even then you cannot."

"There hasn't been a lightning storm." Adrian shook his head trying to think of something, "I- Father said that I was useful."

"Sorry kid, but really, you're just another stupid brat who thinks that someone loves them." Barty snickered, grabbing a flask he always had hooked up to him and taking a swig.

Something pulsed and buzzed like a riptide in the air. The flask exploded and a dark brown foul smelling sludge splattered on the ground.

Adalonda recoiled, tilting her head in interest as Adrian visibly shook.

"Master, Master Nagini says you are!" Lutain tried to assure the boy, but he was far past the point of listening.

Adalonda and Barty had a point. He was useless.

He wasn't a good dueler, he had seen Skylar's duels and his impressive spell list and he wasn't anywhere near that level. He had no natural affinity for any class besides Care and as Adalonda said, that wasn't actually an important skill. He could speak to snakes, but truly was speaking parseltongue an ability that would save him?

He couldn't even do a physical transformation into an Animagus form. His father had expressed disdain for it before, he had thought the ability was useless.

Oh Merlin, they were right.

Adrian slumped to the ground, his knees sinking into the muddy soil of the forest. Lutain peered at him concerned, looking around desperately for a threat in lapse of anything else to do.

What had Adalonda said before, when he had first taken Wormtail down to the Chamber. She said that the Animagus transformation was one of blood and bone, and that his father had undergone a transformation of soul-

Adrian shook his head and started up at Barty who was still floundering in surprise over his famous flask exploding before his eyes.

Adrian was useful, he was useful.

He inhaled quickly, and exhaled it slowly and let it flow.

The ground in a half circle arching around Barty back towards Adrian, smoked.

Adrian felt himself sweating, he hadn't actively tried to push and control it beyond his desire to just make a single target light.

The smoke intensified and Adrian struggled to breathe, his eyes burned and why couldn't he just do this right?

The smoke lessened to a tiny puff.

Adrian felt the tears come and his anger rose and it wasn't fair.

Everything seemed to sharpen and Adrian felt like screaming and it wasn't fair.

I'm useful. I'm useful.

The ground lit and flared, not a roaring high flame but a decent sear that was not there a second before.

Barty glanced around in curiosity before rolling his eyes and peering down at Adrian with an insult on his tongue. Until he noticed Adrian wasn't holding his tongue, and the boy was gazing forward with clouded eyes and the barest threads of blood trailing out of his nostrils.

"What the...a partial Obscurus?" Barty frowned, tilting his head and looking perplexed, "No, no you're not."

Adrian sharply jerked his head, the fire dwindling down and leaving pungent grey smoke to waft through the mist, "I'm useful." He croaked sharply, looking every bit as traumatized and haunted as Barty's cellmates.

The sear lightened once more, flickering flames like a small campfire licking at leaves and twigs hungrily. The small thread of blood from Adrian's nostrils thickened, bleeding freely before the fire smoldered itself out.

Barty Crouch Jr smiled something sick, and nodded slowly, "You aren't, but I have an idea how to make you."

Adalonda's eyes seemed to glow in the dark. If she could, she would have smiled.