Consuming Shadows

Chapter 35

Hadrian gently lowered Sirius' unconscious body onto the bed, ignoring the small twinge of guilt that gnawed at his gut.

The only reason that he had been able to subdue the man so quickly was surprise. Sirius – no matter how hardened the last decades had made him – had honestly never thought Hadrian would attack him.

It was painfully naïve of the man, and even though that split second had been essential to knocking him out, Hadrian still felt wretched at the trust he had violated.

It had to be done though. He needed the Order to stay out of his way for the rest of the day, and nothing short of keeping Sirius unconscious would have worked.

He could have meddled with his memories, but someone would have realised something was wrong with the man sooner, rather than later, and then he would be right back at square one. Less, actually, considering he had just attacked one of their founding members and proven himself a potential threat.

Besides that, Hadrian was not a fan of playing with another's mind like that. He could understand the usefulness, and had taught himself the theory to prepare for any time he had to utilise them.

But he also found memory charms disdainful, and unfair, and thought they should be blacklisted for the sheer damage they could do to a person. How easily they could destroy someone, erasing their entire life with a negligent wave of a wand.

So, this was the safest option. With luck, the others would believe that Sirius was staying the night with him to make sure he did not do anything reckless. By the time they realised that was not the case, he would be well and truly on his way to rescuing his mother.

Hadrian tapped his wand on the crown of his head, concentrating as his magic rose to his command. His hair lightened to a golden brown, his green eyes dulled, and his skin darkened as the glamour took hold. He spent a moment adding a few age lines around his mouth, completely eliminating any lingering resemblance to his true appearance.

The first thing he needed to do was go to Knockturn Alley. While he was sure that he could find and buy the items he needed from Diagon, he wanted the relative anonymity that Knockturn provided.

Even in a country under the rule of a Dark Lord, Knockturn had apparently never quite managed to drag itself into a reputable light. Which was fine by him. The fewer people that remembered him and his purchases, the better, and like most Dark aligned districts, Knockturn had a strict 'don't ask, don't tell' policy that made witnesses non-existent and shopkeepers mysteriously unable to recall the barest details of a client.

He hesitated at the threshold of the bedroom, turning enough to gaze at Sirius from over his shoulder. The apology sat heavily on his tongue, but he refused to say it aloud. He had made his stance on saving his mother clear, and they had tried to stop him. He might feel uncomfortable, but not enough to change his course.

Hadrian slipped out of the suite without another thought to his godfather. The man could use some rest, anyway.

He exited the hotel and made his way swiftly to the more infamous branch of Britain's shopping district, following the path Riddle's men had escorted him down, acting as just another face in the sea of people.

The difference was stark from the moment he took his first steps down the cobblestone street.

The air was heavier, filled with the faintest traces of waste and rotten leftovers. The buildings were taller and more cramped. And the sizzling taste of Dark magic curled around him like a lazy fog.

Hadrian might have been here before, but there was something about walking down the streets without a guide that had the hair on his arms standing to attention.