Antithesis

Chapter 18: Voice

Summer vanished all too quickly. The last month of the summer hols was quickly disappearing with daily duels with Bella, studies to increase his spell vocabulary, as well as hours each day to improve his occlumency.

His occlumency was progressing at a steady rate. The concept of Occlumency on its own was difficult, however when he focused on it alongside using the liquid magic in his blood, it created a thin layer, an almost electric barrier around his thoughts. Building that first wall was the most difficult, but now he had to construct enough to prevent a full mental assault.

The added benefit of managing to clear his mind was that it was the first step of achieving his Animagus form. He hadn’t the time to actually brew the potion, although given Rabastan’s strange sources he could likely obtain the potion for a hefty sum.

The Nagini tattoo wriggled under his flesh, it was a surreal sensation since he could feel each of the muscles tensing and flexing under the muscle of his back. He sometimes watched in a mirror as the skin seemed to split open and the snake slid out of the ‘hole’. It would do laps around the length of his body, down one leg before backtracking up and around his neck and shoulders, then it would sink below the skin again; he could feel it moving inside his wrist.

At last it was time to return to Hogwarts. Hedwig screeched and glared with her falcon eyes as Adrian crammed her into a small cage and strapped the cage to a trolley, available just outside the floo point.

The Hogwarts Express loomed large. Billowing clouds of white steam covered the platform. There was a tension in the air, a mixture of anxious shouts and excited squeals of students both eager and not to return to school.

Since Adrian couldn’t take a compartment for himself, he instead took a seat next to a now fourth year Slytherin. He had helped this boy the year before with charming an owl into sunshine yellow.

They didn’t speak to each other, except once the other Slytherin left due to the urging of a Ravenclaw girl. The compartment slid shut and Adrian relaxed.

“You can come out now, Lutain.” Adrian smiled, watching as his familiar slid out of a notch in the side of his trunk. Lutain had grown over the summer, filling out into what was likely his full length. Lutain was long, but thin, having a sinuous and lithe body.

“Was there someone here?” Lutain asked, scenting the air near where the other boy had sat.

“Only a student and he’s gone,” Adrian assured, smiling at his familiar who yawned wide.

“I had a warm nap. Very nice, very warm,” Lutain emphasized, looking directly at Adrian, “You could always make me warm.”

“But then you wouldn’t hang around my neck like a living scarf,” Adrian teased. Lutain gave a low guttural hiss, something similar to a snort.

“ Master I am scales not creature-skins .”

“ Actually I’m wearing cotton, which Is a plant .”

Lutain flicked his tongue closer, tasting the edge of his robe which neared the snake’s body. “I do not like vegetables .”

Adrian failed to stifle a rather unappealing snort, although Lutain seemed very pleased with himself.

The compartment door clicked loudly in warning before sliding open. Adrian looked up at the same red haired girl who he had seen in the bookstore.