Catalyst

Chapter 24: Web of Lies

"Are you sure you won't be able to visit us this summer?" Hermione asked.

"Certain. Demanding schedule. Unable to alter." Abathur replied.

"That's what you said last year, and we didn't get even a single owl from you. Even Harry manages to keep in touch, and that Sirius Black and a crazy house elf on his back!" Ron said.

"Hey, Dobby isn't crazy," Harry interjected.

"He stole your mail, Harry," Ron said. "Hate to break it to you, but I think that makes him crazy."

Harry and Ron were pulled off into their own argument about the nature of house elf sanity. Hermione remained focused on Abathur.

"You know, if you're still angry with us, you don't have to make excuses. If you need time alone, that's fine," Hermione said.

"Am not angry," Abathur said, perhaps a bit too quickly. He made a note to enhance his prefrontal cortex again.

"Right," Hermione said. Abathur could see the skepticism written across her face and her mind. She was becoming disturbingly adept at reading him, as were the other two.

"Just...don't ignore us like last time, okay?" Hermione said.

"Acceptable," he said. She expected begrudging agreement.

"All right," Hermione said, before seeing her birthing pair. "I've got to go. I'll see you next year! Make sure to write!" And with that, she ran off, leaving Abathur alone at last. He waited for the rest of the station to empty of humans, before moving to an abandoned street corner. He took out his wand and raised it. After a few seconds a large purple bus appeared. Abathur stepped into it. A moment later, the bus vanished into the maze of concrete and steel.

Minutes later, the bus appeared in a forest and disgorged its passenger. A moment later, it vanished. Abathur stood alone in the forest. Seemingly at random, he picked a direction,and began to walk. He continued in a straight line for hours, never stopping and never straying. Abathur didn't stop until the last ray of light was gone, obscured by the cover above.

A dark purple carpet covered the ground, writhing and pulsing as if alive, mostly because it was. It had taken a lot of time to make the creep non-toxic to the local flora, but Abathur was willing to make sacrifices to keep his brood hidden, even at the cost of efficiency. The moment he stepped on to the living covering, Abathur seemed to glide across it. The remainder of his trip took only a few minutes.

His brood came out to greet him. The as of yet barely modified acromantula crawled along the webs and creep, scuttering around at a distance. Some even prostrated themselves when he passed. An ingrained submission response. He absently made a note to correct that as he continued forward, stepping into a small room made of silk. The walls were lined with transparent cocoons, filled with green fluid sheltering the larva within. As he entered, he tossed aside his writing supplies for the creep to consume. He had no use for them.

Once he was sure he was safe from sneaking terran eyes, he released himself from human flesh. A thick carapace grew all over his body, grey in color, and covered with a snake scale pattern. The occasional bristling hair poked out, vibrating in time with his steps. His back limbs emerged from behind him and came to rest over his shoulders. A mask of scale covered his face, hiding everything save for his nearly green eyes.

It was time to begin his work.

(Transition)

Dumbledore enjoyed the peace of the castle during the summer. His stroll around the grounds was a marvelous way to relax after such a strenuous year. The sky was a gorgeous blue. The birds were singing, the flowers were blooming. On days like this, children should be-