Potter Watch [a HOO/HP fanfic](finished) [Demigods at Hogwarts]

Chapter Sixteen: The Past

...And I hope you lot like it!!!!!!! Because there's more coming. lots of ships, sinking ships, and hilarity from the gods of Olympus. Stay tuned!!!!!!!!

Love you all, and I'll get to the story now,

Verity King

Alexos Lestrange had a *cough slightly insane mother who cared more about her own flawless evil name than her own flesh and blood. When the Dark Lord had gone missing (Alexos had only been three) Bellatrix and her husband Rodolphus had abandoned their son, whom they had already branded with the Dark Mark, to go and look for the Dark Lord, leaving Alexos with his Aunt Narcissa, Uncle Lucius, and his cousin, Draco Malfoy.

Alexos hadn't been treated very badly- but the Malfoys were too busy with their own son to bother with Alexos, so in essentials they'd been saying, "here's your room, here's your food, and here's clothes. Have a nice life."

Maybe it had been better for the little boy not to be treated with any great kindness by his relatives. It taught him to understand that they were not good people- it enabled him to look in from the outside and see their true characters.

When Alexos had been of age to go to Hogwarts, he had gone- the Malfoys were only too eager to get rid of him, due to his annoying tendency to dislike their Muggle-hating habits. They also found that he was giving Dobby the house-elf dangerous ideas, like Not Sticking His Ears In The Oven and Not Giving Himself Concussions.

And so Alexos had gone. He'd made friends at Hogwarts, Fred and George Weasley, who were in his year.

He'd been Sorted into Gryffindor.

The Malfoys weren't sure if they could stand the shame, and they didn't want Bellatrix being ashamed of her only son when she got out of Azkaban- and they had no doubt that she would get out some way. But they let Alexos carry on until the beginning of his third year, when a letter from Dear Draco informed them that Harry Potter was going to Hogwarts. Not only that, he had been Sorted into Gryffindor- Alexos's House.

Just before his first Hogsmeade trip (he was going to go with a girl he'd met the year before), he had an unexpected visit from his aunt and uncle.

"What do you want?" he'd asked them, standing coldly in the middle of the cold floor of his dormitory room.

Fred and George, giving each other glances, had slunk out of the room, looking mischievous. Alexos hoped that they would prank his uncle and aunt. He'd learned through Hogwarts to hate what his parents had done and what even his uncle had done.

Uncle Lucius had given his wife a glance, then stepped forward, eyes like ice. "We have come to withdraw you from Hogwarts," he'd said shortly. "Pack your things."

There had been this terrific row. Alexos had shouted nasty things at his relatives, but there was no denying them. He had to go. The reason, of course, was Harry Potter. His relatives didn't want him to mix with the Boy Who Lived.

He'd had to go to Durmstrang, and he'd hated every minute of it. In his sixth year he'd come back to Hogwarts. He'd seen his cousin, who'd sneered that he was as stupid as ever. But he'd also seen Fred and George, and had quite a lot of fun with them reminiscing over old times. That had been the best year ever. But then he'd had to go back.

His uncle and aunt were furious when he had failed to even get selected for the Triwizard Tournament. He was a failure, they'd said. Dear Draco hadn't a chance, but he had, and not only did he not make it in, but Harry Potter won.

Once Alexos knew for sure that the Dark Lord was back, he'd left Durmstrang because the last two years were only optional, and headed for France to hide from his past. His mother, who had indeed escaped Azkaban, disowned him, and according to Draco, who had sent him a gloating letter, she thought him 'disobedient and worthless.' Draco said that she never mentioned his name again.

Alexos couldn't fight on either side. His Mark made him miserable, but he knew the Order would never accept him because he had it.

But Harry had won. Alexos returned to England bursting with joy.

And then he found out that one of his only friends was dead.

And Alexos's mother had killed him.

And he couldn't make things right.

He'd met George later, and he'd cried for the first time in his life at seeing his grief-struck friend. How could he face him every day? How could he ever face Fred's mother?

His life had been misery. Even when that Piper cheered George up, Alexos was still grief-stricken and guilty. His life had been torture.

That is, until he met Reyna.

Alexos walked into his teachers' dormitory smiling so hard he felt like his face would crack. As far as he could remember, he hadn't ever smiled like that.

George looked up from a letter he was writing. "Hullo," he said, "what is it?"

Alexos grinned dazedly.

George got up and walked about, inspecting him. "You've got a girlfriend," he said finally. "And you've just been snogging her," he added. "Did Reyna like it?"

Alexos's jaw dropped. "How did you find out?"

"Piper."

"Careful, mate. She's got a boyfriend-"

"I don't fancy her." George scowled aggressively at the opposite wall.

Alexos bent over what he was writing, and saw these words:

Dear Your Wonderful Majestic People Who Control Things,

This is George Weasley again. I'm writing to inform you that Jason Grace has been mistreating his girlfriend again. Please use the Howler paper I sent you, and if you deliver them next Tuesday at breakfast, I can make sure that all the demigods will be in plain sight of all students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Feel free to chastise any of them. I think we shall all find it vastly amusing.

Yours oh-so-very sincerely,

George Weasley

Alexos gave his grinning chum a skeptical look. "Are you sure that's wise?"

George yawned, stretched, and grinned. "Of course not, my dear chap. But now Fred's gone I'm pranking for two. So be a good fellow and assist me?"

Alexos sighed and threw his hands up. "Fine. But first tell me why you want to do this."

"Search me."

"It's because of Piper," Alexos groaned. "You are going to get your own heart broken."

George looked at him sharply. "We'll have none of that, if you please. Now let's go ask McGonagall if our special guests can have seats of honor next Tuesday."

Alexos frowned in confusion.

George smiled like a maniac. "When the owls come," he added with a grin.

Alexos groaned.

Love you all!!!!!!!