Late at Night :
" What do you mean you're not going to be around in holidays? You have an inn here and got no contact outside for years ", Damian asked in disbelief.
" It means what it is, damn that brother of mine. This is one of his requests ", Aberforth said.
" Where are you going anyway old man? I thought we can spend Christmas together? ", Damian said.
" I'm leaving to France. Something popped up there, some kind of weird thing, the same happened in Britain too. That idiot will be going there, but I'll be going to France to investigate this on his behalf ", Aberforth said.
" Can't you just refuse? ", Damian said.
" No, I can't refuse this boy. And don't act like I don't know your adventures in Hogwarts. You drove half the purebloods away from Britain, made some businesses collapse overnight and even provoked all organisations using those bloody magi phones. Your headmaster already complained to me many times, he said I raised you badly when you barely spent 2 months or even less with me ", Aberfrith said with an angry tone.
" I don't know what you're talking about. I just defended myself from some attacks that's all ", Damian said with a neutral voice and innocent tone.
" Boy, I'm the one who taught you how to use Occlumancy and how to deceive others, don't use that one me, it won't work ", Aberfrith spoke.
" But, you did good. You gave that brother of mine a huge headache, though I ask you to never pull this kind of stunt again, the international federation of magical enforcement is already very furious on British Magical community. For now lay low ", Aberfrith said.
" Sure, i don't plan to pull off something like this too. It's just an impulsive decision I made at that time in anger. But old man, why sent you there? What kind of thing appeared that you're dispatched personally to investigate? Is there something big?", Damian asked.
" No, I think it's one of the ruins or something like that. Most of the stuff will be broken or gone. Just need to show up there and observe it for a while that's all ", Aberforth said.
" But why the whole Christmas then? Seems like a job which will be over in a day ", Damian said.
" Official and political meetings. Some old foggies trying to boast, and mostly some discussions to repair to the relations you broke with the international organisations ", Aberforth said.
" So I'm also a reason for this. Damn, sorry for the trouble old man ", Damian said.
" It's okay, but don't do this next time. My old bones really can't bear some heavy work like this ", Aberforth said.
Damian shrugged," want me to look after this inn ", Aberforth shook his head," no, it should be better if you stay in Hogwarts silently for now. Some forces already started suspecting you're the one who leaked all their secrets and also the one who provoked almost all international organisations of magical community. So please don't make any big moves for the next few months at least ".
" Yeah, yeah, sure old man. I don't have a Death wish yet. I'll lay low ", Damian said. Aberforth nodded and then gave him box," this is the enchanted artifacts I made for you using your headmaster's help, they're enhanced compared to before and they will allow you to successfully negate the side effects of Obscurus for a while ".
Damian nodded and gave a hug to Aberforth who looked at him blankly before hugging back," I'll return in a month or two. As I warned you, don't make any big moves and be careful with those Slytherins. Although it's only Rosier's faction that's left, they are also someone you cannot trust completely. They have a bad history of exploiting loop holes. Go back to your dorms, I'm going to leave in a few minutes ".
Damian nodded. He used one of the secret passages the twins told him about to get back into the castle then to his dorm.
Aberfrith Pov :
" How long are you going to stay like that? Did you develop a habit of peeping on children as you grew old? I wish our father never knows that one of his sons became a pedophile ", I said while looking at a particular corner. My brother is still the same, the same paranoia of someone entering dark path, I hated him for that so called greater good of his.
" You can't blame me for this. His growth rate is terrifying, he almost caught me here ", Albus Dumbledore appeared. So in your eyes that child still remained a threat.
" Heh, you are so afraid of a boy who will die in less than a decade. Seems like you developed quite the trauma brother ", Aberforth locked with an angry glare. I felt really angry, the boy has been in the clutches of death, if he uses Obscurus for sometime, the reaper will claim him immediately. Yet this guy is concerned more about the thoughts of such boy who is at the death door.
" I fear him because he is quite similar and even more terrifying compared to someone we know. Someone who became an obscurus and grow into a stage where they can go toe to toe with me. I don't want to see that repeat again ", Albus said with concern etched in his voice.
I felt something in me snap, I glared at Albus, he is referring to my son Aurelius. He died in few months after the fight in Bhutan. I laughed angrily and turned to him," He is different from Aurelius. Aurelius was misguided and have no one to take care of him at that time ".
Albus said," what if I tell you, that maybe, maybe there is a possibility that the kid can solve his obscurus problem by himself ", I felt he is joking, in anger I fired a spell at him, the brother of mine sure has a thing to rile up people.
He explained calmly after countering my spell," he discovered room of requirement. He also performed a ritual, though I don't know what kind of ritual can help him, he feels very different compared to before. Did you not notice? He also gathered so many forbidden items and magical beast blood and organs. Also many herbs and essences. He is going to perform some kind of ritual, i tried tracing his steps back, but the library in the room of requirement only gave me an empty pedestal when I tried summoning the book he read. He most likely took it, I'm guessing he may have found a way to solve his problem using an ancient ritual book ".
I looked at him dubiously. A kid performing rituals, even my brother and Grindelwald who are known as the smartest students to walk their school corridors never done that in their first year. If only he discovered a solution like this and used it on Aurelius, he would have his son. I hoped the kid succeed in this ritual, he will definitely, afterall, he is the son of the Evelyn girl, like mother like son. He inherited her traits. Aberforth seemed to be reminiscing something.