Time to Turn the Tide

Chapter 4

The next morning Hadrian woke up feeling incredibly tired. He barely slept last night. His eyes felt swollen and dry, addedly he had a headache. What a magnificent morning.

He was still having a hard time believing what had happened after the order's meeting. How he saw relief in his parents' faces when Molly agreed to the betrothal. How his own brother was happy. How his own parents can do this with him? He knew his parents hated him, but to turn him practically into a slave and breeding machine. He was livid. He couldn't even ask Sirius for help. It was eight months ago when he last saw him and even Sirius could not save him from that bloody contract.

He needed a plan. A foolproof plan to ensure his freedom. First, he needed to find out more about that damned contract. He remembered his father saying that the book was in Lord's study. So, he decided to raid his father's study which was not an uncommon thing for him.

The entrance hall of the Potter manor was dark and empty. Hadrian didn't have the faintest idea where his beloved family might be, but that didn't matter to him at all. The manor was rarely empty nowadays when the old coot's lackeys were having meetings at their home.

Finally, Hadrian reached James Potter's office. He found it hilarious that the newly elected Head Auror couldn't ward his office properly. It didn't take even a minute for him to break the wards.

He found that book he wanted open on his father's desk. He copied that book by the difficult slightly illegal charm and paste it on one blank book. Then he decided to copy more books. Who knows he might need them in future. He started going through the bookshelves, which contained all the highly illegal books Auror Department had confiscated and were waiting for who knows what. He still didn't know whose idea it was to store them here and not somewhere in the ministry. The Potter Manor was like a fortress, but the lord was still a lazy idiot who didn't bother to even ward his office properly and had even fucked up choosing his own family's secret keeper all those years ago. His father wasn't reliable.

The number of books had increased quite nicely during the school year he was gone. He always copied the books through charm and place them into his secret library.

Then the fireplace in the entrance hall flared suddenly and Hadrian was glad that he was safely in his room before anyone found him in the hallways and started planning and plotting immediately.

OoOoOoOo

The ministry ball was quite boring. Hadrian just wanted to go to Potter Manor and research but his parents forced him to come to this tedious ball. There were many people in the ministry. Greengrass, Malfoys, Macmillans, Bones etc. He talked charmingly with all of them. His parents were too busy watching over their precious Ethan and Rose was talking with her friends. So, that is why he was talking with his supposed dark friends and Lords without getting noticed by his parents.

Then he heard someone calling his name. Hadrian ignored the call and decided to move to the other side of the Hall and sped up his pace without turning to look back. He knew that voice and he didn't have any intention to stay and have a conversation with the person calling his name. But then a hand grabbed his arm and whirled him around.

Hadrian hated being touched by anyone. But he absolutely loathed it when the person who touched him happened to have ugly carrot-red hair and blue eyes.

"What the hell do you want.", Hadrian snapped at the idiotic boy at the same time he slapped his disgusting clammy hands away.

"Why were you talking with Zabinis? ", the idiotic weasel questioned blinking his eyes.