⋆｡°✩°｡⋆

As Nicolás went to take Ginny, who was slowly recovering vitality to her face. Harry went to retrieve a sword from the Basilisk's mouth and grabbed the Sorting Hat.

When Harry came back, Ginny moaned in Nicolás' arms, taking in the image in front of her; the ink, and their bloody frames, she broke crying.

"Harry — oh, Harry — I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy — it was me, Harry — but I — I s-swear I d-didn't mean to — R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over — and — how did you kill that — that thing? W-where's Riddle? The last thing I r-remember is him coming out of the diary —"

"It's all right," said Harry, holding up the diary, and showing Ginny the fang hole, "Riddle's finished. Look! He and the basilisk. C'mon, Ginny, let's get out of here —"

"I'm going to be expelled!" Ginny wept in Nicolás' arms. "I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and — w-what'll Mum and Dad say?"

"Everything's okay for now," Nicolás said soothingly. He guided Ginny's face to his chest, where the girl cried silently as they walked back to the entrance.

"Ron!" Harry yelled, speeding up. "Ginny's okay! We've got her!" Ron gave a strangled cheer.

"Ron, move back!" ordered Nicolás. After a moment, he pointed his wand at the rockfall, flicking his wand at it, the rocks started to move, leaving an entire door-sized space for them to walk.

"Ginny!" Ron said, "You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened? How — what — where did that bird come from? How come you've got a sword?"

"Ron, it's been a horribly tiring day, we'll explain outside. Where's the useless git?" Nicolás said.

"Back there," said Ron, still looking puzzled but jerking his head up the tunnel toward the pipe. "He's in a bad way. Come and see. His memory's gone, and the Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us. Hasn't got a clue who he is, or where he is, or who we are. I told him to come and wait here. He's a danger to himself."

Lockhart peered good-naturedly up at them all.

"Hello," he said. "Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?"

"No," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Harry.

Harry bent down and looked up the long, dark pipe.

"Have you thought how we're going to get back up this?" he said to Ron.

"Fawkes will take us," Nicolás said. The others looked at him confused. "He's a Phoenix, they can carry monumental weights like its feathers. Let's see — I'll grab one of his legs and Harry the other. Ginny, you hold, Harry's hand and Ron grabs Ginny's. You, dunderhead!" He pointed at a distracted Lockhart. "Take my hand, or I'll leave you here."

Moments later all five of them were hitting the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and as Lockhart straightened his hat, the sink that hid the pipe was sliding back into place.

Myrtle goggled at them.

"You're alive," she said blankly.

"There's no need to sound so disappointed," Nicolás said grimly, as Harry wiped flecks of blood and slime off his glasses.

As they were trying to decide where to go, Fawkes told Nicolás to follow. And so, the four of them walked down the hallways of the castle right behind the Phoenix.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

For a moment there was silence as Nicolás, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Lockhart stood in the doorway, covered in muck and slime and (in Harry's case) blood. Then, there was a scream.

"Ginny!"

It was Mrs. Weasley, who had been sitting crying in front of the fire. She leapt to her feet, closely followed by Mr. Weasley, and both of them flung themselves on their daughter as Nicolás put her back on the floor.

However, they were not the only ones there, the small office was completely overflowed.

Nicolás' parents, Carolina and Remus, were there, Aunt María was also there, and Caelum and Cedric.

The next moment, both, Nicolás and Harry were enveloped in warm hugs and arms, and so much affection and care, that Nicolás felt like crying. Just a while ago he had the Killing Curse aimed directly at him, and now he was rejoicing in the warmth of his family.

Professor Dumbledore was standing by the mantelpiece, beaming, next to Professor McGonagall, who was taking great, steadying gasps, clutching her chest. Fawkes went straight to Dumbledore's shoulder.

"You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?" Mrs. Weasley said.

"I think we'd all like to know that," said Professor McGonagall weakly.

Harry walked over to the desk and laid upon it the Sorting Hat, the Ruby-encrusted sword, and what remained of Riddle's diary.

Then, he and Nicolás started telling them everything, or almost everything. For nearly a quarter of an hour, they spoke into the rapt silence: about hearing the disembodied voice, how Nicolás and Hermione had finally realized that it was a basilisk in the pipes; how they had followed the spiders into the forest, that Aragog had told them where the last victim of the basilisk had died; how they had guessed that Moaning Myrtle had been the victim, and that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets might be in her bathroom. Nicolás decided to keep the information he gathered from Voldemort to himself, he would need to discuss it with his family first.

Throughout the entire retelling, two things were the most constant: his parents' bodies, enveloping him from each side in their warm and familiar scent, and the softness and warmth of Cedric's hand on his.

"Very well," Professor McGonagall prompted him as he paused, "so you found out where the entrance was — breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way, I might add — but how on earth did you all get out of there alive, Potter?"

So, Harry, his voice now growing hoarse from all this talking, told them about Fawkes's timely arrival and about the Sorting Hat giving him the sword. He told them about Nicolás exchanges with Riddle, and their duel. But then he faltered.

He had so far avoided mentioning Riddle's diary — or Ginny at all. She was standing with her head against Mrs. Weasley's shoulder, and tears were still coursing silently down her cheeks. What if they expelled her?

Harry looked at Dumbledore, who smiled faintly, the firelight glancing off his half-moon spectacles.

"What interests me most," said Dumbledore gently, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny, when my sources tell me he is currently in hiding in the forests of Albania."

"Albania?" inquired Carolina and Aunt María in synch, looking intently at Dumbledore.

"What do you mean, Albus?" inquired Remus, just as intently.

Before Dumbledore could answer, probably to avoid the question, Mrs. Weasley spoke.

"W-what's that?" said Mr. Weasley in a stunned voice. "You- Know-Who? En-enchant Ginny? But Ginny's not... Ginny hasn't been... has she?"

"It was the diary," said Nicolás in a calm voice. "Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen."

Dumbledore took the diary and peered keenly down his long, crooked nose at its burnt and soggy pages.

"Brilliant," he said softly. "Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen. Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle. I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school... traveled far and wide... sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, and underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognizable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here."

"But, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley. "What's our Ginny got to do with — with — him?"

"His d-diary!" Ginny sobbed. "I've b-been writing in it, and he's been w-writing back all year —"

"Ginny!" said Mr. Weasley, flabbergasted. "Haven't I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain. Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic —"

"I d-didn't know," sobbed Ginny. "I found it inside one of the books Mum got me. I th-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it —"

"Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing right away," Dumbledore interrupted in a firm voice. "This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards than she, have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort." He strode over to the door and opened it. "Bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up," he added, twinkling kindly down at her. "You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice — I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment."

"So, Hermione and the others are okay!" said Ron brightly.

"There has been no lasting harm done, Ginny," said Dumbledore.

Mrs. Weasley led Ginny out, and Mr. Weasley followed, still looking deeply shaken.

Nicolás leaned in on his parents, speaking softly, "There's no time now, but I'll explain everything back home, okay?"

And just like always, with all their trust placed on him, Carolina and Remus nodded. Kissing both of his cheeks at the same time, then, they walked out, with Aunt María dragging Caelum. Cedric stayed behind, embracing Nicolás fiercely. After a warm moment, he too nodded and walked out.

"You know, Minerva," Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully to Professor McGonagall, "I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?"

"Right," said Professor McGonagall crisply, also moving to the door. "I'll leave you to deal with Potter, Cardona, and Weasley, shall I?"

"Certainly," said Dumbledore.

She left, and the three gazed uncertainly at Dumbledore. What exactly had Professor McGonagall meant, deal with them? Surely, they weren't about to be punished?

"I seem to remember telling you both—" he gestured at Harry and Ron, "—that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules," said Dumbledore.

Ron opened his mouth in horror. Gaping at the man, Nicolás opened his mouth, ready to argue with him, but Dumbledore stopped him raising a hand.

"Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words," Dumbledore went on, smiling. "The three of you will receive Special Awards for Services to the School and — let me see — yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor, and another two hundred for Hufflepuff. But one of us seems to be keeping mightily quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure," Dumbledore added. "Why so modest, Gilderoy?"

Harry gave a start. He had completely forgotten about Lockhart. He turned and saw that Lockhart was standing in a corner of the room, still wearing his vague smile. When Dumbledore addressed him, Lockhart looked over his shoulder to see who he was talking to.

"Professor Dumbledore," Ron said quickly, "there was an accident down in the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Lockhart —"

"Am I a professor?" said Lockhart in mild surprise. "Goodness. I expect I was hopeless, was I?"

"He tried to do a Memory Charm and the wand backfired," Nicolás said, rolling his eyes.

"Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver mustache quivering. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"

"Sword?" said Lockhart dimly. "Haven't got a sword. That boy has, though." He pointed at Harry. "He'll lend you one."

"Would you mind taking Professor Lockhart up to the infirmary, too?" Dumbledore said to Ron. "I'd like a few more words with Harry..."

Ron walked out with Lockhart, but Nicolás stayed looking at the older man, his message clear.

"You can stay too, if you want, Nicolás," Dumbledore said.

However, looking at the fire, remembering everything Tom Riddle said, Nicolás mind got lost, and heavy. He ended up zooming out from the conversation Dumbledore and Harry had.

After a prudent time, as Nicolás walked to Harry, the door swung open. And a tall, blonde man walked in, by his side was a trembling and cowered house-elf. It was the same man Nicolás saw the first day at the station, the one who lived with Dorian, and the same man who blackmailed the school governors. Lucius Malfoy.

"Good evening, Lucius," said Dumbledore pleasantly.

As the man tried to use his cane to move Harry, raising it, before Nicolás grabbed it. The man sent him a nasty look, being only met with Nicolás steely eyes.

"You don't touch him," Nicolás spat, placing special emphasis on each word, as he pushed the cane away, making the man stumble slightly.

With a clenched jaw, Malfoy decided to ignore him, looking back at Dumbledore.

"So!" he said, "You've come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts."

"Well, you see, Lucius," said Dumbledore, smiling serenely, "The other eight governors contacted me today. It was something like being caught in a hailstorm of owls, to tell the truth. They'd heard that Arthur Weasley's daughter had been killed and, thanks to Mr. Cardona's hard words with them," Dumbledore's eyes flickered to Nicolás for a moment at the mention of his grandfather, "They wanted me back here at once. They seemed to think I was the best man for the job after all. Very strange tales they told me, too... Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place."

Mr. Malfoy went even paler than usual, but his eyes were still slits of fury.

"So — have you stopped the attacks yet?" he sneered. "Have you caught the culprit?"

"We have," said Dumbledore, with a smile.

"Well?" said Mr. Malfoy sharply. "Who is it?"

"The same person as last time, Lucius," said Dumbledore. "But this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through somebody else. By means of this diary."

He held up the small black book with the large hole through the center, watching Mr. Malfoy closely. Harry and Nicolás, however, were watching Dobby.

The elf was doing something very odd. His great eyes fixed meaningfully on Harry, he kept pointing at the diary, then at Mr. Malfoy, and then hitting himself hard on the head with his fist. It was very clear for Nicolás.

"I see..." said Mr. Malfoy slowly to Dumbledore.

"Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?" said Harry.

Lucius Malfoy rounded on him.

"How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?" he said.

"Because you gave it to her," said Harry. "In Flourish and Blotts. You picked up her old Transfiguration book and slipped the diary inside it, didn't you?"

He saw Mr. Malfoy's white hands clench and unclench.

"Prove it," he hissed.

Nicolás barked out a very inappropriate laugh for such a tense moment. "For a Slytherin, you're not very cunning with your defense, Mr. Malfoy."

The man's face started to get red with rage.

"Oh, no one will be able to prove anything," said Dumbledore, smiling. "Not now that Riddle has vanished from the book. On the other hand, I would advise you, Lucius, not to go giving out any more of Lord Voldemort's old school things. If any more of them find their way into innocent hands, I think Arthur Weasley, for one, will make sure they are traced back to you..."

Lucius Malfoy stood for a moment, and Harry distinctly saw his right hand twitch as though he was longing to reach for his wand. Instead, he turned to his house elf.

"We're going, Dobby!"

He wrenched open the door and as the elf came hurrying up to him, he kicked him right through it. Nicolás closed his eyes, clenching his teeth and using all his will not to run behind the man to jinx him, as they heard Dobby squealing with pain all the way along the corridor.

Harry stood for a moment, thinking hard. Then it came to him —

"Professor Dumbledore," he said hurriedly. "Can I give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please?"

"Certainly, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly. "But hurry. The feast, remember... You too, Nicolás."

Harry grabbed the diary and dashed out of the office, Nicolás behind him. He could hear Dobby's squeals of pain receding around the corner. Confusing him, Harry took off one of his shoes, pulled off his slimy, filthy sock, and stuffed the diary into it. Then he ran down the dark corridor.

He caught up with them at the top of the stairs.

"Mr. Malfoy," he gasped, skidding to a halt, "I've got something for you —"

And he forced the smelly sock into Lucius Malfoy's hand.

"What the —?"

Mr. Malfoy ripped the sock off the diary, threw it aside, and then looked furiously from the ruined book to Harry.

"You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days, Harry Potter," he said softly. "They were meddlesome fools, too."

He turned to go.

"Come, Dobby. I said, come."

But Dobby didn't move. He was holding up Harry's disgusting, slimy sock, and looking at it as though it were a priceless treasure. And then, it hit Nicolás; Harry just made sure to free Dobby.

"Master has given a sock," said the elf in wonderment. "Master gave it to Dobby."

"What's that?" spat Mr. Malfoy. "What did you say?"

"Got a sock," said Dobby in disbelief. "Master threw it, and Dobby caught it, and Dobby — Dobby is free."

Lucius Malfoy stood frozen, staring at the elf. Then he lunged at Harry.

"You've lost me my servant, boy!"

But Dobby shouted, "You shall not harm Harry Potter!" ("Depulso!" Nicolás said too)

There was a loud bang, and Mr. Malfoy was thrown backward. He crashed down the stairs, three at a time, landing in a crumpled heap on the landing below. He got up, his face livid, and pulled out his wand, but Dobby raised a long, threatening finger. By his side, Nicolás' wand was still drawn towards him.

"This wand kicked your master's ass just a few hours ago, Malfoy, I won't doubt to do the same right now," Nicolás spat fiercely, his wand pointing at Mr. Malfoy.

"You shall not touch Harry Potter. You shall go now," said Dobby.

Lucius Malfoy had no choice. With a last, incensed stare at the pair of them, he swung his cloak around him and hurried out of sight.

"Harry Potter freed Dobby!" said the elf shrilly, gazing up at Harry, moonlight from the nearest window reflected in his orb-like eyes. "Harry Potter set Dobby free!"

After Harry spoke with Dobby, and the latter disapparated, Harry and Nicolás walked to the Great Hall for a feast like no other. Everyone was in their pajamas, and the celebration went on all night long.

Hermione and Amara came running exhilarated, Hagrid appeared around three in the morning. Gryffindor ended up winning the House Cup, thanks to Harry and Ron's four hundred points, Nicolás safely secured Hufflepuff's second place with his two hundred points and all the others he had won in classes.

After hugging Amara tightly, Nicolás spent the rest of the feast at the Hufflepuff table. During the whole time Cedric, Caelum, and Dorian were by his side.

The whole time was relaxed, especially after Professor McGonagall announced the exams had been canceled. One thing constant during the entire night was Cedric's warmth; he did his best to always be a few inches apart from Nicolás, his fingers constantly seeking to grab either his robes or his arm, sometimes his hand.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

The rest of the term went by like a warm, soft, and comforting breeze. His grandfather had been able to convince the rest of the school governors to sack Lucius Malfoy, and soon enough they were boarding the Hogwarts Express.

Inside the train, Nicolás, Caelum, Cedric, and Dorian, found a compartment for themselves, Ember peacefully slumbering at Nicolás' feet.

"Bloody hell of a term," said Caelum with a breath. "I feel like I'm going home after the war. And I didn't even go down the chamber."

The others chuckled.

"I can't believe it was You-Know-Who behind it all," said Cedric.

"You need to start practicing his name Ced, it's Voldemort," retorted Nicolás. Cedric slightly cringed at the mention.

"What are we going to do about it now?" asked Dorian.

"Well, for the moment we're teenagers, we should let the adults handle it," argued Nicolás. The others seemed ready to argue, but Nicolás raised a hand to stop them. "What we should do, is gather as much information as we can." The other nodded. "Now, Voldemort's real name was Tom Marvolo Riddle, I know purebloods like to keep track of other pureblood families, he's a descendant of Salazar Slytherin. Dorian, you think you can sneak in the Malfoys' library and search for something like that?" Dorian nodded. "I'll also need books about the darkest magic you can find, things related to the soul and stuff."

"The soul?" inquired Dorian flabbergasted.

Nicolás looked out to make sure no one was listening. "He claimed the diary contained his memory, but we all can guess it was much more than that. He may or may have not confirmed to me that it had to do with his soul before he sent the Killing Curse in my direction."

"And what family you reckon can be related to him?" asked Cedric.

Nicolás shrugged. "His last name was Riddle, but he said it was his muggle father's. Never mentioned his mother's. But if there hasn't been any other Heir of Slytherin, perhaps it's an already dead bloodline."

Dorian nodded. "You should go to your family's place," he told Caelum.

"What?"

"The Black's ancestral home. They were one of the most obsessed with tracking pureblood families and everything. Maybe you'll find something in there." Dorian said.

Caelum and Nicolás locked eyes, very confused.

"And where exactly is that?"

Dorian shrugged. "I don't know, Narcissa was born a Black, but she doesn't have access to the place. Ask your mother."

The remaining of the trip went in silence. Nicolás rubbed his socked feet on Ember's warm back. Many times, he caught Cedric's eyes on him, each time the boy would only smile sheepishly, and with rosy cheeks would look away.

When they disembarked the train, Cedric and Nicolás stayed behind, watching as Dorian went to find Draco, and Caelum already went to their family.

As Cedric turned to ask, Nicolás hugged him tight, Cedric quickly returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around the boy's waist.

"Thank you for the Valentine's gift, I really loved it." Nicolás whispered in Cedric's ear.

The boy's body tensed, and he looked at Nicolás with a panic-stained face. Nicolás only smiled. Leaning on his tippy toes, he graced Cedric's warm cheek with his lips.

"I'll see you in a few weeks, and I hope you continue with your endless rambling then," Nicolás said with a smile. Cedric's face remained wide-eyed, his mouth gaping, and his cheeks were challenging the reddest tomatoes, but he managed to nod fervently.

Nicolás walked away without waiting for an answer that was probably never coming out of a flabbergasted Cedric.

As he saw Nicolás retreat, the only thing on Cedric's overwhelmed mind was that 'secret' letter—not so secret, huh—he sent back on Valentine's Day. A letter that had his heart challenging the loudest drum; a decision that — based on the way his heart felt too big for his chest— was probably the best of his life up till now.

My dearest Nico,

I'm not sure how one's supposed to start a letter of this nature, but maybe I should start by thanking you. I wanted to tell you that I was enraptured to meet you. I am enchanted by you each day, from the rise of the sun to its set. Enchanted by your presence, your smile, your resonating mind, and your calcinating love and loyalty.

I know you don't like changes, and I, myself, have never liked accidents, but I can't help feeling the most grateful for having fallen for you, for the way we went from friends to this—whatever it is—, at least in my mind.

Because, one day, you walked into my life, and I could have never guessed a stranger would ever be so important in it. Back then, we met for such a short time, but I felt—and still feel—like I've known you—loved you—, for more than a whole lifetime.

I don't want to look at anything else now that I saw you, and I don't want to think of anything else, not now that every thought in my head is of you.

Sometimes I wonder, when you sleep, are you ever dreaming of me? Because I have to confess that sometimes, when I look into your eyes, I pretend you're mine, all the damn time.

Do you think it's cool that I said all that? Is it chill that you're in my head? Because I know it's delicate, and not only for me, but for you, and for us.

You and your presence have ignited something in me, shattering the restraints I never knew I had, taking me to a fantastical dreamland. And now, the key to my old world, to my old self, has ceased to exist, and I'm not sure I ever want to come by it, ever again.

And even now, you're still a puzzle for me. And each time I look your way, all I can think is, "I want to know him more, I want to know all there's to know."

Because if you were a book, I would never be able to put you down. And I know there's an endearing softness to you, but also a steeliness, and I can't help but wonder what it feels to be on the end of your sharp tongue, and the fury of your wit, because what could ever surpass the honor of being put in place by you?

I believe I'm dancing too much around the topic, but rest assured that I'll continue my endless rambling in my wildest dreams.

For now, I remain your friend and admirer. The orchestrator of this alchemy, who hopes his leaden words may transform into golden truth.

With Love,

Your Secret Admirer and Fellow Stargazer

Nicolás walked to Harry who just finished talking to Ginny Weasley and was looking around, rather unsure and desperate.

"Little One," Nicolás said from behind him.

Harry jumped, turning to face him, "Nico! I was looking for you."

Nicolás smiled, hugging Harry. "I know. I needed to talk with you before you leave. You remember our deal, right?"

Harry nodded repeatedly. "I'll stay with the Dursley for a week, and you'll come and get me, right?"

"Yeah, you just behave for a week, and we'll come and get you to stay with us the remaining of the summer."

Harry beamed and embraced Nicolás once more, before looking at Ember uncertainly. Nicolás chuckled.

"Ember, say bye to Harry. You'll see him soon enough."

As if waiting for the command, the Wampus Cat wasted not a second before tackling Harry to the floor, nuzzling him with his nose and licking his face.

"That's enough, boy," said Nicolás. Instantly, Ember moved from Harry, and Nicolás helped the chuckling boy up. "Take care, Little One, it'll only be a week, okay?"

Harry nodded as Hermione walked up to them. After a swift hug, Harry and Hermione walked out of Platform Nine and Three-Quarters back to the muggle world.

As Nicolás looked at his family, he couldn't help but groan. They were all looking at him with different levels of amused, knowing, and teasing grins. They clearly saw his exchange with Cedric.

"Sooo, you and Cedric—?" was the first thing Caelum said, annoyingly loud and with a shit-eating grin.

"Shut up, Caelum!" Nicolas snapped.

"Ow, but that Cedric boy looked so cute, don't you think?" teased Aunt María.

"Oh, God. Not you too!" whined Nicolás.

"Oh, but he's coming home with us for the summer, we'll get to talk with him, María," Carolina said to her sister conspiratorially.

"Mom! Not you too!" groaned Nicolás.

"Dear, dear," Remus told his wife. "Let's not embarrass our son here. I'll have a very serious talk with Cedric when he comes," he finished with a grin.

Nicolás looked at him with a betrayed face. "I never expected this from you, Dad." They all laughed. "It's not funny!"

"Love, I need to know what his intentions with my son are, is just natural," Remus argued.

"No!" Nicolás whined. "None of you will speak like that to Cedric. Ember, back me up!"

But the Wampus Cat was behind Remus, looking amused at Nicolás.

"Not you too!" Nicolás gasped. "You know, you all should be focusing on how we'll accommodate the house for Harry, and the talk we need to have about Voldemort."

Everyone's laughs stopped and Nicolás grinned satisfied.

"You're right. We shall go then."

Loud cracks sounded and the scenery of the station distorted, leaving in front of them the visage of the welcoming country house.

Two figures were waiting for them at the entrance, Abu Pedro and Abu Angela.

"Abu!" Nicolás and Caelum yelled, forgetting about anything else before running to their grandfather's arms after a tiring school year.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

It had been a very long night. It was spent passing around hot tea (and hot chocolate for Nicolás), all in between talking.

The living room was spacious. The walls were pristine white, multiple moving photos in frames adorned them. Around a small table was a congregation of seats and couches.

The entire family was gathered around: Nicolás, Caelum, Carolina, Remus, María, Pedro, and Angela.

Nicolás and Caelum had spent the last of three hours retelling, in exclusive detail, everything that happened during the school year: from the Basilisk's voice Harry and Nicolás heard, to the attacks; their conversation with Aragog, Nicolás' issue with Lockhart, how they took Lockhart to the Chamber, the Chamber itself, their encounter with Voldemort, and how Nicolás defeated him in a duel.

"You really got so tired of hearing Lord Voldemort speaking, that you decided to turn his head into a pumpkin?" voiced Remus, speechless. Oh, sweet Merlin, James must be beaming down at his son right now.

Nicolás nodded nonchalant. "First of all, he's no Lord of us; second of all, yes, I think it was pretty funny."

Everyone looked at him for a moment, slowly and silently blinking.

"And how exactly did you get someone like Voldemort to answer your questions?" asked Abu Pedro in an impressed type of voice.

"Well, you see, I just—"

"Harry said you were flirting with him," said Caelum with a raised eyebrow.

"Nicolás Cardona Lupin! That you were what with who?!" bellowed Carolina.

"I wasn't flirting with him!" Nicolás defended, "He was flirting with me! Or probably trying to seduce me, you know, to the dark side and stuff."

"And you used that to your advantage, eh?" Remus asked with a teasing smirk.

Nicolás smirked back at his father, "Well, the Hat did say I would've excelled in Slytherin, you know. But even so, I still think there are more pressing matters than Voldemort's frustrated love-life. He didn't even offer me cookies or anything."

The air in the room shifted to a more serious one, every single one of them. All of them looked at the calcined diary placed in the center table.

"He told you he put his soul in that thing?" asked Abu Angela.

"Well, I don't know. When I suggested the diary might have more than simple memories, like it had a soul or something, he only smiled —very creepily, I may add— and said I knew too much — then he sent the Killing Curse my way," said Nicolas.

"That's — that's very dark magic. If he used Spirit Magic for something like this," said Abu Pedro, picking up the diary.

"You can even feel the dark energy coming from it," commented Caelum.

The others looked at him, puzzled.

"What?" he asked in a small voice.

"You can feel all the dark energy coming from it?" inquired his mom, Aunt María.

"Well, yes, can't you?" Caelum asked.

Everyone shook their head.

"I mean, I think we can all feel the dark magic coming from it, but the energy... I'm not sure," suggested Remus.

"And what's the difference?" Caelum asked.

"Well, feeling the magic is something any attuned wizard or witch is able to do. But to feel the energy behind something is extraordinary. The magical print can help you guess something enchanted, but the energetic print has no limit, it must be singing to you right now," Abu Pedro spoke with all the wisdom collected from decades of study.

Without taking his eyes from the diary, Caelum spoke, "Well, yes," his fingers graced the blackened diary. "It speaks of insanity — of something unnatural — something forced to become immortal."

"Immortal?" Carolina asked, her hand covering her mouth.

"I have read about Spirit Magic used for good —like the Spirit Healers— but to be used to achieve immortality..." said Nicolás.

"We'll need to do research," concluded Remus.

"Yeah, I already asked Dorian to owl me the darkest books he can find at Malfoy Manor," said Nicolás.

"The darkest books?" inquired Abu Angela, worried.

"Yeah, this is clearly some of the most depraved forms of magic. He'll also owl me the ones with family trees of pureblood families, too. Voldemort is a descendant of Salazar Slytherin, we may be able to track down his family, although I still think it is a dead bloodline."

"So, you have already put on an action plan?" asked Abu Pedro. He looked satisfyingly impressed.

"Yeah, made it on the train," Nicolás said nonchalantly, "Anyway, I'm wrecked. Nice chat, but I'll go to bed now."

After wishing good night to the others, Nicolás and Ember walked to their room. Once in bed, Nicolás looked up at his ceiling, the Leo Constellation getting his entire attention that night. The memories of the duel and everything Voldemort said replaying in an endless loop in his head.

How can someone put their... soul? into something? How can you even measure the soul, to be able to put it or a part of it in something? The more he questioned himself, the more Nicolás understood that whatever Voldemort had done, was simply unnatural. An abomination.

Half an hour later, as he scratched the warm Wampus Cat's head resting on his stomach, Nicolás finally started to doze off to sleep.

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Author's note

sooo, it was a looong time coming but here finally it is: Cedric's very swift confession!! yes, i took many creative liberties while writing that and i absolutely loved each and every word of it! Also, many things will be explored in part 3 regarding Caelum's words at the end 👀👀

- 𝐣. 𝐟. 𝐜. 🐼💜