CHAPTER 54
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
*******************************
Chapter 54 ~ Bringing Up Bara
While most of the Hogwarts staff and students were at supper, Bara was on the third floor looking out the window at the Hogwarts grounds wistfully. He was not allowed outside without an escort ever since he purposely visited the Forbidden forest when specifically warned not to by Albus. Although the Headmaster could see him clearly on the Marauder’s map, for some strange reason he could not transport the boy to him, and the forest had to be searched for him. They found Bara near the cave of the Acromantulas just before nightfall.
Albus had been supremely angry with the boy, restricting him to the castle unless in the company of an escort. Unfortunately none of the staff had time to take him out, and Bara was naughty with students and headstrong…running off at the first opportunity, shouting “I am not a baby!” as he fled. No amount of scolding could break Bara of this habit and as a result, no students could escort him any longer.
The boy sighed.
He didn’t mean to be bad, but he was used to doing as he wished to do. He had survived on his own in India for months. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t wander where he wished. Albus tried to explain to him that there were dangerous magical creatures in the Forbidden forest that wouldn’t mind having a young wizard for a quick meal. Bara quickly responded there were tigers, leopards and red dogs in the jungles of India and he managed to survive them.
“This isn’t India,” Albus said to the stubborn young wizard.
“India is much more dangerous,” the boy replied, frowning.
Albus sighed. It was as if there were no talking to the boy on this matter. He was extremely stubborn. Severus suggested throwing Bara into the Acromantula cave for about five minutes, with a repelling charm on him of course and let the spiders correct him. But Albus refused.
Severus was now on his way to the infirmary to see Poppy and look in on Minerva and riding the shifting stairwell when he saw Bara leaning out of the third floor window wistfully. The Potions Master was about to mount the next landing when he saw the boy pull something out of his pocket. The wizard’s eyes narrowed.
The little wizard had a wand, and was waving it about.
Severus stalled and disillusioned himself, then entered the corridor. Bara moved away from the window and strolled down the hall, chanting something and waving his wand around, the Potions Master following him. Suddenly a door materialized on Severus’ left. The wizard’s eyes widened.
Bara was the one creating the doors, windows and floating transports. Most likely the boy had no idea he was doing it. He was inadvertently producing random magic. But why doors and windows?
Severus thought about it for a moment, then realized that probably the magic was reflecting his urge to escape the castle. Windows and doors were exits.
Silently the Potions Master walked up behind Bara and plucked the wand out of the startled boy’s hand. Bara spun and saw his wand floating in a shimmer.
“Who is there?” he asked, shivering a little. Severus removed the disillusionment spell and stared down at the little wizard.
“Uh oh,” Bara said as Severus eyed him.
“Where did you get this wand, Bara?” Severus asked him, his voice severe.
Bara swallowed. He knew he was in trouble.
“From Professor Flitwick’s class. I took it so I could practice spells,” the boy said, “Professor Flitwick was teaching me too slow.”
Severus arched an eyebrow at him.
“So you stole it,” the Potions Master said.
“No. I was going to give it back. Sometime,” the boy said.
Severus folded his arms. So Bara had taken the wand because he wanted to learn magic faster. The Potions Master remembered Flitwick bragging on how quickly the boy was catching on to doing spells…and was able to work them after only one lesson. Albus had been quite proud, claiming he was a chip off the old Gryffindor block.
The Potions Master smirked.
Bara was more like a scale off the old Slytherin serpent.
“Well Bara, you have been causing a lot of problems around the castle with this wand. You have not been taught how to properly handle one. What were you chanting?” the wizard asked the boy.
“I want to be free,” Bara replied. “I always say it.”
Severus looked at the boy thoughtfully. Yes, that would be enough intent to cause the magical windows and doors.
“Well we are going to return this wand to Professor Flitwick and you are going to apologize. Then we are going to see the Headmaster and decide your punishment. Now come with me,” Severus said, turning and striding away.
Bara hung his head and followed the tall, pale wizard. Things were bad before, but now they were infinitely worse.
Albus restricted Bara to his room for a month, and all his meals would be served there. In addition, he had to write lines daily. “I will not steal.” Flitwick would send his work up to him and it would be collected at the end of the day. The little Professor had been quite surprised Bara had taken the wand. He hadn’t even missed it.
“And I thought he was a prodigy,” the wizard said, pulling at his beard and shaking his head.
He, Severus and Albus were sitting in the Headmaster’s office discussing the boy.
“No, he’s not a prodigy, Filius. But he is resourceful,” Severus replied. Albus looked up at the dark wizard. He knew what Severus was implying.
Slytherin tendencies.
“Perhaps if more emphasis was placed on teaching the boy the difference between right and wrong,” the Headmaster suggested, “He might improve.”
Severus looked at the Headmaster evenly.
“Albus, Bara already knows what’s right and wrong, but he measures it against what he wants and needs. He is willing to break the rules to acquire what he wants…he just doesn’t know how to do it properly,” Severus said, “He got caught.”
Albus shook his head.
“I’m afraid the boy is a Slytherin,” the wizard said despairingly.
“It seems so…but there is one way to be absolutely sure,” Severus said, looking up at the top shelf behind Albus’ desk, where the Sorting Hat rested.
Albus looked at Severus then turned to where his gaze rested.
“But he is too young to be sorted, Severus,” Albus said, turning back to the Potions Master. Filius listened to the conversation but didn’t say anything. He was sure Bara was a Slytherin as well.
“We will not be sorting him, Albus, but the Sorting Hat can tell us his tendencies for certain. Then we will know how to deal with him. If he is indeed a Slytherin, then he should be taught the Slytherin philosophy as soon as possible so as not to repeat his error,” the Potions Master said silkily.
Albus eyed him. Did Severus mean the error of stealing the wand, or the error of being caught with it? He suspected the latter. But what the wizard said made sense. The Headmaster stood up, walked around his desk and up the hallway to Bara’s bedroom. He removed the ward. Bara was lying on his back in his bed. He looked so tiny in the four-poster. He was staring up at the ceiling. When he heard the ward come down he looked toward Albus.
“Bara, come with me,” Albus said, looking at the boy sternly.
Bara rolled out of the bed, wondering what he did now. He exited the bedroom and followed Albus to his office. He greeted Severus and Filius politely. Albus removed the Sorting Hat from the top shelf and looked at Bara, who was standing in front of his desk.
“Bara, this is the Sorting Hat. Usually it is used to sort students into one of the four houses by identifying their tendencies,” the wizard said.
“Tendencies?” Bara repeated, not understanding the word.
“The way they are inside,” Albus amended.
Bara nodded.
“But it will be three years before you can be sorted into a house. However, we want to know what house you will be sorted into. The hat will tell us when I put it on your head,” the old wizard said, walking around the desk and positioning the hat over Bara’s head.
Severus and Filius watched as Albus placed the hat on Bara. It was so large his whole head disappeared into the old pointed chapeau.
The hat immediately became animated.
“This one is too young!” it declared, wriggling on Bara’s head a bit. The boy jumped at the voice. He hadn’t expected the hat to talk.
“He is not being sorted. But we do need to know where he will be going when it is time for him to be sorted,” Albus said to the hat.
“Ah,” the hat said, “A pre-sort. I’ve done this type of thing before…but it’s been many years. Let’s see I think it was in…”
“Just tell us,” Severus snarked, not interested in the hat’s reminiscing.
“Fine,” the hat spat indignantly, the slit of its mouth turning down at the wizard. Then it focused on Bara.
“Very smart this one. Inquisitive and a fast learner. He wants to know everything. Not a bad candidate for Ravenclaw,” the hat began.
Flitwick sat up straighter. He was the head of Ravenclaw. Bara could come to him.
“Hm. Extremely brave and courageous. Definitely some Gryffindor traits…and doesn’t mind hard work. He could be a Hufflepuff if not for the sharp mind. Hmmm….” The hat continued. It fell silent for a moment.
“Oh my,” the hat said, “This boy is definitely a Slytherin. He has a strong sense of self-preservation, is willful, believes in himself and will do what he feels he must to get his own way despite the consequences. He is also ambitious. When it comes time to sort him, he will definitely be placed in Slytherin.”
The hat fell silent and Albus removed it, looking down at Bara sadly.
“What is wrong, Father Albus?” the boy asked the Headmaster.
“I wanted you to be a Gryffindor,” the old wizard admitted. “That was my house.”
Bara felt very sad about this. He watched as Albus returned the hat to the top shelf behind his desk and sat down heavily.
“I can still go to Gryffindor, Father Albus. I will learn to be one if that would make you happy,” he said to the white-haired wizard. “I do not have to go to Slytherin.”
Albus smiled at the boy tenderly, some of the twinkle coming back into his eyes at the boy’s desire to make him happy. .
“I’m afraid you can’t learn to be a Gryffindor, Bara. You are who you are, and I would not have you change for me or anyone,” the wizard said. “I will get used to the idea. But as a potential Slytherin, you will have to be in contact with Professor Snape more often. He will teach you what you need to know as a Slytherin.”
Bara turned and looked at Severus, who arched an eyebrow at him. The young wizard’s eyes washed over the pale wizard. Then he turned back to Albus.
“But…but you will still be my Father Albus, won’t you?” he asked the Headmaster anxiously. “I do not want to leave you.”
Albus gave him an affectionate smile.
“I will always be your Father Albus, Bara,” he replied. The little wizard walked around the desk and embraced the wizard. Severus looked on and Flitwick wiped a tear from his eye at the display.
“Good,” the boy said, kissing Albus on his cheek. Kissing was common in India, and Bara didn’t feel ashamed to do it.
Albus looked at him fondly, then tried to glower.
“All right Bara, return to your room. You are still on punishment,” the Headmaster said gruffly, trying to show the Professors he wasn’t a soft touch. He failed miserably, but neither Severus nor Filius called him on it.
“Yes, sir,” Bara replied obediently. He said goodbye to Severus and Filius then returned to his room.
Severus looked after him, then at Albus.
“I believe you’d better ward Bara’s door, Headmaster, or he will be wandering the halls of Hogwarts within the hour,” the wizard said with a small smirk.
Albus started. Yes, he’d better do that. Sweet as Bara was…he was a Slytherin. The Headmaster would have to be on point with the boy from now on. He had not yet told Minerva about his charge, but was sure once the witch was up to par, she would provide a very strict but loving influence on Bara. Minerva was sharp as a whip and wouldn’t be taken in by him one bit, even if she doted on him…which she most likely would, particularly once she heard his history. If Bara acted up too badly, the boy might find himself transfigured into something quite uncomfortable.
Albus excused himself and walked down the hall to ward Bara’s bedroom.
Flitwick looked at Severus.
“You’re going to have your hands full with that one, Severus,” the wizard commented.
Severus looked at the diminutive wizard, his dark eyes glittering.
“I can handle it,” he said shortly. “Troublemakers are my specialty.”
************************************************
A/N: Just had to focus on little Bara for a bit. He certainly is something. Powerful too. It’s a good idea to start working on him now. He’s a bit of a wild child. I have a feeling Severus will straighten him out. Now, back to our fav couple. Please review.