Chapter Text
At the end of August Caelum had started his apprenticeship at last. Whitaker had certainly kept him waiting as long as possible, the miserable, smiling, smug git. Caelum is tempted to let his friend know about his prestigious apprenticeship but he decides not to. Better to let her find out from other people.
Caelum suspects that Whitaker knew that none of the other Potions Masters would take him on at this point. Everyone who wanted an apprentice had claimed one out of the recent graduates months ago and his internship with Whitaker is well known in the community. No one would want to interfere with it. He senses that Whitaker was trying to make him work as long as possible as an unpaid intern rather than as a paid apprentice and he is deeply resentful.
On the day he finally signs his apprenticeship contract Caelum had the house-elves pack up his ingredients (both legal and illegal) and his expansive wardrobe and moves out of Dartmoor Castle. It would have been dramatic if anyone had noticed.
He stops by the office of the Lestrange family lawyers and they had set him up with a modest allowance and his choice of the vacant Lestrange properties in downtown London.
It was the life Caelum had thought that he had always wanted. He had all the time in the world to brew, no boring nonPotions classes to take and no social engagements to distract him. Whitaker was busy with Polyjuice research, SOW party events and guild business and had almost no interest in what Caelum was working on which is how Caelum liked things.
He wonders what Harry is doing and resists the urge to write to her.
In September Caelum attempts to buy a new pair of dragonhide boots and discovers that his allowance had been cut off. He charges the boots to his father’s account anyway and storms off to see his father’s most expensive lawyer. The irritable old barrister simply tells him that he needs to “talk to his mother.” Caelum isn’t that desperate. He still had the wages Whitaker pays him and a rent-free apartment to live in.
By mid-September Caelum finds himself at a dingy looking apothecary called the Serpent’s Storeroom looking for discounted restricted potions ingredients. He’s ashamed to be here and he’s tried to conceal his face with a thick scarf. He’s about to leave when he spies a shelf of “Potter’s Portable Protection Potions.”
He snorts in disgust as he examines one. This was definitely Harry’s work. He watches the doe laughing at the roaring lion and grimaces. The name and the tacky label must be someone else’s doing. Harry is more refined than this. Despite being in America the Brat’s work was still following him around. Miserable halfblood.
The storekeeper clearly can sense that he is interested in the potion and spies Caelum’s dragonhide boots. Caelum still looks wealthy even though he’s almost entirely drained his bank account.
“We’re the only store that sells these,” the storekeeper declares proudly.
Caelum shrugs. That isn’t terribly surprising given that only three potioneers could make them.
“Discount for buying ten at a time.”
Caelum rolls his eyes.
“If I wanted one I’d just brew it myself,” he says irritably. He wondered what kind of profit Harry is making on the potions- she certainly wouldn’t have to go bargain shopping for ingredients.
As he walks out of the store a hand grabs his arm.
“Hey kid, how would you like a job?”
And Caelum found himself the official brewer of a secret organization called the Death Eaters.
He is aware that the Death Eaters caused some sort of disturbance at the Quidditch World Cup that infuriated Regulus Black. Because of that he knows better than to tell anyone that he is brewing for them and besides, who would he tell?
They had sent him some materials and he'd throw them out without reading them. The pamphlets would have been more impressive looking he supposes if you didn't grow up in a political family. He's already seen a lifetime's worth of propaganda pamphlets. Most of these pamphlets were written in bold black letters in all capitals with ridiculous drawings of things like snakes in skulls. They reminded him of the sort of nonsense the more irritating politically minded students at Durmstrang kept babbling on about about in their gibbergabber languages. Cleansing, hunting, all kinds of nonsense.
Sometimes the young man with dreadlocks who usually gave him assignments and paid him would attempt to invite him out for a drink which Caelum always declined.
He certainly did not want to make friends with anyone, let alone a bunch of lunatics.
At least they always paid on time and they didn’t try to haggle on whatever absurd price he set.
In October Caelum had been at La Serene, his favorite restaurant ordering an overpriced meal he planned to put on his mother’s tab when something odd came up in conversation. He knew his mother wouldn’t notice the charge, the bill would simply say a Mr. Lestrange had eaten here. One of the other apprentices had set him up with his cousin and she was quite possibly the least interesting person he’d ever spoken to. Also freckles. He was going to have to poison Pucey.
Caelum was completely ignoring the chit as she prattled on and on about nonsense until he suddenly heard her say the name “Rigel Black.”
Caelum interrupted her urgently. “What about Rigel Black?”
She looked at him with newfound interest. “Do you know him?”
“My mother’s cousin’s son. Barely even family.”
She perked right up, confirming his suspicions. “He’s the Hogwarts Champion in the Tournament.”
And just like that, Caelum lost his appetite.
“I hope a dragon eats him,” he said irritably throwing down his knife and fork.
A few weeks later Caelum heard Pucey spreading an obviously fabricated story to the gullible and stupid about Rigel Black facing a werewolf and a dragon while defending a muggleborn champion.
He promptly melted Pucey’s cauldron causing the protection wards to trigger, shutting down the entire apprentice laboratory for the rest of the day.
Aldermaster Hurst was kind but firm when he told Caelum to replace the cauldron.
“Apparently Rigel Black is a pleasant young man, currently apprenticing for Master Snape. You two would have a lot in common.”
Caelum does not really have the funds to keep replacing the cauldrons of other stupider apprentices but when he hears Pucey giving a rundown of the dueling part of the tournament to the other apprentices he melts Pucey’s cauldron again.
The Death Eater gang had mentioned they had more assignments for him anyway. That would more than cover a few cauldrons.
In late December Caelum considers returning to Dartmoor Castle to appear at the annual SOW party fundraiser as a favor to his mother but he hears from Pucey that apparently, it’s been cancelled because of a party at Hogwarts celebrating the champions, particularly Rigel Black, who is currently the tournament contestant with the highest total score.
Caelum had been looking forward to seeing Harry again at the ball. He blames Rigel for the SOW party being cancelled but because Rigel isn’t there he throws a firecracker into Pucey’s cauldron making golden droplets rain around the lab, temporarily giving everyone incredible luck but also undoing three months of Pucey’s research. This is the third time that Caelum has shut down the apprentices’ lab and everyone other than Pucey and Aldermaster Hurst is furious.
At Christmas Eve drinks with Pucey he hears from Pucey’s younger brother that apparently Harriett Potter attended the Yule Ball at Hogwarts, looking incredibly happy and pretty, as the guest of her cousin Rigel Black.
Pucey’s brother doesn’t have a cauldron at the guild and he’s just a second son. No one would miss him. Caelum tries to melt him but Pucey throws up a surprisingly strong shield.
In February Caelum is ordering a new cloak at Twilfitt and Tatting’s when he’s approached by Barty Crouch Jr. Other people stare and back away. Riddle’s errand boy is not someone that respectable wizards and witches have anything to do with.
Caelum doesn’t particularly want to be seen with Barty. He wonders if this is his mother’s doing.
“I’m not joining the Party. If my mother put you up to this-”
Barty laughs at him cutting him off.
“No, no, this is just about a potion I need to order. And possibly a second potion if what your father has been saying about you is true.”
Caelum has been doing a lot of orders for the Death Eaters. He’s been steadily increasing his prices and they haven’t complained once. The work is even somewhat interesting, they often want customized potions. He has picked out a jaunty new cloak entirely funded on orders but maybe he could also use a cloak pin. A gold one if Lord Riddle is involved.
“I have a special price for the Party.”
Barty beams at him. “Well, we weren’t expecting a discount…”
Caelum laughs at him. “I wasn’t talking about a discount.”
Barty picks up the bill for a beautiful gold cloak pin set with diamond and sapphires. Caelum wears it to his next laboratory session and Pucey laughs until Caelum throws a stinging hex at him. Caelum knows he looks beautiful.
Caelum sends Barty a potion in return. Strangely enough Caelum did not even have to brew something new, he already had what Barty was looking for in storage. The potion is murky blue with a hint of violet and reminds him of a certain green-eyed girl.
Caelum feels somewhat guilty for selling the potion and writes Harriett a letter. He knows that she will understand – a potion is meant to be used after all. Caelum has been resisting writing to her all year but he can’t just let that particular potion go without saying something.
Caelum considers letting her know that the shaped imbuing technique she invented is what has been paying for most of his living expenses this past year and is the basis for his thesis but tears up that letter and writes something else. It is important to leave her wanting more.
“Don’t fall into your own cauldron before I have a chance to show you my improvements” he writes.
Caelum thinks to himself that they will have all summer to brew together while Rigel Black is on his championship world tour.
In March Caelum is invited home for dinner. He throws the invitation out without responding to it. His allowance is suddenly reinstated with an increase.
Caelum is not an idiot. The money from his mother will stop coming as suddenly as it reappeared. He accepts a lucrative contract from Barty that he had already declined twice (partially because he was not sure if he could manage the assignment or if it was even possible and partially to drive up the price). He demands payment in advance and is shocked when it is deposited in his account overnight. He should have asked for more.
Caelum seizes the opportunity to return home to raid the Lestrange library. He is about to break new ground with both shaped imbuing and dark magic, and he needs the sort of guidance you can only find in an old pureblood library. He brings a photographer with him to take his picture for his Potions Quarterly article. He is wearing his new cloak and his new cloak pin and he is standing in front of his family castle like he owns the world.
He hopes Harry will be impressed.
In the first week of April Caelum finalizes his draft of the article and sends it to the Editor at Potions Quarterly. He is not entirely sure who is going to provide peer review - it’s based around Harry Potter’s technique that almost no one else can understand.
He is surprised when the Editor and Aldermaster Hurst ask him to meet with Master Snape at the Guild.
Caelum doesn’t know much about Master Snape other than that Rigel Black is apprenticing for him (a clear sign of nepotism) and that Master Snape has been working with Harriett Potter. Caelum is still embarrassed by their last interaction, (Master Snape asking him a question about his wolfsbane research out of pity will haunt him for the rest of his life). He also knows that Master Snape is in the SOW Party and possibly looking for information for his mother or Lord Riddle or both.
The meeting is awkward.
Caelum sits in complete silence as Master Snape glares at him.
Finally Master Snape asks him, “What are you trying to accomplish with this article?”
And Caelum does not really know what to say. He knows what Master Snape is asking and he does not know how to explain it even to himself.
“I think she will understand what I’m trying to do and that’s what matters,” he says simply.
Master Snape rolls his eyes and mutters something about raging adolescent hormones having no place in the study of a serious art like Potions.
Caelum is incensed. “That’s not what this is about.” Not entirely anyway.
“Then what is it about then?”
Caelum considers what to say very carefully. “I think imbued brewing is the future of Potions. Harriett Potter invented it two years ago and it is barely being used. I want this article to force the entire international potions community to recognize what she invented and want to learn her technique. I want everyone to be using it.”
Master Snape's eyes narrow and Caelum waits for a hex that does not come.
Master Snape’s face softens. “I suppose you've thought about how this will look? Using your first public platform to praise a half-blood daughter of a prominent light family.”
Caelum shrugs. He has got enough saved to buy his own apartment and ward it to keep his mother’s howlers out. She cannot disown him because he is the only Lestrange heir so eventually she will have to calm down. Or so he tells himself anyway.
“That’s my business.”
Master Snape nods at him. “Very well. If you know what you're doing and you’re entirely certain about this course of action.”
He stands to leave and pauses. “You do realize that Harriett Potter is engaged?”
Caelum did not realize. He keeps his face emotionless and his voice steady. “Why would I care about that? I told you this was just about potions.”
Master Snape merely nods and turns to walk away.
Caelum cannot help himself. “Engaged to whom?” he spits out.
Master Snape looks oddly at him. “Your cousin, my apprentice Rigel Black. They’ve been engaged for two years.”
Caelum waits until Master Snape is gone before melting three cauldrons. He is sent in disgrace to talk to Master Hurst about his behavior. Master Hurst seems oddly sympathetic and only bills him for one cauldron.
“She’s a clever girl,” he says pleasantly while fixing Caelum a mug of tea. “And sadly, there just aren’t many women in this profession.”
“I don’t think of her like that. I respect her as an inventor and a brewer.” Caelum says stubbornly.
“Of course,” Hurst says cheerfully. He passes Caelum the sugar.