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Chapter Text

It had been a cold night, in Godric's Hallow, on October 31, 1981. The whispering wind was the only sound left after the deafening explosion rang out. Harsh geen light flashed throughout the place the Potter Family had been hiding in. A baby could be faintly heard crying out into the night; though the sound was muffled by the wind. The house, no longer under the Fidelius Charm, appeared on the street out of seemingly thin air. To this very day, ask anyone who was in Godric's Hallow that night and you will get the same answer. There had never been a house in that spot before. It's almost as if it appeared there by magic.

A man appeared up the street, and ran towards that Potter house; heaving by the time he reach the front door. He looked to be about twenty; he had short, fluffy black hair that sat in small curls and eyes as silver as the full moon. He took a few deep breaths before opening the clearly damaged door. The first thing he saw was the cold and lifeless body of James Potter. He choked down a sob, he could mourn the man later, and kept moving.

The sound of crying echoed through the empty house. Lily never let Hadrian cry for very long before checking on him, and from the sound of it, he had been crying for awhile. The man followed the sounds of crying until he came upon the open door of the nursery. Lily's body was splayed out on the floor in front of Hadrian's crib.

At the sight of a living person, Hadrian stopped sobbing. The man stepped carefully around Lily's body, and approached the crib. He nearly gasped in surprise. Hadrian had a lightning shaped scar that went from his hairline to the bottom of his cheek. The scar went straight through the middle of his left eye; that eye was a very pale green, almost white, instead of a vibrant green his other eye was. It almost looked like electricity moving across the left side of his face; all bright red from only being newly formed. Regulus schooled his expression, and with a smile, he knelt down on a knee and whispered to Hadrian," Hey little Hades, I'm your Papa Reggie. Do you remember me?"

Chapter Text

Sirius Black got on his motorbike, and flew off into the sky as fast as he could. A feeling of dread washed over him as he approached Godric's Hallow; with it came the realization that he should have been able to locate the Potter House. He wasn't their secret keeper, and Peter hadn't told home where they were hiding. The only explanation was that the Fidelius had been broken through.

A feeling of immense anger filled him as he finally understood something; Peter Pettigrew was the traitor. Albus Dumbledore had been speculating on the possibility for what felt like years, but what was in reality only a few months. At the time, he had even brought up the question of whether Remus was truly on the side of good. Sirius had even started to think on it, but he had ruled out the possibility after less than a week.

Sirius forced himself back to the present moment; he could deal with that later, but for now, he needed to make sure James, Lily, and Harry were alright, everything else could wait.

When he landed his motorbike, he noticed something strange. Even though it was midnight, the lights of many houses were on and people had come outside to check on something. They all seemed to be heading towards one particular house, so Sirius followed.

The house seemed to thrumb with the heartbeat of magic, and Sirius knew this was the house. The closer he got to the house, the more his heart sunk. The house was in ruins, and he couldn't feel the presence of any living creature inside. He forced himself to move until he was at the front entrance. The door had been wide open, and painful tears streamed down his face as he stared at the corpse of his best friend since he was eleven.

He fell to his knees as he choked out sob after sob. How could this happen. How could Peter betray James and Lily. Wait, Lily. He rose on shaky leg, and willed his legs to move. He ran up the stairs as fast as he could. The nursery door hung wide open, and he froze when saw her. He stepped around the body as bone chilling horror set in; Harry was gone. There wasn't even a body. He was missing.

They had been under the assumption that Voldemort wanted Harry dead, so why wasn't his body there. And, who took him.

A sudden calm washed over Sirius as he walked back down the stairs. He needed to tell Dumbledore immediately. He stepped out of the back door, and stopped as he thought of something.

"Expecto Patronum, tell Dumbledore to come to Godric's Hallow immediately."

Sirius watched as his Patronus nodded lightly before disappearing into the night. He stared in to blackness until he heard the crack of Apparition. He looked over, and saw Dumbledore looking grave.

"Sirius Black," Dumbledore said, with a nod, " what are you doing at the Potter's safe house?"

" I was suddenly able to remember the place," Sirius said, looking troubled and with a shaky voice, " so I knew that something happened to the Fidelius Charm. I come over…to check on them and—well, James and Lily, they're dead! And, little Harry is gone!"

"What do you mean gone," Dumbledore said, his voice rising.

"I mean gone—missing—disappeared from the house and I can't feel his magic nearby," Sirius yelled, finally panicking, " and it's all my fault because I convinced them that Peter would be a better Secret Keeper than me! I mean, I was the obvious choice."

Albus Dumbledore stayed silent for a minute or two before whispering, " So, Peter was the traitor, then?"

"Yes."

Suddenly, the cracks of several Apparitions rang out. Aurors appeared and walked over to them. One flicked his wand, and chained suddenly appeared around Sirius's hands, tying them together.

A different Auror stepped forward and said, "Sirius Black, you are under arrest for the Murder of James and Lily Potter, as the kidnapping of Harry Potter, all under the direct order of the Dark Lord Voldemort. Anything you say can and will be used against you."

•••

The news spread like wildfire: Sirius Orion Black III was arrested on October 31, 1981, and sent to Azkaban for the murder of Jameson Fleamont Potter and Lillian Rose Potter, as well as the kidnapping and possible murder of their son Hadrian Jameson Potter.

Reports say that Sirius Black was the first person on the scene and therefore could only have been him who did the deed.

The search for Hadrian's whereabouts is still ongoing, and any information will be appreciated. We have been made aware that the Dark Lord went after the Potters in hopes of killing their son Hadrian, but when pressed on the reason why, Albus Persvel Wolfrick Brian Dumbledore refused to comment on the subject.

Regulus set down the morning post with a scowl. He had never trusted Dumbledore before now. Well, at least not since the old man had refused to show any sympathy towards witches and wizards with dark magic cores. Magical folk who got really sick when they used light. He had deemed all dark magic as ‘evil’ as well as anyone who used it.

It was no wonder then as to why Dumbledore had always been wary of Sirius. After all, he was a Black. Regulus had never trusted the twinkle in Dumbledore’s eyes, and this betrayal of Sirius’s trust didn’t surprise him at all. What baffled him the most was that people actually believed it. Regulus knew Sirius better than anyone, and he would never sell out Jamie.

Oh, Jamie. He and Sirius were practically brothers. Closer than even…than even Sirius and Regulus ever were. Regulus had long since excepted it as a fact. After all, he would always be ‘The Spare’ or ‘The Second Choice,’ and nobody had ever chosen him over his brother.

Regulus shook his head, now was not the time to get lost in memories. He read through the article again, and noticed something odd. The Dark Lord. Only his followers called him that. The light side wouldn’t be caught dead referring to Voldemort in such a respectful manner. So, that could only mean one thing. Some idiot had slipped up and said too much. 

Chapter Text

The large manor appeared before them as Regulus apparated to the property line with Hadrian. He must have tired himself out from crying because he was asleep in his arms. Étoile Noire had always been like a bubble hidden away from the rest of the Wizarding World, so it was the perfect place to raise his little Hadrian. Hadrian would be much safer with him than the other people Dumbledore would probably have given him to.

Regulus shuddered at the thought and walked towards his family's home. Étoile Noire was special in that only family was allowed into the house; they never served guests here before and they never will. The black walls of the manor were intricately carved with pure silver detailing. Usually that would make the house look cold and uninviting, but the use of candles for lighting gave the entranceway Regulus walked into a warm glow.

"Master Regulus!"

He looked down and saw the happy face of Seren Du's house elf staring back at him.

"Hey Ceri, this is your new master. You can call him Hades. Also, can you prepare the nursery for him?"

"Of course, Master Regulus—Young Master Hades."

Ceri, the house elf, disappeared with a pop. Regulus carried Hadrian out of the entrance and into a room off to the side. The room was a lounge with three large couches made of black leather and a large chair big enough for two adults, all in a half circle around the fireplace that was currently burning logs. Ceri must have turned it off before going upstairs.

Regulus sat down on the large chair with Hadrian in his lap. He whispered, "Welcome to your new home, little man." Hadrian barely noticed the noise. A small smile appeared on his face in response to Regulus's warmth. Hadrian stayed snuggled in Regulus's arms for the rest of the night.

•••

Sunlight flowed through the open curtains of the room. Hadrian yawned as he looked around. The last thing he remembered was a flashing green light. Warmth radiated through his body as he looked up at the sleeping face of a man who looked really familiar.

As if sensing he was being looked at, Regulus opened his sleepy eyes with a smile on his face. Upon seeing Hadrian's confused expression, he almost started laughing.

"Remember, I'm Reggie," said Regulus, even though he wasn't sure Hadrian remembered. He had only met the kid once when Lily and James had been called away to a Order Meeting. As he was pondering this, a flicker of recognition appeared on Hadrian's face, and he smiled brightly. "So, you do remember, huh."

A pop signaled the arrival of Ceri. She said, with a chastising expression, "Masters sleeping on chairs and not beds."

"Sorry, Ceri," Regulus said, with a sheepish grin, "it won't happen again. We... I mean, he fell asleep against me, and I didn't want to wake him. He had a long night, after all."

Ceri seemed to consider his words before nodding, "I'll make Masters a good meal, and yous will rest in beds. Yous need sleep."

Without another word, Ceri popped out of view. Regulus let out a relaxed sigh before standing up and secured Hadrian's legs around his side. He had the trouble of rescuing him, so he didn't want him to fall. Regulus walked into the dining room with Hadrian in his arms and sat him down in a chair before sitting next to him.

Hadrian peered up at him with a giggle before looking down again, but he never quite looked Regulus in the eyes. Regulus couldn't help but smile at his sometimes-shy-sometimes-not godson with amusement.

The kid had already been through so much, losing both of his parents in a single night. Hadrian watched as the amusement in Regulus's eyes slowly turned to sadness. He reached up with his little hand, trying to touch Regulus's face but not reaching it. He let out a huff of frustration, and a small smile appeared on Regulus's face. Hadrian clapped his hands together at the sight.

"It's okay, Hades. I'll be fine."

"Master Regulus needs sleeps. Ceri will help Young Master Hades with food."

Regulus didn't even notice the pop-sounding Ceri's arrival, but he didn't let the surprise show on his face. Ceri placed his plate in front of him. The plate was filled with three stacked pancakes that looked as fluffy as clouds, two glistening sausages that were still sizzling, a portion of airy scrambled eggs with salt and pepper cooked into them, and a slice of wheat bread with strawberry jam on the side.

Ceri sat down in the chair next to Hadrian, after asking for permission and Regulus assuring her that it was okay to sit while doing her duties, and chopped his food into pieces small enough that a one-year-old could eat it.

The house elf scooped up a spoonful of the mash and brought it to his mouth. Hadrian seemed pleased with Ceri pretending that the spoon was an airplane. Regulus, however, was just confused. Ceri shook her head in reprimand before saying, "Master Regulus taking care of childrens with knowing how they work."

"What do you mean?"

"Childrens learn through repeated actions."
"Oh... So when you tell Hades that it's an airplane, he knows it's time to eat."

"Yes, Master Regulus finally understands. Now, if Master Regulus will allow Ceri to finish feeding Young Master Hades."

A nod from Regulus was all Ceri needed before she finished feeding Hadrian. Hadrian kept giggling the entire time, making the feeding take longer. He fell asleep almost immediately after Ceri was done. With an okay from Regulus, the house elf took the sleeping little boy off to the nursery she prepared the night before.

Regulus walked up the ornate stairs of Étoile Noire manor. It had been so many years since anyone had stepped foot in the house. It used to be the Black Family's summer home, where all the branches of the family could be together without needing to invite outsiders to a ball. The manor was for family only. But after the war started when he was a third year, Regulus never got the chance to come back.

He opened the door to his own room and sat down on the bed. A pop sounded the arrival of Ceri.

"Young Master Hades be sleeping."

"Okay—um, Ceri, I was thinking of giving you a raise since now you will also be taking care of Hades. How about ten galleons instead of two per week."

"Master Regulus doesn't have—"

"No, I insist," Regulus said. When his family still came to the manor in the summer, he would always give Ceri a few galleons for the extra work she had to do with them there. Of course, he never told anyone this. His mother would probably disown him if she knew her perfect son had a soul.

"Master Regulus is so generous. Very well, but right now Master Regulus needs sleeps."

He didn't even realize how tired he was until he laid down on his bed; he couldn't open his eyes and passed out like a light.

Chapter Text

The morning sunlight streamed into the room, giving it an enchantingly warm glow. The bedroom had black wallpaper with forest green flowers on it. A large bed with forest green bedding, and a floor to ceiling windows on each side, face the French Doors. A pop sounded the arrival of Ceri, and she pulled the dark green curtain open the rest of the way. Ceri turned her head to the sound of Hadrian turning over under his blanket.

"Cerise? c'est toi?" Ceri? Is that  you? Hadrian said in his high-pitched-little-kid voice without opening his eyes. Regulus had been teaching him how to speak French for as long as he could remember. The house elf, being apart of the Black House, understoods what he said instantly.

"Yes, Young Master Hades. Happy birthday. Yous be better get up soon. Ceri made yours favorite." Ceri said, shaking her in the way she always did while chastising him. Regulus had told Hadrian that the reason Ceri spoke in English, when both Hadrian and Regulus spoke mostly in French, was so when he goes to Hogwarts he will be able to talk to people.

"Est-ce que Père est en bas ?" Is Papa downstairs?  Hadrian said excitedly while practically jumping off his large bed. Today was Hadrian's fourth birthday, and Regulus said he had a great surprise for him.

"Yes, Young Master Hades. Don't forget yours glassyies" The house elf said before popping out of the room.

Hadrian put on his round glasses andquickly pulled out his outfit, a yellow jumper with a deer on the back and blue shorts with a red stripe down the seem. Hadrian hopped over to the full length mirror in his walk-in closet. Something was missing. He grabbed a pair of his favorite sock, the yellow ones with little suns on them. Most sock scratched his feet, so those one were the only pair he would wear. 

He opened his bedroom door and skipped down the hall. Hadrian stopped as he came upon a certain painting. It was the painting of Cassiopeia Black. She was the one painting he knew wouldn't mind chat at eight in the morning. She had book in her hand as she usually did in the morning. Hadrian had to crane his neck to look at her. She looked to be in her early thirties in the painting. Cassiopeia was leaning against an oak tree in a baby blue sundress.

"Tante Cassi ! Bonjour. Comment vas-tu ce matin ? Sais-tu quel jour on est ?" Auntie Cassi! Good morning—How are you this morning—Do you know what day it is today? Hadrian said without stopping to take a breath. 

The painting of Cassiopeia looked up from what she was reading with a small smile. She put the book on the grass and said, " Bonjour Hadès. Dis-moi quel jour on est." Hello Hades. Tell me what day it is. Of course, Cassiopeia already knew what was special about today. It had been all Hadrian talked about for the last week.

"Aujourd'hui, c'est mon anniversaire ! Tante Cassi ! Et Père m'a dit qu'il avait une énorme surprise pour moi ! Mais il n'a pas voulu me dire ce que c'était ! Tu y crois ?!" Today is my  birthday! Auntie Cassi!  And Papa told me he had a huge surprise for me! But he wouldn't tell me what it was! Can you believe him!?  Hadrian said, earning an amused smile from Cassiopeia. Hadrian looked at her with a confused expression, what had he said that was so funny. 

"S'il disait quelle était la surprise, ce ne serait pas une surprise, n'est-ce pas ?" If he told you what the surprise was, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it? She said, in the gentle voice that Hadrian loved to listen to.

"Je suppose, Tante Cassi." I guess, Auntie Cassi. He said, looking a dejected. But then perked up, whispering not very quietly, "Tante Cassi, savais-tu que la plupart des enfants Potter commencent à utiliser la magie à quatre ans ? J'ai quatre ans. Je peux être cool comme Père." Auntie Cassi, did you know most Potter kids start using magic at four? I'm four. I can be cool like Papa. Hadrian held up his hand to make the number four with his fingers.

•••

By the time Hadrian was running down the stairs, nearly an hour had passed. Auntie Cassi always knew how to keep him occupied. This was helped by the fact that Hadrian always talked a lot when he was excited. Reggie had said that surprise would be ready by the time he got down the dark wooden stairs

Hadrian had always loved the way sunlight flowed through the open entrance hall, and up the stairs to the balcony overlooking it. 

Ceri was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. When she saw him running down the stairs, she said with a chastising shake of her head, "Young Masters don't be running down stairs. Youse could be hurt."

"Sorry, Ceri. I'll be more careful," Hadrian said in English, which startled Ceri. Hadrian rarely ever spoke in English if he could help it. He didn't really like the way English words felt in his mouth, so he mostly spoke French. 

Ceri shook her head to clear her expression of surprise and said gently, " Just don't be do it in future, okay?"

"D'accord." All right. He said in response.

Ceri perked up at his use of French, " Master Regulus has everyone waiting for you in the parlor," she said as they walked.

"Tout le monde?" Everyone? Hadrian said. The parlor was his favorite room at Étoile Noire. The soft couches and warm fireplace made the parlor extremely cozy. Hadrian had fallen asleep in there countless times before.

As soon as the dark oak wooden door to the parlor opened, Hadrian was lifted off the ground and enveloped in a big hug. The familiar scent of cinnamon and honey told him it was Papa who picked him up. Regulus didn't put him down after several minutes.

"Père, pose-moi. Je veux voir ma surprise!" Papa, put me down. I want to see my surprise! Hadrian said with a slight whine.

"Wow, you never told us that he spoke our mother tongue." An unfamiliar voice said. Regulus finally put Hadrian down. Regulus looked down at the little boy with a scar that ran down from his forehead to the middle of his cheek, and a distinct white streak in his otherwise pitch-black hair with a loving smile. Over the last two years, the scar had settled on being a very pale color, which contrasted greatly with his darker skin tone. Only then was Hadrian allowed to look around. The room was filled with unfamiliar faces that all kind of looked the same. Well, besides the girl with long bright red hair and pink eyes who looked younger than the rest.

"Père ? Qui sont ces gens ?" Papa? Who are these people? Hadrian said nervously. He had never seen so many people before. It had always been just him, Papa, Sev, and Ceri.

"Ils sont la Famille Black. Notre famille. Surprise!" They are the Black Family. Our family. Surprise! Regulus said with a smile.

"Notre famille ?" Our family? Hadrian said curiously. 

The girl with red hair and pink eyes ran up to Hadrian with two adults following closely behind her. She grabbed his hand in her own, and said excitedly, " My name is Nymphadora Tonks! But you can call me Dora!" As she spoke, her hair slowly turned blue and shortened to a pixie cut. "And these two are my mom and dad," she pointed to the two adults behind her. 

Her mom had long black hair that she kept pinned up in a bun and an emerald green dress that went down to her ankles. "My name is Andromeda Tonks. But please, call me Andi," she said gracefully. "And this is my husband, Ted Tonks. Please don't be offended if he doesn't speak with you. He is a man of few words." Hadrian nodded in understanding, and Andromeda smiled more brightly. 

"Enchanté de vous rencontrer ! Dora ! Tante Andi ! et Teddy !" Delighted to meet you! Dora! Auntie Andi! And Teddy! Hadrian said to the three as they made their way back to the couch they were sitting on. Dora sat in the middle with her parents on either side. "Nice to meet you, too Hadrian!," She said, cheerfully.

The next ones to walk up were a lady with white-blond hair and a child, with the same hair color, hiding behind her leg. The boy’s face was bright red, like how Hadrian’s face got when he had a cold. Was the boy sick? Hadrian walked up to the little boy who seemed to be his age and said, "Comment t'appelles-tu ? Je m'appelle Hadrien." What's your name? My name is Hadrian.

The boy with white-blond hair tried hiding more, but his mom nudged him out gently. After he decided it was useless to hide, he said timidly, " Je suis Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.

"Enchanté, Draco ! Soyons amis !" Nice to meet you, Draco! Let's be friends! Hadrian said while holding out his hand. Draco looked hesitant, and he kept glancing at his mom as if looking for something on her face. But then she gave him a nod and smile, and a bright smile appeared on Draco's face and he took Hadrian's outstretched hand.

Draco's mom said to Regulus, "Sorry about that. Lucius doesn't let him get out much. He doesn't even know we are here. Isn't that right, little dragon." Draco nodded. She then turned her attention back towards Hadrian with a loving smile, " Nice to meet you, little snake. My name is Narcissa Malfoy, but you my dear, can call me Auntie Cissy." She said then poked his nose, making Hadrian giggle.

"Père, c'est la meilleure surprise de tous les temps !" Papa, this is the best surprise ever! Hadrian said, turning to look at Regulus who been watching the exchange with a smile.

Everyone slowly made their way to sit down on the couches. Draco sat right next to Hadrian as he recounted the story Regulus had told him about how he came to live at Étoile Noire.

A pop sounded the arrival of Ceri as everyone turned to look at her. She had a tray full of drinks in each hand as she passed the tea around.

Hadrian grabbed a cup for himself and one for Draco. The tea was enchanted to smell and taste like a person's favorites. Hadrian sniffed the tea, smelling the wonderful scent of cinnamon and sugar. He took a sip and it tasted like home.

"Quelle odeur sens-tu, Draco ?" What scent do you smell, Draco? Hadrian said, looking at his new friend with curiosity. Regulus had always said that you could tell what type of person someone was based on what they smelled in the tea. Hadrian never really how to tell, though.

"Vanille et fraise." Vanilla and strawberry. Draco said between sips. 

"Mon thé est à la cannelle et au sucre. Je te le ferais goûter, mais celui-ci est spécial. Mon thé aurait un goût de vanille et de fraise pour toi. Tout comme ton thé aurait un goût de cannelle et de sucre pour moi."  My tea is cinnamon and sugar. I would let you taste it, but this tea is special. My tea would taste like vanilla and strawberry to you. Just like your tea would taste like cinnamon and sugar to me. Hadrian said, and Draco nodded in understanding.

Chapter Text

•••
Draco

When Draco saw Hadrian open the door to the parlor, he stopped breathing. His mom received word from her cousin Regulus that he had been raising the boy, and that she and her son were invited to Hadrian birthday. He had been so nervous that his mom was bringing him to meet Hadrian. Draco's father hadn't been invited, of course, and didn't even know the boy was alive.

Draco's first thought upon seeing Hadrian was that he was so pretty. He must have accidentally said that aloud, but quietly. His mom, Cissy, looked down at him with a smile he couldn't quite read. Draco's face flushed red with embarrassment, and he hid behind his mother's leg. He was too embarrassed to listen to what anyone was saying.

The next thing he knew, Hadrian walked up to him with a smile as bright as the sun and said, "Comment t'appelles-tu ? Je m'appelle Hadrien." What's your name? My name is Hadrian.

Draco tried hiding further behind his mom. Hadrian can speak French? Since when? And why does he look so much prettier when he does? Many unanswerable questions circled around Draco mind, leaving him confused, before his mom nudged him gently from behind her and out of his stupor. It took Draco a few seconds to remember the question before he said nervously, "Je suis Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.

His mom gave him a look at that. She had always told him that he shouldn't introduce himself starting with his last name. That no matter what his father told, it would make him come off as arrogant.

Hadrian however didn't seem to see it that way. He held out his hand and said, "Enchanté, Draco ! Soyons amis !" Nice to meet you, Draco! Let's be friends! Draco was hesitant at first, looking at his mom for her opinion. But when she nodded in approval, a bright smile appeared on Draco's face and he took Hadrian's outstretched hand.

Draco's eyes were locked onto where he and Hadrian were holding hands, and he nodded when his mom said something about his father, though he wasn't paying any attention to the conversation. Hadrian seemed content to let Draco keep holding his hand as he talked to Draco's mom. 

He only looked up when Hadrian started walking with to one of the couches. He met Hadrian's beautiful bright green eyes, well one bright green and one pale green almost white, scooted closer until their shoulders were almost touching. Though, Hadrian didn't seem to notice as he was in the midst of telling Draco how Regulus rescued him the day his parents died and brought him to the wonderful Étoile Noire. 

And then the house elf, which told him was named Ceri, brought in tea, and Hadrian was explaining how the enchanted tea worked. Of course, Draco already knew how it worked. It was a Black Family secret, only members of the family knew how to make it, and Narcissa always had it made for the Yule Gala at Malfoy Manor. But, of course, Draco didn't tell Hadrian any of this. He was content to let him ramble about random things as long as he liked.

•••

Hadrian

Hadrian had just finished telling his new friend Draco about the time Regulus brought him on his annual trip to France, when a crack of apparition sounded outside the house. The wardlines prevented anyone from apparating inside the property line. That was another precaution alongside the house being unchartable. 

The adults looked around nervously, but Hadrian jumped off the couch and ran to the closed parlor door, with a confused Draco following close behind him. For a reason Hadrian couldn't put his finger on, he had known right away who was about to walk through the door, even if the adults didn't. 

The parlor door opened from the outside with a click. Hadrian ran up the man with dark black shoulder length hair and gave him a hug around the waist. The man knelt down so Hadrian could give him a proper hug, and Hadrian hugged him even tighter.

"Tu as réussi, Sev ! Comment s'est passée ta rencontre avec Dumbie ? Je pensais que tu n'arriverais pas à temps." You actually made it, Sev! How did your meeting with the Dumbie go? I thought you wouldn't make it on time. Hadrian said, ending it was the pout of his lip that always worked on Severus.

An look of guilt appeared on Severus's face and he said, "Sorry, Hades. But I wouldn't miss your birthday party for the world. But, more seriously, how did you know it was me."

Regulus came up behind him as Hadrian thought on it for a few minutes. How had he known? He said with shrug, "Je ne sais pas comment. Je le savais, c'est tout." I don't know how. I just sort of…knew.

Regulus gave Severus a questioning look that Hadrian thought looked like it held hope it, but then Severus nodded as if agreeing with the unspoken question, and Regulus pulled both him and Hadrian into a fierce hug. Regulus didn't let go of them for several minutes; when he did, he rapped Hadrian into a shorter, solo hug.

When Regulus let go, he knelt down and held Hadrian's shoulders and said, "Nous sommes si fiers de toi, et tes parents l'auraient été aussi." We are so proud of you, and your parents would have been as well.

Hadrian was even more confused than he already was. Regulus and Severus had never talked much about his parents to him. And the few times they had, they both got really sad. That had got to be the first time Regulus mentioned his parents with a smile.

Unlike Regulus, Severus seemed to notice the confusion on Hadrian's face and explained, "Your father, James, was always able to tell who around him without even looking at them. No one could ever sneak up on him. Always said that his it was his family's magic."

Dora came up behind Hadrian and she said brightly, "Congratulations, Hades! Can I call you Hades? I think…that that was your first time using your family magic. Did you know that I will be going to a magic school in the fall! It's called Hogwarts!" As she spoke, her hair turned pink, then purple, then red, then back to blue. 

Hadrian didn't know what to say, and Draco grabbed his hand again from where he was standing right next to him. Severus raised his eyebrow, and Regulus shook his head in what Hadrian thought must be amusement, though Hadrian didn't know why he would be amused. Draco guided Hadrian back to the couch as Hadrian pondered on why adults always seemed to know something he didn't.

•••

Severus

Severus shook his head with a smile. He didn't know when he went from caring about the boy because he was the only son of Severus's best friend to actually caring about him as a person. But the one thing Severus knew was that he crossed that line at some point in his three years of knowing the boy. 

When Regulus had reached out him a week after Hadrian had gone missing, Severus hadn't known what to think. Of course, Severus went to meet up with him right away. It was just that Severus had thought that Regulus was dead, then all of a sudden he's alive and the missing child of his best friend since seven was in his care. It was a huge shock to everything Severus knew about the world. Still, he wouldn't let little shock prevent him from being with the two most important people in his life. He would protect Lily's boy with his life, no questions asked. However, now even could admit in the privacy of their home that he had grown a fondness for the boy that went beyond Lily.

Severus shook off the memory and and went over to Regulus with a smile on his face. He placed a kiss on Regulus's cheek and said, "I love you, Reg."

Regulus smiled even brightly than before, "I love you too, Sev," and then his face darkened, whispering, "Tell me later how your meeting went." And then his smile returned, and he walked back into the parlor.

Severus had always found it scary how fast Regulus's expression could change, and he could already see it was the same for Hadrian. How else could the boy switch from pouting to smiling in seconds. Severus shook the thought away before following Regulus into the room where everyone else was, and sitting on the couch beside him.

•••

Hadrian 

Hadrian smiled at Severus when he walked into the room. He had begun to wonder if Sev would even join them, and was delighted when he did.   Hadrian quickly glanced at the pile of presents by the fireplace before he turned to find that Draco was staring at him. Draco's face flushed bright red, for some unknown reason, and he looked down at the floor. 

"Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas, Draco ?" What's wrong, Draco? Hadrian said, nervously. He had never had a friend his age before, so he didn't know what he could have done wrong so early on.

Draco seemed to recognize his concern and said, with a smile, "Ne t'inquiète pas, tu n'as rien fait de mal." Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong.

Hadrian sighed in relief, although he still couldn't think of anything else that would make Draco act like that. He was pondering on what to talk about to stop Draco from being sad, when Dora practically jumped onto the couch and started talking more about Hogwarts.

"Well, there are four different houses you could be in," she said, excitedly, " Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. I will sorted into my House in September. Mom thinks I will be in Hufflepuff," she leaned over to whisper in Hadrian's ear, " I think she is secretly hoping that I'm in Slytherin, but who knows. She is really good at hiding it, though." She straightened up before continuing at a higher-than-normal volume, " I went shopping on my birthday back on September first of last year. My mom said that since my birthday is on the first day of term, I have to wait the entire year because, according to her, 'two weeks isn't nearly enough time to get used to being a wizard.'"

"That's because it's true." Andromeda said, having listened closer when her daughter brought up Hogwarts. Hadrian "Think of all the Muggleborns, Nymphie. They already don't get to learn much about wizarding society before they are shipped off to Hogwarts. The very least Dumbledore can do is give them more than two weeks to process that they are a witch or wizard and prepare for their first school year in the magical world." 

"I guess, but I'm not a Muggleborn Witch," Dora protested, but even Hadrian could see the fault in her logic. And, he was four!

"Dora?" Hadrian said, softly. All heads in the room turned towards him, and he knew he had them. They looked at his innocent face with curiosity. On the inside, he was very pleased, but kept up his small smile on the outside a while. He let his question hang in the air for a few seconds before he said as soft tears ran down his cheeks, "C'est juste que… leurs autres élèves ne sont-ils pas… des élèves qui ont grandi sans parents magiques… et qui fêtent peut-être leur anniversaire le 1er septembre ? Enfin… je serais triste si je devais grandir sans parents magiques… et que personne ne me parlait de magie." It's just that…aren't there other students…students who grew up without magical parents…and might have their birthday on September first? I mean…I would be sad if I had to grow up without magical parents…and nobody told me about magic.

The silence rang through the room for a few minutes before the shock wore off long enough to everyone to realize that Hadrian was still crying. Dora wrapped her arms around Hadrian in a comforting hug. She spent the next few minutes reassuring him that she didn't mean what she had said and that she would never say it again. He had managed to calm down to just sniffling by the time a pop sounded the arrival of Ceri, who was carrying several trays of food magically suspended in the air.

Ceri set the trays down on the coffee table before picking up the tray that had their cups of tea. Ceri glanced over at Hadrian, and said with a concerned frown, "Young Master Hades be sad. Should Ceri yous more tea?"

"That would be lovely, Ceri," Regulus said, "And bring some for the rest of us as well."

"Yes, Master Regulus," Ceri said with a bow, before popping out of the room."

Hadrian cheered up a bunch when he looked a what food Ceri had made for his birthday brunch. The house elf had made all of Hadrian's favorites: Quiche Lorraine, Pommes Purée, Crêpes, Pain au Chocolat, Gratin Dauphinois, and Madeleines. Hadrian, Draco, and Dora talked about Hogwarts in between bites of food, Hadrian and Draco both agreeing that since every other member of the family was in Slytherin they want to be in there as well and Dora agreeing with her mom that she would probably end up in Hufflepuff.

At some point Ceri popped in with more tea. Probably around the time the three were talking about which class would be their favorite. Hadrian said that he was excited for Potions because Sev taught that class, which brought a smile to Severus's face when Hadrian looked at him. Draco agreed with Hadrian on the Potions, but Dora said she was most excited for Care of Magical Creatures in third year, and that her mom had gifted her an owl for her birthday, to which she had named brownie because of her chocolate brown feathers. 

Hadrian then pointed out that Dora had cheated, and that she could only choose from first year classes. She rolled her eyes and said that she was excited for Defense. At the mention of that class, Severus started ranting about how no single teacher had taught the post for more than a year in decades, and that was when Regulus decided it was time for Hadrian to open his presents.

Hadrian opened his first present. It was a broomstick. When Hadrian looked up confused, Regulus explained that it was a practice broom for children to practice playing quidditch. Hadrian's father had played quidditch at Hogwarts, and Regulus thought that if Hadrian was going to take after his father, he might want to practice first.

The next bunch of presents were a bunch of book that Regulus said he and the others got from Diagon Alley as well as the fantasy section of a muggle book store. Some of the books from Diagon Alley were fiction books about great wizards and some were nonfiction books that were meant to teach children about wizarding customs and simple magic. 

Hadrian ran over and gave everyone a hug while repeatedly saying 'thank you' over and over again.

Dora then said that her and her mom picked out the muggle fantasy book; The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, Eragon, Earth Sea, and more. She explained that it was really interesting to see the muggle view on magic. Hadrian proceeded to hug Dora and Andromeda again, but this time even tighter, while 'thank you's left his mouth faster than he could breathe. 

Chapter Text

Hadrian

After Hadrian finished opening his presents, Regulus picked him up, all while Hadrian squirmed in his arms, and whispered gently, "Et si vous alliez tous les trois jouer au balai dans le jardin ? Il faut une discussion entre adultes." Why don't you three go play with your broomstick in the garden? Us adult need to have a grownup-talk. Hadrian stopped squirming when he heard Regulus's voice. Hadrian knew this would happen. After all, Hadrian's père and Sev always had 'grownup-talks' after sev had a meeting with the Dumbie.

"Okay, Père," Hadrian said, softly into Regulus's shoulder. Hadrian knew that they make it up to him. They always did. Hadrian knew that Père and Sev always talked as soon as he got back. Regulus smiled softly, and pulled Hadrian into a tight hug, causing Hadrian to squirm in his arms once again. Hadrian said, indignantly, "Tu m'écrases, Père!" Your crushing me, Papa!

"Pose le pauvre garçon par terre, Reg." Put the poor boy on the ground, Reg. Cissy said, gracefully. Though, Hadrian thought he might have heard some amusement in her tone, if only for a second.

"Tante Cissy, sauve-moi !" Auntie Cissy, save me! Hadrian whined, causing everyone in the room to start laughing and crying. A wave of confusion washed over Hadrian in that moment, causing him to settle down. What had he said that was so funny? 

"Ai-je dit quelque chose de mal ?" Did I say something wrong? Hadrian said barely above a whisper, but everyone still froze. After a minute of silence, Regulus pulled Hadrian away from his should, so he could look him in the eyes, spoke gently and said, "Non, Hadès, tu n'as rien fait de mal. On riait tellement tu étais adorable." No Hades, you didn't do anything wrong. We were laughing because you were so adorable.  Hadrian could feel a gentle hand rubbing comforting circles on his back. After a few minutes, Regulus sat Hadrian down on the couch with one last squeeze before letting go.

Both Hadrian's Père and Sev had long since learn that after Hadrian was picked up for more than a few minutes, he would have to down for a few seconds. They had found in the three years that they had together, that since Hadrian only had one fully functioning eye, he had trouble with balance, depth perception, and spatial awareness. Hadrian didn't know what any of those words meant, but based on Père's face upon this discovery, it wasn't a good thing. Sev had been equally worried and upset by the new, and suggested they take Hadrian to see an eye specialist that he knew. 

The eye specialist lady had been very nice. She was a Non-magical from Sev's hometown. She had said that Hadrian hadn't lost all of his depth perception, which she said was a good thing. But she also said that he would have trouble telling distance and likely run into objects every now and then. She said that his balance was mostly fine because the floor grounded him, but that if someone were to bump into him unexpectedly or he was lifted off the ground for an extended period of time, he would have trouble keeping his balance.

Hadrian waited for the couch to ground him, while not looking up the entire time. He had found that looking at people made it hard for him to ground. He finally look up, which let Regulus know he was ready. Hadrian grabbed onto his Père's outstretched hand for support and stood up on unsteady legs. Once Regulus had made sure Hadrian wasn't going to fall over, he released his son's hand.

"Que s'est-il passé ? Ça va, Hadrien ?" What happened? Are you okay, Hadrian? Draco said in a timid voice; he was obviously worried. He gently placed his arms around Hadrian and pulled him into a light hug.

"Je vais bien. C'est juste que… mon équilibre n'est pas optimal. C'est pire quand je ne suis pas au sol." I'm okay. It's just…I don't have good balance. It's worse when I'm not touching the ground. 

"Oh d'accord." Oh, okay.

"Allons jouer !" Let's go play! Hadrian said, while grabbing his broom in one hand and Draco's in the other. He ran with him out of the room, only stopping long enough to yell excitedly behind him, "Allez, Dora ! Allons jouer !" Come on, Dora! Let's go play!

Hadrian led Draco and Dora through the black halls of Étoile Noire, until they arrived at the door leading to the garden. He opened the wooden doors and ran out.

Hadrian's little feet padded softly across the cool stone path, his hands clasped behind his back in excitement. He was leading Draco and Dora through the door that opened up into his favorite place in the whole world, the garden. It was his secret treasure chest of colors and smells, and today, he couldn't wait to show it off.

Near the house, there were rows of roses in full bloom, fat, velvety petals of crimson, gold, pink, and snowy white, their scents blending into a dizzying perfume. Bees buzzed lazily around them, diving in and out of the blossoms.

Along the main path grew a border of lavender, its soft purple spikes swaying in the light breeze. The smell was sharp and sweet, and whenever Hadrian or his friends brushed past, the plants released a stronger puff of fragrance, like a whisper from a fairy.

Tall, proud sunflowers stood like soldiers at one side of the garden, their faces turned toward the sun. Some were so tall Hadrian could hardly see their tops. They made a kind of living wall, guarding the smaller flowers inside.

Patches of marigolds blazed like little fires among the greenery, their rich orange and yellow heads bobbing on their stems. In between were clusters of snapdragons, pink, red, white, and yellow, so full and plump they seemed to chatter secrets to one another in the breeze.

Farther back, a patch of wildness had been left untouched. There, wildflowers grew thick and tangled, daisies with sunny faces, purple clover that felt soft between fingers, and buttercups that gleamed like tiny drops of sunlight. Dora especially loved this part, she darted through it with endless energy, chasing butterflies and sometimes pretending to be a fairy herself.

A shady corner held ferns and moss, soft and green underfoot, like nature's carpet. A willow tree draped its long, silky branches to the ground, creating a secret hideout underneath where Hadrian liked to sit and tell stories. Dora, full of excitement, swung from the lower branches like a monkey, laughing and daring Draco to try it too.

In little stone pots scattered here and there were petunias, pansies, and sweet alyssum, tiny delicate flowers that smelled like honey. Some pots overflowed, trailing vines and blooms down their sides like waterfalls.

A small pond sat tucked near the back fence, ringed with water lilies and tall cattails. Frogs croaked lazily from the edges, and dragonflies zipped above the water like flying jewels.

In every corner, there was movement, bees, butterflies, and Dora herself, racing around, calling out the names of every flower she recognized and making up names for the ones she didn't.

The garden blazed under the noon sun, everything bursting with color. Roses, marigolds, lavender, and tall sunflowers nodded in the warm breeze. Bees drifted lazily from flower to flower. In the middle of it all, Hadrian stood proudly, his broomstick clutched tightly in both hands, his friends Dora and Draco bouncing with excitement beside him.

It was no ordinary broomstick. It was a practice broomstick for children, his birthday present from his dad, carefully made to be safe, light, and easy to fly. No fancy activation spells. No complicated enchantments. As soon as a young witch or wizard sat on it and pushed off, it would lift just a little, enough to hover and glide across the ground.

Hadrian grinned. The handle was polished smooth, just right for small hands, and faint carvings of stars and swirls danced along the sides. A few colorful charms dangled from the broom, a red feather, a tiny silver bell, and a bead that shimmered blue and green in the sunlight.

Dora, full of restless energy as always, twirled in a circle. "Hurry, Hadrian! Ride it! I want to see how fast you can go!"

Hadrian didn't need to be told twice. He swung a leg over the broomstick and pushed off the ground with a little hop. Instantly, the broom rose a few inches into the air, floating gently. It gave a faint, friendly hum, like it was happy to be used.

"Whoa!" Hadrian laughed, wobbling for a second before finding his balance.

Without waiting, he leaned forward and zoomed down the stone path, flying low over the soft grass and moss. Dora and Draco chased after him, laughing and shouting, their footsteps thudding against the earth.

Hadrian zipped past the towering sunflowers, raced alongside the rose bushes heavy with blooms, and skimmed over the wildflower patch where the garden gnomes liked to hide.

"Look at him go!" Dora yelled, running faster.

"Je parie qu'il bat des records de vitesse !" I bet he's breaking speed records! Draco shouted.

Hadrian whooped and leaned into a sharp turn around the willow tree, the broom tilting smoothly under him. Even though it was a practice broom, it felt real, the magic buzzing through the air, the sunlight flashing off the colorful charms, the garden spinning by in a blur of green and gold.

When he finally slowed to a stop near the little pond, his hair was sticking up in every direction and his face was flushed with excitement.

"C'était incroyable!" That was amazing! He gasped, trying to catch his breath. Dora ran to hold him up, while he regained his balance. When she was sure he wouldn't fall over, she let him go.

Dora grinned and grabbed the broom. "My turn! I'll go even faster!"

Even though she was a bit too big for it, Dora didn't care. She hopped on and shot forward, her laughter ringing through the garden. Draco and Hadrian chased after her, pretending to throw invisible spells and dodge imaginary obstacles.

The three of them spent what felt like hours racing, laughing, and tumbling in the grass, with the broomstick zooming low and steady around the flowerbeds. 

•••

Just as they were about to head inside for an afternoon snake, Hadrian saw something different about the garden's willow tree.

At the base of the willow tree, lying still and coiled like a pale ribbon and partially still in its egg, was a snake unlike any he had ever seen. Its body shimmered in soft yellows and creamy whites, like banana custard in the sunlight. The snake was about 20 inches long, so Hadrian assumed, along with it still being in its egg, that the snake must be a newborn.

Hadrian crouched low to get a closer look. The snake didn't move at first. Then it raised its head slowly, red eyes blinking, watching him with a strange, calm intelligence.

Dora ran up behind him with fear in her eyes. She said quietly, " Hadrian, back up slowly. We don't want to spook it into attacking us."

Hadrian barely even heard what Dora was saying, to enraptured by the prettiest snake he has ever seen.

"Your so beautiful," Hadrian said, softly.

The snake lifted its head higher as if leaning into the praise.

"Thanksss."

"You can understand me?"

The snake nodded its head.

"Great! Then you can answer all my questions!"

"Sssure."

"What type of snake are you?"

"I'm a Albino Burmese Python."

"How can you understand me?"

"It's not that I can understand you. You are a ssspeaker."

"A speaker?"

"You can ssspeak the language of the sssnakes."

"Wow! Are you a boy or a girl?"

"I am a lady. Thank-you-very-much." The snake huffed.

Hadrian wanted to laugh at that. He had never seen a snake act so human before.

"What's your name?"

"My name is Row. What's yours?"

"I'm Hadrian! Wanna be friends?"

"Sssure. Can I climb on you?"

"Yes! Of course!"

Row slid off the roots of the willow tree, her yellow and white scales glistening in the afternoon sun. She slithered up Hadrian's body, and situated herself around his shoulder like a scarf. He let out a giggle when Row scented at his neck.

Hadrian turned around, only to find Dora and Draco frozen like the garden gnomes were during the day. Row scented at them as well.

"Sun-Bean?"

"Are you talking to me?"

"Yes. You are Sun-Bean. Why are the humans not moving? Are they about to shed their skin?"

"I don't know, but humans don't shed their skin."

"Humans are weird."

"Vous allez bien les gars ?" Are you guys okay? Hadrian said, as he pet Row's scales and earning satisfied hisses from her. His voice must have brought Draco back because he kept looking between him and Row. Finally he got the courage to ask, "Tu parles Fourchelangue ?" You can speak Parseltongue?

"Row? What's Parseltongue?"

Row lifted her head, which was resting on his shoulder, and seemed to think for a few seconds.

"That's what the humans call the Language of the Sssnakesss."

"Oh, okay!"

"Row a dit que je le parle." Row said I do speak it. Hadrian said, cheerfully. 

All of a sudden, Hadrian felt a slight weight in his stomach. Not a painful sensation, in fact, Hadrian thought it felt nice. Row preened, as if she too could feel the featherlight warmth. 

"Row, what's happening?"

'We are bonding, Sun-Bean.'

Hadrian paused. Row's thoughts went directly into his head without her even speaking. Could Row read his mind? Wait, bonding? What does that even mean?

'Yes I can, Sun-Bean. So can you, if you try.'

Hadrian focused on finding Row's voice in his head. He opened his mind, and received flashes of thoughts. Humans are strange. I will hunt. Must stay with Sun-Bean. Must protect. I'm hungry. Hadrian almost died from laughter at the strange thoughts of his new snake friend.  

'My thoughts aren't strange.'

'Whatever you say, Row.' 

The entire conversation, dawning horror spread across Dora's until she finally spoke up, "Oh Morgana, what are we going to tell Uncle Reggie! He is going to kill me when he finds out I let you get close to a wild snake!"

Row preened in amusement, 'Sun-Bean, I like her. You should keep her.'

Hadrian laughed out loud, earning confused looks from Dora and Draco. Dora must have assumed he was talking about her because her face morphed into one of offense.

Dora said, "It's not funny! How are we going to explain the snake? What about how you speak Parseltongue? Uncle Reggie will want to get rid of it!"

Protectiveness flared in Hadrian, filling his small body with uncontrollable magic. Wind whipped around him, and the willow tree shook with the rage of his childish anger. Hadrian didn't know why, but the thought of someone taking Row away from him had made his magic restless and he couldn't stop it. He should vaguely make out that Draco was calling for him, but his mind refused to focus on the words.

Row wrapped tightly around him as the wind turned dangerously fast. The feeling of her being so close to him calmed Hadrian down. The wind died died down, no longer fueled by his protective fury. 

'Calm…down, Sun-Bean.'

Row's voice in his head was strained, and he realized his anger was harming her. Any leftover anger morphed into concern as he pet Row's scales in apology.

'Sorry, Row.'

Hadrian turned to them, while still petting Row, and said through clenched teeth, "Personne ne peut me prendre Row ! Elle est à moi !" No one can take Row from me! She is mine! Tears streamed down Hadrian face as he held Row tightly until he was sobbing.

Draco seemed to hesitate for just a moment before he ran over and wrapped Hadrian in a tight hug, not paying any mind to the snake on his shoulders. Dora followed close, and they held him until he ran out of tears to cry. Dora was the first to let go' opting instead to pat his back gently. Draco, however, kept his hold on him until Hadrian finally spoke.

"Elle est à moi." She's mine. He said, barely above a whisper. And I'm her's. But he didn't feel the need to say it out loud. Row knew, and that was all that mattered.

"Ouais, elle est à toi." Yeah, she's yours. Draco muttered before he gave Hadrian one last squeeze and then let go, and holding his hand instead.

"Yeah! Even if Uncle Reggie doesn't let you keep her, Row could always just stay in the garden. What Reggie doesn't know won't hurt him!" Dora said with a mischievous smile, earning a laugh from Hadrian.

"Oui, tu as raison. Mais bon, je ne veux pas qu'on me la prenne !" Yeah, you're right. But still, I don't want anyone taking her from me!  Hadrian said with a huff.

'I won't let anyone take me away from you, either. Don't worry, Sun-Bean.'

'I know, Row. But, thanks anyway.' Hadrian smiled.

"Well, we might as well head back inside, and get this over with. Uncle Reggie is going to start wondering where we are soon anyways. We have been out here for a few hours now." Dora pointed out, nervous of Hadrian reaction.

"Ouais, allons à l'intérieur." Yeah, let's go in. Hadrian said after thinking about it for a minute. He knew Dora was right. Père did tend to worry about him a lot, and it was better if Hadrian walked into the house with a snake, than if Père came out to look for them, only to find Hadrian with a snake wrapped around his neck.

They begun the slow walk back through the garden. Dora had pointed out that it would look better if they were calm. If they ran into the house, their parents might think they were scared.

They walked through the black hall of manor, taking them in in a way they hadn't when they ran through them earlier. The black wallpaper was covered with wisteria flowers in a color that was only a few shades lighter than the black. If someone wasn't paying attention, they would have certainly missed that detail. But now, Hadrian felt the need to take in every little detail that he could find. He felt as though he was walking towards his death, though Hadrian was only four and didn't know what that feeling was like. He was probably just scared.

They arrived at the still closed doors to the parlor and stopped. Hadrian took one last look at Draco, who was on his right, and Dora, who was on his left. They gave him encouraging smiles. And with one last breath, he opened the doors.