HP: The Arcane Thief
chapter-153

...

Daphne waited and waited, but Axel didn't come back for hours. Now she was getting worried again. Though, she knew better than to call or message him. She had almost gotten him into trouble the previous time.

The last thing she wants is Axel trying to sneak past some enemies and getting discovered due to the notification chime.

So, she waited. Finally, she got a call. Though it was from Martina.

"Hello? Is this Daphne Greengrass?"

"Yes?"

"Daphne, It's me, Martina. Er… Axel asked me to tell you he's alright…"

"Really?" Relief washed over Daphne as she sighed deeply.

"Where is he? Can I talk to him?"

"Um… he's… he's not able to talk to you right now…" said Martina evasively.

Daphne frowned. It was only then did she begin to think more about the situation. Why didn't Axel call her himself? And how is this Martina with Axel?

"Where is he?"

….

—Hospital Wing—

The place was abuzz with activity right now. The best Healers from all over the world had been gathered on Minister Black's summons, just to attach a single hand.

"Hey you! What are you doing there?! Go to your post!" Bellatrix was really serious right now. She had been too lax about Axel's safety before, which led to him going through all that. Due to her fault, no less.

So from now on, she was going to make sure nothing like that ever happens again.

"Call some more personnel. Make them patrol the corridors and grounds," she instructed.

"And where the fuck is Dumbledore?!" She exclaimed in frustration. The school had been attacked and the Headmaster was still absent.

"There has been a situation in the United States, and the Headmaster is currently indisposed. We are unable to contact him.

Bellatrix cursed under her breath. Let me talk to the Embassy."

On the other side of the Hospital wing, the VIP area had been emptied save for one room for Axel, and the best security had been arranged throughout the area, consisting of Bellatrix's most trusted men.

While Axel's operation was underway, a few people concerned were allowed to wait in the VIP.

Among them were Andromeda and Nymphadora Tonks Black. Andromeda had been called as soon as Bellatrix returned. She knew more about who to contact for Axel's operation and she was also concerned for both Axel and Nymphadora.

"Mum, I understand why Aunty Bella is concerned about him, but what about you?" Asked Nymphadora, who had recently gained consciousness. She was sitting on a wheel chair since she couldn't properly stand yet.

Tonks could see that her mother seemed really distressed after listening to the whole situation. She could understand that aunt Bellatrix would be concerned since she knew his dad, but why is her mother looking to distressed?

Andromeda evaded the question. "It's complicated," she said helplessly.

Nymphadora shrugged, "Well, we have nothing but time."

"When I first saw him, he was a little boy, and he had been put through the worst torture possible," she said, remembering the time. Seeing that the boy was so young, her heart had ached, already knowing that his mind was probably completely destroyed.

"But when he woke up, he was perfectly fine! Not only that, his maturity, and his composure... you couldn't tell he was just an eleven year old who had just been an through inhumane torture."

"'Could you please untie me?' He had asked so calmly and politely, like I was the one who needed calming down."

Andromeda shook her head. "I couldn't let him go just like that. Suddenly, I had hope. Here was a boy who had managed to come out perfectly sane after going through worse torture than Ted."

Nymphadora understood the rest. "So, you used him, and that's why you feel guilty now, is that it?"

Andromeda shook her head. "If only it was that simple." She said in melancholy, wiping a small tear from the corner of her eye. "He was going to attend Hogwarts the next week, so I offered to take him out to shopping.

A smile appeared on her face, remembering the time. "First, we got him a haircut and clothes. And suddenly, the boy had transformed into a cute handsome little prince!

"I was really shocked. But that wasn't it. He was just a little boy, and yet he had his principles. He refused to take things that were expensive. 'wouldn't accept charity,' he had said. Promised to pay it all back, even when I was ready to shower him with money.

Regret appeared on her face. "So, I couldn't help asking why he would refuse. It was clear that he had little to no money of his own, and neither did he have any parents. He could really use the money, right? Then why would he refuse? Can you guess what he said to me back then?" Said Andromeda, looking at Nymphadora.

"What did he say?" Asked Nymphadora impatiently, already immersed in the story.

"He said, "Nothing in this world comes for free. If someone is actually treating you nicely, that only means they want something from you.""

Nymphadora gasped, and Andromeda shook her head. "Never in my life, had I ever felt so guilty and deeply ashamed of myself. And more than that, I had to wonder what kind of life this boy must have lived, to have such a bleak outlook to life."

"After spending the day with him, I had already discarded the thought of trying to use him. I had realized something else."

"What did you realize?"

"I realised that I wanted to change his outlook to life. I wanted him to know that there are better people out there who would help him without wanting anything back. I wanted him to know what it felt like to have a family. I… I wanted to adopt him."

Nymphadora jumped in surprise, but then moaned due to pain. "What the heck, mom! You shouldn't drop bombs like that without warning!" She said, gritting her teeth as she endured the after effects of the Painifera.

Tonks was really taken by surprise. She could have had a brother? Now that is news. Of course, it all failed because she already knew how Aunty Bella ruined it. But still, now that the thought had come, it refused to leave.

"How are you feeling right now?" Andromeda asked, checking Nymphadora's condition.

Nymphadora shuddered, still feeling the tremors running through her body. "I feel... like I've been a naive fool all this time. Never thought it could be this painful."

Andromeda hugged her daughter tightly. "I warned you about this job... Couldn't you have just become a lawyer?"

Nymphadora rolled her eyes. "Mom! Not now."

Andromeda sighed. "I just can't lose you too. Do you know how scared I was when I heard what you'd been through?"

Nymphadora had nothing to say to that. She just looked at the door where Axel was currently going through the procedure to fix his hand.

"You know, I used to think that dad was weak. Especially when I heard that a kid survived a full ten minutes of Cruciatus. But now..."

Nymphadora realized that the fault didn't lie with her dad. Axel was just someone you couldn't compare others with.

"I still can't understand how he did it," she murmured frustratedly into the silence. "Are his senses dull of something?"

"Don't make assumptions, Nymphadora," rebuked Andromeda. She had a pained look on her face. She knew too well how he did it. After all, her sister had been 'kind' enough to forcefully extract the memory of the incident from him.

"Axel is... different. But not in the way you think. He does feel all that pain. As much as you do," said Andromeda.

"Then how the hell did he bear it?" Nymphadora couldn't understand at all.

"It's his mindset. It's the thing that sets him apart from anyone else I've seen. With every hardship he has faced, while others' minds would have suffered set backs, he has evolved."

Nymphadora only got more puzzled by that. "Can you explain in English?"

Andromeda clicked her tongue. Her daughter must get her dumbness from Ted. "What was going through your mind when you experienced that pain?" She asked.

Tonks had a pensive look on her face.

"I... just wanted it to stop. That's all I could think of."

"Do you know what Axel was thinking at that time? He wasn't paying attention to the pain. He wasn't feeling sorry for his body. His mind, was instead filled with thoughts of revenge. Countermeasures. And... an overwhelming desire to survive. He never once considered giving in."

"H-How...?" Tonks was stunned.

Andromeda shrugged "It's called selective focus. He has knowingly or unknowingly trained himself to focus on things that help him, rather than things that drag him down."

"Do you understand what I meant now? Many people suffer hardships. And he is unfortunate enough to be one of them. But he has managed to emerge stronger with each hardship. While people like us, we learn nothing and get weaker instead. You would probably break down even faster the next time you go through that pain."

Nymphadora opened her mouth, but she didn't have any words to refute. Her mother was right. She was terrified of ever having to go through that again.

'No! I'm not weak!' She decided. 'I can't be weak! I want to be as strong as him!'

Andromeda put a hand on her shoulder. "You know, you should be careful what you wish for. His abilities have come with a price. What you went through today… he probably has been through such situations many times."

Nymphadora shuddered to even imagine that. She could empathise with Axel since she had already been through it once.

"Must be some tough life."

"It definitely was. When I first saw him, he was just skin and bones. Numerous scars, and unhealed or partial injuries, it was painful to watch."

Nymphadora recalled Axel's figure that was full of robust figure and lean muscles better than aurors, and couldn't believe it. "Really?"

"You have no idea. And his nerves were completely damaged due to the prolonged exposure to the Cruciatus curse. In that condition, he had somehow dragged himself into the Saint Mungos."

Nymphadora looked at herself, who was sitting in a wheelchair after just one sting.

"...."

Comparison is really impossible.

....

At the same time, Daphne, Martina and Akiko were also sitting not from away.

"How did you find him?" Asked Daphne to Martina and Akiko as they waited while Axel's operation was still underway. It has been a few hours already.

Martina hesitated. "We got the teleportation coordinates from the traces the kidnappers had left when using the portal."

Daphne sighed. "Thank you, for helping him," she said in gratitude. But there was also the feeling of inferiority. She hoped she could be more competent. She hoped she could be there for him.

Akiko scoffed in self mockery and Martina quickly shook her head. "Nono! You've got it wrong. First of all, he wouldn't have been kidnapped in the place if not for our incompetence. He lost all of his combat power saving us."

Martina put a hand on her chest. "And I personally would be happy to help in any way possible," she said genuinely.

"Is that so?" Daphne's voice contained suppressed trechancy.

She knew it! This girl is an enemy! She looked at Martina with a hint of caution.

Martina didn't notice anything wrong. She nodded readily. "Of course! I owe him too much already, not counting the two life debts I owe him."

Martina was drowning deeper and deeper into his debt, and even if she did somehow pay it all back, she would still want to continue helping him.

"Though, I don't think I'll ever be able to pay him back. Axel rarely needs any help. Even today, all we did was pick him up. He had already killed those two before we came."

Akiko nodded at that. "We were more of a hindrance than help to be honest," she muttered in frustration."

Daphne agreed. "Yeah, your arrival really alarmed us both. He had to cut the call because he thought more enemies had arrived."

"Really? I'm so sor—" But then Martina's eyes widened. "Wait, he was on call with you before we arrived?" She asked in surprise.

Daphne sighed. "Yes, and it was a really important call too! I had so much to talk to him about!"

A frown marred Martina's flawless face. This doesn't seem right. At that time, she had been freaking out, completely traumatized, because Axel had left her with his severed hand. And the person he called first was Daphne?

For some reason, she felt an unpleasant feeling in her chest at the thought.

Sparks were flying between Daphne and Martina. But at this moment, Minister Black, who had just finished attending to the urgent matters, returned to the isolated VIP area, causing everyone to quieten down just by her presence.

Bellatrix frowned as soon as she saw Daphne. "What are you doing here?!" She asked, stepping forward.

Daphne didn't back down. "Because I'm worried for Axel?"

Bellatrix shook her head. "Who called her here?" She asked the rest of the women around.

Martina slowly raised her hand. "Um… I was just informing her that Axel was fine." Well, when she did call, Daphne just came on her own.

"You." Bellatrix pointed her finger at Daphne. "Get out. Right now. You might have been his friend back then, but Axel has long stopped hanging out with you. I'm not taking risks with Axel's safety."

Daphne looked completely baffled. "Who are hell are YOU to make decisions on Axel's safety?! Axel loathes you for some reason, and you don't even know him! I don't trust YOU with his safety!"

Bellatrix's magic flared up. "Listen, you little bitch, I owe 3 life debts to Tristan Hunt, Axel's father. I have his best interest at heart. And YOU don't get to talk about Axel's safety what your own father did to him!"

?!

Daphne's eyes widened.

"What… is that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"Oh you don't know? Your dear father put him through ten minutes of torture just for his amusement. And you dare talk about Axel's safety?"

!!!

Time seemed to stand still as the words left Daphne momentarily scattered. "No…" she murmured.

Bellatrix didn't have time for this. "Are you going or not? There's no way I'm letting him near the daughter of such a sick lunatic at a time like this! Seriously, I can't understand why he even bothers hanging out with you."

"Bella! That was supposed to be secret!" Exclaimed Andromeda, scandalized.

This could out Axel as a murder! Not to mention how bad the girl must be feeling right now!

She stepped between Bellatrix and Daphne. "I really sorry for what she said, dear. She has been terribly paranoid after knowing about the amount of danger Axel is in because of her."

But Daphne wasn't at all listening. Her eyes were still wide open as if she had seen a ghost as she tried to fully comprehend what she had just heard.

Daphne began walking away. She couldn't stay here. She couldn't stay near HIM. Not after knowing that his torture was her fault!

…

Several days later, Axel finally opened his eyes. 'Still alive…' he thought in relief. He hoped life would be easier now.

***

A.N.: Ah… she finally knows.