The Woman Who Came from the Darkness – Part One
As the sun came down over the ancient castle of Hogwarts, Professor Minerva McGongogall strode down the corridors towards the Griffindor Common room. She was dressed in her tartan nightgown, and although her hair had been undone from its usual bun and now lay upon her back, she still wore her tartan witch's hat upon her head. Finally, she came across the portrait of the Fat Lady, where the woman sat there gorging on a massive pile of spaghetti bolognaise.
"Coriolanus," said McGonagall firmly. The fat lady looked towards her and sat upright.
"Excuse me," said the Fat Lady, as she swallowed a mouthful. "Can't you see I'm, busy?"
"That, I can see," said McGonagall, "but you have to understand, Fat Lady, that I must get through to the common room, as a matter of emergency."
"Emergency?" gasped the fat lady. "Tell me more Minerva! Come on, spill the beans!"
"It seems that you have already spilt the beans, a couple of hundred tins for what I can see."
The Fat Lady screwed up her face as McGonagall raised her eyebrows. The Fat Lady looked into her eyes and received a glaring look that told her whatever this was, was serious.
"Of course, Minerva, I do beg your pardon." The painting flew open and McGonagall paced through into the now-empty common room. Well, empty with exception of a mars bar packets, which were gone at a wave of her wand.
McGonagall lifted her wand into the air and swayed it from side to side in an awkward and complicated fashion until blue sparks started to flicker out of its end.
"Shalcranvanviliskas!" she said, and the sparks turned to a waft of blue smoke. McGonagall put the tip of her wand to the side of her neck and her eyes turned completely blue. She looked deep into the blueness until she saw who she was looking for – Harry Potter.
"Potter!" she said. Harry jumped up out of bed and saw a blue image of McGonagall's face floating before him.
"Professor?" he said.
"Yes, Potter, it's me," said McGonagall.
"Why didn't you just come straight up to the dormitory?" he asked.
"You can't expect me to climb up all those stairs can you? No, Potter, you come down here. I need you to come with me to see the headteacher."
"But you are the headteacher, aren't you?"
"Well that's what I thought, but it seems that is no longer the case. Now come along Potter, put on your dressing gown and come down here, I haven't got forever, you know."
Harry did as he was told and appeared before McGonagall in the common room, her eyes still stunningly blue. She waved her wand, however, and they turned back to how they always were. She then led him down the corridors, staircases and lifts to what used to be Dumbledore's office. Harry looked up at the professor, and if he had not known better, he would have thought she was crying.
"Wolverine," she said, and the staircase turned as it always did, and together they stepped onto it and rose up into the amazing office to be greeted by a small bald man in a wheelchair standing before Dumbledore's desk.
"Potter," said McGonagall, "this is Professor Charles Xavier, the new headteacher."
Harry gasped.
"Harry Potter!" cried Professor Xavier as he glared at Harry. Harry glared back at him.
"Who are you?" asked Harry.
Pause.
"My name is Professor Charles X-"
"No, no, I know that, but, why are you here, at Hogwarts? And why are you headteacher?"
"I'm afraid I am not able to tell you that, Mr Potter."
"What do you mean, Charles?" said McGonagall firmly. "You mean that you have dragged Potter all the way up here in the middle of the night tell him, well, nothing at all?"
"In a way, yes," said Xavier.
"I don't quite understand you, professor," said Harry.
Xavier grinned widely.
"I know," he said. But before he could continue, a thud came from the back of the room as Professor Snape rushed through the door towards Xavier. Harry rose his wand and pointed it at him.
"Severus?" said McGonagall. "What are you doing here?"
"I do believe I work here," said Snape, raising his wand and pointing it at Xavier.
"Not after you murdered Dumbledore," said Harry.
"Oh, you are mistaken, Potter, I am headmaster now."
"But Professor Xavier-"
"Is an impostor," finished Snape.
"There must be mistake here," said Xavier.
"No, no mistake. You see, when the Dark Lord rose once more, he liberated the greatest prison known to mankind."
"Tellytubby Land," said McGonagall.
"Correct," replied Snape, "only there was one prisoner that escaped, who was never a Death Eater. A man with the power to turn objects to liquid, to move things with his mind - even tell if someone is lying, and most importantly the ability to shapeshift. His name, Sylar."
"Well, well," said Xavier, who rose from his wheelchair, and gave a few slow claps. "We have been doing our homework."
"We certaintly have," said Snape. "Avada Ked-"
But before he could finish the spell, Xavier moved his hand, and Snape, McGonagall, and Harry all flew towards the walls of the office. Xavier's skin then appeared to wobble, like boiling water, until he turned, finally, into Sylar.
Sylar paced into the centre of the office, looking at each person in turn, their necks pressed against the wall.
"So, which shall kill first? Hmm?"
Snape glared at him, and under his breath whispered, "Legilimens!" Sylar at once fell to the floor, clutching his head, as Snape ventured further into his mind, and both Harry and McGonagall were released. McGonagall pointed her wand at Sylar, whilst Harry pointed his at Snape.
"Murderer!" he said.
"Harry!" said McGonagall quickly, but it was too late as Harry paced towards Snape.
"Expeliarmus." Snape's wand flew out of his hand and onto the floor. Sylar rose suddenly at this point and put his hands together, and pointing them at Snape, a shot of electric blue lightning shot out of them towards him. But Snape picked up his wand and out of it shot a yellow beam that joined with the blue, and a battle of nerves began between the two. Snape turned his head towards Harry.
"Run," he said, focussing his attention more at McGonagall than Harry, who grabbed his shoulder and pulled him down the spiral staircase and into the corridor, as Sylar and Snape battled behind her. Harry Struggled, but her grip was too tight as she lit her wand and carried on pacing down the stone slabs on the floor. Finally, she let go, when the office door was no longer in sight.
"What's going on?" asked Harry.
"We are going to the lighthouse, Potter, the anti-apparation charm doesn't cover there," said McGonagall.
"So we're just going to leave?"
"I am taking you to a convent in Reno, Navada (the United States of America, that is), I know the Reverend Mother well."
"Why?" asked Harry.
"To keep you safe," said McGonagall.
"How many times?" said Harry. "I don't need protecting!"
"The council and I have decided otherwise," said McGonagall.
"What council?" said Harry.
"The Jedi Council, on which I sit. We have sworn to protect you."
"Why though?"
"Because we need you to defeat He Who Must Not Be Named, that's why, and you'll have a bit of trouble doing that if you're dead."
"Caper did alright."
"Yes, but Casper wasn't fighting the most powerful dark wizard ever to live though, was he?"
They were now in the west wing of the school and on the left, Harry could see the door to McGonagall's office, and before them simply a dark space lit only by their lit wands. And suddenly, there was a noise – footsteps – coming ever closer. McGonagall grabbed Harry and pulled him into her office, and locked the door.
"What's going on?" whispered Harry.
McGonagall did not reply, but simply put her wand to her ear and said, "Orejadora." Her eardrum lit up, and she gestured for Harry to do the same. Harry had just started to learn this spell in charms, but he had never really got the hang of it. Despite this, he put his wand to his ear and said "Orejadora." In that ear he heard nothing but muffle voices, then pouring sand, then a sudden ear-splitting scream, and a man whistling until finally he heard footsteps – the same footsteps as outside – his charm had worked!
"Do you have it?" said a voice.
"I do not!" said a second.
"You mean you have failed in this simplest of missions?"
"I tried my best, Magneto, but they were just too strong!"
"Nonsense!" said Magneto. "It is just that you are weak! And have not idea how important that fleece was to the Dark Lord? Do you, Mr Smee?"
"It's only a coat," said Smee.
"Only a coat! Merlin's beard, you are thick, Mr Smee. Come, and let's see how Snape is getting a long, hmm? I'll deal with you later."
The footsteps died away, until there was nothing to hear. This was, of course, until McGonagall gave him a thump on the head and his hearing went back to normal again.
"What was that about?" asked Harry.
"I don't know, Potter," said McGonagall, a little stressed. "But when I do, I will tell you."
"Okay," said Harry. "We're not far from the lighthouse now, are we?"
"No, Potter," said McGonagall. "But I believe now I must address the Jedi Council. Come with me."
She lit her wand and preceded down to the large cabinet next to the wall at the back of her office, perpendicular from the window, and tapped it with her wand. It disappeared to reveal a small door. McGonagall opened it, and Harry followed her into a room filled with computer screens, there must have been twenty of them, all facing outwards towards him.
"Wow," said Harry. McGonogall said nothing, but simply switched the device on at the bottom and flicked some switches, until a screen in the bottom corner came on to reveal her face.
"This is Professor Minerva McGonagall reporting to the Jedi Council," she said.
Then, a screen in the middle turned on to reveal a small green man.
"This is Yoda, reporting to the Jedi Council," he said. Then another came on.
"This is Professor Donald Malard, reporting to the Jedi Council."
Another.
"This is M, reporting to the Jedi Council."
"This is Victor Frankenstein reporting to the Jedi Council."
"This is Chief Wiggam, reporting to the Jedi Council."
"This is Buzz Lightyear, reporting to the Jedi Council."
"This is Angela Petrelli, reporting to the Jedi Council."
"This is Dot Branning, reporting to the Jedi Council."
"This is Abraham Van Helsing, reporting to the Jedi Council."
"This is Carl Darrow, reporting to the Jedi Council."
"This is Peter Kingdom, reporting to the Jedi Council."
This is David Horton, reporting to the Jedi Council."
"This is Basil Brush, reporting to the Jedi Council."
"This is Anne Robinson, reporting to the Jedi Council."
"This is Legolas, reporting to the Jedi Council."
"This is Filius Flitwick, reporting to the Jedi Council."
"This is Precious Ramostwe, reporting to the Jedi Council."
"This is Owl, reporting to the Jedi Council."
Now all the screens we on, each showing a different face, except for one, in the bottom left-hand corner between Basil Brush and Professor Flitwick.
"Where is Charles?" asked McGonagall.
"I don't know," said Legolas, "but there were reports of a break-in to the academy by He Who Must Not Named and his Death Eaters."
"I heard about this, the wind told me," said Owl.
"Oh, sorry! Shouldn't have eaten those beans," said Wiggam.
"No, the wind that whistles through the woods, it told me that the Death Eaters had captured the academy."
"So, you mean, he could be, dead?" asked Dot, who was still in her nighty and brewing a pot of tea behind her.
"No, no, I think not," said Mma Ramotswe. "Professor Xavier is a clever man, and He Who Must Not Be Named will want to use him, I am sure."
"I believe the detective to be correct, and by the space modules of the galactic empire I solute you for your valiant ways," said Buzz.
"Have you been drinking?" asked Basil.
"A bit," muttered Buzz.
"Anyone, that is not what matters, what matters is that Potter and I have just overheard a conversation-"
"You mean that Potter is there?" asked Angela.
"Yes," said McGonagall, who gestured for Harry to come in front of the camera, which he did.
"My," said Yoda, "Potter Harry, it is."
"Harry Potter!" said David.
"My, it is a honour to meet you, Mr Harry Potter," said Mma Ramotswe.
"Why is he not at the convent?" asked Angela.
"Because Potter and I just overheard a meeting between two of You Know Who's greatest allays, Magneto and Mr Smee."
"Hear what did you?" enquired Yoda.
"They talked of, a fleece," said McGonagall, "one that would have been very useful to You Know Who, but Smee had failed to find it, and Magneto was furious."
"Ah! I think I know what it is!" cried Van Helsing, grabbing a book from the shelf behind him. "There is a legend of a powerful golden fleece, somewhere in Greece, without which there will never be peace."
"Boom Boom!" said Basil.
"Okay," said McGonogall thoughtfully. "Oh, and just one last thing – have any of you heard of a man named 'Sylar'?"
All the people shook their heads, apart from Angela, who said after a pause, "Yes... why?"
"Because Severus is currently fighting him in Dumbledore's office. Goodbye." McGonagall switched off the machine and all the screens went blank, although Harry had noticed briefly, a look of horror upon the face of Angela Petrelli.
Harry followed McGonogall back through the door, then through the office, and finally into the corridor, which was now even darker than before. McGonagall lit her wand. Harry did the same, and followed her down the last bit of corridor, and out of the doors into the grounds, where the lighthouse sat upon a rocky ledge not far away. Together they traipsed though the darkness towards the tall, thin, grey building darting up high into the dark sky. And when they arrived, McGonagall opened the door with an "alohamora," and paced inside, Harry followed.
"Here we are then, Potter, now take my arm. Hold tight," said McGonagall.
"I know how to apparate," said Harry.
"But you don't know where we're going, do you Potter?" said McGonagall. "Now hold my arm."
Harry reluctantly grabbed hold of McGonagall's arm, and before he knew it he was quickly swirling though a maze of images, until after, it must have been half a second, they were in a country lane, with rolling hills in every direction, all smothered with darkness, with the exception of the lights of a few houses not too far away in the distance.
"This doesn't look right... where are we professor?" asked Harry.
"You ask far too many questions, Potter," said McGonagall, walking down the lane towards the village.
"Isn't that a good thing?" asked Harry.
"There we are, Potter, another question!"
Harry couldn't help but to smile at this strange little joke of McGonagall's. It seemed that he had rather misjudged her. He had always known her to be strict, but fair. However, he now knew that she was also a very kind lady, and he thought for a moment, probably a lonely one as well. She wasn't married for all he knew, but neither were any of the other teachers for all he knew, he had never really cared.
"Please, professor, just tell me where we are," said Harry.
"Very well, Harry," said McGonagall, now calling him Harry (probably due to being so tired, "we are in the village of Dibley."
"But why are we here?"
"I'd rather tell you when we're safely with David, if you don't mind, Potter. Safer, you understand."
Harry nodded and said nothing as he followed her down the hill and into the village. It was a quaint little place with a few dotted cottages and small church, and had the sort of feel about it that you get from those country postcards showing the best of Britain. But those postcards must have missed out how spooky these places looked in the middle of the night. Harry thought little about any of this though, his mood was mixed between his want to know what was going on, and his sheer tiredness, as it was now almost midnight.
"Here we are," said McGonagall happily, as they approached the largest house in the village, that looked out over all the rest. McGonagall ascended the steps and tapped lightly on the door with her wand, three times: tap... tap... tap. And slowly the door opened, to reveal a balding man , who, despite it being night, was wearing a suit. Harry recognised this man from one of the computer screens back at Hogwarts: this was David Horton. David showed them in silently and then slowly shut the door again, in order to make no sound whatsoever.
"Glass of whiskey, Minerva?" he asked.
"Oh, please, David," McGonagall replied. David nodded, then turned his gaze towards Harry.
"What about you Potter?" he asked.
"No, I'm fine, thanks sir," said Harry, who had now become used to people he had never met automatically knowing his name.
"Come into the lounge," said David, gesturing towards a door to their left. They all shuffled into the large room decorated with all sorts of old paintings.
"Well, I better introduce myself, hadn't I?" said David when they had all sat down. "My name is David Horton CBE, and I am the local councillor, and member of the Jedi Council."
"Yes, I know that, sir, I – I saw you on one of Professor McGonagall's computer screens," said Harry.
"You showed him the mega-panel?" said David.
"I had no choice, David, and anyway this is Harry Potter we're talking about."
"I suppose so," said David.
"But, what I don't understand," said Harry, "is why I'm here, and not in an American convent somewhere?"
"What it is, Harry," McGonagall begun, "is that the convent idea was thought up by Angela Petrelli, who we've always had fears about."
"And that's an understatement," said David.
"Well, I wouldn't say that, David. But, you see, Angela can see the future in her dreams, but not always the full picture. She sees snippets of vision about what the future will look like, most of the time entirely out of context. And, you see, Angela saw you in a convent, and she said you looked safe."
"But you don't agree," said Harry.
"Honestly, Potter, we don't know what to do," said David. "I've had fears about a lot of people on that council, you know. I don't think Van Helsing's in his right field; Darrow's a film director – what does he know?; and I'm sure Frankenstein's up to something, you know. And now Xavier's gone, dead probably."
"Now, we can't say that, David – Mma Ramostwe did say the chances are he is alive."
"Hmm, well, I've always had my doubts about her."
"You've had doubts about everyone, David. Now, where's Filius?"
"In the loo." Suddenly there came a loud flushing sound, and Professor Flitwick came into the room.
"Oh, Potter, how are you?" asked Flitwick, smiling and putting out his hand for Harry to shake it, which he did.
"Tired, sir," said Harry.
"Well I should think you are," said Flitwick.
"I agree, Filius, it's far too late. We'll speak in the morning," said McGonagall.
David finished his whiskey. "I'll just close the curtains, then I'll show you your room, Potter."
David closed the curtains, as Flitwick and McGonagall discussed what protective charms had been placed upon the house, and Harry fell asleep in his chair.
END OF PART ONE
List of Characters (in order of appearance)
Professor Minerva McGonagall(Harry Potter)
The Fat Lady(Harry Potter)
Harry Potter(Harry Potter)
Professor Charles Xavier(X-Men)
Professor Severus Snape(Harry Potter)
Sylar(Heroes)
Magneto(X-Men)
Mr Smee(Peter Pan)
Yoda(Star Wars)
Professor Donald Malard(NCIS)
M(James Bond)
Victor Frankenstein(Frankenstein)
Chief Wiggam(The Simpsons)
Buzz Lightyear(Toy Story)
Angela Petrelli(Heroes)
Dot Branning(EastEnders)
Abraham Van Helsing(Dracula)
Carl Darrow(King Kong)
Peter Kingdom(Kingdom)
David Horton(The Vicar of Dibley)
Basil Brush(The Basil Brush Show)
Anne Robinson(The Weakest Link)
Legolas(The Lord of the Rings)
Filius Flitwick(Harry Potter)
Precious Ramotswe(The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency)
Owl(Winnie-the-Pooh)