Okay, I'm sorry it's taken a full week to update this next chapter, but there were a few times I got Writer's Block and had to work around it. But, here were are, with a whole new chapter just as long, Also, Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me, so don't even ask. Now, on with the show...
Chapter Two: The Temple of Doom
(Location: Dark Woods, northern England}
[Monday, 4 July, 1994 A.D.]
(0800; 08:00 a.m.)
With the sun finally emerging over the eastern horizon, giving the promise of a day full of nothing but its hot, brilliant light, the small group of four teenagers moved through the dense undergrowth of what Daemon Black had told them was called the Dark Woods, a name, he'd said, they'd been given following the dark wizard's rampage over one hundred years before.
Lush, green trees of virtually every kind surrounded them on all sides as they continued walking deeper and deeper into the woods, the ground continuing to lose altitude as they walked.
Kitch, Elianna, Tabitha, and their new acquaintance, Daemon, had been on the move since before dawn that morning, almost three hours ago. Kitch and the two girls who now lived with him and his family had packed everything they could think of, including several bottles of water, a small supply of food, a chance of clothes each, and, at Elianna's insistence, four devices muggles called flashlights, in addition to several ropes and a muggle first aid kit, all of which, to their surprise, Elianna had readily available in her room. When Kitch had asked her about this, she'd merely shrugged her shoulders, saying that her family had taken her camping when she was younger and that, given the fact that, following the end of the Black Sun threat, they were once more prohibited from using magic outside of school, these muggle tools may come in handy. Daemon, upon hearing of her logic, had been very pleased, saying that she was using her brains more so than either of her friends had been when they'd packed. In addition, he, Elianna, and Tabitha had each agreed to bring the weapons Pax Onasi had left them in his will three months ago. None of them had yet to learn how to adequately use their individual weapons, but they'd still agreed that, with them now unable to use magic, it would be better to have some kind of means to defend themselves, even if it was something they'd never before learned.
As he thought on it, Kitch suddenly felt as though his back was reaching the verge where it may soon snap. When they'd first started off for the Dark Woods, he'd not thought of all he was carrying as being that heavy, but now, even dressed in a simple blue muggle shirt and a pair of brown shorts with thin socks under his trainers, only a few hours into the trek he now found himself drenched in sweat and sorely in need of some kind of relief.
In front of him, Elianna also appeared to be drenched in her sweat as well. He could see the wet marks along the back of her pink shirt, her legs, which were sticking out of white shorts, also dripping with moisture. She had a wet, red rag of some kind tied loosely around her neck, and her long, dirty blonde hair was tied up into a loose ponytail with a piece of simple cloth, while her pink glasses were resting loosely on the bridge of her nose.
Tabitha, who was keeping pace alongside Kitch, looked at home, beads of sweat rolling down her chocolate skin as she walked, and though her yellow shirt and black shorts were drenched with sweat as well, the bare-foot teen appeared to be suffering none under the conditions.
"Okay," Daemon called from up front as they entered a small clearing with a nice, thickly-flowing creek dividing it in half. "Let's stop for a few minutes and catch our breaths, yeah?"
"Sounds okay with me." Kitch agreed as he approached a massive, felled log, instantly shedding the backpack and assorted gear he'd been persuaded into carrying earlier that morning as he took a seat on the edge of the once-proud tree.
"So, Daemon," Elianna said as the rest of the group joined Kitch on the tree a moment later, each also shedding the gear they'd carried. "Tell us more about yourself."
"Now why would I want to do that?" He asked, taking a short sip from his bottle of water.
"Why wouldn't you?" Tabitha countered.
"Because, even with all of our magical knowledge, even as far as muggles think they've come in the noble art of warfare, the greatest weapon to ever exist is also the oldest."
"Yeah, thanks for clearing that little bit of confusion up." Kitch retorted, taking his own drink of water. "I mean, that just totally answered my question."
"Information, Tabs." Elianna explained. "If you know someone then you know their strengths and their weaknesses, thus allowing you to know how best to harm, or help, them as you see fit."
"You're pretty smart…for a muggle-born." Daemon said what he obviously felt was a compliment, but all it did was cause Elianna's face to flush while Kitch and Tabitha turned to give him glares in which they made it perfectly clear what they thought.
"What's being muggle-born have to do with anything?" Tabitha challenged, her voice dangerous in a way Kitch knew Daemon would not pick up on as her friends did.
"What does being muggle-born have to do with anything?" Daemon repeated. "Why, everything of course."
"Just kriffin' lovely." Kitch growled, standing up. "Naturally, it's our luck that we have to come across a boy who subscribes to the whole pureblood mania garbage. Come on girls, let's head back and find something better to do with our time…"
"And that's how it always goes." Daemon cut in. "You meet someone who doesn't share your views, someone you don't quite understand, so rather than get to know them better and gain a better understanding of them and their points-of-view, you run off and hide like cowards, convincing yourself that that someone just isn't worth your time. It's an amazing feat in and of itself that people like you ever learn and grow to begin with."
"Yeah?" Kitch asked, stepping forward to challenge the boy as he too stood up, not backing down from the challenge Kitch was presenting. "What could there possibly be to understand about what you said about those who are muggle-born? You, like all the other pureblood-obsessed out there, believe that being muggle-born automatically means you're not worthy of carrying a wand, that you're a second-rate citizen or something."
"And thus you show just how stupid and foolish you really are."
"What'd you just say?" Kitch asked, suddenly feeling very annoyed by this boy.
"I never said that being a mudblood means you're not worthy of carrying a wand. Perhaps, had you allowed me the courtesy of finishing my sentence, you'd have realized what it was I really meant."
"Yeah?" Tabitha asked, joining in. "What'd that be?"
"Magic flows through our bodies as freely as blood. It is passed down from generation to generation, and with each generation it becomes more powerful, more refined, so that wizards who come from all-wizarding families are more powerful, inherently, than those who are the first of their bloodlines to be magical."
"That's not true at all." Kitch countered. "I may be better with offensive magic than Elianna or Tabby, but Elianna's way better at simple spells than I am, and Tabby-"
"We all have our areas of strength and weakness." Daemon corrected. "I'm merely speaking of overall natural magical talents. There is a difference, after all, on how strong a wizard's inherent powers are and how strong his developed powers are."
"Okay, now I'm really confused." Kitch admitted.
"Of course you are," Daemon muttered. "Your mind's being clouded by biased prejudice, emotions, and thought."
"Anyways," Elianna interrupted, at last deciding it was time to break up the argument. "Since Daemon doesn't want to talk about himself, why don't you tell us more about Hogwarts."
"Well," Daemon began, returning to his seat, him and Kitch still glaring at one another. "There are four houses-"
"Houses?" Tabitha interrupted, sitting back down as well. "What are Houses?"
"Dormitories." Elianna answered. "Think along the lines of GAME Island's squads, only larger and broader."
"Oh."
"There's Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Gryffindor-"
"My mom was in Gryffindor." Kitch added, suddenly remembering how he'd first found out about his mother's past.
"What's the difference?" Elianna asked politely.
"Ravenclaw is where they put the students who are wise, intelligent, clever, and smart. Hufflepuff are the commoners, the ones who are patient, loyal and hardworking. Slytherin students are, on average, darker, cunning and ruthless, willing do whatever it takes to achieve their goals…they believe the ends justify the means. Slytherin House has turned out more Dark Wizards than any other house."
"And Gryffindor House?" Kitch asked.
"Gryffindor values courage and bravery above all else. Their daring, nerve, and chivalry are among their greatest traits."
"And which house are you in?" Elianna pressed.
"Wait, let me guess." Kitch interrupted suddenly. "Your attitude, beliefs, and overall appearance would make you…Slytherin, right?"
"Guess again." Daemon said, his voice dropping so low that Kitch and the two girls had to strain just to hear it. "Just because I'm analytical, suspicious, and stick by my beliefs doesn't automatically mean I'm in Slytherin. Bloody hell, since when was it impossible to have the traits of multiple houses?"
"You'll have to forgive Kitch, Daemon." Elianna answered, casting a glance of warning in her boyfriend's direction.
"I'm in Ravenclaw." Daemon muttered, now looking down at the ground, determined not to meet any of their eyes. "The first person in my family to ever go into Ravenclaw and one of the few to ever avoid Slytherin. I'm too cunning and smart for the likes of that bunch, and I'm proud of it-"
"I'm gonna go fill our bottles up with more water." Elianna declared suddenly, standing up and collecting their bottles. "Kitch, why don't you come help?"
"Nah, I think I'll just sit right here where it's-"
"It wasn't a request." She cut in, her voice steely and stern in a way he'd almost never heard before.
"Yeah, okay then." He answered, getting up and taking some of the bottles from her hand. Together, moving in silence, the pair took off for the stream off in the distance. Now well enough out of earshot of Tabitha and Daemon, Elianna knelt down, and as Kitch did the same they spilled the eight bottles out along the ground.
"Kitch, you need to back off some, okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"Daemon. We met him not even twenty-four hours ago and you're already treating him like he's the Dread Lord's spawn."
Kitch snorted. "He sure acts like it."
Elianna said nothing but instead gave him a look that made it very clear what she was thinking at the moment.
"What?" He asked defensively. "I was only-"
"No you weren't, Kitch, so don't even go there." She countered just as sternly as ever. "What've you got against him, anyways?"
He opened his mouth to say something, but paused, considering on how best to answer her question and whether or not he should tell her the true reason about why he didn't trust their new 'acquaintance'.
"Something seems off." He answered finally, sighing. "I-I get this funny little feeling in the back of my head every single time he opens his mouth, like there's more to him than what we know, like he's not telling us everything. My brain and heart tell me he only needs a good friend or two, but my guts tell me he's up to something, that every time he looks at us he's analyzing all three of us in case he has to act against us in the future, like maybe he has a hidden agenda by exploring these woods with us."
Elianna opened her mouth to speak but instead closed it and frowned, looking down at the ground and closing her eyes as though asking some unseen power for help…which, Kitch thought, given her devout Christian beliefs, she just may very well be doing that.
"Look, Elianna, I know it sounds stupid and prejudiced, but my instincts are sending up red flags with almost everything he says and does. After what happened in March, I've learned to listen more to them than I used to."
Elianna, in turn, nodded her head. "I trust you, Kitch, and your instincts have served you well in the past. Still, back off some. Get to know him better, show him the kindness I know is really you, and extend to him the hand of friendship your brain and heart think he needs. Keep an eye on him, sure, and listen to your instincts, but make sure that those instincts aren't being clouded by a judgmental, biased mind before you act on them."
"And if it turns out I'm right?" He asked. "If he really is up to something?"
"As mama likes to say, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Until then, however, we move forward as though he's a friend."
"I suppose I was being a little foolish and prejudiced." Kitch admitted moments later, their task now done. "I mean, I don't think I'd trust the son of Voldemort if the roles were reversed here."
"There's the Kitch Grant I know." She muttered, smiling as she reached over and kissed his cheek. Kitch, who was now facing back towards Tabitha and Daemon, knew something was wrong the moment Elianna froze, her eyes going wide as her lips touched his skin.
"Eli?" He asked, willing himself to remain calm and not swing around. "What-"
"I-imposs-impossible." She muttered, her voice crackling with fear. "T-that c-can't be-"
"Something's behind me, isn't it?" He asked, and with a slow nod of her head that fear was confirmed.
"What-"
Elianna, however, shook her head as though she refused to answer, like perhaps she didn't quite believe what her eyes were telling her. Unable to take it anymore, Kitch turned around slowly, keeping himself between his girlfriend and whatever it was that had her so frightened…only to set his eyes on something he knew ought to be impossible.
Across the clearing, standing well over two stories tall, banana-sized teeth-filled mouth open as it studied its prey, the eyes of the Dinosaur King, the Tyrant Lizard, was locked onto either Kitch or Elianna, and there was very little doubt as to what was on its allegedly extinct mind.
"Thundering Thestrals! Umm…guys!" Kitch yelled, slowly backing away from the monster, grabbing Elianna's hands in the process so that she'd do the same.
"Kitch?" Tabitha answered back, her voice telling him that she'd caught on that something was wrong. "What-"
"Get our stuff ready." He cut off, still backing towards his friends.
"What?" Tabitha asked, sounding too far away to properly see the animal that was once again stalking the planet. "Why?"
"Because," He growled, still hoping that he and Elianna were merely having the same hallucination. "We're not alone."
"Really?" Daemon asked, the sound of running footsteps echoing from behind him, telling Kitch that their neighbor was moving forward to join him and Elianna. "Who-" The footsteps fell silent. "GALLOPING GARGOYLES!"
The extinct-for-sixty-five-million-years Tyrannosaurus Rex took a step forward.
"Blast it." Kitch barked. "Run!"
The teens moved forward for the equipment they'd brought with them, but even as they approached the log they'd been sitting on moments before, an earth-shattering roar bellowed out from behind them, and, thinking as he moved, Kitch grabbed Elianna's arm and forced her to turn to the left.
"There's no time!" He shouted, no longer interested in anything other than escape. "We'll never make it…into the woods, NOW!"
Not needing to be told twice, Daemon, Tabitha, and Elianna followed Kitch as he raced for the thick safety of the Dark Woods' undergrowth, where they'd be better able to avoid the predator with an empty stomach.
As they exploded back into the woods, the sound of thundering footsteps and another hungry roar filled the air behind them, pushing the teenagers to greater heights. Up ahead, grown over, sat another, much smaller clearing. As they arrived at the clearing, Kitch noticed a small cave, just large enough for the four of them to fit and more than small enough to protect them from the Tyrannosaurus Rex now wanting to claim them for dinner. To the left, in turn, was a narrow path that led back into the undergrowth of the woods, and up ahead, just barely noticeable, was what appeared to be a great drop off.
"Go left!" He shouted, turning towards the cave. "We'll be safe-"
"No!" Daemon countered. "Go forward, over the edge!"
"What?" Kitch roared. "Are you nuts?"
"We'll be trapped in that cave. If we don't get eaten we'll die of exposure, starvation, or dehydration."
"Why not go right-"
"It'll keep chasing us. It'll think twice before going over a cliff edge!"
"Yeah?" Kitch asked, following both Elianna and Tabitha as they complied with Daemon's orders. "Well I'm thinking twice about-"
His sentence, however, was cut off as he found his feet suddenly had no ground beneath them. His scream, mixed with those of his three friends, filled the air as he spiraled helplessly to the ground, fighting a losing battle to get to his wand, though no spell he knew could possibly hope to-
His brain was emptied of all thought, however, as he connected with solid earth once more. However, while his body did explode into a frenzy of pain, common, he knew from experience, with falling from a great height, he was still not only alive but as his brain did a mental check of his body it appeared nothing was broken either.
"Everybody okay?" He asked, forcing himself back onto his feet. Though silent, Elianna was now struggling to get up as well, and as Daemon moved to help Tabitha back to her feet, Kitch moved forward, huskily hauling his much lighter girlfriend up off the ground and holding tightly onto her even as she latched onto him for dear life.
"What the blazes was that?" Tabitha demanded, brushing off Daemon's helping hand.
"A dinosaur." The boy answered. "Tyrannosaurus Rex, by the looks of it. Likely a male, fully grown-"
"It couldn't have been." She snapped, sounding unready to believe such a tale. "They've been extinct for sixty-five million years."
"Careful Tabs," Daemon answered, picking up on the nicknames the friends often exchanged. "Your inner muggle is beginning to show."
"Yeah?" The dark-skinned witch asked, moving towards Daemon with dangerous purpose. "I dare you to say that again-"
"Your inner muggle's showing, Tabs." Daemon repeated. "It means that for a witch you're thinking incredibly a lot like a muggle might."
"Dinosaurs-"
"He has a point, Tabby." Elianna muttered, forcing herself free of her boyfriend as she moved to defuse the situation developing between Tabitha and Daemon. "Just because we've never seen them before doesn't mean there could be no dinosaurs left."
"But-"
"According to muggles," Daemon added. "Magic isn't real, dragons and unicorns never existed, and Humans are the only sentient race in existence, all three of which those standing here now know to be false. If they're wrong about all that, why can't they be wrong about an order of animals they believe to be extinct?"
"Yeah?" She challenged, unwilling to go down quietly. "How's a great big Tyrannosaurus Rex been hiding in the middle of these woods for sixty-five million years?"
"Maybe that's why no one ever comes in here." Elianna mused.
"But something seems off." Tabitha countered. "I mean, where's it at now?"
As if suddenly inspired by her question, all four looked up, expecting to see the great super-predator looking down upon them, but there was nothing, nothing aside from the trees towering over them.
"Perhaps it's looking for a way around…or maybe it already knows a way around." Daemon suggested.
"I say let's not wait around to find out. Come on you guys, let's get moving." Kitch suggested, turning and walking in the opposite direction of the cliff they'd just fallen down, the other three forming up directly behind him.
As they moved, he quickly took stock of what little he now had with him as far as their original supplies went. He had, it appeared a moment later, both his bottles of water, his wand, which, thankfully, was still in tact, and the sheathed, goblin-made katana he'd inherited from Pax all those months ago. Looking behind him as he walked, he was pleased to see that Elianna still had her Kokiri Bow slung across her back and that she, too, like both Tabitha and Daemon, had her wand out, inspecting it to make sure it hadn't cracked or broken during their recent flight.
Kitch sighed as he looked from Tabitha, who too had her inheritance from Pax still in tact, to the newest member of their troupe, who still had his wand out, his predatory, analytical eyes of study taking in every aspect of their surroundings.
Part of him, Kitch admitted, hated himself for the way he'd treated the boy earlier. After all, he had no real evidence that Daemon Black was up to no good, and the boy, aside from his own personal beliefs, had given none of them any reason to doubt him yet.
Of course, another part of him, that part that was always awake and practical, never ruled by emotions, reminded him of what folly it was to ignore his instincts, to shut out the advice his guts gave him, especially given recent history, what with the Black Sun Rebellions and all. And in this case, his instincts were on fire, sending up red flags with almost every encounter he had with Daemon. It was almost as if he could see the wheels turning behind the boy's icy-blue eyes, as if there were a great shadow back there, just waiting to be unleashed. His neighbor, Kitch could tell, was tainted, tainted by a darkness that could never fully be dispelled.
As if on cue he could almost hear the chastisement he'd get if his girlfriend could pick up on this thought, and immediately the word "hypocrite" floated to the surface of his mind, and now he felt just slightly ashamed. After all, of all the people in the world, Kitch Grant, he knew, had no room to talk about being tainted by a darkness that could never fully be dispelled.
He'd lived his whole life knowing that the Dread Lord Imperious was, in fact, his father, the former Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in the United States of America, Matthias Grant. Even from a young age he'd hated the man, hated him and his followers with the worst kind of hatred imaginable. And then there'd been the massacre of GAME Island, a massacre in which only Kitch and less than half-a-dozen others had survived. With the death of so many of his fellow students, among them his then yet-to-be-revealed half-brother, Pax Onasi, he'd felt himself slowly beginning the sinking into the Dark Side, and it had continued until, at long last, he'd ended up killing three wizards and a witch in a blind rage, furious that they'd actually planned on raping and defiling his best friend-turned-girlfriend, and the fourth and final of those victims, the aging warlock who'd actually been the one trying to commit the act, had died only after he'd set the man afire and tortured him with the Cruciatus Curse. During the course of that following week he'd killed eve more Black Suns, though that had been in the thick of combat, and though, thanks to his same Dread Lord father, he'd learned how to avoid the trap of the Dark Side, Kitch knew that he, too, would be tainted forever, that, no matter how much good he ever did again, he'd never fully be free of the darkness that had come so very close to claiming him.
Another thought entered Kitch's mind then, a piece of advice his father had, for some unknown reason, seen fit to give him during what had proven to be their final visit before the repercussions of the political shitstorm Kitch had created had at last fallen back to wash over them.
"Remember," Matthias Grant had said, his eyes adopting a haunted look. "Keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer…after all, what better weapon is there than to turn an enemy to your cause, to use their own knowledge against them?"
"Hey, Daemon." Kitch said, stopping to turn towards his new neighbor, deciding to take his father's advice. The boy said nothing as he stopped, eyeing Kitch with half-suspicion and half-curiousness.
"I'm sorry." He said, pressing on, letting his mind and heart speak for him without filtering whatever might come out. "For earlier, I mean. It was wrong and stupid of me to judge you based simply on what your personal beliefs are."
"What are you playing at?" He asked simply, his eyes turning colder than their color. "What's your game?"
"What do you mean?"
"Come on, Kitch, I'm not stupid." Daemon answered. "You're up to something and I would very much like to know what."
"What makes you think I'm up to something?" Kitch countered, aware that both Elianna and Tabitha had backed up now, watching their exchange from the sidelines, as though giving them both some space.
"You're a proud bloke, mate." Daemon answered, as though that should answer everything. "And proud blokes don't just suddenly offer an apology, especially not to someone they don't trust."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." Daemon confirmed. "See, you care about both Elianna and Tabitha; they're the closest people you have, closer even than your family."
"And?"
"I actually, genuinely, offended you earlier by suggesting that muggle-born witches and wizards aren't as inherently powerful as witches and wizards descended from generations of sorcerers."
"Yeah, well, you did."
"In addition, you don't trust me, no more than you trust the Dark Lord himself. When you look at me you get the feeling I'm tainted, like there's a darkness inside of me that's never going to be fully washed off. You suspect me of being up to something, though I have no idea what that something may be."
"You're right." Kitch answered, taken aback by his own honesty. "I don't trust you, Daemon, I do sense you're tainted in a way that can never fully be fixed, and I do believe you're up to something. However, I don't trust you because I don't know you, which, of course, can be fixed, if we're both willing to fix it, and while I do think you have an ulterior motive in all this, I can't prove it right now, and I believe you should always be presumed innocent until proven guilty. So yeah, I'm apologizing, because, as I've been taught, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, nor should you judge others before getting to know them. So again, I'm sorry."
"Okay then." Daemon said, his eyes now full of astonished disbelief, curiosity, as well as their usual suspicion. Kitch, in turn, nodded and took off walking again, moving deeper and deeper into the woods.
"Of course," Daemon added a few minutes later, as though he'd just realized something else. "You're still leaving one question unanswered."
"Yeah?" Kitch asked, not stopping or turning to look around as they walked.
"Why are you willing to give me a chance, per say, if you feel I'm tainted?"
Kitch, in turn, pondered the question for several long minutes, wondering whether or not he should trust Daemon with the truth. So far, only a handful of people knew about what had really happened back in Greene City all those weeks and months ago, when Elianna had come within a mere breath of losing the most important innocence known to man. Though he'd apologized, he still didn't trust Daemon, and he certainly didn't trust his new neighbor with the truth. On the other hand, however, he knew that if he lied or refused to answer then Daemon might decide he was only trying to investigate his suspicions further…turning to look briefly at Elianna, who was now walking behind Daemon, side-by-side with Tabitha, he saw his girlfriend give a brief nod of her head…
"Back in March," Kitch found himself explaining as they walked. "A couple of days after the GAME Island Massacre, Elianna and I were in the local city for lunch when a group of Black Suns attacked us. We tried to escape, but they cornered us before too long. In the process Elianna was knocked out. They wanted me, to turn me and use me as a pawn of the Dread Lord. One of them tried to…h-he…he tried to rape her."
"Elianna, you're talking about, yes?"
Kitch nodded his head. "Yeah. Every time I tried to reach her, they kept magicking me backwards, until finally I snapped."
"You snapped?"
"I killed the other two wizards and the witch, and then I attacked the warlock that was trying to rape her. I tortured him, with the Cruciatus Curse."
"At your-our-age? Impressive. Most Impressive."
"The Unforgivable Curses don't care about age." Kitch answered. "They care only about magical skill, like the skill I had when I snapped. I tortured him, I wanted his mind to be crushed by the pain I was inflicting on him, to make him pay for what he'd dared to do. But it wasn't enough, so I set him on fire, and then hit him with the Cruciatus Curse. He was begging me for death when I finally killed him."
"How'd that make you feel?" Daemon asked softly, sounding more like a muggle psychiatrist than a wizard-in-training.
"Good." Kitch answered. "Beyond good. I felt like I was the most powerful being in the universe, like no one, nothing, could stop me. I was greater than any god or titan of any religion…it was like I was the Supreme Being of all the universe. That kind of power, though…it was also scary. My mom and family believed that I was simply drunk off of the magical high, that I couldn't control it. What's scary, though, is that I could. No one died except for those I wanted to die. I cast each curse perfectly, right at the target I was aiming at. I knew it was wrong, against the law, but I didn't really care."
He paused as they approached another line of trees, on the other side of which was yet another clearing.
"I know all about taints, Daemon, taints that, no matter how much good you do in the next thousand years, will always be there, staining you in ways that make you feel corrupted and violated. What right, therefore, do I have to hold against you something of which I myself am guilty?"
"I believe, Kitch Grant, that I may well have underestimated you, mate."
Kitch laughed as he made to enter the clearing. "Remember all of this is you ever decide to stab us in the back." And then he found himself suddenly rooted to the spot where he now stood, his eyes going wide as his heart ground to a stop.
"Oh, no worries about that, mate, you can rest assured I will indeed do just that." He answered back as he, Elianna, and Tabitha followed Kitch into the next clearing…only to discover that they weren't alone anymore.
"BLOODY HELL!" Daemon bellowed upon seeing the beast that caused Kitch to suddenly freeze.
"What the hell is that thing?" Tabitha asked.
"I-I'd say it-it's a dragon." Kitch answered, his knees suddenly feeling weak.
"That's no species of dragon I know about." Daemon responded, his voice barely a whisper. "Not even the Ukrainian Ironbelly can grow to be that size."
Indeed, the leviathan now standing across the meadow from them was easily twice, perhaps even three times the size of the largest known breed of dragon currently in existence. It's body was a perfect, dark shade of black, with that perfect dragon-like face. The beast's entire body was covered in thick, armored skin while its head and belly were covered up inch-for-inch with variously-sized spikes, and when it blinked they could easily see the eyelids were just as thick and armored as the rest of its body. Running down the dragon's neck and back were a triple set of long, sharp-looking quills that split out at the tail, fully covering the appendage that ended in eight long spikes.
"That's one messed up dragon." Daemon continued as the beast's orange, fiery eyes finally locked onto the four humans. "It's like a cross between a Ukrainian Ironbelly, a Hungarian Horntail, and a Norwegian Ridgeback."
"That's odd. Zannah said that the only dragons common to the British Isles are the Common Welsh Green and the Hebridean Black." Kitch added, backing up a single step as he spoke.
"So then, what do we do?" Elianna breathed as the beast extended it's wings, which were a dull crimson color of flesh and skin.
"Running," Kitch muttered. "Would be a good idea."
"Left." Daemon said. "We can't go forward, but if we go back or right we're likely to run into that blasted Tyrannosaur again."
"Left it is." Kitch agreed. "Run, NOW, RUN!"
They exploded into motion once more, veering left and narrowly avoiding a blast of flames that would have reduced all four of them to nothing more than ash. Angered at their escape, the massive dragon roared as it began to angrily flap its wings.
Back beneath the undergrowth once more, the four teens continued to flee, their feet moving them as fast as possible.
Behind them, they could hear the unmistakable sound of the beating of giant wings as the dragon took to the skies, and in turn this sound acted as motivation to spur the four teenagers onwards to even greater speeds.
The ground itself seemed to shake several minutes later as the massive beast suddenly flew over them, and, then, with the authority afforded to it by its size, the gargantuan dragon landed at the bottom of a large hill, blocking their way from moving forward.
Daemon, now at the head of the group, veered off to the right, the others following right behind him.
Next to Kitch, however, Elianna suddenly found herself going face-first to the ground as she tripped over a small stone buried halfway in the ground, and even as she made contact the dragon advanced, sensing its impending victory.
Not thinking twice, Kitch spun around and rushed back to his girlfriend's side, but even as he made to help her up he knew that it was too late. The Leviathan had its mouth opened wide, and Kitch, in turn, grabbed Elianna and moved to cover her with his own body, determined to protect her from certain doom-
"KITCH!" Tabitha yelled, realizing what was soon about to happen. "NO-"
His friend's screams of horror, however, was drowned out by the massive eruption of a blast of molten flames, and, with his final seconds ticking away, he threw both himself and Elianna to the ground, knowing that, though he was still dead, he might nevertheless be able to protect his girlfriend from the danger…
Except even as the flames washed over him he there was nothing. No heat, no pain, no death…
And then, quite as suddenly as the dragon had appeared, it, and its fiery attack, were both gone, gone as though they'd never existed to begin with.
"What the-" Kitch began, only to be cut off.
"Bloody Hell." Daemon gasped as he and Tabitha approached Kitch and Elianna, both of whom were still on the ground, him on top of her, afraid of what he might find when he looked up. "It was never real."
"A ghost?" Kitch asked as he rolled off of Elianna, who in turn rushed to sit up and take in their surroundings. "You're telling me we were chased by a kriffin' ghost? What-"
"You stupid moron!" Elianna shouted suddenly, slapping his shoulder with as much force as she could manage. "What the devil were you thinking?"
"I…what…huh?" He asked stupidly.
"You could have died!" She roared, slapping him even harder. "It was such a stupid, thoughtless-"
"I was thinking that I was about to watch my best friend get roasted alive." He defended himself, jumping to his feet.
"Yeah?" She asked, climbing to her feet as well. "Did you really want me to live knowing you'd died trying to protect me-"
"Actually, that fire, had it been real, would have killed you both." Daemon explained. "And I don't think it was a ghost so much as it was an apparition."
"Magical?" Tabitha asked.
"It'd almost have to be." Daemon answered. "Your usual spirits, ghosts, and apparitions are transparent to some extent or another: both the dragon and the Rex looked extremely realistic…real enough to have us running for our lives."
"If they're magical," Kitch continued, suddenly thankful to have a reason to avoid his girlfriend's gaze and attention. "Then it'd be almost certain that someone cast them, right?"
"Not necessarily, but in this case, yeah, I'd think so." Daemon answered as Tabitha began walking off towards the hill the dragon had landed in front of moments before. "Which is interesting, because it'd take a nice bit of advanced magic to summon those apparitions and make them look so realistic. Magic, especially dark and powerful magic, leaves some kind of trace, and yet I sense nothing."
"You can sense magic?" Kitch found himself asking.
"Sometimes, yeah." The other boy admitted.
"Okay, then." Kitch continued. "If someone is behind this then there has to be a reason. The question we have now is what, exactly, is that reason?"
"To scare us away?" Daemon asked. "It's the only thing I can think of that makes sense.
"Yeah, but what are they trying to scare us away from, exactly?"
"I think I might have an answer to that one!" Tabitha shouted several seconds later, now standing at the top of the small hill.
"What?" Kitch and Daemon asked in unison. "What might that be?"
"Perhaps you should come see for yourself." She answered back, and as though they were one body, the other three teens moved forward in unison, charging forward up the lazy incline like some past muggle army.
Kitch admitted to himself that he was afraid of what they might find once they reached the crest of the hill. After all, based on what he knew of these woods thus far, he was half-expecting a ruined complex of old buildings full of rotten corpses and skeletons, clear signs of past use of Black Magic. What they found, however, took his breath away like few other things ever had.
At the foot of the hill, nestled among a grove of tall, thick trees, each hundreds of years old, sat the ruined remains of what had certainly once been a tall, majestic, proud ziggurat-style temple. Taking a single step towards the ruins, Kitch felt a sudden jolt of energy course through him in such a way as he'd never before felt. He could almost taste the faded magic that infested the ruins, a magic so powerful that it nearly felt as though he were drowning. Foreboding, mixed with alarm, fear, trepidation, excitement, and determination, settled into the pit of his stomach as he squared his shoulders, preparing himself for what he knew must next be done.
"We're never going to find anything just by standing here."
And with those words he moved forward, Daemon at his side while Tabitha and Elianna flanked them. Though his wand remained stowed safely in the waistband of his shorts, Kitch was nevertheless scanning the runs as they approached, looking for the first sign of trouble, deciding then and now that he'd much prefer to be in trouble for breaking the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery than injuring himself or one of the others by trying to use a weapon he had no experience with.
"Wonder how long it's been abandoned." Tabitha muttered as they reached the first pieces of rubble and debris.
"Judging by the state of the ruins, the location of several key elements of the temple, and the rate of decay, I'd say at least three hundred years, perhaps longer." Daemon answered, stopping to inspect a piece of broken stone slab.
The bottom quarter of the temple's base still stood, the broken, empty archway of what had likely once been a doorway looming several feet above Kitch's head. As he crossed the broken threshold, it quickly became apparent that the temple had once been a mighty, majestic piece of artwork.
"Wonder what it was for." He murmured as he entered the first room, the floor of which was littered with debris and vegetation that had long since defeated the stone and marble floor holding it down. Bright, warm sunlight filtered in through where the ceiling had once been, illuminating all that remained for them to see.
"It looks similar to the Mayan ziggurat pyramids in Central and South America." Elianna answered, standing right behind him.
"Yes, those were often used to worship gods." Daemon added, moving towards one of the walls. "Perhaps this temple had a similar purpose. Very odd-"
"Odd?" Tabitha asked. "How's it odd?"
"Because, this type of structure, as Elianna pointed out, is more common in Central and South America than it is anywhere else. What would a Mayan temple be doing all the way here in Britain?"
"Perhaps some of the early American explorers saw what the Mayans did and-"
"Not possible mate." Daemon cut Kitch off. "The first explorers didn't reach the Americas until the sixteenth century, and they weren't Englishmen. No, this makes no sense, none at all."
"What if…" Tabitha trailed off, appearing deep in thought. "What if that muggle, Columbus, wasn't the first person to reach the Americas?"
"What are you saying?" Daemon asked, pausing where he stood.
"You said it yourself, earlier." Tabitha explained, sounding pleased that her idea wasn't being discarded immediately. "When you said my muggle was showing, you said 'According to muggles, magic isn't real, dragons and unicorns never existed, and Humans are the only sentient race in existence, all three of which those standing here now know to be false. If they're wrong about all that…' Well, why can't they also be wrong about who discovered the Americas first?"
"Now you're talking." Daemon approved. "Now you're beginning to sound like the witch you were born as. Either ancient British witches and wizards discovered the American continents first or past Mayan sorcerers came across the British Islands first."
"You do understand that what you're both suggesting would not just rewrite history as we know it but also alter it and perhaps even the future forever, right?" Kitch asked, moving forward.
"Is that such a bad thing?" Daemon asked.
"Perhaps." Kitch answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "Perhaps not. Depends on whether or not your theory is true."
Daemon laughed but said nothing as continued his path to the wall, silent now as he began to study the symbols that covered almost every inch of the walls that they could see.
"Well," Kitch continued sarcastically as he, too, began studying the symbols. "We'll get this mystery solved in next to no time at all. I mean, can't be that hard, translating ancient symbols and texts, now can it?"
"Not hard at all." Daemon answered. "As I recognize these symbols from my Ancient Runes class."
"Really?" Kitch asked. "What do they say?"
"Three in life, one in death, choose the one you wish not to be given, choose right and you'll find where It is hidden." Daemon paused, moving to study four symbols just above the floor. "One is Fire, one is water, one is wind, and the final is thunder."
"What's it mean?" Tabitha asked.
"Is it not obvious?" Daemon responded lightly.
"Oh yes, it's very obvious." She answered sarcastically. "I mean, that's the whole reason I asked."
"We've been given four symbols." Elianna answered. "Each symbol represents a natural element. Three are elements that give life, one brings death. We want to choose the one we want not to be given, so obviously we have to choose the element that brings death if we're to find where It is hidden."
"What is It?" Kitch asked, his brow furrowing in thought.
"Well, we can rule out the element of Water." Daemon said, still staring down at the four symbols. "Without Water we'd have no life."
"Fire?" Kitch asked. "It is an element of death-"
"Perhaps not, mate." Daemon cut off. "Fire can give life too."
"How?"
"By destroying older vegetation and making room for new plantlife to grow in turn." Daemon answered.
"Wind?" Elianna asked.
"I don't think so." Daemon continued. "Some plants rely on winds to spread their seed so that new plants of that species can grow and take root."
"So then, that leaves thunder." Kitch answered. "But can't lightening spark wildfires, which in turn gives life to new plantlife?" "Yeah, but that's an indirect chain of events." Daemon answered. "Lightening isn't directly responsible for giving life, not in any way that I can think of, at any rate."
"So then, we have three elements directly responsible for actions that give life and one that's not." Elianna surmised. "That sounds like our answer to me."
"Hang on." Kitch declared, still feeling uneasy. "It's too easy, too simple."
"From your point-of-view, perhaps." Daemon countered. "However, sometimes we may find that the simplest problems are the most complex, the most difficult to solve. Perhaps whoever created this puzzle knew we'd feel the answer's too easy and that's why they left it as it now is."
"Okay then, so the answer's Thunder. Now what?"
Daemon, in turn, bent down and pressed gently against one of the four large symbols, and almost at that very instant a section of wall on the other side of the room opened up, revealing a narrow corridor beyond that, by the looks of it, traveled well below ground.
As though a group of automatic servants, the four teenagers covered the room's distance, not hesitating as they entered the narrow corridor beyond what had, moments before, been a solid wall. However, once Tabitha, bringing up the rear of the group, was in, the wall slammed shut, effectively cutting them off from the outside world.
"Smart move." Tabitha barked as they stopped for a brief pause, looking at what was once more solid wall. "We're so lubed if we find anything that turns out to be not-so-friendly."
"I've got a backup plan or two." Kitch returned as they again began their descent down the corridor. "Let's just hope we don't have to use them."
"Why not?" Daemon asked, causing him to laugh.
"Because," He answered a moment later as the corridor leveled off. "As Tabby said, we'll be so lubed."
The corridor, however, ended almost the moment it leveled off, and, as though thoroughly determined to keep them from escaping, the steps that had made the corridor dissovled, creating nothing but a steep, slick slide that'd be all but impossible to ascend.
"I am really beginning to think that coming down here was a bad IDEA!" The last word of Elianna's sentence was transformed into a screen as the floor below them suddenly dissolved, leaving nothing but darkness below as all for teens screamed their objections.
Kitch fought to try and reach for the first of his backup plans, but found that he was falling too rapidly and out of control to reach into the pockets of his shorts.
Moments later the falling came to an abrubt stop as they landed on something soft and massive, making the event relatively painless.
"So, Kitch, about that backup plan of yours." Tabitha said, shuffling through the darkness. Though he wasn't too keen about retreating like a coward, they were forbidden to use magic except to save their lives, and though he didn't mind breaking the law to do that, he knew it'd nevertheless be wise to avoid such a situation altogether if possible.
He felt something slithering beneath him as he reached towards his shorts pockets, and then, as the tips of his fingers brushed up against the fabrics of his shorts, something thick, cold, damp and slimy wrapped around his wrist, jerking it away from his body.
"What the-" Tabitha began, only to have Elianna's screams cut her sentence off before it even fully formed.
"Well curse it all!" Daemon barked. "This isn't the best situation I've ever been in."
"What the blazes is it?" Kitch asked, struggling as the mass of whatever it was continued to strengthen its grip on him, acting as though his struggling was actually making it act faster and tougher.
"It's a Devil's Snare." The British teen answered back, sounding suddenly calm and at peace. "And a really old one by the feel of it."
"Any ideas on how to get free of it?" Tabitha asked. "We-" The rest of her words, however, were drowned out, muffled, as though she'd suddenly been gagged and bound.
"Calm down, everyone, now!" Daemon ordered. "The more we struggle the more aggressive it gets. If you don't move, it'll release you, but if you struggle it'll only kill you faster."
"Just kriffin' lovely." Kitch growled, his arms bound now so that it was impossible to reach inside of his shorts. "Okay, then, time for Plan B." He growled. "SKI-"
The name of the family house-elf, however, was drowned out suddenly as a thick, green slimy vine covered his mouth, preventing him from saying anything else.
Moments later he could have sworn he heard the sound of a distant thump, like a body hitting the ground dozens of feet away. Deciding to test Daemon's theory, he then closed his eyes and held his breath, pretending he were somewhere, anywhere, else, doing something other than being held captive by a Devil's Snare.
After several long, silent seconds, the grip the monstrosity had on him suddenly disappeared, and again the young wizard had the sensation that he was falling freely through the air…until his rump exploded several seconds later as he contacted cold, hard stone.
"You okay, mate?" Daemon asked, helping him to his feet.
"Yeah." He muttered, dusting himself off. "Tabby, Elianna, it's okay! Just close your eyes, hold your breath, and pretend you're somewhere else!"
A minute later he and Daemon were again helping the two girls back to their feet, and, though bruised, Kitch was glad to at least see that they were all still in one piece.
"I wish we had some light." Tabitha muttered, and with that last word torches flickered to life along the walls, dim green flames that cast the room into a surreal emerald glow. Square in shape and large in size, there was only one way out…the corridor sitting silently to their left.
"What do you guys think?" Daemon asked. "Do we keep going or use one of Kitch's escape plans to go back the way we came?"
"We keep going." Kitch answered, moving towards the corridor. "We've survived a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a dragon, and a Devil's Snare. What could possibly be left that's worse than all that?"
"Be careful, Kitch Grant, of what you wish for." Daemon warned softly. "Because you just might get it."
"Kitch has a point." Elianna said, backing her boyfriend up. What if the It your ancient runes spoke of is something that could benefit all of mankind, magical and muggle alike? We'd be derilict in our duties as wizards in not putting forth all our efforts to recover it."
"And what if it's a second Pandora's Box?" Daemon asked. "What if these anti-intruder spells are here for a reason? What if by going forward we risk releasing an unknown evil into our world? What if, by not withdrawing, we're dooming all of the world's muggles, or worse, sorcerers?"
Kitch paused, considering their new neighbor's words, and though he felt an irresistable urge to move forward, he knew Daemon had a very valid point. After all, Kitch's bloodline was notable for countless deeds of good and kindness all across the globe, but it'd also been responsible for one of the world's top five dark wizards of all time as well? Did he really want to risk tarnishing what was left of his family name even further by chasing a glory that may never have even existed?
"We exercise due caution as we move, but, for now, I say we move forward."
And he fitted words to action by moving forward, entering the corridor without ever looking back, knowing by the sounds of their footsteps that all three of the other teens were following right behind him.
The corridor seemed to stretch on forever, but eventually, as Kitch privately began reconsidering his decision to not go home, it came to a stone wall, leaving them only the option of turning right and going down another corridor consisting of a solid, smooth ramp-like floor.
Not hesitating, afraid of what he might decide if he did, Kitch put one foot in front of the other and began walking down the steps, and, to his relief, nothing happened. Encouraged by his apparent success, his three friends joined him, and together, side-by-side in the much-wider corridor, the four began moving forward…
Until the ground beneath them began to rumble and shake, and with the sound of a blasting crash coming from behind, the four turned as one to look up at the corridor entrance…just in time to see a massive, solid boulder drop from an endless ceiling and begin rolling towards them.
"Not good." Kitch said. "RUN!"
None of them needed to be told twice, and, with their very lives now on the line, they charged forward with reckless abandon, speeding down the ramp as, behind them, the boulder gained momentum.
They veered left at the end of the corridor, slowing down with the thought that they'd be safe now, but the boulder crashed into the wall and began rolling directly towards them, and wasting no addition time they moved forward once more.
Left.
Right.
Left.
Right.
Forward.
Right.
On the four friends ran, their feet and legs now burning with fatigue as their muscles began to stiffen and their bones began to groan in protest.
"W-we c-can't… …keep this…we can't go on-"
And Kitch's sentence was cut off as the floor below them again disappeared, sending them sprawling through the air once more, the boulder coming to rest above, covering the hole in the floor that had inadvertantly saved their lives.
Several long, silent moments passed by, stretching on like millennia and eons, filled only with the sound of rushing air…at least, until they hit water…
The shocking, numbing coldness of the subterrainian lake froze Kitch for several long moments, paralyzing him into doing nothing as he collected himself. Once his body began shrugging off the effects, however, he was again on the move, his head eventually breaking surface only a few feet away from the edge, which, in turn, was elevated nearly a full foot above the water.
Before he could proceed to the shore, however, he felt something thin and powerful grab each of his ankles, forcing him back under the water once more.
His eyes stung as he opened them underwater, but he shut out that pain, bending over to look at what had such a powerful hold on him, and almost immediately he recognized the agressor…it was a matching pair of Grindylows, and the look in their eyes made it perfect what their intentions were. Kitch, however, smiled, feeling, for the first time all day, as if he were now the one in control.
He doubled over, grabbing the Grindylow on his left with both hands. One of the countless dark creatures they'd studied in their Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, he knew them to be strong water demons with amazingly brittle and weak fingers, which, because they were so easy to break, created a dangerous vulnerability for them.
Balling his left fist up, Kitch lashed out, putting every last ounce of strength into the punch, and, sure enough, the impact was too great for the Grindylow on his left, and with its fingers now broken, that creature disappeared into the depths once more.
His left foot now free, he brought the tip of it swinging over to his left foot, catching the second Grindylow's fingers and breaking them as well, forcing it to release him as well, freeing him to again return to the surface, his lungs gasping for air.
Daemon and Tabitha were already safely on the edge of the water, safe from the Grindylows and gasping to catch their breath. Looking around, however, Kitch felt his heart plummeting as he realized Elianna was nowhere to be seen.
"Elianna?" He shouted, moving towards the edge of the water, not moving to get out in case-
The sound of frantic splashing immediately commandeered his attention, and, turning back towards the center of the body of water, through the dim light, he could make out a form that could only be Elianna, her head struggling just briefly before she was again forced back underwater.
"Elianna!" He roared, charging forward through the water like a shark in search of prey. Rapidly approaching where she'd submerged once more, he followed her underwater, his eyes opening and rejecting the stinging as he locked onto the three Grindylows dragging her helplessly towards the bottom.
His lungs now demanding a new supply of oxygen real soon, he began the process of attacking each Grindylow one-by-one, breaking their fingers and forcing them to release their grip on his girlfriend.
Once done he grabbed Elianna from behind, his arms wrapping around her chest just below the twin lumps of her breasts, and, his lungs now on the verge of seizing up from lack of fresh air, he began kicking for the surface while also moving closer to the shore.
His lungs were now so desperate for a fresh supply of oxygen that they began trying to force him to breath, even though he was still underwater, and his mind was slowly losing the battle and the willpower to hold off on making such a fatal mistake.
Luckily, though, his head, Elianna's right next to him, broke the surface once more, and as his frenzied lungs swallowed in their needed oxygen and Elianna began coughing, a sign she was still alive, he finished powering them towards Daemon and Tabitha, both of whom were now stretching out to pull Elianna safely out of the water.
"You okay Kitch?" Tabitha asked as he followed his girlfriend to the stone shore, and, too breathless to speak, he nodded his head, and, afraid of what Elianna might say for this one, he avoid her eyes, staring down at the floor instead.
"Guys, can Kitch and I have a moment alone?" She asked, her voice amazingly steady and calm. Daemon and Tabitha, in turn, moved away, crossing the room in silence to comply with her request.
"Before you say anything, I know it was stupid to go after you." He began, but before he could continue he found his face being forced upwards, and even as he made contact with her eyes, hidden now behind wet, misty glasses, her lips were pressing against his, and he found himself melting away like a puddle of water.
"Thanks." She mumbled several seconds later as their lips finally parted. "You don't know how luck I am you've always got my back."
"Always." He answered, taking her hands into his and pulling her close for another kiss. "Look, about earlier-"
"Don't sweat it, Kitch." She said, kissing him back. "It wasn't a real dragon, and it is nice to know there's someone who thinks my life is more important than his own."
As she finished she pulled her glasses off and slung them towards the ground, sending the larger drops of water flying away.
"Wow, you two really need to find a room." Daemon muttered as he and Tabitha returned. "Anywho, if you're both done playing kissy-kissy, we've found another exit."
"Let's go." Kitch muttered, pulling his girlfriend to her feet. "I find myself suddenly no longer caring if it's the Staff of Merlin himself hidden down here."
Through the next corridor they walked, Kitch holding his girlfriend to his side the entire time, even as they reached another deadend of thick, mighty stone.
"I can see no way of opening it." Daemon admitted a moment later after he finished examining closely.
"Bloody kriffin' hell!" Kitch roared, not knowing what else to say. "OPEN!"
And quite suddenly, on that one single word, the wall slid down into the ground, revealing a tall, rectangular doorway for them to walk through.
"Nice one, mate." Daemon laughed as the four crossed the threshold and continued across the room, a small, circular space.
"Congratulations on surviving my spells." A light voice called out. "Of course, now that you've found me I suppose I must now decide what I shall do with you."
All four teens spun around.
{Location: Little Sherryport, Southern England}
"Can I help you?" The brown-haired woman asked, and it was all Izumi Tatsu could do to not vomit in repulsion. The muggle woman was small and skinny, what some muggles might consider pretty or even beautiful, but the years, though she could be no more than forty, had taken their toll on her.
"Yes, ma'am." She replied back, forcing kindness and a polite tone into her voice. "I'm a professor from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I must speak with your son."
"Plo?" She asked, a confused look taking over her face. "Is he in trouble? Has he done something-"
"Your son is in no trouble, Ms. Tamwood." She answered, cutting the woman off before she could babble on any further. "I'm here merely to speak to him regarding one of the assignments I gave him for the summer holidays."
"Oh, okay." She responded, clearly relieved. "Plo!" She beckoned back into the small cottage she called home. "You have a visitor!"
"Who is it?"
"One of your teachers!" The woman shouted. "Now get down here!" As she finished she turned back towards Izumi. "Would you like to come in, miss-"
"No thank you, Ms. Tamwood." Izumi answered, refusing to enter such a filthy home, an act that'd be an insult to wizards everywhere. "I've not been feeling kindly lately, I'm afraid."
"I'm sorry to hear that-"
"Who is-oh, hello, professor." The boy answered, and though he clearly knew she was lying, he was making no effort to call her out on it.
"Come along, Mr. Tamwood, we must speak. Don't fret, Ms. Tamwood: I'll have him home before curfew."
"Of course, Professor." The woman answered, eyeing her son. "Stay out of trouble, Plo, or I'll have you grounded all summer."
"Okay, mum, don't get your knickers in a twist."
As Izumi led Plo Tamwood away from his home, she had to resist the urge to smile. Slightly taller and thinner than his father, the boy had the man's eyes and face, and though a mudblood he very much had his father's power.
"Okay, drop the act." Plo ordered seconds later. "We both know you're not a Hogwarts professor, so tell me who you really are, why you're here, and what you want from me."
"You've been cursed with dirty blood, Mr. Tamwood. Tell me, have you never wondered about your father, the man who couldn't let you be born of a witch and thus gaurantee you come from noble magical stock?"
"One day I will find him, and he will answer to me, but for now I'm content-"
"I know who your father is and where he's at right now, at this very moment."
"You what?"
"Through your father you have inherited a great deal of magical talent, talent that, through your present course, will be squandered and wasted. He abandoned you to whatever fate destiny might have in store for you, no longer caring two Knuts about you."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I am in the market for an apprentice, Mr. Tamwood, someone to whom I can pass my knowledge and experience, a student who can progress forward my legacy. I have chosen you to become my learner."
"What's in it for me?" He asked, stopping to look at the woman. "Aside from so-called knowledge? What would I be getting? What would you be doing for me, and me for you?"
"You will give me your full, unquestionable loyalty." She answered, smiling beneath her cloak. "You will do precisely as I instruct as we advance our goals. I will pass down to you great knowledge, knowledge you could obtain nowhere else. I will make you the most powerful wizard in history."
"My father." He insisted. "Prove your claims to me. Give me my father to punish and I will be your 'apprentice'. Take me to him, now."
Her smile only grew. Fully turning him to the Dark Side would be much easier than she had planned.
"In time, my young apprentice." She answered. "First you must learn of the legacy he's left you, and we will hit him where it hurts the most."
"What do you mean?"
"Your first target will be your younger brother."
"Brother?" He spat. "I have a brother?"
"Two, to be precise, and three sisters. One brother, however, is dead. You see, you are not the only child of the former Dread Lord Imperious, known again as Matthias Grant."
"And you'll give me all of them?"
"I will teach you how to destroy every last one of them before you kill them."
"Then I submit myself to your teachings, my mistress. What would you have of me?"
"Take my arm. We will retire to a more private place where we can further discuss your education, my apprentice."
As he was instructed, he took her arm, and with a loud CRACK they were gone.
And that be the end of Chapter Two. Yes, I know, Harry Potter meets Indiana Jones meets Jurassic Park. So, anyone have any ideas yet as to what the temple's for, or who it is they discovered deep beneath its ruins?
You guys don't know just how hard it was for me to write this particular chapter, especially when I have to keep in mind that Kitch, Daemon, Elianna, and Tabitha aren't allowed to use magic outside of school unless their lives are on the life, and though I know some of those circumstances could be considered life-threatening I still thought it'd be best for them to use non-magical solutions to make their escapes.
And no, despite all evidence to the contrary, Izumi Tatsu's not up to her old tricks...she's up to all new ones. So, has she truly found a second illegitimate son of the Dread Lord, or is she mudding the facts and twisting an innocent boy to meet her sick, demented needs and wishes? Hmm...I suppose there's only one way to find out, isn't there?
Until next time...