Ch 3-The Hooded Stranger

Broderick cancelled lessons for the next day, which gave Artemis a lot of time to think, mostly about what he had done, but also about some unanswered questions. Who sent him the music? What else about his powers did he not know? And why did Broderick lie to him?

Artemis became increasingly aware of how serious his situation was. The Ministry of Magic had to be called down to assess the situation; to cleanup and repair the homes and farmland that was destroyed, and erase memories of those muggles who saw the destructive scene.

An owl flew into his window, Artemis recognized Broderick's owl, Finch, carrying a letter attached to a small cloth bag. Inside the bag was a familiar substance, flu powder, written on the letter was only "The Muldoon Cellar" Artemis knew what he had to do, he climbed into his fireplace. With a great shout he yelled "The Muldoon Cellar!" Than he threw the powder down and burst into a magnificent ball of emerald flames. When the flames ceased, Artemis found himself in a large cellar, dark, only lit by lamps attached to the arched columns in the room. All around in large long rows were enormous barrels, and there was a smell of musk and dust in the air, and out of the darkness stepped Broderick.

"My family owned this winery, I remember coming down here often to escape my parents, hundreds of gallons of wine reside down here, I even remember learning how to make wine...I hope you understand the seriousness of what you have done", Broderick said

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't!...speak." Just listen, the minister is furious, the fact that you are currently not locked up in Azkaban is only due to any pull I had left in the Ministry." Silence hovers over the room, than Broderick continues.

"Was anyone hurt", asked Artemis.

"Thankfully no, but i have to ask you Artemis, and you must tell me the truth. Who gave you the music?"

"I don't know"

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Broderick immediately retracts himself, and Artemis is shocked, Broderick never raised his voice like that before.

"I'm sorry", Broderick said. "This whole thing is exactly what I feared for you, and now that it's happened...Artemis I just want to know how it happened"

"I'm sorry for the grief I caused you Broderick, but I really don't know, I just found the music in my portfolio."

"How did it get in there?"

"I don't know"

"Where did you go after lessons?"

"Nowhere"

"You're absolutely certain?"

"Yes"

"Then how did you get the music?"

"I don't know!"

"Why did you try a new piece by yourself?"

"I just wanted to..."

"To what? Feel alive? Thirteen homes were destroyed;Ayear's worth of crops were incinerated!"

"This is all your fault, Broderick!"

"My fault?"

"You lied to me Broderick, you never told me about what I was capable of!"

"To protect you!"

"To protect me from what?"

"FROM YOURSELF!" Once again the shadow of silence is cast over the two. "You have no idea the power you have inside you Artemis. To a person like Voldemort you are a nuclear weapon that he could twist and use to support his destructive campaign."

With much anger in his voice Artemis snapped, "I'm not an idiot Broderick! Nor am I a child! I can take care of myself"

"Can you now, because i think only an idiot would've tampered with magic he knows nothing about!"

Stupefy! Artemis shouted with immense anger. The charm screamed across the room and struck Broderick right in the chest sending him flying across the cellar and crashing into a giant barrel releasing a cascade of wine.

Broderick composed himself and struck back, "Inflatus!" With a bright blue flash Atemis was blown back and sent right into an arched column bouncing off of it like a rag doll. Artemis shook himselfoff and came to a stand. He pointed at the stands holding up the wine barrels and casted "Diffindo!" The wooden supports were cut and four enormous wine barrels came tumbling down and rolling toward Broderick.

As the barrels neared Broderick he shouted, "Reducto!" The barrels exploded with a flash of brilliant light spraying gallons of wine all over the room. The floor was now flooded with red wine and was rising as the two casted charms at one another and cracking the barrels and pouring wine from their numerous holes. The wine had risen above their ankles and it sloshed around as they ran about the room.

"Enough of this!"Shouted !

Artemis was immediately incased in a large sphere of the wine that covered the floor, the wine crested and encircled Artemis, and somehow he could still breathe even though he was surrounded by liquid as if he was drowning

"Enough of this Artemis, enough",Broderick said with a stern but calming voice. "I never wanted this for you. I loved you like a son Artemis", Broderick raised his wand, Corripi...

Expeliarmus! A voice from another side of the room shouted sending Broderick hurling aside and hitting the wall. With his concentration broken Artemis fell and the sphere collapsed releasing him. Artemis lied weak on the ground and lifted his head and looked around for the voice that casted the spell, but his vision was blurred from the wine burning in his eyes.

Broderick composed himself, and looked at where the spell had come from. Broderick's eyes grew wide and said, "You!"

Broderick casted a charm at the mystery person and it was deflected. Artemis could not see him as he hid in the shadows, and he heard the unseen sorcerer "Incendio!" He shot flames at the wine igniting the entire surface of the fluids that flooded the room. Artemis turned over and shielded himself he saw the room filled with flames, but he did not feel them. He had no idea how, but he looked just in time to see the unknown person ascend the stairs and disappear out of site. He turned and saw Broderick fighting off the flames as best he could, and just as Broderick linked eyes with Artemis, Broderick's arm caught fire and he flung frantically screaming trying to save himself.

"Why do I not burn?" Artemis thought to himself. Just then he felt arms wrap around his shoulders and in an instant they disapparated.

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Artemis had never disapparated before, as soon as they stopped Artemis dropped to his knees and vomited, he felt as if his insides had been turned out.

"You'll get used to that", said the hooded stranger.

Artemis whirled around to see a man standing in a black cloak, a hood casting an everlasting shadow across his face. His voice was dark sounding but filled with mystery. Artemis couldn't help but feel the utmost curiosity toward the man. He had many questions, the most obvious of which being;

"Who are you?" The man stood straight as an arrow.

"I am a friend, more i am a guardian, looking out for you and trying to protect you."

"Protect me from what?"

A slight pause than he spoke these words with assurance in his cause, "From Broderick Muldoon", the stranger said.

"I don't understand", Artemis replied with confusion.

"You must believe me and understand me when I say this, Broderick Muldoon has been using you Artemis."

At this point Artemis didn't even question how the stranger knew his name.

"What do you mean?"

"You come from a long line of witches and wizards do you not, as i understand the Gridlock family has been a proud wizarding family for over 300 years."

"Yes", Artemis said in agreement.

"And if I'm not mistaken the Muldoon family runs a muggle owned winery, his mother is a muggle, therefore...he is a half-blood"

Artemis was taken aback; he took a step away from the stranger and spoke the next words with innocent defense, "What's wrong with half-bloods?" The stranger replied with sincerity. "Oh nothing really, we just believe that certain restrictions should be in place."

"What kind of restrictions?"

"Well Artemis you are a pure-blood, both of your parents are magical born, it stands to reason then that because Broderick has only a wizard father you are twice as powerful as him." Artemis stands silent for a moment taking this in.

"I guess that makes sense." Artemis said.

"But because your whole family is pure blood, why I say that you may be fifty times more powerful than him."

"Well I do possess antiquusmagicom, and musica."

"There you are you see, who is he, a mud-blood to teach a great sorcerer like you...you should be teaching him."

"Yeah I should, shouldn't I?"

"Absolutely, he has always held you back, kept you from unlocking your true power. And that Artemis, is because he is jealous! He desires your power."

"Yeah", Artemis said agreeing with every word the stranger said.

"When I saved you in the winery, he was about to cast the Corripio Curse on you."

"That was you in the cellar, but what does this curse do?"

"It allows a wizard to steal the powers of another wizard and absorb them, he was trying to steal away your power and take it for his own."

Artemis stumbled back, shocked at this news, that Broderick had not only lied to him, but betrayed him as well. He believed he had a sense of "I knew it" about him. He grew angry and bitter toward Broderick and now all his unanswered questions about the night he played Requiem were answered in one fell swoop. He understood why he was never allowed to try new music and why Broderick never allowed him to do anything destructive. And now with Broderick trying to steal away his powers Artemis now had a very different view of his teacher Broderick Muldoon. Artemis snapped out of his angry fantasy when the stranger spoke again.

"I can teach you, how to use your power to its full potential, and how to become a great sorcerer." Artemis pondered this thought; he obviously is a good man who is very wise and powerful.

"Yes, I'll do it, I'll become your apprentice."

"Excellent", said the stranger.

Artemis' head whirled with the thought of new possibilities finally a chance to achieve my full greatness with no one to hold me back. Artemis rejoined reality for a moment to ask one final unanswered question

"Sir, not that I am ungrateful for what you have done for me, but I must know...Who are you?"

The man slowly pulled back his hood, well Artemis did feel some relief when the man looked normal, no horns or anything just a normal looking man. He was tall, and handsome looking, he had a very pronounced jaw and a tall face to accompany it. He had a rigid stature and broad shoulders. His hair was deep brown and was combed into a messy part; he had a sinister looking smile, the stranger extended out his hand.

"Please to meet you Artemis Gridlock, my name is Tom."