I'm actually surprised how many people enjoyed the last chapter. I'm sure I was going to get some hate on what I did to Travis, and the sudden change in Snape. But I was proven wrong, and that makes me happy.
Welcome to another chapter of Battle Mage of Hogwarts, Year 2. I hope you all enjoy this one as much as you did the last one.
Before I get started, small ad here. Kyuubi16 wishes for it to be known that Dragonrider262 on Deviant Art has made several great pictures for his NarutoxW.I.T.C.H crossover, The Guardian Kitsune. So give them a peek if you're a Kyuubi16 fan.
Now onto the festivities!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That is J.'s work.
Chapter 4
Bludgers, Mysteries, and
House Elves
The week following Travis's humiliation and the Slytherin's punishment was definitely a rocky one for the school. The morning afterwards, numerous letters rained down upon the Slytherin table, as well as the Head Table. Several Howlers even arrived, all of whom were parents yelling at Snape and Dumbledore for 'unjust treatment' of their children. Most of these parents being the 'pureblood' nobles of the Wizarding World.
The worst though came on Friday, in the irate form of one Lucius Malfoy. The father of Draco Malfoy and member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors burst into Hogwarts, and strolled imperiously towards the Headmaster's office, only to be stopped by the large gargoyle statue that blocked the way. He pulled out his wand and began trying to get past via spell work, only for nothing to work.
"Open blast you!" He snarled, preparing to try and destroy the stone statue, only to be stopped by Professor McGonagall.
"Mr. Malfoy, what is the meaning of this?" She demanded. Lucius turned to her with a sneer.
"I have important business with the Headmaster. What is the password?" He snapped.
Minerva McGonagall crossed her arms and gave him a rather severe stare, which had cowed countless students into line. "Do you have an appointment?" She asked.
He just scoffed. "I'm on the Board of Governors! I do not need an appointment. Now you tell me the password, or I will destroy this statue," he snarled out.
McGonagall sighed and turned to the gargoyle. "Sherbet Lemon," she said. The statue actually seemed reluctant as it sprang to life and moved away, revealing the staircase. Lucius Malfoy strolled up the steps imperiously, as McGonagall shook her head.
In his office, Dumbledore tiredly crumpled another angry letter, and simple threw it into the fireplace of his office. Watching it burn, he couldn't help but feel old. He had let things with the Slytherin House slip out of control. Just like he had with Voldemort, just like he had with so many other things. He should have taken action. If he had, what had happened wouldn't have come to pass.
He looked up just as Lucius Malfoy stormed through the door and strolled arrogantly up to Dumbledore's desk. "Dumbledore, what is this nonsense I've heard, concerning the Slytherin House? How the entirety of the house is being punished for the actions of two students?" He snarled.
Dumbledore slowly steepled his fingers, glancing over them at the blonde haired man before him. "The actions of those two students were just one of many actions conducted by Slytherin Students over the years," he said quietly. "Those two Slytherin students humiliated and mentally abused a First Year student, because they believed they would be allowed to get away with it, thanks to the inaction of the Head of House. Professor Snape's punishment of the entire house helped to show that they would no longer be allowed to get away with such actions. While I know there are quite a few innocent students in that House, there are several who are far from innocent. This also serves as an example to the rest of the school."
Lucius snorted. "This is utter rot, Dumbledore. The Board of Governors will not stand for this!"
Dumbledore slowly stood. "The Board of Governors should also remember this, Lucius; I am Headmaster of this school. And the students are under my care, as well as that of the teachers. Not only that, but the boy who was the subject of humiliation and torment is part of an order of magic wielders who are not only a great ally, but could be a very deadly enemy to the magical world. These Battle Mages have existed long before witches and wizards did. If action was not taken, we risked alienating them. Something I truly doubt the Ministry of Magic would appreciate, considering what we can learn from them. However, do not believe that we are playing favorites here. If it had students from any other house performing such a horrible action against students from any other house, similar actions would have been taken."
Lucius snarled before turning away. "Be warned, Dumbledore. You have been given much leniency over the years, due to who you are. But there are those who will only tolerate your actions for so long." With that, he stormed out, as Dumbledore sighed quietly, sitting back down. He wearily looked at his office, exhausted
"I'm getting too old for this," he said, unwrapping a lemon drop and quietly sucking on it.
Gryffindor Common Room
Harry sat quietly in an armchair next to the fir, staring at nothing. The twelve year old Battle Mage was still angry and sad over the events concerning his brother a week earlier. He had written to Travis almost immediately afterwards, telling him what had happened to the Slytherin House. But the reply from his litter brother had sounded subdued.
The feeling in the Gryffindor House was subdued as well. The shock at what had happened to Travis, and Dumbledore's warning about this type of behavior towards others, had dampened many of the student's spirits. Even the Weasley twins had toned it down, at least temporarily. Most of their pranks now were just simple gags done around the Gryffindor Common Room, meant more to lighten the mood than anything else.
Beside Harry were Hermione and Neville, who quietly worked on their own little projects while glancing at Harry. Neville was writing a report for History of Magic, while Hermione was furiously reading a copy of Hogwarts, A History. She finally slammed the book shut, sighing. "Nothing!"
Harry glanced tiredly at Hermione. "What?" he asked, blinking.
Hermione sighed. "I've been pouring over this book for any reference to the Chamber of Secrets. And there is absolutely nothing concrete in here about it. They are just rumors and possible references to it."
Neville looked up at her from his report. "I guess what McGonagall told Harry is true. Nothing for certain is known about it, other than Salazar Slytherin was rumored to have made it."
Hermione tapped her chin in thought. "I could ask Professor Binns about it. He is the History of Magic Professor here. I bet he'd have some ideas on it."
Harry just shrugged, not really paying attention that much. The events with Travis had pushed it from his mind.
He had noticed, though, that Snape had been true to his word. Their first Potions class of the week, Snape had been quite different. He had written the instructions on the board, but then he had walked amongst them, and occasionally offered tips and advice to all the students. He had even offered hesitant praise to Hermione, who had made a practically perfect potion. It was so strange to see the man act like this, as he almost seemed unsure.
Draco Malfoy, though, had not been any different. He wasn't as loud now, but he was still arrogant as ever, blaming Harry for all of the Slytherin's troubles. Harry had just sent him such a hate filled glare that Draco had immediately shut up and turned away.
Ron had quieted down a bit too. He no longer seemed intent on attacking Harry and trying to get everyone else to see Harry as an attention seeking glory hog. But neither did he warm up to Harry. He still kept his distance, glaring every now and then.
Harry just sighed, as he looked at them. "You two want to go for a walk?" He asked. "I just need to get out of here."
The two of them looked at each other, and then nodded, standing up. Harry sighed as he led them out of the Tower.
Elsewhere in the castle, Astoria Greengrass hid behind a suit of armor as two Fifth Year Slytherin students passed by in the hall. She slowly peeked out.
The younger Greengrass sister was a mess. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her clothes were ruffled, and her hair looked like it hadn't been combed in days. The poor girl sniffled a bit, trying not to break into tears again.
This past week had been an absolute disaster for her. After Snape had punished the entirety of the Slytherin house, word had spread amongst her fellow house mates how it had been her that Travis had been talking to. And how she had told the two older students Travis had been bothering her. In the minds of the Slytherin students, that translated to what happened being just as much her fault as it was the two expelled students.
Astoria was the pariah of her House now. If the others weren't ignoring her, they were making her life miserable. The only person she had was her sister, and Daphne could only protect her when she wasn't busy with her own classes.
Astoria turned to bolt down the hallway, only to run into someone and fall over. She whimpered, looking up, only to find herself looking at the head of her house, Professor Snape.
Severus Snape blinked in surprise at the small figure that had run into him. He gently held out a hand. "Are you alright?" he asked, only to notice her rough appearance and red, puffy eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked.
In that moment, the stress of everything that had happened to her just broke, and Astoria dissolved into tears, sobbing heavily. Snape's eyes widened, and he quickly helped her up, before ushering her away into his office, where he sat her down. She just continued to sob her heart out, as Snape awkwardly did his best to comfort her. He wasn't exactly good at it, having never done something like this before.
Eventually, young Astoria's sobs quieted down, before she finally whimpered out, "It's all my fault. It's my fault."
Snape blinked at her. "What?"
She looked up at him. "P-Professor…..t-that boy, Travis. He was…he was being nice to me. He came over and asked me if I wanted some company. B-Because I was all alone at my table. And then those two other boys came over and asked if he was bothering me and….and I thought if I said yes, the other girls in my year would like me. It's all my fault!" She yelled, breaking down again and sobbing.
Snape looked at her, not knowing at all what to do. He looked around the office, as if something would give him some inspiration, before he sighed and hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, as he tried to gather his thoughts. "You know….I…..I think you and I might share something similar," he said, as he knelt down. "You see…..when I was going to school here….I had a friend. She was a really great friend too. But then I did something horrible, and I lost her."
Astoria sniffled, looking at his blurred image through her watery eyes. Snape continued, hoping he was saying the right things. "I felt similar to the way you do now. She was my only real friend in the school, and because of one stupid thing I said, she didn't want to have anything to do with me anymore. And that hurt a lot. But eventually…..eventually….the pain goes away," he said, as he gently squeezed her shoulder. "I guess…..I'm trying to say is….you did make a mistake…..but you can learn from this. You can make sure you don't let something like this happen again."
She just sniffled, giving a small nod. Snape looked her over again. "Now….can I ask why you were hiding from those other students?" He asked.
She sniffled again, looking at her shoes. "Everyone in the house hates me," she whispered. "They blame me for the punishment you gave us."
Snape internally winced at that. He nodded. "I will speak to them immediately about it. While I may not be able to get them to talk to you or like you, I can get them to leave you alone," he said. When Astoria just nodded numbly, he decided to add a bit more. "And Astoria? If ever you need someone to talk to, my door is always open," he said.
Astoria looked up at him, before hugging him. Snape's eyes widened and he went rigid for a moment, before he slowly and awkwardly hugged her back.
Astoria just whimpered softly. "T-Thank you Professor Snape," she whispered.
Snape weakly smiled. "It's alright Miss Greengrass…it's not a problem," he said.
Thursday
Harry was rubbing his temples as he looked over the various notes Hermione had gathered. "So this is everything you found out from Professor Binns?" He asked, glancing at Hermione.
She nodded eagerly. "Yes it is! As well as what little I could find in books and such. Now, Professor McGonagall was right, in that Salazar Slytherin created the Chamber. According to rumors, that is. And a few books mentioned that he created this chamber as a 'defense of the school'. However, the people who mention this rumor believe that Salazar is referring to a defense against witches and wizards who are half blood or muggle born," she said. "It's been noted that Salazar was very mistrustful of those not of pureblood, bordering on paranoia."
Harry looked at her. "So in other words, he built this Chamber, and hid something in it to get rid of every student who wasn't at least half blooded?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes. However, no one knows what is in there. A few believe it to be some type of monster though. But who could possibly be the heir?"
Neville shrugged. "There's one obvious choice," he said, a bit darkly.
Hermione looked at him. "There's no way it could be Malfoy! He might be a horrible person, but I doubt he's the heir."
Harry shrugged. "There's something else to think about. This is happening this year. If the heir has been in the school for a while, why hasn't he or she struck before this year? Maybe the heir is someone who just now came to Hogwarts?"
Neville raised an eyebrow. "You mean a first year?"
Harry just sighed. "It's just a theory. Maybe it's not a first year that is the heir, but is a target. Or maybe it's not a student at all. We did just get a new teacher this year as well."
Hermione growled. "He may be an idiot, but I highly doubt Gilderoy Lockhart is the Heir of Slytherin!"
Harry sat back. "I'm just throwing out theories, alright? Don't snap my head off."
Hermione took a deep breath. "I know, I'm sorry."
Neville looked between them. "I think for now, we shouldn't make any assumptions, right guys? We don't have enough to go on here to make any accusations,"
Harry nodded. "He's right. For now, let's just hold onto the info we've got. If something comes up, we can look more into it."
Hermione agreed with them both. "So ummm….how is Travis?" she asked a bit hesitantly.
Harry glanced at her. "He's doing better. He actually sent me a letter this time. Apparently, he's asked dad to help train him in how to fight someone in unarmed combat."
Neville and Hermione both nodded. "That's good. I'm glad he seems to be feeling better," Hermione said softly.
Harry nodded. "Me too. I hope he comes back this year, but I can't blame him if he doesn't."
As the talk shifted towards other subjects, such as their homework, Harry's mind drifted a bit, as did his gaze. He slowly looked over the others in the room, before his eyes settled on Ginny. He blinked, before poking Neville. "Hey, is it just me, or does Ginny look a bit pale?" He asked.
Neville blinked. "Huh?" He looked past Harry at Ginny. "Really? I don't know," he said.
Hermione sighed. "I heard one of the other first years say she's shook up over Mrs. Norris. Apparently she's a great cat lover."
"Nobody told her about Mrs. Norris then," Harry joked quietly. The others chuckled, before going back to work. Harry dropped it from his mind, and began working on his homework too.
On the day of the Quidditch Match, the air was muggy, the sky was overcast, and the rumble of thunder echoed in the distance. Harry felt a tremor of apprehension, or anticipation go through him, as he entered the changing rooms.
Oliver grinned as he looked over the team as they finished changing. "Alright then! Listen up team! Slytherin may have better brooms then us, but last year, we proved we were the best, and took the Quidditch Cup! This year, let's show them again that it's the flier, and not the broom! Chasers, remember to keep your formations nice and tight. Fred, George, see if you can't unseat a couple of them. Harry, keep out of the way, and make sure you've got a good head start on Malfoy if you see the Snitch."
Everyone nodded, and Oliver grinned. "Then let's go!" He shouted.
The Gryffindor team streamed out onto the field amidst the roars of the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw students. The Slytherin's let their displeasure be known, though it was less than normal. Due to Professor Snape's punishment, Slytherin couldn't win the Quidditch Cup. However, they could at least knock Gryffindor down far enough, and allow another house a chance at winning it. And that would be satisfaction enough for them.
The two teams faced each other as Madame Hooch came out. She nodded to the captains of each team. "Shake hands Wood, Flint."
The two captains' shook hands, though it seemed like Flint was more intent on trying to crush Wood's hand then shake it. The two separated, and the teams mounted their brooms. With a blow of her whistle, Madame Hooch released the balls into the air. The two teams launched up after them.
Harry immediately shot up towards his normal position, which was high above the rest of the players. But as he did so, he heard the whistling of a Bludger moving at high speeds on his tail. He grunted in annoyance as he pulled back, going into an inverted dive, the Bludger still tight on his tail.
Harry wove in and out of the field of players, heading for one of the Weasley twins. Ahead of him, Fred angled in to intercept him, and he grinned, rolling under them, as they swung. The Bludger was sent flying, with Fred giving a triumphant grin. That grin faded though, when the Bludger seemed to boomerang around and follow Harry.
Harry blinked in surprise before turning tightly, managing to gain some distance as the Bludger wasn't able to follow the maneuver. It soon was catching up though, as Harry darted back the way he came, straight to Fred. Fred smacked the Bludger again, aiming at Marcus Flint. Again though, the Bludger shot back at Harry, who cursed as he push his broom to its maximum speed and shot up.
Hermione and Neville both blinked as they watched Harry. "What's going on with that Bludger? Why is it focusing on Harry?" Neville asked.
Hermione shook her head. "I don't know. But something is wrong, definitely wrong."
Harry nearly lost his glasses when he threw his broom into a barrel roll, the Bludger whizzing mere centimeters form his right ear as it shot past him. Harry went into another dive, trying to outrun the Bludger. He glanced left as George came up alongside him, then pulled back and backhanded the Bludger with his bat at Draco. Like before, the Bludger turned and aimed at Harry.
"Someone's tampered with it!" George shouted, trying to defend Harry. Harry just grunted as he used the few valuable seconds he had to scan for the Snitch. He was forced to duck though, as the Bludger aimed straight for his head.
As they passed the commentator's box, Harry heard Lee Jordon's voice. "And Gryffindor is falling behind, 60 to 20, as the Slytherin's Nimbus 2001's are really showing their stuff."
Harry grunted, looking at George. "Get out of here and help the others! I'll handle it!" He shouted.
George looked at him. "You're mental!"
Harry grinned. "Maybe I am," he said, before shooting away. The Bludger shot after him.
Harry went low to the field, the Bludger right on his tail, as he scanned the field. Whatever was going on with this Bludger, Harry was determined to make some good of it. He grinned when he saw the Slytherin Chasers start a play towards the Gryffindor goal posts. He banked right, heading on a head to head run with them.
The lead Chaser blinked in surprise as he saw Harry coming for him, before leaning in, determined not to flinch, and thus possibly remove Gryffindor's Seeker from the game. Unfortunately for him, this played right into Harry's plan. At the last second Harry rolled over him. The less agile Bludger, instead of rolling over the Chaser, smashed into his chest and shot him off his broom. He dropped the Quaffle as he fell, straight into Angelina's hands. She shot to the Slytherin's goal posts and managed to score.
"Amazing work by Seeker Potter, as he uses a Bludger to disrupt the Slytherin team's Chasers and allows Gryffindor to score! But that Bludger still seems to be on Potter's tail!" Lee Jordon shouted, as Harry pulled up hard, watching the Bludger shoot under him before arcing around and coming onto his tail again. Harry shot off into the sky, rapidly scanning for the Snitch.
His eyes widened when he finally saw the glint of gold, and shot towards it. He tried to remain focused on it, but his concentration was disrupted by the Bludger making an attack from the side. Harry barely managed to duck, but in that brief moment, the Snitch disappeared.
Harry pulled up, cursing himself for losing the Snitch, as he turned his focus back onto the Bludger. It was heading for him head on, so he flew at it, ducking at the last second. The less agile Bludger began a wide turn to get back onto him, as he scanned the ground. His heart stopped though when he saw Draco making a dive. He shot his eyes down, and saw the Snitch shooting towards the Gryffindor goal posts.
Harry made a frantic dive, praying he could get to the Snitch first. He was closer, but Draco was already in a dive, and his 2001 was faster. Harry leveled off and shot towards the Snitch, with Draco gaining fast on him.
It was in that moment, that Harry realized he had lost the Bludger. He frantically looked around, barely seeing it before it slammed into his left arm, breaking it. Harry let out a strangled yell of pain, his altitude dropping rapidly. He barely pulled back up in time, holding his broken arm to his chest as he struggled to get back on the Snitch's tail.
Draco smirked as he drew even with the struggling Harry. "Alright there scar head?" he taunted, before pushing his broom forward.
Harry glared in anger, before trying to push forward as well. He gritted his teeth through the pain, as he willed his broom to go faster. The gap between him and Draco was widening though.
It was then that the Bludger attacked again, aiming for Harry from behind. Harry heard it, and looked over his shoulder, spotting it rushing in at high speed. He looked at Draco ahead, and gave a pained smirk, before ducking.
The Bludger shot over him, and smashed straight into the tail of Draco's broom. The sudden impact sent his broom spinning with him clutching onto it for dear life, before slamming onto the stands. The broom and blonde haired Slytherin Seeker slumped to the ground.
Harry shot at the Snitch, closing in on it. Harry bit his lip, trying to get as close as possible, before he made a lunge with his good arm. He managed to grab it, before his broom dove beneath him. Harry yelled in pain as he grabbed with his left arm, barely pulling up enough so that his crash turned into a skid instead of a full on crash. Harry went rolling screaming more in pain as his left arm flopped around.
Madame Hooch blew her whistle to signal the end of the game. But the Bludger didn't stop, shooting at Harry while he lay on the ground. Harry's eyes widened, before he jerked his head left, the Bludger barely missing. It shot up and came down again, and Harry scooted back away from it. He released the Snitch from his hand as the Bludger came for a third pass, before raising his right hand. "Fulgor Pessulus! (Lightning Bolt!)"
Lightning shot from his hand, slamming into the Bludger and causing it to explode in mid air. Harry panted, before falling back, his world turning black from the exhaustion caused by pain and the magic used to fuel that spell.
When Harry awoke, he had no idea where he was. All he knew was he heard arguing.
"He should have been brought to me immediately! Why did you allow that buffoon to do this! It'll take hours to treat him now!" The first voice sounded like Madame Pomfrey.
"I'm sorry Madame Pomfrey, but we couldn't stop him in time. We were trying to get him up here to you, and he swooped down, saying he could fix it." And that voice sounded like Neville.
Harry let out a groan, trying to sit up. He felt off balance for some reason, like his left side was lighter than his right. He couldn't feel his arm either. He slowly opened his eyes, shutting them instantly. Everything was blurry, and the sudden light made his head ache.
Apparently though, he had caught the attention of those present, because he head the rapid sound of footsteps approaching. "Take it easy Mr. Potter," came the brisk voice of the school nurse. "You shouldn't be moving right now."
Harry just grunted. "W-what…what's going on?" he croaked out, his throat dry.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news," she said. Apparently, after you passed out, Mr. Longbottom and Miss Granger were bringing you here, when Professor Lockhart decided to try and fix your arm. His spell didn't go as planned.
Harry's eyes snapped opened, despite the lancing pain it sent to his brain. He looked to his left arm, blinking. "W-what do you mean?" He asked, looking at the blur that was Pomfrey.
She sighed quietly. "The spell he used removed the bones in your arm and hand," she said. "Not to worry, I can replace them. But it won't be quick, and it won't be pleasant."
Harry laid there, his face blank, before becoming angry. "How long?" He asked quietly.
"You'll have to stay overnight. But the process should be done before tomorrow morning. Your arm may be a little stiff, but simply stretch and use it lightly for a bit, and you'll be right as rain," she said, as she held up a glass. "Drink this. It won't be pleasant to drink, but you'll need to drink it all," she said.
Harry fumbled for the glass, and drank the liquid in it down. He gagged, but managed to swallow it all down. "W-what is that?" he gasped out.
"Skele-grow. It's a potion used to replace and strengthen bones," she said. "Now, your friends are here, and I'll allow them to visit you briefly. But you must rest!" She said, before leaving. Seconds afterwards, Hermione and Neville were with him.
"Harry, we're really sorry we couldn't stop Lockhart," Hermione said, as Neville nodded. "That idiot! He's nothing but good looks and hot air!" Hermione said, growling. "I can't believe I even had a crush on him!"
Neville and Harry blinked. "You had a crush on him?" Neville said. "I know you had something, but a full on crush?"
Hermione blushed. "Oh shut up," she said.
Harry just weakly chuckled. "I'm just glad you're over it," he said. "I'd hate to hear you defending him after him doing this to me."
Hermione nodded, before changing subjects. "What was going on with the Bludger though? It wouldn't stop chasing you, even after the game ended."
Harry shook his head, wincing as he started to feel needle like stabs in his arm. "I think someone enchanted that Bludger. But who could have done it?" He asked.
Neville shrugged. "Besides Draco and most of the Slytherin house?" he asked.
Hermione shook her head. "That's not possible. Even if they could get access to them, since they're locked in Madame Hooch's office, it would take a powerful spell to do it. I could only see a 7th year or above pulling it off."
Harry sighed. "Maybe it's just me? I seem to attract disasters like this all the time," he said. "Maybe it's the price for being 'The Boy Who Lived'." He said sarcastically, doing air quotes with his right hand.
His two friends laughed weakly at that. Harry chuckled as well, before sighing. "Could I ask you guys a favor though? Someone send a letter to my family; let them know I'm alright? Use blaze, he knows how to get back home."
Hermione nodded. "I'll do it. Anything I should or shouldn't say?" She asked.
Harry shook his head. "Nope. Just tell them not to worry. I'm fine and should be back to normal in no time."
She nodded. "Alright Harry," she said, before hugging him. "I'm just glad you're alright," she whispered, before letting go and heading off to do that.
Neville smiled. "I better go and let the team know you're okay. They were all ecstatic that you got the Snitch, but worried sick when they learned you broke your arm and were unconscious."
Harry nodded. "Thanks man," he said in a tired voice. "I could really use some sleep,"
Neville grinned. "Alright man. Get better soon," he said, as he left.
Harry just sighed, as he closed his eyes, trying to sleep. Despite the lancing pain in his left arm, he soon drifted away.
That night
It was late that night when Harry was disturbed from his sleep. The reason for it was two-fold. One was the stabbing pain in his arm, which didn't feel quite so limp and useless anymore. The other though, was for the small figure on the bed, quietly washing his brow with a washcloth.
He yelped, sitting up and grabbing for his glasses with his right hand. He slid them on, seeing the figure clearly now.
It had gotten off the bed, and was standing next to it, clutching a tea cozy that it had been wearing for a hat. It was also wearing a ragged pillow case like a tunic. It also had tennis ball sized eyes, floppy bat like ears, and a long pointy nose.
The strange being bowed, his nose almost touching the floor.
Harry blinked. "….who are you?" He asked.
The figure looked up, and spoke in a very loud squeaky voice. "Harry Potter sir! I am Dobby, a House Elf! It is an honor to meet you, good sir!"
Harry blinked. "House Elf?" He asked.
Dobby nodded. "Yes sir! Dobby takes care of my family sir." He said.
Harry looked at him. "Okay...so….why are you here?" He asked.
Dobby seemed to shuffle his feet a bit. "Dobby is here to see that Harry Potter sir is alright. That Dobby's Bludger didn't injure you too badly."
Harry's eyes widened. "Your Bludger? You mean you're the one that made that Bludger try to kill me? Why?" He nearly shouted.
Dobby cringed. "N-Not kill! Dobby would never want Harry Potter killed! Harry Potter is great hero, who defeated Dark Lord!" He squeaked out.
Harry calmed down. "Fine…..why then did you enchant that Bludger?" he asked as calmly as he could.
Dobby came closer. "To protect Harry Potter. Yes yes. Dobby didn't think you would come to Hogwarts when I blocked the barrier at Platform Nine and Three-quarters, but when Dobby heard you were here, I had to save you!"
Harry blinked. "Save me? Why are you trying to save me? And why injure me if you're trying to save me?"
"So you would be sent home! There is an evil plot here at Hogwarts, Dobby fears it's already begun!" He said. "Harry Potter sir must be saved. He is too good for the world to lose!"
Harry's eyes widened. "It's about the Chamber, isn't it?"
Dobby squirmed. "Please, do not ask Dobby about it sir! You must go! Go home and be safe!"
Harry shook his head. "Dobby, I can't! Besides needing to learn magic, I have friends here. If there's something dangerous going on, I need to be here to help them."
Dobby sniffled. "Harry Potter sir is worried about his friends. Harry Potter is truly noble. But you cannot stay! You will die if you do!"
Harry shook his head. "I can't leave Dobby. But you can maybe help me another way. What is this plot? What is going on?"
Dobby shook his head, covering his ears. "Dobby cannot say sir! Dobby can't! Dobby is sorry sir!" He said before disappearing.
Harry just stared at the empty space where the House Elf had been. Slowly, he sank back into his bed, sighing as he used his good hand to rub his forehead.
However, he was disturbed again by approaching footsteps. He looked up in time to see the door of the Infirmary open. Dumbledore, dressed in sleep wear, slowly entered, carrying the end of something. McGonagall, also dressed in sleepwear, followed with the other end of the object. They set it in a bed, before Dumbledore ordered McGonagall to get Madame Pomfrey.
Within minutes the school nurse had joined them. "What is it Albus?" She asked, before gasping as she saw.
"Another attack," Dumbledore whispered. "Minerva found him, but I think he was possibly attacked hours ago. He might have been coming to see Harry."
Harry froze and looked over. His eyes widened as he saw the frozen form of Colin Creevy, holding his camera up in front of his face, as if taking a picture. He trembled a bit, at the sight.
Dumbledore slowly pried the camera from the frozen boy's hands, before opening it. Smoke billowed from it, and the smell of burnt plastic reached Harry.
"Melted," Dumbledore said quietly. "Whatever did this was very powerful indeed. If not for the camera, I fear the boy would be a corpse."
"Albus…..it's really happened, hasn't it?" Minerva asked. "I mean….I heard the rumors, but….I didn't think it actually-."
"It did Minerva. Fifty years ago, the Chamber was opened. And now, it has been opened again. How, or who is doing it, I do not know. But I do know this. Until we can find out, and deal with it, all those here are in danger," he said quietly.
Harry trembled, taking off his glasses and laying back in bed. He stared up at the ceiling, his mind buzzing with thoughts. Apparently, this Chamber of Secrets did exist, and had been opened fifty years ago. And this House Elf, Dobby, knew it was going to happen. Harry closed his eyes, resolved to find out everything he could, before another attack happened.
'Looks like death defying adventures might be a common theme for my school years,' he thought as he drifted off to sleep again.
And scene. Well, here's the newest chapter! Hope you all enjoyed.
The part with Dobby feels a bit rushed, but honestly, Dobby doesn't have much to reveal. Most of his parts in the books consisted of him either beating himself up or bursting into tears because of Harry being all noble and kind. So, trim away that, and you get not a whole lot, beyond there being a plot against Harry, and it involving the Chamber of Secrets.
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! And hang in tight for another exciting episode of Battle Mage of Hogwarts Year 2!
Please review, as compliments and constructive criticism make me feel warm and fluffy inside. However, flames, and people not actually giving helpful advice will probably be ignored, other than a thank you for adding to my review count.
