Professor Dumbledore looked at a point in space in his office. It wasn't really space he was looking at, but more the object, which was currently occupying it.
It was a blue box. It had POLICE BOX written bold and expressive at the top, and seemed to have a door that wouldn't open. They had tried all sorts of spells, but nothing had happened.
"Do you have any idea what it is, Severus?" Dumbledore said.
Snape looked apprehensively at the object. "A muggle contraction?" he said. "Isn't police a muggle word?"
Dumbledore nodded. "I believe you are right, Severus."
The box itself had suddenly appeared into existence, Dumbledore having walked out of his office, only to walk back in and find it there. At first, Dumbledore had been amused. Now, he was not so sure of the situation.
"Do you think…this has something to do with…Black?"
Even right now, Dumbledore could hear the loathing for the man in Snape's voice.
"Innocent until proven guilty." Dumbledore said.
"Sir, I have reason to believe that-mongrel could very much be helping-"
"Until sufficient evidence is given. There is no reason to doubt him." Dumbledore said firmly. He knew about Snape's obsession, and knew it would take the man a while to finally see the other sides views. With Black out, it wasn't going to be easy.
Snape closed his mouth, knowing when a matter was closed. It didn't stop showing the hatred in his eyes.
"How are those-ah-unusual students doing." Dumbledore said, making his way around the box to his desk, changing the subject. Snape obediently followed.
"So far nothing too unusual. They act like any other regular students." Snape said.
"You sound…doubting, Severus?"
"The boy, Doctor, he's much too clever for his own good. From what is shown he's way above his level, even a considerable amount above Granger. The boy is extraordinary."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at Snape's enthusiasm.
"What about the others?" Dumbledore said.
"Average, except the Song girl, who is quite high up in intelligence, but no where near the boy…there is one other thing…" Snape said, hesitantly.
Dumbledore looked up at Snape. "Yes?"
"According to all records they don't exist. There is nothing-absolutely nothing-about them."
An amused smile, found itself on Dumbledore's lips. "Then I may have to speak to them face to face…would you, be so kind, as to past on the message, Severus?"
"Of course."
With that he left.
Leaving the other Professor to marvel at the blue box, wondering what secrets it withheld.
The Doctor looked down at the wooden contraption before him.
For some reason he had an episode of giddiness erupt inside of him. He looked to Rory, next to him, to see his face gone slightly green.
"It will be fun, Rory!" the Doctor said, trying to put some cheer into the roman.
"I don't have a thing for heights…" Rory said quietly, staring at the broomstick laying patiently on the ground.
"Good afternoon class!"
Madame Hooch marched onto the field, with so much enthusiasm, the Doctor was sure she was going to trip.
"Good afternoon, Madame Hooch!" the class chorus back.
"Now," Madame Hooch started, walking between the two lines of students. "The first thing you have to do is to stand to one side of your broom and hold your hand out over your broom, then say 'up'- well, get started then!"
There was a large shuffle of feet, followed by the shouts of 'up'.
"Up!" the Doctor said. His broom stayed put on the ground.
He looked towards River, who, as predicted, already had hers in her hand. It wasn't fair, why was she so good at everything she did? Oh right, psychopathic killer trained to kill him. For her it wasn't a choice not to be good.
It was part of the job.
"UP!"
Amy's frustrated voice stuck out as her Scottish accent took its place. Her face was contorted in deep concentration. The Doctor could only just contain his laughter. He didn't know why, but seeing that face on eleven-year-old version of Amy was pretty funny.
"UP-"
Wack.
That was it, the Doctor's laughter sprung out.
"Its not funny! Raggedy man!" Amy shouted, while rubbing a newly formed bump on her forehead.
No.
It was hilarious.
Rory was trying very hard not to notice the broom in front of him. Heights had never been his strong point. He had yet to even mutter 'up'. He could remember being the boy who would never touch the line to go on the roller coaster, or the boy, who would jump of his swing. No. That had been Amy and Mels. They would do it so many times, it felt like they made up for his lack of enthusiasm. Traveling with the Doctor had changed him, he wasn't the same timid boy. It even went as far as to make him a plastic roman.
But, being put back to being a small boy, where all the other kids towered above him, brought back these fears.
"Mr Williams, would you please bring your broom to your hand." Madame Hooch said, rather impatiently.
It made him look up and see all eyes on him. There stares grasping him, forcefully.
Great, peer pressure was now added to his stress.
His eyes met Amy's, someone he could rely on to stable his panicking thoughts. She quickly gave him an encouraging wink. With that, he put his hand over his broom, took a deep breath and said:
"Up."
He was almost toppled over by the sheer velocity of the broom's eagerness.
"Thank you, Mr Williams." Madame Hooch said, turning to address the rest of the class. "Now, on the count of three I want you all to spring off from the ground. Remember count of three. At the ready!"
Rory, climbed onto his broom, not even able to hold the broom steady from his shakiness.
"On the count of three." Madame Hooch said, again.
"One…two…three!" She blew her whistle, emitting a loud shriek.
Rory pushed off the ground leaving his dignity behind.
A few students quickly toppled off their brooms, not making it passed a few inches off the ground. Some got a little bit further.
Not Rory.
He shot up like a rocket, his fear quickly vanishing. He had never felt such a thing. His joy whelmed up inside of him, and he couldn't help, but make it go faster, going higher. Shifting his weight on the broom, ever so slight, to change direction. His grin proved that. He didn't care if people were shouting for him to stop. He wouldn't have listened, even if he could hear them.
"Fun, isn't it?"
He looked sideways to see his daughter coming up beside him, joining him in the rise. Her wild curly hair, becoming more wilder by the minute. He could only nod; fearing his voice would be taken away by the wind hitting his face. He could picture the giddy grin plastered to his face.
She laughed, before looping round and nose-diving.
For first time in his life, Rory thought of following her.
He could remember all those daredevil stunts she had pulled off as Mels. He had always stayed back ready to catch her, or Amy, if she decided to join her. He never once thought about joining her, he had always thought of stopping her.
So he looped round and nose-dived.
Only to hit the ground with a huge thud.
"That was brilliant, Rory!"
The excited voice shook Rory awake. Making him, open his eyes up slowly to the grinning face of the Doctor. Rory could only moan, as a huge throb, coming from the general vicinity of his brain, struck him.
"Getting yourself injured, so we could have a look at the girl. It was a great idea, but did you really have to crash a broomstick? I mean-one of us could have pretended we were sick or something, but didn't you think it was a bit extreme? Suppose it was the spur of the moment, hey? I-"
"You can shut up now."
"Yes, River."
"How are you feeling, Rory?" Amy said, concerned, sitting next to him on the hospital bed.
"Like I've been hit with a hammer…" Rory mumbled, rubbing his head.
The Hospital wing was very white. The lines of bed, with curtains were all the same white colour. Rory supposed it was just a different look to the usually dark castle.
"Have you got a good look at the girl, yet?" Rory asked, sitting up, rubbing his head. He decided he wouldn't mention that he actually didn't mean to crash.
"Not yet." River said. "Madame Pomfrey only just left."
Steadily getting out of bed, Rory followed the others to a particular bed, covered by a curtain.
Opening it up revealed a girl, with completely blonde straight hair and dozens of warts covering her body. She could have been considered pretty, if it weren't for the minor draw back.
"So, she was definitely hit by a wart curse." Amy reasoned.
The Doctor's sonic screwdriver had been out as soon as the curtain was drawn back.
"It's a side effect." He said, looking down at the sonic screwdriver. "After-what-ever-it-is feeds on you, you get a sort of allergic reaction to it. The warts being it."
Being the nurse he was, Rory said:
"She looks very pale…"
"You would too if you were having your soul sucked out." The Doctor's grim expression, looked down with pity on the girl.
"She'll be alright, though?" Amy said.
"Yes, she should recover in a couple more days. It was only having a snack."
"So what's the main course?" River asked. "The other students?"
"No…I don't think so…" The Doctor said, scratching his chin. "I think the girl was just to keep it going, only for so much longer…"
"It's dying?" River said, shocked.
"Yes, it's just hanging on until the right moment…"
"You know what is…don't you?" Amy said.
"Yes…" the Doctor said, nodding. Rory could feel the Timelord's sadness, seeping through, and his hatred.
"And just like this place…it shouldn't be possible. It should be dead, with everything else…"
"Dead?" Rory said.
The Doctor's face reached a whole new level of seriousness.
"It's from the Time War, Rory, and that means bad news. Bottomless pit bad news."
So something from the Time War, then?
I can say I made up everything about it. Only the name belongs to the BBC, or Russel T Davis. Which ever view you want.
Reviews would be nice.
