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Chapter 9
The Shadow
The school entered a relative peace after that. There was still no news on McGonagall, which, according to Minister Grey, meant that in all likely hood the attack at Hogwarts was probably not linked to the attacks sweeping across Europe at all.
Any excuse to keep from doing anything.
Profesor Verus regularly cast the human revealing charm every class, much to the confusion of most of the students.
"Sir?" Jacob night asked one day.
"Yes?" Professor Verus said as he cast the charm.
"Why are you casting a human presence revealing charm on us?" Jacob asked.
"To keep away the Nargles." Professor Verus replied, much to everyone's confusion as he continued down the line.
"They hide in mistletoe's!" I added helpfully, causing people to stare.
Professor Verus winked at me after that, while I silently wondered how he knew what Nargles were.
Potions classes were back on, to my utter annoyance. Though we no longer had a proper Professor, we did have several substitutes. I think the worst was when Uncle Neville was teaching the class. He somehow managed to blow up the hair growth solution he was suppose to be teaching us to brew.
I heard him mutter a few curses as he syphoned up the waste and dismissed us early.
Rose and i invented pass phrases for each other, just to make sure the Shapeshifter, whom I suggested we name Bob, wasn't impersonating the other.
"What was your fathers reaction to the blew sweater Gran sent him last Christmas?" I demanded.
"He freaked, yelled something about being oh so utterly betrayed, then did his best to transfigure it maroon and ended up conjuring a yak in the middle of the living room." Rose answered quickly without taking a single breath. "What happened at your sixth birthday party?"
"James hid a giant fake spider inside the cake and when I cut it open it jumped on me." I answered.
"Ah.. Great memories..." she sighed dreamily as I glared.
Qudditch season was approaching, Slytherin versus Gryffindor. Legend had it that dad was the youngest Seeker of the century, and that he was playing since age 11. Annoyingly enough, that opportunity was not being offered this year.
"Wish me luck." James told me as he was about to leave to try out as a Chaser.
"Don't fall off your broom!" I called back.
James grinned at me as he walked backwards, causing him to crash into Katherin Finnigan, knocking the two of them to the floor.
"Sorry!" He aplogized as he helped her up.
"Watch it, Potter." she said with a grin.
Together, the pair walked out of the Common Room, Justin trailing behind them. With them gone, I could let the mask drop as I turned to Rose.
"We need to see Hagrid." I said.
"Why?" she asked.
"The chimera, that's what." I replied.
So we used my dad's gift to sneak out, since most of the school happened to find itself at the current moment watching to see if the son of the famous Harry potter was going to be able to live up to his predecessor. James might like to put up this mirage of himself of this proud and confident boy who would live up to the expectations and beyond, but i knew the truth. On the inside, behind the mask, he was terrified. Terrified of not living up to dad's legend, which, all things considered, was a very big thing to live up too.
So we walked under the shroud straight to Hagrid's. We let nothing stop us as we knocked upon the great door, removed the cloak, and waited.
"Who be- Oh, it's you two, was wonderin' when you'd come by. Come in!" the half-giant beckoned us in with a large smile lighting his ancient looking face, his dark eyes twinkling.
"Thanks." I said as I walked in. The two of us sat down at the table as Hagrid smiled and went back to his stove. "Anything you'd like?" he called.
"Ye-" I began.
"No thanks!" Rose interrupted as she elbowed me.
"Owe!" I hissed.
"Dad said never to eat Hagrid's food unless you want to end up with a row of broken teeth!" she whispered.
"Alrigh' then." Hagrid said as he sat down himself with a couple of rock cakes. "Wha' brings the pair of yeh down here?" he asked, cutting to the chase.
"We wanted to visit you." I said lamely.
Hagrid snorted. "Yah, right. On the same day yer brother is tryin' out for tha team? I been teachin at this school mighty long, you get to know all the tricks. What brings yeh here?" he asked again.
I blushed crimson. A small part of me felt guilty, knowing Hagrid was right. We hadn't come to visit him all year, despite him being a family friend. And the second we did, he knew it wasn't just for a friendly chat.
"Well?" he asked, arching one large eyebrow that propably had more hair than my head did.
"Why is there a chimera in the seventh hall corridor?" Rose said bluntly.
Hagrid spluttered, chocked on his tea, and spat out a bit of rock cake he'd been eating. "Jus' like yer parents, the pair of yah..." Hagrid grumbled before looking the two of us in the eye. "How do yeh know about Lee Lee?" he demanded.
Silence.
"Lee Lee?" we repeated. A small prat of my brain screamed only Hagrid at hearing the ridiculous name.
"Yeah, Lee Lee. Bought her in a trip down to Greece. Fascenatin' creatures, mind yeh." Hagrid said with a dreamy smile at the concept of a man eating, fire breathing chimera. Again, my mind screamed the words only Hagrid.
"It tried to eat us for breakfast." I stated bluntly.
Silence.
"What!" Hagrid roared as he stood. "Wha' in the name are the two of yeh doin down there anyways, yeh aren't suppose te be-"
"The stairs took us there!" Rose snapped. "We didn't know..." the last part she said with a shudder. It was strange, seeing Rose Weasley of all people, showing even an once of fear. It was unnatural, strange, alien.
Hagrid simply stood there, staring at the two of us. "Buh tha- bu' tha.. The stairs don' even lead to tha corridor!" he said, his mind obviously racing.
"Then how did we end up in it?" I countered.
Hagrid had no answer, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "I don' know.. But yeh best stay away from Lee Lee unless yeh got a death wish." Hagrid told us.
"I made the team, I made the team!" James cried as he ran into the common room, embraced me(which is shocking enough), then did the same to Rose(something only a man with a death wish would do), before running around and cheering like a maniac.
"Congratulations, little cousin." Fred said as he entered, grinning like a maniac.
So, of course, Gryffindor had one of its famous parties, with smuggled buterbeer and food nicked straight from the kitchens. For a moment, all memories of the dark ongoings of the school were forgotten as we all enjoyed a good time. Well, everyone except Rose, who grumbled something incoherent under her breath as she stalked of to her dormitory, that is.
Eventually, the fifth year Prefect, a girl with dark hair and chocolate colored eyes ordered everyone to calm down and to 'get your arses in bed before I call Professor Longbottom'.
The next morning, the somber additude returned as Uncle Neville stood before us at breakfast.
"Settle down, settle down!" he called. as the chatter died down we all looked up. "Now, as you all know, two weeks ago our Headmistress, Minevra McGonagall, for lack of a better word, was abducted. The assailant incapacitated Professor Bane, and took away our Headmistress before we even knew what was happening. The assailant, as we now know, is not even human." gasps followed the words.
"Maybe it's a vampire spy." Damian stage whispered. "Or aliens from Mars! Hm.. Yeah, that's a better theory.." he decided, peacefully oblivious to the looks being sent his way.
"The assailant was a Shapeshifter. Not only that, but we have reason to believe that it is still within the castle." hundreds gasped. As the chatter started, Uncle Neville lifted his wand and shot a golden fire cracker to restore order. "A few days ago, we received an attack. The Shapeshifter attempted an assassination on two of the students here. I wont say who, for the protection of their safety, but I must ask you all not to go looking around!" Uncle Neville said the last part with a quick glance at Rose and I. I tried my best to look innocent, but couldn't help the red tinge that flooded onto my cheek.
"We also have reason to believe that the Headmistress never even left the castle."
At this point, there was such an uproar that the Heads of Houses had to hush up the students along side a couple of over eccentric prefects.
"How is that even possible?"
"What the hell have you been smoking?"
"ENOUGH!" Uncle Neville thundered, causing hundreds to jump. "Silence! Please, have some manner of respect!" he shouted again. When there was no response, he sighed and continued.
"We believe the Shapeshifter has yet to leave the castle, and therefore, has yet to escape with the body. As far as we know, they are incapable of Dissaparation, meaning it would be impossible for it to have escaped so easily. As the body of the Headmistress has yet to be found, we are under the assumption that she is still alive! If any of you see anything, I recommend you either come to myself, Professor Weasley, or Professor Verus."
I was shocked at the last name. Verus? I was sure Uncle Neville didn't trust the man for a second.
"It was probably scar face, I tell you.." Eric Evans muttered. The glare I sent him was so brutally cold that it caused him to pale to the color of bone.
"Also, as I seem to be forced to remind you all, the Seventh Floor Corridor is off limits to all students, unless you wish to meet some gruesome demise. That is all!"
And with that, Neville Longbottom sat back down without a care in the word.
"Today we will be learning minor jinxes!" Uncle Bill called as he strode forth to the front of the class, walking between the desks, passing out papers with several spells listed on them. He reached the front, turning to face us. "Before you are several first year jinxes. Now, I will be teaching you these jinxes for self defense. Self defense only. If I find out any of you are using these jinxes to curse fellow students.." he let the threat hang in the air.
So, we practiced. I quickly found that this was the one subject that I was undeniable better than Rose in, as my Flippendo jinx managed to knock over three Practice dummies in a row.
"Excellent! Ten points to Gryffindor!" Uncle Bill applauded.
As the class progressed, Scorpius seemed determined to outdo me in at least one jinx. To his annoyance, if we didn't end up drawing in on area, I ended up outdoing him in another. By the end of the class, the two of us had managed to win thirty points each for our houses.
"Duel tonight, Potter. We'll see who's best outside of class." he whispered.
"Where?" I grinned.
"Well, the tro-"
"Absolutely not!" Rose interrupted as she slammed her fist down.
"Stay out of it!" Scorpius snapped.
"Shut it, Malfoy! There is a killer loose in the school and you want to go wandering around at night? Are you completely mental!" she demanded.
There was silence for a few seconds as we absorbed her words. Then, Scorpius turned to me, and, as if Rose hadn't spoken at all, he continued. "So, tonight in the Trophy Room?" he asked.
He didn't even see the jinx that hit him as Rose cast the knockback jinx on him, sending him flying.
"Rose Evelyn Weasley!" Uncle Bill exclaimed.
"Sorry, missed the target!" Rose lied with perfect ease as Scorpius grumbled a curse under his breath and Nico helped him to his feet.
Uncle Bill eyed her suspiciously but accepted the excuse for now. Rose then turned to me with narrowed eyes.
"Albus Severus Potter, don't even think about it!" she snarled.
"Okay, not thinking, just doing." I replied as I lifted my hands in mock surrender. I was met with the full force of her glare, and, if one thing can be said about Rose, the idea of mixing the Weasley and Granger genes truly made her terrifying.
So, naturally, I responded by sticking my tongue out at her.
Which resulted in a slap that rang across the classroom.
Now, Rose had told me not to. She had even threatened me. And my cheek still stung slightly from her slap. Therefore, logicaly, the only choice layed out before me that I could possible take was to go.
"Brother, where oh where would you be going at this time of night?"
Damn it, why does someone always catch me?
Annoyed, I turned to see James grinning from a seat next to the fire place. "None of your business." I snapped.
"Not snooping around anymore, are we?" he demanded.
"No, I'm not.. Swooping.." my eyes narrowed. James would never say something like that! In face, the idiot would probably encourage me forward. "My sixth birthday party. What was the most memorable part, dear brother?" I questioned.
He raised eyebrow. "The fake tarantula I managed to slip into your birthday cake." he said flatly as he rose. "You were the one the Shapeshifter tried to kill, weren't you? I noticed your cheek going red when Uncle Neville said it." James said.
And, of course, as if one signal, I blushed at his words.
"Yeah, just like that!" he exclaimed gleefully, pointing at my face.
"Shut up." I snapped, turning redder.
"Oh, anyways, as a big brother, it is my duty to make sure you don't die. Or at least that's what Rose said. So, let's go!" he said happily, striding past my shocked figure to stand before the Portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Wait, what?" I turned in confusion.
"Rose told me you were going out dueling tonight and tried to convince me to make sure you didn't. So, naturally, I decided to come with." he grinned.
"Boys... Untrustable.." a new voice muttered as Rose popped up from behind one of the arm chairs. "Pertificus Totalus!"
I was witness to my brother stiffening like a board before falling forward before she turned her wand on me. My instincts kicked in as I jumped out of the way of a second petrification hex.
"Damn it, Albus! Do you want to get yourself killed!" she called.
"Flippendo!" I cried.
Rose dodged the blue light as it struck the wall behind her.
"Al!" she hissed.
"You do realize that this is technically considered a duel, right!" I called right back.
I heard no response, but I was sure she was coupling my name with every swear word Uncle George had though us when mum and Aunt Hermione weren't looking.
"Incarcerous!" suddenly, I was bound by thick brown ropes. I heard the spell shouted again, followed by a tumbling body and Rose swearing loudly.
"Mind you two, we usually keep duels out of the Common Room. Attracts attention, you know." a voice spoke as I was levitated right in between a roped up Rose and frozen James. Before us, none other than Fred Weasley himself was grinning at us.
"Fred! Let me go!" Rose snarled.
"Only if you, my dear, promise to take your little scuffle somewhere else. Don't want to attract the teachers, you know." Fred wagged his finger at her in mock reprimand before lifting his wand and casting a counter curse on James.
"Thanks." James said happily before turning to Rose. "Good one, but did you really think I didn't have a backup plan, just in case?" he said with his trademark grin.
"You.. Damn you James Potter!" Rose huffed.
"Cursing at 11.. I'm.. I'm so proud!" Fred pretended to wipe a tear from his eyes as Rose glared at him.
"Diffindo." James said, cutting me loose. "Let's go!"
Grinning, I rose.
"Wait!" Rose said even as she struggled against the ropes. "You can't!"
"I'm not letting Scorpius think he's better than me!" I said stubbornly.
"Right we are, time to kick some Slytherin arse!" James agreed.
"Though your welcome to come." I added to Rose. James and Fred stopped laughing as they stared at me.
"What?" they said in unison.
"She can come if she wants." I shrugged.
"Al.. She just tried to curse the pair of you.." Fred said slowly, as if speaking to a small child.
"Fine, let me go. At least I can make sure you two idiots don't get yourselves killed." Rose said before I could respond.
"Great!" and before they could stop me, I cut her free. The next second, Fred was a frozen statue on the floor.
"Don't shoot!" she lifted her hands in surrender as James looked ready to start shooting jinxes. "That's what the git gets for ensnaring me in ropes!"
I couldn't help but laugh at that as James lowered his wand, grinning. Rose grinned in return, before turning to Fred with a smile that made my skin crawl, and stepping on a very sensitive part of the male anatomy. James and I winced.
"Never curse me again." she said simply with a look that sent spiders up my spine, before she lifted the petrification curse.
"Ah.. Damn it Rose!" Fred cursed as he gripped himself.
"Let's go boys!" Rose called. "Idiots.." she added under her breath.
"Sorry mate!" James called to Fred as the three of us departed.
We arrived at the trophy room a full ten minutes late. Leaning against the wall was Scorpius. Next to him, dark blue beautiful eyes stared at me. Tabitha. "You're late, Potter. Scared?" the voice of Scorpius Malfoy pulled me away from nearly staring into her eyes.
"Nah, just got help up." I replied, nudging my head in the dirrection of a certain red
head.
"Idiots." Rose muttered.
"Weasley came?" he raised eyebrow.
"More like tried to stop us." James grinned.
"And what did we learn about hexing me, James Potter?" Rose said coldly.
"That the result will be you stepping on our manly bits." James said with a wince.
"Exactly." Rose replied with a smirk.
All males present, myself included, winced.
"I like her.." Tabitha decided. Rose winked at her.
"Alright then, you take that end, I take this en-"
"Who's there?" the voice of Mr. Grey broke through all.
Silence.
"Run!" James hissed.
So the five of us took off at full speed, the sound of the sound of the deranged caretaker screaming behind us.
"This way!" James led us past a tapestry, around corners I didn't even know existed, once straight trough a wall until we all finally paused to rest.
"That was.." I began.
"Close." Scorpius finished.
There was a loud growling sound, and fear ripped through my body as realization dawned on me. Wide eyed, I turned. Lee Lee was glaring at us all, her eyes shining maliciously.
"Guys..." I said.
"What Al?" James asked.
"We might wanna run.." I said.
"What are you- wow, cool!" James exclaimed as he spotted Lee Lee.
"Cool? Are you insane, Potter?" Tabitha snarled.
Lee Lee howled and spat fire.
"Run!" I don't know who cried it, but the rest of us followed suit as we ran as fast as we could. We didn't even notice the figure watching us as we passed straight by him, or how he lifted up his wand and a wall materialized where there used to be no wall. Well, everyone else didn't, but I did. But when I turned to look at him, he was gone, and Rose was already dragging me before I got a chance to investigate.
"What.. the.. hell.. was.. that..." Scorpius panted.
"That.. Was Lee Lee." I replied, out of breath,
Silence.
"Lee Lee?" everyone else said incredulously.
"Yes, Lee Lee." I said, to tired to explain.
"Wait.. Its Hagrid's, isn't it? Only him.." James chuckled.
"Well, then the mans insane!" Scorpius snapped.
"Oi, don't have a go at Hagrid!" James yelled.
"Stop it, the two of you! Let's get to bed before we get caught." Rose intervened.
Grudgingly, with a final glare at one another, they agreed. Rose said not a word to the me or my dear brother as we marched back to the Common Room. Once there, she walked up straight to her room without saying goodnight, leaving the two of us alone.
"Additude." James chuckled.
"Remember it!" she called. James froze and it was my turn to laugh.
"Go to bed. Mum will kill me if she finds out.." James patted my back.
"Okay mum." I replied with a grin.
James rolled his eyes as he strode of to his dormitory. I did the same, though in the back of my mind, I was wondering silently who the man in the shadows was.
