The Eternal Wizard
Chapter 9
Eternity's Tale
"Mr Potter how did you protect Miss. Granger from the troll?" Professor McGonnagal asked.
Harry smiled at Hermione's unconscious form.
"I was with her after Ron insulted her and was comforting my friend when a troll entered the girl's bathroom. I infused my body with magic, making my physical capabilities far greater. In short I jumped up and punched it in the head." Harry summarized.
"A punch did this?" Snape asked looking at the bloody mess that was the troll.
Filch looked ill at the thought of cleaning the bathroom. The room had blood splatters everywhere as well as the Troll's brain, and skull fragments that had been scattered everywhere.
"How did you manage this?" Snape demanded.
"I infused my body with magic, and this enhanced my combat abilities." Harry replied simply as he looked down at Hermione.
I'll awaken you once we are away from these people Hermione.
"You aren't supposed to be in the girl's bathroom Harry." Dumbledore said 'gently'.
"Would have rather had a dead student?" Harry said in an icy whisper.
The temperature dropped at least several dozen degrees instantly.
"I didn't mean it like that Harry." Dumbledore backtracked hurriedly.
"You care more about a boy being in the girls bathroom than you do about the potential death of a student. Disgusting." Harry said in a voice that terrified thousands.
"Harry my boy-" Dumbledore began.
"I don't want to hear your sorry excuses why you couldn't protect the castle, I don't want to listen to you. Hermione was almost killed. I've known her since I was five. If you don't mind I'll be taking her to see Madam Pomfrey." Harry interrupted as he lifted Hermione easily.
She was about the same size as him however, Harry had magic enhancing his strength.
"Go right ahead Mr. Potter, and take one hundred points for you courage and loyalty to Miss. Granger." McGonnagal said.
Harry walked passed them and went to the infirmary.
A few minutes after she had been in the room Harry woke her up.
"Harry, how did you defeat that Troll? Why did I fall asleep like that?" Hermione asked.
"I defeated the troll by infusing my body with magic. It made me far stronger than normal. As to why you fell asleep, you should ask the nurse." Harry replied.
Madam Pomfrey looked Hermione over and after ten minutes she frowned in consternation.
"I can't find any reason that you passed out, you don't have any brain damage, and your energy levels are high, plus you don't have any indications that you fainted." Madam Pomfrey looked baffled.
"Great, then can I go?" Hermione asked.
"No." Madam Pomfrey replied.
"What if I watched her closely for you? If you needed I could even send you reports throughout the night with Hedwig."
Madam Pomfrey's lip twitched slightly.
"That would be rather hard since boys can't enter the girls dormitory."
"If necessary I'll sleep in the common room." Hermione offered.
"You wouldn't be able to go to sleep until after midnight in that way!" Madam Pomfrey objected.
"I usually stay up until one anyways." Hermione replied.
Madam Pomfrey's eyes widened in horror.
"You need to get your sleep! It isn't good for preteens to not get at least eight hours of sleep a day." Pomfrey protested.
You will allow Hermione to go because you can tell that she won't be able to rest here tonight anyways, and it would be better for her to be in familliar surroundings. Besides Harry will take care of her. You can see he is protective of her.
Harry placed the thoughts into Pomfrey's mind.
"It's against my better judgement but if you want to go you may, however, I must speak to Mr. Potter to make sure that you obey certain rules until the week is over." Madam Pomfrey warned.
Hermione nodded in agreement before Harry was pulled to the side.
"I will want you to send me updates every twelve hours Mr. Potter. I will need them to be as accurate as possible. If she collapses again you are to bring her here immediately. You will need to watch her at night. Just be near her when you sleep. That should be enough."
Harry just nodded in agreement.
People worry a great deal when something unusual happens. In this case she is perfectly fine.
Harry and Hermione went back to the common room after Harry had been briefed.
"Hermione, are you alright? It is quite a shock for someone the first death they see." Harry told her.
"I'm okay, My knight in shining armor saved me again like he always does." Hermione smiled at him.
"I am no knight." Harry whispered quietly.
"Why not?" Hermione had heard him.
Why did I say that aloud? Blast it! Her hearing is too great to not hear anything that's said aloud.
"It's nothing, really." Harry told her.
Hermione looked at him strangely before she shrugged.
"Alright I trust you." Hermione said after a long moment.
Ouch, somehow she's managing to-no, that's another emotion. I-I can't let them control me.
Harry brutally crushed the emotion within him again.
When the common room cleared that night Hermione decided that she was finally tired. Harry walked her to the foot of the stairs and told her to come back down when she was ready. At the same time Harry went to his dorm and changed into his night clothes. While light and relaxed they completely covered his frame.
I shouldn't worry her wearing this.
When Hermione finally decended she was wearing a pair of flannel pants and her shirt was a plain white tee shirt that Harry reckonized.
"That's one of my undershirts isn't it?" Harry asked in some surprise.
She blushed.
"Yes, it is."
"I thought I guarded all my shirts fairly well." Harry noted.
Her blush grew.
"You do guard your clothes well. I'm just clever." She said as her blush grew to cover her entire face.
"Any reason why you grabbed one of my shirts?" Harry asked.
Her blush deepened to immensely.
"I just wanted to have something of yours."
"Aww...That's sweet. You know you could have just asked for it." Harry grinned at her.
She bowed her head forward slightly and her hair covered her face. By this point Harry decided to put her out of her misery and pulled her into his arms.
"Its alright." Harry whispered.
She wrapped her arms around him a moment later.
What's happening to me?
Harry had Hermione take the couch nearest the fireplace while Harry slept in the chair next to said couch.
If...If she needs help, which she won't I'll be able to sense anything that's troubling her...
He knew no more.
Suddenly he sensed Hermione shaking in her sleep, her brain waves were fluctuating and Harry knew she was having a nightmare. Eternity Awoke.
Eternity's eyes glowed as he gently slipped into her mind. He then accesed her dream.
She was staring at a massive troll. Only this time Harry wasn't there. Her dream changed when Eternity entered the dream.
"You shall not harm her." Eternity said to the troll.
The troll roared and struck at Hermione but Eternity merely vaporized the troll with a wave of pure magical energy.
"You shall be alright now." Eternity said to her.
"Wait...I...I know you....Harry."
Eternity withdrew from her dream and Harry acted like he was sleeping when Hermione awoke.
"Harry?" She whispered.
He didn't respond instantly however, he did so after a few seconds.
"Mmmhgh? Morning already? What is it Hermione are you alright?" Harry asked in 'concern'.
"I dreamed about the troll." Hermione replied.
Harry sat up straight then.
"Oh, no I'm sorry I killed the troll I was worried you'd have nightmares." Harry began to 'bable'.
"No, you saved me again. But, you were different, more powerful would be the word I'd choose for it."
Harry smiled.
"I'm just Harry." Harry replied.
"I guess. It was just a dream after all."
"Dreams can be funny sometimes." Harry agreed as she settled back onto the couch.
A few minutes later they both began to sleep again.
1:30 A.M.
Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher's quarters
"Harry defeated a fully grown mountain troll." Lily whispered in a mixture of shock, horror, and pride.
"Yeah, he did it for Hermione." Sirius added.
"I think Harry's found his girl." James noted.
Lily slapped his shoulder.
"Ouch! I just think he did! We Potter's tend to find our girl or guy depending on the gender, at an early age." James said seriously.
Sirius nodded.
"He found you in first year, I thought he was nuts...Wait I still think he's crazy." Sirius added.
James' face had a hurt look on it.
"I-I-I...I'm not crazy." He mimicked being hurt.
"Sorry James, I was just messing with you." Sirius believed he had insulted his friend.
"Has it been so long since I've joked?" James asked Sirius.
"You were joking?" Sirius looked at him in surprise.
"Yeah, I was just kidding."
"Looks like you are regaining your playful side Prongs." Sirius smiled.
"Our son is alive and well, he might accept us soon too. But we get to see him on a daily basis now and that's a big deal to us." Lily and James explained.
"The Marauder's ride again?" Sirius asked hopefully.
"Yes. Speaking of which...Dance Padfoot dance!" James cried as he cast the prank spell at Sirius.
Sirius had a shocked look on his face as he began dancing.
"I-I got pranked!" He said in surprise.
Sirius then launched his own reply. James was now sporting rainbow hair.
Suddenly he was confronted by team Potter and he knew he was in trouble.
Headmaster's Office
1:30 A.M.
Mr. Potter and Miss. Granger are the two best students of the year, why do you want me to remove Miss. Granger?" Minerva demanded.
"Miss. Granger, is already suffering from her experiences here. She needs security in her life." Dumbledore began.
"She has Mr. Potter and that is adequate security." McGonnagal replied.
"He is only eleven." Dumbledore protested.
"He just took down and killed a fully grown mountain troll without launching a single spell at it." McGonnagal replied.
"She must be shaken about what has happened. I have already owled her mother and father."
"She was to informed of that BEFORE you did so." McGonnagal said dangerously.
"It was for the best." Dumbledore said serenely.
"Don't you understand Headmaster?" A new voice spoke.
"Who are you?" Dumbledore demanded as he began to look around.
"Who I am is irrelivant Harry Potter has tremendous power that is awakening rapidly. But that will be for naught should you drive him away. If you drive Hemione away I can assure you Mr. Harry Potter will leave with her."
"Please tell me. Who are you?" McGonnagal asked.
"I am known by many names, all of which you wouldn't understand. However, I am sometimes known as 'Eternity'. Incidentally old man the Quirrel/Voldemort combination was not effective for this school. Don't worry though, Quirrel's dead now."
"He can't be redeemed now." Dumbledore said in horror.
"He was a mere pest to be swatted, just like you are a mere insect."
"What do you mean?" Dumbledore drew on all of his considerable powers to cast an aura of influence.
Eternity merely laughed before he appeared.
Eternity was tall. He was around 6'5'' and his black hair and green eyes reminded him of The Potter family. However, his face angles were quite a bit different, and his glowing emerald eyes were cruel, and dangerous. His body was chiseled and hardened. He was a warrior. Dumbledore reckonized that fact first.
"All of your power is nothing compared to me little boy."
"I am far older and wiser than you, a mere twenty some year old!" Dumbledore growled.
The man laughed again.
"Remember my name is Eternity for a reason. I have seen the birth and death of a billion universes. Do you really think that you, a Galactic level wizard will be able to harm me? I could enslave you with a mere thought."
Dumbledore believed the being standing in front of him and for the first time in over a century he feared for himself.
"I am tempted to just kill you though. But, I like my final idea better, do anything against Potter and then I will take action. Your power will be burned to nothingness, and I will destroy your mind, just enough to torment you but not enough to break you so you don't know what's happening to you. I will ensure you live a long time in the most miserable way if you try to harm either the girl that Harry Potter is with or him."
Eternity continued.
"For a demonstration. McGonnagal, when I leave this room you will forget everything that happened in here. You will then in thirty minutes be turned into your animagus form until the sun rises." Eternity vanished.
"You can't just send the letter without informing Miss. Granger first." McGonnagal said oblivious to the visit.
AN: I felt that this was a great time to demonstrate that Dumbledore is out of his league against Eternity here. Now the question remains will Eternity be required to carry out his threat?
Naturally McGonnagal spends the next several hours as a cat once the thirty minutes passed. We can assume that she wasn't happy about that.
Harry is conflicted. Tremendously conflicted. I hope I made this evident in the last couple chapters.
Alas, the last two chapters (this one and the one before) were difficult to write. I may have to slow The Eternal Wizard down...I need to reorganize the plot some. I'm proud of this one and I don't want to goof it in any way. I feel like if I don't watch myself I might make a mistake...No I am not giving this up, I am just going to spend time with plot work on this one. I have the ending ready. (I love the ending-a lot, it's a perfect ending to a story such as least I tell myself it is :D ) it's just the in between that is causing a little trouble.