{Disclaimer: Everything here belongs to the great J.K. Rowling. I only
own the characters that nobody recognizes from the original story.}{Posted:
January 31, 2002}
Chapter 10
Living Nightmares
Four beams of blue blazing light shot out of each of their wands to hit the demon straight on. It began to shrink, but not before it called out to the lone figure on the broomstick above them.
"I'll get you, Harry Potter. This is the warning that will be your last. Beware. You…will…DIE!!!!!" The demon faded from view and disappeared. Professor Harpsturn looked up at Harry on the broomstick. He slumped forward and started to fall. She pointed her wand at him before he could reach the ground. "PALOMIUS!" He floated to the ground like a feather and she caught him in her arms. Snape ran up behind her, realizing what she had done. "Here." She deposited the boy in his arms. "Bring him to the infirmary." She opened Harry's clenched hand. The Snitch was still there, fluttering weakly. Professor Harpsturn pulled it out. She looked around and saw both Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall staring at her. "Oh, shit. Hello, Minerva. Your team won the Quidditch match." The Golden Snitch was held up and tossed to Dumbledore.
Professor McGonagall was holding Harry's broom. Her face held a look between amazement, disgust, and confusion. "What are you doing here?" she asked tersely.
"Teaching. Teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts to be exact." Professor Harpsturn smiled grimly.
Professor McGonagall turned to Dumbledore. "You hired her!?"
"Yes, I did."
"Why?"
"She's the only one who volunteered to take the position. It is quite difficult to find a good Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and when someone volunteers to teach the class, it seemed best to hire her, no matter what she had done in the past."
Professor McGonagall gave Professor Harpsturn a look that would have done some good damage if looks could kill. Professor Harpsturn smiled again and followed Snape to the infirmary.
"Poppy!"
Madame Pomfrey looked out from behind a curtain. "Yes?" She then noticed Harry in Snape's arms. "Oh, my. I've always said that broomsticks were dangerous. Put him on the bed." She gestured to an empty one and Snape set him there. "What happened?"
"A demon appeared in the middle of the Quidditch match. We evacuated everyone, but Mr. Potter decided it best to stay in the air," Snape explained
"The demon talked with him and as it disappeared, he was hit with a spell that caused him to fall off his broom," Professor Harpsturn spoke softly.
Madame Pomfrey looked at her. "Who are you?"
"Emeline Harpsturn, the new Defense professor."
"Oh. Nice to meet you." She bent down over Harry's limp form on the bed. "There's no broken bones, or anything majorly wrong with him. It's almost like he's sleeping… Hmmm… I'll keep him here until he wakes up. I don't believe there's anything else that we can do for him and it would be best to let him sleep of the spell that hit him."
The two professors nodded. "Thank you."
Professor McGonagall looked at Dumbledore as he watched the other two professors walk off with Harry. "Albus, what's the meaning of this?"
"Emeline is an Auror, Minerva."
"She is an Auror? Emeline Lupin is an Auror?"
"Yes, she is. The Ministry wanted an Auror here for protection. She happened to be the only one who would take the position."
"But why did you do it?"
"She is highly trained in the Defense against the Dark Arts. She's changed from when she was here."
"But what about all the trouble she caused? The dragons that she brought here that ruined a few classrooms, the other dangerous creatures, wandering around the Forbidden Forest, the pranks she pulled."
"She's was just like the Weasley twins."
"Albus, she was worse than both of them combined. Did they ever get their hands on a dragon and accidentally let it loose in the middle of the night? Do you remember all the kids in the infirmary after that night?"
"No one died, though. There were only a few burns."
"And clawings and bitings! She even named it, if I remember correctly."
"Benjamin. Its name was Benjamin and it was a Chinese Fireball. She kept it in one of the abandoned greenhouses. It broke out one night and went to find her. She explained the entire story to me after it happened."
"You listened to her? Albus, can you think of what she could do with the dragons now?"
"Yes. Not many people have had close up study of dragons. I was hoping that she could teach our students about them and about protecting themselves from them."
"She'll bring one into the school again."
"She already has. A few days ago, she asked me if she could bring in a Norwegian Ridgeback. Yesterday she did."
Professor McGonagall's mouth opened. "You let her do that?"
"Of course I did. She let me see it. It was actually quite nice once you got to know it."
"How do you get to know a dragon?"
"Rather easily. Emeline has learned to communicate with them. All she had to do was ask it to behave and not flame at anyone and it did."
"That's impossible!"
"I watched her do it, Minerva. She can talk with them."
"She's a Parseltongue?"
"She's something like that. I don't know exactly what she is, but I do know that she can talk to dragons and that they listen to her."
"Fine, Albus, keep her as a professor. The first time anything happens to any of the students, I will ask you to take her off the staff. I know the other professors will agree with me." Professor McGonagall turned and left, still carrying Harry's broom. Professor Dumbledore followed. He hoped that he had been right about Emeline.
The last thing that Harry remembered was flying. The demon had rose up from behind the goal posts and threatened to kill him. A spell had been cast to kill the demon, but as it died, it shot something at Harry and he fell. He opened his eyes.
The room was reminiscent of the boy's dormitory. A large four post bed stood in one corner, a table with two chairs near another wall. There were no windows and only one door with bars. Harry sat on the floor atop a woven blue rug.
He didn't recognize this place.
The door opened. A man in a long black cloak with green lining entered and looked around. Harry stood up.
"Why, Harry, don't you remember me?"
{Author's Note: It's a Cliffy. I know that this is a relatively short chapter, but I felt the need to clear things up before I went on. I know that the next chapter will be longer because there are things that need to be done in it. (i.e. where Harry is, who is the other guy, how Harry got there, what the other guy does to Harry, what the other guy wants Harry to do.) I don't know if I said too much, but maybe that chapter will get written today as well, for we have a snow day and I have nothing better to do, except for maybe Chemistry and English homework. Thanks for reading, May The Force Be With You- Nataly Ravenlock}
Chapter 10
Living Nightmares
Four beams of blue blazing light shot out of each of their wands to hit the demon straight on. It began to shrink, but not before it called out to the lone figure on the broomstick above them.
"I'll get you, Harry Potter. This is the warning that will be your last. Beware. You…will…DIE!!!!!" The demon faded from view and disappeared. Professor Harpsturn looked up at Harry on the broomstick. He slumped forward and started to fall. She pointed her wand at him before he could reach the ground. "PALOMIUS!" He floated to the ground like a feather and she caught him in her arms. Snape ran up behind her, realizing what she had done. "Here." She deposited the boy in his arms. "Bring him to the infirmary." She opened Harry's clenched hand. The Snitch was still there, fluttering weakly. Professor Harpsturn pulled it out. She looked around and saw both Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall staring at her. "Oh, shit. Hello, Minerva. Your team won the Quidditch match." The Golden Snitch was held up and tossed to Dumbledore.
Professor McGonagall was holding Harry's broom. Her face held a look between amazement, disgust, and confusion. "What are you doing here?" she asked tersely.
"Teaching. Teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts to be exact." Professor Harpsturn smiled grimly.
Professor McGonagall turned to Dumbledore. "You hired her!?"
"Yes, I did."
"Why?"
"She's the only one who volunteered to take the position. It is quite difficult to find a good Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and when someone volunteers to teach the class, it seemed best to hire her, no matter what she had done in the past."
Professor McGonagall gave Professor Harpsturn a look that would have done some good damage if looks could kill. Professor Harpsturn smiled again and followed Snape to the infirmary.
"Poppy!"
Madame Pomfrey looked out from behind a curtain. "Yes?" She then noticed Harry in Snape's arms. "Oh, my. I've always said that broomsticks were dangerous. Put him on the bed." She gestured to an empty one and Snape set him there. "What happened?"
"A demon appeared in the middle of the Quidditch match. We evacuated everyone, but Mr. Potter decided it best to stay in the air," Snape explained
"The demon talked with him and as it disappeared, he was hit with a spell that caused him to fall off his broom," Professor Harpsturn spoke softly.
Madame Pomfrey looked at her. "Who are you?"
"Emeline Harpsturn, the new Defense professor."
"Oh. Nice to meet you." She bent down over Harry's limp form on the bed. "There's no broken bones, or anything majorly wrong with him. It's almost like he's sleeping… Hmmm… I'll keep him here until he wakes up. I don't believe there's anything else that we can do for him and it would be best to let him sleep of the spell that hit him."
The two professors nodded. "Thank you."
Professor McGonagall looked at Dumbledore as he watched the other two professors walk off with Harry. "Albus, what's the meaning of this?"
"Emeline is an Auror, Minerva."
"She is an Auror? Emeline Lupin is an Auror?"
"Yes, she is. The Ministry wanted an Auror here for protection. She happened to be the only one who would take the position."
"But why did you do it?"
"She is highly trained in the Defense against the Dark Arts. She's changed from when she was here."
"But what about all the trouble she caused? The dragons that she brought here that ruined a few classrooms, the other dangerous creatures, wandering around the Forbidden Forest, the pranks she pulled."
"She's was just like the Weasley twins."
"Albus, she was worse than both of them combined. Did they ever get their hands on a dragon and accidentally let it loose in the middle of the night? Do you remember all the kids in the infirmary after that night?"
"No one died, though. There were only a few burns."
"And clawings and bitings! She even named it, if I remember correctly."
"Benjamin. Its name was Benjamin and it was a Chinese Fireball. She kept it in one of the abandoned greenhouses. It broke out one night and went to find her. She explained the entire story to me after it happened."
"You listened to her? Albus, can you think of what she could do with the dragons now?"
"Yes. Not many people have had close up study of dragons. I was hoping that she could teach our students about them and about protecting themselves from them."
"She'll bring one into the school again."
"She already has. A few days ago, she asked me if she could bring in a Norwegian Ridgeback. Yesterday she did."
Professor McGonagall's mouth opened. "You let her do that?"
"Of course I did. She let me see it. It was actually quite nice once you got to know it."
"How do you get to know a dragon?"
"Rather easily. Emeline has learned to communicate with them. All she had to do was ask it to behave and not flame at anyone and it did."
"That's impossible!"
"I watched her do it, Minerva. She can talk with them."
"She's a Parseltongue?"
"She's something like that. I don't know exactly what she is, but I do know that she can talk to dragons and that they listen to her."
"Fine, Albus, keep her as a professor. The first time anything happens to any of the students, I will ask you to take her off the staff. I know the other professors will agree with me." Professor McGonagall turned and left, still carrying Harry's broom. Professor Dumbledore followed. He hoped that he had been right about Emeline.
The last thing that Harry remembered was flying. The demon had rose up from behind the goal posts and threatened to kill him. A spell had been cast to kill the demon, but as it died, it shot something at Harry and he fell. He opened his eyes.
The room was reminiscent of the boy's dormitory. A large four post bed stood in one corner, a table with two chairs near another wall. There were no windows and only one door with bars. Harry sat on the floor atop a woven blue rug.
He didn't recognize this place.
The door opened. A man in a long black cloak with green lining entered and looked around. Harry stood up.
"Why, Harry, don't you remember me?"
{Author's Note: It's a Cliffy. I know that this is a relatively short chapter, but I felt the need to clear things up before I went on. I know that the next chapter will be longer because there are things that need to be done in it. (i.e. where Harry is, who is the other guy, how Harry got there, what the other guy does to Harry, what the other guy wants Harry to do.) I don't know if I said too much, but maybe that chapter will get written today as well, for we have a snow day and I have nothing better to do, except for maybe Chemistry and English homework. Thanks for reading, May The Force Be With You- Nataly Ravenlock}