Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing of Harry Potter or Star Wars
Chapter X: Meetings
+- McGonagall's Office -*
"You all better have a suitable explanation for this foolishness," McGonagall sternly told the four children in front of her desk, with Filch standing at the side.
Malfoy immediately stepped forward with a smug look. "Professor, as you can see, Weasley did walk through Hogwarts afterhours. They were getting rid of the dragon!" While everyone's attention is on the blond Slytherin, no one noticed Harry subtly wave his hand at McGonagall's direction.
"Please be quiet, Mr. Malfoy," she replied, making him falter. "You made that point incredibly clear before they were found. The problem is that I do not know whether to believe you regarding this situation."
"Wha-what," Malfoy sputtered. "The letter's the proof, Professor! I gave it to you!"
"This letter is one of those things I am unsure of." She opened the letter and read it aloud.
Dear Ron,
How are you? Thanks for the letter - I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon.
Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark.
Send me an answer as soon as possible.
Love,
Charlie
"This is the only proof that you have, Mr. Malfoy, of Weasley's possession of an illegal dragon, nothing more. As such, this is not so convincing of that fact."
"B-But, they were at the tower at midnight, like the letter said!"
"Simply being at the tallest tower at midnight, as stated in a letter, does not prove that they have a dragon," she levelled a glare at Malfoy, "just like being in a trophy room at midnight, as stated in a dare, does not prove one is participating in a wizard's duel."
Malfoy paled even further before turning to Filch, who crinkled his nose at him.
"Don't look at Mr. Filch, Mr. Malfoy. You put him up to that. He went straight to the headmaster after his unfortunate run-in with Peeves in the trophy room, going so far as to interrupt the professor's weekly meeting with the Headmaster. He told us of your plot, how you goaded Messrs. Potter and Weasley into a wizard's duel in the trophy room before informing him about it. Instead of putting two students in detention, he was faced with Peeves. Severus was not pleased; we saw it on his furrowed brows. It wouldn't surprise me if you forged this letter to present to me while forging another to lure these three into the tower."
"That's preposterous," Malfoy exclaimed. "That's the only true letter!"
"Letters are private. I highly doubt that a Gryffindor would just give one to a Slytherin. How then would you have gained possession of such a letter?"
"Uh…well…that is…" He was speechless.
She shook her head and put the letter away. "Due to lack of evidence, your claim of a dragon is considered null. However, I will still have to report to the Headmaster of another of your ploys, Mr. Malfoy. Framing a student is not tolerated at Hogwarts. Regardless, I still have to deal with the main dilemma: you four being out of your common rooms afterhours. I have already given him detention and deducted 70 points from Slytherin because of his deceit and his being out afterhours. You three shall also serve detention and, moreover, I shall deduct 50 points."
Ron and Seamus looked aghast. "50!"
That was a bad move since McGonagall added, "Each."
"Professor, please, you can't," Ron pleaded.
"You cannot tell me what I can and cannot do, Weasley." She looked at Harry. "I'm most disappointed in you, Mr. Potter. You had a clean record since the beginning of the term. But now, it will be sullied."
"In my defense, Professor," Harry replied coolly, "I was sleeping in the common room before these two woke me up so that they could bring me with them."
"Oh," she raised a brow at the betrayed looks of Ron and Seamus, "did they say what for?"
"They told me that they were meeting with Charlie at the tower and wanted to introduce me to him. Since I was still drowsy, I couldn't refuse fast enough and they dragged me with them."
"Harry," Ron shouted. "What are you saying?"
He looked at him, annoyed at his shouting. "I'm telling the truth. It's because of you two that I was dragged into this mess. Don't blame me for what you caused."
"Well," McGonagall sighed, "since you were the only innocent one of the lot, I will rescind the fifty-point deduction from you. But, innocent or not, you were still caught afterhours. You will have to attend detention with these four." Harry nodded grimly as she stood from her chair. "This session is concluded. You have your deductions and you all will await your detentions." She turned to the caretaker. "Bring my three Lions back to their common room. I will bring Mr. Malfoy personally. Severus and I have a lot to discuss."
Nodding, Filch grabbed Ron and Seamus by their arms and said, "Come on!" Grasping their arms, he trudged out of the room, with Harry following.
McGonagall took the letter and looked at Malfoy. "Come then, we mustn't let Severus waiting."
Scowling, he did so and left the room, McGonagall behind him.
+-*/
When morning came, students from Gryffindor and Slytherin couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the massive decrease of points from their respective House hourglass.
Then, the stories started. By lunchtime, everyone from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff were glaring at Ron, Seamus, and Harry. As for Slytherin, they also took to cursing Malfoy's name in their sleep.
"Harry, how could you?" Hermione asked with wide eyes. "After all the points you gained us, how could you have taken it from us?"
Harry sighed as he put down his teacup and spoke loudly, attracting the attention of his fellow Gryffindors, "I am not at fault. Those two," he tilted his head towards Ron and Seamus, "woke me in the middle of the night and dragged me off my bed and out the common room. By the time I regained full use of my mental faculties, the empty portrait of the Fat Lady has already closed. That's why Professor McGonagall saw fit to take only 100 points instead of 150."
"I see. I'm sorry, Harry. I jumped to conclusions."
"It's alright, Hermione. It's understandable. It's those two who should be sorry." He glared at the two flinching students.
Within the day, the glares changed from Ron, Seamus, and Harry to Ron and Seamus. The days continued to pass by until, one morning, notes were given to Ron, Seamus, Malfoy, and Harry.
Harry opened his and read it.
Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet Mr. Filch in the entrance hall.
Professor McGonagall
+- Later that night */
When Harry arrived at the entrance hall, he noticed that he was the last of the four.
Malfoy sneered, "You're actually the last to arrive, Potter. The sky must be falling."
He rubbed his eyes and said, "I was catching up on some rest since this will most likely take up most of the night."
"Alright, alright," Filch growled, holding his lamp up, "that's enough out of you. This ain't no gossip show! Get movin'!" Reluctantly, the four students trudged out the castle and past the grounds. "This'll teach you not to break rules, eh? Hard work and pain…those are the best teachers. It's too bad they let the old punishments die out. Oooh, I miss the screaming. Hang you from the ceiling by your wrists for a few days." He grinned cruelly. "I still keep the shackles in my office, oiling 'em daily, just in case they're needed."
All but Harry shivered in fright. He's heard worse from Revan's and Meetra's stories of the great beyond. He noticed a shack in the distance. That's Hagrid's hut. He also noted the gamekeeper himself seated on a log by a fire, with a crossbow at his side.
Filch chuckled darkly, looking at Ron's and Seamus' relieved looks. "You think you'll be enjoying yourselves with that oaf? Think again. Y'all are going to the Forbidden Forest," he smirked at the pale faces of the three.
"Forbidden Forest," Malfoy whined. "We're not supposed to be going in there! There are…werewolves…and more!"
Smiling to reveal sickly yellow teeth, Filch cackled. "Then you should have thought about them werewolves before you broke the rules, eh?"
Hagrid stood and grabbed his crossbow. He waved at Harry. "Alright there, Harry," he asked.
"I wouldn't be all friendly with them, Hagrid," Filch sneered. "They're being punished, after all."
He scowled. "Just 'cuz they're being punished doesn't mean that I can' be friendly, Filch."
"Hmph, just don't be gentle with 'em," he huffed, turning back to the castle, "I'll be back at dawn…for what's left of 'em." He slowly trudged back up the castle.
Hagird turned around to grab lamp when Malfoy hissed. "I'm not going in there."
"You will if you want to stay at 'Ogwarts," Hagrid responded fiercely. "You broke the rules; you do this."
"This is servant duty," he snapped back. "Shouldn't we be writing lines or something?"
The gamekeeper scoffed. "What use is writing lines?" He picked up two lamps and gave one to Harry. "'Sides, this ain't servant duty. You want servant duties? Then go back to Filch and be in his shoes for the night." Malfoy glared at him but kept silent. "Right, come wit' me." He led the four students to the very edge of the forest. He raised his lamp and said, "Look over there. See that silver stuff? That's unicorn blood. Something in this forest hurt one bad. It's our job to help the poor thing."
Ron squeaked. "What if the one who hurt the unicorn finds us first?"
"No one will hurt you as long as you're with me or Fang. As you can see, the blood trail goes in two directions. Here's how we'll split the group. You two," he pointed to Ron and Seamus, "will be with me and Harry shall go with Fang and Malfoy. Send green sparks to the air if you found the unicorn. Send red if you get in trouble." He had them practice on the sparks for a little while. "We're all set? Good. Let's get going."
As Harry, Malfoy, and Fang walked amidst the blackness of the forest, Harry was mindful of the life this forest possessed. But among all the life in the forest, Harry sensed a powerful dark side entity further ahead of them trailing behind one of the lightest creatures he's ever sensed. It must be the unicorn.
He then sensed someone meet up with Hagrid and his fellow Gryffindors in the distance.
At least, they have the help of the locals, Harry thought. Right now, however, his focus must remain on the dark side entity that is already combatting the light side creature.
He gritted his teeth as he knew that he shouldn't leave the idiot and the dog behind. But he also couldn't let the unicorn suffer.
"All this walking is boring, blast it," Malfoy complained.
"Perhaps you'd like to run?" Harry suggested, subtly putting in his mind that the sooner they find the unicorn, the sooner they'll be done with it.
"I can't believe I just heard a great idea from you, Potter. Come on! The sooner we find that blasted beast, the sooner we can get this over with." He sprinted ahead with Fang and Harry right behind him. He has to hurry. The unicorn's aura was feeling weak and the entity is already hovering above it.
He was late in preventing the unicorn's aura to be tainted. When they got there, a cloaked figure was hunched over a silver unicorn's neck. Through his Force Sense, he could see the dark side slowly tainting the unicorn and some of the light side flowing from the unicorn to the entity and being converted.
Malfoy gave an unearthly scream as he turned around and fled like a man possessed. Immediately, Fang did the same, barking loudly as he goes.
With Harry and this guy left alone, the former's perception of the latter is now clear. He's detected this type of presence before. After all, there is only one person in Hogwarts that can have two sources of dark side energy: Quirrell.
He watched as the robed professor bypass the unicorn to approach him. Frowning, Harry drew his lightsaber and activated it, jumping at him afterwards.
The gold blade emerged from the hilt and Harry brought it down on Quirrell's form.
However, it seems that he has faster reflexes as a Dark Lord than he had as a professor.
Almost immediately, a wand emerged from his right sleeve and a spell burst from the wand to his chest, knocking him back.
He landed on a pile of roots and he quickly stood.
Quirrell made a slashing motion and Harry ducked, narrowly avoiding the curse that cut the roots around him. Jumping to the side to avoid a hurled rock, Harry returned the favor and grasped two rocks with the Force and threw it at Quirrell.
He registered Quirrell's surprise but didn't let up as he pointed his lightsaber at him. Then, the golden blade elongated and lashed at towards the professor. Quirrell stopped the two rocks and used them to block the blade.
But Quirrell was surprised when it burned through them and continued to him. He quickly reacted and erected a shield that collided with the golden blade. He pushed against it and, with a large burst of magic, sent the blade back. Resolved to finish the combat, his wand emitted a green light and he threw the curse at Harry.
Eyes widening, Harry recalled the blade so as to use it again to clash with the Killing Curse.
When gold met green, both wizards could feel the magic buildup between them.
Knowing that he must hurry, Harry drew his phoenix wand and channeled his power through it. Pointing it at Quirrell, he whispered, "Flipendo." And Quirrell, registering the curse late, was pushed far away from the battlefield. Deactivating and putting away his lightsaber, Harry rushed to the fallen unicorn.
There was a massive gash on her neck and he could feel the dark side tainting her body. He took a deep breath and placed his hands on her.
"When healing through the Force," Meetra lectured, "you must be mindful of healing not just the body but the soul. You do not just jump straight to mending wounds, treating illnesses, and removing poisons. You reach out to the wounded and calm their raging spirits. You heal the wounds in their souls before you work your way outward. That is the essence of Force healing."
His hands glowed blue and slowly channeled the Force to the fading creature before him. He drew the dark side from the unicorn, as poison is drawn from a wound. Letting it return to its master, he then changed focus to healing the gash.
He felt sweat on his brow and fatigue start to creep into him but he will not falter. He willed the blood to return to its owner and then he slowly closed the gash off. Afterwards, he put a hand onto her head and another above her heart. He reached out to the unicorn and said, "Awaken."
Seconds later, her eyes opened and she neighed as she stood up. Looking around, she saw Harry leaning by the tree. Cautiously approaching him, she started to nuzzle into his cheek. Harry slowly raised a hand to pet her. "There, there," he said, "you're alright now." He grunted when he struggled to stand. "Whew," he said with a grin. "That was a close one." He smiled as she regarded him curiously. "You should go, girl. More will be here soon."
Somehow he got the feeling that the unicorn doesn't want to leave his side but she acquiesced and left for the deeper part of the Forest.
"That was a kind act," a benevolent female voice spoke behind him. Surprised, he quickly turned to see the Diathim approaching him. She smiled at him and said, "It's good to finally meet you in person, Lord Cael. Or perhaps you would prefer Lord Potter?"
He gave a courteous nod and said, "Greetings, Lady Diathim. I didn't expect to meet you here."
She replied, "Neither did I. This is the last place I honestly believed we would cross paths. Since you freed me and my companions, I have tried searching for you. But the amount of magic and life in Wizarding Britain made it difficult to pinpoint your location. I was passing by to check on my centaur friends when I finally sensed your aura." She held out a hand. "Now that we've reacquainted ourselves, please come with me. There are some who would like to thank you."
"Uh…I mean no disrespect, but can we do this at a later time? Surely you sensed the dark side entity that was sent flying somewhere. I have to face him and protect the school."
She smiled at him again, "How noble of you. I understand. I shall persuade the lords to postpone your meeting until the end of school term. Until then, milord," she did the traditional female curtsy and donned a robe that dimmed her glow. She turned around and gave a small nod to an approaching centaur. She then disappeared into the night.
"Hello, Harry Potter," the male centaur spoke. "I am Firenze. I was on my way to protect you but it seems that you do not need it. The Lady of the Heavens once spoke of your alter ego's abilities and requested we keep it a secret. After witnessing you deal with the Cursed One, I see why. Knowledge like that falling to the wrong hands would wreak havoc. Come, ride on my back. In your fatigued state, we would return to your comrades sooner if you do so."
"Are you sure," Harry asked. "I read books on centaurs. For anyone to ride on your back is-"
Firenze shook his head. "Your importance to the Lady of the Heavens is known to my people. Moreover, you were the one who saved one of our own. That makes you important to us as well."
"I think I'll just walk, thank you."
Frowning, Firenze watched as Harry struggled to walk. After he stumbled once, Firenze grasped him and pulled him over his back.
"Wait," Harry protested.
"You are tired from battling a superior opponent. There is no point in tiring yourself out more by attempting to walk back to the castle."
After that, Harry remained silent, knowing that Firenze is set on this decision. In the distance, he could sense the gamekeeper and the other three students rushing over to him.
However, even closer to them were two male centaurs. They must have rushed to get there, judging by their heavy breaths.
"Firenze," the more dominant-looking of the two shouted, "You have a human on your back! What has become of your pride?"
Without pausing, Firenze calmly replied, "Bane, the Lady of the Heavens has set her sights on this boy." Both centaurs froze. "Surely, I need not stress to you his importance."
"W-Well," Bane shakily replied, "since milady has deemed him trustworthy, I shall allow it. But do not let this be a recurring thing, Firenze."
He didn't reply and just continued to walk, intent on returning Harry to his comrades.
+- In another part of the forest */
Quirrell hissed as he healed the wound on his back, which he gained as a result from high-velocity impact through a number of thick trees.
"I'm sorry, Master," he murmured. "I was careless." He then felt an intense pain on his head and he grasped it in reaction.
What did I tell you about carelessness, fool?! A hissing voice shouted in his mind. Because of your stupidity and underestimation, you were injured, injuring me by extension! What's more is that you didn't get me the sufficient number of unicorn blood to sustain me! What is the absolute worst is that you LOST TO THE SAME CHILD THAT NEARLY ENDED ME YEARS AGO!
"I'm sorry, Master," he repeated with an increase in volume.
Tch, I will deal with your failure later. I now know that Potter is not what he seems. I have never seen a wand that can produce something like he did before. I will have to change tactics. Head back to the castle with haste! I will have the boy approach us with the Stone! When you have returned to the castle, do as I say and perform the Presence-Absence Ritual! We do not have much time! DO IT!
With a whimper, he conjured a robe for himself before he rushed back to the castle.
That's the end of the new chapter.
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