Do not own the Legend of Zelda or Harry Potter
Prepare your selves for a dramatic reading of...
Another day came around for Harry, Ron and Hermione, who, like many other students, were walking towards their next class, which for the trio was the Study of Magical Creatures. Hagrid seemed to be really excited for today's lesson and when the three had asked about it, he said they'd just have to wait and see. But of course when they made it down to his hut, the class was standing around, waiting for their teacher.
Hermione sighed in frustration, crossing her arms, "Come on, it has been four months! Hagrid should know by now when his own class starts!" She exclaimed, getting chuckles from her two friends.
"Oh, calm down, Hermione. Besides, this gives me time to have the DADA homework done." Ron said, looking at the brunette.
Hermione put her hands on her hips and glared at him, "You're just lucky Professor Link isn't here or he would have probably assigned longer homework. Lupin only gives us short assignments because of his lack of time." She explained, but stopped when she saw Hagrid making his way happily down the path.
The giant clapped his hands together and grinned at the students, "Alright, everyone! Today is a special day, because we get to study a very special creature. Now come on, everyone, follow me." He explained, motioning them to follow him as he walked towards the forest.
The class followed him and came to a clearing surrounded by a small stonewall. Inside the area was an eagle-horse-like looking creature. Many of the students were in awe at the sight of such a majestic beast. Harry found the animal to be totally at peace even though a group of strangers just walked up to it.
"Class, this is Buckbeak! He's a Hippogriff. They are very territorial, so be cautious and don't approach him unless he allows you to." Hagrid explained, motioning to the creature behind him.
"The only safe way to approach him is if you do it slowly and bow to him," He continued, "if he bows back then he has accepted you to touch him. So who wants to try first?"
Most of the students shook their heads and backed away. Harry thought of volunteering but was broken from his thoughts when Malfoy pushed him forward. Harry turned back and glared at the platinum blonde who smirked smugly at him.
"Ah, Harry! Thank you for volunteering," Hagrid exclaimed, placing his hand on Harry's shoulder, "Now come on. First, you approach Buckbeak slowly and then bow to him."
Harry nodded and slowly started advancing towards Buckbeak. The creature noticed something moving towards him and at first hissed at the intruder. Harry faltered a bit, scared that he had gotten too close to Buckbeak's territory but then started moving forward again, bowing slowly to the creature so he wouldn't frighten it. Buckbeak, seeming angrier, snapped its beak near Harry which got Hagrid nervous.
"Harry, slowly back away. Buckbeak isn't accepting you in." Hagrid whispered as he slowly walked towards the boy.
Harry carefully started to straighten himself up but stopped when he saw Buckbeak's expression of anger change to one of curiosity. The hippogriff straightened its neck and slowly bowed to him. Hagrid let out a sigh of relief and the class clapped and cheered. Harry felt the weight of the world come off his shoulders. He slowly approached Buckbeak and began to pet his neck. He smiled and was enjoying this until he felt Hagrid's big hands grab him and lift him on top of Buckbeak.
"Hagrid, what are you doing!?" Harry exclaimed as he squirmed in the giant's grasp.
"Come on, Harry! Time for you to learn how to fly a Hippogriff." Hagrid said and laughed, hitting Buckbeak on the thigh.
Buckbeak let out a screech and ran off in the direction of the lake and then lifted himself and Harry off the ground with his powerful wings. The rush of air blew past Harry and nearly knocked him off, but he kept firm grip on the beat's feathers, the only graspable thing Harry could hang on to. He got readjusted to the giant bird and was finally able to enjoy the flight Buckbeak was taking him on, grinning the entire way. The two flew for only a few minutes, but they were the best in Harry's life. Buckbeak landed in the clearing, where the rest of the class was and they all rushed to Harry to get his experience from the ride. He jumped off as Hagrid lead Buckbeak away from the class.
Malfoy, feeling jealous of Harry's success, marched towards Buckbeak.
"Anyone can ride a stupid chicken!" He exclaimed, "Now come on, you stupid bird. Let's get this over with!" Malfoy said smugly, walking over to Buckbeak and getting too close to the creature.
"No, Malfoy! Stay back or-" Hagrid warned but wasn't able to finish as Buckbeak jolted up on his hind legs and brought down a claw, nicking Malfoy's right arm.
"AAAHHH! " He screamed, falling to the ground, grabbing his arm, "It killed me! That stupid bird! It killed me!"
Hagrid quickly went over to the boy and inspected his arm, "Now calm down, it's only a scratch." He said in a reassuring tone.
"Hagrid! You need to get him back to the Castle." Hermione said.
Hagrid nodded, still in shock, "Yes, of course. Come on, Malfoy, we'll get you fixed up by Madam Pomfrey." He said as he picked the boy up, walking carefully up the path towards the school.
The students were left in a shocked silence. They all just looked at each other, wondering what was going to happen to the majestic creature that had hurt Malfoy. Harry frowned, knowing that Malfoy's whole scene was an act and he had a bad feeling about what could happen to Buckbeak.
A silence fell upon the students as they stood waiting for someone to tell them what to do next. Some hushed whispers between them distracted many from the sounds of crunching leafs and branches that were rapidly approaching them. That was until a man jumped out of the forest and rolled onto the ground. He laid on the cold ground for a moment, panting very heavily. He wore a ragged, black and white striped shirt, which looked very faded. Harry also noticed, when the man's back was to them, that there was a section of the shirt that was red.
The man turned around and the students gasped, realizing who it was. Sirius Black looked at the group of students who were huddled together, Harry at the front sending a death glare at the man.
"Oh, hello there, " He said non-saliently, "By any chance, can any of you help me?" He asked, walking slowly towards the group.
The students backed away with every step Black took.
"Please, hear me out. One of you most know some type of a spell to patch me up." He said in a fake pleading manner.
When he got no response again, Black huffed in frustration. He looked over all the students and noticed a brunette who wasn't as close to the group as the others. He lunged and grabbed her then brought his wand to her neck.
"One of you must know something!" He exclaimed in a crazed manner, "Now come on, just something to stop my bleeding."
"Let her go!" Harry screamed, whipping out his wand and pointing it towards the wanted criminal.
At this Black laughed and pressed his wand to the girl's neck, "Put that down boy, you don't want anything bad happening to her." He mocked, glancing from the girl to the black haired boy.
The girl, who was Hermione, looked at Harry with pleading eyes, "Harry, just put your wand down. Please."
Black's eyes widened slightly, looking from Hermione to the boy, "Harry? Harry Potter?" Black asked in shock, and got a good look at the boy. "You're the son of James and Lily Potter?"
"Yes, I am, and you're the one who caused their deaths!" Harry screamed, gripping his wand tighter.
Black looked at the boy and opened his mouth to say something when, from the forest, a dagger flew straight for his head. He quickly threw Hermione to the ground and jumped back. Everyone looked to the forest and watched Link walk out, another dagger in his hand.
"You certainly are persistent!" Black shouted at the man.
Link stepped out from the forest, unsheathing his sword for the fight he anticipated was about to happen. "I am and I think it's time for you to surrender, Black." He said coldly.
Black laughed, then smirked at him, "No, I don't think so."
Link glared darkly at him, "The Dementors are everywhere and with me hunting you, there's no chance" There was a long silence as both men starred daggers at each other. Finally Black broke the tension.
Black quickly brought up his wand, "Better start looking then." He said, quickly casting a spell that shot a sphere of light towards Link.
Link blocked it with ease, but it blew up in a large flash of light, blinding everyone. He covered his eyes with his hand, trying to keep focus on his target. When his vision returned, he quickly looked around for Black but he was nowhere in sight. He looked around for footprints and found nothing, but there was something odd that he saw. Link knelt down and inspected what appeared to be wolf paw prints. They were also around the location that Black was. He frowned, had a wolf walked by in that instant? He shook his head and walked over to Hermione, who was still on the ground, and offered his hand.
"Ms. Granger, did he hurt you?" He asked as he helped her up.
"No, professor. I'm fine." She said, wiping the dirt off her clothes.
Link smiled and nodded. They both walked over to the other students who were happy to see the professor. He walked up to Harry, who was still glaring at the spot where Black was.
"When we get back to the castle, I want a word with you." Link whispered to him. Harry looked up at the older man but he was already gathering the class to go back to the castle.
When they reached the courtyard, the class met up with Hagrid, who just got out of the infirmary, and explained to him what had happened while he was gone. Link waved Harry over to him and they both walked to the side of the courtyard.
Crossing his arms, Link glared at the younger boy, "So is eavesdropping a hobby for you?" He asked in an annoyed tone.
A surprised look crossed Harry's face, "How did you…?" He was about to ask, but stopped, "Does it matter? It's better for me to know what Black did so I have some purpose to fight him." He said in a calm tone, trying to match his teacher.
Link glared at him, "No, it's stupid. When you fight with emotion, your judgment is clouded and when that happens you make mistakes. When that happens, you die." He explained bluntly.
Harry didn't say anything, the words running over in his mind. What the professor said made sense but it just hurt so much to see that man, who was his parents' best friend, who had betrayed them.
"Your vengeance will drive you over the edge," Link continued, breaking Harry out of his thoughts, "and you'll lose all your friends in the process."
Harry glared up at the blonde, "So you would rather have me do nothing as he threatened Hermione?!" He countered, not fazing his professor.
Link uncrossed his arms and sighed, "I was going to stop him from hurting her," He said, giving his own glare to Harry, "I would have done it sooner but when I heard you say 'caused their deaths' I knew you had eavesdropped on that conversion with Fudge back in Hogsmeade."
Link started to leave, but stopped and looked back at him, "Sometimes, Harry, the truth is too much to bear and can rip someone apart to the point of nothingness. Now return to your class, I have to speak to Dumbledore." He said and turned, walking away from the courtyard towards the inner workings of the castle.
Harry watched the professor leave, frowning, and walked back to his class.
Link walked through the crowded hallways of the school, an angry sigh escaping from his mouth. This teaching thing was becoming more difficult by the minute. The King of Evil was trying to kill him, a deranged murderer was on the loose and a student who would just never fully grasp the things that he was trying to teach him. It was starting to build up, becoming all too complicated for Link. As he walked into another hallway, he took notice of Dumbledore already waiting for him.
"I've heard the rumors, professor, and I hope to hear they are just that." Dumbledore said walking up to Link.
Link shook his head and the two began to walk. "Unfortunately, headmaster, they are not. Sirius Black is on the grounds and he is willing to do anything not to get captured." He said, walking beside Dumbledore.
Dumbledore nodded in understanding. "I see. I'll suspend all of the campus travel until he is captured. Is there anything else you need to tell me, professor?" he asked.
Link glanced around and nodded to the headmaster. "Yes, there is, but not here." He whispered.
Dumbledore nodded and the two of them walked down the hall and into the headmaster's office. The aging wizard took a sit at his chair behind the desk and Link took a seat in front of him.
"So, professor, what is this matter that concerns you?" Dumbledore asked, leaning back in his chair.
Link frowned, a serious expression on his face. "The curse is breaking. This charm defense isn't working. It broke twice while hunting Black. I nearly succumbed to its affects but repulsed the evil magic." He explained and pulled his tunic and undershirt away from his chest revealing the crystal. The crystal was visible under the skin, several veins popping out from it, pulsating and having a noticeable light glow.
The wizard's eyes widened slightly. "This is most troubling, professor. If you were to succumb to this curse what would be the best course of action?" Dumbledore asked, leaning forward with his elbows on the desk.
Link's gaze met the floor and he sighed heavily. "The best thing…would be to knock me out immediately, before the complete transformation and if that doesn't happen…" Link looked up at Dumbledore and explained bluntly, "if that doesn't happen, then lock every door to this school and don't let me in or else I will kill everything and anything in my sight."
Dumbledore nodded, "Not too many options then. I will give you something that should amplify the charm's power." He said getting up and walked over to a cabinet opening it. He grabbed a flask filled with a clear liquid, turned back to his desk and set it in front of the Hylian.
"This should help, professor. Take a small drop and put it in whatever you drink every day, if you run out of it, come back for more." Dumbledore explained and started to walk towards the door of his office. "But if you will excuse me, professor, I need to find out about this hippogriff business." He gave a small smirk and walked out of the office.
Link grabbed the flask and got up, "Thank you, headmaster." He whispered to no one and walked to the door, leaving the office.
Link closed the office door and jogged down the staircase, entering the hallway. He slowly walked down the hall towards his room, glancing at the flask he held in his hand. Could this liquid really help? Link was ready to believe anything at this point. This country was vastly different from Hyrule; the creatures, the magic and definitely the politics. Link hated politics the most and it was no different here.
He pushed the thought aside as he entered his classroom. The period had just ended and Link noticed the chalkboards had some writing on them and there was a small stake of papers on the front desk. He assumed Lupin must have just finished. He walked past the desks and entered his office, seeing Lupin sitting there with one hand on his forehead and holding a quill in the other. From what he could tell, Lupin hadn't noticed his arrival in the room because he was so distracted.
Link smirked at that, closing the door lightly, "Harder than it looks, isn't it?" he said breaking the silence.
Lupin's head shot up at the familiar voice and cracked a small grin.
"Much harder than it looks, I have to admit." He said with a light chuckle.
Link walked over and grabbed a chair, taking a seat in front of the desk, "Unfortunately for you, I'm back and eager to resume my work." Link glanced around his desk and found many papers spread out on it in no real order.
Link sighed "You're not too great at organization, I can see." Link also took notice that none of his pictures had been removed from his desk either. He reached over and grabbed one, turning it over to see which one it was. It was the one of his family back on the ranch. His son in his arms and his wife at his side.
"Yes, well, I usually tend to think I'm good at that sort of things, but being out of practice for so long has made me a bit rusty," Lupin was explaining, trying to quickly stack the papers in a neat heap, not taking notice of Link's action.
"Though I will say I am impressed by your attention to detail…" Lupin finally looked up to see Link wasn't paying attention at all.
Lupin allowed a small smile on his face. "It's quite a lovely picture." This broke Link from his trance, "I have to admit I was wrong about you."
Link stared blankly at Lupin as the man spoke, "The way you held yourself, the way you acted and treated others, I always assumed you lived a long, lonely life in a mountain hut." Link slowly placed the picture back down on his desk, the front of it still facing him "Never did I imagine you were a father, never did I truly believe that you were a man of morals. I just saw you for what you showed me."
Link furrowed his brow, "Which was?"
"Which was a murderer without remorse, a killer without a purpose."
The two were silent. Both staring at each other. Link shifted in his seat, straightening up a bit.
"You're not totally wrong, Lupin" He said, taking a small key from his pocket and placing it on the desk.
Lupin stared at it blankly, confused. "What's this?"
"For the first draw in this desk, unlock it and give me the contents." He stated in a calm tone.
Lupin did so and wasn't too surprised to find a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He picked them up and put them on the desk.
"I do believe it is against the rules to smoke in this school, professor," Lupin said pushing the items towards Link.
Link took a cigarette out and lit it. "I've done just about everything in the book, Lupin. My entire life I've been nothing but a fighter, nothing but a tool of death. From as far back as I can remember there has always been a sword in my hand." Link blew out some smoke "For many years it was all I knew, the swing of a sword, the clashing of shields, screams of pain and cheers of victory….if those ever meant anything." Link inhaled a long drag of his cigarette "I've killed more living things than I can count, some who deserved and, well, maybe some who didn't." Link finished his cigarette and went to pick up another. He looked at it carefully and let out a heavy sigh placing it down on the desk. "I'm trying to change that now, I want to be a better man. I want to inspire courage, but it seems no matter how hard I try, I seem to only inspire fear."
Lupin was practically speechless. He hadn't expected Link to let out such a tragic tale. To his unfortunate realization, HE was right about Link. Link was a killer but a regretful one. One looking for redemption. "I believe you aren't giving yourself enough credit, professor. You have made a beautiful life for yourself. A family that adores you with all their heart." Lupin stopped and picked a mass of letters that he had tied all neatly together. "I believe one came almost every day from someone different. There are many people back home that miss you." Lupin stopped for a moment to let Link have that sink in. "You also don't give credit to your students, they missed you desperately and were very worried for you when they found that you were hunting a very dangerous criminal."
"We started out on the wrong foot, professor, and I believe it may be time to start over again, what do you say?" Lupin said extending his arm out towards Link.
Link looked at Lupin. He grinned slightly and reached out to Lupin's hand and shook it. "I believe we can start over". The two men shook hands and the room fell back into silence.
"Lupin."
"Yes, professor?"
"First off all, call me Link, I hate the formal shit. Secondly, I need some sleep, so if you wouldn't mind leaving…" He said in a serious tone, but with a wide grin on his face as he got up.
Lupin raised an eyebrow and shook his head, chuckling. "Hmmm, well, since you asked so nicely."
Lupin grabbed most of his stuff and headed for the door as Link immediately dropped dead on the bed. Lupin glanced back at him and shook his head, though he knew Link had deserved his rest, and quietly closed the door to the professor's room.
Link breathed in deeply, exhausted. For weeks he had barely eaten or slept and he had to hunt a psychopath. His sleep was peaceful, he was finally at peace for the first time while he was a professor. Nothing could break this.
Pain shot from his chest and throughout his whole body. Link's eyes snapped open and he screamed. The pain continued to surge through his body as he clenched his chest, gritting his teeth. He rolled off the bed and slammed into the floor as his muscles and bones moved into the positions of a beast. Link could not keep the curse from escaping this time, and this time he hadn't locked the door. Everything seemed to go wrong.
Lupin had walked out of the classroom when he remembered he forgot one of his most important books in the desk. He turned around and walked back inside and climbed up the stairs. When he cracked the door open, he heard some muffled screams. Lupin wasted no time in throwing the door open and rushing into the room. Link was on the ground, clutching his chest, pain strained on his face.
"Link! Is this the curse?!" Lupin asked as he tried to help the professor up, but stopped when Link let out another scream of pain.
Link tried to speak but it was completely inaudible. All Link could do was scream and yell in agony. He coughed out puddles of blood before Lupin took action. Lupin brought his fist down upon the back of Link's neck, hitting a pressure point and knocking him out. Link went limp and lost consciousness. Lupin sighed, sitting down onto the ground, and a glow caught his eye. He watched Link's left hand glow a faint gold color before it disappeared. Lupin was left alone in silence with unconscious Link on the ground and with a small pool of his blood soaking the ground. He got up and lifted Link up and onto the bed.
He knew of the professor's curse for a while, but he also knew that he wanted to keep it a secret. He stayed with Link for a few hours, organizing some of the remaining work he left in the room until the Hylian came to.
Link let out a moan as he tried to get himself up, but Lupin immediately pushed him back down.
"Link, I highly recommend more rest before trying to move." Lupin stated, sitting down in the chair he had put next to the bed.
Link grinned a bit, clearly still tired from the ordeal. "You have a good right hook there, Lupin…" He said with a lighthearted chuckle, massaging the back of his neck. "Ever considered boxing?" Lupin laughed at the comment.
"No, I haven't, nor I will." Lupin said getting up. "Link, I do have one request before you go back to resting." He said, getting a confused expression from Link.
"What would that be?"
"Could you meet me in my old quarters tomorrow? There is, well, something I need to speak with you about…" Lupin said, getting a nod from the Hylian. He patted his shoulder and walked out of the room, leaving Link alone.
Link stared at the door for a few more moments before closing his eyes and falling into a deep sleep. He had gotten lucky this time and maybe next time he wouldn't be so lucky. He had to be more careful about this curse now that he was at school.
Link slept through the entire next day missing all the classes he had scheduled. At one point a student had knocked on the door wondering when the class would start. Link just glared at him and told him that there was no class, scaring the kid off with his glare.
Later in the day, Link finally worked himself out of his bed and began the walk to Lupin's quarters. He was still very sore from the near transformation, but he fought through it, stretching his arms on the walk over.
He thought about what Lupin would want to talk about that had to be so secretive. From what he could tell, the man looked very serious when telling him about their meeting. He shrugged it off and finally made it to the Lupin's room. He knocked and entered the room where he saw Lupin sitting on a coach drinking some tea.
"Link, good to see you among the living." joked Lupin as he put down his cup.
"Trust me, I'd rather be dead than to go through all that again," Link said, taking a sit in a chair opposite to Lupin. "So what is it you want to talk about anyway?"
"I want you to listen to everything I have to say no matter what."
Link's expression turned very serious, he felt the uneasiness in the room and knew something wasn't right. He took a quick glance around before his eyes set on Lupin again.
"Ok, what is it you have to tell me?" Link asked.
They sat in silence for a moment before Lupin sighed deeply "It's about Sirius Black," he said, crossing his arms.
Link frowned at the name and an uneasy feeling came over him again. He slowly placed his hand on the hilt of his hidden dagger within his robe. In a way Lupin was not going to notice.
"Sirius Black is innocent, he was framed by a man named Peter Pettigrew," Lupin explained.
Link stared at Lupin like he was nuts, trying to process what the older man had said with what he knew about the case. How could Black be innocent?
"Peter was the one who told Voldemort about Harry's parents and then framed Sirius Black for the crime," Lupin explained further, leaning back into his couch, "when I first heard you were to hunt him, I thought you would put the pieces together and figure it out. But it seems you haven't."
Link glared at him for the comment. Was he saying he wasn't smart enough to figure it out or maybe there was something missing? What Lupin had said could be very true, it made sense, but he wasn't about to jump to conclusions just yet. "Just curios, where is this Peter Pettigrew?" Link inquired.
Lupin's eyes narrowed, his frown deepening. "I'm not sure where he is, but I know for a fact that he is on the school grounds in disguise. Link, please, tell me you believe me."
Link opened his mouth to answer when another uneasy feeling went through his body. Someone was behind him, someone he couldn't see. Wasting no time, Link unsheathed his dagger, bolted up and turned towards the person, his arm outstretched towards the intruder. He did a double take, surprised to see who it was. In front of him was Sirius Black, his wand pointed right at the Hylian.
"Jumpy, aren't we?" Black taunted, a small smirk on his face.
"You could say that, or you could call it a habit." Link shot back, a grin forming on his own face.
The two men didn't lower their weapons and continued to glare at one another, waiting for the other to make the first move. Lupin shook his head and stood up, deciding to end the stand-off.
"Both of you, stop," Lupin said, getting in-between the two of them, "Sirius, we're trying to convince you're innocent, remember? That's hard when you have your wand in his face."
Sirius shot Lupin a look, who returned it back at him. "Fine, but I want him to lower his first."
Link flipped the dagger in the air and when it fell back down, he skillfully grabbed the hilt and sheathed the blade.
Black shook his head. "A bit of a show-off, are we?" he said, putting his wand away.
"No, just a show of what you're dealing with." Link responded coldly, still glaring at the convict.
The three men sat down around the small coffee table, Lupin and Black staring at Link as they explained the situation. Link listened intensively and soon came to his own conclusion, leaning back in his chair to look at the two men.
"Ok, I believe you." Link said interrupting Lupin, who was in mid-sentence.
Black grinned, leaning back in his chair. "Well, that's good to hear, I'd rather you weren't hunting me." he said.
"So, Link, can we trust you will help us?" Lupin asked.
"In what spare time I can find to help you, yes." Link responded.
"Well, that's one good thing today." Black said, chuckling to himself.
Link shook his head at the man. "For you maybe, but now I've got to help you guys find this Pettigrew and still teach classes." He replied in a joking manner.
Black raised an eyebrow. "Oh, it can't be that bad." He said.
Lupin placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. "No, Sirius, it is a lot more stressful than you think. I've only taught for three weeks now and I'm already through with it." He joked and the two laughed lightly at him.
The three men continued into the night about their new alliance. Link dismissed himself later on and began his walk back to his office. His hatred towards Lupin had been nearly wiped from his mind within only a day. When the guy wasn't annoying him, he wasn't all that bad. He also now had to keep it a secret that the man he was told to hunt was now a partner of his.
'Yup, this country is much weirder than Hyrule. Too complicated and the sooner this ends the better.' Link thought to himself, his hate for complicated things coming through.
When Link returned to his office, he lay down on his bed, but got back up and locked all the doors. He would have to do this every night now just in case. When he finally fell to sleep, he thought of what would happen next to make things worse. One thing that came to his mind was a funny thought of Harry knocking out Snape. 'Ha! Like the kid actually had the guts, but still it was a funny thought.'
Hope you everyone enjoyed the chapter I'll continue to update but they will take time.