Channeling
That night had been a long one. Albus and Rose came back to the bushes were they had emerged only to find that the passageway had disappeared.
"Just ask the map for another way in." whispered Rose.
"Right!" Albus reached into his back pocket to pull out the map. "Oh no."
"This can't be good." Rose muttered.
"I think I lost the map."
"You lost the map! You git, how do you expect us to get back in?" Rose exclaimed with rage in her voice.
"I-" Albus began.
"You know what? I don't even want to hear it." Rose said and she walked away.
Albus was left alone without a way back in the castle. He looked around the bushes for an hour looking for a way back in and eventually Albus wore himself out and fell asleep.
Albus awoke to a pink sky that morning. It was still very early in the morning. Hoping not to be caught sneaking out by his family, or worse Filch, Albus threw on his Invisibility Cloak and walked back to the Entrance Courtyard. He found the main doors to be unlocked and entered the castle. He returned to the Slytherin Dormitory, not wanting to face Rose again.
In the following weeks Albus would find out, by word of Luke that Rose had camped out behind Hagrid's hut that night. That morning Hagrid had found Rose and escorted her back to the castle, promising not to breathe a word to anyone so long she promised never to sleep in his pumpkin patch again.
The afternoon after their lakeside excursion Albus' family left and Luke and the rest of the students returned. The flow of things returned to normal albeit the continuing onslaught of destruction as winter came to a close. The days were getting noticeably longer when Albus grabbed his broom from the locker rooms. The team was ready to go that Saturday night and had assembled by the room's entrance to hear Teddy Lupin's pre-game pep talk.
"One game, gentlemen." He paced in front of them, "One game. We either win it and move on or lose it and leave for the season. The Striking Demiguise knocked out the Dashing 'Sticks and now it's either us or the Flying Hippogriffs. Now I don't know about you, but these last ten years of racing sure have annoyed me. Not one Rising Phoenix victory. But we will change that starting tonight. Tonight we beat those Hippogriffs and then kick the Demiguise back to where they came from. Tonight we clear the way to victory for the Rising Phoenixes!"
The team cheered and used their exhilaration to run mount their brooms and fly out onto the field.
"An exciting night for the Rising Phoenixes." declared Clarke Dewhurst from the commentary booth. "This is the first time of the ten years of Racing at Hogwarts that they have made it this far."
Albus turned to James and asked what Dewhurst meant. "Well, in past years several members of the team underwent too many losses and quite a few sustained serious injuries. We have always had to drop out by the semi-finals. But not this year, thanks to you!"
"Yes, the Phoenixes have their newest player, Albus Potter to thank for the string of victories. But, the Flying Hippogriff's captain, former Hufflepuff Quidditch captain Romule Indy, says they have prepared an offensive strategy that he claims will ensure their victory.
Albus could hear the distaste in Clarke Dewhurst's voice. Being a Gryffindor made him a little less then partial but the fact the Dewhurst said it without adding in any of his own commentary worried Albus of the Hippogriff's team strategy. Albus had to shake off his worries. Before the match while the two were changing, his brother had given him a short talk to try and keep him clam about the outcome of the match
"It's all right, Albus. You brought more glory to our team then we have in ten years. In fact, you've made the most famous sports team in Hogwarts history since dad! Well, at least according to Uncle George." James had said.
"What if we lose?" Albus had asked.
James summoned his broom and looked through a hole in the ceiling to the full moon above, "Then we'll go down fighting."
But now Albus wasn't as assured. He still felt a tremendous amount of pressure being placed upon his shoulders.
The team had reached the starting line in the sky when Dewhurst voice boomed again. "The match today will take place mostly in the Forbidden Forest. Special surprises for the teams have been arranged. Racers, prepare yourselves."
The reason the match had been scheduled for the nighttime was apparent now. Albus drew his wand and muttered, "Lumos Maxima" a small ball of light was produced from his wand and floated down in front of his broom. He saw him teammates use similar tactics. After a minute, everyone was ready and, with the flick of Madame Hooch's wand, the race had begun.
The first few minutes passed without much occurrence. Finally, the racers actually entered the thick mass of trees. The Forbidden Forest was a dark place; it cold during the day, and freezing at night. Creatures of unknown kinds lurked around, making the place the only sure way to get killed at Hogwarts. There were support wizards standing by, but Albus wasn't planning on taking the risk of falling into the dark depths of the forest. Following the pre-laid out trail, Albus hovered towards the tree tops. Even with the light traveling in front of him, it was hard to see anything.
Albus hadn't noticed it but it seemed things had gotten quiet; really quiet. None of the other players were there anymore. They had all gone away.
"Teddy?" Albus stuttered "James?"
A great howl come from out in the distance. Albus looked below him. He squinted to find the source of the noise. As he looked he saw something glow orange on the ground. Something in the shape of an archway planted to the ground. Albus was about to head down and see what it was when he heard the howl again but this time it was closer. In fact it was right behind him.
"Lumos Maxima!" Albus yelled again and another ball of light hovered over behind him. Albus' eyes followed the ball as it floated to the hilt of a broom.
"A broom!" Albus thought "So I'm not alone!" but the temporary relief Albus felt was washed away when the light revealed who was on the broom.
What was on the broom.
A wolf was on the broom. It was bent over in a human likeness. As Albus got a better look, he saw that part of the wolf had missing fur and under it was normal human skin. His hind legs bent in the same way that Albus' did and his arms were gripping on to the broom handle. Out of its paws Albus saw, to horror, thumbs that helped the monster retain his grip.
"What are you?" Albus screamed.
But the wolf didn't hear him; instead it began to leap at him. Its body left the broom and jumped onto Albus.
From his pocket Albus drew his wand but the dropped it when he heard the terrible cry of the wolf again.
Albus didn't want to do it, but he knew he was in terrible danger and there would be nothing else to do.
Time slowed down and is eyes fell heavy with the feeling of drifting off to sleep. His mouth moved by itself and he heard a snapping sound as a stick from a tree flew to his hand. It was as if in his subconscious state he knew that he couldn't risk being seen doing wandless magic.
This time the sensation went away before he did anything to actually save himself. Albus was scared stiff. He closed his eyes and with all the power that he could muster, screamed as loud as he could, "Protego!"
It was a powerful spell that shouldn't have been possible for a first-year, even within the magical boundaries of Hogwarts. Yet, a small silver shield emerged before him. Albus heard the wolf hit it and heard a long howl which Albus knew meant the wolf had fallen to the ground.
Albus reopened his eyes. He was back at the starting line. Somehow, he knew, the same sensation had taken over as his eyes were closed and flown back here.
The Race was over.
The Rising Phoenixes won.
The party lasted longer than any previous. Albus found out that some of the Races had gotten into a large duel and fallen behind. A lot of people were knocked out of the match when the same wolf that Albus encountered attacked and took the rest out. Hogwarts staff rescued everyone, although a few members of the other team, including team captain Romule Indy had been taken to the Hospital Wing.
The sun was just rising and the party was still going strong when Teddy, the only one from Albus' team who had to go to the Hospital Wing, entered the common room and walked over to Albus.
"Here you go." Ted dropped Albus' wand into his hand, "Try not to lose it again."
Albus thanked him and began to leave when Albus realized something. According to the accounts of his teammates, Ted had been the first to disappear. "Teddy?" Albus turned to ask him, "I heard you disappeared first. You should have been rescued first and yet somehow, when I'm already far away and I lose my wand somehow you retrieve it?"
Teddy looked behind him, grabbed Albus by the shoulder, and walked towards the tower entrance. "I know you have Harry's cloak. Put it on over us."
Albus obeyed and the two, under the cloak, left Gryffindor Tower and walked down a couple of stairwells. Within a couple of minutes, Ted had led them into some empty room.
Teddy took off the cloak as he began to speak to Albus, "I disappeared first, I wasn't out of the race first."
Just that confirmed what Albus already knew, "So it was you. How? Dad said long ago that you aren't a werewolf."
"And he's right, but I am the son of a werewolf. It isn't very often that werewolves breed and when they do the results are…difficult."
As Teddy said that Albus remembered the full moon that he had seen during his pre-game talk with James.
"When a full moon comes out, I don't transform but sometimes, when I'm really frustrated or upset or-or-or angry I get this primal feeling. I'll want blood and-and flesh. I'll want to tear out the throats of people and-well I just become like a wolf."
Albus tried to keep calm, "But if you're not a full wolf than how did you transform into the shape of one?"
Teddy's hair shifted from its normal light brown into a light blue color, "I never do it around the family, but your father knows. I'm a metamorphmagus; I can change my appearance to my will. I could turn into the form of a wolf but as I'm sure you saw, still retain some of my more human physical abilities."
Albus understood, "You never went to the hospital wing then?"
"No, I hid out in the forest for the night and a little while ago, when the sun rose, I came back here."Teddy said.
"So we'd you do it?"
"Why'd I do what? Why'd I attack you, or why'd I go into such a wolf-like?"
"Both."
"I guess I can just kill two birds with one stone here. I was just so…frustrated." Teddy sighed.
"I get that, but why?" asked Albus.
"I-I rather not talk about it." Teddy said, although as Teddy finished speaking Albus was sure he heard the word 'Victoire' muttered.
"But," Ted continued, "It just got me all riled up that when the full moon came out, I just lost all control. I wanted to kill, I had to kill but I'm glad I didn't."
Albus knew ted was spent. Besides, at this point there was nothing left to say.
Albus was out the door when he poked his head back in for a final question, "Christmas morning you were also frustrated, is something happening…between you and Victoire?"
Teddy looked up. Albus saw his puffy and red eyes as Teddy nodded slowly. Albus sighed and realized that, for the time being, there was nothing left to speak about.
Albus left the room and headed down to his dormitory.
He needed some rest now.
Rose slammed a book down in front of Albus and Luke's faces that next day, "Channeling!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, decided to start talking to me again?" Albus asked.
Rose's ears got a little red, "I was just a little angry. But it doesn't matter now; I think I'm on to something. Luke told me that during the Race, you used a tree twig to cast magic?"
Albus glared at Luke, "Yeah, it's because of that weird wandless magic, I needed to cover it up."
"That's channeling!" Rose exclaimed.
Albus and Luke both looked at Rose with blank eyes.
"Oh, for heaven's sake, just read the book," she opened the book to a page and pointed to a place for Albus and Luke to begin reading.
Chapter XIV
Wandless Magic and Channeling
Since the time of ancient wizards, the ability to utilize magic without the help of a wand has been a rare ability. Those who develop this ability have also been able to channel. Channeling is the art of feeding magic through non-magical objects. Some wandless practitioners would channel their magic through ordinary objects. This art expanded into wandless channeling expanded into what is now what is classified as Channeling. Nearly a millennia ago, Channeling was used to expand the magical properties on objects. These lasting effects continue today in the use of objects such as Time-turners that affect those in contact with the object as well.
"Obviously since Time-turners were outlawed, this book is a bit outdated, but albeit that, all this is one hundred percent accurate." Rose said.
"And this has to do with anything because-?" asked Albus.
"I think that's how everything is connected. Your wandless magic, the destroyed objects, and the Scar of Wizardry!" Rose exclaimed.
"Hey, you want to go and tell the whole school? Keep it quiet. Now, how is it all connected?" asked Albus.
"You used wandless magic to channel magic through a twig and affect the wolf coming at you, right? So it's the same idea! Someone is destroying objects and channeling their power into the Scar of Wizardry!"
"Yes, but why?" asked Luke.
"Well, we don't really know what the Scar of Wizardry is, correct? So whoever is doing this must be channeling all this powerful magic into the Scar of Wizardry to activate whatever its does. You say you feeling burning pains in your back, by the Scar? That must be the effects of what's happening." Rose explained.
"Rose, that's great, really good job, but the fact is we still don't actually know what's happening." Albus said.
"But I plan to find out." Rose smiled and walked away with the book.
Albus looked to the staff table where he saw his father. His scar burned a little as he looked in that direction. If he was in Albus' position, he would know what to do, but he wasn't and Albus knew now that it was really time for him to start to figure things out for himself. It wasn't his father's fight anymore, it was his.
In the midst of thought Albus felt a little bump at his side. "Hey, Al, all that 'going to find out' stuff" Luke nudged Albus, "what the bloody hell is she talking about?"