Hey guys guess what? I couldn't sleep so I've actually written out pretty much the entire storyline - including the ending. I'm just saying... expect the unexpected!
Chapter Twenty: Chides
I stood in the Headmaster's office - there were countless strange devices amongst it. Strange, murky glass balls that emitted ethereal voices when I came too close, a telescope that blinked at me, and a very curious-looking black stone, cut precisely and delicately. I looked at the portrait behind the Headmasters desk, and read the name.
"Albus Dumbledore." I rubbed my chin. "You're the guy who taught Potter." I muttered to myself. I looked around the office some more, seeing the sorting hat tucked away on a high shelf. It eventually moved, the folds and creases facing me.
"Aiden Shanks." The hat's creases moved into what looked like a grin - a snake-like grin. "The Bold Gryffindor."
"You remember me?"
"Of course." The hat's folds moved once again. "It is not an everyday occasion when one comes across such a famous wizard..."
"I wasn't aware hats watched Quidditch." I scoffed sadly.
"There are hardly any wizards that are born from such greatness anymore." The hat smirked again. "It's a sad thing to see lines die out like that."
"'Lines like that'?"
"Indeed Mr. Shanks." I paused.
"Back then... all those years ago... you said you wanted to put me in Ravenclaw." The top of the hat furrowed and creased. "Why did you change your mind?"
"Unhappy with my decision?"
"No, I..." I shrugged. "I don't know. I was just wondering. Why put me in Gryffindor if you thought I belonged in Ravenclaw?" The hat was now silent. "Hey!" I called up, but it did not move any more.
"It could be said one is mad for trying to talk to a hat." I looked up at the Headmaster, Professor Almsdeeds: he was a fairly elder man, with a tri-coned hair and a long, scholarly set of ornately gilded robes.
"It was talking to me a minute ago..." I said, glancing back to the inanimate object.
"So, Aiden..." Almsdeeds sat down behind the desk, "I didn't peg you for one to use Dark Magic."
"I didn't-"
"Really? I must have been misinformed." He said, a plain, expressionless face - I didn't know if he was being serious or not.
"No, I mean, I did but-"
"Ah, so you did." I sighed.
"I didn't know-"
"You used this curse by accident then?" I paused before answering.
"Sort of." I said eventually. He raised an eyebrow. "I had... I'd heard about the spell - in the Summer. They said it'd be good to use on enemies." I lied, trying to look genuine.
"And you... trust this person?" I paused, thinking if I trusted the sort of person the Prince was.
"I... don't really know him."
"So, he's the sort of person to tell students about Dark Magic?"
"No I... he didn't actually tell me, he was... telling someone else."
"Someone else."
"Yeah, I overheard."
"So he was recommending the spell to a friend?"
"No! I mean... I don't think so." I quickly recovered my half-lie. "I think... I think he was just talking about a spell to use on enemies. For all I know, he could've been saying what spell someone used on him." Almsdeeds nodded.
"I cannot tolerate Dark Magic in my school." I nodded. "You do realise that I cannot allow my students to be injured while in my care."
"I know sir." I hung my head. "I didn't mean to hurt him. I just... I don't know why I used it." I said, staring at the ground. "I guess I wanted to see what happened."
"I sincerely hope it was worth it." Almsdeeds said. I nodded, understanding - this was it. He was going to expel me in the next sentence.
"It wasn't sir." I said. "I feel awful." I looked down at my wand - it felt tainted and foreign to me. Suddenly, the familiar handle that seemed to fit into my palm perfectly was jagged, and scraped against my skin. I pocketed it, unable to hold it anymore. Almsdeeds leant back in his chair.
"I remember when you first joined this school Aiden. It wasn't long before you crafted a reputation for yourself amongst these halls. You possess, and pardon the phrase, an undeniable talent for trouble." I scratched the back of my hair.
"I guess I've been pushing my luck for a while then?"
"Well, it is interesting you would say that..." He looked around at the portraits, including the scowling face of a recent Headmaster, with long, curtained black hair that hung beside his wallowed face. "There are some who would say you... test, shall we say, the limits of authority." I looked up at his gold spectacles, which twinkled at me as I saw a smile underneath his fairly heavy beard. "Of course, limits must be tested... or who shall we, who have authority, be tested?" He chuckled as I bit my lip in thought. "I do not regard you as a villain or an enemy - but neither must I humour you when you cross the line from innocent mischief into the wanton variety." He looked at a sword that lay on the side of his wall, smiling as he looked back to me. "The trick is to know, in one's own mind, where the limits are; to apply them consistently and dispassionately; and to hope that, by the time the student leaves this castle for good, he will have come to understand them better himself." I thought about all that he had said, and tried to understand whether he was going to expel me or not.
"So...should I pack my bags?" Instead of answering, Almsdeed smiled broadly. He examined me carefully, his eyes boring into mine. I stood there awkwardly, keeping eyes from looking back into his.
"I understand you've had some trouble with Dementors this year." He said finally. I looked up at him, astonished. That was not the sentence I was expecting. The topic seemed strange to bring up at all. I nodded. "And you've been receiving extra tuition from Professor Potter to help you combat them?" I nodded.
"How have you been coming along?" He asked out of interest. I paused, thinking about my progress.
"I can't really make a corporeal Patronus. It's... kind of frustrating actually."
"Well, hardly any wizards your age are expected to conjure a Patronus, corporeal or not." Almsdeeds said with his constant, thin smile. I couldn't help but stop myself frowning at his smile. "That's why it would indeed be a shame to lose a pupil like yourself," here it comes... "if I was going to expel you."
"I beg your pardon sir?" He smiled a bit more noticeably, standing up from behind his desk and walking around towards me. "You've admitted your actions, shown regret and I do not assume you will be doing something like this again." My jaw dropped at this. "I would suggest you apologise to Mr. Vreyair now."
"Yes Professor." I said, dazed, turning around and leaving. As I did, I swear I could have seen the portrait of Dumbledore wink at me.
As I exited the office, I found my group of friends, who eyed me cautiously.
"What happened?" Dom asked.
"Yeah, are you expelled?" James asked. I shook my head. "How the hell did you get away with that?"
"Probably did the old Imperius on him." Cody grinned at the others.
"Shut up Cody." I rolled my eyes. "Look, I didn't know what that spell did-"
"Are you throwing that stupid book away?" James raised an eyebrow.
"No! Of course not!"
"Look, that book is trouble!"
"That book is what's going to get me an Outstanding this year-"
"It isn't worth it Shanks." James informed me. "Trust me."
"Sorry, do one of you want to fill us on this book?" Dom asked.
"Later." I said to him. "Look, I didn't know what that spell did - it was an accident."
"That's not what the school thinks." Cody exhaled. "They think you're becoming a Dark Wizard."
"Oh for God's sake..."
"Come on - can you blame them?" I sighed.
"No... I guess I can't." I rubbed the back of my head. "I need to find Vreyair."
"I'll come." Cody jogged up to tag along.
"You don't have to, I won't attack him."
"I'm thinking more about him attacking you mate." Cody grinned.
When I came to the ward, I did not find Vreyair - instead I was faced with Potter, who took me away from Cody and began to question me, a look of concern and anger on his face.
"Where did you learn that spell?"
"I... I heard about it."
"From who?"
"Someone in Diagon Alley."
"Are you lying Aiden?" I hesitated. "Did your friend read about it in a Potions book?" My mouth dropped - how did he know? Had he already found my book? "Did he know what the spell did?"
"No- No of course not!" He sighed.
"Look, I can understand you doing it without realising what it did, but using it with a full knowledge-"
"I would never do that-"
"I know Aiden, I know." He exhaled deeply. "Look, I'd advise you avoid Vreyair. He's fully recovered - I saw to that. I would advise you to keep your head low from now on." I nodded, walking back to the common room with Cody.
I climbed through the portrait hole to see the entire common room staring about me, whispering.
"Just so all of you know, I didn't do it on purpose and I'm not getting expelled. And no, I didn't try to kill Vreyair and he's not dead. Any questions?" No one said a word. With that, I went up the stairs to my dorm.
It was half an hour later when I heard a knock on the door, and opened it to see Rinée standing there in her jeans and a tank top. Her arms were crossed and her nostrils flared.
"I'm guessing you heard?"
"What. The. Hell?" She asked, storming into the dorm. "What the hell were you thinking Aiden Shanks?"
"I wasn't." I responded, slumping into my bed. "I didn't know what the spell did - it popped into my head and-"
"So you decided to try out a unknown handwritten spell?"
"Who told you it was handwrit- James." I muttered his name under my breath.
"Give me this book now."
"I'm not going to give it to you Rinée." I said clearly. She opened her mouth to yell. "Look, it wasn't encouraging me to use the spell. I just saw it and used it. I'm not giving up the book."
"I can't believe you're relying on a... on a cheat sheet after it hurt Diedrich!"
"It's not a cheat sheet!"
"You're using it like one!"
"How am I-"
"I cannot believe I've been standing up for you against Diedrich all this time, saying you would never use black magic, when actually you seem pretty fond of it!" She shook her head. "Your father would be ashamed of you."
And with that she left, leaving me to sit on my bed, staring at my wand like it was some object of evil. I didn't even want to hold it at the moment, I just stared at it - the bark that ruggedly served as the handle, the badly carved shaft with was as straight and rigid as ever a wand was. I held it, regretting ever using that spell. I sighed to myself and lay back on my bed, trying to sleep and forget what had happened.
Damn... what do you guys think about Shanks? Should he have given the book to Rinée? Was he wrong using the spell against Diedrich Vreyair? What does this mean for the future at Hogwarts?