You Had Me At Hogwarts Chapter 37: Nathan, a glee fanfic

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Nathan

(Songs: I Dare You To Move)

"Blaine!"

Kurt's yell was barely audible amidst the chaos that ensued directly after the Chaser's fall. Everyone began screaming and pushing towards the barrier to see what was going on, but Kurt's legs led him in an entirely different direction.

Before his mind registered with his body he had bolted towards the stairs, racing as fast as he could down them so that he could reach the bottom of the stands, to the surface of the Quidditch pitch.

The teachers had acted fast; they were already standing by the entrance, arms held out and wands at the ready to prevent fervent students from flooding onto the pitch.

Somehow Kurt had managed to break through the masses and he threw himself towards the professors.

"No students are permitted to enter the field, the situation is being dealt with," Professor McGonagall called to the Gryffindor's in their stand, just before she noticed Kurt rushing towards her. Her lips pursed tightly as he approached, eyes wide with fear and face flushed of colour.

"Please, professor," He begged, his voice cracking on the second word.

She took a short intake of breath, before nodding and permitting him entrance. Later, he would remember to thank her, but right now any other thought process was rendered impossible.

Kurt sprinted towards the group that had already gathered around the spot where Blaine had fallen. The circle of red formed a tight knit group and a flurry of purple could be seen amongst them; Dumbledore had been quick to cast the enchantment that had broken Blaine's fatal plummet to the ground.

Finn looked up just as Kurt came within a few feet of them; looking wild with fear, face white. His brother stepped aside, and put a hand on his shoulder as he was finally able to see the boy that lay on the ground.

His eyes were still closed, but his body did not appear damaged, yet still he looked cold. His skin appeared to have taken on a greyish hue and his lips were dry and hung open.

Kurt's hand flew to his mouth and tears stung his eyes as Dumbledore crouched beside the Gryffindor boy.

"Is he dead?" Kurt asked in a strangled voice.

"No," Dumbledore replied calmly but with a grave tone. "Merely unconscious."

Kurt went to his knees on the other side of Blaine and the headmaster did not protest as he waved his wand slowly down the length of the Chaser's body.

Blaine's eyes fluttered open.

He tried to sit up almost instantly, but Dumbledore carefully pushed him back down.

His eyes seemed to spin in their sockets; brain whirring while panic was scorched across his features.

"Blaine? What happened? Blaine, are you okay?" Kurt asked desperately, attempting to settle him, putting his hand over his.

He failed to calm him as Blaine sat bolt upright again, eyes flying open. He looked manic - He looked deranged.

Before anyone knew what he was doing he was suddenly on his feet, Kurt's hand falling away from his own. The rest of his team, as well as Kurt and Dumbledore, could not have fathomed his ability to get up so quickly after such an event and they were barely able to catch the word that escaped his lips:

"Nathan."

Then he began to run.

Kurt looked up into Dumbledore's eyes, behind his half moon spectacles for a fraction of a second, pure confusion passing between them before he looked up at Finn and the others who had now joined them.

"Nathan…?" Kurt whispered, staring after the stumbling figure that had somehow made it to the edge of the stadium in what had seemed like a fraction of a second.

Then everyone began to run after the frenzied boy, with no idea what had happened or why Blaine could have said the last words he had. Nathan? Nathan was dead. What was going on?

There was no time to answer these questions between themselves, however, the only priority was finding Blaine and returning him to the castle. He could be seriously injured even after Dumbledore's enchantment, all though his ability to move his limbs at lightning speed at that moment was remarkable.

Kurt was one of the first to exit the arena and he spotted Blaine approaching the water's edge of the lake. The countertenor pointed and they all followed in pursuit.

Wes, David and Trent had caught up with them now.

"What the hell is going on?" Wes shouted as he caught up with Kurt.

"Nathan. He just said Nathan and ran." Kurt gasped in an effort to speak while he rushed towards the straying Gryffindor.

"What? Why?" Trent asked.

But Kurt could not provide any answer.

But soon enough he did not need to supply one.

Blaine had thrown himself suddenly into the shallows of the lapping water, splashing wildly as he clambered to reach something that they began to make out floating on the surface.

It was a body.

Kurt exchanged shocked glances with the others before darting forwards.

The professors made it there before him, however, and pushed everyone away.

"Stay back, stay back!" They shouted as Dumbledore flew between their barricades and towards the scene.

"Keep back, Kurt, 's no good you comin' near." Hagrid warned, putting a massive hand out to prevent him.

"Hagrid – Please!" He insisted.

Hagrid shook his head. "Dumbledore will sort it out; you'll only make thin's worse for yerself 'n Blaine."

Kurt tried to formulate an argument, but only gasps and choked words escaped his mouth.

Rachel's hand found his and squeezed it tightly. "It's okay. Hagrid's right. Blaine'll be fine with Dumbledore."

He still wasn't convinced, but Kurt stopped fighting, holding Rachel's hand tightly, frantically scanning, trying to crane his neck to see beyond the half-giant's form.

McGonagall reappeared and went towards Professor Sprout.

Kurt strained his ears.

"Is it - " Sprout asked in amazement. " - Is it the brother?"

McGonagall hesitated, looking up and seeing Kurt watching them. She took a deep breath and nodded once.

Kurt's free hand flew to his heart as he looked back towards the sea's edge.

"All students must return to the castle – immediately!" McGonagall yelled over the crowd. "All Head's of Year must lead their houses back to their dormitories! Prefects assemble! Gryffindor's - follow me!"

She crossed over to Hagrid and whispered. "Take Mr Hummel to the boy, Hagrid."

She nodded once at Kurt, whose mouth had fallen open, before disappearing to lead the Gryffindor's back to Hogwart's castle.

Two thanks would be in order.

"Kurt do you-?" Rachel began.
"No," He said hoarsely. "Stay."

She nodded, and Hagrid stepped aside so that they could both go towards the scene.

Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore were tending to an obscured figure a little way away, while Blaine stood over them, watching.

"What-what are you doing?" The standing brother asked wretchedly as Madame Pomfrey conjured a stretcher.

"We're taking him to the hospital wing. He's swallowed a lot of water and appears to be unconscious. Possible concussion." She told him gently as Kurt came to his side.

"Will he- is he?" Blaine could not even finish the sentence.

"We can examine him better from the wing; we don't know if any spells have been cast upon him."

They all stared now, at the figure that was being lifted onto the stretcher.

His hair and clothes were soaked and clung to him like cellophane, sticking to his skin, clinging on like a thousand leeches, trying to wear him to the bone. His skin was deathly white and his lips were blue. His eyes were obviously closed and it was hard to distinguish his features, other than the scar that lay between his eyebrows, the one that Blaine had described. Even so, it was plain to see the similarities between the boy that lay on the stretcher and the one that stood beside him now, even with these embellishments. It was unmistakeable; this had to be Blaine's older brother.

"But- he's… alive?" Blaine said slowly, hardly daring himself to believe it.

Dumbledore looked up at him for a moment. "Yes. There is a heartbeat."

Blaine's hands flew to his hair and fell down across his face as though he hardly knew what to do. Suddenly he was in a crouched position on the floor, one hand on the ground to stabilise himself. His breaths came out ragged and he seemed to seize up, scrunching up his features and clenching his jaw together. He looked as though he was fighting between an impulse to laugh and cry at the same time.

Kurt immediately went to him and Blaine clung to the younger Gryffindor boy for support that was leant gladly. Together they managed to get the Chaser back to his shaking feet.

Dumbledore controlled the enchantment over the stretcher.

"We best get you to the hospital wing as well, Anderson, after what happened on the pitch. " Madame Pomfrey said sternly.

"Can-can I stay with him?" He asked desperately.

"Yes," She replied.

Blaine looked across at Kurt, who he had not yet been able to acknowledge due to his fixation upon his brother.

He stared at him in utter disbelief and incredulity.

"He's-"

"I know." Kurt whispered softly.

"I have to-"

"Go." Kurt nodded, then he changed his tone to an encouraged order: "Go!"

Blaine's lips twitched into what could have only been an attempt at a smile before he turned to run after his brother's body.

"Hagrid, escort these two to my office, I will be there shortly," Dumbledore called back.

"Right che' are, headmaster." Hagrid called back.

Rachel looked up at Kurt in astonishment. "Wow."

"He'll be okay, won't he?"

She nodded. "With Pomfrey and Dumbledore… I don't see how he couldn't be."

"And Blaine?" Kurt asked, a little less certain.

"Once he gets over the shock… I can't even imagine how he'd feel."

Kurt watched as Nathan's stretcher floated towards the castle in the ever-looming darkness.

Welcome to the planet

Welcome to existence

Everyone's here

Everybody's watching you now

Everybody waits for you now

What happens next?

Blaine unthinkingly rejected the offer of a stretcher for himself as he ran to catch up with the one ahead. He didn't understand how he could still move; every part of him still ached and screamed from the fall on the Quidditch pitch, but somehow he had become numb to it all, his thoughts too far beyond anything to do with his own physicality to even notice.

He came up alongside the stretcher, finally able to be in close-contact to the body since he had dragged it from the lake.

It was him. He was there. Right in front of him.

Was it another trick? Like the mirror? Was he seeing some kind of illusion?

He came up closer he jogged alongside it, the halls of Hogwarts now empty after all of its students had been escorted to their dormitories, and he held his brother's hand.

It was there. Deathly cold and damp from the water, fingernails bedded in dirt and two of them cracked, but it was real. As real as his own. No shiny surface stood between their flesh and Blaine couldn't help but burst into a smile, feeling delirious from the realisation.

I dare you to move

I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor

I dare you to move

Like today never happened

Today never happened before

They rushed into the hospital wing, and Blaine was forced to stand aside, helpless as Madame Pomfrey closed the curtains around Nathan's bed. Other people spoke to him, he felt hands comfortingly touch his shoulders, checking his pulse, taking his temperature, making him drink potions. He hardly noticed them. Barely looked at them, just remained staring at the bed across from him, straining his eyes as if he hoped to see through the curtain that stood between them.

When it was finally drawn again, Nathan had been changed into a white gown and lay peacefully on the bed, face upturned towards the ceiling. Eyes still closed. Blaine rushed over to him as soon as he was permitted.

Welcome to the fallout

Welcome to resistance

The tension is here

Between who you are and who you could be

Between how it is and how it should be

I dare you to move

I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor

I dare you to move

Like today never happened

Today never happened

Maybe redemption has stories to tell

Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell

Where can you run to escape from yourself?

Where you gonna go?

Salvation is here

Blaine took Nathan's now considerably warmer hand in both of his and bent his forehead to rest on it as he waited for what must have been hours. Stray tears squeezed themselves from his eyes, but he hardly noticed them, allowing them to dry on his cheeks as he waited.

"Please Nathan." He whispered. "Just wake up."

He looked into the motionless face of his brother, still finding it almost impossible to trust himself to believe it to be true.

"Wake up. Come on."

He pursed his lips together tightly and could now see that his hands were shaking as they held his.

"Please. I need you to come back to me."

I dare you to move

I dare you to lift yourself, to lift yourself up off the floor

"Please, Nathan. Just wake up. Just move. Just open your eyes."

I dare you to move

Like today never happened

"Just open your eyes, Nate, please."

Today never happened

Today never happened before

Blaine watched as Nathan's eyelids fluttered open, his head rolling over to look at his younger brother who was frozen as he watched the movement.

"Hey man…." He mumbled and Blaine's heart caught in his throat. "…'s been a while."

Kurt sat on the edge of his seat in Dumbledore's office, resisting the temptation to gnaw his fingernails to stubs.

Rachel placed a comforting hand on his shoulder just as the door behind them swung open and the headmaster entered.

Kurt was to his feet at once.

"Is he all right? Is Blaine okay? Nathan? Is he really alive?" He blurted before he could stop himself.

Dumbledore whirled his wand and two cups and saucers appeared before them on his desk, a pot hovering above the crockery as it begun to pour out steaming liquid.

"Please, sit down and drink the tea; I will explain everything I assure you."

Kurt looked reluctant but he followed these instructions as Dumbledore strode behind his desk, sitting in his chair, leaning his head forwards to rest on his delicately dented fingers.

"Drink," He encouraged, since neither Gryffindor had moved. They did so.

"There; it'll make you feel a lot better." He was right - as usual.

Kurt was about to ask another question when Dumbledore raised his hand and smiled. "Mr Anderson is perfectly all right, his injuries from the fall seem to be minor, and all of Madame Pomfrey's examinations deemed him fit as a fiddle. Remarkable, really, but fortunately my spell did break his fall considerably, so no severe damage was done. I believe he broke one of his fingers, but I'd be willing to bet that the dear boy failed to notice at all. In any case, it has been fixed and as far as I could tell, he is right as rain."

Kurt sat back, allowing the tension in his shoulders to decrease at the news, but still not appearing at all relaxed.

"As for the second Mr Anderson… Well, that's a whole other conundrum entirely." Dumbledore said, shaking his head and twirling his wand so that his own cup of tea could be poured.

"How do you mean?" Rachel asked urgently. "He's all right, isn't he?"

"He woke up about seventeen minutes ago. His breathing seems regular and heartbeat normal. He no longer has the water in his lungs and seems to have sustained few other injuries. He is, however, rather feverish – most likely from the inordinate amount of time spent in the lake, which has caused his temperature to drop alarmingly. Still, it shouldn't be anything that we cannot handle. Otherwise, he appears to be completely fine. Health wise, anyway."

Kurt processed this for a moment, staring at the headmaster in disbelief. "And Blaine… He knows that Nathan is awake?"

"Yes, I believe that he was by his bedside the entire time and saw him when he was brought back into the land of the living." Dumbledore reported. "Other than that, I cannot say what his feelings are on the matter, as I am going to assume that is the intent behind your question, nor would I pretend to know if I had spoken with him. It is a great shock to everyone, but I believe that Mr Anderson will find it extremely difficult to wrap his mind around, given the grief his brother's disappearance has brought him."

Kurt pursed his lips, knowing exactly the sort of grief that Dumbledore was talking about. He couldn't even fathom what Blaine must be thinking at this moment. It was impossible. He probably wouldn't be able to get an accurate reading on his emotions himself.

Kurt leant forward and put his head in his hands as Rachel patted him anxiously on the back.

"Professor, would it be all right if we could go and see Blaine?" She asked, concerned.

Dumbledore hesitated. "I am not sure whether or not that would be wise at the moment… Mr and Mrs Anderson shall be arriving shortly. They were notified as soon as Nathan's body was found."

Kurt's head snapped up at the mention of Blaine's parents. "They're coming here?"

He knew it was probably irrational, but the thought of it filled him with dread, especially the prospect of coming into contact with Blaine's father.

Dumbledore nodded; "I think that it would be best to give the family some privacy…" He looked at Kurt, "I know that this must be difficult for you, and I wish that I could permit you to visit, but I think that the fewer people Mr Anderson has to deal with at the moment, the better. Though he probably is already, I would hate for him to become too overwhelmed by the situation."

Kurt breathed heavily. "I understand, Professor, I just-"

"You just want to make sure that he is okay, and I assure you that he will be, and that you may visit him very soon. After Mr and Mrs Anderson have gone to the hospital wing I shall bring them here to talk to – I hardly think that Mr Anderson will need to attend that meeting and so I will have him accompanied back to your dormitory."

Kurt nodded slowly and looked at Rachel.

"It's probably for the best, Kurt." She said softly.

He sighed, knowing that it probably was and yet still yearning to go and find Blaine that very minute and check for himself that he was all right. Having to deal with Nathan and now his parents… He wasn't all together sure whether those were things he would be able to handle all in one evening.

"Miss Berry, would you mind returning to your dormitory while I have a word with Mr Hummel? I will send for McGonagall to accompany you to Gryffindor Common room." Dumbledore said in a quiet voice.

Rachel looked a little taken aback, but she consented as Dumbledore conjured a Patronus from his wand, which flew out of the open window.

"Will you be all right, Kurt?" She asked, standing up.

He nodded deafly and she gave his hand one last squeeze before departing.

Kurt looked up at Dumbledore once she had gone and he got up from his seat, walking around the desk and towards one of the countless objects that laid around his room, most of which Kurt had never seen before in his life and hadn't even the tiniest hope of hazarding a guess at any of their functions or purposes.

He clicked together two prongs that stuck out from a black spiral which was held in a glass bowl and the sound reverberated pleasantly around the room, somehow making him feel slightly less stressed.

He clicked it again and a strange noise protruded from the tip, it was like a strange sort of music, a warped melody, which swam around the office, getting louder and quieter as it reached different points. Kurt had never heard sound like that. He hadn't known such fluctuation was possible. It was bizarre.

"Music is a perplexing thing, is it not?" Dumbledore mused as he stared at the odd instrument. "It can conjure up so many different feelings and thoughts, each one different to the next, and each time a new person listens a wholly new experience is created for that individual. Remarkable really, the sorts of emotions it may bring out after long submission in the back of one's subconscious. To the extent that it may be therapeutic to create, remake or simply listen to."

Kurt remained silent as Dumbledore clasped his hands behind his back and went to stand around the side of his desk again, perching on the corner and smiling down at the Gryffindor before him.

"I don't think it would be too bold for me to say that I believe you can appreciate the unique qualities it possesses?"

Kurt nodded, still not saying a word.

"No… Mr Anderson too, I would gather, and several of your other friends. Including Miss Berry who has just left us. I am glad that such enjoyments have been found amongst you. It is a brilliant way to bring people together, just as it is beneficial for an individual's privacy and growth."

Kurt wasn't entirely sure why Dumbledore was speaking about this, especially now, when the topic of singing seemed such a far away concern compared to the situation and thoughts roaring around his head.

"You know there are several magical properties that contribute towards music. It is more powerful than mere muggles often imagine. Take, for instance, the Siren's song; it has the ability to ensnare even the most strong-willed men and reduce them to the most dim-witted sheep. Unless, of course, a hero should be in the possession of copious amounts of earwax." The headmaster smiled in amusement before continuing; "Or the Merpeople, whose beautiful voices can only be heard beneath the icy depths of water where their true hearts and homes lie, whereas otherwise they are left unappreciated and dispelled… Even the call of a werewolf can have contrasting meanings, with different notes howled whenever their mood or appetite changes." He smiled. "And it doesn't just stop at beasts and mythical beings; wizards and witches have, through history, found ways of persuading others with their voices, or casting spells without need of a wand, or conjuring those they thought they'd lose, even unlocking seals that would have been regarded as closed tight for all eternity and without reasons to think otherwise. It is… truly remarkable." He said again, staring out of the window now, lost in thought.

"…Professor?" Kurt said softly.

"Mmm?"

"Why… I'm sorry, err, is this, relevant to anything?" Kurt asked cautiously.

"Everything is relevant, Mr Hummel, or at least I would like to think so. Every piece of knowledge is worth learning, for we never know what circumstances we may be thrown into, and if we do not prepare widely for various avenues of the unknown beforehand, then we may as well walk around blindfolded." Dumbledore said, waving his wand to pour out another cup of tea, even though Kurt had hardly touched his last.

He held the cup tentatively. "I guess so…"

Dumbledore chuckled. "I am merely suggesting that perhaps, in situations such as this, where no clear pathway can be seen, where no one course of action can be perceived to be the right one, it is best to rely on what knowledge you posses, to utilise it to the best of your ability, and that way you will have a higher chance of success than if you stumble into such complications without your best arsenal."

"So…music is a weapon?" Kurt asked, confused.

Dumbledore smiled again and shook his head. "No, no, perhaps that was a bad choice of words on my part – a rare occasion, granted – not a weapon so much as… a tool, that you have the fortune to have at hand, in case something needs fixing or correcting."

"So…when am I supposed to use it?" Kurt asked, still a little perplexed, but starting to understand some of what the headmaster was getting at.

Dumbledore's eyes looked to the ceiling as he mused. "Whenever you see fit, I suppose; human instinct is another gift granted to us, and it should always be trusted. When the time comes, you'll know."

Well, that was an extremely evasive answer, Kurt thought. He felt lost again. Was Dumbledore implying that he should sing to Blaine in order to make him feel better about the events of the evening? He was not sure that a song could straighten out the situation that smoothly, no matter how much it had helped them before. Blaine would need more than an encouraging tune to sort through the muddle that his mind must be right now. Dumbledore must know that, he had insinuated so himself earlier, when he had spoke of Blaine's coming to terms with these dramatic developments being no easy feat or quick process. So then why was he speaking of all this? Was there another piece of the puzzle that Kurt had currently lost behind a sofa cushion or between the floorboards?

At that moment a silvery cat bounded in through the open window.

"Ah, Professor McGonagall says that Mr Anderson's parents have now arrived on school grounds. I am very sorry to have to do this, but I must go and meet with them. Minerva is waiting outside; I shall go with you to meet her and she will escort you back to Gryffindor common room." He hesitated, reading Kurt's still worried expression. "Mr Anderson will arrive there shortly, I assure you."

Kurt nodded as Dumbledore got to his feet once more, heading towards the exit.

As Kurt followed him outside another thought struck him: Why had the headmaster asked Rachel to leave so that he could tell Kurt those things? What part of it was meant to be tailored for his ears only?

Heyyyyyy

Do you hate me?

I wouldn't blame you if you did - I have been positively dire in updating this story.

No seriously, I am ashamed of myself! I would lock myself away as punishment but that probably wouldn't help matters... unless I'm locked away with the computer...

I have been at uni and have had sooo much work, plus been doing fundraising and have hardly had a free moment.

I don't mean to make excuses but that's all I got!

Anyway, holidays now so I am free and will be better - promise!

Though I do still have to revise for exams :S

Hey, I need a good grade to study in the US for a year okay!
By the way, any suggestions for where I should go study are welcome :P

Anyway new Glee soon! Blaine's got a brother... how appropriate! He hasn't come in with as dramatic circumstances as my version has though! Or has he? Hmmmmm all will be revealed!

Anyway, hope you like the update!

STARKID ARE DOING BATMAN

Fin.

(Not Glee Finn, that's with two n's - duh! It's french... I think... is it? Pretty sure. I dunno, I failed French...)