(Author's notes: Gladly, I've mapped up this story until the end since its inception so I'll find it easier to finish than most stuff I've worked on. I love it when people cast out their predictions. Some are way off while others got really spot on that's it's a bit scary. Anyways, I'm holding up quite well in college as of the moment, I'm back to my old schedule of updating whenever.
This story is officially one year old as of December and still growing. I wonder if it would stretch put another year, oh, well, that depends on how much I post. I'd like to put in every bit of scenario in my head for the Big Four in this story while it lasts…so it may take a while.
Also, this chapter has cameos. Just for fun, nothing serious.
Due apologies for the lateness, but, I took Ronald Weasley's advice and DID sort out my priorities.)
"We're not goin', are we?" Merida groaned as they crossed the stony threshold of the cave, light from the outside spilling on the grey floors.
Toothless followed behind Hiccup, his hand on the dragon's head, a thoughtful expression on his freckled face.
"It's sort of urgent, something must have happened," Jack shrugged, staff over his shoulder as he stood by the passageway, kicking aside pebbles absentmindedly with his toes as he waited for them.
"We o'only got here!" Merida tossed up a hand, placing both on her hips with a soured expression on her face, "Ah mean-look a' lil' Toothy righ' 'ere! Cooped up with no company to spa'ek of!"
With a small rumble, Toothless, nudged Hiccup's side with his black snout, wings stretching and folding uneasily.
"I know, bud…" Hiccup sighed.
Merida's looks softened, pouting her lower lip like a nanny deliberating.
Jack let his staff drop to his side, pocketing his hands in his hoodie's pocket, "A cave is no place for a dragon, Hiccup."
"…better than a cage," he mumbled in reply.
Heavy half-winged tail swinging to and fro almost lifelessly on the cave floor, Toothless let out a trusting moan as Hiccup patted his head. His green eyes slightly drooping as if sleep had come to him early (or perhaps tired from too much of it), Toothless slinked back into the shadows of the cave. The heavy flaps of his wings blowing a gust in the dim cavern as he lifted himself off the ground.
"…this is a cage." Merida said quietly and brushed past Jack on her way out.
Hiccup's eyes widened, blinking in sinking disbelief as a cold chill ran down his spine.
The boys remained where they were as they kept their eyes on the Night Fury.
That sleepy black form in the farthest corner, hanging upside down from the ceiling, wings blanketed around himself like a bat.
Hiccup let out a breath, running his hand tiredly through his messy brown locks.
"I-I can't do this any longer…" he heaved, turning to Jack, "I've tried everything but every time…things got worse."
Jack looked at him in thought, pale face masked in consideration.
"…what if I fail, after all?"
Jack grinned reassuringly, "You won't."
Hiccup huffed, picking up his bag casting one last glance at Toothless and walking past Jack, "Yeah, well…thanks."
"Hey, cheer up! We got your back!" Jack said, following after them, "Come on, I feel it! In my belly!"
Merida let out a guffaw from below as she climbed down the steep rocky path.
"Very funny," Hiccup said, though cracked a smile as they made their way back to Hogsmeade.
The meeting announcement came unexpectedly, the fake galleons of the Dumbeldore's Army heating up in their pockets, marking the urgency.
"Wha' do yeh laddies think this is abou'?" Merida said as she clambered up the top of a boulder and leapt from one stone to the next, teetering dangerously but never losing her footing.
"Al isn't an impulsive guy…must be an emergency," Hiccup mumbled, tossing his bag over his shoulder. The sun hung in the sky, dipping slowly towards the west.
"Someone got attacked?" Jack snickered.
"Don't yeh jo'oke about this stuff, yeh gumby," Merida reprimanded, jumping down to the level ground, staggering forward before catching herself in a tumble of red curls.
"I'm sure it's nothing serious," Hiccup told them, "Everything's fine…"
"You bloody well know everything's not fine!" Al snapped at Rose.
"But do you have to go about it making everyone panic!?" the fierce Weasley replied.
"I just told you all to get here as soon as possible!"
Rapunzel gave a sheepish smile at them as she ushered away a couple of young Hufflepuffs away from them. Al let out a breath and rubbed his temples.
"Come on, Sophie, Jamie, let's sit down over there…" she told them, taking each by the hand.
"What's happening?" Jamie asked her as more students poured into the Room of Requirement, a group of gaggling Slytherins oblivious of the situation but showed up anyway walking in.
"Oh, just a practice," Rapunzel reassured and made them settle on a stone bench at the side of the cavernous room, right by the portrait of the DA founders.
"I heard there was a shadow…" Sophie mumbled under her breath, blue eyes scanning the room nervously as she clasped her hands on her lap.
"Oh, no, not here!" Rapunzel beamed, sitting beside her, "They can't get you."
"So there are?" Jamie inquired, brown eyes wide.
Rapunzel pursed her lips, fumbling with Sophie's raggedly cut blonde hair, managing small braids as she looked over to Jamie, "Are you scared?"
"No…" Jamie replied, watching the room fill up. Even non-DA students were walking in, some still carrying bags from their Hogsmeade shopping.
"Will you get those bloody Ice Mice out of here!?" hollered a Ravenclaw prefect when someone dropped a Honeydukes box, a handful of white candy mice running all voer the floor, making people jump.
"MICE!" someone screeched, running off.
"Sorry! Sorry!" came the hurried apologies.
Sophie and Jamie managed a laugh at the sight, lightening their moods. Rapunzel sat back against the wall, not entirely sure what was about to happen. Her sighting of the shadow had sent the school in an unexpected stir. Which she supposed was a good thing.
Last time when they passed everything off as secure, one student got sent to St. Mungo's.
A valued Gryffindor who still hasn't returned.
Rapunzel fidgeted nervously with her braid. What about that one minor detail she left out?
Jack being two places at once?
'Don't be ridiculous, Rapunzel, how can people be at two places at once?' a little voice in her head scolded.
Sophie and Jamie were preoccupied with Pascal, forgetting the troubles that the Gryffindor prefects were fighting over, leaving Rapunzel to her musings. She hoped there weren't more shadows lurking in the dark of the castle.
Al's theories made them even more terrifying.
"Gothel,"
She snapped up to see Scorpius Malfoy walking towards them, making his way through the throngs of babbling students.
"Yes, sir?" she said, getting to her feet.
"Where's Potter?" he asked.
"Oh, um…right over here, follow me," she said and led the way back towards the center of the room where Al stood still squabbling with his cousin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw prefects standing by and joining the ruckus that was forming.
"What happened?" Scorpius asked coolly, though there was a tinge of worry in his voice.
"Shadows," Rapunzel breathed, lowering her voice as not to be heard by others littering the room.
"Huh…"
"I thought you weren't part of the DA," Rapunzel managed to spill, rather regretting she did.
Did it sound rather offensive?
"Yes, well, everyone does," he shrugged casually, "Besides, every prefect's been called in, Head boys and girls, even."
"Everyone?" Rapunzel blinked.
"Albus said it was urgent."
Rapunzel let out a breath. She hoped this wasn't too much. It was just one small sighting, after all.
"Al!" Rapunzel called out as they neared the group of house prefects. It was rather intimidating, seeing them all together. They were all quite tall…
"Ah, glad you made it," said the Slytherin Head Girl, arms crossed as she stood beside Potter. She looked rather imposing.
"I got here as soon as I heard, Elsa." he replied coolly.
"Rapunzel," Al suddenly said, stepping forward and taking her by the arm gently, ushering her forwards.
The prefects turned their gaze to her curiously.
"…this is her?" asked a Hufflepuff prefect with a kind smile, her hazel braids falling over her shoulder.
"Ladies, gentlemen," AL said curtly, "This is Rapunzel Gothel, a fifth year of my house. She was the one who spotted the shadow."
"Oh…hi." Rapunzel smiled sheepishly.
"Gothel?" the Hufflepuff wondered, eyes widening. She suddenly darted forward and took Rapunzel's hands, shaking them vigorously, "You saved two of my younger housemates! I never really got to thank you!" she said in one breath.
"Calm down, Anna," a Ravenclaw droned, "Again, Ms. Gothel, can you tell us what you saw again?"
"Just that," she replied her hand gotten free from Anna's hold, "A shadow like the ones before."
"Wait, wait—hang on a minute," cut in the Ravenclaw Head Boy, "This is the same Gothel as the one the previous times?"
"…previous times?" Rapunzel wondered, looking to Rose.
"Yes," Rose replied, seeing her puzzlement, "Along with a few other Gryffindors."
"Why is it that each time, it's always you Gryffindors?" Scorpius replied with a sigh.
"Believe me, we've been asking ourselves for a thousand years," Al winked, clapping his hands together, "People, let's take this more seriously, please."
Rapunzel clasped her hands behind her back, wondering if she should leave. They're all prefects and head students, after all. But Rose put a gentle hand on her shoulder, keeping her there between herself and Albus.
"…let's not forget we still have two fellows in St. Mungo's," Potter reminded them.
"Not to mention the occasional attacks here and there," another noted, "Let's be glad most students are oblivious to pass them off as accidents or some trickery by Peeves."
"What do we do?" Elsa asked in a business-like manner, her stern look putting everyone in focus, "We can't very well have the teachers lock down the school again or else the parents would send in complaints. Next thing we know the Ministry will be stepping in again for the second time since the dragon problem."
"We've notified the headmaster, however," Al told them, "The teachers are in meeting as of now, I suppose."
"…EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
A great wolf bounded across the room, the convening group of prefects jumping aside nimbly as it bolted past, trailing silvery wisps of light in its wake. Rapunzel stared after it in awe as a round of cheer and applause broke out from the other end of the room.
"That was wicked, mate!"
"A full Patronus! Congratulations!"
"Seems like they know what they're supposed to do," Scorpius said, glancing towards the group of third years applauding their classmate.
"Back to the matter at hand," Rose said, "As Albus explained, in theory, these shadows are some sort of residual dark magic. By who, we don't know."
"But they're more than just spells or curses," Rapunzel suddenly cut in, gaining each prefect and head student's attention.
She felt a knot in her throat with everyone's expectant gaze on her, especially on a heavy subject. It feels like one of those instances when Professor Black would have one of the students try their potion out for themselves in front of the class.
"They're amortal…" she continued, casting a glance to Al, who nodded approvingly, "They resemble the tendencies of dementors and lethifolds. To subdue and take."
She felt the words coming to her freely, nulling every other self-conscious trouble she had out of the way. Even Mother Gothel's constant note of her clumsiness drifted away, "These shadows, whatever they are, were never alive, and so could not technically die. But they can disappear with Patronuses, as we've already found out."
"Like Lethifolds and dementors…" Anna huffed in realization.
"Impressive." said the Ravenclaw prefect, "This is an astounding idea…can I use that for my Magical Theory thesis?"
Albus narrowed his eyes on him, "No, I'm using it."
"Damn."
"First things first!" Rose cut in, "What do we do?"
"What we always do," said Al, a twinkle in his bright eyes, "We teach all we could to everyone and prepare."
"We fight," Anna smirked with a nod.
"Dumbledore's Army tradition," Rapunzel beamed excitedly.
"Shouldn't we leave this to the teachers?" one of them suggested, "It doesn't matter if the school locks down so long as everyone's safe, right?"
"Bloody hell, we live in a boarding school, do we need more constraint?" complained another.
"It'd be better to tell everyone of what's happening than to have them cooped up in the common rooms where they'll more likely brew trouble that could send another wave of attacks."
Rapunzel listened intently to the exchange of ideas and talks. The prefects may be deducting points and being killjoys most of the time, but they bloody knew their responsibilities when it came to it.
Perhaps she could be one someday.
"Alright…we call everyone in here as of the moment until we can talk to the teachers properly."
"Everyone in agreement?"
There was a round of 'yes' and nods. Even the intimidating Slytherin prefect, Elsa, gave a cordial nod of affirmation. Then all eyes were on Scorpius Malfoy. He had his arms crossed, looking to them with sharp grey eyes that did not betray any of his thoughts.
"When do we start?"
And so another lesson by the Dumbledore's Army began.
The prefects gathered their housemates and explained personally of what was happening. That they needed to be prepared once more.
Some students (especially those called back straight from Hogsmeade) complained on spending their weekend indoors, though they quickly quieted down once the duels got engaging.
It was surprising to see the Room of Requirement so full. Like the prefects agreed, everyone was called in. And by that, they meant everyone. Every member, non-member, ever under-aged student usually not allowed to DA meetings.
The room expanded itself to accommodate everyone, now as big as two Great Halls, with enough space for everyone to practice and learn in ease of movement. The Patronuses were a focus in the meeting, with everyone who had the ease of performing the charm helping those who did not.
Rapunzel was teaching the basics of the Patronus to a group of first years (from all different houses) who hadn't a clue when Jack, Merida and Hiccup arrived.
"Guys!" she beamed, running to them as the enchanted doors of the Room of Requirement closed behind the three.
"Wha's happening', lassie! The castle was deserted!" Merida said in one breath, flustered.
"Did something happen?" Hiccup cut in, looking about at the busy chamber.
"Everything's fine, guys, I'll explain it to you…" Rapunzel said as they walked back towards the throng of first years.
"Looks like a drill," Jack noted as he slung his staff about his shoulder, grinning as he walked towards the teeny first years struggling with their charms once left to their own devices.
"Hello, Jack!" Sophie greeted brightly as a fully-formed Patronus in the shape of a bunny hopped in the air about her.
"Hey, Sophie," he smiled back, ruffling her ragged blonde hair, "You have a Patronus, impressive…"
"Jack, how do you do it? Have an animal for a Patronus?" inquired one of the first years, soon they were bombarding him with question as they gathered around the wintry fifth year. He had a smile plastered to his face as he stooped down and answered their questions fondly and tried to each them as best as he could.
"Babby-magnet," Merida snorted with a chuckled as she looked to the scene over her shoulder.
"He's really good with kids, huh?" Hiccup said, shifting his bag to his other shoulder.
"Faring better than I did," Rapunzel shrugged, the thought of the doppleganger crossing her mind, "…he's been with you all day, right?"
"Yeah," Merida affirmed, "Why?"
"I thought I saw him this morning," she mumbled, brushing the thought away, there would be time for that later. Instead, she turned to explaining to them about all that had happened while they were out in Hogsmeade, Al's theory and the prefect's short-term plan.
"Glad to know it's not Toothless they're particularly after…" Hiccup said with a small bit of apprehension still hanging over his expression.
"He was a convenient targ'it," Merida huffed, running her hand over her fiery locks as they stood by, watching Jack guide a Ravenclaw first-year's hand in wand-waving.
"…they attacked yer village, latched on ter Toothie when the mus'ta seen every'un was blamin' 'im, and finally, when you brought 'im 'ere." Merida narrated her train of thought.
"That makes me feel loads better, thank you, Merida," Hiccup said with half-lidded eyes.
"Yer welcome," Merida chortled as snarkily, walking up to the throng of younger students, "C'mere, firties, lemme show yah mah bear Patronus…!"
Rapunzel and Hiccup remained where they were, watching on a few feet away.
"Hic…?"
"Yeah?"
"You don't think Jack's hiding something, do you?"
"Not this again, Rapunzel," Hiccup said with a worried tone, "Jack's out friend."
"I know he is, and I trust him as much as you do." she said with a guilt-ridden sigh, "But sometimes, I notice things and can't help but wonder what we know and don't know."
"You're just curious it's nothing to feel bad about."
"I saw him this morning."
"Who?"
"Jack."
"What about it?"
"It was when you guys were in Hogsmeade."
Hiccup stopped, befuddled, "That's impossible."
"Right when I nearly got hit by the shadow," she said under her breath, "I cast it out the window and down below in the courtyards, he finished it off."
"It could've been someone, else, Punz."
"White hair and staff isn't exactly a common sight in Hogwarts, Hiccup."
"So…you think there's something he's not telling us?" Hiccup said carefully as if trodding on thin eyes.
Rapunzel crossed her arms, watching Jack summon a silver dolphin out of the air, his cheery Patronus. It swam in the air, bobbing up and down, the first years staring in wonder and awe after it. Merida called out her bear and had it bolt after the dolphin, the two chasing eachother across the room. Everyone laughed at the sight, Merida guffawing.
"I think," Rapunzel began, a worried smile crossing her face, "There are things even he doesn't know."
Hiccup let out a breath, taking out her wand and staring at the tip of it in contemplation, "There are always things we don't know," he mumbled. Rapunzel turned to him.
"And that's the point of waking up everyday, I suppose," Hiccup said, "So we could find out."
"Find out what?" Rapunzel asked.
"The answers to questions we find ourselves wondering," he explained with a smile, "For example, I always wonder about my mom. Is she alive, is she dead?"
"Hic…"
"But I'll never know if I don't try and find out," he said with a glad expression, reassuring her that he wasn't having an emotional fit, "One day, I will find out."
"So what question do we find the answer to today?" Rapunzel wondered, puzzled a tad bit.
"How to get rid of these shadows permanently," Hiccup shrugged casually, "Better yet: Will you teach me how to conjure a patronus?"
Rapunzel's eyes winded, taken aback by his request.
"Wha-? You don't know-? You're joking?"
"I wasn't here when they taught you, remember?" Hiccup smiled, "Now come on, Professor, teach me."
Rapunzel brightened and chuckled, "Just think of a happy thought?"
"Any happy little thought?" he cooed.
"Stop that." she laughed.
"Accio dictionary…"
The heavy tome flew through the air, caught by skilled hands and shoved into the shelves I one smooth movement.
"Odd," Madame Goose mumbled as she tied back her brown hair, looking about the deserted library. The books were rearranging themselves, chairs shoving themselves in place, a broomstick sweeping the floor of fallen pieces of parchment. A usual sight. The odd thing was, no one was there.
Books were not the most favourite items of students but even in weekends, there would usually be a students or two, catching up on studies or doing their homework.
But the library that day was simply deserted.
Madame Goose tasked herself in cleaning up while she could, tossing aside the old Prophet copy into the bin as she walked past the door to the Restricted Section.
"…shhh…"
She quickly glanced back. Nothing.
Must be her imagination.
She turned to her desk, about to rearrange the card catalogue that had been waiting for her there when she heard another of that small shushing sound.
She took out her wand, readied, "Who's there?"
"…shhh…"
It was mocking her.
"I'm the only one who gets to shush anyone in this library," she said, walking along the towering shelves of olden books, "Jack? Is that you out there? It's not the time for pranks."
"…shhh…"
"Sandy?" she asked, her heart beginning to thump. No student would do this unnerving shushing. It was a soft sound, like heavy cloth scraping over a rough floor.
"Show yourself," she said, her wand in a steady hold. She's bested many, Madame Goose was able to stand her own. But there was an eerie quality to the shushing voice that sent chills down her spine.
Snake-like.
"Who's there!?" she snapped, losing her nerve.
"…shhh!"
She saw a glimpse of a form along the shelves. She ran after it, her boots clopping on the stone floors. It was gone as soon as it appeared.
Another shadow.
"…shhh…"
There it was again. But now it sounded mischievous. Like a child shushing a fellow in a game of hide-and-seek.
"Get out of my library." she seethed, staying extremely still.
The next flicker of movement was followed by her Patronus. With a quick flick of her wrist, a great grey owl flew across the room, throwing itself against the form. But nothing happened and her Patronus flew back to her, watchful of her surroundings.
"…shhh…"
The owl quickly launched itself across the room, crashing against a bookshelf, dissipating in a crash of silver light. A shriek rang all over the place.
Katherine bolted towards it, seeing a trail of…black sand.
She followed it, along the Alchemy shelves, wand poised.
"Who's there!?" she called out as the shrieking stopped.
"…shhh!"
She whirled around and cast her Patronus at the dark form that lunged at her. It shrieked, like the last time. The light of her owl threw the dark creature backwards, like a cloak.
A sense of triumph crossed her face, but it was cut short. Something lunged itself at her.
It knocked the wand out of her hand and plunged her in darkness. Madame Goose kicked and clawed at it in the deadly dark, feeling herself robbed of air. She struggled and chanted words of magic, old magic long forgotten except in her old books that did not require a wand.
The black shadow was yanked away from her and she bolted to a run, unable to find her wand in the mess of books that had fallen from the shelves.
There was shrieking now, everywhere, books flying, shelves being knocked over, the deafening sound of paper being ripped. They were causing a ruckus for the sake of it.
She had to get to the Guardians, somehow. How could she be caught so unprepared.
"NICHOLAS!" she called out for the headmaster as she ran across the library, now in a flurry of flying books, "TOOTHIANA! ANYONE!"
"SANDERSON! JACK!" she ducked behind a chair as a heavy tome flew right at her.
" ! HELP!" she called out, bolting towards the door.
A shadow flew right towards her. Katherine gritted her teeth, grabbed a copy of Wizarding Politics off a table and hit the creature with it, sending it whizzing back against the wall. Suddenly, Katherine became still, just as everything in the room stopped.
She stood there, a few yards from the door as all the flying books fell to the ground and the tattered pages fluttered down calmly.
Madame Goose took a sharp breath, her chest stiffening, finding it hard to breath. She felt cold all over.
Her eyes shot down to her hands. Pale.
She felt stiff, fragile. Like a china doll cracking.
Katherine toppled to the ground, upon the tattered pages of the books she took great care of. The black ink of the words on page were blotted out by dark red blood spilling from her.
She clutched her stomach as she kept bleeding, her dandelion-yellow coat stained crimson, traces of the black sand that had struck her dissipating in the air.
Unable to speak or move, she lay there in utter horror, coughing on her own blood.
Surely, who…?
Katherine turned her head stiffly towards the door, hanging ajar with parchment still fluttering down like confetti. There stood, in the dead silence, a dark form she knew all too well.
Pitch Black stood there, hands folded behind his back in his casual manner, golden eyes staring down at her in a contemplating manner. There was not gloating in them, not satisfaction. He just looked down at her as if she were a pebble by the sode of the road worthy of consideration.
"Apologies, dear Katherine." he told her before she fell into the darkness off her own eyelids.
