I'm back from the grave to give you a new chapter! I'm so sorry for being MIA for the last *checks last chapter* 3 MONTHS!? I haven't posted since October?! What can say? I had my first college semester and it beat me to a pulp, I managed to just scrap by with my life so it took up most of my time. But whenever I had spare time, I did write this new chapter. It was really challenging since this is the first time the trio will meet the Doctor. And even more challenging to convey Strange's magic into words. I think I did it. And then the holidays came around, the most stressful time of the year. But now it's January so everyone can finally relax. But I also just started English and just finished my first week of it. But I will write and post more often since I have Friday, Saturday and Sunday off.
NOW ON WITH THE STORY!
"Now before we start, I think it's best if we just get your questions out of the way. So who would like to go first." Strange says. He looks around the room and right in from him, a hand shoots up.
"Yes, and you are?" Strange asks. "Hermione Granger. Doctor? Why do you go by that?" Hermione asks.
"Because I am a Doctor, a Neurosurgeon to be specific. Used to be one but I still have my credentials." Strange replies. Everyone's eyebrows contorts into confusion. Another hand goes up.
"Yes and can everyone just state your name when you ask a question so I can know who you are." Strange says. "Ron Weasley, what is a Newerosurgeon?" Ron asks with curiosity. "Well, how can I put it simply? I essentially study and occasionally operate on the human brain." Strange replies. His answer receives mixed thoughts. One side doesn't understand what he means and the other side make a face of disgust.
A hand goes up in the middle of the room. Strange motions his hands toward the student. "Parvati Patil. Study the human brain? What does that mean?" She asks. "It means that I work to understand how it works, what it does. And sometimes I operate on them, I open your head and fix the problem." Strange replies. Everyone goes a little squeamish.
"I think that's enough questions about my past occupation, does anyone have a different one? Uh, yes. You in the front" Strange says. "Um, Neville Longbottom. What exactly are the Mystic Arts?" Strange smirks.
"The question I've been waiting to hear. Tell me Longbottom, what do you think it is?" Neville looks around the room and his desk. He turns to Hermione but she doesn't know what it is either. "You said this depends on our physical and mental abilities so maybe advance Transfiguation." Neville says.
"No, but clever of you to remember what I said last night. Anyone else? Granger, go ahead." Strange turns his attention to her. "Perhaps it's a form of Disapparition?" Hermione says.
"No but it you're close. Anyone else?" Strange looks around the room, no hand goes up. "No? Alright then, I think I better show you instead. Everyone please stand up and push your desks to the side of the room. We're going to need a lot of room." Slowly everyone stands up and the sound of wooden desks scraping against the floor fill up the room. After everyone pushes their desk, Strange asks them to stand around him.
"Tell me, has anyone ever wondered where magic comes from? And I don't mean from your wands. What is the source of all magic? How is all this possible?" Everyone is quiet. No one has ever questioned where it comes from, they just know it's there. Like the air we breathe. Hermione raises her hand again. Strange motions her to ask. "Wizards and Witches have suggested that magic is in everyone and some have it more than others." Hermione says. "Good answer, 10 points to Gryffindor. Does anyone else have a guess?" Strange looks around, no one answers. "What if I told you that your magic isn't the only one, what if there was another one? The Mystic Arts isn't just-"
The door suddenly burst open, three students walk into the room. Harry and Ron groan, Hermione rolls her eyes and Neville hides. It was Draco Malfoy and his thugs Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy swaggers his way across the room, he shoves the group of students to the side, Crabbe and Goyle shove much harder.
"Glad you can make it to our class, who are you three?" Strange asks politely. Malfoy quickly rubs his nose with his thumb. "Draco Malfoy, this is Crabbe and Goyle." Strange was taken aback with Malfoy's attitude. "Care to explain why you three are late?" Strange asks.
"Sort of forgot I had you, Professor. I was wandering around the castle but then I ran into Professor Snape, he reminded me of your class. So here we came here." Malfoy says with a smug grin. Hermione scoffs. Strange turns his head away from everyone's view, a thought comes to mind.
"I feel SO honored to be in your presence, Malfoy. Shall I grab your golden goblet and plate to feed you a grand meal?" Strange says in an overly Posh accent. Malfoy smugness fades into confusion. "Or will you allow me to finish all of your assignments and you sit on my desk, eating sweets?" Strange dramatically sweeps his cloak in the air and points to the door leading to his office. Everyone looks to each other, some giggle at Strange's bad accent. Malfoy looks to Strange with irritation.
Crabbe and Goyle look at each other and to Malfoy. Strange returns to his normal stance, his aura changes the room drastically, his face goes so stern it could even rival McGonagall's. "I'm only going to say this once so everyone listen, I do not tolerate the type of attitude Malfoy just emitted. I've seen people like him before in my line of work and they were usually the type of people who would rely on others to stay ahead else or mooch off their parents success and wealth. If you're going to do so, I'll have to ask you to leave my classroom for the rest of the school year. And I do not care if your Head of House disagrees. While I am here, my word is final, not even Dumbledore can change it."
The atmosphere becomes heavier and heavier with every passing word. Crabbe and Goyle take a step back, leaving Malfoy to stand alone against Strange's force, who hasn't taken his eyes off of. "I have no idea who your parents are Malfoy but if they allow you to act like this at home and with anyone else, they've failed as parents. Strange takes his eyes off Malfoy and turns the everyone. "Do I make myself clear?" Strange asks. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle give a nod and a yes.
Everyone is so stunned, not a single sound is made. "I said, do I make myself clear?" Strange says with a higher tone, which brings everyone back to reality. A resounding "Yes, Doctor" is heard through the room. "Good. 10 points from Slytherin for tardiness and another 10 for Malfoy's behavior. Goyle, Crabbe, Malfoy. Please stand aside with everyone and can someone please bring them up to speed." The three quickly follow Strange's order. Strange takes a deep breath, his shoulders relax and the room becomes softer but still heavy.
Harry always wanted to tear a hole into Malfoy ever since their first year of Hogwarts but Strange went ahead and mauled him like a werewolf. Strange called out not only his behavior but both his parents as well. Harry looks around the room. Everyone is either silent or whispering among themselves. Ron and Neville's jaw are hanging loose and Hermione covers her mouth in surprise. Harry looks for Malfoy and sees him hiding behind two Ravenclaws, muttering to himself.
"As I was saying, the Mystic Arts isn't just one subject, it's a completely different form of magic." Everyone snaps back to Strange. "And to what Neville said, this magic depends on your physical and mental abilities. I'll show you what I mean." Strange takes two steps back.
He puts his arm out, bends his index finger and thumb together. He draws a horizontal line in the air and a line of light materializes out of thin air. The students go quiet, they follow Strange's movements like a cat following prey. "You see what we do is we harness energy, energy from other dimensions in the multiverse. To cast our version of spells, to conjure weapons and shields."
Strange moves the line of light vertically, making a circle of light in the process. He then turns the line of light into a square around the circle and makes another square stand on a corner. He snaps his fingers, multiple small circles appear within the square, forming intricate lines simultaneously.
Strange quickly sways his arms forward, all the circles begin dilating rapidly and rotating in different directions. "You all have the potential to learn this, but understand that this is not merely a subject. This is a discipline." Strange suddenly snaps his arms down and Strange's lights go erratic, making a slight humming sound. The light's glow dims and suddenly disappears.
They all applause, Strange gives a slight bow. Hermione's hand goes up, Strange acknowledges her. "Doctor, what do you mean by 'other dimensions'?" Strange walks closer to the students. "I think that's an answer you're all aren't ready to know just yet. Now, please come to the table, I will be giving you all something." Strange walks swiftly to the desk, the students follow.
They all surround Strange and the table, they spot the wooden box sitting alone. Strange squats down to a drawer and takes out another box, nearly identical to the other one. "This is something everyone who wants to learn the Mystic Arts must master before they advance to anything else." Strange opens the box and reveals sets of jewelry. Two rings fused together with a bar of gold on top, decorated with lines and circles but each one designed differently. "These are sling rings. Anyone who is trained in the Mystic Arts must carry one at all times. And you'll see why." Strange picks one up, lifts his left hand and slides the sling ring on his index and middle finger, he then bends his two free fingers down. Strange then brings up his right hand and makes a clockwise circle in the air.
In the middle of the group circle, a ring of sparks form. The sparks speed up faster and faster, an image forms in the center. The image is a view of a wooden door, which looked familiar but he couldn't recall it. "Longbottom, if you would go and open the door please." Strange politely asks. Neville obliges and walks to the door. Neville opens the door widely for everyone to see and to everyone's surprise, the portal's view of the door turns to Neville looking back to everyone. Everyone is shocked.
"You have many ways of transportation. Portkey, Disapparation, Floo Powder and many other things but we have portals. Portals that can reach just about anywhere in the world, at any time. This will be the first thing you will all learn." Strange lowers his arm and the portal disappears. Hermione raises her hand, Strange nods at her. "How is that possible? No one is allowed to apparate on Hogwarts grounds." Hermione said. "Sling ring is much different from disapparition so it is void of all the rules set on Hogwarts." Strange simply said. Hermione processes that. "I will be giving each one of you a sling ring but you cannot take it with you outside this classroom, I don't want anyone portaling in and out of Hogwarts. So if would all form a line, please take one."
A line immediately forms in front of Strange, students shoving to get in line first. "Please wait patiently, everyone will get one." Minutes go by and everyone soon has a sling ring. "Okay, will everyone please 4 lines, we're going to start learning how to portal." Again, everyone rushes in line. The trio and Neville stand in front of the desk. Malfoy and his thugs stand just behind them. "Give yourselves as much room as possible, spread your arms out to make sure you do." Strange says. Everyone does so. "Okay, I want you all to do is to make a portal to your sport stadium. That's the best place since no one will be there." Strange points to the window that shows a Quidditch post far off in the distance. "Really? The Quidditch pit?" Harry thought. He has played so many matches on that field, he can fly around the stands and in between the goal posts with his eyes closed.
Everyone continues to talk but Strange grabs everyone's attention with a firm and clear voice. "Class? If you would please." Everyone goes quiet, all eyes turn to Strange. "Now you all may be thinking all you have to do is picture where you want to be and a portal will appear but it's more involved than that." Strange started pacing in between students. "Follow my hand movements." Strange lifts his arms up and assumes the position he had earlier. Everyone looks to their arms and mimic Strange's arms. "Everyone close your eyes, please." Harry and everyone closes their eyes. "Now visualize yourself at the Qudditch field, visualize your surroundings. Visualize the smell of morning dew on the grass"
Strange's voice slowly turns soothing and calm, it's hard to believe he was stern and cold just a while ago. Harry starts getting entranced by Strange's voice, he starts following his voice. He then starts visualizing the Qudditch field. He pictures himself flying around the field on his broom, the wind whizzing around him like a bird in flight, the feeling his stomach gets when he nosedives for the Golden Snitch. "Once you have a firm grasp on it, project it out into the world. Move your right hand counter-clockwise." Strange says and immediately, a cold breeze enters the room, the sound of a crows caw is heard from the distance, the creaking of wooden stands swaying side to side. Harry peaks a look at Strange. Floating just two feet away from Strange, shows a portal to the Qudditch fields. He sees the grass's mildew and a goal post standing about 10 feet away.
"Focus, Harry, Focus!" Harry thinks to himself. He began moving his arm in the same path Strange did. "Come on, you can do it!" Harry squints his eyes hard, his fists clench. Suddenly, another cold breeze comes into the room and it's close. He feels the full force of the cold morning breeze, he feels the hair on his neck stand up right, his spine shivers instantly. "Oh, well done, young man!" He had done it! He doesn't know how but he had managed it. Harry quickly opens his eyes to see his portal but he found nothing but air and a wall. "What?" Harry thinks to himself. Everyone had already open their eyes to see they haven't made a portal either but then loud gasps and whispering had filled the classroom. Harry scans the classroom and when he looks to Ron and Hermione, he sees them looking directly at Neville. "What? What's happening?" Neville says, his eyes closed shut. "Neville, open your eyes." Strange says. Neville slowly opens his eyes and sees he had conjured a portal.