Chapter 20 Cousin Mary's Visit
Another day at Horseland always means another adventure that could be normal or with a certain wizard, magical. Yesterday's adventure with the unicorn was only an example which the entire group came with an experience they will remember for a lifetime. But the experience from yesterday will not be the last, today was the day when Sara's cousin will arrive, of course she will come to visit and literally everyone was preparing for her arrival.
"Really can't wait to meet your cousin Sara, from what you told me she really is one surely surpasses all limits given by her disability to see." Harry said pouring water in the container for horses.
"You will surely like her I told her a lot about you, of course I haven't told her about the magical stuff; in a sense it is fair you to tell her after you know can trust her with your secret." Sara said grooming Scarlet.
"I really am glad for that, and by the way it is amazing that despite her disability she rides, it is true that I haven't met many people with hearing or sight disabilities in a sense I might be prawn to make, judgments." He said starting to get some oats from the pantry of the stables.
"We were the same when we met her as well, don't worry and just for you to know, it was in a sense the same thing for me when I find out you are a wizard." Molly said smiling.
"How is that?"
"Well when Noni, Sara and Alma told me about this fact that you are a wizard, I thought that you in private will be the typical strange wizard with magical stuff not knowing much about our normal things. In a sense a wizard usually depicted in some media." The afro-American girl said.
"I lived with non-wizards all my life Molly, although not the good type at first I know everything about all the usual stuff unlike others who lived in a total different world." Harry explained.
"Glad to know and don't worry, guess its normal for one to judge a person before meeting it yourself, and see how it is. It is just like it, in a sense when you started to show us the magical stuff and saw there are advantages in been a wizard when fully grown." Molly said.
"That if we exclude psychopathic wizards and soul sucking creatures." Noni said.
"And guess that a good advantage in been blind is not having to witnessing or having to see a person in an awkward situation." Harry said.
"What kind of awkward situations?" Alma asked.
"Like you having to humiliate yourselves in all kind of situations like been in front of the crowd and then wake up in who knows what kind of situation. Not wanting to say what you told me what happen to Chloe once."
"That is an example of our awkwardness." Bailey said while cleaning Aztec's stable.
"What about you, wizard boy? Tell us an awkward situation you had in your second year with Mr. Lockhart." Alma said with a mischievous smile.
"What was the most awkward thing you had?" Molly asked.
"Ahh well-" Harry started.
"Harry!" Called Will coming to him with a letter "Professor Smith sent a letter for you; it seems he will not manage to come today."
"Thank you for arriving on time Will." Harry said relieved taking the letter.
"What happened?" The boy asked confused.
"We wanted to know what awkward situation he encountered at Hogwarts." Molly said.
"You don't want to know what valentine he got once." Bailey said while Harry read the letter.
"So, why he doesn't come?"
"It seems he has to solve a small problem involving a Polyjuice potion accident."
"What is a Polyjuice potion?" Sara asked.
"It is an extremely powerful shape shifting potion, very advanced and very time consuming. It allows one to gain the physic of another person for a period of time, depending how good it was made. It is very complicated to make however, for example you have to stew Lacewing flies for 21 days. That is only one ingredient that needs to be started with before adding the rest. In total it takes a month to make it."
"A month?! I wouldn't have that much patience if my teacher gives a project similar to it in my chemistry class, especially if you have to stew something for 21 days on end." Molly commented.
"I know, but in a sense there is another thing to take notice. A Polyjuice potion allows a person to take the physical appearance of another person, no matter skin color, race or age this is done by introducing a part of that person's body like a nail or a strand of hair before drinking it. However the potion could be dangerous if someone puts something that isn't human." Harry explained.
"What happens then?" Noni asked.
"Well it happened at Hogwarts in my second year before coming to Horseland, it was very unpleasant." Harry said not wanting to tell what happened to Hermione.
"You don't need to tell the name of the person, tell us only what happened." Sara said presuming it was something unpleasant.
"Well there was a girl at Hogwarts that made a Polyjuice during the Christmas Holydays and wanted to try it to see if it worked, she managed to take a strand of hair from the uniform of another girl, however something went wrong the hair wasn't from that girl."
"From whom it was then?" Alma asked.
"It wasn't human hair, it was cat hair."
"Cat hair? And what happened then?" Molly asked.
"Well, Polyjuice potion must be used for humans only, if one introduces in it something from an animal like dog, cat or horse hair well you probably could imagine." Harry said.
"Did she turn into an….anthro cat?" Bailey asked.
"Anthro cat?" Harry asked confused.
"Anthro or anthropomorphic means something, an animal or object with human features. By the way, this is what happened?" Alma asked.
"Well." Harry started rubbing the back of his head stressed "To be honest, yes. This is what happened." He said and all the girls dropped their jaws while his cousins looked stunned.
"Dios Mio." Alma said making the sign of the cross on herself shocked.
"This event, one should say is more than awkward." Harry said.
"This now isn't more than awkward, it is totally unbelievable Harry, and I guess that colleague of yours also had a tail didn't it?" Molly commented.
"Well it was a shape shifting potion with cat hair, and she really did had a tail which in a sense it was expected. Try to imagine if you would take a Polyjuice potion with horse hair and not human hair."
"I wouldn't be comfortable with that." Merlin murmured.
"I don't want even to know." Calypso said.
"Surely it would be something I don't want to experience." Molly commented, already imagining something like that and she doesn't like it at all. Like always, it is one thing to know something like this to happen in movies and fantasy books, but been reality is totally out of hand.
"And by the way, you were right, been blind probably helps you prevent witnessing things like this in the magic world. This level of awkwardness and humiliation is something no one in the normal world will ever get or if it does by accident couldn't bare." Bailey commented.
"Still did your school mate recovered after the potion go awry?" Sara asked.
"She did after taking a special potion to counter the Polyjuice, and spend 2 weeks in the hospital wing spitting fur balls." Harry said.
"At least she recovered." Alma commented rubbing her right template with her hand "Dio guess that been a bruja is sometimes really a nasty thing."
"Sorry about this Alma."
"Well, guess that mom and dad will add another potion on the list." Bailey said.
"What list?"
"Oh I haven't told you, when it comes to potions Bailey's parent's made a list on what potions you could buy or you could brew at home, of course in a cave or outside to prevent accidents. But aside from that there is a black list, where there are different potions that you are prohibited to make and bring. And I guess that Polyjuice potion will now be added." Will said.
"I don't comment on anything in this case anyways Will. Especially that we usually get essays to make at home during summer." Harry said.
"And they are between the hardest to write; luckily it doesn't take a month to work on them like it does when you brew a Polyjuice Potion." Bailey commented.
"Indeed, however some would try to make one in their free time, but they could go awry even in summer." Harry said looking at the letter again, inside the envelop there was also a moving photo of the one who tried but failed to make the potion. "And from what I can tell the one that tried to make this potion woke up in a similar situation." He said showing the photo to the group.
"Ahhh did he took-" Alma started.
"Wolf hair? He probably wanted to turn into some known or famous person but what he got was wolf hair to turn into a humanoid wolf."
"Say that again." Noni said awkward, she was in a sense glad she wasn't in that wizard's place at this moment as a humanoid she-wolf or whoever tries an endeavor with this potion and turn like that, and she wasn't alone basically everyone didn't wanted it.
"Glad I am not in his place." Bailey said with a stressed smile.
"Me neither, in a sense it reminds me of some werewolf from some movies." Molly said.
"True, I don't want to know what others do in other parts of the world who try an endeavor like this. In Africa for example who knows if there was a situation where one makes a Polyjuice but turns into a lion or cheetah." Harry explained already imagining something like this.
"Better not to know." Will commented before hearing the twins coming.
"Chloe and Zoe, hide the photo and letter." Sara said and Harry immediately placed both letter and photo inside his coat right when the twins arrived.
"Hey Chloe, Zoe, how are you 2 doing?" Harry asked with a smile.
"Very well, but we wouldn't be able to stay today. It is unfortunate since your cousin is coming over Sara." Zoe said.
"We know that, a business meeting where your parents asked you to come along. There isn't much trouble." Sara said.
"Glad to hear it." Chloe said however with a bit of shame in her voice.
"You will be able to meet up with her tomorrow she will stay for 2 days, so you will be able to see and talk to her."
"We will try to be there." Zoe said before their limo came. "Well we got to go."
"One moment Zoe I will come shortly." Chloe said.
"I will wait in the car." Zoe said while Chloe turned to Sara.
"Something happen Chloe?"
"Can we speak, just the 2 of us near the stable?"
"Sure." Sara said following her.
"What could that be about?" Alma asked and Harry out of curiosity decided to follow the 2 to listen to what they have to say.
"What might be the situation Chloe?"
"Nothing too important really." The elder Stilton girl said rubbing her right arm nervously. "It's just; can you send your cousin my apologies for how we behaved with her the first time she was here? I believe you know how we behaved around her with her disability."
"Chloe what was back then was some time ago, beside she didn't minded at all."
"Maybe, but I wish her to know that I am sorry for how we behaved with her the first time we met, only recently I thought about this." She said looking down in shame and Harry who hid behind the corner knew from when as did Sara.
"I see, but for how long did you thought about this?" Sara asked.
"You know when we were on the train back from Louisiana and said I had that nightmare with that creature from Zoe's story. Well in really, I believe that I wasn't dreaming and that the creature was real, and made me reflect on my own life and how I had been, and I wish to try to make up for some things. Like in the case for your cousins, both for Mary and hopefully Chase. You might think I went crazy or something like it, but I really wish to try to make up for some things I had done in the past." Chloe said with all sincerity she had in her voice hoping that she would believe her and Sara with a calm smile did, although she did admit that she hoped this change wouldn't have come out because of a Dementor attack.
"Chloe, it's alright. In the case of both Mary and Chase, they don't mind about what you and Zoe did, but don't worry I will tell Mary about this. There is nothing to worry about."
"Thanks Sara." She said with a calm smile before turning to the limo. "I have to go, hope we would manage to come tomorrow, but who knows for how long this meeting would last."
"There is no problem. There are always other occasions, hope everything will work fine at the meeting." Sara said.
"Me too, see you next time." Chloe said departing for the limo while Sara looked at her, in a sense despite some time passing since the incident in the train she still finds it a little odd about this change, she wasn't alone since everyone overheard there, but it will surely pass with the time. Harry on the other hand while looking at the girl leaving, he is a bit remorseful for what happened to her in that night.
"Seeing this change in her is a bit strange at this moment yet." Sara commented.
"And I guess it is me to blame for what happened to her." Harry said coming out from the corner looking shameful.
"What makes you say that?" Sara asked.
"I told everyone of you that they got an unhealthy interest in me when at Hogwarts on one side and on the other I might have to be the one to blame for what happened to her in the train, only if I was quicker when they showed up." Harry said with shame while the rest came.
"Harry, it wasn't you the one responsible for what happen to Chloe, none of us knew that there will be an inspection in our train to search for a rogue wizard." Sara said.
"Plus, none of us knew that dementors will be involved. Not to mention that in reality if you haven't been there something worst might have happened if you didn't intervened." Bailey said.
"I know, but I don't think that she should have changed this much because a dementor showed her the most negative things of her life. As if she was about to meet death or better to say something worst then death."
"Well that's the thing. The dementor might have applied the Dementor's Kiss if you haven't intervened and like you said it could have been worst." Molly said.
"The idea is we intervened on time to save her, and let's admit it, although it was after the dementor lifted her up and started to feed on her happiness. It is 1000 times better this way then losing her soul." Noni said.
"Which, by all accounts, you have to admit, it is worst than anything else. Besides, another dementor almost took you as well after you saved Chloe." Will came.
"And you have to admit what happened that night is enough for everyone to not want another." Alma said.
"Hmm, maybe you are right. But problem will be the issue of when to tell them everything I had been thinking of telling them as well at one time?" Harry asked.
"Don't worry, there will be an opportunity. The issue been however when and at what time." Bailey said.
"Whenever that will be, hopefully it will not involve monstros." Alma said knowing which kind she was talking about and the wizard only smiled before they heard then a car on the road.
"I guess Mary arrived." Sara said while going near the fence and saw a black car pulling a horse carriage and from inside came a girl with black glasses and rich brown hair with a cane for the blind.
"Mary glad you came." Sara called going to her cousin.
"I would never miss a chance for a visit Sara." She said with a smile hugging her.
"Hey Mary, welcome back to Horseland." Bailey came to shack her hand.
"Glad to be back and by the way I heard that there is another rider in the team, your cousin from the UK." She replied.
"That might be me." Harry came with a stressed smile and a shy voice to shack her hand.
"And I heard from Sara that you are some sort of wizard boy."
"Yeah, of a sort."
"I might not be able to see but I would have wish to know what kinds of magic tricks you do."
"Well if I would tell you, you wouldn't even believe really." Harry said with a stressed smile.
"But hey it doesn't mean that we can't make you enjoy your stay. Dad had opened a new trail in the forest."
"Really can't wait for that." Mary said hearing the horse trailer door opening, and went to take her horse Prince whom on the sight of it Harry couldn't do anything but be amazed by it, Will told him that he was trained by Sara for her. If he will have to comment with something then it will be that Sara chose a fine specimen for her cousin.
"Sara I have to tell that you really knew what horse to choose."
"It's her parents that bought it."
"And you have trained it. You surely did an amazing job without a doubt." Harry said with a smile to her.
"So when shall we leave?" Mary asked.
"Immediately just wait to prepare our horses." Will said while the rest went back to the barn. After every horse was saddled and geared up they all prepared to move out. They first moved on the fields everyone telling stories about what they did during last year and the wizard also joined in, not knowing if Mary would believe him in any case he tried to skip some details, especially the ones about the dementors.
"You really had some adventures I do admit that." Mary said.
"And those weren't all, if he would tell you; you wouldn't be able to believe them." Molly commented.
"How come?
"Well let's say that some things about his school are really out of ordinary in many ways. Some of them are amazing and some are scary." Alma said with a scary.
"Wonder what the scary stuff could be."
"On some accounts better not to know and better that you wouldn't have to see them." Sara said by all accounts they all know that ghosts, flying books, magic creatures and potions are things one would surely like, but werewolves and Dementors it was out of the question.
"Too bad I might have liked them." Mary said.
"I don't think you would have." Harry whispered with a small smile already liking her, despite been blind she really knew how to make others enjoy her company and she really was an expert rider without a doubt, she might look helpless with her disability, but once you know her, it was completely different.
"Should we try to the trail in the forest?"
"Let's first return to take some supplies before that." Bailey proposed and all returned to the stables, to get some bottles of water before moving on.
"Oh, those days are really something to enjoy." Hedwig said looking at his owner and the others while staying with Teeny, Shep and Angora who were eating their meals.
"I wonder how are the days when at the magic school." Cubby asked.
"Between us they are full of excitement sometimes while others you never know what to expect, but I believe even here one doesn't know what to expect." Angora commented while staying on a hay stack.
"There are always excitements everywhere when one knows where to look." Shep said with a smile, the old collie really know what to say in most cases.
"Oh, I wonder what kind of thing could happen today." Teeny the pig asked before hearing the sound of a crow coming.
"Ohh I wonder when I will arrive." The crow commented landing on a pole with his neck dry.
"Ohh, good day we didn't expect crows around those days." Tinny greeted the black bird.
"Wait I know you, Blacky isn't it? You are Professor Smith's crow." The white owl said.
"Indeed I am." He said with a dried voice trying to adjust his voice.
"What brings you here?"
"I have an urgent message 'cough-cough' but I might need some water, my neck in very dry."
"You can drink from my bowl." Headwig said offering her bowl of water and the crow came to drink, by looking at how much he drank he should have flew a long way and didn't managed to drink.
"Are you better?"
"Yes better, didn't manage to drink before coming here I was sent in a haste."
"What could be the haste?" Asked Shep.
"A warning received by my owner to bring here, and it is a grim one I have to tell you."
"What might be the issue?" Shep asked.
"I shouldn't tell much but from what I know there is another problem with a rogue wizard to the south aurors were sent to investigate immediately."
"Is the wizard coming here?" Angora asked.
"No, worst, a remote wizard prison in Alaska had released 5 Dementors to go to the south, it is a usual occurance that once or twice a small number of dementors to go on hunts for criminals. Unfortunately however the forest nearby is in the path they will have to take to get to their destination." He explained and immediately the 4 Horseland animals were shocked by this.
"D-d-dementors?!" Cubby asked shaking himself in fear.
"This is not good." Tinny said.
"They will not come here don't worry, they will only pass by through the forest. However, they could arrive very soon and Mr. Potter and the others must be informed about this soon."
"They are prepared to leave soon on a trip in the forest." Hedwig said.
"You must try to stop Mr. Potter from leaving to give him the message as well as the others."
"But in how much time will they arrive?" Asked Tinny she really wasn't keen on seeing a Dementor.
"Well officially there wasn't supposed to be any rain those days for 2 weeks if you see black clouds gathering, then it means they are close." The crow explained turning to the sky outside "However by the look of the clouds in the distance they will be in the forest at sunset."
"We need to stop him from leaving then." Hedwig said before the elder dog turned to his bowl.
"And I think I know why." Shep said while everyone outside were preparing to leave.
"Everyone ready?" Will asked.
"Nearly there Will." Harry said before Shep came to him barking.
"Shep? What is it?" The coolie turned to the barn, where was his bowl of water at the door, empty.
"But I just gave you water." Harry asked himself.
"Something happened?" Molly asked.
"No, nothing too important, go ahead of me. I will follow you soon we will meet near the forest." Harry said following the dog while the others left at full gallop. The wizard immediately took the bowl to fill it with water from the nearby sink and placed it in the barn.
"I don't understand still, I though your bowl was full." He said before he heard a crow near the barn's door, it was Blacky the pet crow belonging to Professor Smith with a letter in his beak.
"I didn't though the Professor will write to me. Wonder what you have here?" Harry said taking the letter from the black bird, opening the envelope and setting his eyes on the letter he couldn't do anything but feel his heart beating out of fear for what was written on it.
Dear Mr. Potter
It is with grave news that I writing this letter, but knowing well the situation I must tell you that there is another situation with a rogue wizard to the south, unfortunately this occurred right when one of the prisons in Alaska had decided to let free a group of 5 Dementors to be sent to the south. Unfortunately the road that they are taking is passing deep into the forest near Horseland. It is advisable for you and your friends to not go too deep into the forest near or after sunset, not just for the Dementors but also to prevent dangerous wild life. Hope this letter will reach you on time.
Be aware of any sudden changes in the weather, I know that those days will be very hot even dry. Dementors could change the weather however by either bringing, make or turn white clouds into rain or storm clouds, you, your relatives and your friends must not be too deep in the forest when they arrive. I am deeply sorry for this to happen again.
Your Sincerely Professor James Smith.
"This is not good at all. I must reach them immediately." Harry said to himself going towards his horse.
"Merlin, it seems we are going to do a rescue today hopefully before some unwanted creatures come around." Harry said patting his horse before mounting up.
"I overheard what it is all about. And I can tell it will be a nasty business." Merlin neigh to him.
"Let's go." He said going to full gallop towards the forest.
"The trail in the forest leads very deep the road reminds of a trip we took not too long ago." Bailey said knowing that he mentions the unicorn from yesterday. He though that he and the others would like to go to visit the meadow again.
"I think I could hear a stream around here." Mary said while the others stopped to listen.
"I think I know where it is." Molly said following the sound till he reached a small stream that was flowing into the stream.
"This stream leads to the fields I recognize it. By the way do you think Harry can found us?" Noni said.
"I can go back after him to bring him here." Sara offered.
"I will come as well." Will said.
"We will wait for you then we will meet here at the stream." Mary said a cold wind came down on them.
"Wow, didn't expected this cold wind coming today." Bailey said before turning to the sky seeing some black clouds in the distance.
"It's better than the unbearable heat." Molly said.
"We will come back quickly." Sara said before she and Will went with their horses back to get the wizard.
"You know I am wondering that maybe we could let Mary know that Harry is a wizard. She surely wouldn't tell anyone else." Sara said.
"Question is if she will believe us." Will said.
"She surely will believe us; she usually believes what I tell her of course I never lied to her, especially when it comes to seeing things." She said.
"Let's find him first." Will said before feeling the wind again and turned to see the clouds forming in the sky in the distance.
"That is strange, there wasn't supposed to be any rain clouds today especially not the kind that is forming in the distance."
"I don't like the sight either, especially that I still remember when it turned dark and we had to find the others." Sara said.
In the meantime outside of the forest, Harry was riding his black mustang stalling at full speed; all in all he knew that rushing himself in the forest isn't a good idea especially if he doesn't know where they could be.
"Guess I had to bring Hedwig to help me find them and write a message to them. Or at least take the map." Harry said both to his horse and himself.
"It is normal when one is in a rush, especially for something like this." Merlin said, he himself knew that what dementors could do and he didn't mentioned this but he believed that when he was looking outside the horse cart when they were returning from Louisiana he believed he managed to see one flying above them or at least something with a rugged black cape.
"Wonder where they could be and where I could find them." Harry said looking at the sky while Merlin looked at the fields and seem to notice Sara on Scarlet and Will on Jimber. "And hopefully fast." Merlin then flinched to show him a direction.
"Wow, easy there boy what is it?" Harry asked and the mustang moved his head towards the woods and in the distance Sara and Will were coming.
"There they are, well done Merlin." Harry said going towards them who noticed him.
"Harry, we were just coming after you, we were wondering what was taking so long." Sara said.
"Let's just say that Professor Smith sent me a letter." He said turning to the sky with a worried face
"Will Mary come tomorrow as well?" He asked
"Yes for the next 2 days, why?" Sara asked confused.
"Well I am afraid we have to cut today's trip short for your cousin I have grim news."
"What happened?" Asked Will.
"There is another problem with a rogue wizard in the south, worst of all professor Smith in his letter told me that one of the isolated wizard prisons had let 5 dementors free to go to the south for the chase. And their path is going deep inside the forest."
"This is really not good. When they will arrive?" Will asked.
"The professor estimate during or after sunset, but by looking at the clouds it could be earlier." Harry said looking at the sky.
"What is the problem with the clouds?" Sara asked.
"Dementors could influence the weather, you noticed that when in the train don't you. They prefer shabby atmosphere and dark places; well they could also turn or bring storm or rain clouds when flying high in the air." He explained pointing to the clouds in the distance. "While on the ground, it will be like in the train, the temperature will drop below freezing like in winter, and if near a body of water like a lake, a stream or river you can notice the water freezing in mere seconds."
"And they surely will bring a heavy storm tonight." Will said.
"Where are the others? We must leave; I believe the dementors will arrive much sooner than any of us would want."
"They are near the stream in the forest, follow us." Sara said and all 3 went to full gallop in the forest to find the others while the clouds are gathering more and more.
In the meantime the rest were watching the sky and feeling a slight wing coming to them.
"This wind I don't know why is getting colder." Bailey said.
"Let's move somewhere else so we wouldn't have this wind in our backs." Molly proposed.
"What about Will, Harry and Sara?" Noni asked.
"It wouldn't be too far just a bit more in the forest so we wouldn't have the wind blowing directly at us."
"Someone might need to stay and wait for them still." Mary said.
"I will stay behind, when they arrive we will come after you. But where we will meet?" Alma said.
"Do you know the old the path that forks in two? It is nearby, we meet there." Molly said and she alongside Mary, Bailey and Noni went deeper in the forest while Alma stayed behind to wait for them.
"Where exactly have you stopped before coming after me?" Harry asked.
"Near this stream we are almost there." Will said while still riding before seeing Alma drinking some water from her flask before noticing them.
"I was wondering when you will arrive?"
"We came as soon as we could." Sara said before looking around for the others."Where are the others?"
"They went a bit deeper in the forest to escape this cold wind that is starting to blow. They say we would meet at the old path in the forest, that forks in two."
"I know where it is we can get there fast." Will said.
"What is going?" Alma asked seeing them so agitated.
"Alma we got a situation an unpleasant one as well." Harry started not wanting to scare her.
"What happened?"
"There is another man hunt to the south for a rogue wizard, aurors had been sent there however one of the remote wizard prisons in Alaska had released 5 Dementors to help in the search and their path goes deep in the forest." Harry explained with a stressed voice and the Hispanic girl could only flinch about this situation she hoped they wouldn't have Dementors again after the ones in the train.
"Esto no es bueno!" Alma said.
"We still got some time still to return to Horseland before they arrive. But we need to find them before the Dementors arrive." Will said looking at the approaching clouds.
"How do we know they are close to us?" Alma asked and Harry pointed at the clouds.
"You see those clouds, they like dark places and dark weather they could either bring or create rain or storm clouds. When they are above us we will know that they are above us, and if close, well it's not necessary to explain that."
"Well let's get to them quickly before they arrive." Harry said.
"By the way Harry, you might have to tell Mary about your secret much earlier then you though, especially in this case when dementors are in the equation." Alma said and the wizard sighted, it was true he wished for a bit more time to go before telling Sara's about him been a real wizard with real magic not just tricks, to know if she could trust her to keep the secret to herself.
"Well officially it seems I have no choice in this regard and I have to. However with her disability I wonder if she will even believe this if she can't see me casting even a small spell, I don't even know if she will believe what I will tell her."
"She will believe you don't worry. I mostly never lie to her when seeing something no matter how strange it is. And if all of us tell her about your secret and the reason why you didn't wanted to tell her immediately she will understand." Sara said.
"Well in this case let's go and find them before the storm arrives." Harry said.
"Follow me." Alma said going to full gallop followed by the other 3.
"By the way how far is this path anyways?" Harry asked.
"It depends on the road one takes to get there. From the stream a bit upfront there is the main path that leads back to Horseland through the forest, in essence it is exactly the road we used to get the unicorn to the meadow yesterday." Sara explained.
"Oh yes, I remember that, it was perfect to hide the unicorn. However in this situation it is too long, we need to get to the fields in a timely manner, Dementors not been allowed to leave the forest and yet they are unpredictable and it is better to not cross paths with them." Harry explained.
"In this case riding down the stream is our best option for a quick escape." Alma said reaching the main road before turning to the right while the clouds were gathering above the forest faster the one would like.
"Maybe we should get back to the ranch; I really don't like those clouds gathering." Bailey explained.
"Yeah, maybe it would have been a better idea." Molly said somehow looking upwards she felt a sense of something bad coming their way.
"You know I can already tell that something is coming, I wonder when Sara, Will, Alma and Harry will come." Noni asked before Mary mover her hand to hear some hoof steps, surely from the horses of the four.
"I believe they are coming right now." Mary said turning to where the sound was coming and in a hurry the four arrived from their faces it seemed they were worried of something.
"Hey, glad you arrived. What happened?" Bailey commented not knowing why they seemed so worried.
"We come, and we should better get back to Horseland." Harry said with a stressed voice looking at the sky.
"What happened?" Molly asked.
"Let's just say that there is another manhunt which coincided with the release of 5 unwanted guests whose path is going through this forest." Alma said.
"What manhunt?"
"Guys there is rogue wizard again in the south and aurors were sent to capture him however it coincided with the release of 5 dementors whose path crosses in the forest." Sara explained and everyone forgot about her cousin who was right there.
"What! Dementors again?" Molly asked not liking this.
"What are Dementors?" Mary asked confused before everyone turned to her, knowing that they have to explain her everything.
"'sight' Mary there is something I need to tell you and you might not believe what I am about to say but I hope that you will understand." Harry said stepping knowing what must be done. And while everyone started to move towards the stream on trap, the group told her everything about the wizards' secret, for the first seconds the blind girl didn't believed him. However when the rest joined in to confirm everything he was saying, she couldn't do anything but believe him, she might not be able to see faces and actions but she was able to distinguish when people were lying or inventing stuff. And while moving they managed to get to the stream
"I know it is surely hard to believe what we just said but everything is true, nothing is invention. Of course I don't know how I could be able to prove this." Harry said.
"Well, it is true, it is hard to believe it. But despite the fact that I can't see what you said I am able to know when someone is telling the truth or lies and I can tell that everything wasn't invented especially if all the others confirmed that all you just said was reality." Mary said.
"I am glad that you believed, sorry still if I haven't told you the first time we met." Harry said.
"Hey there is nothing to be sorry about, especially that you had all good reasons to keep this secret. Especially with those magical laws regarding secrecy, you told about so there is no problem. And don't worry regarding this, my lips are sealed." Mary said with a smile to him.
"I am glad you understood."
"No problem. And yet I need to ask. What are those Dementors you are so worried about, I know that you mentioned them before explaining everything. But what is the problem with them?"
"They aren't something you would ever want to see, we assure you." Molly said with dread looking in the sky, the clouds now above them.
"But what are they?"
"Dementors are guards to high security wizard prisons where they send the worst dark witches and wizards for different reasons sometimes even for petty magical crimes like showing magic in public or misusing it. They were known to reside at a single wizard prison called Azkaban, but they are residing at others as well. They are dark creatures who feed upon the happiness of people forcing them to remember the worst events in their lives as if happening right in front of you. Usually they can't be seen by non magical people like us unless inside a structure or when they are very close by." Sara explained.
"As for how they look try to imagine a giant dark ragged cape with long hood covering a face that is flying, and out from the cape there are 2 long grey cadaveric hands putrid as if from the water." Bailey explained.
"Not something one would like to meet in their lives." Mary said already imagining it.
"I wished to never had." Harry said with dread while the blind girl turned confused.
"He encountered them several times this year, due to an escaped wizard who was wrongly accused of murder. The wizard also been his godfather Sirius Black. Whom was tormented for 12 years by Dementors and worst of all he didn't managed to clear him of the charges set on him." Molly explained.
"Oh God I am sorry to hear this I really am." Mary said.
"Don't worry I will figure something out somehow. But for now we have to get to Horseland before we encounter one."
"How do we know when they are close by?"
"When the temperature starts to drop to a winter like freezing cold." Alma explained.
"How do all know so many about them?" Mary asked.
"It's a long story we will tell you when we are out of the woods." Bailey said before feeling a chilling cold engulfing him, he immediately covered himself with his hands although to not much effect.
"Brrr, it seems like we are in winter now." Molly commented shaking due to the cold before Noni looked at the stream and she saw that the water was starting to freeze from the banks to the middle and going upstream and downstream, she knew it was a bad sign.
"Guys, look the stream." Noni called and everyone turned in her direction stopping their horses. "The water is freezing solid."
"This is a bad sign." Will said before Harry turned upwards and saw 3 dementor silhouettes passing slowly above them.
"Guys, whatever you do don't make any sound." Harry said.
"What is it?" Bailey asked.
"I see 3 Dementors up in the sky at a high altitude; you will not be able to see them but whatever you do don't make any sound." Harry said while watching upwards while everyone remained silent, however while the kids couldn't see them the horses were able to see.
"This is not something I had expected today." Prince said not liking what was above them.
"They aren't interested in us horses. Yet situation is still grim." Merlin said.
"What should we do then?"
"We need to stay silent; we can't risk putting our riders in danger especially not with those things." Button said.
"If only they were flying faster." Aztec commented while seeing the 3 flying away to the forest.
"Clear, now we can go." Harry said moving forward again.
"It is something not very comfortable really, this time I really wish to have been able to see them." Molly commented.
"As soon as we get as far away from them without them sensing us will still be an accomplishment." Harry said.
"Still is there another by what you are able to see?" Bailey asked and the wizard started to look around and he noticed one, very far away behind them and with his back turned looking at an opposite direction.
"There is one behind us flying above the stream upstream; luckily he is too far away and it's back turned on us."
"Let's hope our luck wouldn't run out till we finish this." Bailey said moving forward while Harry was still looking around for other troubling guests.
"This surely isn't something we wanted you to experience." Sara said to her cousin.
"Hey it doesn't matter actually, for me this day will surely be something I will remember meeting a real wizard despite the unwanted guests." Mary said with a reassuring smile.
"Yet I hoped that I would have told you in a much better situation, where they wouldn't be involved."
"Sometimes things don't go as we want, plus I do admit that sometimes dangerous events like those are in a way showing whom you can trust, on one side. And on the other one can learn why some things should better be kept a secret from others. Those Dementors could easily be used for nefarious purposes surely not just by wizards but by others as well what to say about other magical things. All in all, despite this happening in my view I saw and understood very clearly as to why you didn't want to tell right away." Mary said and Harry smiled back to her, she might not be able to see with her eyes but she could see with her heart.
"Thanks and I have to tell you. You might not see with your eyes, but you surely see with your heart how the people around you are. Thank you for understanding everything."
"I don't have the reason not to understand the situation." Mary said smiling before hearing something like an eerie breath coming from somewhere on their left.
"Hey, I hear something like a breath, but no a natural one." She said and the others started to look before the wizard noticed what he hoped not to see, a Dementor flying above the stream with its back turned to them.
"Guys." Harry whispered raising his hand for the group to stop "Don't make a sound, there is a Dementor flying above the stream, it's has it's back turned on us I don't think you can see it but it's there."
"Actually we can see it." Molly said with a fearful voice and the wizard turned to her.
"It is close enough for us to notice him, as a transparent shadow. But we know it is one of them." Bailey said already dreading what might come if he senses them.
"What do we do now?" Alma asked while the teenage wizards started to think of a plan he might try to use the patronus charm on it but he couldn't risk a reprise from the magical justice, despite this been a possible idea, however they could try walking silently behind it, but the plan was in his view slim to succeed.
"I might have an idea but I don't know if it will work."
"What might be the plan, we know that it is risky using the patronus charm due to reprisal from magical justice." Will said.
"Well officially they are interested to feed on the good memories of people but they are not interested in the animals. So each of us will dismount and lead their horse from the right side but in a way that Dementor will not sense us. I hope." Harry explained.
"Do you think it will work?" Bailey asked.
"Only one way to find out." The wizard said pulling out his wand from his sleeve. "I need to stay here and leave only when all of you are on the other side. You need to make a total of 40 paces or more. 'sight' who goes first?" Everyone looked at one another not knowing how this will be solved and been afraid of what might happen but between staying for who knows how much long in the forest with other 4, it was a risk they must take.
"I will try to go first." Alma said raising her hand while dismounting Button.
"Alma whatever you do, you must not be afraid, and not look at him." Harry said fearing for her.
"Yo lo se." She said taking the reins going to the right side of her horse taking a good look at both the road and the creature.
"You can do this Alma, we will make it." Button whispered to encourage her.
"You can do it Alma, we know you can, we will give you a sign when you are at a safe distance, all of us will follow then to where you will be." Harry said while the girl nodes, taking a deep breath from the cold air she started to move forwards at a normal pace, her eyes been only on the road and on Button. She continued walking without stopping, not wanting to look but at the road and at her horse she didn't even looking back. The others were watching attentively at their friend hoping that nothing bad will befall on her, from what they could tell the Dementor stayed there in one place surveying the other bank.
"I think the plan works." Will said.
"But how do we tell Alma when she is at a safe distance?" Noni asked before Sara turned to a big branch on the road staying in front of a tree near 2 large.
"I think I know." Sara said dismounting taking the branch from the ground. "I will use this branch to hit this tree to make a sound like the Morse code to track her attention if it doesn't work I will use the rocks. Harry tell me when she is at a safe distance."
The wizard immediately turned to the Hispanic girl whom had just passed by the dementor without any trouble, by what he could tell he was at a long enough distance from it, so it was time for the signal.
"You can do it now, she is at a safe distance." Harry said and Sara started to hit the tree with the stick which luckily Alma heard and turned around to see the others, Harry waving at her pointing at where the Dementor which was more transparent then where they were. Not trying to make a sound she had her thumbs up and waved her right hand to follow.
"Alright, where Alma is the rest must follow, who is next?" Harry asked.
"I will go." Sara said dismounting Scarlet.
"Well after that Mary will be next." Bailey said while the blond girl taking a deep breath and holding the reins tight she started to walk in the same way Alma did till she reached her.
"Let's do this." Mary said preparing to move forward holding her horse while also carrying her cane and moved forward inspecting for anything that might cause noise to attract the creature. Luckily there was no danger in that regard and so she managed to move forward without too much difficulty reaching the other side, been stopped only by Sara who waved her hand to the others.
"Ok, who is next?"
"I will go." Bailey said starting to walk holding his horse by the reins, everything up until now was going smooth till.
Kick
A small rock went and hit another, Bailey didn't noticing it and stopped, everyone was looking at him with concern
"Come on cousin, you can do it." Harry said with fingers crossed, the tanned boy stayed still for a bit to calm himself and his horse.
"Alright Aztec we can do it, I sure we can do it." He said to Aztec taking a deep breath and resumed their advance, Aztec managed to take a peek at the Dementor, and only at the sight of it he knew it was something he didn't want to bump into.
"Huh, I haven't saw them the first time when on the train, we could consider ourselves lucky to be honest. Only seeing one and I don't want to see another." Aztec said to himself following his rider till they reached the others.
"Well done Aztec. I am glad you made it." Scarlet said.
"Thanks, one aspect is to be known, you see one of them you don't want to see another." The mustang said.
"I guess it is the same thing for your rider as well as it is for mine." Prince said before the others turned to him "Mary might not be able to see them but she is a good listener and realizes when something isn't to come across."
"It will be the same for all of us, however I believe others might have no choice but to meet them again very soon." Button said before Calypso and Molly came as well now there was only Harry with Merlin, Will with Jimber and Noni with Sunburst.
"OK Noni it's your turn." Will said while the native American prepared herself.
"I wonder if this situation could have been a lot more different, like this never happening." Harry commented more to himself in what seemed to be a shameful tone as if blaming himself.
"You didn't know that this would happen it isn't your fault cousin." Will said with his hand on his shoulder.
"Yet I wonder why this happened. I really didn't want Sara's cousin to come here and encounter dark magical creatures. Or all of you having to encounter them again."
"Don't blame yourself for something you are not the author off, and don't be harsh on yourself when you don't have to." Noni said starting to advance forward till she reached the other side.
"Your turn now Harry." Will said.
"Not Will, it's your turn I need to go last. I know that you are the one placed in charge when our uncle and aunt leaves and you are the one who must ensure the other's return safe and I respect that. But I believe that I have to go last this time." He said.
"You know the danger they pose it is risky."
"That's the point, I know the dangers and I know what to do in case they appear." He said to him and Will nods it "Better get going." The blond teenage boy immediately complied dismounting his horse he started to go with Jimber towards the others reaching them without any trouble.
"Glad arrived without trouble." Sara said.
"We are not over yet." Will said waving at his cousin to come and he complied.
"Surely this isn't something you had expected today isn't it?" Bailey asked.
"Well I really didn't expected a magical adventure to be honest. But to tell you the truth, it is a bit exciting." Mary said.
"Too bad it didn't involve another kind of magical creature." Alma said watching their friend trying to reach them with his horse trying to be as silent as possible, going right pass the dementor's back he was very close to his objective.
"We are almost there Merlin almost there." Harry said keeping a calm demeanor with his horse doing the same. As the 2 passed the dementor they only had to go a few more steps to reach the others, everything soon seems to be over.
"He almost made it." Molly said.
"Come on that's it, you can make it." Bailey said crossing his fingers that their luck wouldn't run out.
"We are almost there." Harry said reaching them.
"Boy this was close." Bailey said.
"We at least managed now let's get out of here as soon as possible." Harry said while each were mounting up to get back home but disaster struck.
Crack
Harry turned to the ground to notice that he stepped on a branch stopping in his tracks. The dementor heard however the crack but didn't seemed to take notice of them, yet each rider managed to mount up on their horses while the wizard turned to the dementor who this time sensed their stress and was now flying towards them luckily all were now in their saddles ready to go.
"Gallop, gallop." Harry called and each the whole group went to full speed moving away from the creature as fast as possible.
"This is really something none of us wanted now." Bailey said.
"None of us wanted it now, let's get back to the ranch as soon as possible." Harry said before the wizard noticed that it was starting to rain bit by bit.
"I guess that when we escape this we will be glad they came, because they might give tomorrow a day off from the heat." Bailey commented.
"That if we escape." Molly said.
"The idea is to avoid them and not let them out of the forest." Harry commented before they all stopped, a dementor was above them and it wasn't alone there were now 2.
"Dio." Alma said noticing the 2 preparing to attack them.
"Expecto Patronum!" Harry shouted and a wave of silver energy hit the 2 black creatures throwing them away.
"This will do it." Harry said coming in front of them.
"Too bad this will have repercussion in your case." Alma said before the wizard saw other 2 came to them, he couldn't however risk the application of the magical justice by making another spell against them, there might be one option in this case.
"Go ahead back to Horseland, I shall catch you all up."
"What? What are you doing?" Will asked.
"There are others on their way, I shall track their attention so you would manage to leave." He said.
"Are you crazy, they will suck up your soul!" Molly commented catching him by the shoulder.
"Don't worry I shall arrive shortly. Write only a letter about what happened so it will be known I had no choice. Now go!" Harry ordered and the others with reluctance complied while he remained to face the approaching dementors while the rain intensifies.
"Hey, you 2 come here." Harry shouted to them and the dementors started to approach him.
"Merlin I know you might not want to be here but, we have to save the others."
"You don't need to worry; I am with you till the end." Merlin said to him both knowing what must be done before both went to full gallop in the forest with the 2 creatures after them.
In the meantime the group returned to Horseland and immediately went to the barn to put their horses in.
"This isn't something great if you ask me, Harry is still outside with the dementors." Bailey said.
"What should we do in this case?" Molly said before Sara took a piece of paper and a pen to enter in the pantry to a table.
"First of all we know that dementors are in essence guards at some wizard prisons, so we must tell the chief of magical justice that it was in self defense the use of the patronus charm, I will start to write a letter to give it to Hedwig and all of us will put a signatures on it to confirm it. And then we go after him."
"Yet, shouldn't at least one us go after him?" Bailey asked.
"I am on the side of my cousin, we must first send the letter. So Harry wouldn't be accuse and be punished for doing something in self defense." Mary asked.
"Especially that we don't need him to be send to a place with them as guards." Noni asked.
"Do you think they could do this he is only turn 13?" Bailey asked.
"We can't take risks, besides we know some incidences in the normal justice made on underage people, in our case we can't let him been accuse of defending us and himself from some dark creatures, especially that who knows if someone goes over zealot." Molly commented.
"Can't argue with that." The tanned boy commented while Sara started writing the letter.
"Hope he is alright." Bailey said worried in all regards he can't help but give him a lot of respect for trying to save their souls from them.
Harry and Merlin were still going at full gallop following the stream as they were going the water was freezing behind them due to the effect of the dementors, by all accounts he felt cold and the rain was starting to intensify bit by bit. The good news are for him however was the fact that the others are safe back home, so he only needs to make sure he loses them or to be certain he will be in a place where no one else will see him doing magic.
"Urgh I need to lose them." Harry said to himself still trying to move forward before one of the dementors came to his right and started to feel it's influence making his sweat and feeling weak, the cold air getting in him. However he wouldn't give up he continued to move on without stopping he promised the others he will return and he will. Stinging one dementor with his wand while moving on towards the end of the forest, he was nearly there.
"Almost there just a little more." Harry said to his horse before another appeared before him this one influencing him more making him nearly faint while Merlin moved faster through the forest till what seemed like another patronus charm appeared throwing the creature away while Merlin moved on exiting the forest reaching the fields. Harry still trying to remain awake didn't noticed the charm that came from an auror that also threw away the one in the train, he still trying to move forward with his horse till Horseland was in sight with the others noticing him.
"Harry you made it." Molly said coming to him followed by Alma, however it didn't took long for him to black out almost falling from his saddle but luckily he was caught by the two girls.
"Oh Dio, easy now." Alma said getting him off the saddle before Bailey, Will, Sara, Noni and Mary came.
"Oh boy, guess they gave him a hard time." Bailey said helping him out from his saddle and they to carry him to stay on a chair inside the stables, while Sara took Merlin to get him inside the barn.
"Thinking that he stayed behind to lead them away from us it surely was something very brave of him." Mary commented.
"I just hope he wouldn't be in any trouble by using the patronus charm to fend them off." Noni said.
"He will not." Said a foreign female voice from behind them, it was one of the Asian auror whom they met in their train while returning from Louisiana "Because he will be cleared of everything."
Sometime later the same day the weather outside was much colder and rain had started to pour down in the forest and on the ranch, while at the same time and unconscious wizard was in the bed of his room, he had been unconscious for at least 2 hours, his cousins and friends not leaving him after that experience. However he was little by little regaining consciousness since he could hear the others talking.
"Do you think he will be alright?" Mary asked.
"From one part yes from this one I hope so." Bailey said.
"Last time he woke up at sunrise." Molly said.
"That because it was later after midnight." Alma said while the wizard was opening his eyes seeing them with a blurry vision.
"When do you think he will wake up?" Mary said.
"Soon I hope, wonder if this how he was when falling from his broom at quidditch when he played against Hufflepuff." Sara asked.
"Better you not to know." Harry said with a weak voice tracking their attention all of them glad he woke up surely with his soul inside.
"How do you feel?" Sara asked.
"As if…been sick for two week…or a month….with some sort of flu." The wizard said placing his hand over his head, to clear the icy cold sweat.
"What about you all?"
"We are all fine, thanks to you. Boy we didn't expected something like this." Bailey commented by all accounts happy that they all had escaped.
"You surely took a beating from what I heard and from what I can tell." Mary said with sympathy.
"Mary I am sorry for what happened, this visit was supposed to be a pleasant one not one of horror. I really do apologies for what happened."
"Hey like I said before it is alright. I haven't expected an adventure that might involve magic despite the antagonist been a creature that feeds on the happy memories of others. From what I can tell it was scary indeed but for me it was a bit exciting."
"How so?"
"Well because of my disability many people believe that I should try things that are more for my condition. Some aspects I agree with but I don't agree with the idea of not been able to ride horses, and to honest been chase by some black creatures whom I can't see at all despite them been around. Is an experience I wouldn't want to change for anything, in a sense I felt like I proved myself that even I can do things others with sight might be afraid to do. And this one I could put it between them despite other people not believing the story." Mary said with a soft smile.
"Never judge a book by its cover I would say, I am glad that you had a good experience at least." Harry smiled, glad that despite everything, it eventually turned out fine for her. However something was worrisome for him.
"However, you know that underage wizards aren't allowed to do magic and this one was outside."
"We already made a letter in which we told that everything was out of self defense and send Hedwig before you arrived and before you fainted." Nani said.
"And the reply just arrived I also talked with an auror that came here to investigate the magical surge." Will said pulling out the reply from his pocket.
"What does the reply say?"
"Good news is that officially, you are acquitted of any kind of charges against you everything was proclaimed to have been in self defense." Will replied.
"And the bad news is?"
"You are suspended from using magic for 5 days; you will not be allowed to carry your wand." Noni said and Harry sighted weakly going for his sleeve to get his wand out.
"Put it in the wardrobe then." Harry said while the Native American girl took it to his desk and placed it in the wardrobe in the center.
"I guess the times here will be dull for 5 days." Mary asked.
"Not exactly, he usually doesn't do magic, only if necessary for situations like this one on one side. And on the other the wizarding laws stipulate that it is forbidden to use magic in public and been other people here as well not just us it is much of a problem." Will explained.
"Not to mention that, it isn't necessary to use spells and charms to make homeworks for a magical school, which he finished. And for most of his life didn't had to use magic." Bailey said.
"And I wholly believe it is better this way." Harry said with a weak voice.
"You should better rest for tonight; we haven't been affected this time very much. But I guess that you took the influence of it for the whole group." Bailey said his hand on the wizard's shoulder.
"For you to know you really are a hero for all the people around you. I doubt there are many who would try an endeavor like this; this is surely something to be proud off." Molly said with a smile.
"Thanks for telling me this. I really appreciate." He said before turning outside everything seeming to be very dark.
"I guess all of you will have to go home soon."
"True."
"You know what the funny part is. It is barely 6 in the afternoon but by the look outside one would say that the sun just set." Commented Bailey.
"Well hope that by tomorrow you will be back on your feet despite the unpleasant situation." Molly said with a smile.
"But tomorrow I surely will."
"Oh and you will got un compañero por la noche." Alma said smiling opening the door for Shep to come in to him to start licking his cheek.
"Shep, please stop." Harry said placing his hand on the collie's head.
"This is how he does when one is injured; it is the trait of a good farm dog." Will said with a smile.
"Compared to someone else that I don't want to talk about I am glad for it." He said with a smile scratching the collie dog behind his ear.
The next day the weather returned to normal, the news had reported of course about the rain that happened last night, according to the meteorologists the temperature would slightly drop for 2 days around the area. By all accounts those news were declare to have been a strange anomaly of the weather. As for the teenagers all returned home without much trouble, the experience by all accounts they had to say that despite the small dementor incident it didn't had the same magnitude that it had on the train and weren't too shaken as to not sleep, Harry on the other hand had somehow a not too pleasant night due to the fact that he got the worst out of all main reason been actually the worry he had for the others and for the creatures to not approach. The only thing that was keeping his in bed was Shep and Hedwig, by all accounts Harry didn't had the best relationship with dogs especially with bulldogs due to the sister of uncle Vernor.
Only with Bailey did he realize that bulldogs aren't hostile in nature, it was probably due to the fact that she could be mistreating them or copy the attitude of the breeder and owner. The description however his father gave over Marge and Vernor as well as Harry's only could confirm that due to her attitude she probably put his favorite dog to do all the things it done and surely Petunia and the others only tolerated her because she was related closely and also because they had no choice. All in all the company of the collie and later Cubby the Pomeranian during the previous summer and this one he no more had this issue, by all accounts it helped him through the night and to recover from the encounter and was again managing to do his chores again.
When the girl returned with Mary they were more than happy to see him back on his feet the feeling was mutual for his uncle and aunt. They were told what happened yesterday with the unpleasant encounter, despite this been a something worrisome, by all accounts they were really proud for what Harry had done despite risking himself. John was however seeing by this act one of the trait he always appreciated for the husband his cousin Lily had chosen. After everyone arrived they all went out on a walk on the trail where yesterday they had to run from the creatures.
"So everything is now back to normal with the dementors now gone." Mary said riding on the trail.
"I really don't know why they decided to even let them go through our woods. I know the intent was for them to go very deep so no one would encounter them but still it was quite disturbing." Molly commented.
"You are not the only one who shares this though Molly." Harry said with a calm smile.
"You know you might not agree but I really am glad they came here, they gave us at least 2 days with tolerable temperatures compared to how it was last week." Bailey commented while they were passing near the stream and Sara look at the water.
"On that we can agree."
"Guys look at the stream." She called and all saw that the water wasn't the same height as it was yesterday when they came, it was true that the stream due to the dry weather didn't had the water level like normally like the other days but this time it was closer to the ground.
"This is quite odd the water shouldn't this low." Will said before noticing some small ice pieces still floating before moving their sights upstream to notice some portions still frozen.
"I guess that there are still frozen parts upstream, it is possible 1 or 2 to have stayed behind and flew over or near the stream and left some parts frozen." Harry said.
"A frozen stream in the hottest month of summer, this is something really out of ordinary now." Bailey commented.
"Something too out of ordinary, we should go upstream to see if there is a part that is totally frozen." Nani said and all started to follow her and not too far from where they were they found a part that was still frozen, the layer of ice was however thin, but there was still a something like a small barrage that was keeping the water from going down the stream.
"Well it seems that this part is frozen meaning they barely left." Bailey said.
"Not something too problematic if I can comment on that." Harry said dismounting and taking a long stick to break the thin ice that was holding the water in place for the stream to go back to normal, before going to the ice that was above the water to break it.
"I realize that when dementors are around the temperature drops as if it is winter, but I have to ask, are they really able to froze bodies of water?" Mary asked dismounting with the others.
"One froze the soda from my can in the train when we were coming back from Louisiana of course that was only one and in a very close environment."
"They are able to freeze bodies of water indeed but only small ones like streams, creeks and small lakes, they can't do too big. When it was the incident Sirius I saw over 100 of them freezing a small lake in the dark forest. Mary I am telling you and the others, it is enough seeing one but not 100." Harry said with dread about this though.
"I do believe this is scary, but to be honest in my view it isn't the scariest thing you have encountered until now at Hogwarts and in the magical world as it is when you meet the one who killed your parents and though to be long gone." The blind girl said while the boy turned to her.
"When you were unconscious we told her everything you knew about the magical world and about Hogwarts. And we also told her about Voldemort." Molly explained.
"But you don't need to worry I will not tell anyone about all this. However I must tell you that meeting the wizard who killed your parents with a dark curse is scarier than those dark creatures especially when you encountered him twice already." Mary said.
"And I do have to agree with her, I mean it isn't quite a comfortable though that he came back twice already trying to regain his powers." Will said while Mary thought for a moment.
"I do admit that this isn't too comfortable."
"By the way can you tell us how he came back those 2 times? I know it is uncomfortable to talk about it but maybe we should know." Mary said while all turned to him
"Well the first time when he wanted to return was when he wanted to steal and use the Philosopher's Stone that was destroyed. A powerful object that was able to make a potion to turn every metal into gold and also prolongs someone's life or gain back lost powers. But in order to have it he needed to get inside, he managed this thanks to Quirinus Quirrell that was also my Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and secretly was a death eater. No one suspected him because he always pretended to stutter because of an unwanted encounter with a vampire. In this case he had to drink some unicorn blood that curses someone to have a double life, he in essence became like a parasite that resided on the back of his head." He explained and of course they all knew that when they hear this it will be disturbing.
"Oh, dear God this is really disturbing." Molly commented already dreading what will follow.
"It is but somehow when I fought with him, the spell my mother placed to protect me had made Quirrell turn to ash but Voldemort escaped, he in essence had no body. As for the second time he tried to use his journal placed by Lucius Malfoy to consume the life essence of Ginny Weasely, the sister of my friend, Ron to gain a physical body. When he appeared in the Chamber of Secrets he had the age when he was a student at Hogwarts back he was young he was known as Thomas Marvolo Riddle. In order to stop him I had to destroy his journal." He explained while Mary started to think about those events.
"To be honest you all realize that those events were really grim and unpleasant especially for you all."
"Si, they really are amigo. And if he didn't existed you wouldn't had all those adventures." Alma said coming to him.
"I know, yet Mary why did you want to know all this?"
"To try to find an explanation as to why he came back, officially when he tried to kill you after you parents, he surely used the same curse he used on them. And when it backfired and hit him, in theory he should have been killed, however he returned but in a non-physical form." Mary explained.
"Since he tried twice to regain his body it is a viable theory." Harry said thinking about this with worry.
"Question is however how he managed this. To still exist but doesn't have a body." Bailey said thinking about this with dread.
"Maybe I don't know if I say correctly however." Molly started.
"What might be?" Harry asked.
"Well I don't know how correct this is but I once saw a movie with 2 friends from the city a fiction of course. But unfortunately different from your situation." The afro-American started.
"Of course we can't say this might be too viable." Alma said.
"Maybe, but we can give a try, what was the movie about?" Harry said.
"Well like I said I don't know if it is viable. The movie was an adaptation to Bram Stoker's Dracula, in the story if he was severely injured he was able to regenerate in his coffin that had the soil of his homeland whom he is bound to it, and only if he was defeated on his own soil he would could be destroyed. Of course this situation with Riddle is different but what I am trying to say is that, he is now powerless and without a body yet but is still there because something binds him to our world something of value." Molly explained.
"Question is what that could be, Dracula was a vampire. And this time we talk about an evil wizard." Harry asked.
"One thing of value that he surely possessed was his journal he tried to use to gain a body by taking Ginny's life essence. However if you destroyed the journal and if we think that even this time he probably only disappeared, it means there that there could be another object that binds him to this world."
"La pregunta principal es what could be the object that binds him to the world?" Alma asked.
"Whatever might be, I hope that it could be found so it could be destroyed as soon as possible, an object like this could only be one made with dark magic and the main problem is if you would be able to learn about it at Defense against the Dark Arts." Bailey said.
"Wish I would be able to, but you know how many times we change the teachers." Harry said.
"Even I know that, Sara told me, all the teachers you had with the exception of the one you had this year were trouble." Mary said.
"You know I never was interested in what teacher I would get when school or generally how it will starts after summer. But in your case I really wonder what teacher you will get at Defense against the Dark Arts. And surely I might start from now on to do in my case." Bailey said.
"In any case the only possible one that might have helped would have been Mr. Lupin. Too bad he was forced to resign because of his condition as a werewolf." Noni said.
"If he didn't had to resign he would have been the most appreciated teachers at his school." Molly commented.
"And the most competente y seguro. If it was by me I would let a werewolf teach me during the day while he goes into an abandoned house when la noche with full moon, like Senior Lupin did." Alma commented, officially her a man that despite the personal sickness he has, is better than an incompetent fraud or an acolyte who would give his body and soul to a madman.
"Maybe you can write a letter to Mr. Lupin and Sirius telling them about what we think on this regard and what their opinion is in those days." Will said.
"I shall do it without question." Harry said before hearing a phone ringing, the phone been Molly's.
"Hello?...Oh we are not too far away, just a small trip near the stream…..We will come immediately don't worry…..Sure we see you 2 there." Molly said ending the call.
"It was Zoe, she and Chloe they arrived some minutes ago."
"Well then let's go." Bailey said mounting Aztec.
"I just hope that they haven't see something too odd on the water." Harry asked.
"No tienes que preocuparte. The ice almost melted completely." Alma said hitting with her booth a piece of ice near the shore, while they talked the ice on the water melted almost completely. "And the ice pieces melt very fast at this temperature they surely noticed nothing." She said with a smile.
"Chloe and Zoe don't know that you are a wizard?" Mary asked.
"It was to prevent them over reacting, and making this public or something like this." Bailey explained.
"We decided to tell them at a better time where they could also understand why they have to keep it a secret." Molly said.
"Did you tried telling them before?"
"Well we thought about telling them in our return train from a competition in Louisiana when we encountered Dementors for the first time that thing was a nasty encounter for Chloe and Harry had to save her." Will said.
"Of course this would have made a bad impression." Noni said.
"Oh, by the way, Chloe gives you her apology for the first time she met you, she would probably do it personally when we reach them at some point today." Sara said.
"Hey I am used to people talking about my disability of been blind, for me it was nothing. She really shouldn't have." Mary said smiling.
"Try telling that to the girl whom a Dementor forced her to see the bad things she did in life and forced her to revise it kind of too much and we haven't got use to it." Molly commented.
"That's kind of an unsettling thing with the Dementor."
"And I blame myself that." Harry said with a shameful tone.
"Blame yourself? You don't have anything to blame yourself for, you weren't the one who brought them and also you saved her life from one. You aren't the one to blame, saving a life that is threatened is an act of courage and it could defy what person you are." Mary said with a smile to the wizard and he smile back.
"Thanks for the encouragement."
"Well now let's go we don't want to let them waiting too much." Bailey said starting at full gallop followed by the others. All in all, this day looks to be much brighter than yesterday was at the end of it.