Player Three has Entered the Game
The Quidditch League Competition
Title: Player Three Has Entered the Game
Team: Ballycastle Bats
Position: Chaser Two
Prompt: Write about a potion gone wrong.
Extra Prompts: (Object) Pestle; (Relationship) Rivals; (Dialogue) "You're doing it all wrong!"
Word Count: 2,926
"You're doing it all wrong!"
Lily Evans rolled her eyes at her friend's comment. She continued stirring and shook her head. "This is exactly what the book says to do, Sev."
"But we're making our own additions to the potion, Lily," Severus Snape replied. "I'm not certain it needs to be stirred that much."
Lily sighed but kept stirring. "Sev, this is an experiment. We will have to try it several times and several different ways until we figure out the right amounts of ingredients, the right temperature, the correct amount of stirring it needs. Now, I think those dragonfly wings and newt tails are crushed enough, so put down that pestle and take notes."
Severus huffed his own sigh but relented, setting the pestle down and picking up his quill to begin writing down every step they'd taken so far. Both children were grateful that Professor Slughorn had allowed them to use the potions classroom unattended. Normally such a thing would never have been allowed. But Lily and Severus were both naturals at potions and had proven themselves to be serious about their studies over the five years they had been at Hogwarts.
After close to another hour, the potion turned a color that both Lily and Severus deemed correct, and as it was nearing curfew they decided to finish for the night. They both took several vials of the formula so they could continue to study it. They would not dare to test it out just yet—there was still too much observation and experimentation to be done before it would be safe enough to test.
The two friends chatted softly about their potion as they walked. But they hadn't even made it to the stairs when four other teens suddenly appeared around a corner. Both Lily and Severus' faces bore looks of anger at the approaching group. It was James Potter, and his friends Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.
James never left Lily alone, and somehow always knew where she was no matter the day or time. James and his best friend Sirius were nothing more than bullies to Lily's way of thinking, and they had an incredible hatred toward Severus who returned the sentiment. In fact, to call James and Severus rivals would be the understatement of the century. James hated that Lily was always around Severus, and Severus hated how Potter and Black always tormented him.
As they did now. The moment the two groups saw each other, James and Sirius had their wands out. And before Severus could even reach his, he found himself floating upside down in the air. This was the favorite and standard attack James and his gang used on Severus. And as mean as it was, it wasn't the worst they'd done to him.
"SEV!" Lilly shouted and tried to grab Severus's hand, but he was too high off the ground for her to reach him.
A burst of laughter came from the boys, with the exception of Lupin. James spread his arms wide, calling out, "My precious Lily Flower! Why are you always hanging around that greasy git? He's bad news, my darling! I don't understand how, after all these years, you still haven't figured that out!"
Ordinarily Lily was calm in the face of Potter's ridiculous outbursts of romantic drivel toward her. But something snapped in her mind this time. Was it the grim smile coverinSirius'sus face as he made Sev spin around in the air? Was it the arrogant, smug, and condescending look on James's face? Was it the lateness of the hour? The fact that she had already had a long day? The fact that she was tired both physically and of the so-called Marauders attacks on Sev? Or perhaps a combination of all these factors? Whatever the reason, she drew her hand back and heaved one of the vials of their new potion straight at James Potter's head.
"NO, LILY! DON'T THROW IT!" Severus hollered. But he said it too late, as the vial containing their new potion sailed out of Lily's hand and landed at James Potter's feet. There was the muffled sound of an explosion, and the Marauders were thrown back a few feet. The corridor filled with smoke, and there was a strange droning sound.
As the Marauders scrambled to their feet, seeming none the worse for wear after the semi-explosion, a low droning sound filled the hallway. None of the teenagers noticed at first, but it grew in volume until Pettigrew asked, "Wh-what's that sound?"
The other boys were looking around, but Lily let out a gasp, her hands flying to her mouth. They all turned to stare at her. She merely pointed behind them. Sirius turned first, followed by the other Maruaders. Severus, still floating in the air turned as well as he was able. A violet glow had appeared above the place where the vial containing the potion had fallen, pulsating in time with the droning sound. It grew brighter as the droning noise rose in volume. The five teens stepped back, and Severus, still suspended in the air, wiggled as much as he could to try and move out of the way as well.
There was a flash, the violet glow turned into a swirling violet mist, there was a whooshing sound then a pop and a flash. The teens covered their eyes from the brightness, which lasted only a moment. When they opened their eyes and looked, the purple mist had vanished, and in front of them stood a man.
He was wearing a charcoal grey muggle-type business suit. In his arms, he held a large black cat with what looked like a diamond-studded collar. The man regarded the five teenagers standing in front of him gaping. He turned and glanced at Severus, still floating in the air and also gaping at the man before a glare covered his face.
"Well then," the stranger said after a few moments of silence. "This certainly is not the Bellagio on Rigel Seven, is it?"
None of the teenagers replied. They were all still too busy gaping at the man as he took in the looks of confusion on the Marauders faces, the look of shock on Lily's face, and the stubborn glare on Severus'.
"What are your names, children?" He addressed the entire group, but only Lily and Severus replied.
"I'm Lily Evans, and this is my friend Severus Snape."
"Well, Lily Evans and Severus Snape. Perhaps you would be kind enough to answer a question for me?"
The two exchanged a glance with each other before turning back to the strange man and nodding.
"Umm…" The man glanced around him before leaning closer to the teens. Lowering his voice a bit he gave a half smile and asked, "Where on earth am I?"
Lily and Severus exchanged another glance. "You are at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Lily told him. Then added "Sir." Not certain why she said it, but it just felt right to call this man "Sir" for some reason.
The man's eyebrows shot up, disappearing into his hairline, as various emotions flickered across his face in rapid succession: Confusion, disbelief, humor, and incredulity, along with several others.
"Ummm….pardon?"
Snape's eyes narrowed a bit. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he repeated.
"Odd name," the man murmured. His face bore a pensive frown.
"Are you a muggle?" Severus asked suddenly. The man turned his eyes to Snape and cocked an eyebrow.
"That word means nothing to me, young man."
Severus made a face, his expression turning sour. "That means you must be."
The black cat turned its face to the man, and made a strange sound: a sort of combination hiss, meow, and growl. The man frowned a moment, glancing at the cat. Then a smile covered his face. "That's what it means, eh?"
Lily swore she saw the cat nod before it glanced at the teens once more.
Still smiling, the man turned to them as well. "Then to answer your question, Severus Snape…yes, I am a 'muggle'. However, to the rest of those you call muggles, I would be considered to be like you people: 'magical'."
Snape rolled his eyes. "If you're a muggle, why would other muggles think you are magical?"
The man smirked back at him. "Why indeed."
Anger took hold of Sirius. He didn't like the look of the man, nor of the man's apparent friendliness to Snivelus, nor of the cat perched on the man's shoulder. The cat's expression was far too aware looking for his taste. He suspected the creature was probably an animagus. It was just a feeling he had, being that he was one himself. Perhaps it was a second sense. Whatever the reason, Sirius pulled out his wand and yelled, "STUPIFY!"
James and Remus had pulled their wands as well, while Peter hid behind Remus. The spell flew toward the man, who cocked an eyebrow at the flash of light heading for his chest. When the spell came within an inch or so of the man, there was a blinding flash of light, followed by a sizzling sound. The six teens watched as the spell spread out and shimmered in front of the man for a moment, before fading out. The man smirked at them, seemingly unaffected by the spell. The cat hissed at the Marauders.
James, Remus, and Sirius took turns firing off more spells for a few moments, each seeming to have no effect on the man whatsoever. Finally, the cat screeched and the man muttered, "Enough!" With a wave of his hand the Marauders wands flew out of their hands, clattering around the corridor. Then he twisted his hand in reverse and the four boys found themselves suspended upside down in midair.
Lily covered her mouth with her hands and gasped. Sev gaped at the man. Potter and his gang kicked their feet and flapped their arms, looking very silly as they did so. The stranger glared at them a moment before turning back to Lily and Severus. "Would you two children be so kind as to go find someone with authority and bring them here? These boys seem to be very violence-proneattacking a complete stranger for no reason."
Lily and Severus nodded and took off in the opposite direction, heading for the Headmaster's office. Lily hoped that Dumbledore wasn't busy. She trusted him perhaps more than anyone else, and he would be able to figure out what was happening. As she and Severus ran along, her mind was furiously trying to understand what had happened. Their potion was supposed to slow time down for the person who drank it, so that they could accomplish more things in a shorter amount of time. Was that it? Had the potion gone wrong? Was this man from the future? The past? Dumbledore will know. He knows how to handle anything!
Meanwhile, the man turned to face the four other teenagers who were still suspended in midair, a smirk dancing on his lips as he stared at them in silence. "Well, boys…I can't very well have you running your mouths off to this 'headmaster' person and telling him too much about me. So what am I going to do with you?" He tapped his chin with a finger as the cat continued to stare at the teens.
James didn't like the way the cat was eyeing them…if animals could glare, then this cat was surely glaring at them. Sirius was glaring at the man himself, wondering if he could possibly have something to do with his family, someone they sent to wreak vengeance on him for his "betrayal" of the Black family name. Remus found the entire situation intriguing even though he was trapped floating in the air. And Peter just tried to keep from wetting himself or throwing up. Or possibly both.
The man tapped his chin. "How do we rectify this situation without too much animosity being generated on the part of the natives, Isis?" The cat let out a series of meows that sounded suspiciously like a language to the Marauders. Remus almost felt as though he should understand it for some reason, but it was just the ghost of an idea flitting around the edges of his conscious mind.
The man grinned at the cat. "Excellent idea, my dear." He turned back to the Marauders. Don't worry, boys; this won't hurt a bit. He waved his hand again as he intoned, "Discombobulate." A golden glow covered all four of the Marauders. The boys froze, confused looks covering their faces. Then the man made a downward gesture with his hand, and the boys were gently deposited on the ground, looks of confusion still plastered on their faces.
There was the sound of footsteps approaching at a rapid pace, along with the excited chattering of Lilly and the more reserved voice of Severus. Around the corner Lily and Snape returned, followed by an old man with a very long, grey beard, and purplish robes. The man came to a stop, and Thomas noted the wand visible in the old man's hand. He also noted the narrowing of the old man's eyes as he took in the scene before him.
The old man saw the four boys sitting on the floor of the corridor and hurried over to them, kneeling down and checking them for injuries. Satisfied that they appeared to be fine, he stood and regarded Thomas in silence.
"What did you do to these children," the old man finally asked. Lily and Snape stood behind the old man, peering out at Thomas from behind his back.
Thomas snorted. "I assure you, sir, that I did nothing to them. They attacked me twice—unprovoked both times, I assure you. The second time they did so, whatever they attempted seems to have backfired. I am not at all familiar with the ways of this place. Indeed, I'm not quite certain how I even ended up here."
"It was probably our potion," Lily squeaked. Then added "Sir," once more as the man cocked an eyebrow at her. The old man watched the exchange in silence before approaching the man and extending his hand. "Let me start over. My name is Albus Dumbledore, and I am the headmaster here at Hogwarts."
The man looked at Dumbledore's extended hand a moment before shaking it. "Thomas Merton. A pleasure, sir." Lily and Snape noted the ghost of a smirk on the stranger's face and glanced at one another, not certain what to make of it.
Dumbledore noted it as well, and returned it with a small smirk of his own. This looks to be a very interesting evening. "I apologize for my harsh tone, but one must be ever on his guard against any danger, real or perceived. I would very much appreciate it if you would join me for diner and we can discuss your…unexpected arrival." He phrased it as a request, but his tone of voice indicated it was a command.
The stranger's smirk increased. "I would be honored, Headmaster. But I was wondering if I might take a little while to collect myself. Traveling through the Void takes a lot out of me."
Dumbledore's eyebrows rose a little. The Void. Interesting. He smiled. "Of course. Ms. Evans, Mr. Snape…please remain here with Mr. Potter and his friends until Madam Pomfrey arrives."
The two kids nodded.
"If you will follow me, please, Mr. Merton." Dumbledore gestured for the man to accompany him down the hallway, and the two walked off talking softly.
Lily and Severus stared at one another. "Sev, what just happened?" Lily asked in a soft voice.
Severus shook his head.
"If that man has no magic, how did he do that to Potter and his friends?"
Severus shook his head again, his face bore a scowl. As much as he hated Potter and Black and the rest, he wouldn't have wanted them to be harmed in this way.
Lily watched the Headmaster and the strange man as they disappeared down the corridor, talking quietly to each other. "What have we done?" She whispered.
(XXX)
The room that Dumbledore had led Thomas to was vaguely circular, with one straight wall and the rest bowing out as if it were a turret. The single window was large, and looked out over the courtyard of the castle. There was a bed, a wardrobe, a desk in the only corner of the room near the door, and a small table next to the bed. A candle sat atop both the desk and the small table, and on the wall near the doorway, a torch was positioned. The man shook his head as the cat gave a warbling noise from its throat.
"You're right, Isis…it is primitive. It's incredible that people can live like this." A smirk covered his face. "But I feel it may be very easy for us to blend in here. At any rate, we have some research to do, my dear. But first we have to win that old headmaster over. He is obviously in full charge here, wherever here is. But so far, I do not think we'll have any problems dealing with him if necessary."
Walking over to the window, he glanced down into the courtyard of the castle, the corner of his lip curled up in a slight sneer. "Yes, …I do believe we are going to like it here, Isis."
Isis rubbed her head against his cheek and purred…