Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any references mentioned in this fanfic.
A/N: Not much to talk about this time so I'll get right to it.
Note: This chapter is dedicated to steadkit who won the dungeon design lottery a few months ago, which you will see later on, with my own twist to it.
Chapter 9
I took a deep breath as I did some last-minute warm-ups in the Ravenclaw locker room.
"Nervous?" Robert asked as he took the seat next to me on the bench.
Cracking my neck, I shook my head and stood up, "Not really."
He stood up as well and placed hand on my shoulder in what he must have thought was a comforting manner but seeing as we were both shirtless it had the opposite effect. "Good, there's nothing to be worried about. Do you still remember your job?" he continued completely ignoring the awkwardness of the situation.
"Try to break their bones?"
"Exactly," he said with a grin before walking away.
Anyways, these months of intense training had really done wonders for my body. While I didn't really have the bulky build that most beaters tended to have, I had managed to stack quite a bit of muscle, enough to at least look proud of show it. I had also shot up to an even 5'6''.
I wet my hair and then used a rubber band to keep it out of my face. It had been months since I've gotten a proper haircut and was starting to get kind of shaggy. I looked at myself in the mirror and was pleased by what I saw. While I might not be a full-blown narcist, I did take care of my appearance. After all more people were willing to trust a pretty face than not.
It only took me a few seconds to get dressed.
Leaving my wand in my locker, I retrieved my broomstick and joined the rest of my team at the entrance of the field. The roster looking something like this.
Quidditch team
Keeper: Chloe Thompson
Chaser: Robert Wales
Chaser: Roger Davies
Chaser: May White
Beater: Charles Bell
Beater: Simon Gray
Seeker: Samantha Baker
Robert started us off with some words, "Alright people remember what we practiced. Hufflepuff isn't someone we can take lightly. Last year they were able to make it to second place, but not to worry, this year we have a secret weapon," he punctuated by looking straight in my direction. I received some playful shoving by the others. "Bell, you have the best eyes in the team, your second job will be to keep an eye peeled for the Snitch and block their Seeker from getting it first. Once I decided we scored enough points, direct Sam to where it is alright?"
"Yes."
"Good lad. As for the rest of you, good luck."
With that we all mounted our brooms and flew down to the center of the Quidditch Pitch.
Starring at the Hufflepuff team, I spotted a familiar face. It seems Cedric Diggory had managed to become the Hufflepuff Seeker this year.
After a handshake from both Captains and a few words from Madam Hooch, the whistle was blown, and we all took off to the skies.
The Quaffle was thrown in the air and everyone burst into speed.
The opposing Chaser managed to beat Roger by a second and secure the ball.
As everyone raced after the Quaffle I tightened my grip on my broom and found my first target.
With my superior dexterity I was able to take advantage of the Nimbus' speed and beat the Bludger that was heading towards one of our Chasers.
[Blunt Weapon Mastery] (Passive) LV6 EXP: 33.49%
Description: Allows user to freely handle blunt weapons.
Effect: Increase 30% attack damage with blunt weapons.
Effect: Increase 10% attack speed with blunt weapons.
Smashing my bat into the flying cannon ball I sent it in the direction of their Chaser. I didn't hold back on my strength in the least as the Bludger traveled at nearly 150 MPH before impacting on their side just as they raised their arm to throw the ball at the goal posts. Despite wearing armor designed to lessen the force of the blow, it was still powerful enough to hurl them right off their broom.
Robert caught the ball as it was falling and raced to the other side of the field closely followed by the others.
The Hufflepuff Chaser looked to be in great pain, clutching at his side, and gasping for air.
Unfortunately for him, substitutes weren't allowed during games, no matter how injured he got.
Things were going well, and in a few minutes we were able to take the lead.
"Ravenclaw scored again! The score is currently Ravenclaw-40, Hufflepuff 10!" the announcer shouted.
The Hufflepuff Captain called for a timeout.
As we took a few minutes to recover Robert addressed the team. "Alright, good job team. Were in the lead right now. Bell, have you found the Snitch yet?"
"I have my eyes on it as we speak," I told him.
"That's what I like to hear. Don't lose track of it. Sam, I need you to hold off on going after it until we score a few more points. Charles will give you the signal to go after it but until then you should work on getting in the way of anyone looking to score against us. Chloe, figurate remember, don't let anyone score if you can help it. Simon don't be afraid of really getting in there, send some of those bludger at their Keeper. Roger, May, V formation. Now, lets really show them what Ravenclaw is made of!"
Having the fastest broom meant I was all over the place, offering assistance to anyone that looked like they needed it.
"Red Fox!" May shouted as she flew straight at me, closely followed by two Chaser from the opposing team.
I nodded as I flew toward her.
As the distance between us was rapidly closing I tilted the handle of my broom downward and made a sudden V turn underneath her, shooting up vertically behind her. May was momentarily hidden from view as my cape was fully opened. The two however were not easily flustered as they continued to chase after her.
Continuing my ascend, I climb up higher before diving straight down again slowly picking up speed.
I destination was the opponents' goal keep closely followed by Robert, who now had the Quaffle.
Spotting my fellow Beater, I called out the play, "Red Fox!"
He nodded and flew out towards a passing Bludger.
When we were only a few dozen feet away from the posts I began to zig-zag, while Robert did the same, in order to confuse the Keeper.
I took a sharp left, just as Robert aimed to throw it toward the highest hoop. The Keeper however was ready as they moved in to catch the ball. That however was also part of the plan as Simon hit the Bludger my way, where I then redirected it at the Keeper.
They were so focused on the Quaffle that they didn't even notice the Bludger coming until it hit them right on the side of the head, sending him on a one-way ticket to dreamland.
"Ravenclaw Scores!"
As they fell to the ground, I gave Simon a passing high-five for the excellent timing.
(Daphne)
"Holy crap, Charles is absolutely brutal," Tracy exclaimed from her spot among the Slytherin students.
The blonde Heiress had to agree with that assessment as she watched the usually friendly Ravenclaw absolutely destroy anyone that got in his way.
His shots were powerful enough to send other Beaters a few feet back even when they managed to successfully block them.
Armed with the fastest broom on the field, and he was a force to be reckoned with.
Everyone around her winced before laughing as Charles sent a Bludger at the tail end of a Hufflepuff Chaser causing them to spin out of control until they slammed into one of the towers.
Biting her nail, Daphne began to look worried, "Should we really be laughing right now? Don't forget that we'll be facing them next."
That quieted everyone fast.
(Hermione)
Covering her mouth, to stop her from gasping, she momentarily glanced at Harry who was abnormally quiet and pale.
Turning back to the game, she ignored the cheering crowd as Ravenclaw managed to score another point. The newly awakened Keeper was doing a bad job at guarding the post as they would flinch out of the way whenever Charles would swing his bat in their direction.
At first, she had been worried about her friend, hoping that he wouldn't get hurt, but now she was praying for the poor Puffs that were covered in injuries. Most looked to be on their last leg, flying at a lower speed, occasionally spiraling downwards, while Ravenclaw still looked mostly fresh.
"Bloody hell, Hermione. Why didn't you tell us about this? Isn't that Charles whatever your friend or something?" Ron accused her.
Giving him an irritated look, "His name is Charles Bell, and to be honest I've never actually seen him practice before."
"I've seen him run in the morning," a voice from behind them said. It was Fred followed by George.
"Strong little Firsty, he is-"
"-can pick up the heavy weights like nothing-"
"Wood's sweating like a pig over there-"
"-so be prepared for some harder training."
The bushy haired witch turned back to the game just as Ravenclaw scored another point.
"Ravenclaw Score. Score is Ravenclaw-210, Hufflepuff-50."
(Scene change)
"Ravenclaw Scores. Score is currently 210-50."
Hearing the score, I turned to the Captain for his order.
"Alright, it's time we put them out of their misery. Even without the Snitch we already won. Charles you know what to do."
I gave a nod before bolting towards Samantha.
"Snitch is in the north quadrant, level 3. I'll distract Diggory," I told her, before flying up.
One of the Beaters sent a Bludger my way only for me to sent it right back at them with even more force causing them to be knocked off their broom.
While everyone was too busy looking at me targeting their Seeker, Sam was left free to casually fly towards the Snitch and catch it.
"There it is! Samantha Baker catches the Golden Snitch for 150 points. Ravenclaw wins!"
The crowd exploded into excited applause as the match ended.
The Hufflepuff team looked to be the most relieved by this. Those still able to walk limped their way to the locker rooms, while the those that couldn't were carried to the infirmary to treat their various injuries.
"The Quidditch Cup is as good as ours," Robert told the rest of the team as they landed.
-Break-
"Three loud cheers for Charles, Our Cannon" Robert shouted to everyone gathered in the common room hoisting a bottle of Butterbeer high into the air.
"Hip-hip-"
"Hooray!"
"Hip-hip-"
"Hooray!"
"Hip-hip-"
"Hooray!"
I raised my own bottle as I received several pats on the back, taking small sips of the disgustingly sweet beverage.
While Ravenclaw was currently celebrating one of their best games to date, the entirety of the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team was spending the night at the infirmary.
Despite the terrible condition we left them in, nothing was technically illegal, so there was not much they could do other than to remind us about sportingly conduct.
The party didn't stop until mid-night and only because Professor Flitwick came and told them to wrap it up, even if he took a moment to secretly give me a thumbs up.
(Night)
While everyone was asleep, I took the chance to sneak through the window, so as to not alert Professor Flitwick.
Thanks to [Observe] I've had been well aware of the various wards and charms placed to observe me.
[Observe] (Active) LV 20 EXP: 0.10%
Description: Through continuous observation, a skill to observe objects, situations, and persons was generated allowing the user to quickly gather information.
Effect: You can see a target's: health, mana, weakness, attributes, status, background, emotions, current thought.
Effect: You can now see the secret passcodes of items if they have them.
Cost: 1 MP
Jumping down, I used [Double Jump] to slow my descend until I reached the Third floor's bathroom window which I had conveniently left open earlier that day.
After successfully sneaking inside, I activated [Sneak].
[Sneak] (Active/ Passive) LV 12 EXP: 12.60%
Description: Why fight them head on, when backstabbing is so much easier? Embrace your ninja side.
Passive: You become 60% harder to detect.
Active: By using mana, you can become invisible. You can move slowly but any noise you make breaks the illusion.
Cost: 40 MP per minute.
My mana regeneration was currently at 58 MP per minute so this meant that I could keep the effect on permanently. Though just to be safe I added a sound dampening charm to my feet.
With my preparations in place I made my way through the empty school hallways, making to keep an eye on the map window at all times.
It only took me 10 minutes to make my way to the entrance of an unused classroom.
I didn't bother to check for any traps as I had done a swept the place earlier that morning.
At the other end of the room was the fabled mirror of Erised.
Approaching it, I received a notification.
Would you like to enter [Mirror Dungeon]? [Accept/Decline]
I accepted without a moments' pause. My level was just high enough for me to enter, which I did by placing one hand on the mirror's surface. My reflection rippled as if it was made of water, my fingertips slightly sinking in.
There wasn't much resistance as I fully walked through it.
What awaited me on the other side was an exact replica of the room I had just been in with the only difference beeing that everything was reversed.
Looking at the engravings of the mirror I saw that it now read 'I show not your face but your heart's desire.'
Taking out my wand, I exited the room.
It was a little jarring to see everything on the opposite side, but I was quick to adjust.
The hallway was darker than usual with the shadows now being able to completly hide someone from view. The night was also eerily as if someone had muted all noise, making me almost wonder if I had gone deaf. The portraits were also empty of their usual inhabitants.
Minutes went by until I finally spotted someone also sneaking around in the dark.
I saw that it was Tracy.
Turning around suddenly, Tracy gave a startled yelp, "Ah! Damn it, Charles you scared me!"
"Really? What are you doing here?" I said walking closer to her.
"I-"
Just as she opened her mouth to explain, I backhanded her, an audible crack resounding throughout the hallway.
Tracy fell to the ground clutching her jaw with one hand, shards of white material falling to the floor.
I kicked her in the ribs, hearing another loud crack, and sending her sprawling a few feet away.
She tried to back peddled, fear clearly visible in her eyes but a single jump was all I needed to clear the distance.
I pressed the sole of my foot on the side of her face, she struggled, clawing at my ankle with her free hand.
"I'm amazed that something like you can show such genuine emotions. Consider me officially jealous," I told her mockingly before slamming my foot down.
Tracy went still, the hand holding on my ankle turned a stone white before disappearing in a cloud of black smoke like the rest of her.
The only thing left behind were 5 silver coins, and a small blue piece of crystal.
Picking up the colored gem I examined it.
Water Shard-Rank: Special
Description: A piece of crystalized magical energy. Channeling magic through it allows you to have control over the specified element. 21 grams.
Effect: Can control 1 cubic foot of water per gram.
Oh, that was interesting I thought as I placed it in my inventory.
I continued on my way, wondering what other surprises awaited me.
Turning a corner, I spotted a group of Ravenclaw students standing close together.
Fire Mannequin LV 20
Air Mannequin LV 20
Air Mannequin LV 21
They waved at me in a friendly manner, but I replied in my own manner, by sending a cutting spell at them.
They looked alarmed as the curse cut apart their clothes, which unfortunately was all it did. Suddenly all three opened their mouth to an unnatural degree before giving off a horrifific screech. The trio's skin turned a pale porcelain white with black ichor falling from their eyeless sockets and mouth. Their hands turned into crystalline claws that were covered in their chosen element.
Air Mannequin LV 20
HP: 1100/1100
MP: 2000/2000
STR: 17
DEX: 18
VIT: 20
INT: 32
WIS: 10
LUK: 3
Skills:
Irregular body: Allows the user to continue to move if the body allows such actions.
Elemental: Allows control over the elements.
Magic Resistance: User takes 80% less damage on magical attacks. (Does not work attacks that don't target it directly.)
Weakness: Head, Spine, Core
Oh, so that's what happened.
Well seeing as physical attacks would be more useful in this situation, I put away my wand for the time being, no point in wasting mana carelessly.
Certain parts of their bodies had also turned a dark red hue to indicate their weak points.
Dropped to all fours the trio gave another screech before running straight at me with surprising speed.
Once they were close enough, they leaped into the air, claws extended in front of them, threating to rip me into shreds.
However, I had more sense than to be a sitting duck, so I met then head on, running underneath one and aiming an upcut right at their midsection. It was reminiscent of a certain videogame move.
My hand had fully punctured all the way through their stomach, before I threw them aside.
It stood up shakily but still looked ready to fight. I could see a purple light coming out of the hole that even now was starting to close shut thanks to the black ichor.
They looked cautious now.
Good. I was getting tired of fighting mindless opponents.
Raising my sword up I tilted the tip downward and ran to the one who's hands were covered in flames.
It sent a ball of fire in my direction which I dodged by running on the side of the wall.
Kicking off I managed to dodge the blades of sharpened wind sent my way. The wall however wasn't as lucky as it took chunks off stone off.
I landed in front of the doll, execution a leg sweep, which it jumped over. I rolled out of the way as it slammed it's hands on the place I had just been.
The other two summoned a gale of wind my way, forcing me to shield my eyes or risk being blinded by the scattered debris. I couldn't help but be impressed at their quick thinking to use the environment.
Fire fist growled, slamming his hands on the ground, raising a curtain of fire, before sending it my direction.
I countered by taking a potion bomb from my inventory and throwing it at the incoming attack. The result was an explosion that sucked up all the air in the flames, causing them to die.
Equipping my rapier, I charged at them once more.
Sliding between the volley of elemental attacks I drew ever closer until they were finally within my sword's reach. I swung horizontally but they all leaped backwards, however this was what I had been waiting for as I created a platform underneath my feet using [Double Jump] before activating [Charge].
I shot off forward, my rapier poised to strike them down, which It did a second later as it pierced one of the mannequin's chest. But things didn't end there as the rest of me followed suit and smashed its body to pieces.
-4 HP
On the end of my sword was a pulsing purple crystal that resembled a heart, pumping black ooze. What was more astonishing was that the ooze was even now hardening and turning a pale color as it tried to reform its entire body from just its core.
That however was not something I could let happen as I didn't want to spend all night there.
I flung it on the floor before stepping on it. It burst into black smoke leaving behind a Galleons and a red crystal.
I looked back at the other two that gave a battle roar before leaping at me.
My sword was already drawing an arc through the air.
(Daphne)
The blonde witch frowned as she looked at the letter in her hand.
Taking a careful look behind her to make sure the rest of her roommates were asleep, she headed to her desk and took out a piece of parchment.
Opening the drawer, she retrieved a quill and an ink well.
She paused to think what she was supposed to write.
From the contents of the letter It seemed her father had finally gotten wind of her excessive spending.
Unlike what she had previously told Charles, she hadn't actually contacted her father for any of his purchases. As a matter of fact, she hadn't told anyone about him as she wanted to keep him a secret for as long as possible.
In truth, the Greengrass Family wasn't without its share of problems.
On the surface her family wealth came from the buying and selling of real estate, as well as a small number of shops. That however was all a front for the real family business, in other words the selling and transportation of illegal goods.
The black market was hardly new invention, and the Greengrass Family were long time suppliers, being able to trace back their origins all the way back to their Viking ancestors who would pillage the coast. Pillager, privateer, explorer; the title would always change with the time but the job was always the same. No matter the how much things changed, there would always be human greed tugging at people's heart.
It might not be the noblest profession, she confessed, but it was her heritage.
The only problem was that in recent times, smuggling was getting harder and harder to do, with countries having newer regulations and better security. As such, the Greengrass Family could no longer boast at being the best in Britain's underground world.
For this reason, her father had chosen to pass her over in the family business in place of her older, male cousin. While she would still be considered the Head of the Greengrass Family when the time came, her Uncle's son was currently being groomed to be take what should have been hers.
Her fingers trembled in rage, threatening to snap her quill, as she thought of her father.
How could such a complacent and cowardly man possibly be her father? She still remembered a time when she would look at her father's back and think how he must have been the strongest person in the world. It was him that would read her bedtime stories filled with the many adventures of her many ancestors. As a result, dreams of adventure and riches constantly plagued her mind.
Yet, it was this same man that had filled her head with all these promises that had then cruelly told her she would never inherit their family legacy.
It boiled her blood just thinking of that fateful day.
What did they expect of her; did they honestly think she would willingly let them make her a figure head to her own Family?!
No.
It was for this reason that she had set out to carve out her own legend, just like all her ancestors had done.
One of the only reasons why she tolerated Tracy's disrespectful behavior was because her family on her father's muggle side owned a shipping company. She wasn't so callous to disregard muggle means. After all, her family had long ties with them for centuries before the Stature of Secrecy was instigated.
However as of late Daphne had found the brunet losing her usefulness.
Charles on the other hand, only managed to keep increasing his value in her eyes.
The orphaned muggle-born was a mystery. A dangerous mystery that couldn't help but draw you in.
When ever she was around him, it felt as if she was walking on a tightrope, filling her with both fear and excitement. Those sharp golden eyes of his seemed capable of looking right through you, showing him all the dark secrets that you desperately tried to hide from others.
That combined with his ability to summon and banish objects, was one of the reasons why she so desperately wanted to have him by her side. So far, she was unable to figure out how he had done it. The only working theory as of right now was that it was some innate ability, like the Black's metamorphmagus ability or the Longbottom's earth magic. One that let him hid objects without detection.
She had tested it's exact cloaking ability by placing the most powerful tracking charm she could get her hands on in between one of the pages of a book, only to feel the connection be broken as the young Ravenclaw placed them into his top hat.
With his ability, she was sure they could achieve great things together.
It was for this reason why she hadn't told anyone from her family of his existence. All of the books and supplies she had gotten so far was through mailing her cousin, who she still kept an amicable relationship with despite him usurping her position. He would get the items then sell them to her, which she had to pay out of her own pocket, before being reimbursed by Charles later.
However, the latest request for a Wand Crafting book must have finally reached her Uncle's ears, which in turn reached her Father's.
Weighing all her options, she finally opted in the most believable lie and began to write her letter.
(Mirror Dungeon)
"And there goes another one," I shouted, slicing off the head of an incoming mannequin and stuffing a potion bomb in its mouth before kicking it back in the direction of the chagrining horde.
The resulting explosion was spectacular as the shrapnel ripped through them like a hot knife through butter.
I managed to destroy 5 cores before the rest grouped together to form some sort of 8-foot monster with 4 faces and a mix of different body parts.
It gave an unsightly roar as it limped its way over to me where I then sidestepped three of its arms.
One of its mouths opened wide and spewed a torrent of water all over the floor, before another slammed a clawed hand covered in yellow electricity on the ground, lighting up the entire hallway.
Luckily, I was able to jump and stab my sword into a wall to act as a foot hold.
Taking out my crossbow I shot a freezing bolt and turned the water into ice, partially incasing its legs.
Next, I jumped high into the air and took out a two-handed broadsword, probably taller than me, and activated [Double Jump], [Power Strike], and [Charge].
My sword sliced the monstrosity in half momentarily exposing its insides to me. It was just long enough for me to throw some more potion bombs inside and jump away.
It scrambled to reach for the bombs, but its natural regenerative ability was already sealing the wound.
It looked momentarily stunned before parts of its body began to bulge to an unnatural size and it exploded in a loud fiery explosion.
The only thing left behind was a scorch mark and the loot.
[Gained 10,000 experience.]
[Gained 10,000 experience.]
[Gained 10,000 experience.]
[Gained 10,000 experience.]
[You obtained 4 Galleons.]
[You obtained Lighting Shard.]
[You obtained Water Shard.]
[You obtained Fire Shard X2.]
This dungeon was turning out to be a great place for EXP, a few more monsters and I would be able to gain another level despite leveling up just an hour prior. Shame that I wouldn't be able to come here again after tonight, no doubt my presence would be noticed a second time.
Hearing loud footsteps, I turned around to see Professor McGonagall's duplicate coming down the hall. I retrieved my rapier and readied another bomb.
Looking at her level I saw that it was at 45, much weaker than the original. Still I didn't let my guard down.
"Students out of bed, should be punniissshhheeeddd!" she screeched as her face turned into a ghoulish appearance. The windows exploded showering us in glass as the black portraits suddenly had black skeletal arms reaching out for me.
Still I smiled as all of this was happening, and I continued to smile even as I ran away.
I severed any arms that grew too close as I tried to find a more open area.
The teachers must be the mini boss of this dungeon.
Oh, what the Gryffindor's wouldn't give to punch Snape in the face.
[You sense danger!]
Stopping in my tracks I was just quick enough to dodge McGonagall's clawed attack as she jumped out of one of the black portraits in front of me.
"I never liked you anyway?" I told her leveling my sword.
"You are a bad student!" she replied with a snarl.
"Oh, so now were taking shots huh? Well your hat-"
Obviously sensing the well-deserved burn, she cut me off by sending globs of black ink my way, that transformed into ceramic daggers in mid-air.
I smashed each one with my sword but when I looked up, she was no longer there.
-Break-
Smashing the head of the Headmaster I stumbled backwards, exhausted. My healthy only had a handful of points let, my mana was empty, and I was out of potions.
By my estimate it was already 7 AM outside.
In Just a couple hours I had managed to find and slaughter every single person in Hogwarts, including Hermione, Daphne, and my own copy.
The teachers although much harder to beat dealt the best rewards in the shape of skill books and pieces of armor and weapons.
Dumbledore on the other hand was on an entire different league all together as at one point during the battle I had managed to drop the entire bell tower on his head only for him to not just shrug it off, but also fuse with it, transforming him into a 50ft tall golem.
The battle was hard-fought, and there had been many close calls but in the end I had immerged victorious.
Just as the final remains of the mannequin disappeared, I received a flux of new messages.
[Gained 120,000 experience.]
Your level went up by 1.
[Congratulations! You have cleared your first dungeon! You will now be award with a special prize.]
[You obtained the item 'Elemental Rapier.']
[A quest has been created.]
[Hogwarts' Conqueror:
Claim ownership of Hogwarts by clearing all of 15 dungeons. Dungeons cleared (1/15).
Completion award: 100,000,000 EXP
Hogwarts land and everything inside (including the dungeons).
Completion failure: None]
Now this was worth my time and definitely something to look forward to.
I went over to pick up my loot.
[You obtained 1000 Galleons.]
[You obtained magic stone X100]
You obtained skill book [Arcane Mirrors].
You obtained skill book [Puppetry Magic].
Yes, it was not a bad day of work, and looking at the time, it would seem I could still make it to breakfast.
A/N: How as that?
I've never written a sports match, so this was a nice experience.
We also see a little more of Daphne's character and the reason for her interest in Charles.
I apologize to those who don't like her character, but she's going to be relevant to the plot, allowing Charles to be express is more dark abilities.
The next chapter is partially finished already, with it being a little longer than usual.