DISCLAIMER: READ CHAPTER 1.
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(AUTHOR'S NOTES: Read STORY GUIDE in CHAPTER 1.)
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CHAPTER 4 - THE LAST HALF OF FIRST YEAR AND SECOND YEAR IN HOGWARTS
Once the messages were sent out and the Elven rulers and Gandalf became a little alarmed when they got them and saw the urgency in the message, so they set off again to the Woodland Realm and hastily went there to see the Elvenking Thranduil and find out what's wrong when they could almost feel the pleading urgency written into the messages sent to them, concerning his soulmate pair.
By the time they made haste in their trips to the Woodland Realm and had arrived and were escorted straight to the Elven palace, King Thranduil was already waiting for them surprisingly at the entrance, like he's been standing there a long time and anxiously waiting for them to come.
As Lord Elrond and Gandalf the Grey wizard moved forward to greet the Elven king respectfully, they didn't notice their companion, Lady Galadriel slightly freezing on her steps forward to greet the king too but she stopped when she saw, through her gift of telepathy, the chaotic thoughts King Thranduil was thinking deeply in his head of what he had seen and experienced through the Dream-sharing of his soulmate, and she couldn't make sense out of it, as it had confused and baffled her a bit. Lord Elrond and Gandalf didn't notice this but King Thranduil did after he finished with greeting the two men and then saw the expression on the elf woman's face when he turned to her.
He knew what she had seen through her telepathy gift and then after the bafflement and confusion which he saw from Lady Galadriel's face, he could see it turning into sympathy and reassurance, showing that she will help however she could, concerning about his soulmate.
The three arrivals were a little surprised a bit when King Thranduil was the one who escorted them straight to the same private room they had used before from their previous conversation last time, and by the time that drinks and some snacks were served into that room, the Elvenking all gestured to his servants and guards to leave them alone and they did, with King Thranduil and the other three the only ones inside in that private room again.
After the two Elven rulers and the Grey wizard had their drinks and ate their fill from the servings-Thranduil didn't take anything for he was too anxious to work up an appetite to eat or drink-and when they finished, the Elvenking told them everything about what he had seen, heard and witnessed the night before from the Dream-sharing. And once more and again, the three listeners were all shocked silent at Thranduil's story and when he finished, they started reacting out and giving their opinions and negative criticism.
Gandalf was huffing and puffing angrily in his seat, as he almost looked like he needed his pipe to try to calm himself down but he didn't bring it with him when he listened to Thranduil. "The outrage and audacity of these Istari in this magic school! To think-they would shame themselves into not making any improvements to make some of their useless and non-productive subjects better or good enough to teach the young Istari children. What is wrong with these people?!" the Grey wizard exclaimed incredulously.
"Yes, indeed. Especially with that fraud who calls herself a Divination teacher. To make up such fake death predictions into someone else-that is not something you should dare to take light of, even with the kind of magic they've been using!" Galadriel said out aloud, her eyes and whole being radiating with fury when she heard about the subject and its so-called Seer teacher in it.
"Although, some of the particular subjects like Transfiguration and Potions are really interesting and fascinating," Elrond commented, his eyes glinting brightly a bit in thought as he was pondering this. "I wonder if we could replicate or mimic these branches of magic here in our world?"
"Ooh, yes! You're quite right on that!" Gandalf said, his eyes changing from anger to sudden interest when the elf lord remarked on it. "It will be very interesting to try it out if it works! Transforming objects to live animals, or potions that could easily destroy dark magic and heal fatal wounds-such a fascinating concept and benefit for Arda here!"
Thranduil let his friends talk and comment among themselves about the magical subjects, both useful and useless that were taught in the school, and the minor ones noted about, and after they were done talking about that for almost an hour, they now turned their attention straight to the Elvenking and focused on helping him out with the worrying predicament he's now suffering about his soulmate pair.
Lord Elrond looked serious as he speaks first. "And you said that before the Dream-sharing ended, your soulmate had stumbled into trouble that's endangering her life right now?"
Thranduil almost scoffed as he explained clarifying on it. "More like trouble went looking for her. It turns out that the Headmaster of that school had brought some magical artifact and thought that it would be kept safe and hidden inside the school itself. The dwarf gave out her theories to my pair that the artifact must be something powerful for some unknown enemy to breach into the school, by letting that monstrous troll inside to distract the teachers."
"And the three-headed monster dog?" Galadriel inquired, almost shivering visibly with fright at facing such a fearsome gigantic monster when she had seen it through her telepathy gift after Thranduil told them the story and she had watched it all clearly and made sense of all the imagery in the elf king's mind.
"At first, I had thought that the enemy had let that in too to maximize the distraction, but when my soulmate and her dwarf friend had lured the troll up high and tried to push it over falling to its death, I realized that the monster dog was there as a guardian in that place which was the forbidden third-floor corridor mentioned before." Thranduil admitted, as he had deduced and figured this out when the Dream-sharing ended and he was waiting for his friends to come to his kingdom.
"To use a monster like that as a security measure to guard that artifact you mentioned," Galadriel shuddered again at the thought as she said grimly. "The magical artifact must be very important in some way for the Headmaster to try to keep it safe and hidden in that school."
"Well, I can definitely say in conclusion that your soulmate and the others in that school will not have to worry about the enemy trying to break in again," Gandalf said in a jovial manner which made the three Elven rulers looked at the wizard with stunned disbelief at his words.
The wizard just grinned and further explained to them in a matter-of-fact tone. "Think about it…Thranduil, you said that the Headmaster announced to all of the people in the school that the third-floor corridor is forbidden, right?"
The Elvenking doesn't know where the grey wizard is going with this, so he nodded dimly to him.
The wizard grinned wider and said, "And the monster dog somehow got out of the room where it was supposed to be guarding the artifact, right? Then the unfortunate victim that it caught first, before it attacked the troll and almost attacked your soulmate, was actually the enemy itself! If it were anyone else who had known about the forbidden corridor, then they should've been prepared to deal with the monstrous dog that is guarding it. It makes sense that it was the enemy who died from the monster's jaws when he tried to break in and steal the artifact. I wager that he didn't know about the monster guardian and wasn't prepared for it until it was too late."
They all understood and didn't think of that, and Thranduil became a little relieved that whoever that unknown enemy is has been dealt with already. However, he couldn't help but keep worrying for his pair since the Dream-sharing ended with her still stuck in that Armoury room she's in, with her dwarf friend and the two children.
The other three people understood and sympathized with the Elvenking's dilemma and they all offered to stay in his kingdom for the time being and help him out when he goes through the Dream-sharing again. Besides, it's not like the two Elven rulers and the wizard are planning to do something else or going somewhere-after all, when they go back to their respective kingdoms and the wizard goes back to traveling around Middle Earth, they would still have plenty of time they can have to find out about how to return the trapped elves and dwarf races in the other world, and also help out the Elvenking Thranduil whenever he truly needed it.
Thranduil was grateful for the offer and instantly accepted it, then he led his three friends and escorted them in the same rooms again they'll be staying in from last time, and once after they have settled in, they didn't realize that time has almost passed by so fast that it's already night time.
He was glad that it was slightly late now, but before he goes to bed and gets back to Dream-sharing, he took his dinner first when he suddenly felt hungry after the new conversation with his friends, and then as he finished, he changed quickly to his night wear, goes straight to his bed and falls asleep.
And Thranduil hoped that once he's back in the Dream-sharing, he would see his soulmate still safe and alive.
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It was not a moment long that Thranduil realizes that he's back and he is relieved to see his soulmate again still alive and safe when he's now in the Dream-sharing again.
He saw that his pair, Hari, the dwarf Sunny, and the two children are still trapped in the Armoury room with the three-headed dog still outside, but the two kids have already fallen asleep against their two older protectors and Sunny was also sleeping despite that one of her hands is still gripping tight on the handle of her wicked ax.
Hari was still awake and it took for Thranduil to realize that only a few hours have passed as it looked that she and the others were still waiting for help to arrive but no one has come yet. He could see that Hari is trying to stay awake as she's starting to feel a little tired from their previous ordeal, but whenever she gripped the bow and arrow she still has on her hands, it seemed to bolster her strength up and keep her awake as long as she could.
That's when both Hari and Thranduil heard noises that seemed to be changing from outside the locked and barricaded doors of the Armoury room they're in. Hari gently removed the sleeping boy wizard Neville from her side so that he's now lying on some crate or something, then she quickly stood, readied her bow and arrow and kicked her foot lightly to wake her dwarf friend up. Sunny instantly awoke, and almost swung her ax wildly like something's attacking her but she snapped out of it when she had the sleeping little witch Hermione stirring a little against her side and remembered where she is.
Sunny looked at Hari and then she also heard the noises outside, and the dwarf gently and quickly got the small witch off her and then also stood up and brandished her ax in attack-ready position beside her elf friend. The two of them tensed with their weapons ready, even Thranduil also tensed where he stood by, when they heard noises of low growling from the three-headed dog, followed by yells and shouts coming from someone else and then they suddenly saw flashes of lights coming from the slight gaps below the reinforced doors until everything became silent.
Then they heard fists banging on the doors and then voices shouting to the inside of the Armoury room and then Hari and Sunny relaxed when they recognized that the voices they heard, are the other professors they know and respected. They moved to remove the barricade and then unlock and open the doors for them to be let in. Even though the two should have taken precautions first to ensure that it's not the enemy outside or something, Thranduil knew that these stupid-minded Istari doesn't know that his soulmate and her friend have keen senses respective of their hidden races.
It didn't take long for the two kids to wake up as well when they hear the commotion and instantly they beamed upon seeing the other professors and saw that the monster dog is gone, but then their little faces turn to fear when they remembered about what had happened, even though it's not their faults.
Before one of the professors-the one who teaches Transfiguration who's named Prof. McGonagall-was going to demand explanations of what happened, Hari took over and told them everything from the beginning to what happened. Thranduil watched as the other adults listened to Hari, but then he was frowning again when he saw the Headmaster staring at his soulmate creepily again with his eyes twinkling once more.
He truly doesn't know what is the matter with this old Istari but he didn't focus on that when Prof. McGonagall commended Hari and her friend Sunny noble and courageous to look after the two missing children and protected them, so she rewarded them points for their bravery and their luck on escaping the threats that were about to harm them all. Then she dismissed them back to the Gryffindor dormitories and Hari nodded and quickly she and Sunny led the children back, leaving the professors behind as they will deal with the eaten dead troll back from the third-floor corridor, after they have finished and dealt with the three-headed monster dog already.
Thranduil followed after them, looking back with a frown to see if anyone among the professors might follow-like the old Headmaster-but no one did, and then he wondered about what was that about the magical artifact that was so important, for the enemy to break into the school and use the troll as distraction and then failed. It didn't take long for Hari, Sunny and the two kids to be back to the Gryffindor dorms, and after Hari and Sunny escorted little Neville and Hermione to their dorm rooms, the two girls went straight to their private dorms and entered in.
He saw that the two girls exchanged silent looks like they're deciding not to sleep yet and need to discuss over what happened before. And so they did, Hari moved around to check if the doors and windows were locked securely so that no one might listen in, even from outside the building in case it might happen. Then Sunny added in more security measures by placing the magic-crafted Runestones she had made herself, placed each of the enchanted Rune-carved small rocks and stones at the door and all around the room at the windows and other holes, and then the small table between their two beds, before she activated the magical enchantments to silence the room and everything so that nothing magical or something else would listen in to their private conversation.
Thranduil became a bit more impressed at this kind of magic craft, and he had to admit slightly that his soulmate's dwarf friend is very good at her master crafting skill. He stood beside Hari as she sat down on her bed, while Sunny double-checked and made sure that the magic silencing-spells were all set among her Runestones, nodded in satisfaction and then went over to sit on her bed right across Hari's. The two disguised elf and dwarf girls started talking to each other seriously, discussing and talking over what happened while Thranduil listened to them attentively.
Hari started asking Sunny what else she knows about the magic artifact kept hidden within the school where the Headmaster thought it would be safe there. Sunny replied that she doesn't know much and what the artifact is-when she overheard the conversation stealthily from others-but from what she figured out before they were about to be attacked by the three-headed monster dog, the dwarf realized that the dog is one of the guardians that's guarding the magical artifact.
Hari was surprised at this before she started thinking about it and Thranduil could see the realization forming on her face when she deduced that the unfortunate victim caught by the troll, might be the enemy himself who tried to break in after letting the troll loose inside the school and had tried to steal the artifact but failed when the enemy bumped into the guard monster dog instead. The elf king could also tell that she's thinking that whatever the magical artifact hidden in the school at the third-floor corridor must be so important that the enemy would try to break in and get the monster troll inside as a distraction while trying to do that but failed.
Then Hari asked Sunny next if there's a way to find out what the hidden artifact might be and why is it that it needed to be hidden in the magic school instead of somewhere else. Sunny told her that she thinks that the reason why the artifact is kept safe and hidden in the school is because of the strong magical wards erected both inside and outside of the very area so that nothing dark or evil will be able to break into the magic school. The fact that somehow a monstrous dark creature like the troll has managed to get inside and even brought in, would mean that the enemy had been among them inside the school and the so-called strong wards were somehow diverted from that.
Hari and Thranduil were very glad with the fact that whoever the unknown enemy was that did this had been killed by the monster dog guardian, even though the security measure was a bit too much with that kind of creature being used to guard the unknown artifact. Then Sunny told Hari that she doesn't know how they will be able to find out and know what the artifact is that's kept hidden in the school for it was kept secret and none of the people she had heard from were talking explicitly about it.
Hari started to think deeply about it herself, and it pleased the Elvenking Thranduil to see that his soulmate is also intelligent and very intellectual in mind when it comes to solving mysteries and conducting deductions and strategies, like he does-even if it comes with him being the Elf king of his kingdom and realm. Then Hari's eyes brightened a bit when she thought of an idea and she asked Sunny suddenly if she knew anyone who is close to the Headmaster and seemed to be simple-minded enough to talk or chatter about him, in a hero-worshipping way. Instantly Sunny knew where she might be going with this and answered her that she knew only one person-or rather being-that would revere the Headmaster like he's a supreme wizard and everything and that he's here living near the school.
And that very being of someone she's talking about, is the one who calls himself Rubeus Hagrid, the half-giant Istari from before when he escorted the first-years to the school. From what rumors or whispers that Sunny had heard, it turns out that Hagrid was once a student in the magic school, but because of the prejudice of him being half-giant and everything, even though he wields magic and needs to learn to harness it, he was supposed to be banished from the school but Headmaster Dumbledore put a stop to that. Instead, for poor Hagrid to continue studying and complete his education, Dumbledore offered for the giant to have a school keeper's duty and let him stay in the area of the magic school, to be another guardian and ensuring that no wayward or mischievous student would sneak out of the school and venture into the Forbidden Forest. The offer was accepted from the school board and since then the half-giant Istari named Hagrid had begun to respect and revere the Headmaster of his kindness on letting him stay.
Hari wondered what was so special about the Headmaster Dumbledore for the giant to worship him like that as if he were a god. When she had noticed the old Istari staring at her with his creepy twinkling eyes, she knew instantly that the man is not a good type of Istari and she'll need to be aware more cautiously and watch out for that old man. Thranduil is glad again that his pair has noticed this and knew that Dumbledore is not a good Istari, even though he's only been staring creepily at her.
It was a final decision between Hari and Sunny for they plan to visit Hagrid and ask him about Dumbledore and maybe find out and discover what magical artifact is being kept hidden within the school. By the next morning when the sun rises early, Thranduil watched as Hari and Sunny decided to skip their lessons for the day, and Sunny and Hari used spells and enchantments again with their improvised and advanced type of magic they've created themselves, and they used it against all of the students, teachers and the other faculty members of the school, and fool them into believing that they're taking them for the day.
Once they made sure that the enchantments were in place and everyone was fooled by their magic illusions, they went out of the school and sneaked quietly under Hari's invisible magic cloak to visit the half-giant Hagrid who's living in a small wooden hut next to the school but almost near to the border edges of the Forbidden Forest.
Thranduil frowned fiercely at this, not liking that this Istari giant is living so close to the Forbidden Forest where he had heard before that it has other magical creatures in it, most of them the dark and unsavory ones. He hoped that his soulmate will not encounter them on their way to visit the giant, but he didn't know that the giant himself they're going to talk to, is going to enrage him even further and more than the useless and incompetent teachers in the magic school, for the giant will mistakenly endanger his soulmate's life again, much more from the troll and the three-headed dog monsters.
Hari decided to go first and make a friendly approach as she knocked on the giant's door as loud and soundly as she could. It didn't take long for almost loud booming footsteps to approach and open the main door of the wooden hut, the giant is living in.
The half-giant wizard named Hagrid is as big as he is right now before Hari and Sunny and he looked around confused a bit like he does not see anyone at his height until he turned his head to look down when he heard an amused cough coming from Sunny who wasn't offended at all that he's being like that, since she's used to it a lot with her short being and such. Hagrid blinked in surprise at his two visitors but he smiled friendly at them and then gestured with one of his big hands and told them in a nice warm voice to come inside his home.
"Welcome! Welcome! I got to say I'm a bit surprised that someone came to visit me even during school classes but-I'm delighted to have you two here! Nice to meet you and all-in case you two young ones might've forgotten, the name's Rubeus Hagrid! But you can call me Hagrid if you like." the giant said jovially as he politely pulls out two chairs for Hari and Sunny to sit on next to his slightly larger wooden table which is fit for a half-giant like him, but the disguised elf and dwarf girls didn't mind this at all as they went and sat down on their chairs and let Hagrid ramble on talking while getting something to serve them drinks and snacks, until the time comes for them to talk to him.
He placed a plate of rock-like solid-looking cakes on the table and two big mugs of fresh brewed herbal tea in front of Hari and Sunny. Hagrid didn't have any drinks made for himself but he reached over and grab one of the cakes from the plate and munched on them while continued rambling and talking on even with his big mouth full. When the two saw that Hagrid wasn't going to stop talking to himself about whatever inane things he's rambling on, Sunny decided to stop it and speaks first after Hagrid had finished with his cake. It was fortunate that both Hari and Sunny decided not to eat the rock-looking cakes, for they seemed to be really made from rock or hard stones or something and weren't edible to eat on. The two of them only took the herbal tea which are good drinks at least.
"Hey, Hagrid! Just so you also know, I'm Sunny and this is my friend Hari. We came here to visit because we're curious about something," Sunny began talking to Hagrid with a fake-friendly smile on her face as the giant turned to look at the short magical one. "You heard about the troll attack that had happened before inside the school, right?"
"Oh, yes, I did! Haha! Good thing my good boy Fluffy dealt with it-good riddance!" Hagrid boomed out chuckling and laughing merrily as if proud of something.
Both Hari and Sunny exchanged confused looks at each other before looking at Hagrid as Hari inquired curiously. "Fluffy?"
"Fluffy is the three-headed dog that's guarding the magic artifact Dumbledore put there in the school. He's my pet, you see," Hagrid replied and didn't realize that he's admitting to them about whatever truth that's supposed to be kept secret.
His…PET!?
The three-headed monster dog is this Istari half-giant's pet?!
Thranduil instantly decided that this is one of these Istari that he does not want his soulmate Hari to get close to or make friends with, for it had to be someone so insane and crazy-maddening to keep monster pets!
Just as he was ranting to himself angrily and furiously while also pacing about, he almost didn't notice that both Hari and Sunny exchanged shocked and alarmed looks that the giant had confessed the truth that the monster three-headed dog they were almost killed from was the giant's pet. And even though the two of them felt like not asking any more, after discovering that this Istari giant seemed to have a thing to have and love monsters as his pets or something like the humongous three-headed dog from before, but they knew that they still want to know what kind of magical artifact that's being kept hidden and protected within the school in the forbidden third-floor corridor.
Just as one of them was about to ask the question that they needed to know about, Hari, Sunny, and Thranduil heard rattling and they turned to see what's making that noise, while the giant was suddenly beaming brightly as if he had expected the sounds to come. The Istari giant went to get it and though Hari and Sunny stayed in their seats, Thranduil went to look what it is that he's getting. He saw the giant putting on thick gloves in his large hands and then carefully picked up a slightly large round rock and quickly ran to place it on the table where Hari and Sunny is, almost hissing out and hooting from the intense heat when the rock was being boiled on the pot over the fire of the giant's hut.
Thranduil and Hari stared confused and curious on what that round rock is but the Elvenking noticed that the dwarf Sunny was staring wide-eyed alarmed at the rock like she knows what it is.
"Hagrid…where the BLOODY HELL DID YOU GET THAT!?" Sunny instantly yells, startling Hari completely by surprise at the sudden shouting.
Hagrid beamed happily as he said, "I won it! I was lucky to win this at some card game back there in Diagon Alley long ago. Don't worry, I know how to take care of it."
"Take care of it, my ass! Hagrid, do you even realize what you're dealing with here?!" Sunny exclaimed incredulously but the giant ignored her like he didn't hear anything as he crooned at the round rock on the table.
"Sunny, what in Arda is the matter with you?!" Hari whispered incredulously to her friend, hissing lowly. "It looks like a normal rock."
"That-is no ordinary rock, Hari! It's an egg-a dragon egg!" Sunny whispered back with a frantic tone in her voice, sounding panicked and urgent.
A dragon WHAT!?
Ohh, the incompetent stupid idiotic fool!
That's it!
Thranduil instantly decided right there and then that he'll somehow find a way to deal with this giant if it's the last thing he would ever do. It was bad enough that he found out about the giant having that monstrous dog as a pet-now he's stupid enough to keep a DRAGON near his soulmate!?
He watched as Hari instantly became alarmed when her dwarf friend told her what it is and then both of them quickly try to convince the giant and persuade him into not keeping the dragon egg, that's lying there on the table before them. Thranduil couldn't believe the giant's stupidity and his hard-headed idiotic brain as he rolled his eyes and was listening to the giant protesting that he couldn't throw it out and that the little dragon inside the egg is only a baby and will be defenseless and vulnerable out in the wild.
Good riddance if he would say so himself. Thranduil would rather throw away the egg out in the wild and let it suffer and die instead of thinking of keeping that fire-breathing monster. Just as Hari and Sunny were still continuing to try and doing their best to convince the giant to throw away the dragon egg, all of them heard a cracking ominous sound that's coming from the exact thing they're all worrying about-except the excited Istari giant.
They turned and stare at the dragon egg that's wobbling a bit, cracking sounds were heard from inside and after a silent tense moment, it hatched open splitting in two and a slightly small dragon was chirping wetly and wobbled around the table as its now born and out in the open. The giant was happily crooning and cooing at the newborn dragon as he got close to it almost kneeling next to the table, while Hari and Sunny had swiftly stood up from their seats and backed away in alarm, like they're keeping a safe distance away from it. Thranduil was frowning fiercely as he watched the giant who seemed to have forgotten about his visitors and has focused on the baby dragon that's chirping up at him on the table.
Hari and Sunny stared stunned with disbelief on their faces as they watch the giant paying attention almost motherly towards the baby dragon that hatched from its egg.
The two of them both knew that the giant is never going to let the dragon go and out of his sight anytime soon and Sunny slowly turned to look up at her elf friend. "Okay, it's official-that giant has completely lost his mind!" she said sarcastically and softly so that the giant won't hear them.
Hari nodded dimly but she didn't say anything as she kept staring with narrowed eyes at the giant who has totally lost it because of the baby dragon. The giant turned away to grab whatever food that is needed to feed the newborn dragon that's also cooking on his fireplace.
As Hari watched and eyed Hagrid's back with calm steely eyes when he went off to get the dragon food, she slowly and carefully bend over and lowered her head down to whisper at Sunny. "I have an idea."
"If it will get this fire-breathing winged lizard out of here-then I'm all in for it, girlfriend!" Sunny whispered back as she still stared straight at the baby dragon when it wobbled around the table, as if keeping an eye on it in case it starts breathing fire, even if its newborn.
"Distract him."
She said those two words with meaningful emphasis and Sunny seemed to get the idea on what her elf friend's planning and nodded vigorously at her. "You got it!" she said softly and then the dwarf was off to go straight at Hagrid's side and started to distract him as best as she could, using any knowledge she knew about the half-giant wizard that would keep him busy and get his attention away from Hari who is going to do something about the baby dragon.
Thranduil watched as Hari made sure that her dwarf friend Sunny has gotten the giant Istari distracted and busy, and once she's sure that she did, she carefully grabbed a wool blanket that's hanging nearby her side on a coat stand, which is the giant's shawl or something, and slowly moved forward to the baby dragon on the table, planning to cover it up and wrap it tight on a blanket bundle and then take it outside and throw it away somewhere. Thranduil and Hari tensed a little when the dragon turn its head near to face her direction, but it didn't as it sniffled and then hiccuped a small burp of fire out from its little snout.
Thranduil closed his eyes shut for a short moment in annoyance and frustration at the sight, trying to calm himself down and tone his rising temper down.
Of course-even as a baby, it's already breathing fire.
Thranduil watched sharply at his soulmate who was being quiet and careful enough to approach near to the baby dragon and then wrap it up with the blanket she has spread out ready on her hands. By the time the fire-breathing creature might have realized it, Hari moved swiftly and instantly covered it up whole with the blanket and quickly wraps it up in a tight bundle so that it wouldn't break free or tries to wriggle itself out. Hari and Thranduil sighed with relief and relaxed once the baby dragon is secure and trapped within the blanket, he watched his pair turn around and try to quietly sneak out and throw away the baby dragon out somewhere.
But just as Hari was about to carry it out of the wooden hut, the baby dragon somehow managed to wriggle out of its confines, poked its scaly head out and instantly bit on one of Hari's fingers with a sharp snap. She cried out in surprised pain and dropped the blanket-wrapped bundle down to the floor.
Both Sunny and Hagrid instantly turned at the noise and then the giant moaned out "Little Norbert!" and ran quickly to pick up the baby dragon while Sunny ran to her elf friend's side, checking her over to see if she's okay.
Hari thought quickly in her mind and lied to the giant calmly and casually. "I'm sorry, Hagrid. I didn't mean to drop the dragon. I thought it was shivering from the cold, so I wrapped it up with the blanket to keep him warm. But the baby dragon didn't like it and bit me on the finger, so that's why I dropped it down to the floor." Hari didn't notice the sudden look of alarm and fear on Sunny's face while she was saying these convincing lies to Hagrid.
"Oh, is that right? Well, there was no need of you to do that, Hari. Little Norbert here wouldn't feel the cold at all because he's already got heat burning inside its little body as a dragon and everything. The shivering you mentioned must have been from hunger. Good thing I already got food prepared for the little guy," Hagrid said as he gently picked the baby dragon up, cooing at it and bringing it back to the table and placed it there and quickly grab for its food.
"Well! It's been great meeting and visiting you and all-but I'm sorry to say that we'll have to leave right now, Hagrid! Our next classes might start up soon and we don't want to go to detention over missing it! SEE YOU, HAGRID!" Sunny cried out almost yelling loudly as she quickly grabbed Hari's hand and hurriedly pulled and dragged her out, even though the giant is still distracted over the baby dragon and didn't greet them back goodbyes when the two girls left.
"Wait-Sunny! Sunny stop! Why did you pull me out of there!? We need to get rid of that dragon before it grows bigger and burns down the school!" Hari cried protesting as Sunny was pulling and dragging her away and trying to get back into the magic school in a very urgent hurry.
"Girlfriend, you don't understand! The dragon that just bit you-it's a venomous dragon!" Sunny told her frantically as she kept pulling her hand and trying to drag her to get back inside the school, and run straight to their private dorm rooms.
"Venom-wait, venom as in poison!?" Hari cried out in sudden alarm and looked at her finger with the small dragon bite with fear in her eyes.
"Yeah! So unless you want to die from dragon poisoning-we need to get back fast to our rooms, girlfriend! I have a dragon antidote prepared-so we better double the pace and hurry up!" Sunny almost yelled loudly as the two of them are now running as fast as they could to get back to their dorm rooms inside the school.
Thranduil was cursing and ranting again as loud as he could voice out, wishing that he was corporeal and real so that he would turn around, hunt down that giant and swiftly cut him to pieces with his sword as well as cut the baby dragon too for biting his soulmate and poisoning her with its venom. He hurriedly followed behind Hari and Sunny as they try to run fast as they can to get back to their private rooms where the dwarf had said that she has a prepared antidote ready for poisonous or venomous dragons. However, he became worried that as they were almost near to the Gryffindor rooms, he saw his pair looking a bit sick suddenly and she was slowing down from her speedy running, and it alarmed her dwarf friend when she noticed this.
Sunny instantly demanded at Hari on what's wrong and Hari admitted out loud in a low moan that she's feeling a little sick right now. This alarmed the dwarf girl even more and she instantly asked her whether she's feeling sick-dizzy or sick-nauseous. It almost took a minute for Hari to answer her that she's feeling sick-nauseous and added that she felt like vomiting her empty stomach out.
With that said, Sunny became more alarmed and more determined like her elf friend's symptoms are getting worse by the minute and helpfully pushed Hari inside to keep moving and go to their rooms. Once inside, Sunny gently led Hari to sit down on the bed but ordered her not to lie down and keep sitting up while she hurriedly went to her giant trunk and started rummaging around it to look for the dragon antidote she said she had prepared and have it with her.
"Damn it! I know it's here somewhere!" Sunny cursed out aloud as she kept on grabbing and throwing some of her things out of the trunk, trying to search and look for the very item that will cure Hari's dragon poisoning.
"Um-Sunny?" Hari said weakly from where she's trying to keep sitting up straight on her bed.
"What!?" Sunny yelled back as she kept rummaging around, trying to find whatever she's looking for in an urgent frantic fast-speed.
"Remember the sick-dizziness you were talking about before?"
"What about it?"
"I'm starting to feel it now."
With that, Sunny searched even more vigorously and faster inside her big trunk, and Thranduil could tell that his soulmate's symptoms were getting worse as Hari looked like she's about to fall off her bed and go into a dying seizure on the floor. He didn't realize that he was clenching both of his hands tightly into fists and that his nails were slightly drawing blood digging into his palms until he slightly jumped at the dwarf's sudden shout of triumph. He turned and saw her almost holding up a small black bottle with a carving design of a dragon on it, and watched the dwarf instantly running to Hari's side, uncorking it and ordering Hari to drink everything in that bottled vial and not miss a single drop.
Hari did what she was told and she upended the bottle and tilt up her head, and she drank everything from that little black bottle without stopping and not spilling anything from her open gulping mouth. By the time, both Sunny and Thranduil watched with tenseness as Hari was drinking it all, the elf finally finished emptying it all out inside and down her throat and then she gave out a gasp as if she's feeling the dragon antidote quickly working its magic on curing her from the dragon poison she had been bitten on her finger.
Sunny and Thranduil were relieved when they saw Hari's pale face turning back to a normal healthy color and Hari was almost sighing out in soft panting breaths as the antidote cured her completely of the poison. Sunny went to her bed and slump on it lying with exhaustion on her short being as she commented out aloud to her friend that what was about to happen to Hari was almost too close for comfort. Hari giggled a little at her words and then she asked her dwarf friend about how she knows about the dragon, and why does she have a dragon antidote with her, and everything.
Sunny admitted and confessed to her elf friend that in her dwarf family, one of her cousins has a thing on Dragon knowledge in this other world. Sunny reassured Hari that her cousin doesn't want to keep live ones-like the stupid giant in the magic school-only that he wants to learn and know all about them so that he would be prepared and understand fully about them in case they might encounter one or be facing and fighting against them, while her and her dwarf family are in hiding. Sunny also added that her cousin had invented and created dragon antidotes and potions to counteract and fight against the poisonous and venomous types. And she asked her cousin to have some and bring them with her to the magic school, in case that she might encounter or bump into one there.
Hari commended to Sunny that she's glad she had brought some and Sunny grinned back smiling at her friend and brushes off her gratitude and said that she would do anything for a friend, even if she's an elf. Thranduil was completely relieved that his soulmate was cured and he made a mental reminder to himself to reward the dwarf somehow for rescuing his pair from dying of dragon poison. The Elven-king almost surprised himself that he's thinking of rewarding a dwarf in gratitude for saving his soulmate pair. He had to admit that this particular dwarf girl is good and trustworthy to stay by his soulmate's side. If this dwarf hadn't been prepared for anything and had brought the dragon antidote with her, he would be forced to watch helplessly as his pair dies in front of his eyes from dragon poison.
Now, both Hari and Sunny were exchanging ideas and plotting on their new plan on how to get that baby dragon out of there and away from the magic school before it grows bigger and will burn down the magical building and the surrounding area that's near it. Thranduil thought of wanting his soulmate to cut it down with the sword she had brought with her but he knew that she won't be able to hear him since he's the only one in the Dream-sharing and the only one aware of this connection.
He also wonders on why his pair hasn't become connected yet through their Dream-sharing, since it's been long passed her coming of age that she should be connected with her other soulmate pair, but he believes in the possible theory that with her in another world, the connection must be cut off between them, and he doesn't like that at all if it were true.
Then Hari's eyes beamed brightly when she thought of something and told Sunny that she had a sudden brilliant idea. Sunny commented sarcastically to her that it better be something that she's going to like, for she still held a grudge a little over what happened before with their tangling with the monster troll. Hari rolled her eyes and told her that it will be, even though the disguised elf doesn't like it, she told her dwarf friend her idea of using children-namely the wizard boy Neville-to help them out by distracting Hagrid to get out and leave his hut so that the two of them will sneak in, grab the dragon and throw it away somewhere.
Instantly Sunny beamed as well for this idea as good and they could try to convince Neville into lying to the half-giant Istari that he needed to gather magical herbs or plants from the Forbidden Forest and it's for extra school credit with the Herbology teacher. Both Hari and Sunny shake on it that the idea made is good and then tomorrow morning they will orchestrate their plan.
When the new morning had already come, Hari and Sunny quickly searched for Neville and it didn't take long to find the young boy as he was chatting with his new friend, the witch girl Hermione they had rescued before. The two children looked up and seemed to brighten up upon seeing their heroic protectors that's approaching them and then Hari asked Neville to come along with her and her friend for they need his help with something, which the boy instantly came to her side so excitedly like he's a baby chick eagerly following its mother hen.
Thranduil chuckled at this and he loved the sight of seeing his pair Hari being so gentle and almost motherly towards the young wizard that she decided to take in as her student or something. Then he noticed with a slight frown that the young witch Hermione sneakily following after them in quiet steps, like she wants to know what the three are talking about.
Both Hari and Sunny told Neville about the trouble the half-giant Hagrid is in with the baby dragon he has in his home, and Neville's eyes widened in alarm and fear, and exclaimed in reaction that a dragon is dangerous to keep as a pet because there are many wizards and witches who have died on thinking of raising it, for only the experienced magical dragon-trainers can tame and handle the dragons in the magical world. Then Neville and the other two jumped when they heard Hermione's voice spoke out in agreement with Neville's statement and they turned to her as she said that Hagrid will be sacked as the keeper of the school if anyone finds out about it. She instantly offered that she wants to help with whatever Hari and Sunny needs to get that dragon out and away from the magic school.
Neville was surprised at his new friend since he started to know her as a bookworm and a follower for rules and authority, both Hari and Sunny exchanged surprised looks as well, for Hermione wanting to break rules and lie to an adult authority-like figure was quite a shock. But Hari and Sunny let Hermione in as the two of them told the children that their plan is that the two kids will distract the giant Hagrid away from his home by using the excuse of gathering magic plants for extra credit in Herbology and then once the giant is out, they will sneak in, grab the dragon and then throw it far away somewhere, away from the magic school and anywhere else where it won't hurt anyone.
Neville offered also a better idea, telling the two older girls that he could send a letter quickly to his grandmother and send out expert dragon-trainers to come to the school in secret and take the dragon off their hands. Hari smiled down at him and accepted it and with that approval, the boy went off in a dash to write to his grandparent fast and send them straight to Hari and Sunny once they got the dragon. Hermione helped Neville out on sending his letter off by borrowing one of the fastest messenger owls from one of the classmates there in the Gryffindor dorm-it surprised Thranduil again that they use tamed, magical or familiar owls as messengers to send posts to one another-and then the letter was sent off with an added owl treat to convince the bird messenger to send off its post and come back with its return message as fast as it can.
Now they just need to wait for the return post and then orchestrate their plan to luring Hagrid out and sneaking in and grabbing the dragon and send it off and away with the dragon trainers. It was almost nerve-wracking for the kids, Hari and Sunny to wait for the return, but then it only took about two hours for the messenger owl to come back with a reply from Neville's letter. When the owl came back flying towards them, Neville instantly grabbed the letter and then Hermione gently let the owl perch on her arm so that she would return it back to its owner. Neville opened the letter quickly, smiled and told Hari and Sunny that his grandmother returned fast her response and she's already notified and sent dragon trainers to meet with them once they have the dragon.
Now that everything is settled, their plan is already commencing. Thranduil watched as Hari and Sunny went out again with the two kids in tow to help them in their mission, the children were surprised with wonder when Hari and Sunny hid themselves with the magic invisibility cloak.
Before the Istari children were about to ask them about the magic cloak, Hari reminded them gently about what they need to do and they slightly blush in embarrassment for almost forgetting about it. Though Neville was nervous that the Istari giant might notice something when he and Hermione go visit and distract him, the little witch Hermione decided to do all the talking and try to use her charm as a teacher's pet which she used to be before when she got invited to the magic school.
It wasn't long that they reached the small wooden hut where the giant lived next to the Forbidden Forest, Hari and Sunny stood back and watched the children do their thing as the giant opened its door to greet them when they knocked on it and called for him. Hagrid the Istari giant was surprised but also delighted to see them, and then he became more delighted when the children told him they need his help on gathering magic herbs and plants that's in the Forbidden Forest and he instantly accepted to help the two kids out with their tasks.
Once Hari and Sunny watched quietly as the giant left with the two kids into the forest, they quickly sneaked into the hut which was fortunate that he left the door open and get the dragon out of there, stuffing it to a secure wooden crate they brought along with them and then quickly left the place to go to the designated meeting spot where the expert dragon handlers will be waiting for them.
Thranduil was tensed throughout the whole thing, almost glaring dangerously at the wooden crate both Hari and Sunny are carefully carrying side by side with the dragon stuffed inside it. He hoped his soulmate had come prepared to kill the baby dragon if it tries to break free by using its claws and jaws to break out or breathes fire to burn down the wood. But he didn't need to worry, because even though both his pair and her dwarf friend had gotten themselves prepared with their weapons hidden in their person, Sunny had been already prepared and carved magical Runes into the wooden crate to be unbreakable and non-flammable so that the dragon inside won't break itself free.
When Hari and Sunny reached to the meeting place with the crate rattling a little and some soft dragon cries were sounding softly from it, they were relieved to see that the dragon handlers were already there waiting for them, and one of them Hari seem to recognize which Thranduil noticed by the surprised look on her face. He wondered about it but he focused more with the dragon being handed over which the handlers easily carry the crate and thanked Hari and Sunny for notifying them and they reassured them that it will be brought to the secure environment where there are other dragons they have dealt with and kept it away from the population among them.
Thranduil didn't relax until the dragon handlers are gone with the crate and once they do, he slumped with relief and looked to Hari and Sunny who are also looking relieved as well once they're all gone. After that, they returned to check on the kids and Hagrid and found that they have already returned with Neville and Hermione waiting outside and even from a far distance, they could hear the Istari giant wailing in sorrow when he discovered that his baby dragon pet is gone.
Under the invisibility cloak, Hari and Sunny told the children in whispers that the dragon handlers have already taken it away and it relieved the little ones then they went back to the castle, leaving the mourning Istari giant alone as they have accomplished their mission on getting rid of the dragon without worry that anyone else would know about it unless the giant himself told the others.
After that dragon incident and it's been finally dealt with, Thranduil thought that he could relax now as his soulmate and her dwarf friend continue with their studies and finishing that school year which is near to its end. But unfortunately, he didn't know that something else that is going to happen towards his pair, and it will be ominously bad and foreboding. It was another month later that something happened in one of those nights, where Hari was still awake and her friend Sunny was sleeping inside their private rooms as she is studying late so that she would finish her studies quickly before the school year ends.
After Hari and Sunny had finished dealing, both the disguised elf and the dwarf girls now focus on finishing their studies and preparing for the school exams as the school year is nearly ending soon. Despite some of its useless subjects, they will take on the exams and both of them are fully prepared to pass it since they have been doing advanced studying and the teachers didn't know about it thanks to the confusion spells they had casted to the teachers.
This time, when they were studying in their self-study, they added two more people into their group, which are Neville and Hermione that Hari offered to let them join and the two children were instantly delighted and agreed to it. Both the little wizard and witch agreed with Hari and Sunny when they asked about their subjects at their year level and gave their opinions that it was a good thing that they're doing advanced studying so that they would pass their subjects without failing it because of its uselessness. However, the two young magical kids didn't know that Hari and Sunny have been using spells to fool their teachers and other students that they have been attending those classes when in reality they have not, and they used those times to their self-studying together.
In one of those late nights, with Sunny heavily sleeping and snoring that Hari calmly ignored, the elf maiden Hari loved staying awake and studying more about everything in magic so that she might be able to create, invent or discover a way into returning to Arda. Just then she didn't know that in one of those late nights as she is reading a magic book about wizards and witches transforming into animals called Animagus or Animagi, she suddenly heard or sensed a disturbance coming from outside and her head slightly turned to look at one of the windows of their private dorm room. When she heard it again with her sharp elf hearing, she moved to look out the window to point out its source.
It sounded like a horse crying out that is coming from the Forbidden Forest, but then this was no ordinary horse Hari is hearing. For somehow she could feel the sudden pain and fear coming from the horse cry that sounded like it's being attacked by something very dark. Hari thought at first that this might be some kind of illusion trap that will lure anyone who hears it to venture into the dark forest, but then the elf couldn't bear to leave that sound alone even when it sounded like that and almost like it was crying out for help. So Hari made her decision.
Hari put the book she was reading to the desk beside her bed, grabbed her hidden weapons and putting them onto herself, the sword sheathed and strapped to her side, her quiver of arrows sling behind her back and her longbow now magically activated out from its stick form and ready to use in the grip of her right hand. She moved to wake up her snoring dwarf friend with her left hand gently nudging and moving her awake and Sunny snorted a little upon sensing it and yawned widely as the dwarf girl blearily wakes up.
"Hey, girl…what's up? And-whoa, it's late at night! What gives?!" Sunny exclaimed incredulously when she saw through outside the windows of their dorm rooms its still dark out.
"Sunny, I'm leaving to check out something that's going on in the Forbidden Forest," Hari bluntly states to her.
"Oh, okay-SAY WHAT NOW!?"
Hari jumped at the loud shout and quickly tried to hush her quiet, even though their private rooms has been enchanted to be silent, thanks to Sunny's magic Runestones.
"What do you mean you're going into the Forbidden Forest?!" Sunny demanded at her loudly, not lowering the high volume of her dwarf voice at all as she is upset over her friend's sudden unexpected foolhardy choice on going out there. "Wasn't there some announcement before that the forest is forbidden to go there!?"
"I heard something over there, Sunny-an animal from what I heard-and I think it's in trouble. I know I might have been hearing things and imagining it, but I can't deny such a cry when I heard it with my keen elf ears. I need to see what's out there and try to help it if I can." Hari said determinedly, firm on her decision.
"I know that elves can be super nature-lovers and animal-lovers-but this is borderline ridiculous!" Sunny protested vehemently, trying to convince her elf friend to not go. "Haven't you considered that it might be some dark creature that's mimicking whatever you heard and was trying to lure you out there so that it will catch you and then eat you or something?!"
Hari rolled her eyes and calmly retorted to her. "I have considered that but my hearing hasn't failed to deceive me, Sunny. And I can tell what is fake and real."
"But you're still going out there to check it out?! Hari!" she demanded incredulously.
Hari didn't answer but she let her actions do as she got her weapons ready and then had her magic cloak on hand and was going to walk out and put it on to sneak out of the magic school and into the forest. When Sunny saw that she was very determined to go, she cursed and hurriedly grabbed for her ax and pouch with the carved and enchanted Runestones in it, as she hastily chases after her. Hari slightly hid a smile to herself when she sensed her dwarf friend following behind her. She even didn't say a word when she put on the invisible magic cloak and felt Sunny quickly nudging her aside to be inside it too as they sneaked out.
The Elven-king frowned fiercely as he saw this while following behind his soulmate and her friend under the magic invisibility cloak. He didn't like that his pair is sneaking out to check whatever had made that noise from the Forbidden Forest that was told before that it dwells dangers and dark magical threats that are lurking in there. But he knew from knowing about his soulmate, she would not turn away from a helpless cry that is calling to her caring side towards nature and animals. He was relieved at least that she prepared herself with weapons in case she needs to defend herself or fight against whatever threat that might come at her, and he's also glad that the dwarf is coming along to help her out.
He watched and followed behind Hari and Sunny as they carefully and cautiously enter into the Forbidden Forest once they got out of the school and then took off the magic cloak as they go through inside the dark mystical woods. He feared what kind of dark creatures they might encounter into the shadowy forest and was looking around alertly and warily to see if he might spot anything that might sense his soulmate's arrival and then start hunting or stalking her and her companion. So far there is nothing that he could see, hear or sense anything at all, but he kept his guard up all the same, even though he couldn't help his pair much in the Dream-sharing.
It didn't take long for Hari to track down the exact location where she heard the so-called cry for help and she had an arrow notched at the ready to her longbow while Sunny readied her trusty-favorite sharp ax too as they approached silently and closely to the very spot they are about to go to. But what they have found that is almost beyond the sight before them-it is not what they have expected. And the Elven-king Thranduil was also shocked to see this and stunned at this unexpected sight.
A pure white horse with a horn on its head was neighing loudly in challenge against a shadowy wraith that is trying to get at it. And the horse looked to be injured, bleeding heavily with pure silver blood that's pouring from a long sliced gash from the right half of its body. Even though it looked to be slowly weakening from blood loss, it was still standing up strong and trying to fend off the wraith that's trying still to attack it.
Hari was in awe, as well as Thranduil staring at this, and she was almost aware of Sunny whispering to her that she doesn't know what kind of creature is the dark wraith but she knows what it was trying to attack, for it is called a Unicorn. One of the purest creatures in the other world and a creature so pure and amazingly majestic such as this one, it is a cruel crime to slaughter one, for doing such an evil deed will curse you to a half-life on daring to slay a Unicorn.
Hari snapped out of it when she saw the Unicorn neighed again at the wraith, trying to intimidate it to go away, but it was about to collapse in blood loss and exhaustion. She reacted into action, drew her arrow at the ready and then shouted a magic spell in the Elven language and the enchanted arrow was shot straight to the wraith, exploding in a bright flash of light that it looked like it scared and pained the dark-magicked wraith to shriek and then it flew away into the deep darkness almost merging into the shadows as it disappears. Then after checking that it was truly gone, Hari slowly approached the Unicorn which is now facing her and Sunny as if they're the new threat and she moved to gently coax it to show that they're friendly.
It didn't take long for the pure white horned horse to accept Hari and then Sunny who went forward to treat its bleeding wound with an instant healing potion cream that magically heals it fast. Thranduil watched as Hari bonded with her new animal friend, which the magical unicorn nuzzled its snout against her cheeks affectionately as it accepts the kind gesture when they helped it, and it was careful to not hurt her with its sharp white horn. He stared in awe at the majestic creature as he watched Hari feed it with a few sugar cubes she somehow brought with her, which the unicorn loved the treats instantly, and he listened to her giving it a name, and then Sunny was commenting and asking why her elf friend had named the unicorn after the mythical horse from some lore or myth that she knows where the name came from. He couldn't believe that this is the very creature that was on the soulmate mark of his right arm when he saw it.
Then Hari and Sunny tensed when they seem to hear or sense something move from the forest and then they readied their weapons to shoot or strike at whatever is approaching towards them. The unicorn, now named as Arion from Hari, didn't seem to be fazed or react in defense at something that's coming, for it acted like it's familiar or knows what it is and was being calm about it. It didn't take long for whatever it is to appear into their sights, and then slowly Hari and Sunny lowered their weapons to almost stare in wonder and awe at the kind of magical creatures or beings they're seeing, and Thranduil couldn't help himself by gaping his mouth slightly wide open as he stared at the sights he's looking at before him.
The creatures or beings that came, were all human but with upper torsos of the body parts, as for their lower halves, is the complete bodies of horses, but the head part is that of the human torsos. Though they have pointed ears almost similar to the elves, it goes to show that these creatures are very different and mystical in nature that dwells in the forest. The half-human horse beings had bows and arrows as their weapons but when they came to confront the forest intruders, they were slightly stunned on seeing Hari and Sunny like they know what's beneath their magical disguises and then also shocked on seeing that one of them is close friends with the unicorn, who seemed to be glaring pointedly at them from behind Hari and Sunny as if daring them to attack his new friends if they try to. One of the human-horse beings, a female one approached them and told them to follow them to their small village in the forest for where they will stay for the night as they wanted Hari and Sunny to stay with them for the time being because of something of grave importance or something.
Thranduil was in awe of these creatures or magical beings, which they are called and known as Centaurs that are half-beings of human and horse, when Hari whispered to Sunny that she has heard of these beings and knows about them, thanks to her guardian mother. He was also stunned that they seem to revere his soulmate like she's the Elven Queen of the mystical Forbidden Forest when Hari and Sunny were led to the Centaurs' village, somewhere deep inside the forest. He stared a little stunned as each of them bowed down and almost kneeled their horse bodies at front in respect towards Hari as she walked past them when they got into the place and all of the other Centaurs of the herd saw them approach.
At first, he thought that they're paying respect towards her because she somehow made a friendship bond with the unicorn that's prancing proudly beside her and Sunny, but he realized that it is not the case, for he could tell that all of the Centaurs in the herd of the forest were greatly familiar with the Elves of Arda and he wondered about what kind of relations that these half-human horse creatures have with the Elves. He also noticed that the Centaurs are familiar with the dwarves as they nodded dimly to Sunny, but he noted that most of them have favored the elves like Hari. It didn't take long for Hari and Sunny to be led towards the leader of the Centaur herd and it turned out to be another female one, only this one is dark-colored type, with an ebony black horse body and dark-skinned human part with long braided black hair, tied in tribal style. He saw the female Centaur leader bowing down to Hari in respect as her other Centaurs have did and welcomed them in kind greeting to their village and their stay here.
The female Centaur introduced herself as Mira and that they will be given refreshments and a place for them to rest for the night before they return to the magic school early morning in the next day. The Centaur leader also commended and gave her grateful thanks to Hari on her brave part of saving one of the Unicorns of the forest and was pleased to see that she has made a friendship with it, for it is quite a gift to bond with a unicorn as a good companion. The leader Mira called for one of her kin, a male Centaur named Firenze, and ordered him to guide Hari and Sunny to where they need to stay and rest, and also bring them food and water.
Thranduil watched as the centaur Firenze nodded and followed his leader's orders as he gently gestured to Hari and Sunny to follow him and they did, with the unicorn Arion still following beside them, staying next to Hari's side. The male centaur led them to a makeshift tent, almost built similar like an outdoor horse stable as Firenze led them inside where there is a big soft hay-covered bed for them to rest on with a fur blanket on top. Both Hari and Sunny were surprised at the modest simplicity of this living space before Firenze told them to be comfortable as others will come to serve them food and water, and the male centaur turned and left them alone.
Hari and Sunny exchanged uncertain looks to each other once the centaur named Firenze left them alone and then they made themselves comfortable by sitting down on the hay-bed covered with the fur blanket, while Arion the unicorn decided to lie down right next to Hari's side as it is comfortable to stick around beside her for the unicorn is becoming more fond of her affectionately.
"So what do you think that's all about?" Sunny asked Hari curiously as her elf friend was the one who told her the knowledge before about knowing about these Centaur beings. "Why would these guys want to talk to you anyway?"
Hari shrugged as she is also puzzled about this too, and replied to Sunny. "I don't know. But from what I know about everything that my mother Adriana had told me-it's that these Centaurs were among the beings in this world that the Elves had trusted to keep their races hidden from the magical wizards and witches. I don't know much of what had happened and how that kind of relationship came about, but from what was said about them, the Centaurs helped out the Elves into hiding from the other races and they are said to be magical guardians of the mystical forests like this one."
Sunny figured out part of this from what she deduced in her mind. "So basically, they're like you Elven guys being guardians of nature and animals, right?" Hari shrugged again in response to her as she's not sure that it is or not.
"Actually, it is slightly similar in that way, miss dwarf."
Both Hari and Sunny jumped and then stood up together when they heard the voice and saw that it was the Centaur leader Mira who had come in when they were having their conversation. They were surprised that both of them aren't aware of her coming in but Mira didn't seem to be fazed or offended at all when the two of them were having their talk about her and the Centaur herd.
Mira smiled at them and inquired. "Are you comfortable, milady?"
Hari smiled back, albeit nervously. "My friend Sunny and I are fine. Thank you for letting us stay for the night." The female Centaur nodded to her dimly before she moved to the side to let Firenze and another centaur come in as they brought in food and water to serve for their guests.
Hari slightly blushed when her stomach growled a little in response when she smelled the delicious food that is served and she blushed even brighter when her friend Sunny chuckled in amusement beside her. However, Sunny also blushed when her stomach also growled out soundly in hunger and the dwarf glared at her elf friend who giggled a little upon hearing it.
Mira smiled again upon hearing and noticing this but she didn't comment about it as she nodded to the two centaurs to leave them alone and they did. It wasn't long for them to have some snacks and take little drinks of the served water, and then after they finished, the centaur leader Mira focused on having the conversation she wanted to have with Hari. Hari looked at Mira curiously as she wondered what it is that the lady centaur wanted to talk to her about.
The female centaur gave a grave look as she glanced towards the content unicorn who was healed from its injuries thanks to Hari and Sunny. "I presume that you have seen and witnessed the foul dark creature that tried to hurt and slay the unicorn?" she asked calmly and the centaur's question surprised the two magical girls a bit before they nodded to her in reply.
Sunny said, "All I know is that it's a monstrous thing to try to kill a unicorn, and though we don't know what that dark wraith wanted from it, we drove it away before it was about to try to complete the job."
"It's a good thing you did, but unfortunately, I have to give you more bad news that this wraith has already slain a few more unicorns before." Mira said gravely.
Hari and Sunny were shocked to hear this and then Mira went on explaining that there were about seven unicorns during the course of a week of being attacked by that dark shadowy wraith and only two are dead while the other five are under the centaur's care and being treated and healed of their injuries and were safely near recovery. But what's more horrifying is that there was a horrifying reason why the wraith would dare to harm the unicorns.
"I'm sorry, I must have heard you wrong, but did you just say-that monstrous dark creature has been drinking their blood!?" Sunny exclaimed incredulously horrified. Mira looked like she wanted to deny it but she nodded again gravely in answer to the dwarf-girl. Hari wasn't looking any better as she was sickened at this horrible sinful crimes and she glanced back towards Arion like she's making sure that the unicorn she had saved was still alive and kicking.
"Is that thing crazy or something?! Once unicorn blood touches the lips of whoever dares to drink it-they'll be cursed to a half-life! Even those who were desperate from escaping death and such-both good or bad types of people!" Sunny cried out ranting almost loudly. Mira nodded solemnly at the dwarf-woman's words.
"Unfortunately, this foul being was desperate enough that he didn't hesitate on slaying the pure creatures and take their blood by force on doing so. From what my fellows have known little about it, this dark being seemed to be in the brink of death and would do anything to live again, even if its cursed as it is right now. But there's also something else." she added, giving a pointed look at them which made Hari and Sunny confused on seeing the dark and grave expression on the Centaur's face. "My fellows have noticed that the wraith has been lurking about impatiently at Hogwarts castle and looked like it wanted to barge itself inside but couldn't because of the magical barriers surrounding it. They also noticed that it somehow persuaded one of the people in there to break in and let the troll in before so that the wraith would get whatever it wants in there. The other centaurs who were watching in the shadows have noticed the wraith was furious when the break-in attempt failed and that thing somehow knows this."
Both Hari and Sunny's eyes widened again in shock upon recognizing and realizing what the Centaur leader has told them. They exchanged wide-eyed looks upon realizing that the dark wraith is the mastermind of the plot from before at the troll break-in and the three-headed monster dog killing someone as it was guarding its treasure. Mira looked like that she has already known this and about the unknown artifact that's being guarded inside Hogwarts school.
"That wraith is after the magic artifact that the foolish Headmaster placed it there and thought that it would be guarded inside. The foul creature is desperate to get it and he will not stop the horrible crimes he has done within this forest until it gets what it wants from inside the magic school." the female Centaur said solemnly ominous.
Hari knew what the Centaur is asking from her and Sunny, as she had known from some of her knowledge about the Centaurs. She said reassuredly to her. "Rest assured, we'll do everything we can to stop this dark creature from obtaining what he wants and ensure that no more innocent creatures get killed by this wraith." Sunny looked at her friend dubiously silent as if asking how the bloody hell are they going to do that.
Thranduil watched as the Centaur leader was happy and reassured over this and she bowed her head again in respect to Hari and Sunny. Then the female leader stood and left the two alone so that they would finish what's left of their drinks and food and then go to sleep in the makeshift tent they were offered to stay for the night. It didn't take long for them to finish and then set it aside for the other centaurs to get it when they came to pick them up. Hari settled herself to lie and sleep on the unicorn's side which Arion didn't mind it at all on having the disguised elf sleep on it. Thranduil became amused a little when the unicorn snorted huffily at Sunny as if the dwarf is an exception on having her sleep next to it. Sunny gave a slightly offended look but then she shrugged and then settled herself to sleep on the soft hay bed, almost a fair distance away from sleeping Hari and watchful unicorn Arion.
It was the next morning that Hari and Sunny woke up and then they were escorted kindly from some of the Centaurs, including the leader Mira herself towards the magic school. They exchanged goodbyes and Hari patted Arion on its snout fondly as the unicorn will stay with the Centaur herd for its safety and then both Hari and Sunny went under the magic invisibility cloak and went back inside the school before the others woke up early and noticed their absence.
They managed to make it back on time before the little and big children woke up to get ready for their classes of the day. Thranduil watched as Hari and Sunny made it quickly into their private rooms and then start discussing about the research they need to deal with about knowing what kind of magic artifact is hidden within the school and finding out why the dark wraith is after it. They decided to take on the research at the library since the answers might be there and that's what they did as Hari stayed on the table, pretending to do some homework when she's actually keeping watch at the head librarian and Sunny left to search and get the books that might have the answers what they're looking for.
Hari was nearly startled when Sunny came running back after finding what she was looking for so fast already, and then slammed the heavy big book on the table soundly. The head librarian heard the slightly loud noise and hushed sharply which made Sunny blush and then mumble aloud in apology at her. Then Hari leaned closer as Sunny opened the book and pointed out what was the exact possible magic artifact that was hidden inside the magic school and being guarded.
Thranduil leaned over and saw that the dwarf is pointing out what is being read and known to be the Philosopher's Stone. A magical artifact created by an Istari alchemist that can turn any object into gold, or grant its user the Elixir of Life, meaning granting anyone immortality. It didn't take long for Thranduil to realize, as well as Hari and Sunny to solve and find out the very answer on what the dark wraith outside the magic school is after.
"We need to show this to the school faculty and the Headmaster." Hari suddenly said after they found the answer and reason why the attacks occured, and what the dark wraith lurking outside is going after.
Sunny nodded with her face grimacing slightly. "I hate the idea that we have to be the ones to show this to the teachers of this magic school…but needs are a must so that no more innocents would get hurt from the crossfire."
Hari also agreed at Sunny's words as she felt like not wanting to meet them-especially Headmaster Dumbledore, for there is something about that old wizard that she really doesn't like. However, Hari knows that the professors of this school must know about this urgently and do something about it like increasing their defenses of the magic school or move away the magical artifact to another safe place or something else. So Hari and Sunny hastily left the library and went to the direction to where the main office that's where the Headmaster and the other teachers are gathered together. It wasn't long for them to know where it is exactly as they stood in front of a gargoyle which is the entrance guard to Dumbledore's main office and that Hari and Sunny knew that the other professors would be in there too for they had learned early about the faculty meeting since they were absent from the Great Hall than they usually be whenever the students gather for meal-times.
Sunny thought deeply. "If I remember correctly, the Headmaster has a thing for sweets," she said. "Magical sweets precisely, so maybe one of them could be the password to this?"
Then she and Hari started rattling off random sweets to the stone guard but it didn't move nor did it magically speak in response to them. But when Hari offered Cockroach Cluster as a joke, the gargoyle moved suddenly when she said that and it opened and revealed the entrance for her and her friend. Both of them exchanged looks for a surprised silent moment before Sunny exclaimed. "Gross! The Headmaster likes those kinds of sweets too?!"
Hari hid her disgusted grimace at this as she moved forward first, taking the lead with Sunny hastily following behind her as they went inside to meet with the professors. However, the two of them became shocked that when they reached inside the office, they found all the various teachers and faculty staff slumped unconscious in their seats, lying on the floors, or lying on the big table that's laid out for them for tea and chat, and all of them looked like they died from poison or something.
Hari gasped and she quickly ran and checked on the fallen teachers while Sunny was inspecting their empty cups and other mugs. "Oh no…" Hari said softly when she noted that they're all out of it and looked at her friend worriedly. "Sunny, are they-?"
Sunny instantly shook her head in a negative after she took one keen sniff at one of the cups she picked up and studied it. "Nope. They're not poisoned or dead from something. They've all been drugged by a sleeping potion. It knocked them all out pretty good." she said. Hari sighed with relief at this, but then she focused on the situation in front of her sight and her eyes narrowed upon noticing something off of the scene she's seeing right now.
Thranduil also studied the situation as he sees that something is off as well, and then Hari voiced out her thoughts as she points out that the cowardly turban-head professor Quirrel is missing and Sunny noticed this once she takes a look around too. It wasn't long for the disguised elf and dwarf women to think that maybe Quirrel might be involved and somehow allied with the enemy or being taken hostage by the dark wraith itself. However, it seems that their theories will have to wait because they realized the gravity of the heavy situation right now since all the professors have been forced to sleep by the potion and that they'll need to stop the perpetrator from stealing the stone.
Thranduil didn't like this at all but he knew from Hari's expression that they have no choice but to do this themselves, for they are the only ones who know about this and that they are trained enough to fight against whoever the enemy is and prevent him from stealing the stone so that the dark wraith would regain its body or something worse. He watched as Hari and Sunny hastily went back to their private rooms to grab for the weapons and prepare themselves for a possible fight ahead, as they decided to go through the guardian traps and try to go for the stone first before the enemy does. It wasn't long until he watched and followed them as they go straight to the third floor corridor under the magic invisible cloak. But when they got inside quietly through the door to face against its first guardian, Thranduil, Hari, and Sunny stared in disbelief as the enemy had already gone through the first trap.
Both Hari and Sunny stared at the three-headed dog, the same creature they encountered from before, and the magic-playing harp that's enchanting it to deep slumber, back and forth.
"Seriously?!" Sunny exclaimed incredulously. "Just play some music and the beast falls straight to sleep!?"
Hari shrugged, "Since this was Hagrid's pet, this must have been his method on calming him down."
"Of course it is! Ugh-that giant seriously need to get his head checked and straightened out!" Sunny ranted softly and rolling her eyes.
Hari sighed and then she and her friend focused on the trap door that's beneath the giant monster dog's feet and they hurriedly and carefully pushed the paws out of the way so that they can get into the trap door before the magical music stops playing and the guardian will wake up. Once they opened the trap door and immediately jumps down into the darkness of the hole, the two of them could hear the monster dog awakening when the music stopped and they were glad that they made it out in time as they go to whatever the next trap is.
They landed into something soft and sort of wriggly when they jumped down and Hari and Sunny try to look around with their sharp eyes in the darkness as if trying to discern what they just landed on and finding out where they are now. But it didn't take long for the danger to be realized when Hari finally sensed something in horror and shouted out to her friend.
"Sunny!"
"What? AH! The bloody hell?!" Sunny suddenly curses out yelling too.
There were sudden tendrils of vine-like plants from the thing that they landed on and the vines instantly wrapped around Sunny's waist, tightening like a crushing vise as she struggled to break free, and Hari was doing the same when the moving plant tendrils went on wrapping her around and trying to crush her to death.
"What in great Mahal is this!?" Sunny exclaimed as she managed to pull out one of her sharp daggers and started slicing the tendrils one by one but more kept moving to tie her up and try to wrap her tight in death grip.
"Devil's Snare! A deadly magical plant that kills anyone or anything that moves if you're on it! This must be another one of the guardian traps to guard the artifact!" Hari cried as she also pulled out a sharp dagger and started slicing too but more vines kept trying to wrap her and kill her.
"I sure hope you know what it's weakness is!" Sunny cried out as she continued slicing, almost being choked of her breath when one vine nearly crushed her but she cut it on time before another tendril wraps around her again.
Hari tries to remember and focus on what the magic plant's weakness, while trying to stop the vines from strangling her to death, and like a flash of lightning, she got it. She wasn't able to reach out and try to pull out her wand, so it looks like she'll be doing this without it.
'INFLAMARAE MAXIMUS!' Hari quickly intoned the fire spell into a powerful one and instantly a big blasting ball of fire strikes into the center of the magical plant and then the Devil's Snare seemed to sound like it's shrieking in terror and pain as all the vines get away from both Hari and Sunny and then dropped them down into the next floor below.
Thranduil sighed with relief that they made it through the trap of that magical killer plant and he watched as Hari and Sunny were dropped deeper into the next floor below and this time, Hari and Sunny quickly took out their weapons and have them on hand at the ready so that they wouldn't be caught off-guard again from the previous trap. The two women looked around, saw the door that signifies it's the entrance to whatever the next trap is, both exchanging wary looks before Hari moved first to open it and go into the unknown room.
This time, Thranduil was a little intrigued by this sort of complicated trap that Hari and Sunny are going into and the two girls were curious and interested as well when they saw numerous keys fluttering around with enchanted wings and there was a single broom floating silently in front of them. It wasn't long for Sunny to figure out what the trap is and she was snorting with disbelief upon seeing the simplicity of the trap as she explained it to her friend Hari. The dwarf girl told her that they need to find the exact key which fits the lock on the door that goes to the next trap room they'll be going through. Hari understood and she quickly zeroed in on which is the exact key and found it, as it fluttered around with a slightly broken and limp wing, which shows that the enemy was ahead of them again and solved the puzzle of the Charms trap. Thranduil watched as his pair gets on the broom gracefully and then swiftly flies to capture the key without any problems, landed and then handed it over to Sunny so that she'll have a turn into opening the door for them to go to the next trap room.
Hari and Sunny looked back at the closed door where they have passed the Charms trap as it shuts magically behind them once they gotten through.
"Huh…if I didn't know any better, I think that kind of trap was a little too easy than the Devil's Snare thing." Sunny remarked a bit lightly. Hari shook her head at her words, as she knew that the other traps they'll be facing won't be as easy as the two they had already passed through.
When they moved to the next room, they were almost startled on seeing another troll that looked to be the same kind from before that invaded into the school, but then Hari and Sunny were relieved on seeing it unconscious like it was knocked out by something. However, seeing this strange and unusual sight, it deepened Hari and Sunny's suspicions that Quirrel might be doing this for the dark wraith as he seemed to be working for the enemy, and they thought that his cowardly self was a cover-up of whatever his true personality is.
But they shook those thoughts for later again, because there are still other trap rooms that they'll have to go through. When they went through another door, they saw a gigantic chess set with the black side empty of two spaces of the Queen and Knight, and they wondered what kind of trap this is until it came to them in an instant split-second on realizing what this is.
"Um…Hari? This won't be like-real magical chess, right?" Sunny inquired worriedly when the sudden thought came to her. Hari didn't answer as she moved to take the empty space of the Black Queen would be and decided to try it out as Sunny reluctantly went to the empty Black Knight space.
Just as they took their places in those empty spots, they heard noise and turned to see one of the White Pawns move first and the magical chess game was on.
Hari looked around and then pointed at one of the black pawns and shouted. "Pawn 5! Move to D5!"
The black pawn moved slowly and stopped right across diagonally beside the white pawn. And like in response or answering Sunny's question, the white pawn drawing both of its swords and then sliced the black pawn beside it into pieces, making Sunny and Hari stare at it stunned shock as the white has taken the black.
Hari gulped as she said dryly to Sunny. "Yes, my friend. This is going to be exactly like real magic's chess!"
"Then I guess it's a good thing that you're a master of this game, huh?" Sunny piped lightly, almost making Hari glare at her, a bit offended at her remark.
But then she brush it off and Hari continued the chess game and played it with her commanding moves with the other black pieces at their side of the gigantic magical chess board. It wasn't long until she wins the game, though it was a tense moment when the last moves of the White Queen had two options of taking out the other Black Knight or Sunny but then Hari was relieved when the White Queen chose to take out the Black Knight instead of her friend. Hari made her last move on checkmate the White King and it bowed on its knees before her and his crown and sword was taken off to show that she won the chess game.
Once they were done with this chess trap, they quickly moved to the next room and then Hari and Sunny noticed the small table with various potions on its surface, and a scroll that is written with some sort of riddle on it. But when they get in close range to the potions table, a sudden magical circle of fire surrounded and trapped them so that they would be unable to get out, even with magic spells or means. Though Hari and Sunny tried, nothing happened that dispersed the magic fiery circle so it didn't take long for them to realize that they just need to solve the puzzle on which potion on the table will get them out of there.
It didn't take long for Hari to realize the logic of the puzzle in the scroll's riddle and then she points out two bottles and said to Sunny. "One of these two potion bottles will send me straight to the last trap room where the stone is. And the second one will send you straight outside back to the forbidden corridor."
Sunny looked at the potion bottle which Hari points out that goes to the Stone's trap room intensely. "Is there any way we could divide it for both of us?"
Hari shook her head in a negative. "Even if we divide it, the potion won't work. It can only work for one person."
"Oh crap! That means you'll be facing Quirrell-or whoever the enemy that might be already there in the last trap room-alone! Damn it, Hari! Don't do it!" Sunny snapped at her vehemently.
"Sunny, there's no other way!" Hari snapped at her back. "The dark wraith won't stop with its quest on getting the stone, and we can't let it get its hands on it to somehow regain its body back or give it immortality as the knowledge about it says so! I'm going and besides-I have my weapons with me and I'm not entirely helpless on using them and such."
Sunny admits to herself that Hari is quite skilled as a fighting warrior, but she worries for her elf friend because there's no telling that she'll be able to fight off against the enemy if he uses dark magic against her, despite that Hari knows some defensive and offensive magic spells to counter-attack against it. Still, she didn't like the idea that her friend is going alone against the possible suspect known as Prof. Quirrel or some unknown dark enemy that might be on the last trap room. But seeing that Hari is determined, Sunny rummages around her magic pack and gave her a few Runestones in addition to her Elven weapons.
"Take these and be careful with using them," Sunny said to her firmly as Hari looked at the carved magical stones she's holding in one hand when her dwarf friend gave them to her. "The gray stones with white markings are magical smoke-screens, and the black stones with red markings are magical exploding bombs. They activate upon thrown on impact, so as I said be careful upon using them. It's just in case you need them when you find yourself outnumbered or something."
"Thank you, Sunny," Hari said sincerely to her friend as she pockets them on her side so that she could easily reach for them when needed.
Sunny snorted and then glared pointedly at her. "Don't thank me yet, until you get out of this alive. Because if you don't-by great Eru himself, I'm going to find a way into magically resurrecting you back and whack you silly with my ax, if you end up recklessly getting yourself killed or something!"
Hari smiled at her friend and then she became serious as she took the potion bottle and was ready to drink it and go to the next room where she will be facing the enemy that's possibly there first before her. First, she hands over the potion bottle for Sunny that will get her back to the forbidden corridor, and even though she was still reluctant to leave her, Sunny drinks it all and Hari watched as her dwarf friend disappears magically before her eyes as the potion teleported her out.
Then she tensed, preparing herself again to be ready and then drinks the potion that will magically teleport her to the trap room where the stone is. Once she feels the tingle and closes her eyes so that she won't feel dizzy during the magical trip, she opened her eyes and found herself in some dark stone altar-like room and she became confused and puzzled when Hari sees a large mirror in the center of it.
However, Hari became fully on guard and tensed as she brought out her bow and then readied one arrow out from her quiver as she moved forward cautiously towards the mirror while looking around to make sure that the enemy might be hidden somewhere or some trap might attack her from somewhere in the dark room.
When nothing happened, Hari was now near to the mirror, gazing at the clear reflection of herself, wondering about what kind of mirror is this and curious to know why it's there. At first, Hari wonders whether this might be some sort of magic mirror but then it turns out that her thoughts became true when somehow images shimmered beside her and her eyes nearly widen upon seeing her guardian mother Adriana standing beside her, smiling at her as if she's proud of what she accomplished even though she hasn't yet.
She looked around swiftly as if making sure that it was a trick or illusion of sorts and when she found nothing and looked back to the mirror, she saw that her guardian is still there, but this time she isn't alone. Two more images appeared beside her and Hari became more shocked upon recognizing her Elven parents as they shimmered into clear sight beside Adriana and they were also smiling proudly for their daughter.
Hari almost became tearful at this on seeing their happy and proud faces towards her but then she shakes it off and tries to figure out what kind of magical trap this mirror can do to her. It didn't take long for her to find the strange carved writing above the mirror, engraved on top of its frame, and she stared puzzled at its name as it says 'Mirror of Erised'. Then there was a strange phrase below that title and it took about a split-second for her to solve and deduce what the phrase means as it seemed to be written and carved backwards.
'I SHOW NOT YOUR FACE, BUT YOUR HEART'S DESIRE'
That is what it says on the carved written phrase above the mirror. Hari figured it out and when she looked to the mirror, she saw the images of her guardian and parents disappearing, and it showed her another image of herself, only it made her confused.
"Huh…I look beautiful when I'm older? Is this what you want to show me? I don't think that one of my heart's desires would be myself being vain and shallow." Hari said out loud, murmuring to herself with a raised brow to her other self in the enchanted magic mirror, that seemed to be dressed up in some sort of medieval royal-like silver gown, complete with a silver tiara on her head.
Hari's magic mirror-being seemed to giggle with amusement and shook her head in a negative to reply in silent answer that this is not what she wanted to show her.
Then Thranduil's eyes widened in stunned shock when he saw the mirror seem to shimmer another image to appear at his soulmate's sights and saw himself appearing next to Hari's mirror self and he has a loving expression on his face towards the other and both of them held hands together, to show that the two of them are soul-mates.
He knew from the look on his pair's face that Hari has also figured out who the other being was that appeared next to her mirror self and he smiled widely on seeing the wonder and awe as she stared at her mirror self's partner.
"Is this…is this who I think it is?" Hari asked softly in shock and wonder, whispering this as if not wishing for this other image to disappear from her mirror self.
As if to answer her, their soul-mate marks started glowing magically from both their right arms and showed faint images of whatever their marks are depicted of. Hari couldn't see what her soulmate's marks look like but she could see that he looked to be some sort of Elven noble from the way he is dressed up so royal-like also with the crown he's wearing on his head. Hari thought that he must be some sort of Elven king but his appearance doesn't seem to be too grand and royal-like for her to know if he is or not.
She didn't realize that she was staring so much at her soulmate pair, trying to memorize and remember what he looks like always, her hand slowly reaching out like she wanted to touch that mirror-image for real, but then she didn't notice that her mirror self seemed to see something from behind her and was alarmed, as if the magical mirror was a sentient being as well.
The image of her soulmate disappeared and Hari couldn't help it as she protested out loud. "Hey! That's not fair! Bring him back! I'm not-!"
That's when Hari noticed to her confusion that her mirror self is shouting at her desperately in a soundless voice after she had seen the mirror-being shoving some sort of red gem-like stone into her pocket by her side, where she also puts the Runestones her friend Sunny gave her before.
"Run?" Hari voiced out loud as it didn't take long enough for her to figure out what her mirror self is telling her. "Why would I run…?"
"Give me the stone, girl."
Hari gasped and she swiftly turned around and saw Professor Quirrell who had been standing behind her and had watched her the whole time when she had been looking into the magical Mirror of Desire.
The turban-head professor is acting differently from his stuttering self before but Hari could easily tell from the cold and evil countenance radiating from him is that this person now facing her is his true nature.
It was a good thing that she still had her bow and arrow out but when she took aim and tried to shoot, the wizard struck first, striking a spell to disarm her and throw her weapons away but Hari wasn't fazed at this as she quickly grabs some of the Runestones and threw it straight at the ground, activating the magical smokescreens so that she could disappear from the wizard's sight and be able to hide away from him.
Once she did, she managed to calm herself so that he wouldn't find her and Hari was so glad that she had her invisible cloak with her to hide from him. Quirrell wasn't fazed at this as he searched around for her, but then Hari becomes a little creeped out when she hears a second dark raspy voice speaking from somewhere and it's as if it's right beside the turban-head man or something.
Thranduil tensed, hating this so much on just standing by and watching helplessly as his pair Hari hides away in the shadows, trying to fight back against a skilled dark enemy Istari that's lurking around looking for her, and won't hesitate to kill her to grab the magical stone she now has on her. Then he tensed more when he heard the raspy dark voice that Hari is also hearing and he wondered where it came from and why it sounded so familiar to him. Then he watched as the turban-head man winced a little as the raspy voice almost screeched loudly in fury and demanding that Hari shows herself right now before they might do drastic measures into revealing her. When Hari didn't come out, the raspy voice snarled and told his Istari servant to reveal him so that Hari would see the horror she's facing against. The Istari protested a little to his master that he's not strong enough, but the voice reprimanded him that he is and ordered him to do it. It didn't take long for both Thranduil and Hari to stare in shocked horror at the monstrosity of the dark Istari's face that is attached on the back of the Istari's head when he took off his turban wrap.
Thranduil was almost sickened at the sight of this kind of dark magic the dark Istari has done to himself to become some sort of parasite attaching to the Istari teacher, and Hari wasn't looking any better as she turns away from the sight and closes her eyes shut like she's trying to erase the nauseating image on her head of the two-faced dark Istari. Then the dark Istari parasite hissed out aloud and tried to tempt Hari into coming out with enticing promises that he will grant her power or wealth if only she gives him the stone that he wanted from her.
Thranduil watched guardedly at the dark Istari as Hari refused to come out of hiding, and she seemed to be thinking deeply over what to do on how to fight against him. But the two-faced Istari, the dark wraith one has lost his impatience and demanded his servant to force her out, and then Quirrel waved his wand and a sudden ring of fire started forming in a line behind the pillars in the room, and Hari was grateful that she had the magic invisible cloak to hide herself as she moved from her spot into another, which she decided to hide behind the magic mirror as the dark Istari continues searching around for her. The Elven-king became worried for his pair as he witnessed this and wondered on what Hari is going to do to fight against the dark Istari, which he knew that the dark one seemed more powerful than her, despite that she's skilled and also wields magic too.
Hari managed to hold back her slightly agitated breathing from sounding so loud so that the two-faced Quirrel would find her, and she curses to herself on knowing that she's out of her league against him, even though she's skilled in fighting and only just learned the basics of defensive magic and using it to fight.
She decided to take a chance on distracting him and try to use the magic mirror again, so that maybe it might help her into how to defeat the dark two-faced wizard she's facing against. She threw more smokescreen Runestones right near the enemy and they exploded on impact, startling him and blinding him of his senses almost completely. And once Hari sees that he's engulfed in the smoke and distracted for a while before it disperses, she quickly moves to reveal herself to look at the reflection of the magic mirror.
"I don't suppose you could be able to help me out on getting me out of here?" Hari whispers softly at the mirror. She sighs when she saw her mirror self shaking her head in a negative towards her. "Great…"
But then her mirror self started gesturing wildly to her and it didn't take long for Hari as she deduced quickly what her mirror self is telling her what she must do. "Destroy the stone?" she asked confused. Her mirror self nodded vigorously at her and she's gesturing urgently that she must do it quickly before the enemy gets her as it disappears, leaving the magic mirror blank.
Hari wondered whether this plan will work, but she knew that there's no other way for herself to escape from the enemy or fight against it, so she decided to play this idea out and see how it turns out. Hari looks around carefully, trying to find a good spot to destroy the magic stone. After she did, Hari checked to make sure that the enemy was still distracted and once she puts the stone into the ground and let it lie there very still, she didn't hesitate to use her sword as a slicing hammer of sorts and she crushed it to pieces with shattering breaking sounds.
Hari quickly hides under her magic cloak as she hears the enemy hearing the breaking sound and the parasitic face almost screeches out in fury upon hearing it and demanded his servant to see what happened. She waited for her chance when she saw the servant finding the broken pieces of the magic stone and it collapses down on its knees, mourning pathetically and begging his dark master to forgive him as he said that the stone had been destroyed. The snake-like visage of a face at the back of Quirrel's head snarled furiously, both enemies not knowing that invisible Hari is slowly approaching to strike with her sword from behind and her stab was struck true and swift as she plunged her sword to where the heart is from the back and to the front.
Then Hari backs away quickly as she watched at Quirrel with the possessed snake-like face on his head died and crumbled into dust and pieces before her, along with her Elven sword still stuck on him, that seemed to melt into a mulchy mess. She stared at the dusty and mud-like pile on the very spot right next to the destroyed Philosopher's stone as if expecting something to happen and then it did and she backed away, quickly drawing her bow and arrow when a dark smoke started emerging out from the muddy dusty pile. It gave an unearthly inhuman scream of fury and Hari watched as it flies away, leaving the trap room to find another host to possess or something.
After Hari made sure that the dark wraith is gone, she looked at the pile of ashes of the dead professor and the mulchy mess of her sword, she went closer to carefully remove what remains of her sword so that there won't be any evidence left behind that she was there. And it was a good thing that she did, for she heard noises again and she knew that it must be the other professors and the Headmaster himself as they woke up from their sleeping potion state and went to check onto the stone to see if it's still there or not. Hari quickly put the sword remains into her magic bag and quickly hides herself out of sight under her magic cloak again, and she kept quiet and calm as her thoughts became true when the other professors and Headmaster Dumbledore came right inside, canceling the fire spell that surrounded the trap room and looked around for the intruder or the stone.
It didn't take long for some of them to notice the ashy remains and the broken pieces of the stone, and one called out to Dumbledore of his findings and he came over to see. Hari could see that he looked disappointed upon seeing the destroyed stone pieces and he seemed furious over something when he looked around more and found nothing or nobody else that's in the room, but Hari shook those thoughts away for later as she needs to sneak out before the wizards and witches might notice that she's there in her magic invisible cloak.
So she carefully moved around them, without making any noise or tingling any senses in their radar, and when she found the very spot where they had come from as they entered into the trap room, she took it and left in a hurry, soundless and swift like the wind itself.
Hari managed to find her way out underneath her magic cloak and have reached the forbidden corridor. Just as she was silently moving away from the place, keeping a distance far away from it, she nearly jumped in surprise when Sunny had been waiting for her and then somehow sensed her even when she was invisible and pulled her into a secluded corner.
Hari sighed with relief on seeing her friend who made it out safely before and took off her cloak so that Sunny will also be relieved to see that she's okay.
"By Mahal and great Eru himself! I was getting worried when you didn't come out of there as those Istari guys got inside-what happened?!" Sunny demanded.
"Later. Let's go back to our rooms before they might come out and find us," Hari whispered to her, and though Sunny wanted to know now, she nodded in understanding and both Hari and Sunny got under the magic cloak again and went back to their private dorms.
It didn't take long to get there, and then Hari started telling Sunny all about it from what she encountered from the magic mirror and the two-faced dark wizard. Sunny was horrified and sickened upon hearing this and the kind of dark magic that got the wraith to possess the former Defense professor and she nodded satisfied when Hari told her that she killed him.
"Good riddance, I say!" Sunny huffed.
Hari sighed, "Unfortunately, I think the wraith still lives, Sunny. I saw it myself when it emerged from the ashes of Quirrel and it fled just as Dumbledore and the other professors came in. Not to mention-my sword was the only thing that got damaged during that time."
"What do you mean?" Sunny asked confused.
Hari sighed again and then decided to show her so that she'll see it to believe it.
Sunny blinked confused when Hari opened some kind of sack before her and looked inside it. Once she did, her eyes widened in shock upon recognizing the mess and looked at Hari incredulously.
"Whoa! What the heck happened?! Don't tell me that was your sword!?" she exclaimed stunned.
Hari just nodded at her grimly, looking sad that the Elven sword gifted from her guardian mother was ruined into this kind of mess.
"Damn…well, at least this gives me the good excuse on fixing that back to normal!" Sunny quips with a bright smile as if seeing the melted sword doesn't bother her at all.
Hari blinked in puzzlement at her friend's sudden words and the dwarf-girl told her that she could easily repair it to rights and Hari was grateful for that and promised to repay her but Sunny brushed it off as this task will be done free of charge because they're best friends.
It wasn't long until the next day, there wasn't any announcements concerning the forbidden corridor and the stone, except Dumbledore announced that the matter has now been settled and that the corridor is no longer forbidden, which got Sunny to roll her eyes knowingly at her friend Sunny in secret exchange which she smiled back at this.
Even though, the two of them noticed a little that Dumbledore was staring straight at Hari, as he tried to be discreet, both of them still decided to each other that they will come back to Hogwarts for the next two years as they still needed to learn more and gaining knowledge of finding ways back to Arda.
It wasn't long until the end of school year of their first one that they are now packed up after getting their grades, which they scored high, and they are ready to leave the magic school and go back to their respective hidden homes.
Hari smiled at her friend Sunny as they sat together same as usual just like last time from the first one they had met together. "Until we meet again the next year, Sunny?" she inquired.
Sunny smiled back and nodded at her. "You bet we will, Hari!"
Both girls giggled as they exchanged their pinkie-promise finger-shake again to make their solid promise to one another on coming back the next year at the magic school of Hogwarts.
Then Thranduil noticed that the Dream-sharing is ending as the surroundings faded and he knew that it will be the next time he will see his soulmate in what happens next on the second year of that magic school.
OOOOO
After the Dream-sharing ended with Thranduil waking up from it, he didn't hesitate to meet up with his friends and Gandalf and tell them again of what transpired of the events that happened and everything with his soulmate pair.
Elrond's eyes widened almost big on his face as he exclaimed out loud incredulously. "A baby dragon?!"
Thranduil nodded curtly while his ash blue eyes glinted coldly with fury. "Yes. And that Istari giant of a fool actually wanted to keep it, like with his three-headed dog monster pet-even when it bit my soulmate and nearly killed her with its poisonous venom! Thank the Valar, her dwarf friend was fully prepared with her things and had a dragon antidote, in case they might encounter one."
Both Lady Galadriel and Gandalf stared at King Thranduil uneasily when they saw the fury radiating in his eyes and whole body, almost steaming like a teapot being overheated by the fire.
Then Gandalf spoke out loud, like he's trying to change the subject to calm Thranduil's rising temper. "And you said that your pair has managed to defeat this Dark Lord who had tried to steal the magic stone that can regain his body and grants immortality?"
It worked for Thranduil calmed down from his temper, which is surprisingly quick, and smiled widely upon remembering how his soulmate had fought against the dark Istari enemy and was very proud of seeing it. "Yes, you should've seen her fight against that abomination. I've never felt so proud of watching her defeat that creature after she had destroyed the stone and it distracted it."
Galadriel smiled mysteriously as she asked. "And I presume that your soulmate now knows what you look like, thanks to that magical mirror?"
Thranduil nodded, smiling wider at this. "Yes. It turns out that finding out who is her other soulmate pair, is one of her heart's desires, besides discovering and seeing her parents."
"Such a fascinating magical artifact. That it shows a person's heart's desires as they look upon the mirror," Gandalf mused with interest in his eyes as he pondered thoughtfully over it, thinking about what he might see for himself if he were to gaze upon the magical mirror. Elrond almost chuckled out loud upon seeing his Istari friend's face full of interest and wonder over the story-telling from Thranduil about his soulmate in the other world.
After they made some small talk more about Thranduil and his soulmate in the Dream-sharing, they decided to stay a little longer to find out more about what will happen in the next year Thranduil's pair will be going through.
Little did they and the Elven-King Thranduil know, is that the second year where Hari will be going through next, will reveal more about the dark enemies Hari will be facing again, and more revelations and surprises will be uncovered on what will happen with Thranduil's soulmate then.
OOOOO
Thranduil looked around curiously as he returned to the Dream-sharing of his soulmate pair and he realized that this must be the new school year Hari is going through with her dwarf friend Sunny when he saw them going straight to their private dorms after they had their meals in the gathering Great Hall when they arrived to the magic school.
He also noticed that they're still friends and mentors to the younger students, Neville and Hermione. But then he noticed that there's a new child among their mix, but this one is donning the robes and symbol of Ravenclaw House. He wondered who this little girl is and why she looks like she's also an Elven in disguise, same as Hari.
It looks like that his soulmate is fond of the little blonde child and was coaxing her to join them but then the young girl refused as she needed to join her House-mates in Ravenclaw, but she promised that she'll come by so that Hari and Sunny will mentor her in their private study sessions together with Hermione and Neville. He wonders what is so special about this young child that Hari is trying to get her close to her side and it's like his pair has designated herself the position as a guardian of sorts. He will be getting answers about that soon as he watched Hermione and Neville going to their respective quarters in the Gryffindor dorms while Hari and Sunny went to the same private dorms they have for themselves.
It wasn't long as days pass by and it was usually the same like the last year before upon they've gone through in the magic school. However, he became more displeased and upset that Hari and Sunny's new Defense teacher of the new school year is even worse than the last one before. Thranduil could easily tell that this Istari has not battled with magic and has no knowledge of Defense magic at all, but he basks in the attention from all women in various ages and preens himself with his self-narcissism on his so-called handsome good looks.
It was good that Hari and Sunny were the only ones who were not fooled or blinded by this Istari teacher as they exchanged disgusted looks secretly from the man's gaze and decided to themselves again that they will be dismissing this subject on the new school year so that they won't learn any useless things from this so-called fake Defense teacher. It was also the same with the Divination subject as the Istari teacher prattle on her fake predictions of death onto one of the students, as she had moved on from Hari, much to her and Thranduil's disgust upon this.
It's fortunate that the other subjects are still good and there are some of them getting better than last year. However, the only thing that Thranduil will be focusing on is what sort of new dangers or threats that might harm his soulmate pair for this year. Even though it looks like that the school year they'll be going through for the second time will be peaceful, the Elven-King knew better as his sharp senses seemed to feel that this is almost like the calm before the storm.
It looks his foreboding dark thoughts became true when he watched by silently as Hari and Sunny were in their private rooms, discussing about the young girl that Hari was so fond of, and he was surprised upon hearing them talk about what Hari had discovered about her.
"Did you just say that this girl Luna can make predictions? And she's not even aware of it?!" Sunny asked amazed upon the revelation given by Hari when she voiced her thoughts about the new girl named Luna who is sorted in the Ravenclaw house. "Wow! So she's a Seer?"
"I don't think she's a Seer, Sunny-I think she's an Oracle. A rare one, to be exact." Hari said as she thought deeply about the ethereal blond girl and saw something beneath her dreamy persona when she came to the magic school. "There's also the theory that she might be an Elf in hiding-like me."
"Say what now!?" Sunny exclaimed shocked at this knowledge.
Hari quickly shushed her to be silent and looked around as if someone might be listening into their private conversation, even though their rooms are still enchanted and shielded with silencing runes.
"How do you know that for sure?!" her dwarf friend demanded.
"The charms she's been wearing on her earrings and necklace. I can sense Elven magic on them to hide her true appearance from others. That's how I thought that she might be hidden just like us." Hari said. Then she frowned like she thought of something else and voiced it out before Sunny was about to ask her upon noticing the changing expressions on her face. "Also-I don't think that young Luna knows that she is an Elf. Something must have happened that the child was unaware of her true heritage, but I won't know what it is until I speak to her more and try to convince her that we're not going to harm her or something."
Sunny blinked when Hari said that and she's confused on how a hidden Elf like the girl Luna could not know about being a hidden Elf herself. Hari seem to read her friend's thoughts and answers her the reason why.
"I can tell whether a person was acting genuinely or trying to hide themselves upon their very beings," Hari explains simply. "My guardian mother taught me about this early on and I was glad to be very skilled into observing anyone else in our presence, including such as someone deceptive like that Headmaster Dumbledore."
Sunny blinked again and then she nodded in understanding, then her eyes narrowed upon hearing what Hari had said about the Headmaster of the magic school. "Is he still staring at you with those twinkling beady eyes?" she demanded in a dangerous tone like she's going to magically summon her favorite axe weapon and hack the old bearded wizard to pieces.
Hari sighed and solemnly nodded. "He still is. I don't know what in great Eru is his problem with me-but I've been ignoring it since all he does was just stare upon me."
"Aren't you worried at all that Dumbledore might decide to try something else to get your certain attentions or something?" Sunny inquired her friend, concerned about these kinds of thoughts she suddenly has in her head.
Hari shook her head in a negative. "No. I know that the old man knows better than to try something against me. I can see it clearly that he won't even try to use magic to get to me or something."
"Yeah…somehow, that does not comfort me at all, even when you say that," Sunny said dryly.
"Sunny, relax. I'll be fine. Besides-like I said, he won't try anything because I already put a magic tracker on him so that I'll be able to sense whenever he's coming to approach me for a nefarious reason of sorts, even under hidden disguise or magic camouflage or something like that." Hari said with a mischievous grin.
"When in great Mahal did you do that, you sly Elf?!" Sunny exclaimed with a wide grin on her face.
Hari just grinned at her friend, not revealing her secret to the dwarf on what she did.
Thranduil was impressed with his soulmate that she had thought ahead and made sure that the old beady-eyed Istari doesn't try anything whenever he tries to get close to her or something. He was proud at her mischievous ingenuity and quick wits into ensuring that no enemy would dare to get near her before they had the chance to. But then he still worries that the Istari Headmaster might try something nefarious or anything else against his pair, but those concerns won't come up until later, for he is relieved to see that their days of education in the new school year seemed to be going peaceful and normal so far without any problems arising or appearing yet.
However, Thranduil cursed to himself upon thinking such train of thoughts for being happy and relieved that his soulmate pair would have a peaceful year at the time, for the problems have finally shown and revealed themselves when there were reports from some of the Istari teachers upon patrolling the school halls and found and stumbled into a horrifying discovery. They had found a petrified-frozen cat on the floor that is wet with water from the flood of a broken bathroom, and that cat is the familiar of one of the school's faculty members who came moaning and crying for it like it's dead, when it's only somehow magically petrified by unknown means.
Thranduil watched with suspicion and wariness as Hari and Sunny were part of the student group who unknowingly were passing by that corridor when the horrific scene was discovered and they were ushered away by the teachers when a few of them noticed them standing by and tried to get closer to see what has happened. Luckily, Hari and Sunny's sharp eyes have seen the scene already before they were forced to leave and Thranduil tensed when he hears his pair and her friend whispering in discussion about it. But then he became relieved upon hearing them talk in their whispered conversation that they will just look into it and research on the matter and not delve into it deeper and be involved, as they have learned their lesson the last time on the previous year with the dark Istari and the enchanted stone.
He watched as Hari and Sunny look and search into the matter on their private studies at the library and research about this 'Heir' topic that they have seen from a message written in blood onto the wall that sends off as a warning, with the petrified cat familiar that the professors have discovered and found. So far the only thing they found from one lone very old and ancient book, is the legend and tale about Salazar Slytherin's Heir and its infamous dark myth known as the Chamber of Secrets that's hidden somewhere within the Istari magic school.
Thranduil listened as Hari voiced out the story of the dark legend for her dwarf friend to hear, on how Salazar Slytherin became known as the dark Istari that he is, how he changed and how his views became prejudiced against the young Istari who were born from normal human parentage and how he ensured that there would come a dark time that he would release a monster to kill them all except the Istari who were born rightfully through magic bloodlines and families. The Elven-King shook his head at the stupidity and bigot he could hear from the tale about the Istari known as Slytherin. He could sympathize that losing the family of an Istari can be heart-breaking and devastating from magic-fearing humans, but that doesn't mean that it gives him just reasons to condemn all Istari who were born among the humans.
Thranduil knew this as he sided with his friend, Lord Elrond of Rivendell to adopting his human son, young Estel into his Elven family, since he is born as half-elf and half-human. In Middle Earth, there are few elves who are prejudiced against those who are half-elf and such, but not too much to garner such life-long hatred for generations, such as the Istari Slytherin who had written and cemented this dark legend about him among the fellow Istari. Thranduil also couldn't believe that Slytherin would keep a monster that is hidden and slumbering within the magic school, where his soulmate pair is staying for another year then until the time comes for her to choose to leave. He hoped that whoever this Heir that Slytherin has prophesied for them to come and release the monster, would not come upon that year, but then he knew better than to think of such thoughts lest he might 'jinx' it as the dwarf girl Sunny would put it when Hari and Sunny are both horrified and grim-faced upon knowing the grave knowledge about Slytherin's monster and Heir stuff.
Thranduil hoped and agreed with Hari's voiced out thoughts that the bloody message from the wall and the petrified cat was nothing more but just one lone incident that is believed to be a prank of sorts, in hopes of believing that Slytherin Heir isn't coming to doom them all upon releasing the monster hidden secretly within somewhere in the magic school. But then the tense Elven-King cursed and was furious to find out from the worried and concerned Hari and Sunny, when time has passed and more attacks have occurred and continued since then, but it was fortunate to hear and know that the poor unfortunate victims that were caught by the attacker, all became petrified from it, same from the cat familiar of the caretaker.
But right now, he's focused on staying by his soulmate's side all the time, even though he knows very well that he can't do anything to help her as this is the Dream-sharing, but he'd rather kept standing beside her all the way and find out and learn everything about the magic of this other world so that he might somehow find a way to communicate with his pair, if it's the last thing he could do. Thranduil was glad that he's good at remembering everything, even if it's by passing glance or noticing things by first sights, and as he watched, walked and stayed by Hari's side, it didn't take long for something to happen again, but at least this one isn't endangering his soulmate pair in a deadly way, but it angered him, Hari and Sunny upon stumbling into it.
For Hari and Sunny were walking the same secret path to get to the library and do their secret private studies for themselves, upon discarding the Defense subject again to get away from that so-called Istari teacher who keeps proving himself to be a fraud of all things, they came upon a shocking sight that angered them on some of the cruelty they have already seen and witnessed among the Istari in this other world.
Thranduil was also darkening and steaming in his fury upon watching a group of young Ravenclaw Istari bullying their own, which is the little first year girl Luna that Hari has befriended and they were trying to stuff her and lock her into an abandoned closet, which the girl tried to struggle and fight back with frightened sobs.
Hari didn't hesitate once she saw their heinous evil intentions, even though they are young ones, she struck with stinging sharp hexes right at the bullies, and three of them cried out in surprised pain upon being caught by her spells, and it didn't take long for the group of bullies to be instantly intimidated when they turned to confront on who dared to intervene and then they faced against a furious disguised Elf maiden Hari and an angry disguised dwarf-girl Sunny.
When they saw how Hari's eyes seemed to eerily glow scarily in its golden blazing colors and how Sunny tossed some of her favored enchanted Rune-stones in her hand, to show that the two girls meant business on bringing serious painful harm upon them, the Ravenclaw bullies instantly ran away to get away from them, their minds full of fear instantly that they forgot of the victim they were bullying as Luna fainted upon exhaustion from fighting back and Hari swiftly ran to catch her on time in her arms before the young witch hurts herself upon hitting the floor.
When Hari successfully caught her and cradled her gently in her arms, carrying her like Luna's her own child, she went the other way to get back their private dorms with her dwarf friend Sunny following after her, looking back as if standing guard for them. It didn't take long for them to get to the Gryffindor common room and they easily went inside and ignored any Gryffindor students they pass by and some of them noticed the unconscious Ravenclaw student being brought in by their elders and started wondering curiously about it on the reason why Luna's there.
After Hari and Sunny finally got into their private rooms in a slight hurried haste and Sunny shuts the door behind them, the dwarf girl stood back and glared at it, as if daring someone outside to try and come in and ask their curious nosy questions about Luna being there in the Gryffindor common room and such, but no one came to knock or barge in their private dorm rooms because they knew better than to meddle in and be nosy for they have also seen how scary Hari and Sunny could be when they're angry upon prying into their private business and such.
Hari didn't notice this from her friend as she gently puts Luna to lie on the magically conjured bed-cot besides their beds, that she quickly created early before they came in, for the elf girl knew that Luna would soon come to visit them one day in their rooms, but Hari didn't think that it would be this fast, even though her circumstances were coincidental.
Just as Hari made sure that Luna was comfortable on the enchanted make-shift bed she conjured for her, she didn't realize that she was tenderly stroking her light blonde hair like a mother would do for her dearest child in her heart, and then somehow her magic seemed to respond into giving some light healing into the young Istari who Hari believed that she is also a disguised Elf like her. It didn't take long for Hari to realize that Luna is slowly waking up and with her stirring awake, it seems that somehow she lost control of whatever magic to disguise herself and revealed her Elven heritage to Hari and Sunny's eyes when they focused on her as her cute eyes blinked blearily to open into wakefulness.
Hari smiled that her thoughts and suspicions about Luna were true when the pointed ears were revealed and that they were almost hidden beneath her blonde hair as the Elf maiden could deduce a little on how very young Luna is and wonders who her Elven parents were, to teach her to hide her Elven heritage and try to find out the reason why they easily sent her into the magic school where there are other Istari about that might endanger her and reveal her hidden secret.
By the time Luna has opened her eyes into wakefulness and alertness, she blinked confused upon seeing Hari and Sunny smiling friendly to her and looked around her surroundings upon realizing that she's not where she's supposed to be of sorts. "Oh…oh dear. What happened? Did the Nargles muddled my head again and the Wrackspurts brought me here?" she asked sagely, going back to her mysterious child-like self like she's in another world.
Both Hari and Sunny exchanged confused looks at her words before Hari turned back to look at Luna with a warm kind smile. She said gently, "It's alright, Luna. You're safe now."
Luna blinked at Hari again as she stared at her then she returned the smile back as if she trusted her words. But before the little girl was about to speak more in her mysterious strange ways, something unexpected happened that Hari and Sunny didn't expect to see and witness before them. Luna trembled like she's about to go into seizure and her eyes seem to glow eerily white as she seemed to be going in some sort of trance.
It turned out to be true as Luna breathed softly when she suddenly went under the trance of her Oracle powers and spoke in the Elven language.
"Beware of the cursed Heir of the Dark,
For he seeks the one who has the Fated Mark.
He releases the monster to lure Her out,
And he will not stop even upon the dreaded drought.
You must seek the one tainted by his curse,
And free her swiftly before he binds her life within her purse.
Upon freedom of the one that burns in flight,
Shall you gain his loyalty within his very light.
Slay the serpent monster with Godric's Dragon sword,
And be healed from the tears of the Phoenix Lord.
Strike the cursed heart with monster's poisonous fang,
Upon the dark being that dared to walk the land.
With his death, shall you free the tainted,
And free all others that were caught from the terror he created."
After she made her prediction, Luna shakes once more and then snaps out of it and looked like she went back to normal as if she didn't realize what she just did or what just happened before. "Thank you for helping me, miss. Though I really appreciate it, I should get back to the dorms in Ravenclaw before Professor Flitwick worries upon finding me missing." Luna said calmly like nothing happened.
Hari looked at her worriedly, not for her situation with her classmates, but also for herself if she might black out because of her Oracle abilities. "Are you sure you don't want to stay? I'll talk to Professor McGonagall to letting you stay here for the time being when you want to." She continued in a firm tone when she saw Luna about to protest. "I insist, Luna. I'll explain to her about the situation and I'm sure that she'll understand and talk to Professor Flitwick."
Luna blinked and then thought about it for a moment before she nodded with an uncertain look on her face. "Okay. If you don't mind having me here really?" she inquires nervously.
Hari just smiles warmly at her and shook her head. "Not at all. It's perfectly fine that you can stay here as long as you like. Now lie down and rest while Sunny and I go find our Gryffindor head and talk to her about it."
Luna decided to do just that as she appreciated the kindness and gentleness given to her from Hari and Sunny as she burrowed herself in the blankets of her comfortable bed with Sunny tucking her in smiling widely at her. After Hari and Sunny watched Luna fall asleep, they dropped their kind smiling looks and exchanged dark ones looking at each other before they went out, locking their private dorms magically closed behind them when they left so that no one else disturbs her and the two girls went to find Professor McGonagall to get permission to have Luna stay with them in their private dorm rooms.
But when the two girls were almost approaching closer to McGonagall's office, Sunny decided to ask Hari when she noticed that she had a dark foreboding look on her face ever since they left Luna in their dorm rooms. "Hey, you look like that the phantom wraith from last year is about to somehow come back to this school and bring trouble towards you. Fess up girlfriend, what's running inside your mind?" Sunny asked demanding concerned.
Hari blinked surprised like she didn't realize she was thinking so deeply about it but she answered her friend.
"Sorry, it's just that…knowing that you and I had thought we'd have a peaceful time at this new year. But hearing this prophecy made by the young Elven Oracle, Luna…it's most troubling indeed for us, my friend," Hari said gravely as she thinks deeply over it and ponders upon trying to figure out what it means.
"Great!" Sunny exclaimed in complaints like she also knew what Hari's thinking about as she threw her hands up in the air with frustration and exasperation. "As if we didn't have enough problems than we've already been through the last year!"
Hari sighed. "Let's not think on it more about Luna's prophecy until we deciphered it clearly and solve the clues on what it means truly. We'll research on it more on the matter after we deal with other things."
Thranduil watched as Sunny and Hari agreed on this as they went inside Professor McGonagall's office and asked permission and explain on Luna's situation to letting her stay in their private dorms whenever she wished to or not. Needless to say, he was amused to see this elderly Istari become instantly furious upon hearing the bullying incident and that she'll be having words with Professor Flitwick about it and make those shameless bullies pay for it, whether it was for some fruitless reasons or not.
Hari and Sunny hid their amused looks when their Gryffindor head professor summoned the Ravenclaw one to her office, watched them discuss on the matter, which got the short Istari being also furious upon discovering and finding out about some of his house students being bullies, and it's like they weren't even aware that they had two people as audience watching them. By the time the Professors were done and have finished planning the punishment on the bullies in the harshest ways, Hari and Sunny discreetly sneaked out and left before the two professors noticed they were there.
But then Thranduil was worrying over the matter about the prophecy told from the young Elven Oracle that Hari had deduced and figured out from the young disguised elfling girl Luna. He knew that the dark wraith from last year has not been destroyed as such when it fled like that after his soulmate pair killed its host that it possessed, and that it will return to take revenge of sorts or something towards 'the one with the Fated Mark'. He instantly figured out what it meant when Luna said that, as it could only mean his soulmate pair for she has the Fated mark which is their paired Soulmate markings hidden on her person. He knew that Hari has known this from deducing part of the prophecy but she hasn't figured out the rest as he does as well, on trying to find out and know what is the 'serpent monster' or the 'Phoenix Lord'.
He was glad to see that Hari and Sunny are making sure that they stay out of any events that's been happening in the magic school and research more on the matter about the 'çursed Heir', 'dark being' and the 'serpent monster' supposedly from the legend of Slytherin, and try to find out more into solving the riddle and puzzle about Luna's prophecy. However, it seems that either Fate itself, like to play into his soulmate's life in a bad way, when something happened that pulled Hari and Sunny into it.
"Say WHAT NOW!?" Sunny exclaimed incredulously when Hari came to meet her in their usual secret meeting place in the library to try to decipher more about Luna's prophecy or researching into Slytherin's monster and the legendary myth of the Chamber of Secrets.
Hari nodded and said to her friend gravely, "I caught them talking about it secretly and managed to stop them before they try to do their reckless plan."
Sunny continued ranting. "What the bloody hell were those kids thinking?! Sneaking into the Slytherin dorms, disguised magically by Polyjuice Potion to find out who's the Slytherin Heir?! That's like-walking right into a Dragon's den, for crying out loud!"
"Sunny, what do you expect? Hermione and Neville are still children. They got scared when these mysterious petrifying attacks continued into the school and Dumbledore and the professors have tried their best to find and catch the culprit but failed upon finding nothing," Hari points out gently.
"Still-just because the attacks occurred only to the victims of all three Houses-that doesn't mean that the Slytherin House is the main suspect on this case! It's ridiculous!" Sunny exclaimed.
Hari agreed for she and her friend had seen that not all Slytherin students in that House are dark and evil as they are. They have seen and met with some good ones and the only reason why Slytherin had a reputation on having dark evil wizards was because of the founder itself and his dark legend of the monster and chamber, and also the infamous dark wizard Voldemort who came from that House.
"To appease their fears, I told the kids that you and I will be sneaking into the Slytherin dorms and see if the so-called Heir of Slytherin's chamber is there and find out who it is."
"Oh okay-you said WHAT NOW!?"
Hari ignored Sunny's louder exclamation on what she said and she explained. "Sunny, we're not getting any answers or clues from our research about finding out more on Luna's prophecy and Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets. Maybe in the house of Slytherin, we might get some from a few of the students there who might know more deeply about it."
"And so, you literally got us into walking into the dragon's den instead-that's just great!" Sunny said dryly, glaring at Hari as if blaming her for volunteering into this kind of dangerous matter.
Hari rolled her eyes. "Sunny, you know very well that not all of the Slytherins in there are bad. Besides-what can possibly go wrong in there anyway?"
"Infamous last words to jinx it, girlfriend." Sunny said sarcastically.
Thranduil can't believe he's thinking such things yet he's glad not to voice them out, for he agrees with the dwarf girl that it is a reckless and dangerous idea for his pair Hari and her friend to go venturing into the Slytherin dorms just to confirm if the so-called Heir of Slytherin is there, plotting more terror to rain upon more victims into the magic school, and terrifying the students. Though he's glad that they'll be sneaking into magical disguise of sorts by a magic potion called the 'Polyjuice potion', there's no guarantee that it's going to work because it has limits or few problems.
But it looks like that there's no need to work on those problems because of the young Istari Hermione who managed to complete the potion almost perfectly, except it's missing the key ingredients needed in the transforming magical disguise potion. And that is hairs of the people they needed to turn into.
And that brings to the point in time and place where he's watching his pair and her friend do something devious, which got him fondly amused upon watching this and frowning disapprovingly at seeing what kind of naive Istari this other world has.
"Seriously!?" Sunny whispered in disbelief and shaking her head as she exclaimed to her friend beside her, hidden in the shadows. "How thick can they get?!"
Hari nodded agreeing with her friend and how easily naive these young Istari are, to not be aware of the dangers that has fallen upon them, even if its just simple drugged cakes that they placed as anonymous gifts to the two Slytherin girl students who came upon them, opened them gleefully, thinking it was from their boyfriends and ate them without checking to see if they're harmful or not.
Hari shook her head with a sigh when she watches how easily the two Slytherin girls got knocked out by the sleeping drug in them and fell down snoring deeply on the floor. Hari and Sunny came out of hiding, went to the girls, gently plucked and cut some of their hairs off and magically transported them to a secret hiding place where they will be kept until their sneaky spy mission is complete and they'll return them back to normal without anyone noticing.
It didn't take long for them to get to the secret place where Hermione and Neville was caught plotting by Hari and then the two of them return to see that Hermione was expectantly waiting for them to come back with the last ingredients for the potion needed for Hari and Sunny to have as it's ready for them. When Hari said that they got them, Hermione was excited and she almost giddily shoved the two cups full of Polyjuice Potion in them and told them that they just need to drop the hairs into the cups and drink them so that the transformation will happen.
Neville added that the potion has a time limit for only about an hour so they need to get to Slytherin dorm fast and find out who the Heir of Slytherin is at the time and Hari and Sunny understood. Hermione and Neville came prepared into procuring them Slytherin female robes for them to wear, similar to the Slytherin girls from before so that they won't be noticed of their differences and Hari and Sunny decided to share a stall so that they'll switch their robes and clothes to the different ones before they drink the potion.
After they were done with that, they drank the potion, almost grimacing with disgust at the taste until they finished the whole thing and then magically transformed. By the time the transformation was complete, both Hari and Sunny looked and inspected their new transformed bodies in wonder and wary shock.
"Oh wow! It feels so weird to be tall!" Sunny's voice came out of the Slytherin teenage girl with short brown hair.
"Tell me about it-it feels so weird to not have pointed ears-not to mention, my hair being blonde!" Hari's voice remarked, sounding a bit upset, as the long blonde-haired teenage girl looked at herself and each of her hands stroke her hair and rounded human ears.
It was a good thing that they talked in whispers so that the children that were waiting for them outside their stalls couldn't hear them.
"Are you two okay? Did it work?" Hermione's voice asked outside curiously.
"Yes, it worked, Hermione. We're coming out now," Hari said as she and Sunny came out for their young Istari friends to see them.
Hermione gasped and Neville stared as the potion has worked upon seeing them look very different from their previous bodies before and the ones they see now in front of them.
Sunny warned Hermione in a half-hearted glare. "Girl, you better pray that the potion is really temporary as you say it would from that book you've gotten from. Cause-I'd rather like my short form much better than being tall, thank you very much!" Hermione quickly reassures her that she'll be back to normal once their time limit is up and she promised that she followed the instructions straight on making the magic potion.
Thranduil had to admit, he was amazed at this magic potion that can transform them into different people without any noticeable differences, even if it's only for a short time. He stayed by Hari and Sunny as they quickly went off to the Slytherin dorms where they knew where it is in the dungeons below the magic school. He watched as they also memorized and know the Slytherin password to get in through the guardian portrait as it opened and let them in and the Elven-king was tense and wary all the while while Hari and Sunny played their parts like they are students of the House and discreetly asked around about what others thought of the attacks that's been happening in the school.
So far some of the Slytherins have shown their disdain and glee towards the attacks because the victims were all mundane born Istari and half-bloods and were praising the Heir about it for getting rid of them, even though they're all petrified only. But there are most of the Slytherins who are afraid of the Heir because a few of them have heard from the legends that Slytherin doesn't hesitate on using his monster to kill his own when it comes to non-believers of the dark or being tolerant among the Mundane humans. But at least there are a few of the students who gave useful hints and answers to some of the questions the disguised Hari and Sunny were wondering about from the Chamber of Secrets and Slytherin's monster.
A few of them had told Hari and Sunny, not knowing that they're disguised, that they believe that the monster is of the serpent kind since the animal symbol of Slytherin himself is the snake. So it had to be a very dangerous magical serpent creature, like maybe the Hydra or the Gorgon. Then another answered that the Heir of Slytherin might be someone who is a pure-blood that hates all Mundane and Half-blood borne among the Istari and will do anything to follow Slytherin's cause into eradicating them and the Mundane humans. Next, the final answer that they got is that the attacks have been strangely occurring near to some bathroom place, but they don't know exactly where in particular it is-not to mention that there were whispers about the half-giant Hagrid being caught lurking about when the attacks occurred and thought that he's the culprit or suspect of the attacks.
Thranduil noticed that his soulmate pair Hari has a thoughtful look on her face upon hearing this about the giant Hagrid but then her thoughts and focus was turned around when she noticed something shocking from her friend that he noticed as well.
Hari gasped and then whispered sharply. "Sunny-you're shrinking!"
Sunny almost gasped herself aloud at this and then she instantly realized as she stared at Hari with horror too. "Oh crap! Hari-your hair!"
Hari held back her gasp as her eyes widened on glancing a lock of her blonde hair instantly turning back to her original black color.
It seems that they've reached their time limit with the magic potion but Hari and Sunny were relieved when the others didn't notice them leaving as they quietly and hurriedly sneaked out of the dorms. By the time they ran as far away from the dorms and went to a darkened shadowy place for them to transform back to normal, they sigh with relief.
"Whew! That was close!" Sunny cried as she shrank back and turned to her dwarf self.
Hari sighed as she fingered her pointed ears before waving her hand to disguise them magically as usual. "Indeed…at least we got some clues and answers about everything that's been going on." she said softly. Hari explained when Sunny looked at her confused. "Hagrid was somehow peculiarly there when the attacks occurred, according to what the Slytherins said. If we talk to him, maybe he knows something or witnessed that he kept quiet about it."
Sunny scowled and said dryly, "If I remember correctly, last year that idiotic giant dared to have a three-headed monster dog as a pet, and almost kept a baby dragon as his own-why are we even bothering to go talk to him even if he knows something or not?"
Hari shrugged and said, "Even if he doesn't, maybe he's seen or knows something about the attacks that might be helpful for the case and we could convince him to tell us what it is before we share it to the professors so that they could handle it."
Sunny had to admit but Hari does give a reasonable point at it, still she isn't pleased at all on visiting that giant again after what happened last time but she relented just so they could solve this frustrating mystery about the monster in the Chamber of Secrets and finding out on how to stop these attacks from growing even more as summer time comes closer to signal the end of the school year.
It didn't take long for Hari and Sunny to sneak out under the magic invisible cloak late at night to go and visit the half-giant in his cottage by the edge of the Forbidden Forest, when they got there, Hari knocked on the door and when the door opened, the two girls under the cloak nearly backed away in shock when Hagrid came out to greet his visitors with a crossbow he's wielding in his hands before them.
Hagrid blinked confused on seeing nothing. "Hello? Who's there?!"
Hari and Sunny quickly revealed themselves to him, removing the magic cloak and he blinked in surprise and lowered his weapon. Sunny exclaimed at him incredulously. "What the bloody hell is that for, Hagrid!?"
"Sorry about that," Hagrid apologized to them and put his weapon away. "Thought you were someone else." he gestured Hari and Sunny inside his small home kindly, and didn't notice or was ignoring the wary pointed looks coming from them as he served them tea. After the giant offered them something to drink, Hari and Sunny exchanged serious looks before they went straight to the point of their visit as Hari gently asks him. "Hagrid, we heard that you were there somehow the times of the attacks. Can you tell us what happened or do you know anything about it?"
It turns out that Hagrid does know something as he stiffened like this particular subject is a sore topic for him that strikes him straight in the heart or something. But he looked uncertain to share what kind of knowledge that he knows with them and Sunny took over into convincing him to tell them. "Hagrid, there are others spreading whispers and rumors about you that they think that you're the culprit of the attacks. Hari and I didn't like that and we wanted to help you so-"
Hagrid spluttered indignantly when Sunny told him this. "What!? Me?! The culprit!? Ohh-not again! I can't believe that this is happening all over again just like last time!"
"Last time?" Hari inquired when she took note of what he said.
Hagrid looked as if he regretted what he just blurted out but then he slumped with defeat and then begrudgingly told the two girls about what happened to him years ago that got him the job as the groundskeeper of the magic school. Hari and Sunny listened to him as he told them everything, from when he brought in his pet and kept it secret, then he was framed by a senior student when the same attacks happened about 50 years ago, and he was caught as the so-called culprit of the attacks except he was released thanks to Dumbledore who let him stay in Hogwarts as the groundskeeper and everything. Then the attacks stopped when there was a sudden death of a student in a girls bathroom back then and they couldn't find the Chamber of Secrets long ago or find out on what the monster was.
Hari and Sunny's eyes glinted a little on the fact shared from Hagrid about the attacks occurring in a girls' bathroom, the same thing that they've heard before that the recent attacks are occurring there as well. Before they could ask Hagrid about that, the half-giant wizard suddenly said to them that he has already told them much that they needed to know and that they need to get back before they might get caught by other professors on being out of curfew and such.
The two girls knew better than to push it as it looks like that this sore topic is really getting into Hagrid when he got framed long ago before, so Hari and Sunny gave their goodbyes and just as they were leaving under the magic cloak, Hagrid said something else that seemed to puzzle them confused a little.
"If you want to find answers about the monster, well…just follow the spiders," Hagrid said while glancing evasively towards the Forbidden Forest, as if trying to give them a clue about whatever answers they are looking for.
Thranduil didn't like the sound of that when he listened to the Istari giant's tale about his involvement concerning the monster and the Chamber of Secrets years ago and that he shared some kind of puzzling clue to his soulmate and her friend about finding more answers to solve their riddles and questions that they need to know. He also didn't like that his pair is already planning to check it out on the next night when Hari started preparing herself with weapons to venture into the dark enchanted forest again. He had hoped that his pair wouldn't go in there again, despite that there are Centaurs living within and protecting it by ensuring no student comes to harm from any enemy creatures that dwells in the forest.
"Uhh, quick stupid question-why are we going into the Forbidden Forest again?!" Sunny asked in a light but anxious tone in her voice as the dwarf girl watched her elf friend, Hari prepared her longbow and arrow-filled magic quiver like she's preparing for a battle or something. Hari got a new Elven sword fortunately, thanks to her guardian mother as she prepared to bring it as well on her person, even though her dwarf friend had promised to repair the previous one back to normal for her but hasn't finished it yet.
"You heard what Hagrid said. 'Follow the spiders'-I think he knows something that might give us answers on what kind of monster or creature that's been petrifying all the children here in the school." Hari said as she strapped her sword sheath tightly to the side of her belt so that it wouldn't fall loosely and off.
"Right…and remember the last time that we went into that forest?" Sunny points out dryly. "We almost got ourselves attack by that dark wraith from last year, despite that we saved a unicorn and met up with the tribe of Centaurs. Just because Hagrid gave us one short clue about the spiders-that doesn't mean that we need to check it out and follow such a thing. Why are we bothering to listen to that giant anyway?!" Sunny protested. "I say we don't follow them!"
"Much as I hate admitting it-but I agree with the dwarf, my love. Don't follow them." Thranduil voiced out loud, even though he knew that his argument was pointless since this is all a dream.
"Are you even listening to me!?" Sunny demanded incredulously as Hari made sure that she got what she needed to bring with her and fully prepared.
"I am listening to you, Sunny-but I'm still going. You can stay behind if you don't want to come." she said calmly as she was about to walk out of the room and leave.
It took about a few seconds for Sunny to growl with frustration and follow hastily after Hari when she was near to the door to go out and leave, grabbing her pouch of magic Runestones and her favored ax weapon. Hari stifled her chuckles when she noticed her dwarf friend instantly deciding to come along and both of them went under the magic cloak again and sneaked out of the magic school and go to the Forbidden forest to check and follow the spiders that the half-giant Hagrid had told them to before.
Thranduil watched tensely and his whole being was overly-cautious and protective and he internally wished that he was corporeal enough in the Dream-sharing to scold his soulmate severely and firm for daring to venture into the forest just so she could confirm about finding answers to whatever the monster is dwelling within the school and wasn't careful for herself to know that there are more dangers unknown within the forest itself. He stayed by Hari and Sunny when they went deeper into the forest after Hari hid the magic cloak away when they're faraway from the school and started exploring and then following the trail of spiders they found in the forest.
He tensed and also jumped like Hari and Sunny did when they explored deeper into the dark forest and they reacted into any little noises they hear and always brandished their weapons at the ready in case the source of those noises come at them off-guard. But when nothing came or nothing happened, they continued following the trail until somehow they lost track of the spiders and Sunny instantly suggested that they go back since they lost them but Thranduil was frowning when he saw Hari refused to do so as she looks around, trying to spot the spiders again and follow them.
However, it looks like the spiders they were looking for had found them in another way around. But not the kind of spiders both Hari and Sunny were expecting when Thranduil noticed something moving, and his eyes widened in shock and horror upon seeing what's coming for his soulmate pair and her companion.
It took a split-second for Hari to realize that Sunny was staring at something behind her speechlessly, her face suddenly full of horror when Hari noticed the sudden eerie silence from her friend and turned to her while she tried to find the trail of small spiders again.
"Sunny? What…?" she asked in confusion on why her friend looked like she's seeing a ghost.
Sunny just whimpered in terror and tried to point at something that is right behind Hari, right at something hovering above her from behind.
Hari's eyes widened in horrified realization when she heard clicking from right behind her, and before she could react swiftly on drawing her weapons, she was suddenly grabbed from behind on the waist by giant furry legs and as she was yelling and struggling to break free, it didn't take long for Sunny to be also taken by the same thing of whatever that had grabbed her and was carrying her somewhere deep into the dark forest.
It was fortunate then that their weapons weren't taken off or dropped from them as they were being carried and taken somewhere unknown and deep within the forest, into something that will spell their doomed fate.
Thranduil clenched his fists tightly as he ran and chased after them. Much to his horror and anger, he saw that the creatures, that had taken his mate and her friend and were carrying them into what looked to be a large hollow-they are all revealed to be giant SPIDERS!
The similar-looking gigantic arachnid spiders that had infested parts of his kingdom of the Woodland Realm in Middle Earth.
He cursed loudly at the giant responsible for sending his soulmate straight to her death!
If ever the chance that somehow he would be able to get to the other world where his pair is-he would not hesitate to go and find the giant first and decapitate him with his sword himself!
Both Hari and Sunny struggled furiously to break free when they realized what kind of creatures that had taken them but their hearts sank when they were brought deep inside the spiders' hollow and then dropped unceremoniously into the center of it as all the giant spiders from horse-size to large elephant-sized ones surrounded their prey eagerly in all sides of the elf and dwarf girls.
Hari quickly drew out her bow and arrow and aimed, while Sunny brandished her ax as they stood back-to-back with one another, defending themselves and trying to intimidate the large spiders to back away from them, when a few of them stopped after the two girls brought out their weapons at the ready. That's when Hari noticed something shocking besides trying to calm down and be courageous from her fear as she and her friend are trapped and stuck within the spiders' hollow.
"Um…please tell me that it's just my silly elf-hearing and that I'm not hearing…?" Hari whispered meekly.
Sunny shook her head in a negative as she stared around wide-eyed in fear but gripping her ax tightly in her hands. "You're not, buddy-these spiders are all speaking clearly in human words!"
"Aragog! Aragog!" the chorus repeated loudly among all the giant spiders surrounding the two, as they seem to be calling for their leader.
It didn't take long for a super gigantic spider to appear, much bigger than an elephant in normal size and almost slightly smaller than a troll from a few inches a bit.
The spider leader looked to be old and elderly with graying fur around its body and legs, and it rasped a bit tired like it was sleeping before the other spiders had called him. "Who is it? Is it Hagrid?"
The other spiders all responded in a chorus again to their leader. "Strangers! Strangers!"
Sunny seemed to have instantly snapped out of her terror and whispered angrily to Hari beside her. "This-is what Hagrid meant by 'follow the spiders'? He knows these monsters!?"
Hari hushed her sharply like she's scared that Sunny's words might offend the large creatures that is trapping them with no escape route.
Thranduil now wished that he had a real body within the Dream-sharing to be by his pair's side and defend her when the spider leader Aragog said to his brood to kill Hari and Sunny for he was sleeping and they dared to disturb his rest. Fortunately, his soulmate Hari quickly reacted into shouting that she and Sunny are friends of Hagrid and all the spiders scurried about like they're surprised at this and Aragog turned back from where he was about to return to his bed of sorts.
"Strange…Hagrid never sent people to our Hollow nest before…" Aragog rasped softly in slightly understandable whispers.
Hari gulped and said. "Hagrid is in trouble of sorts. There is a monster wandering about and attacking people at our school and some believed that he's the one responsible of all of it."
The spiders became more unsettled and scurried about, making Hari and Sunny tense, as they look like they're worried or frightened upon being told of this and Aragog fretted as he spoke. "That cannot be! That was years ago when the monster was released. I remember it well when Hagrid hatched me from an egg and cared for me when he kept me in that school. I had sensed the monster there and begged Hagrid to let me flee into the forest for the monster within the school itself is the very thing we spiders fear the most! After Hagrid was given the task on being caretaker of the school from the outside, he helped me find my new home, provided me with food and helped me gain a mate and as you can see that my nest have flourished with all of my children here, thanks to Hagrid's goodness."
"Seriously-that giant really needs to get his head checked on his views towards pets and monsters!" Sunny growled whispering to Hari, who pursed her lips lightly in agreement with her friend.
Hari breathed and asked her next question, while eyeing guardedly at the spiders surrounding them and trying to find an escape route for herself and her friend. "And…do you know what is the monster that dwells within the school and making those attacks? And where it dwells?"
Aragog stiffened just as the spiders around the hollow chittered more in fright. "We do not speak of it! It is an unspeakable horror we spiders fear above all else! But…from what I do know of where it dwells…it lies slithering within the sewers of your school, beneath the very rooms where the students bathe themselves clean."
It seems that Hari and Sunny have gotten the answers they needed for their situation is getting a little dangerous in their views when they saw the spiders coming closer, eager to surround and attack them.
"Thank you for your time then, good friend, so-we'll just go now," Hari said as she and Sunny slowly moved and backed away, ready to turn around and leave in a fast run to get out of there.
"Go?" Aragog rasped. "I think not."
"What?" Hari said meekly and both the elf and dwarf froze at the spider leader's words.
"All of my children here do not harm anyone at my command in respect of my friend Hagrid, but…I cannot deny them fresh meat-that wanders willingly into our nest. Goodbye, friends of Hagrid," Aragog the spider leader said softly as it turns around after he finished his words and all around Hari and Sunny, the spiders were now coming forward eagerly to feast upon them.
THAT'S IT!
'The moment I somehow manage to get to the other world, along with my Elven army, I'm going to have this Istari giant executed and have this nest of monstrous spiders in the Forbidden Forest destroyed!'
The Elven-king thought this in fury as Thranduil was steaming and fuming with supreme rage and fury when he watched helplessly of his soulmate and her friend that are being surrounded and trapped with the spiders that are now growing in multiple numbers and are approaching to swarm the two of them.
Both Hari and Sunny reacted without hesitation, Hari shot arrows from her bow at the incoming spiders trying to lunge at her while Sunny swings and whacks her ax weapon at the spiders, cutting and hitting them as they come attacking. Sunny also threw magic exploding Runestones at the spiders to destroy them and try to make a path for both her and Hari to get out of the spider Hollow. But then Sunny realized something shocking and baffling as Hari shot more of her arrows at the spiders while the two moved together to try to escape.
"OY! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND OR SOMETHING!?" she yelled at her incredulously as she threw more of her Runestone bombs at the spiders. "ARE YOU AN ELVEN ISTARI OR NOT?!"
Hari instantly realized why Sunny was shouting at her like that and as she drew more arrows to shoot, she yelled. 'BOMBARDA MAXIMA!' and her arrows were instantly enchanted from her spells and they exploded on impact when she shot them at the spiders and they got blown away and into bloody gory pieces.
The two of them continued this while the spiders try to get closer and attack them, but then it looks like that their escape route keeps getting blocked when more spiders came pouring in, trying to overwhelm them.
Hari glanced back at her quiver and cursed when she saw that it's about to run empty. "I'm running out of arrows!" she cried to Sunny beside her as she shot more magic-exploding arrows at the incoming spiders.
Sunny cursed as well as she noted how many magic-exploding stones she's got left. "Me too! I'm running out of Runestone bombs as well!"
Thranduil thought that this is now the end and that he'll be forced to watch helplessly as his soulmate were to die inside that cursed spider hollow, but then he heard a horse neighing in an echo inside that dark place and it looks like Hari heard it too and she beamed like she recognized it and called out for it to come where she and her dwarf friend are.
It didn't take long for the Elven-king to watch in wonder and awe as the magical horned-horse came galloping to their rescue, it's pointed horn down to throw the spiders out of the way with its amazing magic and came right to rescue Hari and Sunny.
"Whoa!" Sunny exclaimed as she almost fell down on her bottom at the sudden appearance of the pure white horned horse, the same unicorn which she and Hari saved before from last year. "Where did the unicorn suddenly come from?!"
"Who cares!?" Hari yelled as she instantly hopped onto the unicorn's back. "Get on!"
Sunny quickly moved and grabbed Hari's outstretched hand and she was pulled up right behind Hari and even without Hari's instant command, Arion the unicorn instantly galloped off with its riders, bending its head slightly down and using its magic white horn to blow and drive away the numerous giant spiders trying to get at them again as it did when it breaks into the hollow to rescue its riders. The unicorn galloped as fast as it could when they escaped the hollow and run throught the forest, but the spiders kept pursuing them, not wanting to lose their meal even when some of them got killed and decimated by them.
Just as the swarm of spiders were about to reach them closely, there was suddenly a hail of flying arrows that came down right at the spider infestation, killing the ones that were almost near to the fast-galloping unicorn. The spider swarm instantly stopped in its tracks and did an abrupt turnaround when more arrows came flying at them, and they all ran away back to their nest, which they instantly decide that their fleeing prey is not worth the chase if any of them gets killed.
Hari and Sunny were relieved when they saw the herd of Centaurs who were the ones who shot those arrows. They didn't get off the unicorn as the Centaurs led them back to the school kindly and as the two girls dismounted from the magical horse, they thanked both the unicorn and the tribe of Centaurs for coming to rescue and help them and Hari and Sunny watched as the unicorn and Centaurs left to get back into the forest, to protect anyone that needed their help from within or outside.
Hari and Sunny sighed with relief that they made it out safe and sound and sneaked back into their private dorms before anyone might notice as some patrols are going on about heavily since the attacks and it didn't take long for them to make it and took off the magic cloak and went straight to their beds to sit down and relax from their tiring ordeal they've been through.
"Follow the spiders-follow the spiders!" Sunny mocked and then growled angrily. "I swear-the next time that giant of a wizard suggest something stupid and reckless the next time we see him-how about we don't listen to him then, okay!?"
Hari decided to listen to her dwarf friend as she nodded in agreement and she carefully took off her bow and slightly empty arrow quiver and then the sword, put them aside and laid back on her bed with a sigh. "Well…at least we got some answers."
"Yeah…wonder what's the big deal about the girls bathroom anyway?! By great Mahal-of all places for the monster to be coming from and the attacks to occur, why there?!" Sunny exclaimed incredulously.
Hari shrugged. "We won't know until we look into it deeper and do more research on it. We just need to focus on it, then once we find our final answers, we share it to the teachers and they'll deal with it."
Sunny nodded agreeing with her elf friend, but unknown to the both of them, there's a horrific event that happened in another attack that's occurring soon and it will push Hari and Sunny to deal with it themselves, confront the unknown enemy and try to dispatch the monster within the magic school that's terrorizing it.
When they were on the verge of getting closer to the truth on discovering and finding out where the monster is after finding out what it is-which is a Basilisk-that the spiders were so afraid of, Hari and Sunny were found and summoned by Professor McGonagall surprisingly and they were brought to the Hospital wing much to their puzzlement and confusion, and they were wondering what's going on as Hari and Sunny thought that the professor thought that the two of them might be caught and spread rumors of them being sick or something, which they'll need to give a plausible excuse that they aren't actually.
They knew that they didn't want the school nurse to find out their hidden disguise as elf and dwarf but then it turns out that it's not the reason they were brought there when McGonagall showed Hari and Sunny the new petrified victims who were attacked by the monster Basilisk, and much to their shock and horror, it is Hermione and Neville, as they are posed to be looking while Hermione was holding at something in her empty hand, both of them on individual beds like frozen statues.
Hari gasped and almost shakily collapsed as Sunny was the only one who was calm and got her friend to sit down on a chair. McGonagall gravely told them that the two of them were found somewhere in a hallway and Hermione was holding on a mirror at the time, and she also added in that two more students have gone missing and the professors and faculty members were trying their best to find them.
Thranduil clenched his fists when he saw how his pair Hari become more pained upon hearing that the missing students were a young Gryffindor girl named Ginny and her companion and friend Luna from Ravenclaw. The Elven-king, Hari and Sunny listened to the elderly Istari woman as she explained that they suddenly disappeared and there was a bloody message left behind, same writing left from the perpetrator but this time the message read out that their corpses will be lying inside the Chamber of Secret forever, which got Hari to tremble with fury upon hearing this but Sunny managed to discreetly nudged her into not revealing her state.
Then Hari calmed down and turned to McGonagall and asked demanding on what's to be done in searching for the missing girls. Then McGonagall said that Dumbledore is taking care of it and that if they want to speak to him she'll lead them to his office. Thranduil saw that his pair and her friend decided to do just that and they followed McGonagall as they requested this and needed to speak to him and the elderly Istari led them straight to the office. But when they got there, they saw just in time that Dumbledore was being taken away by what appeared to be offical police wizards-called Aurors-for questioning on his neglect on not finding the suspect for the perpetrator that's orchestrating the attacks.
McGonagall was spluttering indignantly and trying to stop them from taking the Headmaster away and Hari and Sunny were left alone inside the Headmaster's office room, where they watched stunned shocked as the wizards left.
It looks like that they're on their own and before Hari and Sunny were about to leave the office, Thranduil noticed that Hari suddenly stopped and looked around confused like she heard something and Sunny noticed this too and asked her friend what's wrong.
"Do you not hear that, Sunny?" Hari asked.
Sunny blinked confused and looked at her friend as if she's gone crazy. "Hear what?"
(Please…help me…set me free…)
Hari looked around once more until her eyes finally settled into zeroing into the slightly fading golden-fiery red bird that's weakly hacking in its perch like it's almost in the edge of dying. Hari blinked in realization a little and approached towards that magical-looking bird. "Are you alright? Were you the one who spoke to me?" she asked gently.
"Uh…Hari? Are you sure you're alright? You're talking to a bird!" Sunny said, looking at her friend worriedly on the weird way she's been acting now.
(Yes…please…once I have my Burning…you must help me and set me free from this place!) the bird spoke to Hari in her mind, magically telepathically, startling the elf girl into hearing its heart-felt plead towards her.
Hari thought that the Headmaster has gotten this poor bird prisoner and she determinedly nodded to the bird. "Don't worry, I will. I promise."
(Thank you…before you take me away and set me free…tell the Sorting Hat to give you Gryffindor's Dragon sword. It will help you to vanquish and kill the serpent monster that dwells beneath the school.)
Hari froze upon hearing that, which is exactly like in the prophecy that Luna has foretold about her and she was very much shocked to hear this but then she became stunned as well as Sunny when the bird suddenly explodes into flames and ashes and then slowly, the pile of black ashes that it leaves behind, reveals and out comes a baby bird that chirps and whines pleadingly as if asking Hari to do what she promised into taking it away and setting the magical bird free.
"By great Mahal-that's a Phoenix! I can't believe it-you talked and made friends with a magical Phoenix!" Sunny exclaimed in shocked wonder and awe and Hari ignored her as she'll talk to her dwarf friend later on what's a Phoenix, as she gently picks up the reborn baby bird from the pile of ashes and then gently wraps it with a small blanket she conjured magically out of thin air and carries it carefully on a sling around her person so that she'll carry it outside and set it free once they get there. Then Hari did what the little Phoenix had told her into asking the Sorting Hat to give her the sword when she put it on her head, and the hat nodded when it read her mind and knows her good intentions into using it.
Hari winced when she felt something hit her head right on top, and she took off the hat and carefully pulled out the majestic magical sword with the carved engraving of Godric Gryffindor on the blade. Sunny gaped staring stunned as she saw and witnessed this, and then Hari told her friend that she'll explain everything later after the two of them gets out of the office quickly before someone might come by and notice them sneaking away with their bounty that they will believe that it doesn't belong to them.
The Sorting Hat reassured Hari and Sunny that the magic portraits in the office room won't speak or spread the word of what they've done and what they took, for they're all in deep magic slumber when Headmaster Dumbledore was taken away and then both the elf and the dwarf girl quickly left the place and got back to their private dorm rooms where Hari designated the place as the good one where she'll let the Phoenix out and fly free.
Thranduil watched as Hari gently let the magical Phoenix go and be free once she and Sunny ensured that it will be safe and secure from anyone, both magical and Mundane from trying to claim and imprison it as theirs, just as the cruel Headmaster Dumbledore has done to it for almost many years when he caught it. The baby Phoenix thanked Hari once more, chirping gratefully before the little bird flies gracefully to flee away from the magic school and go flying far away with the intention of never coming back. Just as the Phoenix flies off, Sunny explained everything to Hari about the great majesty of the Phoenix as it is almost equal to its purity like the Unicorn, but it has immortal life-span through Burnings like what they witnessed before and that the magical fire-burning birds can carry very heavy loads, both living and non-living, and come flying in fast when they are needed, and also have healing tears that can heal any grievous wound, either from Mundane injury or darkest magic.
The Elven-king was amazed to hear about this Phoenix and was a little disappointed that the Phoenix didn't stay for Hari since she saved its life and set it free, but he understood that the fiery magical bird deserved it after being imprisoned like that to be forced as a pet of sorts to that dastardly so-called Light Istari. Then he listened when Hari explained to Sunny about the sword that she pulled out from the magic hat and said that the Phoenix told her in her mind magically that the weapon will help her into killing the Basilisk monster.
"Wow! Oh hell-there's only one problem, girlfriend…we don't know where the monster is hiding!" Sunny exclaimed, pointing this problem out.
Hari just smiled at Sunny who got confused by her expression and she said. "We do now. The Hat told me where the monster Basilisk is dwelling when I asked for the sword. Remember that ghost girl that's been haunting a bathroom in this school?"
Sunny knows of the ghost for that is one phantom that she really do not want to meet up and deal with as it pathetically wails and laments of its ghostly fate and then Hari said, "The Chamber of Secrets is in that very bathroom, for the ghost there is the very victim that the Basilisk killed years ago!"
Sunny's eyes widened in shock of that revelation and then she quickly snapped out of it as she magically summoned her ax and pouch of magic Runestones right to her hands as she cried out with a wide smile. "Well then, what are we waiting for!? Let's go over there and kick some arse!"
Hari nearly chuckles at her dwarf friend's enthusiasm but she became serious as she grabbed her bow and newly-filled magic quiver of arrows and brought the Elven sword as an extra just in case, strapping the quiver and Gryffindor sword on her back, sheathing and strapping the Elven sword on her side and holding her longbow.
It didn't take long for both Hari and Sunny to sneak out late at night under the magic invisibility cloak again and went towards the haunted girls bathroom where they were pointed out that is where the Chamber of Secrets is. They carefully avoided any patrols that were walking around the school, still trying to find the culprit of the attacks, even with Dumbledore being taken away and when they finally made it there, Hari and Sunny took off the cloak and then searched around, trying to find the secret entrance into the Slytherin Chamber but there's nothing.
Before Sunny was about to curse out in frustration, a meek ghostly voice sounded out from behind the disguised dwarf and elf girls, "I can help, you know."
Sunny and Hari rounded swiftly, brandishing their weapons of ax and notched bow and arrow, and they relaxed when it was only the ghost of the young girl who's haunting the abandoned bathroom. The girl cocked her head slightly to the side as she smiled at them. "But I'll only help if you ask nicely."
Hari lowered her weapons and asked the ghost politely like she told her to. "I was wondering how you died and if you know anything what happened when you did?" it disturbed both girls that the ghost girl seemed delighted and happy at the question as she answered Hari. "It was horrible you know. When I was alive, I was bullied very horribly by some of my classmates years ago. I died right here in this bathroom when I went to confront someone who was in here as well when I thought I was crying my sorrows alone. First I heard hissing, when I came out to confront whoever it was in here, the next I remember looking at scary snake eyes, and then the next and last time…I died."
"Where exactly?" Sunny asked demanding, but making sure that she sounded polite and kind as well, so that she won't offend the ghost, given that Hari gave her a pointed meaningful look when the ghost girl said before to be nice to her.
The ghost girl just shrugged and pointed straight towards the sinks. "Over there. That's where I saw those scary eyes and then died and became a ghost." then the ghost floated away, leaving Hari and Sunny alone like she didn't want to stick around in case the monster with the scary eyes come out again, despite that the ghost is already dead.
Hari and Sunny inspected and studied the sinks closely before the dwarf girl found it, pointing out to her friend Hari on discovering a small snake engraving on one of the sinks at the faucets. Hari saw it and then she wondered about the opening but then she remembered something else that is known about Slytherin in its infamous legend of the Chamber of Secrets. It was fortunate that Hari is gifted and knowledgeable in the magical languages and speaking to animals and creatures and she softly hissed for the chamber's entrance to open up, just like the dark Heir would in Parseltongue.
It didn't take long for both Hari and Sunny to tense with anticipation and wariness, as the chamber opened and they can see a slide of sorts to show the entrance deep into the Chamber of Secrets below. Hari hissed again to summon stairs and they appeared magically for them to climb down instead of sliding as they figured that the slide was used for the Basilisk to roam around the school and did the attacks.
They slowly went down the stairs and into the chamber below where the serpent monster dwells and Thranduil couldn't help but be tense and nervous as well as he followed his pair and her companion to face against the monstrous dark creature known as the Basilisk. The Elven-king wasn't pleased that his soulmate Hari was forced to go down instead of the other Istari because of the need to rescue the young Luna and her friend who were taken there by the unknown enemy. But he knew that Hari wouldn't turn away into rescuing one of her her own, especially if its an elfling as they are treasured among all Elves in Middle Earth.
Thranduil truly wished he could become real through the Dream-sharing and be there for his soulmate to protect her and fight beside her. It didn't help when Hari and Sunny found something as they ventured deeper in the sewers to try to find the two missing girls or the Basilisk and discovered something very horrifying about the creature they're going to be facing and fighting against.
Hari and Sunny were horrified upon staring at the large snake-skin that was shed recently from the Basilisk.
Sunny joked after a silent moment. "We're going to need bigger weapons!"
Hari glared at her friend that this is not the time and place to be joking around but then she realized that her dwarf friend was trying to ease her nervousness and the tension on discovering about the giant Basilisk monster they are going to be facing later and fight against it.
It didn't take long for them to reach towards another door that appeared to be surrounded with snakes to symbolize as it is another entrance into the dark Chamber of Secrets and Hari hissed again and the door opened for them to enter.
Hari and Sunny exchanged tense looks before they readied themselves and entered the chamber with their weapons out and at the ready in case the main culprit and enemy attacks or the Basilisk might come out and attack as well. It looks like they're given a reprieve for a short while when they saw nothing in the vast chamber they're in, but then their relief was short-lived when they saw the two missing girls lying on the floor like they're dead.
"Luna!" Hari gasped out in a cry and she ran towards her with Sunny hastily following after her, but they didn't lower their weapons in case the enemy might come out.
Thranduil watched tensely as Hari and Sunny knelt to check on the health on the two girls lying on the floors and Sunny became puzzled when she announced to Hari that one of them, the red-headed girl is having her life-essence being drained of sorts somehow. Hari blinked confused at this but then she zeroed in like she sensed something evil and dark when she spotted the open blank diary beside the lying red-head girl. Before his pair was about to reach for it and inspect it, after she checked on Luna who somehow got knocked unconscious, there was a sudden voice that warned them to not go near the diary and both Hari and Sunny stood up and brandished their weapons at the ready to face the one who spoke.
It turned out to be some sort of ghost or phantom, but at the same time it looks like it's forming a corporeal real body among the living realm somehow. And it is being done in such a dark way, that Hari could sense it and believes that this is the main culprit and enemy they are facing against. And it became true because Thranduil tensed and became almost furious when the phantom revealed himself to be a young teenager of sorts, but then he boasted that he's the most superior dark Istari of all time as he revealed himself to be the younger version of the infamous dark Istari Voldemort who terrorized the magical world years ago with his dark followers into ruling it but then he was thwarted when his very being was destroyed and he became a body-less wraith that wanders the earth cursed like that because of the infernal parent belonging to the one who bears the Fated Mark.
Thranduil was shocked on hearing this and seeing that his pair is facing the very evil dark Istari that fatally killed her mother long ago, and he knew that this phantom has to be similar like the dark wraith that possessed the evil professor last year, and he can't believe that he's seeing that his soulmate is facing against him again but in a younger version of him somehow. It didn't take long for Hari to realize that the phantom knows about the truth about her like he could somehow sense it and when she shot an arrow to kill him, it passed right through him like his forming corporeal body hasn't completed yet and he laughed evilly, telling her that it's useless to try.
But when Sunny whispered to Hari, telling her about the part of the prophecy Luna has said about the cursed item, their eyes zeroed in on the blank diary which they quickly figured out that it's the source of the red-head girl's weakened state and the phantom somehow forming a real body. But the evil Istari wraith somehow knew their intentions and quickly summoned the Basilisk to come and kill Hari and Sunny and Thranduil was helpless to watch as the dark creature came out in its large and vast ominous form and the serpent monster hissed menacingly looming over the two who quickly closed their eyes so that they won't be killed by its gaze upon them.
"Hari…I hope you got any bright crazy ideas you got in your head to get us out of this alive!" Sunny cried as she kept her eyes shut and gripped her ax tightly, hoping that the Basilisk won't come swallow them up with its large jaws and kill them by feasting on them.
Hari didn't answer as she didn't think of a good plan to get through this, but somehow it's like Fate decided to intervene-or rather a good magical friend who came flying to the rescue-and both Hari and Sunny could hear the phantom wraith Voldemort crying out in anger with the Basilisk hissing out in pain and their eyes slowly opened to see the shocking sight of the large fiery-burning golden-red Phoenix, attacking the serpent monster by clawing and pecking at its eyes with slashing fury.
Hari instantly recognized the Phoenix as it is the very same one that she rescued from Dumbledore's prison office and set it free and she was very stunned to see that it grew so fast, making the pure flighty being look more beautiful and majestic than before. Then she quickly snapped out of it and went running to attack the Basilisk with a battle cry, with Sunny following her lead until they find a weak spot that they can kill the serpent monster before them.
Hari shot arrows at it, also enchanting them to pierce through the scales as well as Sunny who tried hacking it with her strong magic sharp ax and powerful exploding Runestones but nothing has cracked through its fearsome snake-scaly armor and the Basilisk kept flailing its tail, body and head, trying to get its attackers to stop from the Phoenix pecking at it on the head and Hari and Sunny trying to attack on the body and dodging the flying lashing tail.
Hari cursed on finding no weak spot on its body or the tail, so it looks like that the only place it could be is at the head. Hari yelled at Sunny to distract it as she gracefully climbed up at one of the statues with Elven grace and speed and she carefully went closer to the thrashing hissing head of the Basilisk when the Phoenix is still slashing and clawing at it furiously, and Hari pulled out her Elven sword to try her luck into slicing it through.
But Hari almost fell when the head came right in her direction and she tried to dodge but she nearly missed her step as she moved backwards and slipped, almost falling down but managed to get a grip and she cursed when her Elven sword fell down in a clatter to the floor and the lashing tail went crashing down on it, breaking it to pieces.
Hari cursed. "Damn it all-mother's going to kill me when she finds out I lost another sword!"
Hari grunted as she carefully lifted herself and stood back right up on her feet, then she took out the Gryffindor sword, which is her only weapon and her one last shot into killing the Basilisk.
Just as the Basilisk lunged its head towards her again, with its jaws open wide and sharp fangs out, Hari struck with all her might as a strong elf warrior maiden and stabs the sword straight up through its upper jaw, killing it with one deadly blow as the blade strikes at the heart of a brain or something. She quickly pulled the sword away and the Basilisk gave one last death crying hiss, writhed its body and then fell down with a mighty crash as Hari struck it true.
Thranduil smiled widely, proud of his soulmate, but then his smiling face turned instantly to horror when he saw one of the fangs broken from its jaw and its embedded deep into his soulmate's left arm where she's holding her blood-stained sword that she used to kill it swiftly.
"NO!" he cried out in denial as he remembered from the written passage from the book of the serpent monster before that basilisk venom is very poisonous and deadly.
It turned out to be true as he watched helplessly when the poisonous venom from the Basilisk's fang is now slowly coursing within Hari's very being as she climbs down and now look like she's on the verge of dying sooner than later. Thranduil cursed at the wraith when Sunny ran to her friend in horror upon seeing this, and the phantom just laughed evilly again and boasted that Hari will die close now and she will soon follow the two girls lying on the ground as he drained them of their life-force to make his body whole and real again in the living world.
But then the wraith became horrified when Hari calmly told the dark Istari phantom that she knows that the Basilisk venom is very deadly, so deadly enough that it can also kill a dark object and cursed being like him. The wraith tried to stop Hari but it was too late for the Elven maiden remembered the last parts of the prophecy foretold of the dark being's defeat and she didn't hesitate into plunging the Basilisk fang that she tore out from her arm and then stabbed it deep into the cursed diary, making it somehow bleed like it's a living being and the phantom suddenly exploded into flashes of light and then disappears into thin air.
After Thranduil watched his pair had defeated the wraith with the Basilisk fang, he was full of sorrow upon helplessly witnessing his soulmate collapsed onto her side and Sunny tried to figure out what's wrong and trying to help her, just as the two girls suddenly woke up with gasps upon their life-force being returned to them and they're back to normal. He couldn't hold back his tears of regret and anger on seeing his soulmate pair slowly die before him, just as Luna cried out in denial on seeing her friend and guardian dying and she ran to her side while the redhead sobbed uncontrollably, crying that it's all her fault.
But then something very miraculous and astonishing happened before them and Thranduil was relieved that his soulmate is being saved. The grown and beautiful Phoenix glides down and it comes closer to Hari's side and started crying its magical healing tears right into her stab wound where she got struck by the Basilisk fang and being poisoned near death from it.
Thranduil watched in awe and stunned wonder as the phoenix healed his soulmate with its tears. He was stunned shocked on how quickly the tears healed her of the deadly basilisk venom that's meant to kill instantly. He wondered whether the phoenix tears could work against Morgul poison in Middle Earth.
After the Phoenix healed Hari with its tears swiftly, Hari gasped and sat back up as she felt revived by its amazing healing powers and Sunny sighed with relief and Luna cried with joy and went to hug her which Hari returned the gesture back.
"Seriously…the next time you try to strike at a dark creature with a sword, right through its open jaws-how about you do not get yourself stabbed by it too, like what happened with that snake beast!?" Sunny snapped ranting at her disguised elf friend with a frown, but the dwarf looks very glad and relieved that Hari made it out of her battle alive and emerged victorious.
Hari chuckled at her friend and patted Luna in her arms, comforting and reassuring her that she's fine and alright before she checked the little elfling girl to see if she's well and alright too. Then she looked at the redhead girl who kept crying and apologizing that it was her fault and that she's the one responsible for the attacks but Hari and Sunny reassured the girl named Ginny Weasley that it's not her fault at all and it was because of the dark cursed diary that made her do it and they'll explain everything to the professors up above on everything.
Slowly, Hari and Sunny got the girls to be carried in their strong arms and then they sheathed their weapons, gather the evidence of the dark-now-dead cursed diary and with the Phoenix now flying and disappearing to its freedom, they climbed out of the Chamber, leaving the dead Basilisk behind and went straight to McGonagall's office to give the news that the culprit has been dealt with and the monster has been killed.
Needless to say, McGonagall was very shocked upon seeing the dirty Hari and Sunny, carrying the two missing girls in their arms into her office and when they gave their explanations, the professor relented on the punishment she's giving them for recklessly charging into danger like that but she commended them on their achievements into dealing with the culprits. The old Transfigurations professor also announced that Dumbledore has returned when Hari and Sunny came back from their adventure and after they settled the shaken girls to the Hospital Wing, McGonagall led the two older girls straight to the Headmaster's office, where he will know the news and share with the authorities that the culprit and the monster have been dealt with.
Thranduil wasn't pleased that his pair is being led to meet with that beady-eyed Istari Headmaster once more, and he didn't like how the old Light Istari has been staring at Hari all the while she and her friend Sunny has been telling the tale to him about what they did, how they killed the Basilisk monster and destroy the main culprit and rescued the girls. After they finished with the tale, Dumbledore just nodded sagely and then asked Sunny if she could leave him and Hari alone for a moment as he wanted to speak to her privately.
Sunny didn't like that but Hari gave her a pointed look and reassuring nod that she'll be fine and the disguised dwarf was forced to leave her friend alone to face against that so-called Light Istari who's studying Hari like she's a puzzle that he can't make out of and wanted to exploit her in whatever dastardly dark means that he has up his sleeve. Thranduil tensed like he wanted to protect his soulmate from this suspicious character when Dumbledore started asking her about how Hari obtained the Gryffindor sword and does she know anything about what happened to his Phoenix when he was taken away.
Hari expertly lied to him in a deceptive innocent-like manner that she doesn't know what is a Phoenix as she is unfamiliar with it and have never seen it before, so she doesn't know what he's talking about, but as for the sword, she said that the Sorting Hat has somehow sensed her worries for young Luna and gave her the sword because she needed it. Dumbledore understood and he looked to be a bit satisfied and disappointed at her answers but at least he seemed a bit content that Hari put the dead-cursed diary and the Gryffindor sword onto his desk before she and Sunny told their tale of what happened in the Chamber of Secrets.
The Elven-king was relieved to see that the Istari Headmaster let Hari go with the disappointment still on his face and Hari turned around and made sure that she's calm and composed to leave, without giving anything out to the staring Headmaster that she knows something more than what she told him before and make his suspicious of her. When she got out of the office and walked far away from the gargoyle guardian that guards the Headmaster's office, Sunny was relieved to see her elf friend made it out alright and started ranting about the Istari Headmaster that she really distrusts him so.
"I really don't like the way that the beady-eyed Istari had been staring at you when he politely 'asked' me to leave you two alone. Are you sure you're alright, Hari? He didn't mind-read you magically or something nefarious, huh?" Sunny demanded at her.
Hari smiled at her dwarf friend and shook her head in a negative. "No, Sunny. He didn't do anything. My charms have blocked him from reading my mind magically and I made sure that I sounded convincing enough with my lies when he asked me some questions like about the Phoenix and the Gryffindor sword."
"Still-I can't believe that you left the sword behind at that man's office!" Sunny complained, whining about it since the sword doesn't seem to belong in his hands but she didn't notice how Hari grinned secretively until she voiced it out.
"Sunny…did I ever mention that I gave Dumbledore the real sword?" she said nonchalantly and calm.
It didn't take long for Sunny to register the words her elf friend said and then she was grinning widely up at her while Hari did the same. Hari stopped her from saying anything more in case somebody else might be listening into their conversation and the two of them hurriedly went back to their private dorms so that they could take out the infamous Gryffindor dragon sword and let Sunny study its properties.
When they got there as fast and swift they did, Hari pulled it out of hiding from under the magic invisible cloak she wrapped it up in and then Sunny studied and inspected the sword closely and carefully, being mindful that the blade is now imbued and laced with Basilisk poison, which Hari told her of it when she hid it before.
Thranduil watched as Hari and Sunny studied the sword and remarked that they're happy and glad that Hari's keeping it for herself from what Sunny found in her discovery that the sword has been made from Elvish origins and Elven-makings and such, so it rightfully belongs in Hari's hands. Thranduil was glad that his soulmate pair has a powerful weapon now in her arsenal, and as he watched relieved and glad that the year ended peacefully with the students being relieved that the petrified victims have all been cured from their cursed condition, the attacks have stopped and the monster and culprit has been dealt with.
The Elven-king watched as Hari and Sunny prepared to leave and go home in their hiding places and before the Dream-sharing ended, he hoped that by the next and last year, his soulmate pair will be facing no more dangers or threats that will endanger his soulmate's life anymore than it's become worse from the second year she's been through.
OOOOO
As the Dream-sharing had ended, Thranduil woke up and didn't hesitate into calling and gathering his friends and Gandalf into telling them all that had happened with his soulmate pair and explaining everything to them with some negative input that the Elven-king also shared and confided to them as they listened.
"At this rate, he'll be ordering his people to try to decimate all the spiders infesting Mirkwood and also ordering them to kill any giants that are here in Middle Earth," Galadriel whispered to Elrond softly and he nodded in agreement at her words, as he looked cautious and wary at the Elven king who is still radiating with anger after he told them about the Istari giant again and the discovery of more monster pets, like the giant spiders that infested the Forbidden Forest in the other world, similar to here in Arda.
The Elf Lord of Rivendell could easily tell that King Thranduil will decide to do just that after their conversation and meeting here.
Elrond decide to change the topic to another one so that it will somehow cool down Thranduil's temper.
"What about the Phoenix, King Thranduil? It's amazing to hear of its magical powers, especially of its healing tears." Elrond asked.
Thranduil sighed and said. "It fled to its freedom after my pair Hari has released it from its prison when it burns itself to be reborn. I don't know how Hari set it free just like that, but all I know is that the Phoenix is now at Hari's side and will help her when needed, after what I've seen when it came to help them with the Basilisk and healed my soulmate with its tears. I'm not sure if Hari will see it again, but then the Phoenix deserves its freedom from the grasp of that Istari Dumbledore."
Then Thranduil took another deep breath to calm himself when he had a sudden thought that ignited his furious temper again and he voiced out what the other threat he is worried about. "It's not only that phantom wraith of a Dark Lord I'm also concerned that I mentioned of, my friends. It's that Istari who is Headmaster of that magic school-the one that calls himself Albus Dumbledore."
"What about him?" Gandalf asked the Elvenking seriously.
"There's something about him that I really do not like-and I'm not talking about how the way he kept staring at my pair with those creepy twinkling eyes of his." Thranduil said, almost snarling through his gritted teeth as he said this. Then he turned his head to look at Gandalf for a silent moment and then to Elrond and Galadriel with a look on his face. The icy expression on his face that is almost eerily similar to how he detested the Dwarves a hundred years ago when they refused to give him the white gems of pure starlight. "If I have to compare about that old Istari in the other world, it's like he is slightly similar to that sneaky Saruman the White wizard."
Once Thranduil said this and the way how he sounded blunt at it, the two Elven rulers and the wizard knew that the Elvenking was gravely serious at what he said and they also agree that something has changed with Saruman, and not in a good way which is all in their thoughts. But then they'll look into that grim matter later, for now they'll focus into helping their friend the Elven-king Thranduil with whatever he needed when it concerns his soulmate pair.
Hopefully, by the next Dream-sharing, Thranduil might be able to get some answers or discover some clues on how to connect with his soulmate pair Hari and help her in the troubles that might be coming for her life ahead of time and be able to help her in finding a way back somehow to Middle Earth where the two fated-marked soulmates will meet each other face-to-face.
Thranduil really hoped that the time will come soon, for he's not sure how he could bear witnessing and watching helplessly at his soulmate going through another harrowing ordeal as she has gone through from the last two years from that magic school.
Time will only tell and the story will continue on the next journey at the new chapter in Hari's life by the next year which will be her third and last one at the other world where there is special and amazing magic there that will help the Elves and Dwarves somehow to get back to their world in Middle Earth of Arda.
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AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Another super-long chapter finished and updated! I hope you like it!
Next chapter…what happens to Hari and Sunny and others, along with Thranduil in the Dream-sharing and watching on the third and final year in Hogwarts! However, Thranduil won't be alone into watching his soulmate through the Dream-sharing.
I'll try as much as I can to squeeze this story good enough for all readers to read!
I'm sorry this took so long, REAL LIFE happened, the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic-and other things, but it will not stop me from writing my stories, posting and updating them!
There will be more chapters and updates soon in this story and others, I promise!
Enjoy Readers!
Everyone stay safe at home, be healthy and take care always because of COVID-19! Pray to God that we make it through this and survive!
PLEASE REVIEW OR COMMENT!
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