...
The rush of... Everything that had happened, that had led up to the moment he'd elected to run after the three other first-years had quickly abated as his Occulemnecy took hold once again.
The house-elf disappeared with a plop as he neared the restricted area before the Forbidden Forest itself, Hagrid's hut having passed by him earlier in his haste. It wasn't until he'd reached said hut, having found no one within, that he'd elected to try calling up one of the house-elves to send a warning to the headmaster. An action that had more than likely cost him minutes he could barely spare.
He ignored the foreboding feeling that his grandfather tended to give him advice, like the whole Hogwart's house-elves existence, that he almost always found a use for soon after.
While the three Gryffindors had never left his view, he couldn't be sure if the Dark Wizard was currently watching them, waiting for their arrival and so he'd elected to keep his presence hidden.
Sure, he could've reached them directly, given his magic was helping his travel along somewhat, he just wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to convince them not to venture in.
Rather, he wasn't sure he could convince Harry Potter.
At that point, he would've been left with two options- Join in with their group and go at it together and very likely alert the wizard in question, risking his own life in the process, or turn back to the castle and hope the professors reacted in time, which given the spree of trouble the Boy-Who-Lived always somehow found himself in, he doubted.
Which left option three, follow them from behind, hidden from sight and sound, and mitigate whatever he could without blowing his cover until the Professors showed up and did their jobs.
It made his decision all the easier that he hadn't run into a single professor so far, and not for lack of trying.
It certainly helped that Hermione was among the group- If nothing else, the girl hadn't looked comfortable with whatever plan the other two had concocted, and he was hardly going to leave it up to chance on her behalf when he could help it.
Though if things went south for him in particular, he was liable to either use curses he definitely had no place knowing, or simply call it beforehand and turn tail.
As much as he might've had confidence in his ability, an unknown dark wizard wasn't something he wanted to actively engage in.
He liked Hermione, he really did. She was a rather good friend to have. He just happened to like a long life expectancy a little more.
Even if his mind shield hadn't prevented the Sorting Hat from peering into him, he doubted Gryffindor would've ever been on the table as a house just for that alone.
Of course, operating in the shadows? Where preparation and surprise were on his side of the field? Where he could direct, or at least attempt to, whatever possible altercation that might occur in his favor? If nothing else that proved he was a true Grindelwald.
His grandfather would be proud.
...
It hadn't taken long after the trees had quickly surrounded him, his legs, and the rest of his body started aching the slightest bit at the strain of magic he'd held over himself.
Between the Disillusionment charm, the Silencing charm, and the featherweight charm he'd thrown over himself and held, he'd started getting rather worried- At least until he'd watched all three Gryffindors stop in their tracks, a lone wizard stood before them on the other end of a clearing, a gleaming maniacal smile on his face, his rather looser shirt then before flurrying in the wind.
He idly noted the man's face had... Changed the slightest bit, though he couldn't pinpoint how.
Idly gazing around himself, he quickly hopped on top of one of the smaller trees' branches, and subsequently reduced the hold of magic over himself, removing the featherweight and lowering the radius of both other charms to around himself only as his free hand rested against the tree itself.
"I must say, the Sorting Hat did an exceptional job in placing you three into Gryffindor." The older wizard remarked, his hands outstretched as the grin on his face widened the slightest bit.
"I knew it..." Harry Potter's voice remarked. "You really are after the stone, aren't you Professor?"
...If Harry Potter came here on a hunch, as opposed to a somewhat founded reason, he was going to throttle someone.
Probably Potter himself for that matter.
"I have to ask," The older Wizard snorted, ignoring the question. "What convinced you to come after me? Was it the orders-"
"You called Malfoy a model student." Ron immediately interrupted the man, a surprising show of courage for one who'd walked into an obvious trap.
"Yeah," Harry Potter nodded. "If you left Hermione in charge, we probably wouldn't have noticed."
...He was going to throttle both of them.
"...Or Rodrick," Hermione remarked, her head searching around the area with confusion marring her face- At least from what he'd caught on one side of the said face -bringing his name into something he most certainly didn't want it anywhere near.
The two Gryffindors briefly glanced toward the uncomfortable girl at that.
"He's a model student too." The girl stammered. "Definitely doesn't break a third of the rules I do..." A haze of some sort seems to befall the girl at her own words.
"...Sure, but I mean he's a Slytherin." Ron deadpanned in retort. "Maybe he just doesn't get caught-" The boy redhead shook his head. "Seriously, no one in our year can be that... Boring. Right?" The redhead finished, turning his gaze towards Harry in the process.
He idly considered joining the Dark Wizard's side.
"...He did try to secretly get me into trouble for Fluffy, with Hagrid-" Another telling pause. "Even convinced Professor Dumbledore-"
IT WAS A JOKE!
Why was he getting worked up?
His gaze focused itself back on the... Utterly confused dark professor.
"Malfoy." The older man's words quickly caught the three's attention. "You're telling me that, after going through all the trouble of setting up an attack on your tower- After holding off my attempts until the tests... All I had to do, was somehow give Malfoy a compliment, and you all would've come running here into a trap so obvious even the Minister would've seen it coming?"
It was really telling that it only just occurred to the three that they'd walked into a trap judging by the sudden panic on their faces- Well, Hermione for some reason just looked angry for that matter, judging by the sparks of accidental magic that momentarily swept around her feet.
He was half tempted to go back to the castle and let evolution take its toll.
The older wizard held the bridge of his nose, and promptly narrowed his eyes.
"Screw it. I had a whole monologue planned for the death of the Boy-Who-lived, for the vengeance of the greatest dark lord to ever live-"
His grandfather was behind this!?
"But ya'll probably too stupid to understand it."
...
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