Chapter 25 – Trying to Fit In (Harry Celine)

A new school is difficult. I've been in nonmagical schools, I've been at Durmstrang, Mum has home-schooled me. I know a lot of important things Hogwarts doesn't teach or doesn't emphasize. I am ahead of everyone else in art, music, and nonmagical literature and history. I speak German fluently. I know a lot of magic, much of it spells unique to Durmstrang or the same spell done a little differently than it's done here at Hogwarts. It's harder to fit in and do well, when you must re-learn what you already know. I feel safer at Hogwarts, but although the Gryffindors are friendly, I'm not really a member of any group. I should be a second year, but half of my classes are with the first years. That makes me not a real member of either group. Maxwell Sharp has fully accepted me into his army, which includes everybody from the Potter-Weasley clan. That has helped me to move closer to having the close-knit group of great pals, comrades-in-wand, which I long to have.

I can't blame Mum for the unsettled state of my life. I know she sacrificed a lot to keep me safe by staying hidden from the magical peoples of other worlds, who were determined to steal me, but the isolation was very lonely for both of us and hurt my ability to learn how to make friends. That part of me is damaged. My soul is very lonely. I am the far-to-shy kid, who is always the outsider.

At lunch, I overheard Hugo telling a lot of people that he had to talk his way onto the next leg of the Quest to seid space. His mum hadn't given much hope for a quick trip to seid space. He intended to approach Aunt Ginny. She had at least as big a voice in choosing the Quest participants as his mum did. I told Hugo that I also wished to join that team. He responded, "Fine by me, as long as I get to go. It will be better to have another friend to travel with."

That made me feel better.

Right after lunch, I was bullied for the first time. My mind was elsewhere, thinking how nice it would be to join the Quest team. I let my guard down, as I debated how best to approach Aunt Ginny. A Slytherin seventh-year caught me alone in a minor corridor. He set my robes afire and as I was putting out the fire, he tried to shove his wand up my nose, shouting at me "I'm going to blow your brains out your ears. What do you think of that?"

The problem is: I didn't think at all, my body just reacted to protect itself. My attacker couldn't know that I was a Demi-God; he couldn't know how much magic Mum and Headmaster Krum taught me he couldn't know how would react to the quick ambush, with him shouting at me and the tip of his wand forcing itself into my nose. He couldn't know that I am not just large for a first-year: I'm half Aesir. He was caught in a wild burst of magic. I work to keep my inappropriate talents hidden, but this guy pushed me over the edge. Before I thought what I should do, I had launched him through a second floor window. He lit off as he traveled. I regained control in time to break his fall and extinguish his robes, but he was a smouldering heap beneath the window. I hadn't used my wand, so there would be no record of what I had done. I told myself that it would be wrong to wipe his mind – yes, I can do that from two stories up. I would have to take my chances on my version of events against his. Even with this nod to being a good and honest member of Hogwarts, I Apparated far away from that corridor, as I heard steps pounding toward me. I was gone before whoever entered the corridor. I magically repaired my robes and went about my business. The seventh-year's problems were a great mystery, which I did not volunteer to solve, at least immediately. I had sensed that he lived. At least what was left of him lived. If nobody had been running toward me, I would have been faced with the decision to call for help, to get medical attention to him as quickly as possible. That need did not stall my escape. I want to do the right thing, but I need to calm enough to think properly.

I do feel bad about what I did. I do feel like a freak. A freak who can't bring his wild magic under control. I heard the stories about the twins and about Steven. They ended reasonably well. I know that I have stronger wild magic than any of them. I will work to increase my self-control. It's difficult when your afire and some awful kid is trying to shove a wand up your nose. I should be better than I was. For now, I need to talk to Mum. She'll probably ask me to tell all to Headmaster Longbottom, but I at least want her advice on how to approach him. Assuming that is the safest right to do.

I know that this isn't good. It comes a day after all the upper-level Slytherins, apart from this guy, left on the Hogwarts Express. This guy wasn't at breakfast of lunch today. He isn't even supposed to be here. Did he stay and hide, just to ambush me? Why me? Was I simply too careless?

Mum had taught me how to use the Black Stone to message her. I did so, telling her it was urgent. She told me to come to her apartment. Her tone suggested that she had guessed who was responsible for the barely-alive body on the lawn. I confirmed her suspicions. I explained that I was ambushed, afire, with this kid trying to stick his wand up my nose, when my body just took over and defended itself. My wand never left my robes. Mum said we must visit Headmaster Longbottom and Minister Hermione at once. She didn't think the Headmaster's office was an appropriate location to meet. We'd all be seen entering the office. Inside the pyramid was the best spot! I only had two minutes with Mum, before everyone arrived. I gave her the sixty-second version of what happened.

She hugged me and whispered, "You must tell them the whole truth. That's the only way. If things go badly, I promise that I will rescue you."

Headmaster Longbottom, Minister Hermione, Harry Potter, Prosecutor Longbottom, Director Shacklebolt, and Ginny were soon with us. I told them my story. I told them every bit of what happened. I ended by asking, "I certainly didn't want to kill him, is he still alive?"

"He's alive," Harry Potter told me. "Not at all good and he may have suffered some permanent damage, but he should survive. He's in the Hogwarts St. Mungo's."

Director Shacklebolt asked for my wand. I gave it to him. He examined it closely, ran some tests with his wand, then told the group, "It hasn't been used recently. It does record a huge burst of magic. The sort of burst you'd expect from one of your triple curses. Whatever Harry did, including arresting his attacker's fall and extinguishing his robes, he did without his wand. I can't imagine how much magical power is required to slow a fall from above the falling person. Harry did it though. Doctor White says the attacker hit the ground at slow speed - no broken bones at all. Burns over a lot of him, but not of them even moderately severe. Doctor White says he can easily treat them. What may not be fixable is his mind. It was overloaded by the burst of magic."

Prosecutor Longbottom examined my wand. "I agree with Kingsley. This wand hasn't been used. I need to ask Mr. Celine some questions in front of truth-tellers."

Ginny volunteered to summon Cissy. Mrs. Longbottom wanted one of the court truth-tellers to participate. Director Shacklebolt volunteered to Apparate her.

"Not here!" Harry Potter objected. "I don't want her to see the inside of the pyramid and its defences. This isn't like an open tour. Our protective strategy and capabilities would be revealed."

"Wait for Cissy, then we Apparate to my conference room," Minister Hermione commanded. The wait was short. I soon found myself in a large conference room. I was asked to sit on one side of the conference table, between Harry Potter and Headmaster Longbottom, as the three of us faced the four truth-tellers.

"I think I should ask the questions," Prosecutor Longbottom insisted. Nobody objected.

"Did you mean to injure that boy?"

"No. He attacked me and my body just reacted."

"Did you use any curse?"

"I used curses to extinguish the fire in his robes and mine and to break his fall. Oh, also to repair my robes."

"Why did you repair your robes?"

"Umm, I think my first reaction was to disappear and let the whole thing be an unsolvable mystery. Then I realized I needed to report what happened."

"Why the delay in coming to the legal course of action?"

"I needed time to think. Somebody was about to turn into the corridor. I Apparated away. I was shocked by the magical power I unleashed. I had to calm myself and think about what had just happened."

"You left not knowing if your victim were dead or alive."

"I sensed that he was alive. I knew that whoever was coming would discover my injured attacker within seconds. If my report was needed to get him immediate attention, I would have, well, to be honest, I hope I would have, stayed."

"You could have Apparated to the lawn and immediately Apparated your victim to St. Mungo's. Wouldn't that improve his chances of survival?"

"I could have Apparated to the lawn. I couldn't have Apparated to St. Mungo's. I've never been there. If I could, yes it would have improved his chances. I object to your repeatedly referring to my attacker as the victim. He attacked me. He ambushed me. He shoved his wand up my nose and promised to blow my brains out through my ears. I just reacted to the attack. No malice, no thought really. Just automatic self defence."

"You call him the attacker, but it's difficult for me to just assume that label, when he's near death in St. Mungo's and you're talking to me with no injuries beyond missing a piece of your nose. Do you even have any burns or did you repair those, when you repaired your robes. I wouldn't refer to him as victim, if I knew his name."

"His name is Hieronymous Felton," Headmaster Longbottom quickly interjected. "He was one of the Slytherins who left on the Hogwarts Express last night. I don't understand how he was even inside Hogwarts."

"Three of the students were missing, when the Express pulled into Platform 9-3/4," Director Shacklebolt explained. He pulled a notebook from his robes and turned over several pages. "Here it is" Mr. Felton, Mr. Fielding, and Mr. Crowley. Crowley is a first-year, the other two are seventh-years."

"It would have been nice," my Headmaster was clearly very angry, "don't you think, if somebody had bothered to inform me that three of my students had gone missing somewhere between the entrance to the Hogwarts castle and Platform 9-3/4. If I had been told, I almost certainly could have prevented the ambush. That is just irresponsible on the part of the Aurors. If Mr. Felton was inside Hogwarts ambushing a student, then I likely have two other guerrilla warriors waiting in ambush. I must return to Hogwarts immediately. It would be nice if you could spare several Aurors to help me search the school. That might reduce the damage your Aurors have done."

"I'll provide half a dozen Aurors," Shacklebolt said this over his shoulder as he left the room."

"While we wait," Prosecutor Longbottom addressed her son, "I need you to answer some questions."

Headmaster Longbottom nodded.

"Were Felton, Fielding, and Crowley among the students who received messages from their parents directing them to cause mayhem?"

"I don't know, mother. They were not among the students who were too foolish to destroy whatever notes they received from home. I can tell you that Mr. Felton was the student who spoke for all of the departing Slytherins and demanded that I order up the Hogwarts Express to take them home that night."

"Thank you. Don't blame me. I didn't know that there were departing students on the loose."

"I'm sorry, mother. I blame this on the Auror Corps. I also think you are taking a far too harsh approach to Mr. Celine. I don't like your choice of victim."

"I understand. I explained that. I have a job to do. I can say that thus far, I find no reason to charge Mr. Celine with anything. But I WILL finish my questioning of him. This is a good time for a mid-session grade. Was Mr. Celine truthful?"

Minister Hermione talked to the other truth-tellers, before announcing, "We detected no lies. However, Mr. Celine is half Aesir, an actual Demi-God. We can't be absolutely certain that we could detect a lie."

"I see." She turned to face Harry Celine. "Lift your robes, Mr. Celine. I wish to examine your legs."

I lifted my robes to mid-thigh level.

Using her wand to provide more light, Prosecutor Longbottom examined my legs closely. "There are burns on the fronts of his ankles and calves. Thank you, Mr, Celine. You may lower your robes.

Director Shacklebolt arrived with six Aurors. He place a hand on Headmaster Longbottom's arm. "Before we Apparate to Hogwarts, I should tell you what the Auror Corps knows and when we knew it. Auror Davies rode the Express. She logged each student as they boarded. The three students in question were all present. She checked again two hours into the trip. All three were present. When the Express arrived at 9-3/4, Auror Simmons logged every student as they left the Express. Felton, Fielding, and Crowley were missing. Auror Simmons immediately reported the problem to his supervisor, Auror Wilson. Auror Wilson said he would go right to the Ministry and report the problem. He asssigned Aurors Davies and Simmons to search the Express and Aurors Goldstein and Yang to backtrack the train's path from Hogwarts. He said he would alert the Aurors on duty in Hogsmeade and at the Hogwarts gate. Nobody has seen or heard from Auror Wilson since then. This didn't raise alarms at the Ministry, because Auror Wilson wasn't expected to return from his duty at Platform 9-3/4. I'm sorry, Neville. I learned about the missing students only when you raised the problem."

"Thank you and I apologise for blaming the Auror Corps at large. Now I really must be back at Hogwarts. I'm going to take my student and professor with me. You have no reason to arrest Mr. Celine. He had every right to defend himself and Mr. Felton was obviously up to no good. I need his help."

Nobody made a move to stop us from leaving. We Apparated to the Hogwarts pyramid and then to the Great Hall.

Professors Sprout and Flitwick met us there. "The students are in their Houses. Their House advisors are protecting them. I assume we are going to search the school."

"From top to bottom, Professor Sprout. From top to bottom. First to Gryffindor. I need their technical assistance."