Harry Potter and the Collegium of New Avalon
Author: Charlemagne
Part: 10
Rated: PG
Genre: Action Adventure/Mild Romance (HP/CC, Hermione/Other, Ron/Other)
Content: Fantasy Violence, Angst
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Hermione, Ron Weasley, or even
You-know-who as they all belong to one very special author in England who is
not me. The events in this story make no claim to anything of J.K. Rowlings
but attempt to create a fantasy story of what will happen to them in college
and tell an amusing tale, which I hope you'll enjoy.
The Father Warbles restaurant of Fine Fowl was a lovely eatery on campus. The place served a pleasant pheasant for Harry, a lovely Turkey for Hermione, and a duck for Ron. Phillip who obviously hated greenery had apparently become a vegetarian upon his association with so many seemingly amazing animals. Cho had joined them briefly for lunch but she'd spotted Eloise Midgen and remembered a study session they had earlier this evening, which had given Ron and Hermione a chance to talk to Harry about it.
"So come on Harry out with it." Ron said simply with a smile that hadn't left his face all day for some reason.
"Out with what?" he said chewing.
"Harry, don't chew with your mouth full. Out with it! How were you and Cho, together." Hermione smiled at Harry.
Harry swallowed "We talked."
Harry looked at their expressions and sighed, he KNEW that hadn't been going to work. In truth Cho and him had talked about a great of things from the fact her grandfather had been a Chinese alchemist who had sent his daughter to Britain to avoid the backlash against westerners since her grandmother had been a Hogwarts witch. Harry had told her about the Marauder's Map and the adventures of Sirius and his Father though for obvious reason he'd downplayed Peter Pettigrew's part in it, he'd forgiven him in part because he'd saved Harry's life but it would be hard to forget how much evil he'd helped accomplish because of selfish need to feel protected. The storm had gradually died down around midnight and she'd left as Ron had come back in some very suspicious circumstances. Harry didn't know what could cause it to rain toads from the air but he imagined it was dark wizardry, he was only glad that someone had apparently shut it off for whatever reason.
'I shouldn't joke about that…' Harry heard Ron speaking.
"Okay, apparently Harry is going to be stingy with the details…." Ron said with a smile.
"What exactly were YOU doing Ron?" Harry said taking another bite of his pheasant.
"Ummm…so Phillip I understand you've got a broom." Ron said. There was an odd look on his face that was reminiscent of a large amount of guilt and worry. It was hardly the sort of reaction Harry expected, especially when the young wizard suspected his friend had spent the night with Isolde Devlin. When Ron had finally come in he hadn't wanted to talk to Harry and only around lunch after classes had become anything close to being his usual animated self.
"Yes actually." Phillip began before Ron interrupted him in mid opening his mouth for a second sentence.
"So maybe Harry can teach you how to fly." While, Phillip just politely blinked.
'God he's passive.' Harry thought. Somehow non-confrontational sounded too wordy and thinking weenie was a bit cruel. It was then Ron's words registered with him.
"HEY!" Harry said a bit too loudly, he didn't want to be rude but he had better things to do with his Quidditch time than teach a man how to fly a broom when he should have learned it growing up or in school. Words that sounded a tad hypocritical even to him but he really had better things to do with his time!
"No it's alright, I'm actually quite content staying away from that Deathrider-1 thingy. Why someone would want to ride…" Phillip tried to make a joke before he realized Ron was staring at him.
"A Deathrider-1, are you insane? Those things are self-improving intelligent brooms! Those things should be illegal!" Ron said, his look taking terrible offense.
"Well it was all I could affor…" Phillip shook his head in disgust as Ron went on. Clearly he was uncomfortable with the conversation.
"I swear the entire line tanked because the majority of the brooms got so sick and tired of their owners that they flew over canyons and off cliffs!" Ron said as everyone else at the table's eyes widened in horror. The only sound really was Fawkes feather's flapping, Crookshank's mewing, and the sound of lettuce being eaten. Pigwidgeon had refused to come within a hundred yards of the building.
However other fliers apparently were willing to.
Baal Krell's appearance accompanied by his flunkies Hannibal and Moloch had an instant effect on Ron as all the anger, resentment, and concern flooded back to his face with a good amount of loathing. Harry had only seem him get this look around Draco Malfoy and then only when Draco had been discovered spying for Voldemort which had him sent up for re-education. Harry personally believed he should have been put in Azkaban with the rest of them, at least now that the Dementors were gone.
"YOU!" Baal said looking at Ron who was about to get up before Harry pushed his arm down with a strong look.
"No." Harry commanded.
"But…" Ron turned his look betraying outrage at something. Harry blinked. He hadn't been expecting that. Jealousy was one thing but Ron was obviously seriously angry about something.
'What could Baal Krell have done to…'
Harry stopped and his eyes widened as Baal had his wand out and pointed at Ron's throat. Harry nearly reached for his own wand at this point and Hermione wasn't much slower towards hers. That surprised Harry. He'd never considered her the dueling type.
"I'm going to say this once and I'm only going to say it once. Stay away from Isolde Devlin, it's for your own good…" Baal enunciated very slowly as Hermione got up and looked at him.
"Now listen here!" Hermione spoke and Harry was embarrassed he wasn't up there and started getting up himself before everything happened so quickly he wasn't sure exactly what had occurred for a few seconds.
The first thing Harry recalled looking at Baal's twitching form on the ground as his colleagues were running screaming out the door was Baal shoving down Herm as she got up with his big meaty mitts. Ron drew his wand and there had been an explosion, which resulted in about a dozen hideous creeping shadows flying everywhere through the restaurant.
"RON!" Harry said, realizing he had his wands out too.
"I didn't do anything! I wanted to do…scumbag." Ron took a moment to kick Baal Krell in the chest as everyone else looked at them in the restaurant.
"Ron…" Hermione whacked in the arm as Harry looked disapproving, it wasn't right kick a man while he was down.
"He deserves it! First of all I think we need to do that and who cast the Enverating Black Tentacles spell of Olderash?" Ron asked before everyone looked at him.
"What? I've been studying." Ron blinked crossing his arms and getting the impression the owner wanted them to leave.
"Well I didn't do it!" Hermione spoke as Father Warbles started coming over with his pet pigmey chimera, a more hideous creature she had never seen.
"I don't know what the Tentacles of whoever you just called him are!" Harry said indignantly as he went down to check Baal to see if he was all right and found him breathing, just barely. Whatever the tentacles did they left no trace of it but had certainly done something to him.
"Is he going to be alright?" Phillip asked before getting looks from both Hermione and Ron as they realized his wand was smoking before they hastily made their retreat.
"Phil I appreciate your protecting Hermione's honor and stuff but I had it handled and that's an awfully high level attack spell…not to mention a nasty one to be practicing right now. " Ron said looking at his own wand before reluctantly putting it up.
Hermione was speechless as even the rabbit looked up.
"I have to go." Phillip said before shaking away all attempts to stop him and then moving at an amazingly fast pace as the three were left speechless behind. The rabbit then went trotting off behind Phillip.
"Ron is this Black whatchamigigger dark magic?" Harry asked.
Before Ron could answer a deep scowling and all too familiar voice was speaking behind the three of them.
"Yes Harry it is very dark magic. Unfortunately that is the least of your troubles because there has been an attack and despite your repeated proximity to every injury he has suffered, the victim has requested your presence at his bedside."
Harry turned around and leveled his gaze with Severus Snapes.
"What are you talking about Snape?"
Snape didn't blink "I'm saying Albus Dumbledore is dying."
***
It didn't take long for Snape to lead the port key, which was in the head mistress of the Collegium's office. It was a place that Harry found warmly inviting with trinkets apparently gathered not out of desire to collect but mostly for use artistic purposes like one might have bought a painting at an art show and let it sit for six hundred years. Harry did wonder however why the Head Mistress would need a mace lying on her desk but he was too worried about Albus to much care when Severus put his hand on a painting of Hogwarts which Harry found oddly sensible for a portkey and disappeared into it.
They each followed in turn.
"Hermione I thought you said…about a thousand times." Ron said simply with a very unpleasant look towards Hermione as they emerged.
"That we can't apparate into Hogwarts. Apparently they set aside a room where they can!" She said sharply to Ron in a very nasty tone that surprised Harry, her fingers were clawing each other and a look of sick worry was on her face.
Harry was already looking around the room however they had entered and he was surprised to see this was probably where Albus Dumbledore lived and it wasn't exactly in Hogwarts but directly off the grounds with the Castle in full view on the balcony overlooking the Forbidden forest. It looked like a combination of a shepherd's cabin, what Merlin's library probably resembled if this wasn't necessarily it, and the studio of Leonardo Davinchi. Fawkes squawked and immediately flew over towards a gold pedestal and landed on top of it over a four-poster bed covered in silk curtains where the figure of Albus Dumbledore was visible though for the first time in Harry's life he looked weak and bewildered.
"Harry….Hermione….Ron…Fawkes old boy…come closer….you too Severus if you…*cough* don't have any more of those awful tasting potions, can't…*cough* add a bit of sugar or lemon-juice or something?" Albus said in brief broken gaps barely lifting his arms up under the sheets as the group gathered round.
"If not for my potions Albus you would be dead right now." Snape snapped at Albus as there was the distinct sound of a kettle whistling nearby. The former Potions master headed towards then the kitchen which Harry spotted not far away before going up to Albus and taking his hand.
"Ah what did I ever do to deserve such wonderful…students?" Albus sighed a deep heavy breath. "Dear Neville came by just this morning with some fudge….couldn't stomach the stuff he made, poor boy just lost his grandm…other. He's going to be an Auror too you know Ron." Albus chortled which caused him to cough more.
"What happened?" Harry looked over his shoulder towards Snape who was bringing in something truly foul smelling which Harry could only vaguely guess the ingredients of to be perhaps Garlic, the fang of a kobold, and smelled like for all he knew Severus's athletics socks from his as a quidditch player at Hogwarts.
"Pewwwww." The sentiment was echoed by; Albus, Ron, Hermione, and Harry was fairly sure Fawkes who was covering his face with his wings. Tears were practically streaming down their eyes as Severus seemed merely to wiggle his nose to the effect so used to his noxious brews. Harry briefly smiled at the thought Fleur Decleour was now teaching potions, the male members of the class would probably learn less but it would be a heck of a lot more fun.
"The Heart-Tear curse. It's a very powerful spell requiring extensive knowledge of Muggle medicine and Mysticism. It's meant to duplicate what non-magic wielders term a stroke and be so imperceptible that no difference can be noticed even as it eats it's way through the system and eventually kills even the strongest wizards. Completely unidentifiable." Severus said pouring a cup of his black potion from the kettle which contained strands of what looked like swamp reeds.
"Well if it's undetectable Snape dear boy exactly how did you figure out that it was?" Ron crossed his arms and stared as if he were trying to look the part of the Auror he wanted to become. It had been his fondest wish since starting Hogwarts to nail Snape on something and probably half the reason he was becoming an Auror. Old grudges die-hard.
"Because Headmaster Dumbledore told me you silly little twit." Snape said to Ron whose face fell and Snape raised his finger and started mouthing thirty points from Gryffindor before shaking his head and getting a small cup beneath Fawke's eyes who blinked up at him tears.
"Excellent, the reason I needed you here." Snape sighs "Though if you hadn't taken the phoenix in the first pla…"
"He would have pecked your eyes out." Harry said dryly to Snape.
"The Chaos Bringer….Harry." Albus blinked as Severus dumped the phoenix tears inside the potion and began stirring it, causing it to turn from the black hideous substance it looked like to something clear and vaguely orange that smelled like hot lemon tea.
Harry blinked as he stared at Albus.
"Grindelwald?" he said as both Hermione and Ron exchanged looks with Ron getting that "oh god not another Dark Lord" look.
Albus blinked once for yes as Severus poured the tea down his throat before Albus gave a satisfied "Mmmmmm" and spoke weakly "Some books Harry are never meant to be opened Harry. Books are made to reflect society but that occasionally includes our deepest flaws and problems….and they exist not only to record but to spread this evil."
"Didn't you…Forget it." Ron stopped questioning people returning back from the dead a long time ago.
"Professor, you are not making any sense." Harry said looking at Dumbledore before he closed his eyes and entered a deep sleep.
"If it weren't for that annoying brother of Dumbledore's getting him proper attention you wouldn't be here and all the magic in the world couldn't save the man. You may stay at his side but the potion will put him in a deep sleep for some days and allow his body to fight off the Cardiac tear spell…." He began washing his hands off in a nearby sink.
Harry blinked not knowing Albus had any family.
"What about Grindelwald?" Harry asked looking at Snape.
Snape merely looked at him with a very condescending and annoyed look "Headmaster Dumbledore slew Octavian Grindelwald in 1945 Harry, a great service to all wizards who hated the man I assure you. He's currently a bit delirious and I would advise you to pay no attention to anything that he might say in this condition, especially since he's no longer conscious."
Ron, Hermione, and Harry merely looked at the Defense against Dark Arts teacher with a look of skepticism before looking back at the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
They stayed many more hours by his side.
***
Baal Krell wrapped himself in warm blankets as the rain began to pick up outside his dorm room. Obviously some crazy wizard was playing with the weather because while toads weren't falling from the sky the summer session weather was now dropping hail on the ground. He suspected even if it wasn't cold though he'd still be freezing as he looked over to the bubbling cauldron in his kitchen, which contained monkey's head, the finger bone of a virtuous man, and other noxious ingredients so flammable the actual mixture was on fire. The cure-all brewing in that pot for everything magical had been taught to him by his grandmother Baba. It had been from her that he'd learned all of his dark wizardry and without the stuff he admitted he probably wouldn't have gotten out of Saint Rasputin's in Siberia or on the Quidditch team here at New Avalon. Still he began to wonder if he probably should have just relied on his mom's influence more.
'At least she won't throw thrice cursed tentacles of Olderash.' Baal thought picking himself out of his chair taken from a foolish Czar before grabbing a black goblet and a ladel to pour some of his potion in and hopefully get rid of these chills. Defending Isolde's "honor" was beginning to become a full time occupation and Isolde the little demoness wasn't helping with her constantly flirting with every guy who paid her attention. The Imperious and Burning curses weren't keeping her under control as nearly as well as he'd liked, he'd have to resort to more specialized magics for keeping her right at his side and no where else.
'Maybe I should owl my grandmother in Siberia and see if she has any resolutions for this…' Baal thought as he pulled out his copy of "Forbidden Magics for Dummies", one of the many half sarcastic books of black magic that seemed to be fashionable today. He supposed it would help the incompetent ministry pay less attention to such books and their marketing but it seemed a large price to pay for love potions and dominations magics, Baal wasn't the smartest student in the world but he hated feeling like a fool.
"Eh it would be better if she were dead. Then I wouldn't have to worry about her "straying".." he murmured with contempt and not for the last time considered more drastic measures for the relationship to be terminated.
"Oh? Interesting Baal." The words echoed behind Krell as he dropped his tome on the ground and drew his wand.
"What are you doing here?" Baal said as he immediately cycled through his list of curses, the wards should have kept anyone out of the door until he invited them in. Least of all…
"This." The voice continued as Baal's attempt at the Imperious curse died on his lips and he was dumped into his burning cauldron face first, his legs twitching for a few seconds afterward before stopping.
***
Cho Chang really hated her friends sometime. She had been doing some studying for her Anatomy Alchemy and Symbology class, which was unfortunate because Cho absolutely despised Latin when Amanda had slammed repeatedly on her door complaining about a snake in her dorm room.
'I swear with the loyalty I show to my friends I should have been a Hufflepuff.' Cho thought to herself as she began to puzzle out where this horrid green critter might have been coming from. 'Maybe the thing snuck up through the plumping. From the cavern system water treatment plants…those water dwarves are awfully careless.'
"It's right in there Cho…it's BIG…huge…horrid." Amanda whispered her usually bright and perky disposition shattered by her discomfort with snakes, she was from America's Salem Academy and they weren't especially big on monsters there. In fact the only monster she was aware native to the United States were jackalopes. So it probably wasn't too problematic a snake might spook her.
"Just make sure….be okay." Amanda said "It might be…p-poisonous." The terrified witch held close to Cho's arm before slowly beginning to open the door. Cho thought she was being a bit overdramatic but she realized that campus security wasn't exactly the smartest bunch of warlocks and wizards in the world and it would probably take them several hours to get whatever it was Amanda wanted them to, if they got it at all. Besides it was new term and they were probably getting drunk with the Alphas Bachuus or trying to get closer to the Water Nymphs in the lagoon.
Entering Amanda's room Cho sighed "I'll be careful Amanda." Her wand raised just in case. Cho loved animals and wasn't really that unfond of snakes ever since she'd found out Harry was a parseltongue she'd made an effort to get to know them.
"Ssssssssssssssoooo prey arrives." A hideous hissing voice spoke to Cho's side before she blinked and turned around.
'Snakes don't talk.' Cho thought as she saw the figure, which was twelve feet in length it's coils wrapped up in a bundle to it's side with it's almost human like head staring at her with it's iris like black diamonds. The thing's scales were a heavy blackish purple and a rattling tail. The creature was a Naga, one of the serpentine monsters that dark wizards used to guard their treasures and serve as assassins.
"Oh crud." Cho jumped out of the way as the creature barreled toward her with it's fangs outstretched to take bite out of her shoulder, thankfully only managed to slam into the wall behind the beautiful witch as Cho fell into a roll.
"STUPEFY!" Cho called as the Naga hissed and shook but only began moving again toward her, apparently too strong for that simple spell.
"NASsstyyy young witch, you will make hardly a mouthful." The Naga snarled inching closer as it opened again its' jaws, this time large enough to swallow Cho whole like a python.
Inching towards the kitchen Cho grabbed one of Amanda's cutting knives on the counter and when the Naga grabbed her, she jumped in and shoved it up through it's jaw directly into the serpent man's brain. Feeling it's poisons drape onto her skin and burn but not break her skin, Cho felt fear ice through her heart but held it fast until it stopped squirming. Holding the creature's jaw open, Cho stepped out of it as it forced close like a bear-trap once she stopped holding it, her knife sticking out like a horn through it's head.
"Amanda it's dead!" Cho called taking a deep breath as she wondered exactly where such a creature had come from.
***
TO BE CONTINUED
-Charlemagne
Author: Charlemagne
Part: 10
Rated: PG
Genre: Action Adventure/Mild Romance (HP/CC, Hermione/Other, Ron/Other)
Content: Fantasy Violence, Angst
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Hermione, Ron Weasley, or even
You-know-who as they all belong to one very special author in England who is
not me. The events in this story make no claim to anything of J.K. Rowlings
but attempt to create a fantasy story of what will happen to them in college
and tell an amusing tale, which I hope you'll enjoy.
The Father Warbles restaurant of Fine Fowl was a lovely eatery on campus. The place served a pleasant pheasant for Harry, a lovely Turkey for Hermione, and a duck for Ron. Phillip who obviously hated greenery had apparently become a vegetarian upon his association with so many seemingly amazing animals. Cho had joined them briefly for lunch but she'd spotted Eloise Midgen and remembered a study session they had earlier this evening, which had given Ron and Hermione a chance to talk to Harry about it.
"So come on Harry out with it." Ron said simply with a smile that hadn't left his face all day for some reason.
"Out with what?" he said chewing.
"Harry, don't chew with your mouth full. Out with it! How were you and Cho, together." Hermione smiled at Harry.
Harry swallowed "We talked."
Harry looked at their expressions and sighed, he KNEW that hadn't been going to work. In truth Cho and him had talked about a great of things from the fact her grandfather had been a Chinese alchemist who had sent his daughter to Britain to avoid the backlash against westerners since her grandmother had been a Hogwarts witch. Harry had told her about the Marauder's Map and the adventures of Sirius and his Father though for obvious reason he'd downplayed Peter Pettigrew's part in it, he'd forgiven him in part because he'd saved Harry's life but it would be hard to forget how much evil he'd helped accomplish because of selfish need to feel protected. The storm had gradually died down around midnight and she'd left as Ron had come back in some very suspicious circumstances. Harry didn't know what could cause it to rain toads from the air but he imagined it was dark wizardry, he was only glad that someone had apparently shut it off for whatever reason.
'I shouldn't joke about that…' Harry heard Ron speaking.
"Okay, apparently Harry is going to be stingy with the details…." Ron said with a smile.
"What exactly were YOU doing Ron?" Harry said taking another bite of his pheasant.
"Ummm…so Phillip I understand you've got a broom." Ron said. There was an odd look on his face that was reminiscent of a large amount of guilt and worry. It was hardly the sort of reaction Harry expected, especially when the young wizard suspected his friend had spent the night with Isolde Devlin. When Ron had finally come in he hadn't wanted to talk to Harry and only around lunch after classes had become anything close to being his usual animated self.
"Yes actually." Phillip began before Ron interrupted him in mid opening his mouth for a second sentence.
"So maybe Harry can teach you how to fly." While, Phillip just politely blinked.
'God he's passive.' Harry thought. Somehow non-confrontational sounded too wordy and thinking weenie was a bit cruel. It was then Ron's words registered with him.
"HEY!" Harry said a bit too loudly, he didn't want to be rude but he had better things to do with his Quidditch time than teach a man how to fly a broom when he should have learned it growing up or in school. Words that sounded a tad hypocritical even to him but he really had better things to do with his time!
"No it's alright, I'm actually quite content staying away from that Deathrider-1 thingy. Why someone would want to ride…" Phillip tried to make a joke before he realized Ron was staring at him.
"A Deathrider-1, are you insane? Those things are self-improving intelligent brooms! Those things should be illegal!" Ron said, his look taking terrible offense.
"Well it was all I could affor…" Phillip shook his head in disgust as Ron went on. Clearly he was uncomfortable with the conversation.
"I swear the entire line tanked because the majority of the brooms got so sick and tired of their owners that they flew over canyons and off cliffs!" Ron said as everyone else at the table's eyes widened in horror. The only sound really was Fawkes feather's flapping, Crookshank's mewing, and the sound of lettuce being eaten. Pigwidgeon had refused to come within a hundred yards of the building.
However other fliers apparently were willing to.
Baal Krell's appearance accompanied by his flunkies Hannibal and Moloch had an instant effect on Ron as all the anger, resentment, and concern flooded back to his face with a good amount of loathing. Harry had only seem him get this look around Draco Malfoy and then only when Draco had been discovered spying for Voldemort which had him sent up for re-education. Harry personally believed he should have been put in Azkaban with the rest of them, at least now that the Dementors were gone.
"YOU!" Baal said looking at Ron who was about to get up before Harry pushed his arm down with a strong look.
"No." Harry commanded.
"But…" Ron turned his look betraying outrage at something. Harry blinked. He hadn't been expecting that. Jealousy was one thing but Ron was obviously seriously angry about something.
'What could Baal Krell have done to…'
Harry stopped and his eyes widened as Baal had his wand out and pointed at Ron's throat. Harry nearly reached for his own wand at this point and Hermione wasn't much slower towards hers. That surprised Harry. He'd never considered her the dueling type.
"I'm going to say this once and I'm only going to say it once. Stay away from Isolde Devlin, it's for your own good…" Baal enunciated very slowly as Hermione got up and looked at him.
"Now listen here!" Hermione spoke and Harry was embarrassed he wasn't up there and started getting up himself before everything happened so quickly he wasn't sure exactly what had occurred for a few seconds.
The first thing Harry recalled looking at Baal's twitching form on the ground as his colleagues were running screaming out the door was Baal shoving down Herm as she got up with his big meaty mitts. Ron drew his wand and there had been an explosion, which resulted in about a dozen hideous creeping shadows flying everywhere through the restaurant.
"RON!" Harry said, realizing he had his wands out too.
"I didn't do anything! I wanted to do…scumbag." Ron took a moment to kick Baal Krell in the chest as everyone else looked at them in the restaurant.
"Ron…" Hermione whacked in the arm as Harry looked disapproving, it wasn't right kick a man while he was down.
"He deserves it! First of all I think we need to do that and who cast the Enverating Black Tentacles spell of Olderash?" Ron asked before everyone looked at him.
"What? I've been studying." Ron blinked crossing his arms and getting the impression the owner wanted them to leave.
"Well I didn't do it!" Hermione spoke as Father Warbles started coming over with his pet pigmey chimera, a more hideous creature she had never seen.
"I don't know what the Tentacles of whoever you just called him are!" Harry said indignantly as he went down to check Baal to see if he was all right and found him breathing, just barely. Whatever the tentacles did they left no trace of it but had certainly done something to him.
"Is he going to be alright?" Phillip asked before getting looks from both Hermione and Ron as they realized his wand was smoking before they hastily made their retreat.
"Phil I appreciate your protecting Hermione's honor and stuff but I had it handled and that's an awfully high level attack spell…not to mention a nasty one to be practicing right now. " Ron said looking at his own wand before reluctantly putting it up.
Hermione was speechless as even the rabbit looked up.
"I have to go." Phillip said before shaking away all attempts to stop him and then moving at an amazingly fast pace as the three were left speechless behind. The rabbit then went trotting off behind Phillip.
"Ron is this Black whatchamigigger dark magic?" Harry asked.
Before Ron could answer a deep scowling and all too familiar voice was speaking behind the three of them.
"Yes Harry it is very dark magic. Unfortunately that is the least of your troubles because there has been an attack and despite your repeated proximity to every injury he has suffered, the victim has requested your presence at his bedside."
Harry turned around and leveled his gaze with Severus Snapes.
"What are you talking about Snape?"
Snape didn't blink "I'm saying Albus Dumbledore is dying."
***
It didn't take long for Snape to lead the port key, which was in the head mistress of the Collegium's office. It was a place that Harry found warmly inviting with trinkets apparently gathered not out of desire to collect but mostly for use artistic purposes like one might have bought a painting at an art show and let it sit for six hundred years. Harry did wonder however why the Head Mistress would need a mace lying on her desk but he was too worried about Albus to much care when Severus put his hand on a painting of Hogwarts which Harry found oddly sensible for a portkey and disappeared into it.
They each followed in turn.
"Hermione I thought you said…about a thousand times." Ron said simply with a very unpleasant look towards Hermione as they emerged.
"That we can't apparate into Hogwarts. Apparently they set aside a room where they can!" She said sharply to Ron in a very nasty tone that surprised Harry, her fingers were clawing each other and a look of sick worry was on her face.
Harry was already looking around the room however they had entered and he was surprised to see this was probably where Albus Dumbledore lived and it wasn't exactly in Hogwarts but directly off the grounds with the Castle in full view on the balcony overlooking the Forbidden forest. It looked like a combination of a shepherd's cabin, what Merlin's library probably resembled if this wasn't necessarily it, and the studio of Leonardo Davinchi. Fawkes squawked and immediately flew over towards a gold pedestal and landed on top of it over a four-poster bed covered in silk curtains where the figure of Albus Dumbledore was visible though for the first time in Harry's life he looked weak and bewildered.
"Harry….Hermione….Ron…Fawkes old boy…come closer….you too Severus if you…*cough* don't have any more of those awful tasting potions, can't…*cough* add a bit of sugar or lemon-juice or something?" Albus said in brief broken gaps barely lifting his arms up under the sheets as the group gathered round.
"If not for my potions Albus you would be dead right now." Snape snapped at Albus as there was the distinct sound of a kettle whistling nearby. The former Potions master headed towards then the kitchen which Harry spotted not far away before going up to Albus and taking his hand.
"Ah what did I ever do to deserve such wonderful…students?" Albus sighed a deep heavy breath. "Dear Neville came by just this morning with some fudge….couldn't stomach the stuff he made, poor boy just lost his grandm…other. He's going to be an Auror too you know Ron." Albus chortled which caused him to cough more.
"What happened?" Harry looked over his shoulder towards Snape who was bringing in something truly foul smelling which Harry could only vaguely guess the ingredients of to be perhaps Garlic, the fang of a kobold, and smelled like for all he knew Severus's athletics socks from his as a quidditch player at Hogwarts.
"Pewwwww." The sentiment was echoed by; Albus, Ron, Hermione, and Harry was fairly sure Fawkes who was covering his face with his wings. Tears were practically streaming down their eyes as Severus seemed merely to wiggle his nose to the effect so used to his noxious brews. Harry briefly smiled at the thought Fleur Decleour was now teaching potions, the male members of the class would probably learn less but it would be a heck of a lot more fun.
"The Heart-Tear curse. It's a very powerful spell requiring extensive knowledge of Muggle medicine and Mysticism. It's meant to duplicate what non-magic wielders term a stroke and be so imperceptible that no difference can be noticed even as it eats it's way through the system and eventually kills even the strongest wizards. Completely unidentifiable." Severus said pouring a cup of his black potion from the kettle which contained strands of what looked like swamp reeds.
"Well if it's undetectable Snape dear boy exactly how did you figure out that it was?" Ron crossed his arms and stared as if he were trying to look the part of the Auror he wanted to become. It had been his fondest wish since starting Hogwarts to nail Snape on something and probably half the reason he was becoming an Auror. Old grudges die-hard.
"Because Headmaster Dumbledore told me you silly little twit." Snape said to Ron whose face fell and Snape raised his finger and started mouthing thirty points from Gryffindor before shaking his head and getting a small cup beneath Fawke's eyes who blinked up at him tears.
"Excellent, the reason I needed you here." Snape sighs "Though if you hadn't taken the phoenix in the first pla…"
"He would have pecked your eyes out." Harry said dryly to Snape.
"The Chaos Bringer….Harry." Albus blinked as Severus dumped the phoenix tears inside the potion and began stirring it, causing it to turn from the black hideous substance it looked like to something clear and vaguely orange that smelled like hot lemon tea.
Harry blinked as he stared at Albus.
"Grindelwald?" he said as both Hermione and Ron exchanged looks with Ron getting that "oh god not another Dark Lord" look.
Albus blinked once for yes as Severus poured the tea down his throat before Albus gave a satisfied "Mmmmmm" and spoke weakly "Some books Harry are never meant to be opened Harry. Books are made to reflect society but that occasionally includes our deepest flaws and problems….and they exist not only to record but to spread this evil."
"Didn't you…Forget it." Ron stopped questioning people returning back from the dead a long time ago.
"Professor, you are not making any sense." Harry said looking at Dumbledore before he closed his eyes and entered a deep sleep.
"If it weren't for that annoying brother of Dumbledore's getting him proper attention you wouldn't be here and all the magic in the world couldn't save the man. You may stay at his side but the potion will put him in a deep sleep for some days and allow his body to fight off the Cardiac tear spell…." He began washing his hands off in a nearby sink.
Harry blinked not knowing Albus had any family.
"What about Grindelwald?" Harry asked looking at Snape.
Snape merely looked at him with a very condescending and annoyed look "Headmaster Dumbledore slew Octavian Grindelwald in 1945 Harry, a great service to all wizards who hated the man I assure you. He's currently a bit delirious and I would advise you to pay no attention to anything that he might say in this condition, especially since he's no longer conscious."
Ron, Hermione, and Harry merely looked at the Defense against Dark Arts teacher with a look of skepticism before looking back at the Headmaster of Hogwarts.
They stayed many more hours by his side.
***
Baal Krell wrapped himself in warm blankets as the rain began to pick up outside his dorm room. Obviously some crazy wizard was playing with the weather because while toads weren't falling from the sky the summer session weather was now dropping hail on the ground. He suspected even if it wasn't cold though he'd still be freezing as he looked over to the bubbling cauldron in his kitchen, which contained monkey's head, the finger bone of a virtuous man, and other noxious ingredients so flammable the actual mixture was on fire. The cure-all brewing in that pot for everything magical had been taught to him by his grandmother Baba. It had been from her that he'd learned all of his dark wizardry and without the stuff he admitted he probably wouldn't have gotten out of Saint Rasputin's in Siberia or on the Quidditch team here at New Avalon. Still he began to wonder if he probably should have just relied on his mom's influence more.
'At least she won't throw thrice cursed tentacles of Olderash.' Baal thought picking himself out of his chair taken from a foolish Czar before grabbing a black goblet and a ladel to pour some of his potion in and hopefully get rid of these chills. Defending Isolde's "honor" was beginning to become a full time occupation and Isolde the little demoness wasn't helping with her constantly flirting with every guy who paid her attention. The Imperious and Burning curses weren't keeping her under control as nearly as well as he'd liked, he'd have to resort to more specialized magics for keeping her right at his side and no where else.
'Maybe I should owl my grandmother in Siberia and see if she has any resolutions for this…' Baal thought as he pulled out his copy of "Forbidden Magics for Dummies", one of the many half sarcastic books of black magic that seemed to be fashionable today. He supposed it would help the incompetent ministry pay less attention to such books and their marketing but it seemed a large price to pay for love potions and dominations magics, Baal wasn't the smartest student in the world but he hated feeling like a fool.
"Eh it would be better if she were dead. Then I wouldn't have to worry about her "straying".." he murmured with contempt and not for the last time considered more drastic measures for the relationship to be terminated.
"Oh? Interesting Baal." The words echoed behind Krell as he dropped his tome on the ground and drew his wand.
"What are you doing here?" Baal said as he immediately cycled through his list of curses, the wards should have kept anyone out of the door until he invited them in. Least of all…
"This." The voice continued as Baal's attempt at the Imperious curse died on his lips and he was dumped into his burning cauldron face first, his legs twitching for a few seconds afterward before stopping.
***
Cho Chang really hated her friends sometime. She had been doing some studying for her Anatomy Alchemy and Symbology class, which was unfortunate because Cho absolutely despised Latin when Amanda had slammed repeatedly on her door complaining about a snake in her dorm room.
'I swear with the loyalty I show to my friends I should have been a Hufflepuff.' Cho thought to herself as she began to puzzle out where this horrid green critter might have been coming from. 'Maybe the thing snuck up through the plumping. From the cavern system water treatment plants…those water dwarves are awfully careless.'
"It's right in there Cho…it's BIG…huge…horrid." Amanda whispered her usually bright and perky disposition shattered by her discomfort with snakes, she was from America's Salem Academy and they weren't especially big on monsters there. In fact the only monster she was aware native to the United States were jackalopes. So it probably wasn't too problematic a snake might spook her.
"Just make sure….be okay." Amanda said "It might be…p-poisonous." The terrified witch held close to Cho's arm before slowly beginning to open the door. Cho thought she was being a bit overdramatic but she realized that campus security wasn't exactly the smartest bunch of warlocks and wizards in the world and it would probably take them several hours to get whatever it was Amanda wanted them to, if they got it at all. Besides it was new term and they were probably getting drunk with the Alphas Bachuus or trying to get closer to the Water Nymphs in the lagoon.
Entering Amanda's room Cho sighed "I'll be careful Amanda." Her wand raised just in case. Cho loved animals and wasn't really that unfond of snakes ever since she'd found out Harry was a parseltongue she'd made an effort to get to know them.
"Ssssssssssssssoooo prey arrives." A hideous hissing voice spoke to Cho's side before she blinked and turned around.
'Snakes don't talk.' Cho thought as she saw the figure, which was twelve feet in length it's coils wrapped up in a bundle to it's side with it's almost human like head staring at her with it's iris like black diamonds. The thing's scales were a heavy blackish purple and a rattling tail. The creature was a Naga, one of the serpentine monsters that dark wizards used to guard their treasures and serve as assassins.
"Oh crud." Cho jumped out of the way as the creature barreled toward her with it's fangs outstretched to take bite out of her shoulder, thankfully only managed to slam into the wall behind the beautiful witch as Cho fell into a roll.
"STUPEFY!" Cho called as the Naga hissed and shook but only began moving again toward her, apparently too strong for that simple spell.
"NASsstyyy young witch, you will make hardly a mouthful." The Naga snarled inching closer as it opened again its' jaws, this time large enough to swallow Cho whole like a python.
Inching towards the kitchen Cho grabbed one of Amanda's cutting knives on the counter and when the Naga grabbed her, she jumped in and shoved it up through it's jaw directly into the serpent man's brain. Feeling it's poisons drape onto her skin and burn but not break her skin, Cho felt fear ice through her heart but held it fast until it stopped squirming. Holding the creature's jaw open, Cho stepped out of it as it forced close like a bear-trap once she stopped holding it, her knife sticking out like a horn through it's head.
"Amanda it's dead!" Cho called taking a deep breath as she wondered exactly where such a creature had come from.
***
TO BE CONTINUED
-Charlemagne