Chapter 20: A Battle, the return and a dead man.
Jakob blinked once. He blinked again to be sure.
"Where is Syr?"
"Who is Syr?" Asked a bewildered Ivy.
"Why did I kiss you? Why did you kiss me?" she continued, still leaning over him and looking into his eyes in confusion.
Jakob, who now understood what had happened, pushed the girl aside and stood up feeling sober and alert.
"Hey, ouch! Why did you do that?"
The Slytherin boy ignored her and took a few steps forward in the snow, trying to find out where they were. This was not good. He heard a branch break somewhere, and Jake turned to where the sound was coming from.
"Lumos." He saw Ivy sitting in the snow, still looking surprised at him, saying in a confused voice.
"I kissed you?
Another sound was heard, and the boy turned to the other side, letting his wand light up the forest they were in.
"What are you doing? Are you going to leave me here?"
Jakob pointed his wand at the dark forest and then turned right quickly, pointing his light forward.
"Ivy, get up." He said and walked back to her quickly. He grabbed her arm and raised her up.
"Ouch! What the bloody hell are you…."
Jakob took his hand and covered her mouth. And whispered to her.
"We are not alone. Something is watching us. Take out your wand and turn your back on me."
Ivy's face went from confused to terrified as she saw the grim look on Jakob's face.
She nodded, took out her wand, and stood back to back.
"Lumos. Um, Jakob, what did you see?"
Jakob, who turned his wand at a twig snapping, said.
"something black with yellow eyes. Do you know any fire spells?"
"yes. But Jakob, I still have my trace." Said the now scared Gryffindor girl. What did you see?"
"You won't be tracked in another country, and I don't know. I only heard that the blót could be luring magical creatures to it, and I believe they are here now.
Jakob heard Ivy scream behind him, and he turned around, seeing a massive black wolf walking slowly into the light. It stalked forward stalking towards them, growling and showing its huge fangs that reflected the Lumo's light.
"Get behind me," said Jakob and waved his wand while he grabbed her and pulled her behind him.
"Bombarda!" A big explosion knocked the wolf to the right but only seemed to anger it.
"Why did the spell not hurt it?" asked Ivy, terrified."
Jakob had no time to answer as the wolf charged. He pushed Ivy to the side and leaned to the other, making the black wolf miss them both, and he waved his wand while the wolf's back was turned against them.
"Sectis Er Dikacerant!" a jet of a sickly blue light was shot from his wand, hitting the wolf on its legs and tearing strips of flesh from it.
The black warg howled in pain, and Jakob saw the red flesh turn black and then fur covering it.
"Ivy, run!" the girl sat frozen as she saw Jakob and the black wolf slowly circling each other, and the wolf changed again.
The boy pointed his wand at one tree, jumped out of the way again, rolling around in the snow, and then got up quickly, pointing his wand at another three that were a few meters behind it.
"Filum Mortis!" the point on the two trees glowed, and Jakob ran forward, hearing the wolf running behind him, almost feeling the wargs breath on his neck, and Jake went down on his knees. He glided under the two points scraping them.
The wolf, taller than Ivy Lept, was about to crunch Jakob between his jaws when it got sliced.
A magical string sliced its lower jaw off and its leg as it fell right in front of Jakob.
Ivy screamed and was going to rush forward when Jakob gestured for her to stop. He could see the wolf whimper in the snow that was beginning to turn red from the blood.
Jakob moved fast when he saw that the jaw was beginning to form again, and the stumps were slowly getting taller.
He took out the red knife that he had in his robes and stabbed it in the head.
The healing stopped, but the wolf did not give up.
Jakob stabbed again and again and screamed in frustration when he could see the pained eyes of the creature.
"Die, you piece of shit!"
He stabbed again.
"Think you can attack me."
Stab"
"As soon as I saw you, you were dead."
The last stab hit something, and the glowing eyes turned dull.
Ivy was staring at Jakob in shock, seeing the blood of the wolf showering on Jakob's face. The rage in his eyes made her scared, but there was something else that she felt stirring inside her. She continued to stare at him in a manner that would have made the Slytherin boy uncomfortable if he had seen it.
Jakob sat down in the snow beside the felled beast, and Ivy slowly approached him when he gave her a clear sign to do so.
She watched the warg and looked at Jakob in shock.
"Wha... What was that thing?" She asked, looking at the bloodied boy sitting with his hands over his legs, trying to calm down his breathing.
"That was a Warg. The Norse believe he is a descendant of the great Fenrir, and now that I have met it, I won't disagree with them. He was not easy to kill.
"What did you do? that magic... it seemed dark." Jake rolled his eyes.
"Yeh, and that's why you were sitting on the sideline. Miss only like light spells and thinks you can kill everything with butterflies and the power of love."
Ivy was about to say something when the Slytherin boy stood up again and listened into the dark.
"Jakob, please tell me you are joking. Please," she said almost pleadingly.
The now alerted boy did not look at her but instead grabbed her hand and started running forwards. After a minute or two, he stopped, spun slowly around, and sighed.
"They are surrounding us. I thought I could get away from them, but apparently, the woods are making the sounds bouncing in different directions."
"Who?" Ivy held up her wand, trying to see, but then she heard it.
Groans in the distance. Low moans that sounded like it was something inhuman, and a lot of them.
"Draugr said Jakob and pointed his wand into the woods in front of him.
"Ivy, I need your help on this. Cast Incendio and try to focus on the part that is more or less bone and flesh."
Ivy nodded, and they turned back to back again. This time it was Jakob who saw the first one slowly approaching him. The Dead creature looked like it had been a Viking once. Rusted armour hanging from its fleshy skeleton body and parts of skin dangling around. A great axe was dragged slowly in the snow. The draugr missed his left arm, but when Jakob saw the glowing blue balls that resembled eyes, he knew that lifting that thing would not be a problem for the dead man if he got close enough.
"Incendio!" With a firm voice, the tip of his wand glowed like fire for a split second. Then a fireball hit the dead warrior in the chest. The magical fire quickly lit up the warrior as a torch, and the scream that the draugr made was something Ivy would have nightmares about for a long time.
In the light, The two soon-to-be teens saw about 15 of them had surrounded them. Some bearing swords and shields, some axes and one even a bow with an arrow attached to it.
"Ivy!" she flinched. When she heard his voice.
"cast Incendio on the one holding a bow. Now!"
Ivy pointed her shaking hand and wand at the closest draugr.
"Incendio!" A ball of fire was shot from her wand and clashed with the dead man. The dead warrior had just released his arrow that now soared towards the girl.
Jakob pulled her down, feeling the arrow hitting his shoulder instead and lodging itself there.
"Ahh!" he gasped and then, with rage-filled eyes, pointed his wand against the dead warriors closing in.
"Incendio!" roared Jakob, and soon fireballs were hurdling towards the dead. Ivy, who sat hunched, saw Jakob in slow motion casting the fireballs and the fire temporarily lightening up his eyes. The girl felt something in her awake, and her uncontrolled fear disappeared.
She stood up, turned towards the dead, and screamed with everything she had.
"Ignis flagellum!" a whip of fire snapped out from her wand. she raised her wand and waved it so that the fire spun around one of the dead and then pulled back screaming. The Draugr got sliced into three pieces and fell to the snow, burning. They stood back to back, yelling curse words as they downed their enemies, and Jakob even laughed. This was the most fun he had had in a long time.
If someone had been standing in the forest, they would have seen two Teens, one boy that shot fireballs with a speed and power that could match his age. And one angry redhead, weaving a flame whip, screaming and cursing as the red fire swung back and forth. And then saw a Cirkle of Draugr that did not stand a chance.
When they were done, Ivy rested her hands on her knees and panted.
"Impressive," said Jakob when he had controlled that everything was alright.
"Where did you learn that spell?" asked Jakob with a raised eyebrow. While he broke the arrow and quickly pulled it out.
"No! You can't do that. How are you going to heal it?" Ivy said, looking like Jakob just had stepped on a puppy."
Jakob took his wand and pointed it at his wound, mumbling something, and she saw in surprise how the wound healed back together.
"You know healing magic?" She asked, surprised.
"You don't? You did not answer my question first," said Jakob with a smirk, thinking that this little Ivy was too easily tricked.
"Dad thought Harry and me it. I could do it, but he couldn't," she smirked back.
"Understandable. It's not a second-year spell. Good job," he said and walked over to one of the dead Draugr.
"What... never mind, you never answer me anyways," she said, waving her hand and then standing up, stretching.
The boy had walked forward and grabbed an old sword that carried runes all over its blade.
"Souvenir," said the Slytherin, showing the blade with a smile.
Ivy looked around and saw that they were not nearing any village now more than before.
"Jake, we are lost. What are we going to do?"
The boy sat down on one of the Draugr's corpses and thought for a moment.
"We are going to do is to head back to the dead wolf."
"What!?" asked Ivy.
"Quiet. We don't know if there are any more monsters here. We will head back to the wolf and see if our footsteps can take us back on the right path."
Ivy looked confused but seeing as Jakob started to turn and return to where they came from, she followed. Ivy lighted the way. Jakob held a close eye at their footprints, and when they saw the dead black wolf again, he walked over to it.
He searched around and saw that there were only two pairs of footprints in the snow, and that was where they just had come from.
The boy called Ivy over and pointed at the wolf.
"Point your wand and say Effusus cutis."
Ivy, who did not question the Slytherin boy anymore, pointed her wand and uttered the spell.
"Effusus Cutis."
She felt a tingle in her body, and a yellow, sickly spell was shot at the wolf, making its hide crack in the middle and then slide off the beast showing what was underneath the skin. She would have looked terrified if it wasn't for the feeling of relief in her body.
"Why do I feel weird?" she asked with a confused smile.
"You cast a dark curse. It's addicting, isn't it? Don't do it too much, you will get sick." said Jakob and took the hide and dragged it if the dead fleshy beast.
Ivy looked baffled at Jakob.
"You…you made me cast a dark spell?
Jakob rolled his eyes as he walked over to a tree, took a step from it, and kicked away the snow, making a circle.
"Get off your white horse. Dark magic is dark, yes, but it has its merits."
"Like what?" asked Ivy with an accusation tone.
Jakob looked at her like she was an idiot and took up the pelt.
"We just. Got a blanket."
Ivy's eyes widen.
"We can't stay here. We must find my mum. We have to get out of here. What if more things arrive." Said the redhead looking nervously around.
"Then we deal with them or Be my guest. Take a chance and walk when you can't see anything. I will be waiting here with a blanket, fire, and meat."
Jake walked over to another smaller tree and waved her over.
"Cut it down with-"
"Another dark spell? No way," said Ivy crossing her arms.
"With Diffindo, what's wrong with you?" Told Jakob looking at her like she was an imbecile.
Oh… right." she said, feeling a bit stupid.
She pointed her wand, cut the tree down, and then continued to cut it into smaller pieces.
"Why don't you do it? Why do I need to cast every spell?" Ivy questions in an interesting tone.
"Because if something more arrives, I know more powerful spells, but they require more magic. If I use them to do this, I might not have enough fuel."
They laid the chopped-up wood on the pelt and dragged it back to the circle they had made. Together both teens dragged the ends of the hide and pulled the wood pieces back to the tree and circle.
Jakob put some of the wood in the circle, pointed his wand, and whispered.
"Incendio." A small flash was seen, and the fire started slowly eating away and growing.
He kicked away the snow from underneath the three and Sat in Infront of the fire leaning back on three.
"You coming?" he asked as he saw Ivy standing still beside the fire, her arms crossed, freezing.
"I... can stand here by the fire. It's alright." Not meeting his eyes when she said it.
The Slytherin rolled his eyes and sighed.
"very well, help me up so I can help you make a bench."
He reached out his hand, and she grabbed it. Instead of letting her help him up, he dragged her down in front of him and swiped the hide over them.
"See? I did not eat you," whispered Jakob as he let her settle in on his lap, feeling and her shaking starting to subside.
They sat there watching the fire for a while. When the redhead had not spoken for over five minutes, Jakob frowned.
"Are you alright?
Ivy did not turn around.
"Of course, I'm not alright. Were you just attacked by a black wolf? And dead Viking warriors. How can you be so calm about this?"
Jakob chuckled.
"You have to in stressful situations. And it's not my first time fighting for my life.
Ivy turned her head, glanced at him, and then back at the fire.
"Everything that happened tonight. I have so many questions."
Jakob took out his hand and threw another piece of wood into the fire.
"You will never get an answer to them. Everything that happened tonight will stay between us, and we will never discuss it again."
"You say it like I already have agreed on it."
"I don't care if you agree or not. But if you tell anyone, I will tell them that you cast a dark curse."
Ivy turned around, bewildered.
"You told me to!"
"Did I?" asked the boy raising his eyebrow and smirking.
Ivy was about to say something but then closed her mouth and looked back at the fire again.
Jakob sighed.
"Listen. What happened tonight stages between us. If you manage to keep it quiet for 1 year, I will answer your questions. Alright?"
"what is going to happen in one year?" asked Ivy, frowning.
"Nothing, but if you don't say anything in that time, I will know I can trust you."
Ivy nodded and then smirked.
"Will you tell me about the kiss?"
Jakob rolled his eyes.
"No. Goodnight."
"It was my first kiss, you know."
"Goodnight."
Oh, stop it. I know you liked it too," the girl glanced back at him.
Jakob frowned.
"sleep, or I will hex you."
Jakob woke up the next morning, seeing that light was present again and that the fire had turned to ashes long ago.
He felt Ivy sitting on him, curled up and sleeping like a cat on his legs and chest.
"Definitely not going to do this again he whispered before shaking her awake.
"Ivy, wake up."
The girl slowly opened her eyes and saw Jakob looking down at her.
"Good morning," she said and stretched her body. She then remembered everything that had happened, looked back at Jakob, and noticed the look he was giving her.
"Um, get off?" said Jakob, pushing her off him, and she made a noise as she fell beside him on the cold forest floor.
"You don't have to be so rude, you know?"
Jakob got up and stretched, making a sound as he did.
"You almost broke my back. Remember, when we get back, this never happened, and you will still never say anything, understood?"
Ivy nodded and got up.
"Yeh, and the same goes for you." in an attempt to show that he was not the only one that did not want this to come out.
Jakob looked back at her and said in a monotone voice.
"Oh no, what will I do if I can't tell everyone you used dark magic. And almost broke my back."
The redhead rolled her eyes, and Jakob looked around now, seeing a lot better than last night.
He folded the fur and threw it over his shoulder. They started walking in the opposite direction they were walking the night before.
"Do you know where we are going?" asked the girl behind him.
"No, but we try this way and see if we can see something. I know that we can't be too far away from the blòt," said Jakob, and true to his words, they soon arrived at the ritualistic place and stage they had been watching the night before.
"Why were you and Mrs potter here anyways? Light families don't watch this."
"My mum didn't. I met an old druid yesterday who told me to go up and pray, and then you told me about the thing, and I snuck out while mum was sleeping. I don't think she knows about what actually happened yesterday. She only said that a friend from work had told her that this was a good place to visit if she wanted to get away for a while.
Jakob frowned.
"An old druid, you say…."
They walked up the path and back into the village. Jakob noticed that the stands and shops still were closed and that no one had come out yet.
"I think they are still sleeping. If they ask, you went on a morning stroll, and if she calls you on your bullshit, you tell her what we talked about.
"Ivy nodded as they passed the shops. Jakob, who held his pelt and sword, sighed in relief. If people had seen him walking with these two things, they might have accused him of stealing, and he would not return something he had earned himself.
The Gryffindor and Slytherin student saw that their houses were close. Jakob nodded as she smiled. she walked up her stone steps and carefully opened the door. He could not hear any arguing or Mrs Potters at all, for that matter, so Jake assumed that everything had worked out as intended.
The boy walked inside, seeing that Susie and Ella were still sleeping, and he took off his winnings and then lay in his bed. He was still tired and needed some well-deserved rest.
When Ella had wakened him up, both the girl and Susie had questioned him about the pelt and sword Jakob told them he had bought at the Ritual last night. They ate breakfast, discussing the thing they had been most pleased about. Ella had found some books and had her blue, golden dress that Jakob had bought for her, and Susie talked about the different recipes she would try when they returned home.
When they were done, they packed up everything and prepared for the portkey home.
They stood in a circle holding the sock that would take them home, waiting for it to activate.
Jakob Looked out through the window and smiled as he thought. This was a good holiday. And then he felt the thug on his Navel, and everything spun.
When they arrived home, Jakob walked to his room and unpacked his things with the help of Femmey, who was very happy that Jakob was finally home again.
The days passed slowly, and Jakob was thinking about what he needed to do when he returned to school. To make time go easier, he sat in his family library and read many books, trying to find the Rune on his pelt. If he could understand it, he could modify it to enhance himself instead of a warming charm.
When the day finally came, and he said goodbye to Susie at the train station, he jumped on the train and sat and talked with his friends about the things that had happened this Christmas.
They talked mostly about the Malfoy party and how grand and marvellous it was. Jakob sensed that Draco was talking a bit more about it, hiding the undertone that he was still in a bad mood about Jake not being there.
When they arrived back at school, Jakob hurried to his common room. He entered and saw that no one was there, and he frowned. That's weird. I told her I would return straight back so I could take Saliza.
"Mr Quade, a moment of your time?" Jakob turned around and saw Amy sitting on a chair behind him, and the Slytherin boy got the feeling that she had placed her there just to make him worry a bit.
"Yes, my Queen. After you."
Amy nodded and walked into the Slytherin five room with Jakob behind her.
As he closed the door and turned, He saw her smirking at him.
"So, how have you been this holiday, Jakob?"
The boy did not answer and walked over to her. With a surprised yell, Amy was lifted up, and Jakob sat her on the table, pressing his lips against hers.
The surprise vanished from her, and she took her arms around him and locked her legs around his waist. They would never tell Vanity what had transpired on her part of the table.
30 minutes later, a red-cheeked and messy-haired Amy walked into her room with a smirking Jakob behind her.
"My darkness, you have returned!" Hissed Saliza in Amy's bed, and Jakob laid himself beside her.
"I missed you so much." Hissed Jakob as the snake slithered onto his chest, bumping his cheek and tasting his forehead with her tongue.
Amy lay down beside them.
"She has been wonderful, Jake. I wish I had the ability to speak to snakes so I could understand her better, and I'm actually a bit sad that she is leaving. "
Jakob smiled at her.
"Thank you for taking care of her, Amy. You don't know how much that means to me."
She leaned in and kissed him.
"Any time."
They lay in bed, all three of them, for a while. Jakob talked about the trip to Sweden and the sacrifices. Amy listened, interested and Jakob ensured that no Potters were involved.
"I have some good news," hissed Saliza when he was done.
"I caught the other predator I had been searching for and devoured him."
Jakob sat up and looked both impressed and curious.
" What was it?"
" It was a young dragon." hissed Saliza in pride.
"What type of dragon. hissed Jakob in shock.
"I don't know the names, but it had black ridges on its back and brown scales."
Jakob thought for a moment and then snapped his fingers.
"Bet it was a Norweigan Ridgeback. They are quite powerful. You weren't hurt, right?"
"It was sleeping when I attacked from the shadows, and my poison made it die in agony after a few minutes."
" you killed a dragon that easily? And you have developed a poison?"
" I waited for it under the leaves, and it was not much of a predator when it fell asleep. And yes, my poison is something everyone in the forest fears."
" I'm proud of you," said Jakob smiling at the snake who wanted to impress him.
" thank you, I also got a new gift from the flesh of the dragon, but I won't tell you just yet, little darkness."
Is that why you told me about spiders and that you can climb walls? You can get abilities of the things you eat?
"You catch on, Jakob, yes, but I will say no more on the matter."
Jakob stroked a finger on her scale and gave her a smile.
"Looking forward to seeing it."
When Amy noticed that the time had passed too quickly, she told him they would be late for the feast, and they, together with Saliza, walked out to the empty common room. Jakob returned to his dorm to let his snake rest on his bed while he went down to the great hall for the welcome-back fest.
They got the information that a ghost and another student had been petrified and that the mandrakes would take a bit more time before they grew large enough to be ripe.
When he heard that the Basilisk once again had taken a mudblood, he looked over to see Granger sitting on the Gryffindor table and listening to Dumbledore. It almost looked like she felt Jakob's eyes on her because she slowly turned, and when they locked eyes, she hastily looked away again. She must have known that I had to say those things. He thought while letting out a brief sigh.
He accidentally looked to Hermione's right and saw Ivy looking back at him. Jakob frowned and then turned away, not noticing the smirk on the girl's lips.
After the feast, the green silver group of students went down, and Jakob, together with Pansy, took an early night.
They lay in bed and talked long into the night about every adventure they had been on. Then they had the first good sleep since they last saw each other they went away.
The weeks went by, and Winter turned into spring.
There had not been any more attacks, and Jakob felt a roll going with his life, but he had been dreading this day.
Amy had told him that he would be punished if he did not return to his club activities, and Jakob knew the day would come sooner or later.
He walked up the stairs to his classroom with heavy steps, which he had redone with new paintings, chairs and desks as the castle mended the walls.
Will she be there? He wondered as he rounded a corner and saw a sea of students standing in line, waiting to get inside.
Jake's heart leapt when he saw the bushy brown-haired girl closest to the door telling everyone to line up.
Jakob walked over to her and saw that she was turning her gaze away.
"Good evening, miss granger," he said, giving her a nod.
Hermione looked in surprise at him and then turned away while she said.
"Good evening Mr Quade."
They opened the door, and people walked inside.
He heard them gasp again at the new paintings he had bought and the chairs moving.
Jakob nodded to everyone who entered and frowned when he saw Ivy walking inside after her brother and Ron.
"What? I need to study sometimes," she said, giving a wink to Hermione, who blushed a little, and they all went inside.
The class had been a success, and Ivy was wearing a smirk on her face every time she saw Jakob and Hermione get a chance to sit down behind their desk and discuss different papers that the student had written.
"What are you smirking about?" whispered Harry. He had noticed his sister looking like she was staring at one of her romantic movies.
"Nothing," she said and looked down at the paper she had already finished.
"Don't understand why you insisted on coming with us this time. We can protect her from him, you know." Said Ron sitting beside his Master.
Ivy rolled her eyes. and ignored the two daft heads.
When class was over, they stayed behind.
Jakob was taking care of potion ingredients while Hermione sorted paper.
"Hermione, Are you coming?" Said Ron with an irritated huff.
Before Jakob could answer the boy, Ivy pushed them outside.
"Sorry, Mr Quade. Hope to see you next class." She closed the door, and both Hermione and Jakob looked a bit surprised at the door where they could hear about the squabble outside.
Jakob turned around to see Hermione still trying to find things to do.
He flicked out his wand and silenced the room. As he pocketed it, he walked over to her, grabbing the nervous girl's hands.
"I'm sorry," he said, squeezing her hands to make her look at him.
Hermione looked at him, and he could see tears forming in her eyes. she let go of his hands and hugged him hard.
Jakob hugged her back, feeling a missing piece of him finally returning.
"I thought you hated me for what I did." Sniffed Hermione, and Jakob frowned and released her.
"Why in the bloody hell would I hate you?"
" He told me that it.. it was just a matter of time before I did something to mess everything up, and then you would hate me forever, and i..."
Jakob hugged her again.
"I never hated you, Hermione. I hated what I had to say to you, and I wished to take it back every single minute."
Her crying subsided after a while after Jakob had stroked her bushy hair.
Then Jakob remembered something she had said.
"Hermione, who told you this? You said he."
Hermione nodded as she released her grip around him and stared at him.
"Yeh, he wasn't very nice. I tried to tell him that you wouldn't do that and that you were my friend."
Jakob felt a stone in his stomach.
"Hermione, who did you tell?" he questioned again, giving her a reassuring smile to the girl, knowing that he would probably have to kill this person for knowing their secret and for manipulating what was his.
"It was... his name.." Hermione looked like she was in deep thought, but then she smiled.
"His name was Tom Riddle."
Authors note: If you wonder about Salizas ability, she is a descendant of the God Apep. As I said before, I like mythology and try to stay true to The Potter universe and other mythologies with research.
This chapter was a bit smaller, but I had written up about 15k words last night. I felt that I had trapped myself in a corner, so I deleted all of it and began anew with a new approach. The red line is still the same, so future things will still happen as I imagen, but I made a change that I will write in future authors' notes when it does not spoil anything.
Have a good day, and cheers.