Year Two at Hogwarts
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Chapter 17: Professor Arnold's Explanations
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Tyler just stood there while Professor Arnold removed the hood covering the top of his head but not his face. He had his wand drawn towards Tyler but it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Tyler was too shocked and surprised to even move.
"What's the matter? Did I render the talkative parselmouth speechless."
"You know about me?"
"You really are stupid! I just came in at the time when my letter say and you still haven't figured it out Solemn."
Tyler was trying to talk regularly but every time he tried, all he did was open his mouth with no sound coming out.
"Maybe I should take you out now."
"Wait!" he said finally regaining his voice. "How? How do you know about me? Did Jacke, Reggie and Brad tell you?!"
"Walker, Falkner and Carter? They know about your little secret language too?"
"You mean...they didn't go to anyone?"
"Well, they must've kept it a secret. Really...I'm surprised that THOSE three know about you and yet did nothing about it."
"They didn't go to you or were part of the letter messages all over the school?"
"Oh no dear boy. That was all courtesy of Kenrick Arnold. I did it all just for you."
Tyler felt like dropping to his knees and breaking down right then and there. He just realized that he was wrong about the other seekers. They did absolutely nothing to get the yelling and strong doubt that Tyler gave them. He may have lost his best friends for no reason at all. He would've been broken had it not been for the situation at hand.
"I don't get it at all. You?"
"Yes...me...and I can see that you're wondering one big thing. How could my brilliant professor have ever found this out? Well, I guess I should tell you since it's, after all, a brilliant play on my part."
The tone of his voice seemed uncharacteristic with the air of professional teaching always surrounding Arnold even out in the corridors. It made Tyler's the hair on the sides of his head stand.
"Well, I guess I should start from the beginning of my career. You already know that I was in the Dark Force Defense League and have long since retired. In the early days of my career, I wasn't very high on my credentials until around a good thirty years ago. Are you following Solemn?" he asked with his wand still pointing at Tyler.
Tyler nodded his head and then made a face of complete suppressed anger. "Yeah, continue Professor," he said gritting his teeth.
"Good...now as I said, I wasn't high in my ranking as a League member. The dangerous creatures and witches and wizards that I brought down weren't what you would say...high priorities. Even though I was a good and respectful league member this didn't put my ranking as high as I deserved. I got my big brake when I caught a man in Widdlestride, which is a village populated by a good number of wizarding folk that made about 4/5 of it's population but they don't get much problems from it's muggle inhabitants. Anyway, it turns out that the man was a...are you ready? A parselmouth."
Tyler's head shot up. 'Professor Arnold caught a parselmouth! Wait a minute," he thought quite hastily. 'He said this was around thirty years ago. No...he couldn't possibly mean...not...not my...'
"You...you...you got my great grandfather," he said in a small voice.
"Well, I don't know if he was your great grandfather but it could've been."
Tyler felt crushed. 'So he's one of the people responsible for destroying my great grandfather!' He felt such anger that his hands became clenched into fists. He felt like charging right at Arnold then and there but he couldn't do anything while Arnold's wand was ready and pointing at him. He was forced to stand there and let Arnold go on.
"I was the first one to bind him. He had been running from the residents who knew how to duel and they had called for an auror summon. I was at the Ministry's Auror Headquarters at the time and heard the summon and went there too. I found your relative and captured him. After he was caught, we all locked him up in a nice good cell in Azkaban where it was ordered for him to receive the dementor's kiss three days after his capture. The authorities gave strict instructions to everyone involved to not leak any of this to the press. The world was already trying to forget the horrors of the Dark Wizard Grindewald's reign and didn't want a panic to be made. After that, my rank rose to one of the highest. I was on top of the world but then I was forced to go into retirement. I couldn't be one of the heads of the league since my rank was the top or second top of the list to make me qualify. I was completely heartbroken but now I've found a solution to my pain."
Tyler's head was buzzing with this new information. Professor Arnold was one of the people who was responsible for his family losing his great grandfather. According to his dad and grandpa, his name was Balder Solemn Slytherin. He was told that Balder Slytherin was a great man and he was always patient, caring and was perhaps a little overprotective of his grandfather when growing up. He hated this man. For denying Tyler the chance to even get to hear his voice, hug him or even love his great grandpa.
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Back at the library, Tyler's best friends were still there staring at the letter and the clue that fingered Arnold as the culprit.
"We have to get to the cave," said Jacke to his two friends. "Tyler could be in trouble with Arnold right now."
"Jacke, we have to go to a teacher," started Brad.
"No guys. We have to go now," interrupted Jacke. "If we go to a teacher then they won't believe us that a teacher was responsible for all this without solid proof. They would've thought that we forged the note or something. Just...grab your wands. Sometimes the best way to do things is without thinking," he said looking at Reggie then to Brad.
Jacke ran out of the library with his wand in his hand followed by Reggie and Brad catching up with their wands clenched in their hands.
'Don't worry Tyler mate. We're coming to help,' he thought as they started going through the school headed for the main exit out of the castle. 'I just hope we're not too late!"
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Tyler was still angry but then went into confusion. Though Arnold revealed that he played a huge part in destroying a dear family member, this still didn't explain how he knew about Tyler.
"I don't get it. What does this have to do about you knowing my secret and playing these mind games?"
"Oh well, it was mainly due to this experience that I figured you out. You see, the parselmouth that I caught was trying to escape with a little boy. He kept yelling Come on! Come on Grandpa! Sadly, when I got the adult, the kid had gotten away by a portkey that was thrown to him by his so called grandpa."
"That...that was my father!"
"Oh, I figured as much. You see, back at the welcome feast and I first laid eyes on you, I thought you looked very familiar to me. I kept on trying to remember where I've seen you before. Then during your quidditch match against Gryffindor, it hit me. When I saw you in green robes looking worried about not catching the snitch, your face matched a resemblance to that little boy who was in green child robes too. I figured that he must've been your father or a close relative and put two and two together."
Something clicked in Tyler's mind. "That's why you were always looking at me weird."
"Yes, after I found out about you, I started to tail you so I could capture you without difficulty."
"What? Why? I haven't done anything!"
"Oh but you definitely will. A parselmouth is the ultimate dark wizard catch. If I bring you in then I'm sure that the Defense League will let me return to be one of it's heads and my reputation will be among the best in the world."
"What? You want to use me as a trophy and a ticket to be a head in the league?"
"No, not at first. I will take you in but I will use...methods to get you to tell you where your other parselmouth kind are hiding. I saw you're family when they came to see you after you're game with Ravenclaw. I recognized the man that now seems to have been you're father and I will finally bring him in. Once I take you all in I'll become a hero especially in these dark times with You Know Who."
"If you really think that I'm going to break and tell you where my family is then you better get checked at St. Mungo's. Better yet, go there anyway!"
"Oh a feisty little snake aren't you? Well then I'll just have to eliminate you and take your body to the League headquarters."
"Wait a minute," he said cutting him off. "How in the world did you find out about this place? Only my best friends Jacke Walker, Reginald Falkner, Brad Carter and me now of it."
"Honestly, you are stupid Solemn. I was tailing you ever since I put together your identity. I saw you leave this cave once before so I knew it was your favorite spot. I also, memorized your timetable so I could leave all those messages to leave you jumpy and lack concentration so I could get you when you were most nervous and vulnerable. Now, I think we've talked long enough wouldn't you say?"
"Won't it be obvious that you're up to something? Going to do something like this under Dumbledore's nose."
"Oh please, I already took that into account. Everyone knows I hate you so when you vanish then I'll immediately be pointed at with someone with a motive. But I'll just say that I may have disliked you but I didn't want you dead. The evidence will be so obvious against me that it'll be obvious it's a setup."
"Well...I can see you've thought this all the way through. Though, I can do something that doesn't require that much thinking. THIS!"
Tyler went to pull out his wand but before he could fully raise it, Arnold had started an incantation. "Imperio!"
The spell hit Tyler and he felt like he was floating on air. It was such a peaceful feeling and it was something to die for. He then heard a voice that sounded as loud and clear as if he was hearing his own voice.
"Put down the wand."
Tyler was so much at peace that he felt his arm going down and drop his wand.
"Excellent, now walk here."
He started to move but then another voice in his head started to go off.
"Wait, why?"
"Walk here."
"Why? Isn't Arnold over there?"
"Who cares? Just walk there."
"No."
"Walk."
"No."
"Just Walk!"
This little argument weakened the Imperious Curse but Tyler was still dragging his feet on his way toward Arnold. Then for some strange reason Arnold cancelled out the curse in which Tyler shook himself back to reality.
"Whew," Arnold said breathing hard. "You're a hard one to control. I wouldn't normally use an unforgivable curse but I thought this time was an exception. But I can use other means."
Arnold raised his wand and sent a stunner like Tyler had used before right at him. Tyler had to think fast and found an instant solution. The world around him became bigger until it seemed he was on the ground. He had transformed into his snake form. Arnold seemed surprised but started to regain himself.
"So...you're an animagus huh? And a snake one at that. This just further proves my point on your identity. No matter, I'll still over come this. Reducto!"
The spells came at Tyler but he slithered by them and was starting to head for his dropped wand. He went for it as fast as he could but was still on alert for the curses being thrown at him. He finally got to the wand and he grabbed it with the end of his tail. He slithered over to a tall rock and transformed back to his human self with wand in hand.
"Expelliarmus!"
His disarming spell barely missed Arnold when he ducked out of the way. Arnold then pointed his and shouted "Mantculias!"
Tyler was struck with the spell and out of nowhere, manticules were put on Tyler's arms and his ankles. He looked to see Arnold performing another spell.
"Stupefy!"
Tyler moved out of the way by making his body jump to his left but Arnold had already sent a Levitating Charm at that direction catching him completely off guard.
"What?!"
"You're surprised that I got you where I knew you would go. I analyzed your moves and dueling tactics."
"But...how?"
"The dueling tournament. I didn't set up that tournament just for a fun way to be tested. I used the tournament to see how good at dueling you were. I really paid attention to your duels to get familiar with your tactics. And one of them is that you go to your left when dodging physically and you also go from offensive to defensive in a steady cycle."
"That's why you only gave that kind of test to the second years. Because of me."
"You got it. Normally I would award points for that put we're not at the situation for that are we?"
"No, but I am in the perfect situation to do this!"
Tyler then extended and opened his hands to let out a stream of his lightning at Arnold which hit him square in the chest pushing him back and letting the spell go. Tyler started to fall but then quickly transformed into a snake but made himself his normal height to escape the manacles and use his tail to land. Then he transformed himself back and raised his wand.
"I'm tired of playing around with you Arnold. Here's one of my more dangerous curses. Inferro Cracke!" A whip of crimson red fire came out of his wand and moved right at Arnold. Arnold dropped to his stomach to avoid being hit.
"A fire whip huh? So you are talented in dark curses. Well...so am I!" He stood up and yelled, "Here's the Bone Curve Torture! Calcrimang!" A purple streak headed for Tyler.
Tyler moved his wand to the right to get the whip of fire to intercept with the curse. It collided and they both disintegrated. Arnold apparently didn't give up because he yelled for the torture again. Tyler readied his wand for it.
"Protego!"
The curse hit his shield and reflected off it towards his right hitting a rock. When Tyler's shield came down, Tyler was struck with the curse that Arnold had repeated right after he sent his previous one on his left arm.
The Bone Curve Torture was pain like Tyler never experienced. His arm felt like it's bones had cracked itself in several places in his upper arm. He let out a very hard scream at the pain he experienced. Then all of a sudden the pain had receded in his arm but he felt like he was drained. Tyler gritted his teeth in anger and shouted out the first spell in his mind.
"Flippendo!"
Arnold was caught off guard and hit with the Flipper Hex. Tyler wasn't done with Arnold yet.
"Alright Arnold, you wanted to capture and bring in a parselmouth so I'll give you a parselmouth! Serpensortia!"
Tyler had seen this spell before when his grandpa had conjured a snake for Tyler to practice his parseldueling and his people skills or in that case snake etiquette skills. Tyler released a green snake that was not so unlike Chaos.
'I would've preferred something more scary looking,' he thought.
Tyler shouted "Serpensortia!" again and this time a black python came out of his wand and went in line with his first snake.
'Oh, so whatever kind snake is closest to my thoughts is what is conjured, okay then.'
He then shouted the spell about 5 more times giving him a total of 7 snakes, each a different color or breed.
The green one that he first made went to him and bowed. "What is it that you wish us to do?"
Tyler bowed his head like his grandpa had always taught him to do for new snake acquaintances and responded back in parseltongue. "I want you and the others to surround that man. Make sure he's intimidated. Hiss dangerously at him but don't attack him until I order it. Now go!"
The snakes slithered to where Arnold was collecting himself from Tyler's spell and they completely surrounded him. Arnold was shocked at being surrounded by them.
"So, you think you're scaly, crawly things will help you prevail over me well guess again Solemn! You can't get rid of a top league member that easily! Pyrpera!"
A small fireball came out of his wand and hit one of the snakes vaporizing it on the spot. Arnold kept on firing at the snakes until there were three left. Tyler decided to take action and command.
"Attack!"
The snakes then started to move around trying to avoid the blasts and get their teeth into Arnold. He jumped away from the snake strikes and kept on firing when he had a chance. Tyler wasn't going to let those snakes attack alone so he decided to give good assistance.
"Locomotor Mortis!"
"Protego!"
The spell rebounded off of Arnold's shield and went back at Tyler connecting with him. His legs became bound together and he felt like a pole stick. He went for his wand and performed the counter curse. When he had two separate limbs again he saw that Arnold had already blasted away the last of his snakes. Arnold was also preparing his wand for another spell and Tyler began to get ready a shield charm.
"Reducto!"
"Protego!"
His shield protected him from Arnold but then Tyler set off running for a rock in cover. He was breathing very hard.
'I don't know how much longer I can hold him. His spells are getting closer to bringing me down and I can't call for help without Pandy or Chaos. I'm all alone here.'
He immediately went for the side of the rock to throw a spell at Arnold.
"Stupefy!"
"Reducto!"
Arnold's spell broke throw Tyler's stunner and hit the rock breaking a small piece of the front from it.
"Give it up Solemn! It's pointless to continue this nonsense. I'm going to bring you in anyway so just make it easy on yourself and just surrender."
"You really need that ward in St. Mungo's for people with addled brains now Arnold! I'll never give up and surrender to you! I will get my family's revenge for what you did to my great grandpa Balder and for what you put my father through when he was just a kid!"
"How touching to hear that from a parselmouth though it wouldn't help you to act noble now since you don't have anything to back it up. Though I admit that I'm impressed with the abilities that you've shown to me like being an animagus and an elemental which I thought were old crazy stories. You did good but you weren't good enough."
Tyler's ears were picking up Arnold feet advancing to his location.
'Okay, time to check what I have and am. I have no spell to get rid of Arnold or put him down that he won't be able to stop. My lightning power won't hold him off, it'll only delay him.' He started to look around and caught sight of the exit. 'Hmm...if I run really fast then I might be able to make it to the exit and run to safety. That seems to be the best way for me to get out of this mess. Once I'm out then I could get help.'
He readied himself by taking three deep breaths and then broke into a run to the exit hole but Arnold was on the prowl. He sent curses at Tyler to try to stop him but Tyler was moving out of their way. It seemed like he would escape but a disarming spell finally connected with Tyler making fall forward and disarming him. Then when he was on the ground, Professor Arnold fired a full body bind making Tyler as stiff as a board. Then Arnold used a levitating charm to get him in the air to keep him from escaping.
"I learned from the last time about your little sparks so with you in the Full Body Bind, you won't be able to use those powers on me. Now, there's absolutely nothing that can get you out of this."
Tyler then and there lost complete hope. Arnold was right. There was no more he could do to avoid this fate. But then there were voices sounding in the cave.
"Tyler!"
"No!"
"Stop!"
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End of Chapter 17Nightlit: You're starting to scare me a little how you are close to predicting stuff. You aren't a real seer are you? Don't worry, I'm not really scared I'm just kidding.
SwollenFridge: Thanks.
Tigercub15: I'm honored you have me on alert so you won't miss anything.
I'm not the weakest link: Glad you did like it and I hope I can repeat the pleasure of you liking this chapter too.
Author Notes:
Well there you go! Arnold's looking to use Tyler to get an even better reputation and further his career. Pretty evil huh? The next chapter will be more in Tyler trying to save himself and the fate of his family from Arnold. It's in construction as you read this. Chapter 18: Arnold vs. the Seekers.
Also, Animals Within is almost done. Maybe 4 or less or more chapters to go. And one more note, I noticed that a link I put on a previous chapter to a site for info on the new book coming up hasn't been put in. E-mail me and I will give you the address if you really want to see it.
Review.