Disclaimer: Anything you recognise from JK Rowling's works are hers…
Last Time:
Horrified Isah watched as the two Gryffindors wrestled in the foliage. Mortimor's fists were flying and connecting with any exposed part of Leonis' body. A part of him was screaming this was his moment to run away. But another looked upon Leonis with pity and wanted to block out the pathetic cries from Leonis' lips… Could he leave Leonis here alone to deal with his problems?
Chapter Nineteen. Concussion and Repercussions
No. Slytherin or not he could not leave Leonis, Gryffindor or not, to handle the situation by himself. Isah steeled himself and charged at Malcolm who was laughing uncontrollably clutching his sides. He head butted Malcolm's stomach and they went rolling over.
Isah could hear the screams of the others in his head as he fell. Then there was a startled silence…
Isah sat up and thrust Malcolm of his chest with a kick of his feet; fortunately he was wearing expensive leather riding boots with a lovely hard heel. He heard the intake of breath that signalled that Malcolm was winded and rolled back to his feet.
For a moment everything had stopped. Adonis and Hannibal were staring at him in disbelief that Isah had lowered his standards and attacked. Even Mortimor stopped punching the daylights of Leonis to turn around. Leonis was staring at his friend with wild frightened eyes.
A sudden thought came to mind as Isah glanced into the frightened eyes of his friend. Leonis did not deserve the beating from the bullies – it was quite frankly his fight. But there was only way to get Leonis to voluntarily escape the clutches of his foes…
"Leo. Animagus Form. Get. Help," Isah puffed between breathes. He saw the flicker of understanding in Leonis' eyes and grinned at his own ingenuus plan. A moment later he was staring into the eyes of a small fox cub that turned tail and galloped clumsily into the scrub.
"Animagus Catturare!" Mortimor screamed a beam of blue light engulfed the surprised fox cub. "Accio fox…" Leonis' fox form zipped through the air. Isah would have found the sight hilarious of a little fox mock swimming in mid air going backwards if it wasn't his friend.
Mortimor caught the furry little creature and Isah dove at him. Malcolm was now brandishing a long stick and swiped it at Isah's leg. He felt the sting of the make shift can across the fronts of his shins as he was lifted and fell flat on his face.
Mortimor was laughing cruelly holding Leonis upside by his plush tail.
"Don't hold him like that!" Isah screamed in horror. Leonis was still swimming madly in mid air little yips of pain came from his furry lips. "You're hurting him."
"That my dear Slytherin is the point," Malcolm snarled.
Isah growled back and kicked out viciously targeting poor Malcolm's groin. Malcolm fell backwards clutching himself. Isah made another dive for Mortimor who was jiggling a giddy look fox cub by his tail. "Petrificus Totalus!"
"Hmmnngg bbbaaaggg!" Isah screamed through frozen lips. Leonis translated this as 'change back' or at least something along those lines. He knew he had to change back to a human form but found that he just couldn't.
"He can't change back," Mortimor jeered in feverish delight. "Father invented Animagus Catturare just to spite the Gryffindor animagi. You'll be pleased to learn dear Leonis there is no counter spell." Motimor waved Leonis about by the tail as if this rough movement actually helped to prove his point.
'Oh no… no no no no no!' Leonis thought desperately as the ground beneath him swirled dizzyingly about. 'I'm stuck as a fox cub forever!'
"Anyone for 'Fox Quidditch?'"
The depths of the Gryffindor's eyes sparkled with malicious glee.
"Kick it through those trees ten points."
Leonis glanced at the goal post and struggled wildly in Mortimor's strong grip. Mortimor ignored him and turned in a half circle to point at two more trees. "Through those and you get twenty points."
The Gryffindors laughed raucously.
"Ready?"
'No,' Leonis thought glumly.
Leonis' four paws hit the ground as soon as the hands were off he darted to the side. He was kicked and battered about the clearing. His desperate yips of pain were drowned out by the mocking chortling of the players.
After what seemed to have been an age the punishment stopped. Leonis Lay sprawled on the ground his eyes closed from the pain. He seemed resolved to his fate as a play
thing in the hands of the bullies.
Mortimor picked up Leonis up by his tail once more. The little fox's fur was now a mattered mess of blood and grime. His paws hung over his small head limply.
"Is he…. he dead?" Adonis' voice quavered dangerously as if he was now truly afraid.
'Dear Merlin! NO!' Isah thought wildly subconsciously trying to break the spell that had effectively bound him.
Leonis' ears twitched slightly.
"Nah!" Mortimor scoffed holding Leonis up like a trophy that he had won. "He's fine. Let's drown the little bastard like his Daddy should have when he discovered him."
"Erm Mort…" Adonis muttered cringing. "I don't think that would be a great idea."
Malcolm kicked Isah who was on the ground protesting despite being petrified.
"Why not?" Mortimor snarled lifting Leonis higher so that he could leer into the quaking fox. "Teach the right little bas…"
A strong hand gripped Mortimor's wrist and the boy roared in pain as the deft hand wrenched him around. Five pair of frightened eyes glanced up at the intruder. But only one pair seemed remotely pleased by the bulky figure.
"Put down Leonis – yes I know that is my nephew – down gently, Bedivere," the soft commanding voice of Euan issued irritably.
Mortimor glanced up defiantly at first but when the figure growled menacingly he obeyed. With very slow and deliberate movements Mortimor set Leonis down. Leonis instantly curled up into a small furry ball.
"STAY!" Euan howled angrily at the other three Gryffindor boys who were using Mortimor's distraction to escape. Leonis looked up into his angry uncle's face before tucking his tail in so no one could 'accidentally' stomp on it.
Euan raised his wand and waved it almost lazily in the air. A silvery wisp of cloud, with noticeably four legs, pounced forth and ambled at a quite alarming speed up to the castle.
"Let's see what your House Founders think about this," Euan stated softly glaring at each of the boys and fox in turn.
Euan uttered a counter curse so that Isah could sit up. The young Slytherin stood slowly glaring daggers at the uncomfortable Gryffindors. Euan's attention however had been placed on Leonis the fox.
"Change back Leonis for goodness sake," Euan snapped irritably.
Leonis miserably flattened his ears and whimpered.
The four Gryffindor bullies looked between each other looking somewhat worried. "Do something," Hannibal Forbes hissed in Mortimor's ear.
"Can't," Mortimor hissed back.
"Be quiet," Euan snarled rounding on the cringing boys.
"Err…"
"Shut up Covington or I'll hex your tongue. I'm not happy with any of you at the moment."
Adonis closed his opened mouth and dejectedly looked at the very sad fox. He hadn't wanted to join Mortimor and his gang. And now he didn't know why he abused his position…
It was Isah who spoke up next. "He can't."
"What do you mean he can't?"
"He can't change back to human," Isah elaborated.
Euan quirked an eyebrow. "Would anyone like to tell me why that is?"
"It was Mortimor," Adonis piped quickly pointing a finger at his friend.
"Shut up Covington," Mortimor hissed but he didn't get much further as Euan was advancing on him quickly.
"Speak," Euan snarled.
Mortimor clamped his mouth shut and refused to say anything at all. Euan raised his fist and back handed him twice deftly. Leonis flinched at the sound of flesh meeting flesh and darted away under Isah his tail noticeably between his legs.
Mortimor had reeled back and landed on his backside…
"Euan! I demand to know what is going on!" Godric roared from the other side of the clearing.
Euan glanced up at his brother who was followed by a panting Salazar.
The snake founder slipped past the other boys and grabbed onto Isah's shoulder. "What have you done!" Slytherin screamed, shaking his son roughly.
Euan glanced down at Mortimor. "Well? What is your explanation?"
Mortimor swept himself to his feet and brushed himself off coolly. He glanced hatefully at the little fox which had stepped away from Isah since Lord Slytherin was at such a close proximity. He at least couldn't talk…
"Leonis was… was attacking Master Slytherin…"
An angry hiss interrupted Mortimor's explanation. Stunned Mortimor turned to where Isah was standing his face as black as a thunder storm. Mortimor blinked beseechingly; Isah was a gentleman a lord surely he would side with him.
"How. Dare. You…." Isah stepped past his surprised sire and up to Mortimor whose confidence shattered. He raised his hand and slapped the other boy with all the might he could muster. "You attack me and then expect me to turn on the only Gryffindor in this clearing who is a true gentleman!" Isah turned around looking sheepish his hand interwoven nervously together. "Not talking about you Milord," he said to Godric and Euan politely.
Mortimor rubbed his burning cheeks his eyes glazed over in shock. "While we're hear do you want to tell Lord Gryffindor exactly what Fox Quidditch is and what torture it entails… do you want to tell Lord Gryffindor why is son is stuck in fox form… what you were going to do his son next."
"He's mad," Mortimor desperately gasped stepping away.
"MAD!" Isah roared as his own father stepped in to intervene grabbing his wrists has his fists started pummelling thin air. Tears of rages slipping down his flushed but noticeably pale cheeks. "Mad! Yes I'm angry. You only attacked Leonis because he stood up for me! If it weren't for him my face would be the one smeared in the ground… and you were annoyed because a boy half your size, twice your intelligence, and three times your honour stepped in. That's the only reason you hurt him… because you could never be the gentleman he is!"
"Mad I tell you," Hannibal said picking up Mortimor's line. "Leonis must have confounded him… sneaky little thief… owww."
Leonis had stepped around Mortimor and bit into Hannibal's pant legs.
"Oh shut up, both of you," Adonis quickly said. "You're only digging the hole deeper."
Hannibal and Mortimor along with Malcolm stared at their partner in crime. Adonis ignored him and turned towards Godric who had crossed his arms against his chest. Very gently he bent down and picked up the fox cub and pushed him into Godric's hands.
Godric took his son gently and absently stroked his soft black ears both of which were hanging over his eyes.
"It's true sir," Adonis admitted. "Everything Isah said is true… Everything…"
Godric closed his eyes very slowly as he felt the rage within him bubbling up. He rearranged Leonis who was whimpering, large pearly droplets forming on the bridge of his foxy nose.
"Be careful sir… we really did wound him badly. I think he might have concussion…"
Godric nodded slightly and ground his teeth together. "You four up to my office wait for me. Speak to no one," he growled pointing to the four Gryffindor apprentices. Adonis nodded quickly licked his lips nervously before jogging back to the castle. The others followed behind him dragging their feet.
"Ah my poor Scruffy," Godric sighed stroking the little fox which blinked and closed his eyes.
"Scruffy?" Salazar asked indigently. "What type of name is that to give to a child?"
"Scruffy doesn't mind, do you son?"
The fox didn't move, blink or twitch in reply. Godric sighed. "I suppose I'm carrying you back."
Isah by this time had pulled himself from his father grip and stood by Godric and patted Leonis' head. "When I told you to run I meant it… but you just wouldn't abandon me much to my chagrin. What if Mortimor was really going to drown you in the stream, eh? Where would that leave me?" Isah pulled out a burr from Leonis' mattered fur and flicked it to the side. "I can't believe you deliberately stepped in between me and Mortimor's fists… that had to hurt my friend." The little fox opened one eye. "You should have thrown up on Mortimor's boots. All that hanging upside down…argh what am I doing I'm talking to a fox!"
Leonis sniffed indifferently and licked the end of Isah's nose. "Argh! Gross and I called you a gentleman!"
"He can understand you," Godric said sternly. "Change back Leonis…"
"He can't…" Isah said for what seemed like the millionth time. "Mortimor made sure he couldn't.