Author's Notes: Managed an extremely early update! Yippee! Just don't get used to it! In aswer to yoYo's review. I know what you mean. I hope to surprise you with twists here and then. Hope this chapter is a bit different than what you would have expected. 'wink' Enjoy! On another note the system allows me to reply to logged in reviews. If readers ask questions through logged in reviews I can reply to them privately. I do answer questions! lol
Song: 'Over the Fantasy' by Kana Ueda (Final Fantasy U)
Ch. 4: Mysterious Rescuer
Neville knew he had no time to dodge the new attack. He had been trying to fight the monster in vain and thoughts of how useless he was invaded his mind. He remembered Snape telling how useless and stupid he was many times. Even his family had thought once that he was a Squib. It was like he was really a good for nothing.
In his train of thoughts Neville felt strong arms grab him and someone jump with him very far from the monster. With ease the person/creature went against the monster moving so fast that Neville only managed to see a ray of white light jumping on the monster and hitting it several times. That person or whatever it was had to be even faster than the vampire plus it had to be very strong to be able to jump far carrying a big boy like him. He wasn't really fat, but he was still heavy. Neville was amazed by the turn of events, but the creature suddenly appeared by his side and simply said in a deep male voice: "Use the summon you just obtained." Then the creature disappeared. Neville was only able to memorize that whatever it was, the creature was too white, tall, and shiny. His eyes still hurt from the brightness, but he felt very sure of himself. He closed his eyes feeling the energy surrounding him. The energy was so strong that when the Chimera stroke with its magic it bounced back towards it making it growl.
"Master of the wind, Gryphoner, give me your strength," said Neville. From his hands formed a cloud of smoke that took the form of a Griffin. Neville controlled the summon and invoked a hurricane that the summoned beast created by spinning very fast while moving its wings. The beast ended up being part of the hurricane that took the Chimera and started to dismember it little by little. The creature howled seemingly in pain until it had vanished and Gryphoner entered its master's body.
As fast as he could Neville took out of his sac a powder and sprinkled it over Luna, who quickly regained her movement. Her eyes almost had a twinkle in them when she stared at him. "That was great, Neville."
Longbottom could feel himself blushing, but reacted. "Harry!" Both teens ran to their friend, who was growling putting his hand on the bleeding part of his head.
"Don't move too much," warned Luna before performing a healing spell.
Harry felt much better immediately, although embarrassed. "Sorry I wasn't much help." Neville grinned at him and Harry looked around. "Where's Janryu?"
"Right here." The vampire, who had just joined the little reunion, also looked ashamed of himself. It was obvious that the Chimera hadn't been a regular fiend. "That was a great level fiend. Probably the boss of this cave," he managed to announce with a tinge of pink adorning his cheeks. "How did you defeat it?"
Neville wanted to feel proud, but couldn't. "I defeated it with Gryphoner." Harry and Janryu blinked questioningly. "My summon!" They looked like they were about to congratulate him when he stopped them with a hand gesture: "But I received help from an unknown creature."
Harry's eyes went wide and Janryu looked alarmed and asked: "WHAT?"
"I'm just telling you guys the truth. If it hadn't been for that guy I would have probably gotten pummelled by that monster. Did you see him Luna?"
The girl nodded. "He was fast. Faster than Janryu. Very tall..." added the girl with dreamy eyes before continuing. "He was dressed in fluttering white clothes and his hair was also white and going all sides like Harry's, but more abundant. I couldn't see his face because the collar of his fluttering shirt was too high... I don't know what kind of weapon he had either. Maybe a staff, but not regular like mine. If it was a staff I'm sure it had loops and a crystal in the upper part."
Harry was impressed: "Luna, now I know why you are a Ravenclaw. So many details!" Then he frowned: "I'm a bit worried about that guy suddenly appearing out of nowhere. We have to be more aware as there might be strange fellows following us. I will not assume that the person is good." He suddenly turned to Janryu.
"What?" asked the vampire, but Harry shook his head. Harry still didn't completely trust vampire boy either.
The crew left the cave getting very few fiend encounters on their way back to the forest. Harry activated his scanner and studied the location of their next summon. It was in a village, about four kilometers from their location. He wondered how many summons there were and hoped they weren't too many. They started on their walk when Harry suddenly asked Neville: "Can you Apparate?" The boy nodded and Harry smirked. "Grab Luna and I'll Apparate with Janryu. Just calculate about four kilometers to the East." In a minute the four had Disapparated and Apparated in front of the entrance to a village. "That was easy, wasn't it? Plus it's not like we have the Ministry of Magic watching us..." Neville actually grinned at the last comment, while Luna smiled at them both. She didn't know how to Apparate yet even if they didn't have the Ministry there to confirm whether they had licenses or not.
As they walked through the village Harry noticed the soured faces of the villagers, although some stared at them as if they were seeing ghosts. Most were old people and the absence of children and even teenagers caused a stir inside him. The Elder hadn't told them if the children included teenagers and that little detail started to gnaw at him. The Elder had at least called Neville 'child.'
An old woman approached them all of a sudden: "You are children. Flee from this place or they'll get you too," she stated. Her statement confirmed Harry's worst fears. Those people considered teenagers as children.
"At what age you stop being a child?" he asked the woman needing an answer.
The old woman looked at him incredulously and answered: "You are a child until you reach the age of twenty. You look fifteen to me."
Harry cursed in his mind. He hated not being tall, but no point in blaming the Dursleys and the way they malnourished him now. "Would they return to a town that they already emptied of children?"
This time it was a man that could be in his fifties that answered: "They'll come back. They always come back to check, over and over and over."
Neville gulped, Luna was expressionless, and Harry frowned. Janryu didn't seem worried at all. Vampires were probably identified and ignored. With chenched teeth Harry said: "Great! So we have to watch our backs too... Now I really know that we might be definitely being followed," he pointed to his companions.
The people suddenly started to get into their houses as fast as they could and a man that looked in his twenties, mounting a horse, started to yell: "THE GUARDS ARE COMING! THE GUARDS ARE COMING!" His eyes landed on the foursome and he looked horrified: "CHILDREN? GET OUT OF HERE! HIDE! THEY ARE COMING FOR YOU!"
At first they didn't move, but Janryu made them react. "Follow me!" Harry, Neville, and Luna ran behind Janryu and managed to get between trees. Janryu quickly climbed one of the trees and motioned for them to do the same and they did. Luna had trouble climbing, but between the three boys helped her up into the foliage of the huge tree Janryu had chosen. "They never check the trees. In fact, they never look up. Never. I've seen them before."
Trusting the vampire boy they observed as many creatures on black horses invaded the village. The creatures dismounted and went house by house checking. They also checked barrels, corners, and even bins. They checked the stables, armories, everywhere. The creatures didn't look human. They were more like black shadows and Harry couldn't really figure if they were even dressed. They looked too much like silhouettes and if they were wearing clothes it had to be some sort of spandex fabric. Luna started to use her scanner, but it made a beeping sound, making the boys open their eyes in horror. Harry mouthed at her: "Are you crazy?"
She understood plus she had also noticed the sound, even if it was barely audible. She froze, not touching the scanner anymore, as two sihouettes stared at the trees. Harry could feel sweat forming on his forehead and around his goggles. He swallowed as the creatures approached the trees and he closed his eyes thinking: 'Please don't look up. Please don't look up.' He opened his eyes to see that the creatures hadn't looked up plus with their closeness he confirmed that they were not human. They didn't even had mouths and he wondered if they had eyes or noses because he couldn't see those either. After a while the creatures were on their horses and left, but the teens stayed on the tree about fifteen minutes more before getting down.
Janryu grinned at them when they were finally with their feet on the ground: "I told you they never look up. See?" He winked at them.
Harry was still nervous though. It had been a while since he had felt that nervous. It reminded him of when he was a child and hid from Dudley and crew because they wanted to use him as a punching bag. He sighed in relief as if expelling all of the air he had held up in the tree, but suddenly his eyes lightened. "Next time we can use Disillusionment charms!"
Neville looked amazed: "Yeah! That's a great idea! I guess we were too nervous to even think about it, huh?"
Harry looked at Luna: "Please, don't you ever do that again."
"Sorry. I won't, but I confirmed that those things weren't human and that they repel magical attacks."
Harry had to admit that yet again he was impressed with the girl, but her curiosity could have cost them a lot. Still, he wasn't going to snap at her. She had learned already that the scanner, even if it wasn't noisy, it still emitted a sound.
The villagers were slowly coming out of their houses. It seemed that even when their houses were registered they felt safer inside rather than outside when those creatures came. Some looked at them with surprised expressions. "They didn't get you?" asked a middle aged woman.
Harry and his companions shook their heads and decided to ignore the stares and proceed with their journey. Harry used his scanner again and noticed that the object they were looking for was in a mine. He quickly asked a random villager: "Is the mine abandoned?"
The old man looked at Harry before replying: "It's been abandoned for some years now, yes. Don't go in there. There are monsters roaming inside."
The four teens quickened their pace and entered a path that had been abandoned for quite some time. There was almost no path anymore as the wild nature had almost covered it. They proceeded toward the mine and noticed woodened panels that had been nailed to somewhat cover the entrance. Harry decided to experiment a little. "Accio wood panels!" It worked. The wood covering the entrance was ripped from it and flew towards Harry, but he quickly said: "Consto!" making the wood stop in midair and letting it drop.
Janryu stared at Harry confused. "How the hell did you do that? You didn't tell me you were a powerful mage! Only a powerful mage can make such a display!"
"I am a wizard, not a powerful mage. Neville is also a wizard and Luna is a witch. They can do it too."
Janryu looked at the other two, disbelief all over his face. "Really?" They all nodded. "Now I feel like an idiot. I can do some magic, but it's a bit limited. I know that if I train a lot I'll get better, but I've been too lazy. Now I think it would be handy!"
Harry laughed a little and then motioned for them to approach the mine's entrance, but stopped as an exceedingly beautiful girl came out of the mine and smiled at them. The girl was truly and incredibly beautiful. She had long brown hair down to her waistline and blue eyes. Her beauty radiated everywhere. Even Janryu looked like he was about to start drooling. The girl also had great curves that were accentuated with her tight and almost transparent canary yellow shirt and very short brown leather skirt. "Hi!" She even waved when she greeted them.
Neville gulped and Harry waved back feeling like an idiot. What in the world was a girl doing inside that mine? Luna on the other hand looked wary and quickly started her scanner and her eyes went wide. Just at that moment the gorgeous being was approaching them and in less than a minute was in front of Neville. Luna yelled: "SHE IS A FIEND! SHE IS A GORGON! A MEDUSSA!"
Harry reacted as soon as he heard Luna's yells and they saw the girl lose all of her beauty and transform into a horrendous creature that was sort of shaped like a woman from the waist upwards, but as a snake from the waist downwards. The whole body had scales and she was olive green in color. The once beautiful face was wrinkled and full of scales like the rest of her body and her hair had changed into lots of snakes. Neville had been turned into stone and Janryu, Luna, and Harry jumped to different spots. Harry heard Luna: "Don't look into her eyes!"
He had already suspected that and he got behind a tree with his sword ready. He heard something plunge into the tree's trunk and noticed an arrow. The gorgon had a bow and arrow. 'Great!', he thought. He suddenly heard the creature scream in pain and came out of hiding. Luna had used 'Diffindo' and had severed some of the snakes in the gorgon's head. From a corner Janryu threw some knives with perfect aim piercing the gorgon, but she made the knives abandon her body plus the snakes grew back in her head. As she was giving her back to Harry he ran towards her with his sword and aimed it at her head, but at that moment she turned and he closed his eyes waving his sword madly in front of him. She prepared to shoot an arrow at him, but a beam broke her bow and she howled furiously. At that moment Luna finished turning Neville back to normal, grabbed him by the hand, and took him to a corner behind bushes. Harry had no idea where the beam had come from, but he had heard its sound and opened his eyes quickly being able to decapitate the gorgon as she was busy trying to look for the attacker that had disarmed her. It was a quick swing of his sword, but as her head fell and he saw the blood coming out of her neck he retched, even if after a minute or two the body and head vanished. Just as he finished emptying his stomach he managed to look between some trees and saw something white move extremely fast and out of his view. It was the area where the beam had come from, but he hadn't really seen the beam.
"Never ever swing a sword in front of you with your eyes closed! What the hell were you thinking?" Janryu took Harry away from his thoughts about the rescuer with that.
Harry flushed a little: "Sorry about that." Then he looked fixedly at Janryu. "Are gorgons common?"
The other sighed and dropped to sit on the ground in front of the mine before answering: "Yes, they are. I should have known, but for some reason I couldn't detect her, but your friend's scanner did. I think that the scanner might not have worked if it had been a male the one who had it though."
Harry looked worried at this revelation, but he needed more information: "Do they always look the same? You know, the same girl appearance?"
Janryu's eyes hardened and he shook his head: "No. They always look different. Last time I encountered one I was fifteen, three years ago. She was a very pretty curly haired blonde, but then I was able to perceive her as what she really was..."
Neville surprised them when he spoke: "Maybe because of your age? Maybe your mind wasn't in girls at fifteen yet and that's why you were more aware. Maybe now that you are a little more grown up and probably thinking about girls and all your senses have weakened."
Janryu gave Neville a curious look before nodding. "That might be it. At least this one transformed quickly. Some guys have even been led to a bed by gorgons if you know what I mean." He shuddered and both Harry and Neville flinched. "Luna, thanks!"
The girl looked at them and smiled before changing the topic completely by looking upwards. "The sky looks so beautiful, doesn't it? Just look at the clouds..."
Janryu looked at Neville and Harry with a raised eyebrow and the other two started to laugh. After this Harry told them about the guy in white and the others confirmed that they had noticed the beam, but not the one who caused it. Then they entered the mine finally. They had several encounters with different creatures, but to their relief there were no more gorgons. At a certain area of the mine they got to a dead end and Harry analyzed the map and it kept indicating that the summoning fragment was behind that wall. "I don't get it! It says that the fragment is behind this wall, but..."
Luna pushed him aside and signaled for all of them to stay back. She produced a spherical light on her hand and said: "Bombarda!" and threw it against the wall, making it explode. They had to quickly dock and take cover because the rumble caused part of the mine's ceiling to collapse.
The boys looked at Luna with fearful expressions, but she was just humming to herself with dreamy eyes and suddenly spoke: "Now there's no wall. We can get it now."
They shook their heads at the girl and moved on and they did find themselves in front of the floating fragment. It changed constantly from blue to white and white to blue. The three chosen teens extended their hands and the fragment chose very quickly. It chose Luna and entered her. To their relief nothing happened and throughout all the way to the outside of the mine there were no encounters at all. They got outside thinking that everything had been easy, but then they found themselves surrounded by horrendous gorgons of every colour. Harry quickly changed something in his goggles instinctively. It made him blind, but not entirely. He could see the silhouettes of the gorgons through their body heat and he was able to notice a very beautiful girl behind all the gorgons. Even with this type of blindness he could see the girl perfectly as if he was using his normal eyesight. He hadn't seen her before activating the system in his goggles. The girl was partially hidden behind trees and wore what looked like a purple long dress. She had diamond colored hair that fell down almost to her knees and she was looking at them, but it seemed that the gorgons couldn't detect her. Harry suspected that she might be actually the gorgon queen or something like that.
The gorgons prepared their bows and removed arrows from their carcasses. Harry saw to his horror that Neville and Janryu were already petrified. Their body heat was null. It seemed that Luna wasn't affected by the petrifying gaze. The gorgons shot arrows at them, but Luna created a transparent shield in front of her and Harry and the arrows bounced on it. One of the gorgons suddenly opened her mouth and sent a smoke towards Luna. It went through the shield and Luna collapsed to the ground in deep slumber. Harry readied his sword thinking that this was the end and he saw a gorgon use the same breath technique at him. Even if his sight was limited he could still see plenty, but avoid the petrifying gazes. Soon he could feel his eyelids getting heavier behind his goggles and the last thing he saw before darkness claimed him was the girl in purple raising her hands and radiating a very powerful ray of white light that seemed to be expanding. He was able to see the white colour of the light to his surprise, but then, he saw no more as he dropped to the ground completely asleep.
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