Fairborn Adventures

AN: Hey guys!

Welcome to Chapter 86.

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Chapter 86

May 2nd, 1978

'So - back again, Harry?' He snorted in amusement, glancing around.

The surrounding walls were made of dark stone, dimly lit by torches. Benches full of spectators rose on either side of him. Ahead, on the highest benches of all, were several dozen shadowy figures, dressed in purple robes and talking in low voices.

Next to him, Marlene sat on her simple wooden chair like a throne, looking haughtily up into the crowd before she turned to him with the ghost of a smile: "Look what kind of criminal activities I'm now involved in, Mr. Peverell," she whispered: "I was such a good, innocent girl before you came along..."

'Oh, I'm sure you were.' Harry stifled a burst of laughter and turned back when someone cleared his throat audibly.

"Disciplinary hearing of the second of May, 1978-" Bartemius Crouch said in a ringing voice, eyes narrowed at the two of them, "-into offenses committed by Marlene Elizabeth McKinnon and Harry Ignotus Peverell, specifically the presumed murder of Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange, as well as the attempted murder of Bellatrix Lestrange neé Black on April 28th, 1978!"

Murmurs of disagreement rose from the benches, and many of the lord and ladies were shaking their heads already.

'At least I'm the crowd's favorite this time.'

"How do the accused plead?"

"Not guilty!" Harry said confidently: "Marlene and I acted in self-defense and out of fear for our lives after just having experienced a traumatic event mere minutes before."

"Lies!" Someone cried from the benches to his right: "He killed my sons!" Corvus Lestrange pointed an accusing finger at Harry, his face distorted in anger. "I want him and his harpy thrown through the veil for it!"

"Behave yourself or you will find yourself removed, Lord Lestrange!" Crouch banged on his gavel to drown the mutterings of agreement from Lestrange's direct neighbors.

'Don't worry, you'll follow your sons soon enough.'

"Let it be noted that both of the accused pleaded not guilty." Bartemius Crouch declared with a nod to his court scribbler: "For the sake of transparency let it also be known that this court has already received a certified memory of the events. Out of respect for the victims, we will not show those memories in public. Instead, witnesses, who volunteered to share the events of the day in court, have been invited. Let us hear the first witness!"

'He looks somewhat familiar.' A man in simple business robes nervously stepped onto the small witness podium.

"Please state your full name and occupation!"

"I'm Darius Dukes, I'm the owner of Honeydukes in Hogsmeade," the man declared, gaining back a bit of his confidence.

Harry and Marlene exchanged a quick amused look. 'Is he here for reparation for the stolen chocolate?'

"Mr. Dukes, are you aware that everything you share in this court must be truthful?"

"I'm willing to testify under veritaserum if what I share is being questioned," Dukes nodded: "It won't change a word that leaves my lips."

"Very well, please describe the events that took place on April 28th, 1977. Start all the way at the beginning."

"It was a Hogsmeade weekend for the students from the castle, so I prepared my shelves expecting many customers," Dukes explained: "Around 11:35 I suddenly heard unusual levels of noise from outside my store and peaked out of my window. It- it was strange..." the man swallowed heavily, "the weather had been sunny the entire morning, but then the sun was gone. Dark clouds hovered in the sky and a thick fog was carried into the village from seemingly all sides..."

Mr. Dukes paused and fidgeted with his fingers.

"Please continue, Mr. Dukes. What happened next?" Dumbledore, who sat a few rows above Crouch in his midnight-blue Chief Warlock robes, spoke up.

'Usually they sit right next to each other.' Harry remembered: 'Perhaps the fallout between the two over Crouch losing his son while he was supposed to be safe at Hogwarts hasn't been exaggerated by the Prophet this time around.'

"I heard screams from outside; the terrified screams of children. Coldness crept into my store and- and I felt as though all happiness had gone from the world. I remembered... dreadful things... " Dukes' voice shook but he eventually continued: "Then I saw them, gliding through the fog... I still have nightmares from the eerie way they moved, hovering inches over the ground, or the rotting smell of them that suddenly invaded my store, or that terrible, rattling noise they made as they sucked on the surrounding air... Dementors!" Dukes trembled: "Dozens of them, perhaps even hundreds!"

Murmurs rose once more from the benches. Everyone had learned about the events, especially with the Prophet reporting on nothing else for the last few days. Still, hearing a witness' statement like that had the lords and ladies concerned.

'Rightfully so.'

"Thank you, Mr. Dukes, let us skip a bit forward until you first see the accused, please!" Crouch instructed.

"Yes- yes." Dukes glanced over to Harry and Marlene and continued: "I ushered as many children into my store as I could and told them to move down into the basement. I myself locked the doors and remained by the window. Then I saw two figures hurrying over the square, fighting their way through the fog to the other side, where the Three Broomsticks is located. The- the dementors were following the pair, perhaps even all of them, and then they attacked."

"How did they repel the Dementors?" Dumbledore inquired.

'Wouldn't you like to know, old man?' Harry hid a grin.

"One of them shot something bright silver from their wand. It had wings and took to the sky to fight them back. I'm not very well versed in charms, but even I can recognize a patronus when I see one." Dukes swallowed: "The other one conjured something... black."

"Black, you say?" Crouch frowned, eyes snapping to Harry with an almost greedy expression: "Elaborate!"

Oh, of course.' Harry hid a snort. The imposter's words swirled in his mind. 'They say old Mad-Eye's obsessed with catching Dark wizards… but I'm nothing - nothing - compared to Barty Crouch.'

"It was like a... shadow of black mist, very difficult to follow in the thick fog, but it attacked the dementors. Unlike the patronus, it didn't just repel them, it- it..." Dukes struggled for the word: "It killed them, I think."

"Fabricated lies!" Lord Parkinson shouted while the benches erupted in uproar: "You cannot kill a dementor, every squib knows that!"

"Silence!" Crouch banged his gavel: "The Department of Mysteries already confirmed that dozens of abandoned dementor's cloaks have been found on the scene. We will address this undoubtedly dark magic the accused used later during the trial and continue-"

"Just force Peverell to take Veritaserum already!" This time Lord Selwyn interrupted the trial, glaring triumphantly at Harry: "If he has a spell to defeat them, then surely the public has a right to learn about it!"

"I'm not on trial for whichever way I defended myself against the dementors," Harry reminded them, fixing first Selwyn and then Crouch with a cold look: "I'm on trial because right after defending one of the few magical settlements in magical Britain, my fiancé and I were attacked by pathetic cowards in silver masks."

"Silence!" Crouch smashed his gavel while Lestrange's closest neighbors had to hold the man back from lurching himself at Harry. "You will refrain from further insults, Peverell! Continue, Mr. Dukes."

"The dementors eventually fled. The fog cleared with them, which is when I first recognized the pair that fought them off."

"And how did you recognize them?" Crouch inquired, apparently not too happy with the witness' statement so far: "Do you know either of them personally? If so, it's your duty to share it with the court!"

"No, I don't know them personally." Duke shook his head, a small smile tugged on his lips as he glanced over to Marlene: "But Ms. McKinnon has been a long-term customer of mine ever since her first visit in her third year."

A few snorts of amusement sounded from the benches. Marlene granted the man a soft smile and inclined her head.

"What happened next, Mr. Duke?" Charlus asked.

"Ms. McKinnon and Mr. Peverell revived four students that had fallen unconscious in front of the Three Broomsticks." Dukes said: "Then Ms. McKinnon blew my door from its hinges and summoned a box of my finest chocolate to pass it out among them." He turned to them and bowed slightly: "And I don't expect any reparations from you, my dear. You and Mr. Peverell shall never have to spend a single galleon in my store ever again."

'She's definitely going to make use of that.' Harry grinned.

A small wave of applause and nods of consensus followed his declaration.

"Back to the events, please, Mr. Dukes!" Crouch ordered with a shout, clenching his jaw in annoyance.

The man's smile faltered: "They were about to guide out any of the students, who barricaded themselves in the pub when one of their four friends, a brunette girl, was hit by a green curse from across the square. She- she slumped to the floor and didn't move."

A murmur traveled through the chamber.

Harry's eyes found Lord Fawley, Florence's grandfather, sitting on the lower benches and sniffing into his handkerchief, while the surrounding lords offered small gestures of sympathy.

"And who were the attackers?" Crouch demanded to know, his eyes now narrowed to slits.

"There were three of them, all black-robed and silver masked. One of them, a woman, cheered after hitting the girl with her curse." Dukes shared: "They continued firing curses at the students in front of the pub. Most- most of the spells were green..."

"And how did Ms. McKinnon and Mr. Peverell react?" Lord Bones asked.

"They shielded the students and ushered them back into the pub. Then they retorted with spells of their own and fought off the dark-robed trio all by themselves."

"So you admit that the accused attacked as well…" Crouch commented, his tongue dipped out to wetten his lower lip: "I need you to go into more detail here, Mr. Dukes. What exactly did they do?."

"Ms. McKinnon separated one of them and engaged him while Mr. Peverell handled the other two." Duke said: "Since the attacker's masks fell off, I recognized them from their time as students. They were Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Bellatrix Lestrange, back then she was a Black."

Loud noises and indignant shouts erupted on the many benches of both the spectators and wizengamot members. Angry fists were raised against Lord Lestrange; people soon demanded he be called to justice in their stead.

"Silence!" Crouch hammered: "Silence or I'll clear the room!"

He addressed Dukes again: "How did the duel develop?"

"It all happened incredibly fast," Dukes admitted: "One second they were all fighting, the next the two Lestrange brothers had been defeated."

"Defeated you say?" Lord Longbottom echoed, an eyebrow raised in surprise.

"Well, I'm not a duelist or an Auror, I sell chocolate." Dukes chuckled nervously: "All I know is that Mr. Peverell's and Ms. McKinnon's spells, whatever they were, struck true while the Lestranges didn't hit them at all."

The eyes of the Wizengamot members swept over them curiously while they whispered to themselves.

'Are they really struggling to believe that two teenagers could have held themselves against them?'

"What happened to the last of the attackers? You identified her as Bellatrix Lestrange?" Crouch asked.

"Mr. Peverell defeated her as well," Dukes said truthfully and with a hint of admiration: "She was kneeling on the floor before him. He had his wand trained at her while they talked and then the Aurors showed up."

Crouch grimaced: "Mr. Dukes, Auror Captain Alastor Moody reported that he found Peverell in a position that seemed, I will quote 'like he was about to execute her in the open street'. From your description I take it you had a similar impression?"

"Not really, no." He shook his head. "Mrs. Lestrange would have long been dead if Mr. Peverell had wanted so. She was kneeling without a wand while they talked about things I was too far away to hear," Dukes said: "Mr. Peverell certainly looked angry, but with everything they've been through that day..." He trailed off, earning himself another round of hums of agreement from all around.

"Thank you for your statement, Mr. Dukes," Crouch grimaced, exchanging a small glance with the prosecutors next to him: "A rather one-sided statement if you ask me. Perhaps it's best if we hear another witness and-"

"Why in Merlin's name are we wasting any more time on this, Crouch?!" Matthew, undoubtedly the youngest of the lords present, spoke up heatedly: "We've all heard the witness and he even offered to submit the same statement under veritaserum. Call me biased if you wish, but my sister defended herself after suffering from exposure to dozens of dementors. Why? Because she just protected the entire village of Hogsmeade all alone with her fiancé!" He regarded his neighbors challengingly: "How can we sit here and fault her for resorting to spells that are lethal after she was already forced to watch her closest friend die at the hands of cowardly attackers!"

'Nice one, Matthew.' Harry smiled, noticing the shouts of encouragement from all around.

"I fully agree with Lord McKinnon's sentiment." Longbottom rose from his seat next: "We've granted the Aurors permission to fight with lethal force if necessary. What message do we send the wizards and witches in this country if we now judge a young couple's admittably harsh actions in the heat of the moment after they've selflessly risked their lives for our future generations?"

'Now comes the hero part.'

"The law is the law, and no person is above it," Percival Greengrass shouted, earning the support of the conservatives: "We cannot have ordinary citizens getting away with cold-blooded murder, no matter the context of the situation!"

The following uproar was silenced when Lord Fawley rose and cleared his throat, undried tears still on his cheeks: "I will remind you, Lord Greengrass, that even from a legal perspective Mr. Peverell and Ms. McKinnon acted within their right to defend themselves." He turned to Crouch, eyes narrowed: "I wished to say my goodbyes to my granddaughter this morning and grant her a proper burial. Instead, I find myself ashamed to sit here, judging two brave, young students all of us should honor. How does our Ministry justify trialing my granddaughter's closest friend, while her murderer, the monster that took her life, sits in a cell unaddressed?!"

It was like a cannonball was fired in the Wizengamot halls. Loud shouts of agreement echoed from the walls. People rose from their seats and clapped wildly in support of what had been said.

'Time to make good use of their emotions.' Harry found Charlus' eye and gave him a subtle nod.

"Lord Fawley has my deepest condolences." His grandfather's strong voice boomed through the chamber: "And he is right. I suggest we stop wasting everyone's time and hold a vote."

"Now, Lord Potter-" Crouch tried to interfere.

"-those in favor of clearing the accused, Marlene McKinnon and Harry Peverell, of all charges?" Matthew shouted, raising his own arm in an instant.

Harry glanced around. Hands rose from everywhere. Even some of the more conservative lords and ladies didn't falter showing their support for the cause.

"And those in favor of conviction?" Matthew asked challengingly, glaring down at Lestrange, who defiantly raised his arm along with roughly a dozen more lords around him.

'Thank you for providing some more names.' Harry studied each of their faces and names, burning them into his mind before he turned back to Crouch.

"Your judgment then, Mr. Crouch?" He rose from his chair with Marlene mirroring the motion next to him.

Crouch looked like he was forced to swallow the worst type of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor beans, clenching his jaw in annoyance. "Harry Ignotus Peverell and Marlene Elizabeth McKinnon, you are hereby cleared of all charges!"

Dozens, perhaps even hundreds of bright camera flashes blinded Harry the moment Crouch's gavel struck the pad. He heaved himself out of his chair, blinking away the colorful spots in his vision and turning to Marlene, who had risen as well.

"Let's get out of here before Rita Skeeter finds and devours us." She wrinkled her nose and tossed her long, golden braid over her shoulder, linking her arm through his as they headed out of the courtroom.

'Enough playing hero for a single anyway.'

Even the few Aurors that were positioned to either side of them struggled to keep the hundreds of spectators away. The couple ignored their raised hands and the many, obnoxious questions thrown their way and strode back to the elevators.

Hearing his name called out by a familiar voice, Harry slowed just before entering and turned around. Charlus and Arcturus had caught up with them.

'I suppose they can ride with us. They did help us out after all.'

The closing golden doors halted with a rattle when Harry pushed his hand past in between them and allowed the two lords to slip through.

"Well done, you two!" Charlus' face was one of relief: "We were lucky that Mr. Dukes was so kindly minded. I bet Crouch would've been content to sit there and call upon one witness after the next until their statements matched his expectations."

'No doubt he'll soon develop an obsession as unhealthy as Dumbledore's.' The elevator creaked and began moving upwards. 'But at least they can't see eye to eye anymore.'

"I doubt it would've changed much anyway." Marlene shrugged: "The majority of lords were on our side the moment we stepped into that chamber. It was only a matter of making the best of their emotional state. Admittedly, Florence's grandfather speaking up for us perfectly played into our cards as well."

"Perhaps you should've lingered a while longer. An interview would've appeased the public." Charlus commented before the doors jerked back open with a ring.

"No, it's better this way, old friend." Arcturus countered: "The public will understand it as a message that their two heroes still feel wronged by them. It will only increase the pressure on the Ministry to finally take action."

'Let's hope they're more effective than last time.'

The elevator arrived at their floor with another loud ring. They hurried over polished black stone tiles through the atrium, passing the massive golden fountain at its center and heading to the fireplaces, still followed by a crowd.

"Where is Dorea by the way?" Harry asked, grabbing a handful of floo powder: "I thought I saw her in the spectators' rows briefly."

"She watched your trial, she has an appointment with the Department for Education, but it won't take her long." Charlus replied: "The two of you go first and please remain in the drawing room just a bit longer."

'They want to discuss something.' Harry exchanged a glance with Marlene as he stepped into the fireplace. 'And I have the feeling I won't like it.'

Green flames roared and engulfed his vision. The next moment he staggered into the drawing room at Potter Manor.

"Will it be about that again?" Marlene huffed, gracefully brushing ash off her robes as she stepped out seconds after him.

"What else could it be?" Harry snorted, hoisting her onto his lap in their favorite armchair. "They're my family, but it's still getting rather annoying."

His grandfather and Arcturus soon arrived, both carrying matching serious expressions: "As you must have gathered, there are matters that we need to discuss with the two of you."

"Fine, just make it quick, please." Harry sighed: "We're planning on leaving back to Hogwarts this afternoon."

"I think you're taking this a bit lightly, Harry." Charlus frowned: "The cat is truly out of the bag now. They might not have shown the memory during the trial, but people with the right connections can still easily access it."

"It only took me two favors from some distant acquaintances in the DMLE to see it for myself." Arcturus snorted: "Already there are whispers among the pureblood circles. Many influential houses lost their sons, brothers, and relatives, all of whom were supposed to be safe at Hogwarts, to some unknown, ruthless vigilantes. Now, just by coincidence, the two of you prove to be skilled far beyond your years with an obvious dislike for Death Eaters and a willingness to kill. You must understand that conclusions are already being drawn the moment we speak."

"Let the little people draw their little conclusions," Marlene said with indifference. "We always knew it would only be a matter of time until someone would do so. It won't change everything we've accomplished."

"Stop being so bloody stubborn, blondie. Merlin, you're worse than my three granddaughters combined!" Arcturus barked: "I've dealt with the folks in the wizengamot my entire life, I know how they tick! They're a proud bunch, all of them! This time they didn't make a fuss because you have the public behind you, but they won't just forget it. Dark Lord or not, they will seek revenge for the people you took from them!"

"Let them come and have a try." Marlene curled a single golden log around her slim finger: "We'll be ready."

Charlus shook his head with a sigh: "There are much more dangerous people out there than Rodolphus or Rabastan Lestrange."

"I'm very much aware of that because I've killed much more dangerous people than them already." Harry replied: "And I won't stop now, because you mighty purebloods up on those ranks in the Wizengamot finally start understanding something very important. When there's only you, and you're facing the end of someone's wand, then your family's name, all your carefully threaded connections, and all the gold in your vault don't mean shit..."

"Because this right here- " He raised his hand and twisted his fingers, curling them around. " -this will be all that matters..."

Thick black mist spewed from his palm, danced around his wrist, and wrenched into a small Thestral that flapped its wings before exploding in a puff of dark smoke: "Magic will matter..."

'Magic is might, after all.'

His grandfather and Arcturus exchanged a deep frown before the former glanced back toward them: "Your actions have consequences for others as well, Harry. Especially for the people close to you."

"I knew you guys might become targets from the moment I took up arms. I didn't like it, but it was a risk I had to take." Harry said: "Why do you think I offered to cast the Fidelius over your manors? So we don't have to deal with annoying old wards and can apparate straight into our bedrooms? No, so Death Eaters and especially Voldemort couldn't find and harm you!"

"And how did that work out for us so far, ay?" Arcturus glared: "Blondie here almost had her entire family wiped out within less than two years. My nephew's little redhead lost both her parents. The Lupin boy was butchered by werewolves. Folks close to you are dying, Peverell, and that was before people made the connection between the attacks! Things will only become even harsher now!"

'You think I don't know that?' Harry grit his teeth and was about to retort when the fireplaces roared bright green again.

Dorea stepped out, her pale cheeks blushed with excitement: "It's all set up now! For James and Lily!" She cheered.

'Wait what?' He caught his grandfather's gaze, who merely sighed and leaned back into his chair.

"And of course, the two of you were pronounced innocent as well!" Seemingly unaware of the solemnity of the scene Dorea had arrived in, the elder witch bounced over the tiles to engulf both Harry and Marlene in a rather awkward hug, seeing how the latter was still sitting in his lap. "The day couldn't have gotten any better!"

"What's set up for James and Lily?" Marlene asked after allowing her to kiss each of her cheeks.

Dorea bit her bottom lip before a small chuckle burst from them. "Don't tell them you've learned it from me, they probably wish to surprise you!"

Feeling his curiosity piqued, Harry rested his head on Marlene's shoulder, peeking up at his grandmother: "Well, spill!"

Dorea beamed in excitement: "James and Lily have each been made an offer to stay at Hogwarts for a mastery!"

Harry raised his eyebrows: "That's great news! It will be in charms and transfigurations respectively, I suppose?"

"Actually, Lily will be pursuing a dual mastery since both Professor Flitwick and Slughorn insisted on having her," Charlus spoke up, apparently having been informed about this development as well: "James should be done after a little over three years, and Lily little after five."

"Definitely no star-chaser career for him then?" Marlene chuckled.

"No..." Charlus shook his head with a small frown: "I told him to follow his heart and do whatever makes him happy. To my surprise, he decided against playing quidditch professionally, even though he had more than enough scouts interested in him."

"I doubt he chose Hogwarts just to stay close to Lily either," Harry commented.

"No, he didn't." Dorea winced, she squeezed her husband's hand: "He knows his strengths lie in transfigurations, as with most Potter men. James- James hopes to make a difference in this war by nourishing that talent under a professional."

"Your son does the right thing then." Marlene bobbed her head, blonde curls bouncing up and down in front of Harry's face: "You don't stop Death Eaters from going after your muggle-born girlfriend by outflying them on a broom and scoring against them with a quaffle. Professor McGonagall is no pacifist, she will give him the tools he needs to protect those he loves."

"I still wish he didn't have a passion to fight in this war at all," Charlus muttered: "It shouldn't be him."

"You know Potter men won't sit by and be idle." Harry laughed: "It's just not in their blood to do so."

He gently squeezed Marlene's thighs, signaling her to slip off his lap:

"Believe me, I'm no fan of either, but James will participate in the fighting once it starts." He cast a long look at his grandfather: "The best you can do now is prepare him and teach him those aspects of magic McGonagall might be too apprehensive about."

May 3rd, 1978

Spare rays of moonlight broke through the crown of trees above him, casting faint, long shadows. Yet, no such thing as a shadow followed him; he was nothing but a gentle ripple of air that passed through the darkness, leaving no traces or trails to follow.

The empty silence was momentarily interrupted anytime small twigs cracked underneath his heel. He strode through the dark forest, removing fallen trunks and any larger obstacles with smooth twists of his wrist.

'The Forbidden Forest.' He pursed his lips with a grimace. 'I suppose it has a certain charm to it, but on the few occasions I've been, nothing extraordinary has ever revealed itself to me.'

He continued on the path that had been described to him, edging deeper into the woods. His magic spread out around him, wrapping itself like a cool blanket over the roots, plants, and the grass-covered dirt to his feet.

A familiar presence soon made itself noticeable. Ancient sorcery hovered thick in the grounds and air around him, it practically leaked from the area in sheer endless quantities. He paused his step and took a deep breath, savoring the rich feeling.

'Hogwarts.' He turned his face towards the distance, right in the direction the Castle was calling to him from. 'The only place I'd ever felt at home.'

'Until they took it from me.' He urged himself to continue moving, stepping into a small opening. He paused and slowly spun on the spot, making out faint clicking noises in the distance.

'The first one is here...'

He dispelled his disillusionment charm and waited patiently.

A massive, many-legged shadow broke through the edge of the opposing tree line, its eight eyes found him easily.

"Human!" It hissed angrily, clicking its pincers in a threatening manner that might have lesser men running. "Your kind is no longer welcomed in our forest!"

"Take me to your leader." He ordered calmly, showering the ground to his feet with silver sparks: "Take me to the one they call Aragog."

"You shall be his food, human!" The spider leaped into the clearing, pincers spread wide.

The pale yew wand snapped forward almost lazily:

"Imperio!"

His magic effortlessly coated the beast's consciousness, washing away any of its primitive instincts and fusing it with his own intent.

The spider abandoned the attack and obediently turned around, leading the way out of the clearing and back into the forest.

He twirled his wand between his pale fingers, listening into the surrounding darkness for signs of any further eight-legged companions of the puppet that was leading him.

'I suppose I shall find them soon.'

They reached an even bigger clearing, surrounded by blackened tree trunks. Large, web-covered holes were scattered over the uneven ground.

Angry clicking noises sounded from within the holes. Massive limbs emerged from their depths, yet to his disappointment, he counted far fewer beasts than he had expected.

He stifled a flare of anger: 'This was supposed to be the largest colony in Europe, McNair knows his beasts better than anyone else...'

The Acromantulas didn't even give him time for a proper introduction. They hurled themselves past their possessed kin, sharp pincers flashed in the moonlight.

The yew wand twirled in a semi-circle, leaving a thick ripple of magic that formed a dome all around him. Hot steam twirled from the ground to his feet as his magic coated the area.

Their black limbs and faces smashed into his barrier and bounced off to the side, limbs sprawled and shirking in surprise and anger. Spiders crawled around him and above him, attempting to trap him and bury him underneath their weight, yet none of them managed to come closer than a few feet.

He confidently strode further into the clearing, heading towards the largest of the holes in the ground, where a behemoth of a spider slowly emerged.

'This must be the one.'

The dim moonlight illuminated the acromantula's face; or better, what was left of it... Three of the spider's eyes had been blown off alongside half of its fur-covered face. It was limping heavily, undoubtedly due to the two limbs that, by the looks of it had been burned off or literally torn out.

'What or better, who could have caused this?'

"Are you Aragog?" He asked, feeling his annoyance spike at the many spiders that still clawed on his shields like a swarm of hungry rats.

The massive spider clicked its thick pincers in response, leading to a seize in the attack. He watched as the colony retreated behind their leader, clicking their pincers and staring at him through countless eyes.

"What do you want, human?"

"Your fellowship against those that have wronged both of us." He said, stepping closer and dispelling his protections in a show of strength and dominance.

"We don't trust the humans, and especially not you..." It hissed while edging forward: "I've smelled you before, back in the Castle... Its scent had been on you back then and it still is now, merely much weaker... unlike it was on the other one..."

"You're right of course. We've met before, Aragog." The ghost of a smile curved his lips. 'When the overgrown oaf presented me with an irresistible opportunity.'

"You were the one that got Hagrid expelled!" The Acromantula hissed angrily: "You were the one that forced me to leave the Castle! Away from my only friend!"

'Well, not that far away. Dumbledore kept him as the grounds keeper.' He nodded: "I did."

"And you dare come to us for help?"

"I don't want your colony's help, Aragog." He replied with a cold smile: "We both suffered a cruel injustice from those who rule up in the Castle. You and your children have been caged in but a fraction of the forest while I have been denied what is rightfully mine. Together we can take it all back."

"We don't care for your ambitions and plans for those in the Castle, human." The Spider retorted with angry clicks from its pincers: "We only seek revenge against the ones who slaughtered my children and my mate, nothing else!"

'Slaughtered your children?' He paused and let his eyes roam around. Indeed, the clearing seemed big enough to house many more acromantulas than those he saw. He also noticed that similar to their leader, many of them suffered from plenty of injuries.

"Who did this to you, Aragog?" He whispered: "Tell me their names and I shall bring them here and grant you your rightful revenge. All I ask is your allegiance in return!"

"We don't say their names, human!" The spider hissed and edged back, evidently frightened: "Their names are cursed, as they have cursed us!"

Sparks burst from the pale yew wand in annoyance.

"Where did they come from then?" He inquired, bewildered by the scare such a beast displayed at the mention of a human: "Who was it?"

"They came from the Castle on a night like this." Aragog winced, backing up into his hole as did the spiders around him until the clearing emptied: "They said they came in peace, offering a gift of the beast he slaughtered, our most ancient nemesis, yet they brought nothing but suffering and death to my children."

"I shall bring them to you." He vowed, keen on gaining the allegiance of such an ally, even if they were evidently more crippled than he had hoped: "You can have your revenge if you merely describe them to me."

"They came together." Aragog echoed, only his eyes peeking out from the hole by now: "They killed my mate, the mother of my children, and took her venom as tribute... He was of dark hair, eyes like the leaves of the forest... Her hair was golden... Golden as the flames that slaughtered my children..."