Chapter Fourteen: Strands
Jack was wrong about the professors taking it easy on them the next day.
The looks and the words were less severe, and directed to Hiccup, much soother, but the homework was a living hell.
"What did you expect? These are O.W.L.s after all." Hiccup elbowed Jack on his ribs, playfully.
Aster was sitting next to Astrid, only one desk ahead of the two boys. Her cheeks were puffed, and her eyes red, as if she spent the entire night crying. Which, she could have might as well done.
It wasn't until much after lunch that something interesting happened.
Hiccup scribbled down the notes professor Binns conjured on the chalkboard. "It is not uncommon for Wizardry and Mythology to mix even in the Muggle culture. Muggles deem fairies smart and powerful creatures when we know for a fact that that is far from the truth. Magical History goes from the creation of the legendary Hidden Box to the expansion of anti-life. What the Muggles call the Pandora's Box, we refer for a fact to hold the Aether, the most dangerous substance on the Wizarding World. The Box is hidden for a very appropriate reason, for it must not fall in the wrong hands. Nicholas Flamel wondered on the use of the Aether as the most devastating tool for global reshaping and mass extinction of species…"
"How could we make some of that Aether?" Jack whispered to Hiccup, and the boy only gave a sly grim.
"Planning to mummify someone?" Hiccup replied. It was known that Vikings used Aether to transform dead bodies into Snow Giants. But that was Muggle mythology.
"I wouldn't mind having Stonem mugged right now." Jack said, and Hiccup had to hold his laughter not to disturb the class.
"I hope I am not interrupting." Mister Beans exclaimed from his position behind the desk, and both Hiccup and Jack went quiet.
It was then that something big slammed against the window, all heads in the class turning to it. A girl screamed:
"It's an owl!" And suddenly Hiccup was rushing to the window.
"Ash!" The boy exclaimed as red drips marked the glass where the owl hit.
"Mister Haddock!" Professor Binns exclaimed as his lecture was interrupted. Only when Hiccup opened the window for the owl to come in, he saw the twisted angle on the owl's wing, seemingly swollen.
Ash collapsed on Hiccup's arms, quiet and still, but eyes alert and roaming the room.
"He's injured!" He warned the teacher, and there was a collective 'aw' from the class.
"Take her to the Hospital wing, immediately." The ghost professor instructed, and so Hiccup did; giving a worried look for Jack before rushing out the door, carrying Ash gingerly on his arms.
#
"Looks like he was hit by a stunning spell." Madame Pomfrey told him as she examined Ash. "He must have fallen mid-flight when it hit him."
"Is he going to be okay?" Hiccup asked.
"Sure, give him a week of rest and he'll be back on the owlery in no time." She explained, casting a spell that made the scattered ingredients on the desk near them to mix and boil into a potion. "Although I have to admit, I don't commonly attend animals in my Wing."
"Sorry, I didn't know who else to run to." Hiccup explained, but the lady only waved her hand dismissively.
"Don't worry, better that you brought him to me than a random teacher. I still remember when a snobby teacher tried to do my job and fix a broken arm… poor lad had all the bones in his arm missing."
The door of the Hospital wing swung open, both Hiccup and Madame Pomfrey turned their heads to see as Astrid walked into the room, her eyes still wet as she came to them.
"What's the matter, dear?" Madame Pomfrey asked.
"I have to talk to Hiccup, Madame." Astrid answered, and Hiccup gave a last look at Ash before leaving the Hospital Wing to join the girl, that took him to the corridor outside.
"What is it-"
Hiccup let all the air in his lungs escape when Astrid's arms laced his shoulder, burying her head on the crook of his neck.
"I'm sorry." She said, and Hiccup realised she was crying. He awkwardly hugged her back, placing his head over her head. "You would have to be completely mental to cast the Dark Mark over the castle."
Hiccup let out an awkward chuckle as he finally hugged the girl tightly.
"You don't have to-"
"I do." She said, squeezing him tighter. "Thank you for letting me know."
With the emotion and the shock, Hiccup just smiled, a tear threatening to escape his eyes. "You're welcome."
Astrid loosened her grip on the boy, wiping a tear from her cheek. Hiccup was about to say something when the girl's strong fist punched his shoulder. "You've never saw me cry, got it?" She said, the shadow of a smirk on her lips.
Rubbing the impacted area, Hiccup smirked back. "Deal."
They gave each other sad smiles, before the girl finally asked, swallowing any sadness down her throat. "What is your next class?"
"Defence Against the Dark Arts." He said.
"Good, me too." Astrid said, rubbing the sides of her eyes, still red. "Come on, we'll be late."
Jokingly, Hiccup offered his right arm, which Astrid hooked her own by her elbows. And that's how the somewhat strange friendship between Astrid and Hiccup started. As they walked through the corridors, all the eyes fell on them. Astrid lowered her head for the first time ever since Hiccup ever remembered seeing the girl.
"Embarrassed for walking with me?" He asked, twisting his face.
"No," She replied. "I just don't want them to see my face like this."
Hiccup looked around. "Well, you don't look that bad." He said, and the girl's sparking blue eyes met his, a provocative smile appearing.
"I have a question, though."
"Shoot," He answered, amused as two Slytherins observed them walking with raised brows.
"How long have you and Jack been going out?" She nearly whispered, but Hiccup nearly choked, about to retort when she continued. "No need to be secretive, you guys are being just too obvious."
"We're not going out!" Hiccup whispered back, but his cheeks were a beat shade of red.
"Don't lie." She said, "I'm not going to judge."
"I'm not lying; we really are just friends." His green eyes wandered everywhere but at her direction, awkwardly.
"Shame…" Astrid pouted her lips. "How long until you ask him out?"
"Probably never-"
"I knew it!" She half whispered, half yelled, but anyway gathering looks from around them. Hiccup flushed. "Sorry," She whispered again.
"I didn't even say anything." Hiccup remarked.
"You said probably, which for me means that you do like him but is not willing to ask him out yourself." She said, rolling her eyes. Hiccup was now a very bright shade of red.
"Okay, perhaps I do, but still, I doubt it'd ever be reciprocal. We're just… good friends, and that's fine by me."
"Oh, that's just bollocks." Again, she rolled her eyes, adjusting her fringe as they got into the Defence Against the Dark Arts class, the class slowly filling. For Hiccup's surprise, she sat right next to him. "Don't worry, I'm just borrowing you for today."
"It's fine." Hiccup said. "Astrid, promise me you're not telling Jack anything."
"Ugh, boys, always complicating things." Astrid sighed. "Why not?"
"Because you know what happens when this sort of thing happens. He'll either call me a faggot and stop talking to me or beat me up and call me a faggot and then stop talking to me, and I don't want any of that."
"Oh, boy…" Astrid said. "Okay, but just because I owe you this."
Hiccup rolled his eyes, smirking. "Good enough for me."
"Seriously, Hiccup." Astrid said. "You do know how messed up this whole thing is." She turned very serious. "I would have never known anything if it depended on the Ministry, and you got your owl hurt for it. And even after I was so mean to you… I can't thank you enough."
Hiccup actually was touched by Astrid's words. He smiled at her, that heart-warming smile that made their bond official. "You're welcome."
When Jack and Aster walked in the room, both boys nearly choked seeing their two friends sitting together, so casually talking as if they were long-time friends. Jack actually stared for a while, until Hiccup saw him and winked. A mix of amusement and jealousy filled Jack's heart right then.
#
For a while, you could say that some sort of strange peace fell into the four teens. Astrid and Hiccup became great friends. Even better than she would be with Jack. Sometimes they caught the other mourning or, rarely, breaking down for their families. Helping each other through wasn't that hard, because they understood what the other felt.
Hiccup was glad he had Astrid now, but only a couple days later, for what he wanted to do, she wasn't exactly what he needed. Right after the final class, Hiccup ran to Jack, grabbing his arm and calling him up. Puzzled, the white haired boy ran, tripping on his feet as he las lead to the entrance of the castle. The sky was already a deep shade of purple, and a few stars were visible.
"Hiccup, where are we going?!" Jack asked.
"You'll see." Was the answer, and when Jack slowed down his steps, Hiccup made sure to take his hand to keep on pulling him.
Hiccup pulled Jack all the way through the entrance yard, and then further deep into the grounds, until they entered the Forbidden Forest.
"We're almost there." Hiccup said.
Jack was never one for rules, but the Forest was nowhere a place he enjoyed sneaking into. After a few minutes, they found themselves nearing a strange junction of big rocks, as if they formed a gate. Hiccup crossed it first, and that's when he pulled Jack into a strangely warm and lit clearing, descending at least the height of an entire tower deep into the ground, and it seemed large enough to fit the entire West Wing of the castle.
"I found this place years ago when I was sneaking out." Hiccup pulled Jack by his hand, proudly. "I don't think anyone has ever found it before. It's near the edge of the shield, so probably no one will see us."
"It's quite beautiful," Jack said. "Lumus!"
The bright light from Jack's wand allowed him to see that there was a small lake, its water forming through a strange canal that Jack presumed was directed from the Black Lake. A few pine trees surrounded the stone walls, forming a cove.
"Okay, look." Freckled hands got themselves into the pocket of his vests, where Hiccup pulled the small dragon. "Here you go, bud." He whispered. Placing the small dragon on the ground, he pointed his wand.
"Hiccup, what are you doing?" Jack asked.
"Essentio!" The smaller boy muttered.
Blue light lines formed all around the small dragon. It was the most beautiful magic when the dragon started to grow, little by little, and Jack held his own mouth not to scream.
With a gurgling sound, the dragon raised his head and roared, a strong and resonating roar that made the night rejoice. Because right in front of him stood a full sized Night Fury.
#
Once the dragon was again turned small, Hiccup put the small creature over his shoulder. He decided to name it Toothless, due to its retractable teeth. Both boys walked hurriedly through the Clock Tower Bridge, the twisted wood stalls making a tortuous path.
"How often will you bring him back here?" Jack asked.
"As much as I can after classes; the later, the better." Hiccup had this decided energy to his voice, as if a new light had brightened all his being. "How often can you come with me?"
Jack shrugged. "As much as you want me to, probably. Let's not forget we still have our O.W.L.s, though."
"I didn't know Jackson Overland still cared about his grades." Hiccup teased, and the small Toothless seemed to grunt from Hiccup's shoulder. Both boys found it adorable.
"I usually don't, but doesn't mean I want to quit school, you know?"
#
This routine started between the two boys, in which they would sneak out after classes, wait until they had to tuck in for bed, and run for the Forbidden Forest. Hiccup would cast the spell and Toothless would jump up top its true size, a majestic bluish-black dragon that would fly hours into the night towards the depths of the Forest.
"Watch out, Hic." Jack muttered when Hiccup would sprint through the woods. Hiccup would only laugh it off whenever he fell – which was plenty of times.
There was just this glint on Hiccup's eyes, this wonder and excitement that Jack could not help but stare at. It was beautiful, the way Hiccup and Toothless would bound, quickly gaining confidence in each other. Jack would break his own standards and surprise even Madame Pince when he spent hours in the Library researching on dragons, only to find out there was no records in known history that suggested there was any behaviour in other dragons that got at least similar with how Toothless was. "I've never seen a dragon so calm like this." Hiccup whispered as the hard nose of the dragon would touch his palm, his nostrils moving.
"They're not supposed to be calm like this." Jack answered, nervous.
And that was saying something. Most dragons weren't that smart, or sentient for other human beings, and as far as he could see, he had developed a deep emotional bond with Hiccup. Although he seemed unsure near Jack, to which the boy commented:
"It's as if he was that overly jealous girlfriend or something," and Hiccup laughed at it, pushing Jack's face away with his hands.
Eventually, Toothless would start flying, gaining confidence in the cove. Oddly and uncoordinated as it was, the huge black dragon made flips and twists through the Forest, the dark scales mixing with the night sky, making him nearly invisible. The dragon roared, safeguarded by the forest, and then would dive back towards the ground.
#
Hiccup carried the miniature version of the dragon back to his room after they parted ways. Toothless would find the small area over the headboard that was rusted and scratched by careless students that came before him, and curled itself inside its wings, falling fast asleep.
During the day, in the short blissful breaks between classes, Jack and Hiccup would dodge to the Library and start their research, often daring into the Restricted Section where they would find the most advanced tales of dragons in Wizarding History. "Hagrid should probably know a lot about those creatures." Jack commented.
"Yeah, but it's not like we could just go there and be like 'Hey, Hagrid, any tips on how to care for a forbidden mysterious dragons as we break at least two hundred rules of the Ministry?" Jack laughed as Hiccup rolled his eyes, focusing back on the books.
"There was another announcement on the Ministry, you know?" Jack said, and Hiccup looked up at him. "The Head of Educational Standards is trying to invest in Hogwarts supervision."
"Ugh, just when I thought things were going to get easier…"
"What does that mean?" Jack asked and Hiccup grunted.
"It means the Ministry is trying to intervene in Hogwarts," Hiccup explained, lowering his voice until it became a growling sound that caused shivers to Jack's ears.
"Isn't that what they've been trying to this entire year so far?" Jack said. "I mean; we are having to check on a freaking note board when we arrive for curfew."
"I have a feeling it can go worse than that." Hiccup muttered, eyeing Jack's hands as he struggled to finish his Divination essay, they boy clearly not understanding another word of what he was writing. "Oh, give me that!" Hiccup hissed.
"What are you…?" Jack stuttered, puzzled.
"I'm correcting this, before you end up writing something even more embarrassing than 'the dark upcoming vision of Uranus'," the boy scuffed and Jack laughed.
#
Argus Filch walked towards the Grand Hall entrance, carrying an insanely tall ladder that nearly smacked everyone's heads on his way, climbing up to the very top of it and grabbing a big wooden frame and a hammer. Everyone stared as he hammered the proclamation into the wall:
PROCLAMATION ONE – SANCTIONED BY THE MINISTRY
ANY ASSOCIATION TO CREATURES NOT IDENTIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL CREATURES IS FORBIDDEN – SAFE FOR OWLS OR CATS OR TOADS.
FAILURE TO THIS RULE SHALL LEAD TO IMMEDIATE EXPULSION.
THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC
#
"Do you think they know something?" Hiccup asked to Jack, later that day as they sneaked into an empty classroom.
"They can't know it; we've been careful about it." He said, and Hiccup wandered around the room, pulling his head backwards in angst.
"What do we do?" He said, lowly so no sneaky ears could listen. "Anyone in my room could have seen Toothless, what if he's taken away?!-"
"Hey!" Jack said, grabbing Hiccup's shoulders and forcing him to calm down. "Look at me: they can't track Toothless, your father's letter said so. Even if they find him, all they'll see is the model dragon, and that is not illegal in the castle."
Hiccup forced himself to breathe. "What if they try casting a spell on him?"
"They won't find out anything." He promised. "We already tested that one out, remember?" Hiccup nodded. "It'll be fine."
#
Indeed, on that same day Hiccup was called to the Ravenclaw Tower – Toothless was presented back to Percy Weasley himself.
"It's just a model," Hiccup explained, his skin paling while the High Inquisitor looked over at his shoulder, and quickly Hiccup noticed the Auror standing behind the red haired wizard.
Percy discreetly winked at Hiccup, taking the dragon model on his hands.
"I haven't seen one of those in a while now… my brother works with real dragons in Romania, keeps sending us pictures sporadically." He muttered, raising his wand. Hiccup held a breath, shutting his hand tight as he prepared himself for the worst: "Especiallis Revelium!"
Nothing happened. Toothless only looked at Percy with curious green eyes.
"Seems about right." Percy said, looking back at the auror that accompanied him with a satisfying grim. "You can keep your dragon," Percy smirked as he returned the creature back to Hiccup's hand, and the boy sighed contently once they were out of the Ravenclaw Tower.
#
It was in the next day, though. As Hiccup strolled down the Grand Staircase, it seemed like every last student was walking towards the Entrance Courtyard. He saw Astrid's blonde locks in the middle of the crowd.
"What's going on?" He asked.
Astrid gave him a worried look. "It's professor Hagrid." She said.
The mass of students was gathering around the centre of the courtyard, snow slowly falling over the centre where Hagrid stood, his figure raising nearly higher than the covered corridor that surrounded the area. Two enormous trunks were thrown near his feet, to which he looked down, tearful. The scene broke Hiccup's heart.
Two aurors stepped out of the Castle's entrance, pointing their wands, and soon, a little man wearing deep blue robes appeared, and Hiccup nearly choke. The Minister, Eames Shaw, who only a month ago asked Hiccup to act like a posing model for the Daily Prophet, took out a parchment from his pocket.
"Any near human creatures are being restudied by the Department of Magical Creatures, and until further notice, deemed dangerous and inapt to mix between pure blooded witches and wizards-"
The biggest choir of mockery insults from the entire Hogwarts history began, students started to boo at Eames right there, and Hagrid looked around, partly stunned, partly crying.
"SILENCE!" Eames voice rose from where he stood, and the action only caused people the scream louder. "I'm warning you-"
CRACK
Right there, in the mid of the crowd, another wizard apparated, black robes spinning and lifting the snow to reveal the round pair of glasses, and again, everyone screamed louder, this time cheers of excitement and rejoice when Harry Potter himself arrived at Hogwarts.
