Chapter Eighteen:

Pernicious

"I don't understand; how did you know what she was doing?" Hiccup asked to McGonagall as they were out of Agatha's corridor.

"You may thank Mister Overland for it," She said, and Hiccup shot his neck upwards to gaze at the professor. "He came to my office as soon as he escorted you to detention." She finally looked down at him. "For Merlin's sake, boy, I told you not to trust anyone and suddenly there you are with more friends running after you than a snarfalump plant has tentacles." Although she was scolding him, there was a strange proud undertone to her voice. "Now, let's hurry, we'll meet him and your friends in there. No more questions, these walls can listen."

It was the second time in that year that Hiccup found himself in the Headmistress's office. But it was the first time he was not alone. Jack, Astrid and Aster rushed to him as soon as he walked through the door. Jack placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder awkwardly, and both boys blushed. Behind them, the fire crept near the wall, right beneath a big silver sword hanging on the wall. Professor Neville Longbottom stared at it, his hands on his waist as he stared at it. Further on the corner, Hiccup noticed Rubeus Hagrid, whom he visited earlier on that week, sitting over some cushions that nearly disappeared under his gigantic body.

"Very well, nice to see you are all gathered here." McGonagall closed the door with a flick of her wand, and suddenly the room felt much darker and also much more welcoming. "I've made sure to secure the tower with a silencing shield. As far as we know, the Ministry is concerned that whatever information circulates in this tower might be used against them, so it is highly crucial that we must all remain silent."

"Heccup?" Hagrid got up from his position and managed to stomp near the boy, his large hands lifting Hiccup's arms, looking for what could've been injuries. "What has that bloody woman done ter yeh?"

"No-nothing." Hiccup said, panting. "At least not physically."

"Oh, if only she did I'd not let her get away from that so easily." Infuriated, McGonagall said, rubbing her temples with her thumbs. "It's been a while since a woman have annoyed me so terribly."

"Let's not remember that, Professor." Professor Longbottom said, furrowing his eyebrows. "I still have some scars left from her. Right on your fifth year, am I right, Haddock? An obscurus, the dark mark and now even a new Umbridge. God, the fifth year must be as jinxed as the DADA class."

"There are more than fifth years on this school, I can guarantee that. And they're all in danger." McGonagall said. "I must sound like Sibilla right now… However safe Mister Haddock is now, White is certainly going after more decrees from the Minister to insert her wishes into the school." McGonagall was now walking near the fireplace. "Mister Haddock, I must ask of you, what exactly was your detention about?"

"She uh… wanted me to read some papers on…" He looked right at Aster, who was looking back to him, and his heart shattered at remembering what was written. "Anti Muggle manifests. She was shamming on muggleborns." Aster lowered his eyes, screwing his face as if he was in pain.

"Did she inflict anything on you?" The professor asked. Hiccup shook his head. "Any spell, potion, anything?"

"She only wanted me to write more about it, agreeing to what was written." Hiccup explained.

"Offensively?" The Headmistress asked, and Hiccup nodded in confirmation. "Very well…" There was a long pause. "I think it's safe to assume that she'll recur to the Ministry within no time. She has probably already written a new Proclamation by now. Revoking my rights, anything. She is definitely not happy with my intruding, and even though I thought there was going to be much more harm to mister Haddock, which gladly there is none, I assume she will try something again as soon as possible. With Percy Weasley taken away and the most absolute daft aurors guarding our gates… It is safe to assume that we're on our own. Until things get settled, I must ask the four of you to remain quiet as much as you can. No crossing with Agatha's path, do you understand me?" The four teens nodded. "She is a dangerous witch, no matter her disciplinary incapacities. Any attempt of her to harm you must be reported to me with no hesitation, and I hope it's clear that it means any sort of harm." Again, they nodded. "Very well, off to bed, all of you." The four teens made to leave, turning on their heels. "Oh, and Haddock?" Said boy stopped, looking back at the teacher. "If anyone ask, your detention with me was meant to clean all the portraits, am I clear?"

Hiccup nodded, a sly smile pulling from his cheek.


Jack and Hiccup were walking side by side that morning. Their shoulders and elbows constantly bumping, but they smirked to one another when it happened. This has been their routine for the past several months. Meeting at the Entrance Hall, breakfast with Astrid and Aster, and then walk out to their class – or Jack would walk Hiccup to his class first when they had separate lessons. Peeves chant was still hovering them whenever they saw the Poltergeist, until Jack learned how to use the stunning spell to push away the devious creature.

"He's a bloody moron, that's what he is." Jack saved his wand back in his robes. "Sometimes I wonder who the hell decided to bring him into the castle thinking it'd be a good idea."

"One of those life questions that will die unanswered." Hiccup replied with a shrug. "You really need to practice your stunning spell, though."

Jack cocked his eyebrows at that statement. How dare Hiccup say that to me? He thought, but at the same time, he was amused. Then another thought popped in his head.

"Perhaps if I had a good teacher to help me out with that…" He implied, smirking. Hiccup looked back at him, also smirking.

"Oh well, if only I didn't have such a busy schedule…" He lied.

"What those detentions are taking their toll now?" Jack's smirk faded a bit as they turned on a corridor. "Seriously, could you teach me, though?"

"Sure." The boy replied. "You might end up needing it." He batted on Jack's shoulder as they entered Defence Against the Dark Arts Class.

There was a strange commotion when they got in, and Jack's heart sank. Agatha White was standing near the Professor's desk, a clipboard and a feather on her hands while she seemingly argued with Shaklebolt.

"…So you're telling me that, even after you so bravely fought during Hogwarts' Battle over twenty years ago, you still consider yourself apt to teach?"

"I believe so, madam White, now would you mind allowing me to direct to my class?" The wizard said, and his voice was dry.

Hiccup noticed Jack still standing, staring at the scene, before he extended his hand to pull Jack on his seat by his wrist. They exchanged a look, and suddenly McGonagall's warning to remain quiet came to their minds.

"I see…" She scribbled down on her clipboard.

"Welcome everyone." He announced. "As you may have noticed, today we are keeping the company of our High Inquisitor during our class, as she wants to…"

"…To evaluate if the lessons that are being passed on to you is following the Ministry's standards and procedures. As you must know, according to the educational decree number, I must make sure that you are being presented to theoretical magic instead of…"

"Everyone open their books on page 235." Shaklebolt interrupted, and Hiccup swore he had never seen such a dark expression on his teacher's face. White only stared at the teacher, horrified of being interrupted on her talk.

Hiccup stared down at his book as the class continued. Every now and then, White would make a comment on Shaklebolt's class, nearly always on the most interesting part of the lecture – Which was one thing the students were not used to, for there weren't many lectures on DADA class. Jack took the opportunity to, every now and then, slip little notes while Shaklebolt spoke. Some of the notes were silly, like a stick drawing of a tall witch that resembled weirdly of McGonagall gesturing her wand to a fat and short looking witch - Hiccup assumed to be White -, making the latter collapse in a pile of ashes. Hiccup held his laughter, trying not to snort in the mid of the class while the very witch that the drawing was referring to was just standing a few meters away from them.

How about bringing Toothless to the Cove? One of Jack's notes said, and the smaller boy gulped. He wanted to bring Toothless to the outside so badly, the creature would often complain with its dragon-like screeches, but it was hard once every possible entrance was guarded with aurors.

We'd have to leave separately. Hiccup wrote back.

If anyone asks… we're going to the owlery. Was Jack's reply. Hiccup nodded, crushing the paper and silently casting a spell to it, that turned the paper black immediately. Jack was awed at the simplicity that Hiccup could use such applied spells in a loose manner. Made Jack envious, nearly, but not as much as it made him admire the other boy.

Jack would deny if you asked him, but while Hiccup focused on his books, he'd observe the small frame of the boy, the shape of his back, the way it would curl down before his lower back, how his cardigan would fold around his waist, but his trousers would neatly hug the boys' legs, especially when he would ignore the robes and capes to wear only the main clothes. A warm feeling went down Jack's stomach, and he gulped as he looked back to his book, trying to focus on casting hexes on boggarts.

"…Remind me again how is this permitted by the Ministry standards?" White's voice brought Jack back to class, and he saw her scolding look while she frowned at Quim's class.

"As you can see clearly, professor," Quim Shaklebolt sounded as sharp as a knife as he spoke. "Everything taught here is exhaustively theoretical."

"As it should be." There was a maniacal glim on the witch's eyes. "For you understand, that we deem these children too young to-"

The bell rang, and too suddenly everyone stood up, rushing to gather their books as they could not leave White's presence quickly enough.

Jack rushed up to Hiccup, who waited behind the door for Jack so they could walk together. Perhaps it was the rush, or they were just damn good friends, but Jack tried his luck as he swung his arm around Hiccup's shoulders as they walked, and the other boy felt his heart beats tighten, stronger, and allowed himself to lean back on the taller boy's chest.

"So, when?" Jack asked, and it took a while for Hiccup to remember they were planning an excursion to the Cove.

"Any free periods today?"

"Only after Charms." Jack answered, and Hiccup nodded before twisting his features in a frown.

"No, wait… Jack, after Charms we both have Divination at the same time today, right before Dinner!" He said in deep thinking.

"Not if we don't show up." Jack winked, and slowly Hiccup understood what he meant, about to scold him when Jack kept going. "Come on, Hic, you can barely take her class without rolling your eyes anyways."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean we should skip classes!" Hiccup whispered the last words. "Besides, she'll notice if we're missing."

Jack chuckled. "No she won't. If anything she'll be glad she doesn't have to deal with your mockery." Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Remember when she said you were about to suffer great consequences for something you did when the moon was in Jupiter or whatever."

Hiccup laughed. "And I said I was probably already paying for it on that instant, I remember." The pale hands squeezed the boy's shoulders once. "Still, I'm not sure about it. I mean, we could-ACK"

It was as if the air pushed their shoulders apart. Hiccup was nearly thrown to the floor by the curse, while Jack was slammed towards the wall. Right behind then, Professor White stood, her wand lowering behind her robes as she proudly smiled, like she had just won an award for good services.

"Moral impurity and proximity must not be encouraged." She said, in her devious thin voice. "Five points from each of your houses, and I must warn you that any new attempts of contact will lead to detention."

Jack and Hiccup stared as she gave a final giggle, turning on her heels and walking away in a straight line while everyone's eyes scanned her with disgusted looks.

"Are you alright?" Jack asked, checking Hiccup for any injuries. The boy only waved his head, his cheeks a burning shade of scarlet. Strange looks were given to them, and as they stepped closer, a Slytherin girl with a hurricane of red hair walked up to them, her blue eyes wide in alert as she whispered in a thick accent:

"Yeh should find ah good hidin' place." She looked back to check if people were listening. "As far as Ah know, White has her eyes on yeh, Haddock."

"Thanks, Mer." Jack answered. "I heard you caught detention at her class."

"Yeah, Ah've yelled at her for tryin' to hex the creatures, and she gave me detention." You could feel the anger from the girl's voice. "Bloody woman should be put ter be cursed, that's what should happen."

"Yeah, I didn't really get in good terms with her on my class." Hiccup said.

"So Ah've heard. Brave thin' you did, though. Stepping up to that woman. Next time we'll make her pay for it." She announced, and turning on her heels, she left the two boys, turning on a different corridor.

"How do you know her?" Hiccup asked.

"We both got detention a few years ago." Jack said simply. "She knew how to escape Filch's corridor by hexing his cat. She's a wild one, that girl."

"I didn't know Gryffindor and Slytherin got together." Hiccup smirked, and Jack chuckled.

"We can assume that the three of us don't go for that rule." Jack replied, again slipping his arm around Hiccup's shoulders, with an alert look on his face for any comebacks from the horrible teacher, and they both stomped out to their next class.


When Hiccup and Jack sneaked out to the grounds that evening, they both hid their laughter at the silly but effective way they managed to trick two trained aurors into letting them out. Once in the woods, they walked for what felt like hours until they reached the Cove, where Hiccup pulled Toothless out of his pocket and casted his spell on the dragon, restoring the creature's original size. "I never get tired of seeing this spell." Jack said in awe.

"Me neither," Hiccup agreed. It was a beautiful magic, indeed.

Toothless started to jump around the Cove, flying towards the water and sinking its head into it, presumably trying to catch a fish, Hiccup thought. And then settled for curling itself beneath a pine tree, his wing falling over his eyes as he immediately fell asleep. Jack snorted at the scene. Hiccup walked towards the water, bending on his knees as he took it with his hands, drinking from the pond.

"So," Jack started, taking out his robes and throwing them over a big rock that stood next to them. He pulled his wand out his vests. "How are we going to do this?"

Hiccup snorted. "I'm not going to be your training target, to begin with." He said. "So point that wand somewhere else."

Jack laughed. "Whatever you say, bossy."

Both boys stood next to a stone that was at least seven feet high. Hiccup pulled out his wand, and Jack mimicked the way he held it, steading it with his thumb. "Try not to jerk it everywhere when you cast it." Hiccup said.

"Okay," Jack agreed, and copied the movements Hiccup did, the soft flick and accurate swing that preceded the spell.

"Try this, expulso!" The jolt of light that erupted from Hiccup's wand blasted against the stone, leaving a dark sulk in the rock.

Toothless would raise his tail to look, staring at the two boys as they casted their magic against the rock. Weirdly enough, the dragon rolled its eyes, before letting his tail fall back over his head.

And so they began. Spell after spell, Hiccup would take the lead, and Jack would follow, closely mimicking every single movement the boy did. Jack was getting the way of it, and Hiccup noticed by the way the white-haired boy seemed to dance with his wand, a flick turning into a precise swing, the spells blossoming from faint sparks to light flecks, and he knew that the boy had talent. They would try new spells, and Jack got them even faster, from stunning to repulsing and reducing their targets to ashes. The sun would set lower in the sky until they were immerse in red and gold light. At one spell, Hiccup had to stop himself from laughing at Jack's poor attempt to perform a disarming charm, which Jack somehow managed to make his own wand flick away from his hand, falling on the floor and burst the grass in green flames.

"I'm pathetic…" Jack whispered.

"Not there yet." Hiccup smirked, grabbing the boy's wand and returning it. "You're just not aiming at a real target, exactly."

"What do you want me to do, disarm you?" Jack asked, slightly annoyed.

"Well, it's not real disarming if I allow you." The boy shrugged, and there was a real caring tone on his voice. "Come on, I promised I'd teach you."

Jack's blue eyes met greens again, and they just stared for a moment before Hiccup walked up to the other boy, grabbed his arms and managed Jack into an offensive position. Then he placed himself right on his aim.

"Just as I taught you, don't jerk your wand everywhere and focus on me." He said simply, holding his wand.

Jack took a deep breath, his eyes piercing through Hiccup's as he imagined exactly what he was aiming for. His eyes travelled down all the way to the boys hands, and he has let himself admire how freckled they were. He casted the spell, "Expelliarmus!"

Perhaps there was a meaning to the spell. The caster and the casted, the gentleness, for Hiccup's wand gracefully flew from his hands as if warm fingers had courted his hand to release it, and that's how Hiccup's wand flew all the distance between the two boys, landing on Jack's open hand.

"You got it!" Hiccup said, a proud smiling escaping him for a few seconds. Jack smiled back at him. "Think we could try some duelling, perhaps…?"

"Absolutely not." Jack replied, laughing. "No need for humiliation tonight, thank you very much." He said, and now Hiccup laughed.

Jack placed the wand back on Hiccup's hand, and their skin lingered for a bit, warmth crossing through their fingers. "Wasn't there a way to actually rob someone's wand?" Jack asked.

Hiccup gulped, suddenly unable to look at Jack in the eye. He nodded. "Yes, if you steal it from someone, it might end up changing its loyalty to you."

"That'd be brilliant if one of us managed it."

Hiccup's skin burned red. "Yeah, about that…"

Jack's skin fell pale. "Oh no, you don't tell me…"

"Yep."

There was a silent moment.

"You didn't…?"

"I did." Hiccup smiled sheepishly.

"Who?" Jack wondered, stunned.

"Stonem tried to hex me on the train home last month." Hiccup replied simply, a bit ashamed. "I disarmed him, and his wand just changed to me in an instant." He said. "It's mine now. He doesn't even know-"

"He tried to hex you?!" Admiration gave way to anger, and suddenly Hiccup was not sure if Jack was just being overly dramatic. "That little-"

"He didn't even get to do anything, I disarmed him before he could… and I had Aster." Hiccup tried to smile, but it only seemed to fail, considering Jack never stopped talking.

"He shouldn't have tried anything, not after you-ASTER?" Jack suddenly screamed, and on the distance, Toothless raised his head to look at the two boys, now yelling at the Cove. "So that idiot was there to defend the damsel in distress?"

"What damsel?! Don't call him that!" Hiccup shook as he lost clue whether Jack was messing with him or not.

"I do call him that, he knew… And you…" The boy neared breathlessness. Near them, Toothless approached carefully, acid green eyes glued on Jack as he watched for Hiccup. "I mean, why would he even need to get close, it's not like you needed anyone to stand up to you…"

"What's wrong with you? Don't say that!" Hiccup tried, a fearful tear escaping his eye. "He was just helping me… He was just defending himself too…"

"I bet he needed, Stonem is better defend himself…" a strange pulse seemed to shake Jack from inside his chest, his face screwed in pain and the image got Hiccup terrified. "I can't breathe…"

"Jack, calm down-!"

"I can't breathe," Jack was panting, hard, and Hiccup teared up.

"Jack…?"

The voice that left his throat was not Jack's, but something sinister, darker, a hundred octaves lower: "Get away from here."

Jack was now shaking, and Hiccup felt true fear of how the boy started trembling in front of him, pain wrenching over his features as something sinister shook the boy's body. A horrific sight. The low, resonating growl erupted from Toothless throat, and the dragon stepped closer to its boy. He told me to leave. Hiccup thought. I have to leave.

Call it stupidity or bravery when Hiccup jumped forward, his arms lacing Jack around his shoulders, and pulled the boy into him, both boys starting to shake in fear. Hiccup fearing Jack, and Jack suddenly fearing himself. "Jack, just please... Calm down," he said, and when Jack looked up to him, his heart jumped. Jack's eyes were fiery red. Glowing, like shining fire lit against the dark sky. The taller boy contorted against the strange embrace, paining. "Leave…" He grunted, but his voice echoed in an unnatural way, as if spoken by a monster.

Hiccup grabbed Jack's face with his hands then, and again spooked himself as miniscule black dots pulsed beneath his skin, raging violently inside the pale boy. Hiccup teared up, now unsure whether he should had left or stayed. In the mid of all the confusion, the very thing Hiccup noticed was this scent, this strong and warm scent that emanated from Jack, something that reminded him of pine woods mixed with his cologne, and that was enough to keep him there, locked on the tight embrace.

After a moment that felt like an eternity, the pulsing seemed to subdue, and when Hiccup felt the arms wrap back around his middle, both boys sank to the floor, panting heavily as now Jack pulled Hiccup tighter into the hug, and the other boy now only allowed, moving his arms higher so they circled Jack's neck, setting himself between Jack's arms and legs. And that is how they were for several minutes, Hiccup's fingers daring to go up their way into the white hair, where they tangled on the thin threads on the top of the boy's head, pulling him into his chest, where Jack's face rested, exhausted. Finally, Jack's grip on Hiccup's waist loosened, Jack looked in pain, as if something had just devoured him on the inside.

"I don't want to go just yet." Jack whispered, his voice weak and broken, but at least it was his voice again.

"Then don't." Hiccup replied, squeezing his eyes shut, savouring that precious moment. He can never know what this means to me, Hiccup thought, and he took that embrace as a gift, a stolen jewelry he could never dare to wear twice.

Eventually, Jack untangled himself from Hiccup, slowly getting to his feet before he offered his hand to Hiccup, who still stared at him from his position on the ground.

"What was that?" He whispered, his voice rasping like ripping paper.

"It's… It's gettin' late." Jack didn't reply, and Hiccup made no further questions, taking his hand carefully, and gathered himself up as well. Summoning Toothless and silently casting the spell, Toothless was once again a model-scaled dragon, which Hiccup gingerly placed inside his vests.

The walk back through the Forest was slow, Hiccup's mind buzzing with a hundred questions. What was all that about? Whatever happened to Jack that made the boy so unstable all the sudden? What magic was that? His mind roared with questions, until he felt Jack's warm hand grabbing his own. He was still shaking. He wanted to make those questions so badly, to ask Jack and force the boy to give him the answers, but he stayed silent. All the way as they neared the entrance to the castle, the first stars now shining over the blue and purple shades of the nightfall. The two aurors nearly fell asleep where they were supposed to guard the entrances, and the two boys just slipped into the castle as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Two teenagers met them as they were just climbing up the first steps of the marble staircase. Astrid's blonde hair messed Hiccup's vision as they nearly crashed against the other.

"Jack! Hiccup!" She exclaimed, and Hiccup knew she was about to yell-"Where have you two been?!"

But neither of the boys felt like chatting much, and Jack's deep and broken voice said first. "Around."

The dark tone didn't seem to faze Astrid at all. If anything, the girl grabbed both boys by their elbows and in spite of their protests, dragged them all the way to the entrance of the Great Hall.

"Shush, I think White's about to make an announcement." Astrid said. "It's dinner time, anyways, and you guys haven't eaten yet."

"Astrid…" Hiccup started, but right next to him, Aster intervened.

"Just go alon', mate." The serious tone he said that made Hiccup breathe in, accepting the defeat. For lack of a smooth settling, he was nearly thrown over Ravenclaw's table, and he felt Jack's sad eyes headed to him as he was forced to walk away from the other boy. Right now, he wasn't sure if he was relieved or sad for leaving Jack's company.

By the corner of his eyes, he observed his three friends walk up to the Gryffindor table, taking their seats right before the Hall's doors closed, and Agatha White stood up from her seat, walking towards the students as they only stared at her, nearly digging holes with their eyes.

"Good evening, everyone." White said, her voice as childish and obnoxious as ever. Inside Hiccup's chest pocket, Toothless grunted. "It has come to my knowledge that there has been certain… unrest among the students of this school." She took her time to pace around as she talked. "Many of you seem unwilling to submit and improve your skills as functioning pieces of this great mechanism that is, after all, the school itself. But you no longer need to worry," Everyone's eyes widened, expecting for her resignation or at least one good new. "I have spoken to our minister, and I have been granted full authorization to perform required supervising, and therefore, I will now begin an intensive program to restore the ethical costumes and ensure a safe place where students will now be able to live accordingly to recommended standards and beliefs imposed to us years ago, and they will, I'm sure: purge this school from any misfit or unworthy… from disturbing the peace.