Chapter Twenty-One
Rogue
It happened that night. The moment the man stepped out of his house. From the street, you could feel the tension coming from everywhere, every family in every building preparing to celebrate the New Year's Eve. The man anchored himself on his bench, looking. His back would hurt from all the time standing up and his wrinkles gave away his elderly age. Still, he wanted to see the fireworks. He found them beautiful.
The chant of the final seconds began. Miles from the Thames, he could hear the numbers being yelled by the crowd gathered in front of the river.
"Happy New Year!" The bells from the Big Ben roared over the buildings, followed by the explosion of the fireworks, resonating so that every bone in his body shook.
The man's fingers grabbed his cigarettes, taking one to his lips, as the other hand struggled with the lighter, snapping it twice before bursting the flame. He puffed the smoke out, slowly, savouring the ashes. The bell kept echoing, once every five seconds.
The fireworks blew louder. The explosions in multiple shades went brighter. Sparks of red and gold, silver-green and blue, crossing the river miles from there, but he could see it at the distance. How the darkness suddenly increased around the fireworks, as if covering them in blackness, not even the London Eye visible behind the pitch.
That was when the sparks exploded around the structure of the Ferris wheel. A rain of fire fell over the river, and the screams of the crowd echoed as they were engulfed in the flames, but these were pure black and red. Gigantic lightning bolts exploded from the Eye, and it was like a giant hand slammed against the water, a pulse of dark wind stronger than the very atmosphere, a spectacle of deadly lights opening the year.
From the bench, the cigarette fell from the Muggle's mouth, and he stared in awe at scene, baffled from what he had just witnessed, and the screams replaced the cheers as panic rose in London.
#
"There is no evidence of Magical Influence on the Thames River's attack last New Year's Eve." MININSTER FOR MAGIC DENIES DEATH EATERS ROLE IN NEW YEAR'S ATTACKS.
"The Muggles must fight for their own." Head of international security department denies involvement in Muggle's war.
#
The students came back on the Hogwarts Express the very next morning, filling the castle's corridors with echoes of the chatters and conversations. The news of the attack on the London Eye ran like Fiendfyre. Was that a work from the Death Eaters? Who was this new dark wizard that had no fear of exposition, and who had such power strong enough to kill nearly one hundred wizards at once?
Jack's fingers would constantly rub the bronze moon charm, having memorised every last sulk on the cold surface. He came down the marble staircases with Aster and Astrid behind him. The shock of seeing the crowded corridors after two weeks of emptiness was disappointing. That short period of gold bliss was over. Time to go back to lessons, duties and…
"Of course, not, Minerva, but I must warn you…"
"For YOU it is 'Professor McGonagall'".
The angry voices would raise from the very entrance.
"We have a loose Obscurial on this school, Professor , and as far as I can see it, you refuse to see the facts and therefore, by consequence of your inaptitude," There was a general 'wow' from all the students near, "Risking the safety of your own students."
Jack stepped down in the staircase, joining the mass of students crowded around the heated argument. Professor McGonagall stared, smoke nearly fuming out her eyes as she looked at White with a massive anger. "I will not allow you to run your tortures on my school."
"This torture as you so defiantly name, is approved Ministry methods to guarantee the students security. Should I allow them otherwise?! I think not! And if you're in the way of security, Minerva, then by definition, you are a threat and an enemy yourself !" She gestured to the students, but there was no support from them whatsoever. McGonagall took out her wand.
Four aurors ran into the Great hall, from the doors, the stairs, coming through the crowd wielding their wands. Some people screamed as White herself grabbed her wand. "It's five against you, Minerva, I recommend you to lay your wand."
"She's not alone!" Another voice spoke, this time a male. Professor Neville Longbottom walked up past the students wielding his own wand, but McGonagall objected, jerking her own wand at him.
"Yes, I am, Professor Longbottom." She spoke. "Hogwarts still needs you." And suddenly she gave the Professor the very position she had been on years ago. "If anything happens to me, the students will need your support."
Professor Longbottom stepped back, gulping. And he hated what he saw next.
McGonagall's wand jerked forward, a blast of red lights flew towards the aurors, and while the students screamed, the fight erupted in the Hall. Yells from the aurors, screams from the students, bolts of lights flying everywhere, but Jack stood still, watching, frozen.
The aurors were down in instants, being no match for McGonagall's precise spells, but then it was up to her and White. The two witches stared for a while, rounding each other like tigers about to clench on themselves. White made the first move, and a green bolt of magic darted towards McGonagall, being captured by the eldest red spell. Curse and Hex joined, they wands connected in a massive eruption of red and green magic. In the awe that came from everyone's mouth, McGonagall stood, as fierce and powerful as ever, her eyes glistening from the long held anger against the witch in front of her. There was a strong impulse erupting from McGonagall's wand, and White was pushed backwards to the ground, at the same time another ten aurors ran into the Hall.
With a swift motion, the witch casted a final spell not against the aurors, but to the statues, immediately giving them life. They bolted upwards, wielding their swords and axes, swinging them through the air as they stormed over the aurors, now desperately trying to subdue the walking statues.
White had just got back on her feet, shooting a devious look at the Headmistress before shouting: "You can't go anywhere! I have every entrance guarded, there is no way you could possibly leave the castle!"
"I still happen to be the Headmistress here." McGonagall said fiercely. "And you'll have really big shoes to fill in after me. Bring her hell." She shot one last look at Professor Longbottom. And with that said, McGonagall gave a spin, twisting on her feet before being engulfed in white smoke, disapparating from the castle and leaving behind five fallen wizards.
#
There was a strange feeling throughout the rest of the day. No one was particularly pleased with McGonagall's departure. Not even the Slytherins, who usually would cheer any loss from their Gryffindor peers. Jack met Hiccup at the Entrance Courtyard, where the freckled boy would hug his own arms to warm himself up against the cold.
"Hic." Jack said as he approached the boy.
"Hey Jack." Hiccup replied, blushing as he saw the white-haired boy, trying to avoid gazing against the other's eyes.
"I wanted to talk to you." The boy approached, also looking down.
Hiccup was nervous, tense. As if dreading what Jack was about to say. "What is it?" He said, finally.
Jack took a deep breathe, gathering enough courage to look at the other boy in the eyes. "How are you?"
Hiccup sighed, slumping his shoulders. "I'm alright."
"We haven't spoken properly since…" They got quiet.
You would think that the two boys would sneak out to get together at every lonely moment by now. That they'd be as secretive and passionate as two people could be. That was not the truth.
"Look, if you think it was a mistake, I get it." Hiccup started muttering, unsure. "I mean, I know it was just in the moment …"
"Is that what you think?" Jack snapped suddenly. His eyes verging despair, and it broke Hiccup's heart. "Do you regret it?"
"No." Said Hiccup, rushed.
Both boys blushed, their ears and cheeks turning red. Jack could feel his own heart beating against his ribs. He looked around him. A blizzard would start falling any minute now. "Come on." He pulled Hiccup by his sleeves, guiding him to a covered area, far from the entrance. Far from everyone.
As they walked, their hands brushed against each other, but neither moved. As if a ghost had done it, Jack felt Hiccup's small finger curl around his own, secretly, hidden behind their robes.
"Did you…" Jack started, and he was shaking. He closed his eyes as his hands flew up to his own lips, remembering the way Hiccup's lips would press against them. "Did you like it?"
"I did." Hiccup replied, blushing to his ears. "I just… I just thought you didn't really mean it later."
"I meant it," said Jack. He looked down as Hiccup looked up, green eyes meeting the blue ones they used to admire from afar. Jack lifted his hands, now brushing against Hiccup's cheeks. "I would kiss you again if I could."
Hiccup leaned into the touch, closing his eyes and taking in the fire storm forming deep in his stomach. He wanted to close the distance so badly, every inch of his being asked for this.
"We can't." Said Hiccup.
"I know." Came the reply, and they leaned into a kiss. This one was nothing like their last. This one was sweet and filled with pain, the heat not raging on them like last time, but soothing, a blossoming flame. You could tell Jack leaned first, but Hiccup reciprocated just as eagerly. How many times hadn't the two boys thought back on repeating this one kiss, and now that they were actually doing so, it felt like fuel for Jack, burning through his body as he swung his free arm around the other boy's waist, and for a moment, he thought: he's mine .
As fast as it started, it ended, and just as fiercely. Hiccup was in a bliss at the sudden kiss, but made no attempts to lean back into it.
"Sorry about that, I couldn't help it." Said Jack, blushing now harder than before. "How did you like it, though?"
Hiccup looked up, still in a daze. "It felt quite rushed."
"Sorry," He spoke again, and with a devious smirk, they stepped away.
"You do know that we can't carry that for now, right?" Hiccup whispered. Jack sighed. "It's not that I don't want to…"
"I know." Jack replied, also whispering. "I was about to say the same thing, actually."
Hiccup stepped back, cocking his eyebrow. "Were you?" He had an amused/confused expression, and that made jack chuckle for himself.
"…sort of, I guess?" He tried. "With White out there and now that McGonagall's gone."
"That's why we can't be together now." Hiccup spoke disappointed. His hand flew up to Jack's chest, his fingers inspecting the moon charm he gave the boy. "Apart at least we can figure it out." He looked down, his hand holding up to Jack's but did not shake it. "Deal?" He only held it, and breathed deeply when Jack squeezed back with his thumb.
"Deal."
Thank you so much for all your comments! I know, I'm a terrible replier - as much as I'm a horrible conversationalist in person - I would never know how to reply properly without blabbering a bunch of random and words, if not making a complete fool of myself, but I want all of you to know how much every individual message means to me. Thank you for your love and support to this story.
I also want for all of you to be safe, to hold on tight through this difficult time. We're living something historical right now. J.K. Rowling herself was affected by this virus, but gladly she's announced she is fully recovered. Someone I love dearly is in the front line right now battling this invisible enemy. I imagine some of you must have loved ones at risk as well. Let's keep holding on for them.
Let's keep working.
M. R. Roth
