Halle Potter and the first year of madness.
/
By the time Ronnie had stopped dragging Halle she had realised that they were outside Hagrid's. Halle still hadn't gotten a chance to say anything before the door was swung open and Neville was dragging them both inside.
To Halle's complete surprise Hagrid was already sat down arguing with Hermione, who had never been to Hagrid's before but even more surprising was a scowling Dewei sitting right next to her listening to the conversation.
What on earth was going on?
"I'm telling you Hagrid we all saw him." Said Hermione adamantly.
"Saw what?" Asked Halle curiously.
"Oh, hello Halle. Yeh did really well out on the pitch, I tell yer." Said Hagrid turning to her with a massive smile.
"Thanks Hagrid." She said smiling back before turning to the others. "What's going on?"
"Grangers turned her tune pretty quickly Potter. Last week Snape was an upstanding teacher and this week, he meant to turn you into a scarlet smoothie." Said Dewei in his usual dry and sarcastic voice.
"It was Snape, Halle! When you lost control of your broom, it was him jinxing it and we saw him with Hagrid's binoculars. Hermione had to set him on fire and the moment she did, you regained control of your broom. I'm telling you; it was Snape!" Said Ronnie
"Rubbish!" Said Hagrid as he got up and began making two cups of tea for Ronnie and Halle.
"Why would Snape do somethin' like that?"
"Because I found out that he tried to get past that three headed dog on Halloween. It bit him and we think he's trying to steal whatever it's guarding. That's why we lost 80 house points last week. He was super mad about the bite and the fact that I had seen his mangled leg." Said Halle coming to sit down at the table.
She realised that Hagrid was looking at her in shock.
"How'd yeh know about Fluffy?" Said Hagrid?
"Fluffy?" Cried Ronnie and Neville at the same time.
"That thing has a name?" Said Hermione incredulously.
Even Dewei had raised an eyebrow at that.
"Yeah, he's mine. Bought him off a Greek fella I met down the pub las year, then I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the..."
"Yes?" Said Halle eagerly.
"No more questions! That's top secret that is." Said Hagrid gruffly.
"But Hagrid, whatever it is, Snape's trying to steal it." Sighed Halle.
"Rubbish. Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort." Said Hagrid firmly.
'So why did he try to kill Halle then? I know a jinx when I see one. I've read all about them. You've got to keep eye contact and Snape wasn't blinking. Right Ronnie?" Said Hermione.
"That's right Hagrid, we saw him. Mouth moving and all. We even passed the binoculars to the sceptic here, so he could confirm it too" Said Ronnie fiercely as she pointed to Dewei.
They all turned to him. Halle was curious if he believed her now as last week, he had more of an inkling to believe that professor Quirrell could be the culprit.
"He did seem to be concentrating hard on Potter but four of you here are forgetting that Snape isn't just talented in the art of potion making. Was it not your own brother Weasley, who told Potter that Snape had applied for the defence against the dark arts post? He'd have to be skilled in curses..."
"Aha! Point and case." Said Ronnie triumphantly.
"And counter curses too...He could've easily been trying to save Potter." Continued Dewei as though he hadn't been interrupted.
"Thank you. At least one of yers has some common sense." Said Hagrid.
"Don't make me laugh Zabini. Snape try to save Halle? Please! He'd probably throw her to Fluffy if he thought he could get away with it. Her and the rest of Gryffindor house, maybe all except you. He doesn't seem to rag on you. Who'd of thought that we'd have a Gryffindor teacher's pet for a slimy Slytherin like Snape." Said Ronnie irritated.
Dewei's scowl only hardened but before he could retaliate Neville butted in.
"The point is Hagrid, we saw him. We've been watching Halle on a broomstick for two months now. She's incredible. Probably one of the best fliers here in Hogwarts and she hadn't even ridden a broom before." Said Neville strongly.
Halle felt her cheeks go red. She still wasn't used to compliments.
Neville continued. "I know Halle was nervous about the game but she was perfectly fine until the broom started going out of control. She didn't lose it and you said it yourself. It was dark magic that no student could perform. I've heard stories about Snape and we saw him. If Hermione hadn't of done what she did then maybe Halle would be that scarlet smoothie right now."
"I'm tellin yeh, yer wrong." Said Hagrid.
Neville sighed; Ronnie rolled her eyes and Hermione slumped.
"I don't know why Halle's broom started acting like that but Snape wouldn't try an kill a student! Now listen to me, all five of yeh. Yer meddlin in things that ought not to be meddled in. It's dangerous. You just forget that dog, an what it's gaudin; that's between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel." Said Hagrid.
"Aha! So, there's someone called Nicolas Flamel?" Said Halle.
Hagrid looked furious with himself but before he could say anything else, there was a knock at the door.
He got up and answered.
There stood Serphina Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson and another Slytherin girl by the name of Millicent Bulstrode. All three of them had disgusted faces as they stepped into Hagrid's establishment but their faces turned to wicked smiles when they saw the others although Phina's face slipped when she saw Dewei.
The scowls shared between them were deadly.
Luckily for Halle the smiles and scowls were wiped away from their faces when Fang bounded up to the three new guests and barked with excitement. All three girls immediately jumped and screamed as Fang began sniffing them.
"Ew, get this awful creature away from me." Shrieked Pansy as she backed up into the wall.
"Calm down girls, it's only Fang. He don't bite." Said Hagrid.
Halle savoured the moment especially when she caught Hermione, Ronnie and Dewei wearing identical smirks.
"What's the matter girls? Dog got your tongue?" Asked Ronnie dryly.
The others sniggered at that and Hagrid had to stop himself from laughing.
Phina gave a vicious glare at Ronnie and then turned to Hagrid.
"Do you mind collecting your beast and moving him away from us." She said venomously.
"Beast's a strong word but alright." Murmured Hagrid as he grabbed Fang's collar and tugged him away from the three Slytherins.
They straightened up and gave the Gryffindors and Hagrid murderous glares.
"Right, now that's sorted, can I help yeh?" Said Hagrid in polite tone although it was a bit strained from their attitude.
"No, you can't, but they can. Professor Snape has told us to come and fetch Granger, Weasley and Longbottom." Said Phina in her snobbish high pitch voice.
"What for?" Asked Hagrid as he looked back at them confused.
"They're to have their detentions now. The ones they got last week. Here, see for yourself." Jumped in Pansy rather smugly as she passed Hagrid the note.
Hagrid read over the note and sighed.
"Yep! That's Snape's handwriting. Yeh three had better get a move on. Yer professor doesn't like to be kept waiting." Said Hagrid sorrowfully.
The three snakes smirked.
Halle couldn't help but shiver slightly. How bad was their detention going to be for Hagrid to sound like that?
"Well, that's my cue to leave as well. Thanks for the tea, Hagrid. I haven't had good company in ages." Said Dewei rather sudden and nicely.
"Oh uh, yer welcome, Dewei." Said Hagrid slightly startled.
Halle for second thought he had lost his mind but she saw the quick turn of his head towards Phina and the smirk he gave her. Halle turned to see the vicious sneer present on Phina's face.
Spiting Phina with politeness towards Hagrid. That was a new one.
"Yes Hagrid, thank you for the tea and the cakes. I hope despite our conversation, I could be welcomed back?" Said Hermione sincerely.
"Of course, yeh welcome back. Anytime! That includes yeh four. Now go on, off yeh go before yeh get into more trouble." Said Hagrid.
Halle was glad that he wasn't too mad at them for their theories and accusations or their knowledge of the Cerberus now known as Fluffy.
What a ridiculous name. That dog was far from fluffy.
Halle stood and said goodbye to Hagrid and left with the others.
The walk back up to the castle was filled with pure tension and strangely enough silence, possibly because the Slytherins were outnumbered.
When they returned to the castle Halle gave the others a sympathetic smile as they headed for the dungeons. Halle cursed Snape mentally. Of course, he would pick right after the quidditch match to have their detention. Whether Slytherin had won or lost the match it was a win for him either way. He could either rub the win in their faces or rob them of the celebration and of course it was the latter.
He would probably make them suffer even more now, knowing Slytherin had just lost to Gryffindor and him failing to knock her off her broom.
Slimy bat looking snake.
Halle turned to see Dewei walking off. He was obviously heading for Gryffindor Tower. Halle was ready to follow him and put down her stuff when she realised, she didn't have her stuff. In fact, she was still in her quidditch robes. She had gotten changed in the changing rooms and thus her clothes were still there.
She hoped her broomstick was in there.
Halle watched as Dewei walked out of sight before returning back down to the quidditch pitch.
Her stuff was luckily untouched and someone had brought her broom to the changing rooms. She had quickly showered and changed into her clothes and put on her jacket. She grabbed her bag and broom but before she could leave, a bright light began to emanate from inside her jacket.
Halle's breath hitched as her blood ran cold.
She didn't have to think twice about why her jacket was lighting up.
It was him!
Slowly she pulled the mirror out of her inside pocket and immediately the light died down and was replaced with...words?
There was no face this time, just a message.
Meet me at the edge of the forbidden forest at seven o'clock sharp.
Come alone. - C.S
The message was there for ten seconds more before the words morphed away, only leaving Halle's pale reflection staring back at her.
Halle gulped.
It was today. The day she would come face to face with C.S.
No back up and of all places the forbidden forest. It was forbidden for a reason.
Halle looked around. No one was around her. How did he know once again that she was alone? Did this mirror sense it? Had he been watching her from Hagrid's to the castle? Well, whatever the case, she knew she couldn't afford not going. The threat was still on her friends and she wouldn't let them get hurt on her account.
Halle took a shaky breath and tried to compose herself. She was a Gryffindor and she wouldn't let her fear get the better of her. She would face this problem head on. She had her potions and several spells in her arsenal. She would have to hope that luck was on her side.
With one final check of her surroundings, she held her head high and marched out of the changing rooms, heading back for the castle.
/
When 6:30 had arrived, Halle had become seriously anxious. Apart from her scheduled meeting, she had not seen hide nor hair of her friends.
They had not returned during lunch and they hadn't shown up for dinner. On one hand she was glad because she didn't have to explain to them where she was going but on the other hand, she was extremely terrified and could really do with seeing them even if for a moment of support but alas they were still nowhere to be seen.
Only Dewei had been her company this afternoon. Which had been awkward. With the others, the last week of the usual routine hadn't been bad but being by herself with him was strange. She was in a weird place with him.
Knowing he had a secret, hating his attitude, treating him like a criminal but thinking of him as a friend. At least she assumed she did. She had immediately hugged him after he had saved their lives from the troll and she wasn't as irritated by his presence anymore but he still made their relationship difficult. They hadn't even had a proper conversation where they could just get to know each other. Still his conversation with Daphne Greengrass had been eye opening to Halle.
There was a softer side to Dewei Zabini, one that she couldn't get too, nor did she know how too.
With Ronnie and Neville, it was easy. With Hermione it had required some work but so far it was working out. With him it was like stepping onto a minefield. She had no idea where to tread. Before the conversation she was fine but now she was a mess.
He had come down for lunch and she had sat with him but there was no talking. They sat in silence until Matt and Freja had joined them. She had been glad for their presence. After Lunch he had gone back to the dormitory and she had gone to the passageway. She wanted to practice her spells with a small dose of the exstimulo potion.
Man did that bad boy have a kick. Her spells were much stronger with the potion and again Halle couldn't believe that someone had left such a powerful potion just lying around.
She had stayed in their all afternoon until dinner, she had learnt that time spell she found and at 5 to 5 she left the passageway and went down to the hall where she had sat with Dewei once again, with no talking.
Gryffindor's mood had been elated all day with the defeat of Slytherin and despite playing a major part in said defeat, no one took notice of her early absence from dinner.
Halle raced to Gryffindor tower and collected her cloak. She gulped half the exstimulo potion which strangely enough almost tasted like strawberry yogurt. She placed her sleeping draught and her paralysis potions in her outer pockets and placed the melt potion and befuddlement draught in her inner pockets.
She had made a plan of action to use a spell and a potion. She would use the fire spell first and hopefully make a ring around C.S. and then throw the paralysis potion. If that plan went sideways, she would try to duck for cover and hopefully hit him with the sleeping draught.
She gripped her wand tightly and with one final breath she made her way out of the common room and down to the forbidden forest.
Outside was dark as it was autumn. The cold air only made Halle feel even more nervous as she got closer and closer to the edge of the forest. She saw smoke come from Hagrid's chimney meaning he was inside, probably cooking himself dinner.
Oh, what she'd give to just run into his cabin and hide but she couldn't do that. She had to suck up her fear. She was protecting her friends and she would do anything she could to protect them.
With some forced motivation she walked past Hagrid's and walked into the forbidden forest and stood just at the edge.
The forest was pitch black and eerily silent. She wasn't even fully in there and immediately the hairs on the back of her neck began to rise. She felt like she was being watched from all angles and the feeling gave her shivers that rippled through her spine.
Halle knew without a doubt that the forest clearly had some dangerous creatures lurking inside it. She knew that she should turn back. She could barely see into the darkness but as she peered around waiting for C.S's arrival, her eyes began playing tricks on her.
The tall tree branches looked like twisted hands, waiting for the next victim to walk by. She thought she could see them moving but it was her mind being paranoid. She thought she saw eyes hidden in the dark but when she squinted, nothing was there. Finally, in the corner of her eye she thought she saw a figure walking in the far distance further amongst the trees but when she turned her head to look properly, there was no one there.
She looked back to check Hagrid was still in doors. Although she couldn't directly see him, the light was on and the chimney was still smoking, so she assumed Hagrid wasn't out here.
Her heart beat was racing. She needed to leave. This was a bad idea. She just needed to go straight to Dumbledore now!
With Halle's mind made up she turned on her heel, only to find a tall figure in a black hooded cloak, blocking her path.
It was him! It was C.S!
When had he gotten there? She hadn't even heard or sensed him.
How long had he been there? She had, had her back turned to him, he could've easily attacked her from behind.
Halle's heart started beating frantically but she was not going to go down without a fight and immediately pulled out her wand.
"Incendio!" She cried as she pointed her wand at the ground around C.S.
Even without seeing his face, he had looked startled for a moment as a roaring ring fire surrounded him but before Halle had time to reach for the paralysis potion, C.S had simply walked through the fire.
How was that possible?
Halle backed up, unfortunately into a tree as C.S advanced on her. One more try. She pulled out the paralysis potion from her right pocket this time and was about to throw it when all of sudden she lost control of her arm. It had become stiff.
Halle looked at her arm in shock as she tried to move it but her arm was stuck in the air. Halle looked at C.S in panic as he simply tilted his head at her.
In a flash Halle took her left arm and grabbed the potion from her right and launched it at C.S.
Halle who hadn't noticed C.S's wand, gave the laziest flick of it and the potion swerved around C.S and into the ring of fire causing the fire to surge momentarily.
Halle's own wand was in her left hand to grab the potion after she had cast the spell. She could still attempt casting a spell but she was right-handed.
As he finally got right in front of her Halle's breath hitched. 'Grab the sleeping draught!' Her mind screamed at her. 'Try another spell!' But Halle just froze. What would happen now?
C.S menacingly stared down at her as he raised his wand. Halle closed her eyes. She had at least tried right?
Maybe they'd remember her now as the girl who tried.
Halle suddenly felt a gust of wind and suddenly her vision got darker. When she had opened her eyes, she saw that there was no more fire lighting up their area. C.S turned back to Halle and once again flicked his wand. Suddenly her arm dropped free but as quick as her arm dropped her whole body began to rise.
She realised with a jolt that she was being levitated.
Her wand was snatched out of her hand and Halle was left struggling in the air, trying to kick out at C.S.
All of sudden Halle was turning upside down and her other three potions came hurtling out of her pockets, although luckily, they didn't smash after hitting the ground but that was of no use to Halle right now because she was still dangling in the air and blood was beginning to rush to her head.
C.S began to crouch down and examine the potions before looking Halle in the face.
"Tut, tut, tut. My, my you have been a busy girl, haven't you? I'm impressed."
He quickly picked up the potions and pocketed them alongside her wand.
He then flicked his wand at Halle and she was turning upright. Halle's head was hurting from the pressure and she took big gulps of air to try and stop the thumping.
She was dangling in the air for a minute before she suddenly plummeted to the ground.
Halle felt a striking pain go up her back but she ignored it and got to her feet and scrambled away from C.S.
"Now Miss Potter, haven't you learnt that your attempts to hurt me are futile? What makes you think you can run away from me?" Said C.S in an amused voice.
"Come any closer and I'll scream. The castle might not hear it but Hagrid will and I'm betting a few unfriendly faces in the forest might too. I might not be able to take you on but are you certain you can take all of them?" Said Halle in voice braver than she felt.
She had no idea if that plan would in actuality work but it was the only thing she had left.
C.S simply stared at her in silence for several long agonising moments.
He suddenly broke it.
"I like you, Potter. So much potential, just waiting to be nurtured, like a volcano waiting to erupt." Said C.S.
Halle couldn't believe it but it sounded genuine.
He then continued.
"You can relax little one. I don't intend to hurt you, not when you're useful to me," Said C.S in that slick voice of his, although again, being up-close Halle noted it still sounded distorted.
"Useful how?" Said Halle keeping an eye on his wand.
"Have you ever heard the saying; the enemy of my enemy is my friend?" Asked C.S.
"I've heard it. I think it's rubbish. As far as I'm aware, the enemy of my enemy, is just another enemy if their worthy enough to be an enemy of my enemy in the first place." Spat Halle.
"Then you have good instincts Miss Potter. However, I'd reconsider that philosophy if I were you." Said C.S. There was a sinister undertone implied.
"Why? You gonna threaten me if I don't?" Asked Halle, anger coursing through her.
"Not in the slightest. I have no need to do the threatening." Said C.S cryptically.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Asked Halle, distrust lacing her words.
"Things are happening inside and outside the walls of Hogwarts Miss Potter, regardless of my involvement. Why do you think you saw the three headed dog back in September?" Said C.S mysteriously.
Halle shouldn't have been surprised that C.S knew this. He had sent the note about having information and twice he had cornered her with the mirror.
"Professor Dumbledore had something moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts and it has protection, I happened to be out and found the dog, that's it." Said Halle firmly.
"Very true, but that wasn't my question. I said why do you think you saw the three headed dog, you and your friends of all the people in the school." Said C.S.
"I was challenged to a duel that was a setup, so we ran and ended up seeing it." Answered Halle.
"And yet it happened to you. The famous Halle Potter. Not some random Hufflepuff child or even one of the elder students. A first-year girl who happened to be present when the package that lie beneath the trapdoor was taken out of Gringotts. Do you think such coincidence could've happened to your friends, Miss Granger? or Miss Weasley? Mr Longbottom? Or Mr Zabini? Does that not strike you as an odd coincidence?" Asked C.S.
"They all saw the dog too. You're grasping at straws." Said Halle defiantly.
Although she hated that apart her felt like she wanted to agree with him. She had said to herself that several things that had happened in the last two months were a bit strange to be coincidences and that the connection had been her.
"How naïve of you Miss Potter but no matter. My point still stands. Things are happening all around us Miss Potter and destiny has its eyes set on you. Fate brought you here before me. Fate allowed you to witness the removal of the package. Fate put your friends in your path and fate will dictate your role in this journey we shall stumble on together." Said C.S.
"What are on earth are you talking about?" Said Halle looking at him like he was crazy. Then again, he had pushed Dewei off a balcony to gain her attention, so he probably was.
"Follow me." Said C.S suddenly strolling past her, heading deeper into the forbidden forest.
This was surely her chance to run but he still had her wand and potions and she probably wouldn't get very far the second C.S turned to look at her. With a reluctant sigh she began to follow him at a distance.
She had no desire to be close to him.
The walk was silent. Every crunch of a twig or leaf under feet made Halle's heart jump. Yet the hooded figure in front of her made no sound at tall like a predator creeping up on its unsuspecting prey waiting for the right opportunity to pounce.
The forest only seemed to get darker and darker the further they walked in. The path became more narrow and harder to walk on with thick roots sticking out of the ground and Halle's senses were going overboard with how much danger she could sense all around her.
She wanted to turn back but she didn't dare make a sound for fear that C.S or something worse reacted to her sudden movements.
She continued to follow him till they came to a sudden halt and she had to steady herself against a tree so that she didn't fall over.
She noticed then that the tree she was touching had some sticky substance on it. On her hand was some thick silvery type of goo. She wiped her hand on a nearby leaf but she noticed that the substance was in little droplets all over the area they were in.
What on earth was this stuff?
"It's blood!" Said C.S rather suddenly and Halle startled.
Had he just read her mind?
"This is why I've brought you here." Said C.S.
"Why would I need to see blood in the forbidden forest? What is all of this about? Stop playing games!" Said Halle trying to keep her temper in check, she did not want to get loud of all places in the forest.
"The blood belongs to a unicorn. Do you know why it has been shed Miss Potter?" Said C.S finally turning toward her.
"Obviously not." Said Halle through gritted teeth.
"Well, I do but more importantly I know who has done it. That's not all I know either. I know several things you want to know the answers too but to learn those things you must understand why unicorn blood surrounds us." Said C.S still cryptic.
"So, who's doing this and why?" Asked Halle rather irritated.
"I already told you Miss Potter." Said C.S with a tilted head.
"No, you didn't!" Snapped Halle.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Replied C.S
"I don't have any enemies." Said Halle.
"Are you sure?" Said C.S and suddenly Halle realised how stupid that last statement was because apart from the figure standing before her and the slimy Slytherins including their head of house, Halle did have an enemy, an enemy who had tried to kill her ten years ago.
Voldemort!
"You're telling me that Voldemort is your enemy and is here in the forbidden forest killing unicorns?" Said Halle in disbelief.
She believed Hagrid when he had told her that he believed Voldemort was still alive somewhere out there but in Hogwarts? Surely someone would notice that?
"Yes." Said C.S simply.
"Ok, let's say I believe you. Why is he your enemy and why is he here killing unicorns?" Asked Halle.
"I refused to help him in his mission to take over the wizarding world. So, he cursed me. As for the unicorns, to understand that you first need to know what lies beneath the trapdoor." Said C.S.
"So, what is it then?" Asked Halle impatiently.
'Ah my dear that is the question indeed. Unfortunately, I cannot give you the answers you seek, not yet, not without a promise." Said C.S.
He wanted to bargain information for something but what?
"What kind of promise? What exactly is it that you think I can offer you?" Asked Halle.
"You can help break my curse." Replied C.S
"How?" Said Halle.
"All the answers you seek will be given if you're willing to make a promise to me but not by-word of mouth." Said C.S.
"Then how?" Asked Halle agitated.
C.S gestured his arm downwards.
Blood!
"You want me to make a promise with blood? That will break your curse? No deal! You're dangerous and a liar. I'm not giving you my blood especially when you're not even making sense." Spat Halle.
"You'll come around but first you must see for yourself." Said C.S.
Before Halle could blink, there was a flash of light and a crackling sound and suddenly C.S was gone.
He was gone and she was all alone in the forbidden forest, wandless and defenceless.
SNAP!
Correction, Halle was definitely not alone!
/