AN:/Plot points are coming together, and tension is rising.
(One of My beloved Betas- Grammarly - has been blocked for some unknown reason at my workplace. So until 11/27, I won't be able to edit appropriately.)
This chapter was written on October 1st I am so sorry for the wait! My physical health has taken another downward spiral, and my doctor diagnosed me as depressed.
"I've known this for three years doc, tell me something I don't know, please!"
On the positive side, I have gotten three promotions since I've last written and am on Anti-depressants.
y a y
Ren approached the head table with a canister in hand. It had only been two days since the potion incident, and he had not seen hide nor hair of the assumed potioneer. Regardless, he told himself that he would make Severus some coffee, and did so. The Potion Master was having a heated discussion with Minerva about a dispute between two of their students.
"I'm telling you, Severus, if it was Ms. Wester that did it, we need to take action!"
"And I'm telling you Minerva, Ms. Wester, in the nicest way possible, is utter rubbish at brewing! It can't have been her."
Ren put two hands between the two Professors and waving them down in a calming manner. "Now, let's not get too heated, especially in front of the students." He sat between the two, and his plate of Curry appeared. "Severus, if you could cast that one charm you mentioned the other day?"
One of Severus's eyebrows twitched as he did cast it. The plate of food glowed a soft pink. "Damn it. Whoever is doing this is trying their best, and it's certainly not a good thing. They are doing small doses of Amortentia. Ren, this is becoming more serious by the day. We found traces of Amortentia in the kitchens yesterday, and then your own situation the day before. Minerva believes it to be a student; however, I believe the intention is much more malicious than that of a student."
"You believe it's Sirius Black?" Ren softly asked. The Daily Prophet had run several papers about sightings getting closer to Hogwarts. With the general theory being Black is on his way to finish the job with Harry, it made some sense. "I see. He would make it so that I could be enamored with him and let him go about his business should I run across him. That would mean he is in the Castle. Have you already informed Albus of your suspicion?"
The Potion Master shook his head. "Now, with the second attempt on you, and the missing potion ingredients yesterday, I have more evidence for my case."
"I support your idea, truly, I do. The thing is though the first attempt when you ended up escorting me to the hospital wing, I turned back to look at the Great Hall, and saw an older Ravenclaw girl wink at me. It took a lot of effort not to wink back, so I believe she would be behind the dosing." Ren sighed. "At least for the first one. The possibility of her being used, or the rest being Black is genuine. I'll have to make some more coffee and patrol throughout the night."
"Ren, if I may," Minerva interjected. "If you can, please keep an eye out near Gryffindor Tower tomorrow night? Halloween always seems to bode bad news for Mr. Potter. In his First Year, it was a Troll, and the Last Year it was the Chamber of Secrets opening. Thirteen years ago, it was his parents being… attacked." The Transfiguration Professor's expression dimmed. "If Severus is right, and it is Sirius Black, Mr. Potter is assumedly his main target."
"Do not worry. I will do what I can to protect the students." Ren handed the canister in his hand to the potions master. "Here, this is for taking me to the infirmary a while ago. This brew is more refined, and it's natural ingredients are soothing instead of stimulating. I just brewed it myself, so you shouldn't have to worry about it being dosed." The three professors enjoyed the rest of their Saturday evening.
Hermione sliced again and again at the training dummy, the Crimson Room providing the newest Phantom Thief with a replica of her Halberd. She did not want to enter the Enchanted Forest alone and did promise Ren that she would always tell him. Hermione was getting practice using the weapon so that in the future, there would be no hesitation. If she did get a team full of people, she would have to lead them unwaveringly as Aether. Hermione could not afford to fail her team. Every day since the Forest incident -after her Persona Training was over, of course, because that was a lesson and Hermione Granger never skips a lesson- she would sneak back and practice her polearm skills. From stories that Ren had told her, most of the significant Shadows that they fought were humanoid, so the practice dummy was, in fact, human-like. If a Shadow looked like one of her friends, she would need to be able to help and not freeze up.
She started to work on a combo that she could rely on if she ever got the chance to use it. A hard swing left. A spin right. A quick twirl to fix her grip and stab. The dummy exploded into dust at the final attack. She was only three dummies in, and she was already feeling fatigued. Hermione felt herself get angry and lashed out, throwing her Halberd at a newly created figure. "Why can't I get better!?" The Phantom Thief sighed and tried to calm herself but to no avail. "I have to get better. I need to get better." A new Halberd appeared in her hand, and she breathed in, trying to gain some new strength from the intake of air. "Once more."
Aether charged at a new dummy.
Harry watched as an owl flew into the Great Hall at dinner time, stopping just in front of Ren- who was talking with the other professors. Noise in the Hall dropped into a hush, as never before during meal times has the Groundskeeper received a letter. Ren sat there for a moment, staring directly at the owl, as Professor McGonagall leaned over to him and whispered something. He nodded in response, before reaching forward and taking the letter. As he was about to open it, it levitated itself up. Harry heard Ron gasp beside him, and it seemed to click for Harry. Someone sent Ren a Howler.
"World. You will die. You and your Priestess. But not before I make your links suffer. You can not hide from me. I am Darkness. I am hate. I am everywhere. You are not." The voice was neither yelling nor screaming and yet deafening. "I am growing here. But there, World? I'm at full strength there. These Attendants and this blasted door can not keep me for long. Four of your old days. First, the Universe's links… and then Yours."
No one breathed. There was silence. Hermione across from him paled, which started connecting the dots for Harry. Erebus. A blast of darkness shot out of the deep red envelope and expanded, covering the walls and ceiling of the Great Hall. Thanks to the acoustics of the Hall, and the magic amplifying it, each student heard the Howler rip itself to shreds. Ren breathed out, "Fuck." The Hall exploded into sound and action, the Headmaster and Staff immediately trying to dispel the darkness, but Harry heard none of it. He was too busy watching Hermione burst into tears, as a single line of the Howler echoed through his mind. You and Your Priestess. Ren had spoken at length the last session of training Harry had been to about how Humans, Persona Users, and Shadows had Arcana. Dumbledore is Judgement, McGonagall Temperance, and Hermione… Hermione is Priestess.
"Mahamaon!" Ren cried out, a beam of pure light slicing through the darkness, bringing color and sight back to everyone. The screaming and the overwhelming panic in the Hall stopped. "Students do not fret. This threat will be taken care of. Prefects, please escort the students back to their dormitories. Dinner will be held in the common rooms tonight. Head of Houses, please go with your students. Professors, return to your rooms. The Great Hall is off-limits as of this moment. Headmaster, if you will."
The two of the most powerful wizards in the British Isles moved closer together to converse in private, and McGonagall was already approaching the Gryffindor table. Harry and Ron engulfed Hermione in a comforting hug as they got up to follow their house.
"This is troubling news," Albus said, casting another ward around the Great Hall. "Erebus reaching out to you directly, in the form of communication from this country? Howlers are outdated and only used here in the British Isles and The Magic Republic of China."
Ren rolled his shoulders back and felt a pop echo through his chest. Some of the tension he felt faded. "Yes, it's very troubling. However, on the plus side, Erebus's time limit is longer than you'd initially think. 'Four of Your Old Days' is four years here. That means we have four years to prepare Hermione and the other Persona Users." The Phantom Thief cast another Mahamaon, clearing any remaining darkness from the Hall. "But there are things we can do to buy time. Erebus is the manifestation of Humanity's negative emotions, so Hermione and I can go fight Shadow's to try and alleviate some of the burdens. If we can fight any major Shadows, it will help even more. Albus, we need to think about the students, and then outside of that, some laws that might be causing some unneeded tension in the world, or at least Britain."
Albus stroked his beard in thought. "I believe I have a solution for us, Ren. My occupation isn't just Headmaster. I am also Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards."
Ren stared at the Elder Persona wizard in front of him. "I'm gonna be honest sir, I don't know what any of that means, but you wouldn't bring it up without reason. If those positions are political, I'll let you handle it. But now for the School…" The young Groundskeeper sighed. "I'm gonna have to read over the rulebook again."
"If I may," Albus chimed in, "I suggest we bring in Minerva and Severus into the fold."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Why just those two and not all the heads?"
Albus gave a soft smile. "Filius and Pamona are brilliant, but they don't have my absolute trust like Minerva and Severus do. Minerva has been my Deputy Headmistress since 1956, and my co-worker since 1910. Severus was my spy late in the first war with Voldemort. He has made several vows on his magic that he would never betray the Order of the Phoenix- the resistance against Voldemort. They will be able to bear this burden."
"I see. Very well. I will stop by each of the houses, let them know the danger has passed, and that the Great Hall will be secure for breakfast." Ren gestured vaguely around him as if to show the lack of pitch black in the room. "I will also speak to Minerva and Severus when I stop by." He felt a wave of exhaustion flow over him and yawned. "I-I'll need to make another batch or two of coffee for tomorrow night."
"Oh?" Albus tilted his head. "Any special plans for All Hallow's Eve?"
Ren softly laughed. "If by 'special plans' you mean 'patrol near the Gryffindor Tower in case Sirius Black tries to visit Harry Potter because Halloween is always unlucky for him,'" Ren smirked. "Then, yes, I got some plans."
"Do not overwork yourself, Ren," Albus advised.
"I don't know the meaning of the word," Ren replied as he left the Great Hall.
